US09846969B2

Disclosed herein is a control method of an electronic apparatus. The control method of an electronic apparatus includes: detecting a crosswalk from an image data photographed in a camera during a period in which a vehicle is operated; generating an object indicating the detected crosswalk; and outputting the generated object through augmented reality.
US09846959B2

A depth processing apparatus includes a depth buffer, an early depth processing circuit, a post depth processing circuit, and a depth processing controller. The depth buffer stores depth information of a plurality of pixels of a screen space. The early depth processing circuit performs early depth processing based on at least a portion of the depth information before a pixel shading stage. The post depth processing circuit performs post depth processing based on at least a portion of the depth information after the pixel shading stage. The depth processing controller manages a plurality of dependency indication values corresponding to a plurality of sub-regions in the screen space, respectively, and configured to control a first pixel for undergoing at least one of the early depth processing and the post depth processing by referring a first dependency indication value of a first sub-region in which the first pixel is located.
US09846958B1

A system and method for recursively rendering, caching, and/or retrieving a display object bitmap is provided. In some implementations, an image may be rendered on a client computing platform using an image list of one or more bitmap objects. The one or more object bitmaps may be generated in response to obtaining information defining a vector image in an image frame in an animation. An image list may be maintained for an image to be rendered based on the vector image of a frame of animation and/or some or all of the frames in the animation. The image list may store one or more references to one or more respective bitmap objects that are associated with the image to be rendered.
US09846951B2

A method may include obtaining an image that includes a connected component that includes a set of pixels, calculating a representative color for the set of pixels, mapping the representative color to an application color in an application color palette of an application, and generating an electronic document that includes a revised version of the connected component in the application color.
US09846936B2

Disclosed herein is an imaging apparatus and a controlling method thereof, the imaging apparatus includes an image processing unit generating volume images of an object including a region of interest and extracting a reference plane of the volume images and an area setting unit automatically setting a distance from the reference plane, wherein the image processing unit may generate a 3D data of a region of interest based on a cross sectional data of the reference plane and a cross sectional data contained in a plurality of cross sectional images of the volume images existing in the distance.
US09846930B2

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using defect-specific and multi-channel information are provided. One method includes acquiring information for a target on a wafer. The target includes a pattern of interest (POI) formed on the wafer and a known defect of interest (DOI) occurring proximate to or in the POI. The method also includes detecting the known DOI in target candidates by identifying potential DOI locations based on images of the target candidates acquired by a first channel of an inspection system and applying one or more detection parameters to images of the potential DOI locations acquired by a second channel of the inspection system. Therefore, the image(s) used for locating potential DOI locations and the image(s) used for detecting defects can be different.
US09846928B2

An inspection method and apparatus comprising, a step of reflecting linearly-polarized light having a predetermined wavelength using an non-polarizing beam splitter after transmitting the linearly-polarized light through a half-wave plate, irradiating a sample with the linearly-polarized light having a polarization plane of a predetermined angle, causing the light reflected by the sample to be incident to an image capturing sensor through a lens, the non-polarizing beam splitter, and an analyzer, and acquiring an optical image of a pattern formed on the sample; acquiring a plurality of optical images by changing an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate, and obtaining an angle of the analyzer or the half-wave plate such that a value of (σ/√A) becomes a minimum; and a step of inspecting whether a defect of the pattern exists, wherein the pattern is a repetitive pattern having a period at a resolution limit or less.
US09846924B2

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program of instructions. The program of instructions may be configured to, when read and executed by the processor, receive a visible-light image from a visible-light sensor, receive an infrared image from an active infrared sensor, and compare the visible-light image to the infrared image to determine shadow regions of the visible-light image having shadows.
US09846923B1

An image capture and correction method includes steps of providing an image capture device, moving the image capture device along a specific direction to obtain an captured image and position information, performing a correction operation to the captured image, calculating to obtain a skewed angle according to the position information, setting a coordinate value of the captured image as a target value, calculating to obtain a correction value according to the target value and the skewed angle, replacing the target value with the correction value, and judging whether to continue the correction operation. Then, the correction operation is finished and the corrected captured image is stored. Therefore, the skew of the captured image is corrected, a more accurate correction value is obtained, and the advantages of precisely correcting the captured image are achieved.
US09846922B2

A method detects phase-encoding ghosting in a MR image of an object to be imaged and mitigates the corresponding artifact in the MR image. The method includes acquiring MRI raw data of the object by a MRI apparatus. The MRI apparatus has multiple receiver channels for acquiring the MRI raw data. An artifact map of at least one part of the object to be imaged is calculated from the MRI raw data, the artifact map is configured for highlighting artifact appearing in the MR image. An outlier mask representing detected phase-encoding artifact is created in the artifact map. The phase-encode ghosting in the MR image is mitigated by using the previously obtained artifact map and the outlier mask for obtaining an improved MR image.
US09846921B2

A dynamic image masking system for providing a filtered autonomous remote sensing image through a dynamic image masking process is provided. The dynamic image masking system has a remote sensing platform and an imaging system associated with the remote sensing platform. The imaging system has an optical system and an image sensing system. The dynamic image masking system further has a multi-level security system associated with the imaging system and one or more image alteration locations located in the imaging system and the multi-level security system, wherein alteration of one or more images takes place via the dynamic image masking process. The dynamic image masking system further has a computer system associated with the imaging system. The computer system has a gatekeeper algorithm configured to send gatekeeper commands to one or more controllers that control the one or more image alteration locations through the dynamic image masking process.
US09846920B2

In an embodiment, a touch sensitive device includes a touch interface having rows and columns and a signal generator for generating unique orthogonal signals on a plurality of the rows, respectively. A touch processor is identifies touch on the touch interface by processing touch signals present on the columns, and outputting a stream of touch events. A decimator receives the stream of touch events, selectively identifies one or more of the touch events in the stream, and outputs a modified stream of touch events for use by the touch sensitive device.
US09846908B2

A system and method for determining and presenting likely option strategies based on inputs is disclosed. An assets input is accepted where the asset input indicates an underlying asset for which options are available. Additional inputs may be accepted to further narrow the list of possible strategies. The system may attempt to predict and display the most likely option strategies based on the inputs.
US09846907B2

There are provided systems and methods for wireless beacon connections for providing digital letters of credit on detection of a user at a location. A payment provider may authorize use of one or more wireless beacons at a merchant location. When a user arrives at the merchant location, the user may be checked in through a communication device in possession of the user. Once checked in to the merchant location, the payment provider may determine and amount of credit to extend to the user based on the user's credit worthiness (for example, their credit rating, asset to debt ratio, etc.). The payment provider may then generate a letter of credit, which the payment provider may limit in use by time, location, etc. The payment provider may communicate the letter of credit to the user for use at the merchant location.
US09846901B2

Techniques for product recommendation involve receiving, from a user, a request for recommendation of a product matching one or more characteristics specified in the request. In response to the request, a product may be identified for recommendation, at least in part by searching an ontology in which the identified product is represented as matching at least one of the characteristics specified in the request. The ontology may further include at least one link to at least one natural language product review providing supporting evidence that the identified product matches the at least one characteristic. At least a portion of the at least one natural language product review may be retrieved using the at least one link in the ontology, and presented to the user in support of a recommendation of the identified product, in response to the request.
US09846893B2

Methods, and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable storage mediums, including a method for obtaining information about advertisement slots on resources (e.g., web pages). The method includes receiving a request to provide content for display in an ad slot of a web page presented on a user device; determining that parameter data specifying a parameter of the ad slot is not included in the request, the parameter being an indicator of a relative position of the ad slot on the web page; in response to determining that the parameter data is not included in the request, providing content to display in the ad slot to fulfill the request, the content including a tag configured to determine the parameter of the ad slot; receiving the parameter of the ad slot determined by the tag; and storing the parameter of the ad slot in a database.
US09846888B2

Methods and systems for receiving purchase transaction data and identifying the purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates. In an embodiment, a transaction clearing computer of a payment processing network receives the purchase transaction data from a plurality of acquirer financial institutions. A rewards system computer of the payment processing network identifies individual purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates pursuant to rewards programs and based on the purchase transaction data, and then initiates crediting of rebate amounts from acquirer financial institutions to payment card accounts of cardholders at issuer financial institutions. The rewards system computer also initiates charging of the rebate amounts to merchant accounts of merchants associated with the individual purchase transactions that qualified for customer rebates.
US09846886B2

One embodiment of the present invention provides an energy-asset control system for utilizing an energy asset to provide one of more modes of operation services. The system includes an economic optimizer configured to identify at least one mode of operation opportunity based on current and/or future market conditions; a prognostics module configured to perform a prognostic analysis associated with the mode of operation opportunity for the energy asset using an existing model, and determine a confidence level associated with the prognostic analysis; and an operation controller. The economic optimizer is further to configured to, in response to the prognostics module determining the confidence level exceeding a predetermined threshold, determine an expected profit of the mode of operation opportunity based on outcomes of the prognostic analysis; and optimize, over a predetermined time period, a usage of the energy asset based on the expected profit of the mode of operation opportunity.
US09846883B2

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for generating customized marketing messages using automatically generated customer identification data. In one embodiment, real-time data for a customer is received from a set of cameras associated with a retail facility to form detection data. The customer is automatically identified using the detection data to form customer identification data. Automatically identifying the customer occurs without human input. A customized marketing message is generated for the customer using the customer identification data.
US09846882B2

A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command.
US09846876B2

The invention concerns a system for exchanging a ticket with chips and vice versa, applies a ticket or voucher system to a gaming table in a casino and comprises an accounting system.
US09846872B2

Secure exchange of value and associated information in financial transactions involving beneficial offers available for customers is provided. Various offers, including discounts, prepaid amounts, and the like may be purchased by customers for use with various merchants. A third party issuer obtains information from the customer in selling the offers and issues some kind of indicium of value having a representation of the value of the offer associated therein. Record of the indicia are maintained and either transmitted to the merchant or kept by the issuer or associated financial institutions. When the customer redeems the offer by presenting the indicium to the merchant, the merchant may either authenticate the indicium using the records received by the issuer, or establish communication with the issuer for the issuer to authenticate the indicium, either by itself or in cooperation with one or more related financial institutions.
US09846870B2

A point-of-sale (POS) system is provided. The POS system may include an adjustable housing configured to receive a computing device. The POS system housing may be adjustable so that a screen of the computing device can be viewed by a merchant and a customer. The computing device may be removable from the housing for use as a mobile POS system. The POS system may also include electronics for accepting various forms of payment and for connecting the computing device to a network.
US09846866B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for executing financial transactions between customers and merchants. An identifier of a financial account is received from the customer at a merchant system. A one-time password is also received from the customer at the merchant system, with the customer having been provided with the one-time password by a mobile electronic device or contactless presentation instrument. A cryptogram is generated to include the identifier of the financial account encrypted using the one-time password. An authorization request is formulated at the merchant system. The authorization request includes the cryptogram and transaction information describing at least a portion of the financial transaction. The authorization request is transmitted from the merchant system to an authorization processor for authorization of the financial transaction.
US09846857B2

A barcode scanner device 200 is formed as a wrist watch with a main body 210 and strap 220 and includes a camera 211 to capture an image of a barcode 11. The scanner 200 generates an inventory request message sent by a communication interface 215 to a local server 30 based on the captured barcode. In a capture mode, live camera images may be displayed on touch-screen display 212 while capturing the barcode with guides and feedback for the user. In a display mode, inventory data from database 32 may be accessed in a large data field on the touch screen display 212.
US09846855B2

Tracking and associating consumable components with the respective pieces of wellbore servicing equipment to which they are coupled may include using identifier tags coupled to each piece of wellbore servicing equipment and to each consumable component. An identifier tag reader may be used to read both the identifier tag of the piece of wellbore servicing equipment and the identifier tag of the consumable component, thereby enabling association of the consumable component to the piece of wellbore servicing equipment to which it is coupled, for the duration of such coupling. Such association may be carried out and/or tracked in one or more databases, wherein other information pertaining to either piece of equipment may be associated with both pieces of equipment. In addition, usable life spans of consumable components may be more easily determined based at least in part on such association.
US09846851B2

A user interface guides an interview of a print service provider (PSP) to generate interview data regarding the PSP. The interview data regarding the PSP is translated into simulation experiments regarding printing production services offerable by the PSP. The simulation results are concurrently executed to generate simulation results. The simulation results are synthesized to generate capacity planning analyses and recommendations for the PSP reviewable within the user interface.
US09846848B2

A method of exchanging water allocation credits comprises accessing data describing a water allocation credit reserved for a first user. An unused amount of the water allocation credit which will not be used by the first user is then determined. A sale is then brokered of the unused amount of the water allocation credit to another user.
US09846847B2

A system including a centralized organizational information system in communication with a centralized organizational information database and an entitlement generator in communication with the centralized organizational information system, wherein the entitlement generator is configured to automatically generate at least one executable entitlement rule based on an input rule. The system also includes a federated set of entitlements engines in communication with the entitlement generator and a plurality of entitlement databases, wherein each of the entitlements engines is for determining whether a user is entitled to access secured resources requested by the user based on the executable entitlement rule.
US09846840B1

Semantic class localization techniques and systems are described. In one or more implementation, a technique is employed to back communicate relevancies of aggregations back through layers of a neural network. Through use of these relevancies, activation relevancy maps are created that describe relevancy of portions of the image to the classification of the image as corresponding to a semantic class. In this way, the semantic class is localized to portions of the image. This may be performed through communication of positive and not negative relevancies, use of contrastive attention maps to different between semantic classes and even within a same semantic class through use of a self-contrastive technique.
US09846829B2

A system is provided for integrating conformal electronics devices into apparel. The system includes a flexible substrate onto which a flexible device is disposed. The flexible device can include a stretchable coil that can be used to receive and transmit near field communications. The flexible device also includes an integrated circuit component and a memory unit. In some examples, the device also includes a sensor that is configured to record measurement of the wearer of the apparel and/or the surrounding environment.
US09846823B2

A traffic lane boundary line extraction apparatus includes: an image-data-acquiring-unit configured to acquire vehicle outside image data captured by a travelling vehicle; a candidate-area-detection-unit configured to detect a candidate area of a traffic lane boundary line from a road surface part of the vehicle outside image data; a road-surface-area-setting-unit configured to set a road surface area corresponding to the candidate area in the road surface part of the vehicle outside image data for each of the candidate area; a luminance-calculation-unit configured to calculate a representative luminance of the candidate area, and a representative luminance of the road surface area; and if a difference between the representative luminance of the candidate area and the representative luminance of the road surface area is greater than a predetermined threshold value, a candidate area evaluation unit configured to evaluate that the candidate area is suitable for the traffic lane boundary line.
US09846816B2

An image segmentation threshold value determining method, comprising: defining a plurality of image regions of a first sensing image; determining a first, a second part image segmentation threshold values according to a first, second image regions of the image regions; performing a first, a second image segmentation operation to the first sensing image according to the first, the second part image segmentation threshold values to acquire a first, a second segmented images; and selecting one of the first part image segmentation threshold value and the second part image segmentation threshold value as the first image segmentation threshold value according to the first segmented image and the second segmented image.
US09846814B1

A method for authenticating an object, comprising determining a physical dispersion pattern of a set of elements, determining a physical characteristic of the set of elements which is distinct from a physical characteristic producible by a transfer printing technology, determining a digital code associated with the object defining the physical dispersion pattern, and authenticating the object by verifying a correspondence of the digital code with the physical dispersion pattern, and verifying the physical characteristic.
US09846812B2

An image recognition system and method for a vehicle, including at least two camera units, each being configured to record an image of a road in the vicinity of the vehicle and to provide image data representing the respective image of the road, a first image processor configured to combine the image data provided by the at least two camera units into a first top-view image. The first top-view image is aligned to a road image plane, a first feature extractor configured to extract lines from the first top-view image, a second feature extractor configured to extract an optical flow from the first top-view image and a second top-view image, generated before the first top-view image by the first image processor, and a curb detector configured to detect curbs in the road based on the extracted lines and the extracted optical flow and provide curb data representing the detected curbs.
US09846809B2

A first still image included in a still image file and a second still image extracted from a moving image included in a moving image file are evaluated as layout target on a template. The layout target on the template is specified out of the first still image and the second still image in accordance with the evaluation, and the still image file of the layout target is laid out on the template. The first still image and the second still image are evaluated such that the possibility that the second still image is specified becomes higher than that for the first still image.
US09846806B2

Visual cues may be provided for the purpose of triggering the performance of one or more actions associated with a given task. A visual cue may include one or more characters or other markings on any relevant surfaces, as well as naturally appearing edges, contours or outlines within an environment in which the visual cue is provided. When one or more visual cues appear within a field of view of an imaging device, and the visual cues are recognized as such, a task relating to the visual cues may be identified, and instructions for performing the task may be provided. The task may be dependent upon a context in which the visual cues are provided, such that a single visual cue may be associated with multiple tasks in different contexts, and the performance of the task may be confirmed based on imaging data or other relevant information.
US09846799B2

A scannable object is sensed and scanned. A map is constructed based on the scan results. The map is compared to one or more stored templates. Results of the comparison are provided. In some implementations, a secured processor may construct the map and may provide reduced resolution (and/or other versions that contain less information) versions of the map and/or the stored templates to one or more other processors. The one or more other processors may determine a match-set based on matching between the reduced resolution map and stored templates. The secured processor may then identify whether or not a match exists between the map and any stored template based on the match-set.
US09846796B2

A wireless reader has a processor within an integrated circuit, and the processor is used to generate a primary signal to be wirelessly transmitted from an antenna of the wireless reader to a wireless tag. A transmit pin of the integrated circuit is coupled to the processor by a signal path in the integrated circuit. The transmit pin outputs the primary signal from the integrated circuit to the antenna for wireless transmission of the primary signal to the wireless tag. A sensor is configured to sense current or voltage variations of the primary signal at a point in the signal path between the processor and the transmit pin, and a signal extraction unit is configured to extract, based on the current or voltage variations, a data signal wirelessly transmitted by the wireless tag to the wireless reader via load modulation of the primary signal.
US09846792B2

A printer and a control method of a printer can print barcodes appropriately according to a given print medium by means of a simple, easy operation. The printer stores a constant preset correction value relationally corresponding to each type of print medium. The printer also stores an added correction value that is optionally input for each specific type of print medium. The preset constant correction value and the added correction value are used to adjust the printed state of the barcode, e.g. to adjust bar widths within the barcode. The print control unit prints barcodes as adjusted using the preset constant correction value stored in the printer storage unit and further adjusted using the added correction value.
US09846787B2

An apparatus and method are described for implementing a trusted dynamic launch and trusted platform module (TPM) using a secure enclave. For example, a computer-implemented method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: initializing a secure enclave in response to a first command, the secure enclave comprising a trusted software execution environment which prevents software executing outside the enclave from having access to software and data inside the enclave; and executing a trusted platform module (TPM) from within the secure enclave, the trusted platform module securely reading data from a set of platform control registers (PCR) in a processor or chipset component into a memory region allocated to the secure enclave.
US09846780B2

Techniques for providing computer security vulnerability intelligence are disclosed. The techniques include obtaining distributable vulnerability data that includes, for each of a plurality of software packages and associated vulnerabilities, threat mitigation information and a threat priority parameter, where the distributable vulnerability data was derived from an intelligence graph including a plurality of fundamental instance nodes, a plurality of document nodes, and a plurality of edges. The techniques also include identifying installed software packages on a computer system, correlating a plurality of the installed software packages with the distributable vulnerability data to obtain a plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities, ordering at least some of the plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities according to threat priority parameters, such that an ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities is obtained, and providing mitigation information for the ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities.
US09846774B2

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that can be configured to identify an application, run the application, log the parameters for each function call of the application, and store the logged parameters in an emulation table. The logged parameters can include a function call, input parameters, and output parameters. The emulation table can be used to simulate execution of an application without having to actually run the application.
US09846766B2

A method for monitoring the filling of a medication dispenser that comprises a first and a second container for receiving a strip of medication packages. In the method a taking time of the first medication package of the second strip inserted into the second container is compared with a taking time of the last medication package of the first strip inserted into the first container, in order to determine if the delivery of medication packages can be continued after the first strip with the second strip. The invention also relates to a medication dispenser.
US09846763B2

A medical equipment case is provided for containing and transporting at least one article of medical equipment and a two-way audio-visual system. Such equipment may be used, for example, for telemedicine applications by a patient discharged from a hospital, or other subject in need of remote health care monitoring. The medical equipment case may include features that provide for security and facilitate return of the medical equipment case and medical equipment and audio-visual system contained therein, such as machine-readable indicia encoding information for return of the case from a usage location. The medical equipment case and contained medical equipment and two-way audio visual system together form a medical support system that can be used by a patient discharged from a hospital. Methods of controlling the medical support system are also described.
US09846760B2

In one embodiment, a writing data verification method is for verifying a conversion error due to data conversion from first writing data in a vector format based on design data to second writing data in a pixel format. The method includes converting the second writing data to third writing data in a vector format, performing an exclusive OR operation on the first writing data and the third writing data, enlarging a graphic of the first writing data to obtain an enlarged graphic and generating a tolerance region graphic from a difference between the enlarged graphic and the graphic of the first writing data, and detecting a defect by performing a mask process on a graphic generated by the exclusive OR operation with the tolerance region graphic.
US09846759B2

A method of global connection routing includes determining a global connection tolerance of a cell for use in a circuit layout, wherein the cell comprises a plurality of pins, and a plurality of routing tracks are defined with respect to the cell. The method further includes determining a number of blocked tracks within the cell. The method further includes comparing the global connection tolerance with the number of blocked tracks. The method further includes adjusting a location of the cell within the circuit layout if the global connection tolerance and the number of blocked tracks fail to satisfy a predetermined condition.
US09846748B2

Searching information includes: receiving current query data from a client; extracting generic attribute features of the current query data, wherein the generic attribute features are used for calculating a plurality of confidence degrees of the current query data that correspond to a plurality of categories, each of the confidence degrees indicating a degree of confidence that the current query data belongs to a respective one of the plurality of categories; determining the plurality of confidence degrees of the current query data based at least in part on the generic attribute features; selecting a category based at least in part on the plurality of confidence degrees, the selected category being one of the plurality of categories and having a confidence degree higher than a confidence degree of another category; searching in the selected category for a search result that corresponds to the current query data; and returning the search result.
US09846744B2

A computer implemented method and system that generates a video playlist having recommended videos based on a user query object is disclosed. A user query object is used to search for a number of web pages. Summaries are generated for the returned web page search results. Valuable terms and phrases from those summaries may be extracted and used to search video storage sites based on the original user query. Playable videos returned from the video storage sites may be compared to the user query or to the extracted terms and phrases in order to rank the videos, and the most relevant videos may be returned. Those videos may be displayed to the user as a playlist in an Internet browser having an embedded video player.
US09846736B2

Disclosed is a method of predicting user's position. This method comprises, creating information on a plurality of location clusters by processing a plurality of position data for a user with a probability based clustering algorithm; receiving a current position data of the user and determining a first location cluster to which the current data is mapped among the plurality of location clusters; and creating second information related to a probability that the user moves from the first location cluster to a second location cluster among the plurality of location clusters. The position data is a data tuple including latitude, longitude, and time. For all the plurality of location clusters, the information includes a determined representative position value of each of the location clusters.
US09846734B2

A storage object is migrated between nodes by a source node automatically verifying that another node is configured to service the storage object and changing ownership of the storage object based on the verifying. A cluster manager for the clustered storage system receives a request and provides the request to the source which owns the storage object. The source verifies that the destination is configured according to a predetermined configuration for servicing the storage object. Based on the verifying, the source offlines the storage object and updates ownership information of the storage object, thereafter allowing the destination to online the storage object. The cluster manager further provides the updated ownership information to all the nodes in the cluster, so an access request intended for the storage object may be received by any node and forwarded to the destination using the updated ownership information to effect a transparent migration.
US09846733B2

Embodiments relate to generating database sequences in a replicated database environment. An aspect includes providing a group of nodes each hosting an instance of a replicated database, with one node in the group elected as a master node responsible for generating and distributing values for auto-generated values in a column or row of the replicated database. Another aspect includes dividing, by the master node, a sequence space of possible auto-generated values for the column or row into sub-ranges and assigning a sub-range to a particular node in the group of nodes. Another aspect includes distributing, by the master node, values of the assigned sub-range to a particular node of the group of nodes.
US09846722B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for distributing content are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes accessing data specifying a plurality of search queries. Content distribution campaigns (“campaigns”) in which distribution of at least one content item is conditioned on a distribution parameter matching one of the search queries are identified. Two or more similar campaigns are identified, and a search query that matches a distribution parameter in at least one of the similar campaigns is identified as a candidate content distribution parameter. A trend score for the candidate content distribution parameter is determined based on a change in a submission rate of search queries that match the candidate distribution parameter. Suggestion data suggesting the candidate content distribution parameter as an additional content distribution parameter for at least one of the similar campaigns is provided based on the trend score.
US09846720B2

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for refining search results is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting a search query comprising one or more keywords, generating a first search result comprising one or more first search result members according to the search query, accepting a refinement command identifying one or more undesired first search result members, automatically refining the first search result to exclude the undesired first search result members and first search result members related to the undesired first search result members from the first search result, and providing the automatically refined search result.
US09846719B2

A database comprises a database interface and a database updater. The database interface receives a first set of information and a second set of information to be updated in the database. The database updater updates a second set of information in the database based at least in part on a condition that a first set of information in the database has been previously updated.
US09846716B1

Systems and methods for generating alias records are described. The alias records, which include deidentified data, are generated from corresponding real records of actual users. As production data (e.g., messages) that identify the actual users flows through a network, the alias records are updated so as to correspond to the real records.
US09846713B2

In an index-only multi-index access in a database, when a query to be executed requires multiple indexes, a query optimizer determines whether columns are needed for a query result, subquery, or inner join result. If not, then the query result is resolved using qualified record identifiers (RIDs) from the multiple indexes without accessing the data pages. When the columns are needed and can be resolved using input values of the query, then the query result is resolved using the qualified RIDs from the multiple indexes and substituting column values with the input values of the query. When the columns are needed and cannot be resolved using the input values of the query, the query optimizer may store one or more index keys with its corresponding qualified RIDs from the multiple indexes and may resolve the query result using the stored index keys without accessing the data pages of the database.
US09846710B2

A computer-implemented method for increasing the scalability of software-defined networks may include (1) maintaining a set of databases collectively configured to (i) store a set of flow entries that direct network traffic within a software-defined network and (ii) facilitate searching the set of flow entries based at least in part on at least one key whose size remains substantially constant irrespective of the number of flow entries within the set of flow entries, (2) detecting a request to perform an operation in connection with a flow of data packets within the software-defined network, (3) identifying at least one attribute of the flow of data packets in the request, and then (4) searching, using the attribute of the flow of data packets as a database key, at least one database within the set of databases to facilitate performing the operation. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed.
US09846703B2

Methods and systems are described for storing metadata in a network of distributed remote storage devices. An example computer implemented method includes identifying a plurality of metadata inodes, grouping the plurality of metadata inodes into one or more metadata pages, mapping the plurality of metadata inodes and the plurality of metadata pages, and storing the mapping as a manifest page, and storing data to and retrieving data from the distributed remote storage devices using the plurality of metadata inodes.
US09846701B2

A computerized method for managing collaboration in a computerized system, comprising repeatedly applying any one of rules defined in the computerized system pertaining to objects of the computerized system, wherein the any one of the rules comprises an at least one condition concerning collaborativity of an object to which the any one of the rules pertains and the at least one condition is based on metadata of the object, by evaluating any one of conditions in the any one of the rules, thereby determining collaborativity of any one of the objects to which the any one of the rules pertains, and an apparatus for performing the same.
US09846697B2

Systems and methods are provided for efficiently indexing archived objects in an archive data store to allow for efficient and quick access to the archived objects. The systems and methods provided also allow alleviate the strain on a live data store and enable a requester wishing to retrieve updates to do so without knowledge of the location of the stored update on a live or archive data store.
US09846685B2

The present disclosure discloses methods and devices for terminal control. The method comprises: sending a request from a first terminal to a server to obtain information about a multimedia application currently running on a second terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the multimedia application; displaying on the first terminal the information about the multimedia application currently running on the second terminal; generating by the first terminal one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and sending from the first terminal to the second terminal via the server a synchronization control request comprising the one or more new playback attributes, thereby allowing the second terminal to control the multimedia playback of the multimedia application based on the one or more new playback attributes in the synchronization control request. The present disclosure can allow one to use one terminal in the Internet to control the multimedia playback on another terminal. This can accomplish the combination of hardware advantages of both terminals and can increase the efficiency of playback control.
US09846682B1

In some examples, additional content is provided with the main content of a content item presented on an electronic device. For instance, an occurrence of an event may call for presentation of an additional content portion concurrently with the main content of the content item. The additional content portion may interact with other additional content portions, the main content portion, and/or user inputs. In some cases, the additional content portion can be implemented by one or more plug-in modules having designated roles for providing respective different types of additional content. Accordingly, some examples provide a cross-platform module that receives events, selects one or more plug-ins in response to a received event, and causes the one or more plug-ins to perform a desired action for rendering and compositing additional content portions or features to be presented with the main content of a content item.
US09846680B1

A system, method, and computer readable medium comprises displaying a panel associated with at least one script, presenting a branching logic associated with the panel and creating a graphical map of the panel and the branching logic where the graphical map allows zooming in to show panel logic associated with the panel, and the graphical map allows zooming out to show the branching logic associated with the panel.
US09846676B2

An analytical method to efficiently convert a function that is stored in spherical harmonics into a function that is stored in a wavelet or mip map representation enables a variety of computer graphics functions to be efficiently performed. A function may be stored as a spherical harmonic representation and rotated in the spherical harmonic domain; the function can then be converted to a wavelet representation. The conversion method may be used to convert a spherical harmonic function to wavelets, and then an importance sampling technique may be applied to the wavelet representation to generate a set of importance samples for the function. The conversion method may be applied to convert a spherical harmonic representation into the wavelet domain, and an importance sampling technique may then be applied which samples the product of the function and another function in the wavelet domain.
US09846674B2

In an example, the present invention includes an integrated system on chip device. The device is configured on a single silicon substrate member. The device has a data input/output interface provided on the substrate member and configured for a predefined data rate and protocol. The device has an input/output block provided on the substrate member and coupled to the data input/output interface. The input/output block comprises a SerDes block, a CDR block, a compensation block, and an equalizer block. In an example, the SerDes block is configured to convert a first data stream of N into a second data stream of M such that each of the first data stream having a first predefined data rate at a first clock rate and each of the second data stream having a second predefined data rate at a second clock rate. The device has a driver module provided on the substrate member and coupled to the signal processing block. In an example, the device has a driver interface provided on the substrate member and coupled to the driver module and configured to be coupled to a silicon photonics device.
US09846669B2

A computer network system configured with disaggregated inputs/outputs. This system can be configured in a leaf-spine architecture and can include a router coupled to a network source, a plurality of core switches coupled to the router, a plurality of aggregator switches coupled to each of the plurality of core switches, and a plurality of rack modules coupled to each of the plurality of aggregator switches. The plurality of rack modules can each include an I/O appliance with a downstream aggregator module, a plurality of server devices each with PCIe interfaces, and an upstream aggregator module that aggregates each of the PCIe interfaces. A high-speed link can be configured between the downstream and upstream aggregator modules via aggregation of many serial lanes to provide reliable high speed bit stream transport over long distances, which allows for better utilization of resources and scalability of memory capacity independent of the server count.
US09846667B2

An electronic device connected to numerous first load medias and second load medias. The electronic device comprises a processor and a switch module. The processor is capable of switching between a first working mode and a second working mode. Under the second working mode, the processor generates a second control signal, the switch mode establishes independent electronic connections between specified first load medias and specified second load medias, thus, the first load medias and the second load medias simultaneously communicate with each other through the electronic device.
US09846659B1

Certain embodiments described herein include a memory module having a printed circuit board including at least one connector configured to be operatively coupled to a memory controller of a computer system. The memory module further includes a plurality of memory devices on the printed circuit board and a circuit including a first set of ports operatively coupled to at least one memory device. The circuit further includes a second set of ports operatively coupled to the at least one connector. The circuit includes a switching circuit configured to selectively operatively couple one or more ports of the second set of ports to one or more ports of the first set of ports. Each port of the first set and the second set comprises a correction circuit which reduces noise in one or more signals transmitted between the first set of ports and the second set of ports.
US09846657B2

An electronic device includes a control circuit and a bus interface. The control circuit packs a plurality of commands in a compound command frame. The bus interface communicates with another electronic device via a bus between the electronic device and the another electronic device, and packs the compound command frame in a single packet and transmits the single packet over the bus.
US09846656B2

Techniques and logic are presented for encrypting and decrypting applications and related data within a multi-processor system to prevent tampering. The decryption and encryption may be performed either between a system bus and a processor's individual L1 cache memory or between a processor's instruction and execution unit and their respective L1 caches. The logic may include one or more linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) that may be used for generation of unique sequential address related codes to perform the decryption of instructions and transformation logic that may be used for generation of equivalent offset address related codes to perform decryption and encryption of data. The logic may also be programmable and may be used for test purposes.
US09846650B2

A Solid State Drive (SSD) is disclosed. The SSD can include a host interface logic, a data input buffer, a data output buffer, and a buffer manager to manage the data input buffer and data output buffer. A re-order logic can advise the buffer manager about which data should be returned to the host computer from the data output buffer.
US09846648B2

Integrated circuits are provided which create page locality in cache controllers that allocate entries to set-associative cache, which includes data storage for a plurality of Sets of Ways. A plurality of cache controllers may be interleaved with a processor and device(s), and allocate to any pages in the cache. A cache controller may select a Way from a Set to which to allocate new entries in the set-associative cache and bias selection of the Way according to a plurality of upper address bits (or other function). These bits may be identical at the cache controller during sequential memory transactions. A processor may determine the bias centrally, and inform the cache controllers of the selected Set and Way. Other functions, algorithms or approaches may be chosen to influence bias of Way selection, such as based on analysis of metadata belonging to cache controllers used for making Way allocation selections.
US09846646B1

In one embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method of optimizing memory access in a hierarchical memory system. The method includes determining a request rate from an ith layer of the hierarchical memory system for each of n layers in the hierarchical memory system. The method also includes determining a supply rate from an (i+1)th layer of the hierarchical memory system for each of the n layers in the hierarchical memory system. The supply rate from the (i+1)th layer of the hierarchical memory system corresponds to the request rate from the ith layer of the hierarchical memory system. The method further includes adjusting a set of computer architecture parameters of the hierarchical memory system or a schedule associated with an instruction set to utilize heterogeneous computing resources within the hierarchical memory system to match a performance of each adjacent layer of the hierarchical memory system.
US09846623B2

Apparatus adapted for exascale computers are disclosed. The apparatus includes, but is not limited to at least one of: a system, data processor chip (DPC), Landing module (LM), chips including LM, anticipator chips, simultaneous multi-processor (SMP) cores, SMP channel (SMPC) cores, channels, bundles of channels, printed circuit boards (PCB) including bundles, floating point adders, accumulation managers, QUAD Link Anticipating Memory (QUADLAM), communication networks extended by coupling links of QUADLAM, log 2 calculators, exp2 calculators, log ALU, Non-Linear Accelerator (NLA), and stairways. Methods of algorithm and program development, verification and debugging are also disclosed. Collectively, embodiments of these elements disclose a class of supercomputers that obsolete Amdahl's Law, providing cabinets of petaflop performance and systems that may meet or exceed an exaflop of performance for Block LU Decomposition (Linpack).
US09846615B2

A system and method for data storage by shredding and deshredding of the data allows for various combinations of processing of the data to provide various resultant storage of the data. Data storage and retrieval functions include various combinations of data redundancy generation, data compression and decompression, data encryption and decryption, and data integrity by signature generation and verification. Data shredding is performed by shredders and data deshredding is performed by deshredders that have some implementations that allocate processing internally in the shredder and deshredder either in parallel to multiple processors or sequentially to a single processor. Other implementations use multiple processing through multi-level shredders and deshredders. Redundancy generation includes implementations using non-systematic encoding, systematic encoding, or a hybrid combination. Shredder based tag generators and deshredder based tag readers are used in some implementations to allow the deshredders to adapt to various versions of the shredders.
US09846612B2

Various embodiments of methods and systems for bit flip identification for debugging and/or power management in a system on a chip (“SoC”) are disclosed. Exemplary embodiments seek to identify bit flip occurrences near in time to the occurrences by checking parity values of data blocks as the data blocks are written into a memory component. In this way, bit flips occurring in association with a write transaction may be differentiated from bit flips occurring in association with a read transaction. The distinction may be useful, when taken in conjunction with various parameter levels identified at the time of a bit flip recognition, to debug a memory component or, when in a runtime environment, adjust thermal and power policies that may be contributing to bit flip occurrences.
US09846608B2

A method includes performing operations on a processor of an application analysis computer. The operations include receiving reports from user terminals containing identifiers for operational states of an application being processed by the user terminals and containing state performance metrics. Each of the state performance metrics indicates a measurement of performance for a corresponding identified one of the operational states of the application being processed by one of the user terminals. The operations further include, for each of the operational states of the application identified in the reports, generating a rule for acceptable performance of the operational state of the application based on the state performance metrics of the operational state reported by the user terminals. The operations further include storing in a repository the rules associated with identifiers for corresponding ones of the operational states of the application. Related operations by a user terminal are disclosed.
US09846600B1

A mainframe computing system hosts a plurality of logical partitions, each having a static entitlement of processing capacity. The mainframe computer system has a workload manager that schedules work requested by the logical partitions and tracks consumption of the processing capacity by the logical partitions, and a capping policy that is stored in non-transitory memory and which identifies a subset of the logical partitions. The mainframe computer system further includes a capping master that is configured to allocate dynamically varying entitlements of processing capacity to the subset of the logical partitions based on the high-importance work percentages of computing workloads running on the logical partitions to encourage completion of high-importance work over completion of low-importance work. The capping master limits the allocated dynamic entitlement amount in millions of service units per hour (MSU) for each system usage entity to be no greater than the static entitlement of the system usage entity.
US09846593B2

In a multi-processor transaction execution environment a transaction is executed a plurality of times. Based on the executions, a duration is predicted for executing the transaction. Based on the predicted duration, a threshold is determined. Pending aborts of the transaction due to memory conflicts are suppressed based on the transaction exceeding the determined threshold.
US09846591B2

A method for migrating configuration information during live migration of a virtual machine is disclosed. The method includes, after receiving a message of live migration that a virtual machine migrates from a source physical host to a target physical host sent by a virtual machine management server, acquiring an identifier of a source forwarding switch of the virtual machine and an identifier of a target forwarding switch of the virtual machine, and sending prestored configuration information to the target forwarding switch corresponding to the identifier of the target forwarding switch, so that the target forwarding switch stores the configuration information. The method also includes sending a configuration information deletion instruction to the source forwarding switch corresponding to the identifier of the source forwarding switch, so that the source forwarding switch deletes the prestored configuration information.
US09846574B2

An instrumentation analysis system processes data streams by executing instructions specified using a data stream language program. The data stream language allows users to specify a search condition using a find block for identifying the set of data streams processed by the data stream language program. The set of identified data streams may change dynamically. The data stream language allows users to group data streams into sets of data streams based on distinct values of one or more metadata attributes associated with the input data streams. The data stream language allows users to specify a threshold block for determining whether data values of input data streams are outside boundaries specified using low/high thresholds. The elements of the set of data streams input to the threshold block can dynamically change. The low/high threshold values can be specified as data streams and can dynamically change.
US09846572B2

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and chat management server apparatus that receives a search request via a search panel provided in response to a user interaction with a chat panel. A token including a special character is generated based on search text in the search request or a unique identifier for one of a plurality of items identified based on a search performed using the search text. The token is provided to a source of the search request for inclusion in the chat panel as a hyperlink. A preview panel request including the token is received in response to a user interaction with the hyperlink. Content for the items or for the one item is retrieved based on the special character included in the token. The content is provided to a source of the preview panel request.
US09846571B1

A device generates a model associated with a multi-rate system. The multi-rate system includes a system associated with a clock rate and a sample rate, and the clock rate is greater than the sample rate. The device identifies the clock rate of the multi-rate system based on the model, and identifies a portion, of the model, associated with the sample rate. The device applies clock rate pipelining to adjust the sample rate associated with the portion of the model so that the sample rate substantially equals the clock rate, and generates code associated with the model and the applied clock rate pipelining.
US09846569B1

Systems and methods of generating random values based on random components of the noise are presented. A signal having at least a noise component(s) can be received and one or more random values can be calculated from the noise component(s). In some examples, noise can be received from a random source and common mode portions of the data can be filtered. A data channel can then process the noise to produce random data, which can be further processed by security circuits to generate random values, seed values, random numbers, and other values.
US09846566B1

An automated method and system for a conveyor holding system for holding vials of a multi-vial order in a holding pattern until all vials of the order have been filled by an automatic pill counter. The system uses RFID information to divert vials off the conveyor into the conveyor holding loop if all vials of the multi-vial order have not been filled. The system is adapted to divert the vials of the multi-vial order out of the holding loop when all vials of the multi-vial order have been filled.
US09846560B2

An information processing apparatus capable of changing a state of power supply to respective parts of the apparatus with less user operation. When a sleep recovery button is depressed in a power saving mode, a button depression time is measured, and whether a length of the measure depression time exceeds a threshold value is determined. If the depression time exceeds the threshold value, a normal power mode is selected as power mode after transition. If the depression time does not exceed the threshold value, another power saving mode is selected as power mode after transition. According to the selected power mode, a state of power supply to respective parts of the apparatus is changed.
US09846556B2

A first complexity estimate may be generated for a first portion of a multidimensional object. The first complexity estimate may be for use in estimating a complexity of the first portion of the multidimensional object. A printing capability may be determined for the multidimensional printer. The multidimensional printer may be for use in printing the multidimensional object. The printing capability may be compared with the first complexity estimate. A first failure probability estimate may be generated based on the comparing. The failure probability estimate may be for use in determining a likelihood that the multidimensional printer will print the first portion with an accuracy that exceeds an accuracy threshold.
US09846555B2

According to the present invention, a process that requires for creating a backup at a designated time point is executed by sharing among a plurality of storage control apparatuses. An intermediate storage apparatus 2 reads journal data and a JNCB from a primary storage apparatus 1, and stores the journal data and the JNCB in an intermediate journal volume 28. A secondary storage apparatus 3 reads the journal data and the JNCB from the intermediate storage apparatus 2, and stores the journal data and the JNCB in a secondary journal volume 38. After the secondary storage apparatus 3 having a designated generation restores the journal data up to a designated time point into a secondary data volume 37, the secondary storage apparatus 3 splits a copy pair. Another secondary storage apparatus 3 executes a regular restoring process.
US09846544B1

A method is used in managing storage space in storage systems. A request is received to write data to a logical storage object. A determination is made as to whether the data can be written to the logical storage object in a compressed format. Based on the determination, the request is processed based on a storage insurance value and a storage liability value associated with the logical storage object. The storage insurance value and storage liability value is determined based on the number of uncompressed blocks included in the logical storage object.
US09846541B2

A memory system according to an embodiment includes a non-volatile memory and a controller configured to control the non-volatile memory. The controller includes an interface and a control unit. The interface receives, from a host, a first instruction to change a performance of the memory system as a performance control instruction. The control unit controls the memory system on the basis of the performance control instruction such that the number of parallel operations of parallel operating units which are operated in parallel in the memory system is changed.
US09846540B1

Methods and apparatus for data durability using un-encoded copies together with combination encodings are disclosed. Additional storage objects to be included in a durability group with a particular storage object are identified. An encoding of a combination of the particular object and another object of the group is generated. The encoding, as well as an un-encoded copy of the particular object, may be stored at respective nodes of a service. A request to perform a computation operation may be directed to a node with the un-encoded copy. In the event that the un-encoded copy becomes unavailable, a new un-encoded copy may be generated using the encoding.
US09846539B2

A technique recovers from a low space condition associated with storage space reserved in an extent store to accommodate write requests received from a host and associated metadata managed by a layered file system of a storage input/output (I/O) stack executing on one or more nodes of a cluster. The write requests, including user data, are persistently recorded on non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) prior to returning an acknowledgement to the host by a persistence layer of the storage I/O stack. Volume metadata managed by a volume layer of the layered file system is embodied as mappings from logical block addresses (LBAs) of a logical unit (LUN) accessible by the host to extent keys maintained by an extent store layer of the layered file system. Extent store metadata managed by the extent store layer is embodied as mappings from the extent keys to the storage locations of the extents on storage devices of storage arrays coupled to the nodes of the cluster. The space recovery technique accounts for storage space consumed in the extent store by user operations, i.e., write operations for the user data stored on the NVRAM at the persistence layer as well as the associated volume and extent store metadata, to ensure that the user data and associated metadata can be safely and reliably persisted in the extent store even during a low space condition.
US09846524B2

The invention relates to a method for scrolling through a list comprising a plurality of selectable items and configured so that a single item in the list is displayed at a given instant on an interface, the display of the next item in the list being triggered by the detection of a scrolling action performed by a user on an input device associated with the interface, the method being such that it has steps of display of an item in the list, of determination that a predetermined item in the list is displayed, and of opening of a period of inactivity of predetermined duration during which scrolling actions on the input device are ignored. The invention likewise relates to a device and a piece of electronic equipment that implement the method for scrolling.
US09846521B1

A communications pathway between a data handling system and a physical input device can be established. The system can include one or more processors, memories, and program instructions. The device can be a physical object having N faces along an axis of rotation. The N faces can include a display. A content item from an ordered dataset of content items can be presented within a field of a graphical user interface of the display. A number of discrete items in the ordered dataset of content items is M, where M is greater than N. Rotations of the object can be detected along the axis of rotation. Each rotation of one of the N faces can results in navigation through the dataset of content items. Responsive to each navigation through the dataset of items can result in a corresponding presentation of the navigated to one of the items within the field.
US09846517B2

The present invention discloses a touch panel, a driving method thereof and an electronic device. The touch panel includes an active area and an inactive area, a touch electrode and an electromagnetic functional line. The touch electrode is located in the active area, the electromagnetic functional line is electrically connected to the touch electrode to form an electromagnetic communication line, the electromagnetic communication line comprises a first terminal and a second terminal each configured to be coupled to an electrical signal to implement touch sensing function and electromagnetic communication function by controlling the electrical signal. At least the above two functions may both be advantageously implemented by the touch panel, and original lines in the touch panel are reused (multiplexed) to reduce additional lines, thereby improving the lightweight and slim features of the product and reducing the product costs.
US09846508B2

Touch inputs such as single-finger contacts and multiple-finger contacts are detected at an electronic device and translated into electronic touch communications for playback at an external electronic device.
US09846506B2

A display device configured to be connected to an information terminal, includes: a video reception unit that receives video information about a screen including a cursor from the information terminal; a touch panel that brings up the screen on display based on the video information received by the video reception unit and detects a touch position specified by a touch operation; and a transmission unit that transmits operation information in correspondence to the touch operation to the information terminal. The transmission unit transmits the operation information in a delay when the touch operation is performed continuously.
US09846503B2

The touch driver circuit comprises a photosensor module, a data writing module, a driver module, and a control module. The data writing module transmits a scan signal at a scan signal terminal to the driver module under the control of the scan signal terminal. When the scan signal drives the driver module to turn on, the driver module outputs a touch sensing signal to the control module; the touch sensing signal decreases with the increase of an intensity of light irradiated on the photosensor module. Under the control of the control signal, the control module outputs the touch sensing signal output by the driver module to the touch signal sensing terminal, thereby realizing the touch sensing function.
US09846500B2

An organic electroluminescent touch panel includes a protection unit, a plurality of touch-sensing units, at least one first anti-interference spot, a substrate, a first electrode layer, an organic layer stack and a second electrode layer. The touch-sensing units are coplanarly disposed on the protection unit. A first interval region is formed between the adjacent touch-sensing units. The first anti-interference spot is disposed within the first interval region. The substrate is disposed corresponding to the protection unit. The first electrode layer is disposed on the substrate, the organic layer stack is disposed on the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer is disposed on the organic layer stack. The first electrode layer, the organic layer stack and the second electrode layer are disposed within the space formed by the protection unit and the substrate.
US09846498B2

A display device having a first substrate with a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a first patterned transparent conductive layer disposed on the first surface of the first substrate and having a first thickness, wherein the first patterned transparent conductive layer has at least a first zone and a second zone, the first zone locates between the second zone and the first substrate, and the first zone is a part of the first patterned transparent conductive layer neighboring to the first substrate and having a two-third (⅔) thickness of the first patterned transparent conductive layer, wherein a material of the first patterned transparent conductive layer incldues In, and an atomic amount of In in the second zone is larger than that in the first zone.
US09846492B2

An optical switch keyboard includes a circuit board and plural keys. The circuit board includes plural light emitters and plural light receivers. Each key is aligned with the corresponding light emitter and the corresponding light receiver. Moreover, each key includes a triggering element, a first reflective element and a second reflective element. When the triggering element is triggered by the user, a sensing light emitted by the light emitter is reflected to the second reflective element by the first reflective element. The sensing light is further reflected to the light receiver by the second reflective element. Consequently, the circuit board generates a key switch signal.
US09846486B2

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media are disclosed. For example, a touch-free gesture recognition system is disclosed that includes at least one processor. The processor may be configured to enable presentation of first display information to a user to prompt a first touch-free gesture at at least a first location on a display. The processor may also be configured to receive first gesture information from at least one image sensor corresponding to a first gesturing location on the display correlated to a first touch-free gesture by the user, wherein the first gesturing location differs from a location of the first display information at least in part as a result of one eye of the user being dominant over another eye of the user. In addition, the processor may be configured to determine a first offset associated with the location of the first display information and the first gesturing location. Further, the processor may be configured to enable presentation of second information to prompt the user to make a subsequent touch-free gesture at at least a second location on the display. Additionally, the processor may be configured to receive subsequent gesture information from at least one image sensor corresponding to a subsequent touch-free gesture by the user. Also, the processor may be configured to use the first offset to determine a location on the display affected by the subsequent touch-free gesture.
US09846470B2

Systems and methods for data storage power management are described. In one embodiment, the method includes analyzing metrics collected from one or more storage devices, identifying, based at least in part on analyzing the metrics, a pattern of activity for at least one of the one or more storage devices over a predetermined period of time, generating a control model based at least in part on the identified pattern of activity, and modifying a power mode of at least one of the one or more storage devices based on the control mode. The control model indicate a first time period when at least one of the one or more storage devices is active and a second time period when at least one of the one or more storage devices is inactive.
US09846459B2

Example embodiments relate to a shield for an electronic device. The shield may be shaped to enclose the electronic device. The shield may include a number of traces. Each trace may include an electrically conductive inner portion and an electrically non-conductive outer portion.
US09846456B2

A portable electronic device includes a display, a sliding track, a hinge, and a host. The display has a receiving groove. The sliding track is disposed in the display, and faces the receiving groove. The hinge is movably disposed on the sliding track, and located in the receiving groove. The host is disposed on the hinge. The host is rotated and moved relative to the display via the hinge. When the portable electronic device is in a tablet mode, the host is located in the receiving groove, and sustainably parallel to the display.
US09846446B2

Disclosed are a temperature compensation apparatus and method. The apparatus includes a reference signal generator that supplies at least one of a first current which is constant regardless of temperature variation and a second current which is proportional to temperature variation, a slope amplifier that determines a first output current having a second temperature coefficient which is a multiple of a first temperature coefficient of the second current, based on the first current and the second current, and a slope controller that determines a second output current having a third temperature coefficient, using a weighted average of the first current and the second current.
US09846438B2

In embodiments of electronic compensated pivot control, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components pivot in coordination to position the display device in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the display device. Actuators are implemented for electronic actuation to drive the pivotable components to position the display device, and clutches are implemented to limit movement of the pivotable components. A pivot controller is implemented to receive input data corresponding to a user input to change a position of the display device, control the actuators based on the input data to assist with positioning the display device, receive an indication that the user input has stopped, and control the one or more clutches to hold the position of the display device.
US09846429B2

The present invention provides systems, methods, and devices related to target tracking by UAVs. The UAV may be configured to receive target information from a control terminal related to a target to be tracked by an imaging device coupled to the UAV. The target information may be used by the UAV to automatically track the target so as to maintain predetermined position and/or size of the target within one or more images captured by the imaging device. The control terminal may be configured to display images from the imaging device as well as allowing user input related to the target information.
US09846425B2

A method performed by one or more processing devices for ensuring that a vehicle seat top is qualified for use with a seat base for a vehicle seat, the method comprising: receiving information that identifies a type of vehicle seat top for coupling to the seat base; verifying that the vehicle seat top is authorized for use with the seat base; and in response to verifying, retrieving, based on the received information that identifies the type of vehicle seat top, pre-determined values of controller parameters of a closed loop control system for isolating vibrations from the vehicle seat top, wherein the predetermined values of the controller parameters are specifically tuned for the vehicle seat top.
US09846424B2

Included are an NC command input unit that receives an NC command serving as an NC command that enables processing independent of NC machining and that is independent of a model of an NC machine tool and an NC command; a machine information storage unit; a tool information storage unit; a command analysis unit that determines whether an NC command input to the NC command input unit is the NC command; a command creation unit that, creates a designated operation program that enables the NC machine tool to perform a series of operations corresponding to the NC command on the basis of the NC command, the model information, and the tool information; and a CNC control unit that controls the NC machine tool.
US09846423B2

A single-wire safety system is provided that yields reliable safety device monitoring without the need for dual redundant signal channels. The safety system comprises a safety relay acting as a communications master device and one or more safety devices connected in series with the safety relay via a single-wire communication circuit. A smart tap device is used to interface safety devices that are not compliant with the single-wire protocol to the single-wire channel. The safety device or smart tap device farthest from the safety relay on the safety circuit modulates a safety signal with a recognizable pulse pattern that traverses the single-wire safety circuit to the safety relay via the intermediate safety devices or smart taps. The safety relay maintains safety mode as long as the pulse pattern is received and recognized. The architecture allows bi-directional communication of initialization, configuration, and diagnostic messages over the single-wire safety channel.
US09846416B2

A signal processor receives signaling containing information about flow rates from sensorless converters in zone circulators in heating/cooling zones controlled by temperature sensors in a hydronic heating system in order to derive an adaptive pressure set point to meet the flow rates requested by the heating/cooling zones using an adaptive system and flow control curve equation, the signaling containing information about total flow rates requested by the zone circulators; determines desired pump speeds for the zone circulators to meet temperature requirements in heat zones; provides corresponding signaling containing information about the desired pump speeds; and/or determines the adaptive pump control curve equation based upon an adaptive system curve and as a moving maximum system flow rate depending on an adaptive pressure set point, a system flow rate requested by temperature loads, a minimum pressure at no flow, a control curve setting parameter, and an adaptive moving maximum flow and pressure.
US09846415B2

Methods for manufacturing automation and a computer executed automated handling system for forming a device are presented. The method includes issuing a transfer request by a tool. The transfer request is processed by a production control system configured for tracking and controlling the flow of carriers. The processing of the transfer request includes selecting a carrier containing production material. A transport system having transport and load/unload (U/L) units in a production area to effect a transfer is controlled and the carrier is transferred by the transport system.
US09846408B2

A drum unit usable in the process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum having an axis L1, a drum flange provided at an end of the photosensitive drum, with a part of the drum flange being positioned within the photosensitive drum, and a coupling member having an axis L2. The coupling member includes (i) a first end portion at least a part of which is positioned within the drum flange, and (ii) a second end portion including (ii-i) a surface recessed in the second end portion and facing away from the first end portion and (ii-ii) at least one projection projecting from a surface adjacent to the recessed surface, and (iii) a connecting portion connecting the first end portion and the second end portion.
US09846406B2

A photosensitive drum is rotatably supported in a main body. A developing cartridge is detachably mountable on the main body in a state where the photosensitive drum is supported in the main body. The developing cartridge includes a developing device and a frame. The developing device includes a developing roller disposed in confrontation with the photosensitive drum to supply developer to the photosensitive drum when the developing cartridge is mounted in the main body, and a developer-accommodating portion configured to accommodate developer. The frame includes a waste-developer-accommodating portion configured to accommodate waste developer and supports the developing device that is movable relative to the frame. The frame is disposed on an opposite side of the developing roller from the photosensitive drum. An urging member is disposed between the frame and the developing device to urge the developing roller toward the photosensitive drum.
US09846398B2

An image forming apparatus which forms an image on a medium on the basis of an input image signal includes: an image carrier configured to carry a developed toner image transferred to the medium on a photoreceptor layer; a contact member arranged so as to be in contact with the surface of the photoreceptor layer; a trace pattern generating unit configured to generate a trace pattern indicating specific information on the image forming apparatus; a composition unit configured to add the trace pattern to the image signal; and an acquiring unit configured to acquire information on the thickness of the photoreceptor layer of the image carrier, wherein the trace pattern is used for arranging a plurality of image areas at respective positions, and the trace pattern generating unit is configured to generate the trace pattern with the image area whose size is reduced in accordance with reduction of the thickness of the photoreceptor layer.
US09846397B2

A fixing device includes an endless belt formed into a loop, a heater to heat the endless belt, a nip formation assembly disposed inside the loop, and a pressure rotator to press against the nip formation assembly to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator. The nip formation assembly includes a pressure pad and a supplementary thermal conductor to conduct heat from the heater in an axial direction of the endless belt. The supplementary thermal conductor has an edge portion dimensioned to distance the supplementary thermal conductor from the endless belt at an end portion of a face over which the endless belt slides in a longitudinal direction of the supplementary thermal conductor. A distance between the edge portion of the supplementary thermal conductor and the endless belt increases toward an end portion of the endless belt in the axial direction thereof.
US09846393B2

A waste toner collecting device includes an intermediate collection box, a conveying path, a conveying screw, an exhaust path and a floating toner collection chamber. The conveying path is provided in the intermediate collection box. The conveying screw is rotatable in the conveying path. Through the exhaust path, air containing a floating toner is sucked and passed. The floating toner collection chamber is provided on a part of the exhaust path in the intermediate collection box. The floating toner collection chamber has a discharge opening opened to an inside of the intermediate collection box and a discharge door. Rotation of the conveying screw in a normal direction turns the discharge door into a storage position where the discharge opening is closed. Rotation of the conveying screw in a reverse direction turns the discharge door into a discharge position where the discharge opening is opened.
US09846387B2

In a cartridge, a housing has a developer accommodating portion and includes a first side wall and a second side wall. A coupling member is disposed at a position opposite to the developer accommodating portion with respect to the first side wall. A detection body is disposed at a position opposite to the developer accommodating portion with respect to the second side wall. A first driving force transmission member is positioned at the same side with the coupling member with respect to the first side wall, and transmits driving force from the coupling member to a rotating member. A second driving force transmission member is positioned at the same side with the detection body with respect to the second side wall, and transmits driving force from the rotating member to the detection body.
US09846384B2

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a first moving member pressed and moved by an openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and switching a cartridge from a state where the cartridge is positioned in an image forming position to a state where the positioning is released; and a second moving member pressed and moved by the openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and moving the exposure member from an exposure position to a retracted position, wherein when the positioning of the cartridge is released, a reaction force applied from the first moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a first peak, when the exposure member is moved to the retracted position, a reaction force applied from the second moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a second peak, and timing of the first peak is different from timing of the second peak.
US09846381B2

A resistive film is applied to a conductive substrate. Ductile particles are disposed substantially uniformly throughout the resistive film. Brittleness of the resistive film is thereby reduced.
US09846379B2

The production process of the present invention includes: a first step of heating a dispersion containing an aqueous medium and a binder resin containing a crystalline resin to a temperature higher than or equal to the melting point of the crystalline resin in a step of aggregating and fusing a fine particle of the binder resin containing the crystalline resin to produce a toner base particle; a second step of cooling the dispersion having been heated in the first step and having a temperature higher than the recrystallization temperature Rc of the crystalline resin to a temperature lower than Rc at a temperature-lowering rate of 1° C./min or higher; and a third step of maintaining the dispersion having been cooled in the second step at a temperature higher than or equal to Rc−25° C. and lower than or equal to Rc−5° C. for 30 minutes or longer.
US09846373B2

The present disclosure provides a high accuracy measurement system for focusing and leveling. The system determines an off-focus distance in the perpendicular direction within the exposure field and an inclination in the horizontal direction by measuring heights of four detection points on a substrate by using a four-channel detection method, thereby achieving focusing and leveling of the substrate. The detection of the substrate heights is implemented by a focusing method based on dual-channel light intensity modulation. Two superposed grating fringes are formed with phase difference of π/2. The shift can be resolved by the phase variation of corresponding fringes. According to the method, the off-focus distance can be derived. The present disclosure effectively eliminates the error due to the intensity changes caused by the fluctuations of the source or the reflectance of the substrate surface. The apparatus for focusing and leveling is easy to be implemented and has an accuracy of nanoscale.
US09846362B2

A conductive paste can form a minute conductive pattern having markedly high adhesion and exhibiting conductivity at relatively low temperatures. The conductive paste contains: a compound (A) having a primary amino group, a secondary amino group, and a tertiary amino group; a compound (B) having a carboxyl group; and a conductive filler (C).
US09846361B2

A photosensitive conductive paste contains conductive particles (A), a photosensitive organic compound (B), an epoxy resin (C) and an ion adsorbent (D) that is selected from the group consisting of hydrotalcite, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, zirconium oxide, magnesium silicate, silicon dioxide, zeolite and a carbon-based powder.
US09846355B2

A portable screen combined with a rotary supporter, which is used in a small projector or a mobile phone into which a projector is embedded. The support plate is provided with the rotary supporter and a rotating fixing plate so that the screen can be easily installed and carried. The material area can be reduced to ½ or less and cost for manufacturing can be reduced ½ or less based on the screen and further weight of the screen can be reduce ½ or less.
US09846354B2

A projection video display device, which enlarges and projects an image from an image-displaying means, has a housing and a raisable/lowerable mirror and a power supply, a light source, and a lens unit inside the housing. The raisable/lowerable mirror covers a projection-light opening formed in the top surface of the housing and able to rotate with respect to the housing, and has a convex mirror on the inside surface thereof. The raisable/lowerable mirror covering the top surface of the housing forms a smoothly connected, smooth, convexly curved surface with no height difference between the edge of the raisable/lowerable mirror and the front edge of the opening, and a half-bowl-shaped concavity is formed on at least one side of the raisable/lowerable mirror in the direction of the axis of rotation thereof.
US09846352B2

Disclosed is a light source apparatus including a light source part having a lead and a light emitting part for emitting light with a current from the lead; a substrate having a wiring part electrically connected to the lead for supplying a current to the lead; a base part having a first surface connected to the light source part, a second surface which is connected to the substrate and located on a side opposite to the first surface, and a through-hole penetrating through the first and second surfaces, in which the lead is inserted; and a vibration suppression mechanism including a vibration suppression part having a side wall portion inserted to the through-hole in such a manner that the side wall portion surrounds the lead, the vibration suppression part being connected to the substrate, and a fixing part for fixing the lead to the side wall portion.
US09846339B2

A liquid crystal display includes a substrate on which a pixel region is defined, a first sub-pixel electrode in the pixel region on the substrate, an insulating layer on the first sub-pixel electrode, a second sub-pixel electrode in the pixel region on the insulating layer, a floating electrode in the pixel region on the insulating layer and disconnected from the second sub-pixel electrode, a liquid crystal layer on the second sub-pixel electrode and the floating electrode, and a common electrode disposed on the liquid crystal layer. The floating electrode includes first to fourth floating electrodes in first to fourth quadrants of the pixel region, respectively. The first to fourth floating electrodes are separated from one another, and the first sub-pixel electrode partially overlaps the second sub-pixel electrode and the first to fourth floating electrodes.
US09846335B2

A display apparatus includes a first base substrate including an effective area and a pad area adjacent to the effective area, a second base substrate on the first base substrate to overlap the effective area and expose the pad area of the first base substrate at a side surface of the second base substrate, a spacer on the exposed pad area of the first base substrate and facing the side surface of the second base substrate, the spacer being spaced apart from the side surface of the second base substrate, a sealant between the spacer and the side surface of the second base substrate to contact both the spacer and the side surface of the second base substrate, and an optical film on the second base substrate, the optical film extended further than the side surface of the second base substrate to overlap the sealant and the spacer.
US09846333B2

A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal panel is provided with steps of: providing an array substrate having a first electrode with a plurality of slots and a second electrode thereon, and a color filter substrate; applying a first photo alignment film to the array substrate, and performing a first irradiation treatment on the first photo alignment film to have a first pretilt angle; applying a second photo alignment film to the color filter substrate, and performing a second irradiation treatment on the second photo alignment film to have a second pretilt angle antiparallel to the first pretilt angle; sealing a liquid crystal molecule and a photopolymerizable monomer within a space between the first photo alignment film and the second photo alignment film to form a liquid crystal panel; and performing a third irradiation treatment on the liquid crystal panel to carry out a polymerization of the photopolymerizable monomer.
US09846332B2

Provided is a method of manufacturing new liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Firstly, an alignment film is formed on a substrate. The alignment film is divided into a first alignment film formed using, as a precursor, liquid-state polyimide that contains a photodecomposition substance and a second alignment film formed using, as a precursor, a polyamic acid that does not contain a photodecomposition substance. UV light is irradiated to the alignment film, and decomposed substances formed by irradiation of the UV light is removed by an at least two-step removing process. By the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, bright spots are minimized in pixels and a brightness of black is lowered, so that a liquid crystal display device with a high contrast ratio can be realized.
US09846325B2

An array substrate, a touch display panel and a touch display device. The array substrate includes: a substrate; a pixel electrode layer; a common electrode layer, which comprises a plurality of common electrode blocks, wherein the common electrode blocks are operable as touch electrodes; a wiring layer, comprises a plurality of wirings, wherein each of the wirings is electrically connected with a corresponding one of the common electrode blocks, and at least one wiring is each overlapped with at least one common electrode block electrically insulated therefrom; and first bridge structures and auxiliary electrodes disposed in the pixel electrode layer, wherein each first bridge structure is configured for a connection between the wiring and the common electrode block, and each auxiliary electrode is connected with one of the wirings and disposed above the common electrode block insulated from and overlapped with the wiring.
US09846319B2

The driver circuit comprises a first node (J1), which is connected to a first terminal of the Pockels cell (CP), a second node (J2), which is connected to a second terminal of the Pockels cell (CP), wherein the first node (J1) is connected to a first potential (+HV) via a first switching unit (S1) and the second node (J2) is connected to the first potential (+HV) via a second switching unit (S2) and wherein the first node (J1) is connected to a second potential (−HV) via a first resistance (R1) and the second node (J2) is connected to the second potential (−HV) via a second resistance (R2); and wherein the first node (J1) is connected to the second node (J2) via a series circuit comprising a third resistance (R3) and an inductance (L1).
US09846315B2

Electro-magnetic actuators used to provide a displacement of an optical element such as a lens carrier comprise at least one ferromagnetic frame associated with a large air gap and at least one ferromagnetic member parallel to and separated from an elongated section of a frame by a small air gap. Actuation causes a magnetic circuit that appears in the at least one frame, the at least one member and small air gaps and by-passes or bridges the large air gap. In some embodiments, the resultant magnetic force moves the at least one member and leads to the displacement of an optical element attached thereto. In some embodiments, at least one frame and at least one member are arranged to provide a center hole and are dimensioned to enable insertion of a lens carrier in the hole. In some embodiments, the displacement is for auto-focus. In other embodiments, the displacement is for optical image stabilization.
US09846311B2

A device that creates visible light in space comprises of a light source and optics system that result in irradiated visible spectrum light rays with a low intensity such that the light is not visible by the normal observer. Multiple rays of visible-spectrum low-intensity non-visible light intersect. When the constructive intensity of the intersecting light is above the threshold for being visible then light appears at that place. The light rays to and from the visible light remain non-visible. The addition of irradiated visible light results in additional visual effects. The visible light can be moved in space, and form multi-dimensional images and holograms. User and programmable controls, with communication abilities and data storage, can mediate the light source and optics to control the visible image.
US09846308B2

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to haptic feedback systems and methods for use in head-worn computing systems. A head worn computer includes a frame adapted to hold a computer display in front of a user's eye, a processor adapted to present digital content in the computer display and to produce a haptic signal in coordination with the digital content display, and a haptic system including a plurality of haptic segments, wherein each of the haptic segments is individually controlled in coordination with the haptic signal.
US09846307B2

A method for displaying an image viewable by an eye, the image being projected from a portable head worn display, comprises steps of: emitting a plurality of light beams of wavelengths that differ amongst the light beams; directing the plurality of light beams to a scanning mirror; modulating in intensity each one of the plurality of light beams in accordance with intensity information provided from the image, whereby the intensity is representative of a pixel value within the image; scanning the plurality of light beams in two distinct axes with the scanning mirror to form the image; and redirecting the plurality of light beams to the eye using a holographic optical element acting as a reflector of the light beams, whereby the redirecting is dependent on the wavelength of the light beam, to create for each light beam an exit pupil at the eye that is spatially separated from the exit pupils of the other light beams.
US09846305B2

A head mounted display includes a sight line direction detection section that detects the direction of a user's sight line, an image display section that has an image display area where an image is displayed, and a display image setting section that allows display of at least part of an image in the image display area and changes, based on the detected direction of the sight line, at least one of the at least part of the image displayed in the image display area and a display position of the image displayed in the image display area.
US09846304B2

Display control that extends a user's visual ability is accomplished. By wearing an eyeglass-type or headgear-type mounting unit, he or she is allowed to see display means disposed in front of his or her eyes. By causing a part of a screen area of the display means to be in a through-state and a display with a display image signal to be executed, the user can see an image of a scene different from a scene that he or she ordinarily sees with a display of the display image signal while he or she can see the ordinary visual scene with the through-state area.
US09846300B2

A miniaturized microscope provides the combined capability for simultaneous or sequential fluorescence imaging at two different wavelengths and/or at two different object planes within a sample to which a cannula is attached. The microscope includes an illumination input connector for connecting one or more illumination sources, a connector for connecting the microscope to the cannula, a pair of optical image sensors for imaging the two different object planes and/or wavelengths and a pair of optical splitters: one for separating the illumination from light returning from the sample and the other for splitting the light returning from the sample into two images and providing the two images to their corresponding image sensor.
US09846299B2

A catadioptric telescope is a modified version of a conventional Maksutov-Cassegrain optical telescope. In accordance with the invention, the reflecting surfaces of the primary mirror and the secondary spot mirror are on the second surfaces of the primary mirror and correcting lens, respectively. In further accordance with the invention, two of these telescopes can be joined together to form a binocular telescope array. The array can be easily customized to suit different remote sensing/satellite applications.
US09846298B2

An off-axis three-mirror optical system with freeform surfaces comprised an aperture, a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a tertiary mirror, and a detector. The aperture is located on an incident light path. The primary mirror is located on an aperture side. The secondary mirror is located on a primary mirror reflected light path. The tertiary mirror is located on a secondary mirror reflected light path. The detector located on a tertiary mirror reflected light path. The primary mirror and the tertiary mirror have a same fifth-order polynomial freeform surface expression. The primary mirror reflected light path, the secondary mirror reflected light path and the tertiary mirror reflected light path overlap with each other.
US09846295B2

The objective optical system includes in order from an object side, a first unit having a positive refractive power, a second unit having a negative refractive power, and a third unit having a positive refractive power, and focusing is carried out by moving the second unit, the first unit and the third unit are fixed at the time of focusing, and the first unit G1 includes in order from the object side, a negative lens L1, one of a positive lens and a cemented lens, and a positive lens, and the third unit includes a positive lens, and a cemented lens of a positive lens and a negative lens, and the objective optical system satisfies the following conditional expression (3) −20
US09846272B2

Illumination devices are described for illuminating a target area, e.g., floors of a room, using solid-state light sources. In general, an illumination device includes a first light guide extending along a first plane, the first light guide to receive light from first light emitting elements (LEEs) and guide the light in a first direction in the first plane; a second light guide extending along the first plane, the second light guide to receive light from second LEEs and guide the light in a second direction in the first plane opposite to the first direction; a first redirecting optic to receive light from the first light guide and direct the light in first and second angular ranges; and a second redirecting optic to receive light from the second light guide and direct the light in third and fourth angular ranges, where the first, second, third and fourth angular ranges are different.
US09846269B2

A vehicle lighting unit can achieve line-shaped light emission with reduced luminance unevenness more than the conventional ones. The vehicle lighting unit can include: an LED having an optical axis in an illumination direction as a forward direction; and a light guiding lens having a plate shape and disposed in front of the LED. The light guiding lens can have a light incident face formed at a rear end thereof; a light exiting face formed at a front end thereof and having an elongated face extending along a left-right direction. The light incident face can have a horizontal cross section taken along the left-right direction, the cross section including a center recessed portion configured to receive light rays emitted from the LED around the optical axis thereof to diffuse the light rays toward the light exiting face in the left-right direction, and two convex portions disposed on both sides of the recessed portion, configured to receive light rays emitted from the LED sideward more than those directed to the recessed portion to condense the light rays forward substantially along the front-rear direction. The light incident face can further have a vertical cross section including a convex face for receiving the light rays from the LED to make the light rays parallel to one another substantially along the front-rear direction.
US09846265B2

A transparent layered element with diffuse reflection properties includes two outer layers made of dielectric materials having substantially the same refractive index and a central layer intercalated between the two outer layers, formed either from a single layer which is a dielectric layer with a refractive index different from that of the outer layers or a metallic layer, or from a stack of layers which includes at least one dielectric layer with a refractive index different from that of the outer layers or a metallic layer. The upper outer layer is a sol-gel layer including a silica-based organic/inorganic hybrid matrix.
US09846262B2

Disclosed therein are an inspection apparatus for a thermo-hygrometer based on phase change and methods for controlling and inspecting the same which can simultaneously inspect a thermometer and a hygrometer through a simple method using a phase change of reactants. The thermo-hygrometer based on phase change includes: reactants of at least two kinds; a plurality of cylinder type cells; a reactor body having a temperature sensor hole and a plurality of cell holes; a flow pipe in which a first gas circulates by a circulation pump; a relative humidity chamber which has a relative humidity sensor disposed therein; and a temperature control unit which is mounted below the reactor body, wherein when a phase change of a first reactant is induced, the relative humidity sensor is inspected based on the relative humidity of the first gas, and the temperature sensor is inspected based on the phase change temperature of the first reactant.
US09846255B2

Method for semi-airborne electromagnetic prospecting for hydrocarbons or other fluids or minerals. In the method, electromagnetic receivers are deployed on the Earth's surface over a subsurface region (71). An airborne electromagnetic transmitter is flown over the receivers (72) and the receivers record at least one component of electromagnetic field data excited by the transmitter (73). The recorded electromagnetic data are analyzed for subsurface resistivity (74), and the resistivity is interpreted for evidence of hydrocarbons or other fluids or minerals (75). Compared to traditional fully airborne surveys, the advantages of the method include better signal-to-noise, and data for multiple source-receiver offsets.
US09846254B2

A proposed marine electric survey apparatus complex includes a generator line exciting electric field, bottom stations on a sea bottom profile, receiving lines interconnecting the stations. Each receiving line has two measuring electrodes defining a symmetric main space separation equal to the receiving line's length. Two adjacent bottom stations define a pair of electrodes, each electrode is located opposite to the other electrode, providing for measuring the electric field in one point ensuring measurements continuity and uniformity. A proposed method particularly includes forming two uniform continuous networks for measurements with respectively the main space separations and small space separations, determining the generator's location, registering signals received on the electrodes, obtaining data in the frequency and time domains for distance and vertical soundings, plotting a graph of the profile's resistivity along the profile's length, and according to correlations of induced polarization anomalies and resistivity, judging on the presence of hydrocarbon deposits.
US09846250B2

Embodiments, including apparatuses, systems and methods, for automatically attaching and detaching seismic devices to a deployment cable, including a plurality of autonomous seismic nodes. A node installation system may include a moveable node carrier coupled to a cable detection device and a node attachment device that is configured to move a direct attachment mechanism on a node into a locking or closed position about the deployment cable. In an embodiment for retrieval and/or detachment operations, the system may also be configured to automatically detect the position of a node and remove the node from the deployment line by actuating the direct attachment mechanism into an open or unlocked position. Other devices besides a node may be attached and detached from the deployment line if they are coupled to one or more direct attachment mechanisms.
US09846249B2

Disclosed are methods and systems for using tension feedback from steerable deflectors. In one example, a method may comprise: towing sensors streamers in a body of water from a survey vessel, wherein each of the sensor streamers comprises geophysical sensors at spaced apart locations; towing steerable deflectors in the body of water from the survey vessel, wherein the steerable deflectors are used to provide a lateral component of force to the sensors streamers as the steerable deflectors are towed through the body of water; turning the survey vessel; measuring tension at the steerable deflectors during the step of turning the survey vessel; and in response to the step of measuring tension, determining at least one of a reduced vessel operating speed, an increased vessel operating speed, a reduced angle of attack for at least one of the steerable deflectors, an increased angle of attack for at least one of the steerable, an increased vessel turn radius, or a decreased vessel turn radius.
US09846247B2

Computational systems and methods for interpolating a pressure wavefield based on pressure wavefield and particle motion wavefield data are disclosed. The pressure and particle motion wavefields are sampled at a sample rate that is less than a lower bound for sample rates typically used to interpolate the pressure wavefield from the pressure wavefield samples alone. The particle motion wavefield can an acceleration wavefield or a time derivative of a velocity wavefield.
US09846246B2

An M×N array of sensor tiles are attached to a substrate using a compliant layer that includes an adhesive. A thickness of the compliant layer varies depending on a thickness of the sensor tiles so that outward facing sides of the sensor tiles are substantially aligned.
US09846242B2

A surveying system for a construction site has a restricted antenna system with a plurality of fixed location antennas each defined by a set of location data associated with a specific deployment position. The surveying system also has a computing device with a data processor and a display screen. A communications module establishes a data transfer link with the restricted antenna system over which spatial data for distances between current positions of the computing device and one or more of the plurality of fixed location antennas are received. The computing device is loadable with project drawings corresponding to the construction site and displayable on the display screen. A position marker is overlaid on the display of the project drawing at a position thereon corresponding to a computing device location value derived from the spatial data and the location data of one or more of the fixed location antennas.
US09846234B2

The invention relates to a method of configuring a laser scanner, as well as to a configuration object for the method. In order to improve such a method in such a way that it is possible to configure the monitored zone very simply, fast and intuitively, as well as to make available a configuration object for this purpose it is suggested that the method comprises the following steps: provision of a configuration object; initiation of a teaching mode of the laser scanner; detection of the undisturbed viewing field of the laser scanner by the laser scanner; introduction of the configuration object into the viewing field; dwelling of the configuration object at a position that should be an edge point of a monitored zone to be configured; detection of the dwelling by the laser scanner and storage of the positional coordinates; repetition of the steps d) to f) up until all edge points have been detected; determination of the monitored zone by means of the detected edge points; and termination of the teaching mode.
US09846228B2

A radar system processes signals in a flexible, adaptive manner to determine range, Doppler (velocity) and angle of objects in an environment. The radar system processes the received signal to achieve different objectives depending on the environment, the current information stored in the radar system, and/or external information provided to the radar system. The system allows improved resolution of range, Doppler and/or angle depending on the desired objective.
US09846224B2

The invention relates to an ultrasound imaging method for imaging a part (1), characterized by the implementation of the following steps: selecting a first sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}) of the part from a first image (IA(Z)) of a region (Z) of the part (1), determining, for each point of the first selected sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}), the times of flight (TijA({tilde over (Z)})) corresponding to the paths according to a first reconstruction mode (A) going through the point from a transmitter i to a receiver j for a set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples of an ultrasound signal; determining a second sub-region of the part, a point (P) of the region belonging to the second sub-region when a time of flight (TijB(P)) of the path according to a second reconstruction mode (B) going through the point (P) from a transmitter i to a receiver j of said set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples coincides with a time of flight (TA({tilde over (Z)})) of a path according to the first reconstruction mode from a transmitter to a receiver from the transmitter i to the receiver j going through one of the points of the first selected sub-region.
US09846219B2

The present invention describes a method for tracking a solar generator having a plurality of solar modules to the sun, wherein at least one electric output quantity of part of the solar module of the solar generator is detected and a tracker, on which the solar generator is mounted, is controlled such that the detected electric output quantity has a predetermined value. Further, a control for a solar plant and a solar plant having such a control are described.
US09846218B2

A position and orientation system and method is provided. A magnetoresistance sensor is provided having a sensor array configured to measure magnetic fields and a metallic coil positioned within the magnetoresistance sensor. In certain embodiments, the magnetic coil may be used to generate a known magnetic field that, when measured by the sensor array, may be used to determine or update a calibration constant for the system.
US09846215B2

To avoid discontinuities between echoes from becoming large level differences in a k-space and to reduce artifacts generated in a reconstructed image due to the discontinuities in the k-space, an MRI apparatus of the present invention uses phase characteristics of multiple echoes to be collected after a single RF excitation to control an arrangement order in the k-space where the multiple echoes are arranged when a pulse sequence of the fast spin echo method that collects the multiple echoes using a spin flip after a single RF excitation is executed. The arrangement is controlled so that echoes with small phase errors between the echoes at least near the center of the k-space are adjacent to each other.
US09846214B2

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods to effect improved MR image reconstruction for undersampled data acquisitions are described. The improved MR image reconstruction is performed by iteratively using compressed sensing to reconstruct an MR image based upon at least one sensitivity map by minimizing a predetermined function which is based upon the MR image and coefficients of the at least one sensitivity map, and updating the at least one sensitivity map by minimizing the predetermined function.
US09846211B2

In a structural analysis using NMR techniques, a method for gathering k-value data from frequency encoded spin echoes generated from internal volumes selectively excited by intersecting 90° and 180° slice selective and refocusing RF pulses and subjected to a read gradient for the purpose of quantifying the spatial frequency content of the selected internal volume without contamination by a FID signal, comprising: acquiring spin echo data such that the FID signal generated by imperfections in the 180° slice selective refocusing RF pulse is attenuated by the read gradient such that any remaining FID signal is spatially encoded with higher k-values than the frequency encoded k-values being recorded for subsequent structural analysis while simultaneously providing for t2 t2* and t1 contrast. Other aspects of the invention are disclosed.
US09846206B2

Magnetic material imaging (MMI) system including first and second sets of field-generating coils. Each of the field-generating coils of the first and second sets has an elongated segment that extends along an imaging axis of the medical imaging system. The imaging axis extends through a region-of-interest (ROI) of an object. The elongated segments of the first set of field-generating coils are positioned opposite the elongated segments of the second set of field-generating coils and the ROI is located between the first and second sets of field-generating coils. The MMI system also includes a coil-control module configured to control a flow of current through the first and second sets of field-generating coils to generate a selection field and to generate a drive field. The selection and drive fields combine to form a movable 1D field free region (FFR) that extends through the ROI.
US09846193B2

A semiconductor package testing apparatus comprises a package holder for holding a semiconductor package and which is positionable together with the semiconductor package at a test contactor station. There are probe pins located at the test contactor station for contacting a bottom surface of the semiconductor package and which are configured to apply an upwards force on the semiconductor package during testing of the semiconductor package. A restraining mechanism that is movable from a first position remote from the package holder and a second position over the package holder is configured to restrict lifting of the semiconductor package by the probe pins during testing of the semiconductor package when the restraining mechanism is at its second position.
US09846192B2

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to methods, apparatuses and systems involving a switched probe contact. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus includes logic circuitry, a first circuit to communicate signals with the logic circuitry, and a first bond pad connected to the first circuit via a first circuit path. The apparatus also includes a second circuit to communicate signals with the logic circuitry, and a second bond pad connected to the second circuit via a second circuit path. A probe contact is connected to the first bond pad and communicates signals with an external probe, and a switch circuit is connected to the probe contact and the second circuit path. The switch circuit communicates signals between the probe contact and the second circuit path by selectively connecting and disconnecting the probe contact to the second circuit path.
US09846186B2

An analog front end circuit utilizes coherent detection within a capacitance measurement application. The analog front end circuit uses coherent detection to measure capacitance of a touch screen display. An analog excitation signal is modulated by a capacitor to be measured. The modulated signal is synchronously demodulated using a correlator, which includes a discrete mixer and a discrete integrator. The excitation signal is also input to the mixer such that the modulated signal is multiplied by the excitation signal. The excitation signal is an analog signal having a sine wave function or other waveform.
US09846185B2

A capacitive sensing system includes a controller, a node connected to one side of a capacitance, the controller configured to measure the capacitance by measuring a time for a voltage across the capacitance to reach a predetermined reference voltage, and the controller causing the time period for capacitance measurements to vary even when the capacitance is constant.
US09846182B2

Hardware test systems are provided that have an electrical test loop with a minimum length of less than 200 mm, a maximum di/dt capacity of at least 1500 A/μs and a minimum parasitic inductance of less than 100 nH. The hardware tests systems can be used for commutation measurement or other test applications requiring low stray inductance.
US09846179B2

Electrical current transducer to measure the current flowing in a primary conductor, the transducer including an outer casing, a magnetic core comprising a magnetic circuit gap, a magnetic field detector comprising a sensing portion positioned in the magnetic circuit gap, an insulating core housing, a secondary coil formed from a wire wound around a coil support portion of the insulating core housing, and an electrostatic shield. The electrostatic shield is positioned between secondary coil and a radially inner wall portion of the outer casing, the radially inner wall portion defining a passage configured to receive said primary conductor therethrough. The electrostatic shield comprises a skirt portion formed by a plurality of flexible strips extending axially from an edge of the shield, the flexible strips configured to elastically bias against a base wall portion of the outer casing.
US09846174B2

This application relies on terminology found in the Vehicle State Detection (STATE) patent and describes methods of detecting acceleration, deceleration, accidents and cornering operational states, which we will also call vehicle dependent states, and vehicle independent states, triggered when the portable device is moved independently of movement of the vehicle. These methods enhance classification of driving behavior.
US09846171B2

A control section causes one dispensing mechanism of either a reagent dispensing mechanism or a sample dispensing mechanism to first discharge a predetermined amount of a liquid into the reaction container, and then, with respect to the cases where the amount of a liquid to be discharged by the other dispensing mechanism is larger or smaller than the amount of the liquid in the reaction container, causes the other dispensing mechanism to discharge the liquid such that the discharge speed in the case where the amount of the liquid to be discharged is larger is decreased relative to the discharge speed in the case where the amount of the liquid to be discharged is smaller.
US09846170B2

To provide an automated analyzer adapted for accommodating a larger number of reagent cassettes to meet calls for increases in analytical throughput and in the number of analytical items, and thus using the accommodated reagent cassettes more efficiently. An automated analyzer body 100 includes a main reagent buffer 4 for storing a plurality of reagent cassettes each containing a reagent used for analysis and a subsidiary reagent buffer 12. A reagent cassette transfer 11 transfers the reagent cassettes from the main reagent buffer to the subsidiary reagent buffer, and vice versa. A control unit 200 operates so that when a reagent cassette that is not set in the main reagent buffer is to be used for an assigned analysis, the reagent cassette for the assigned analysis is transferred from the subsidiary reagent buffer to the main reagent buffer.
US09846164B2

The methods and kits described herein are based, in part, to the discovery of a phenotype representing a fully-reprogrammed iPS cell and several reprogramming intermediates. The methods and kits described herein permit identification of fully-reprogrammed iPS cells and further permits one of skill in the art to monitor the emergence of iPS cells during the reprogramming process. The methods/kits can also be performed using real time using live cell imaging. Also described herein are methods for screening candidate reprogramming agents by monitoring the emergence of fully-reprogrammed iPS cells in the presence and absence of such an agent.
US09846161B2

A novel quantum dot capable of near infrared emissions at wavelengths of 750-1100 is made by forming solid solutions of metal sulfide, metal selenide or metal sulfide selenide by incorporating a suitable amount of an additional metallic element or elements to provide an emission wavelength in the range of 750 nm to 1100 nm. The quantum dots may be enabled for bioconjugation and may be used in a method for tissue imaging and analyte detection.
US09846151B2

The current invention concerns a sample vial for receiving a liquid cell sample, to be used in conjunction with a digital holographic microscope (DHM), said sample vial comprises at least two compartments in fluid connection with one another, said compartments comprising at least one pair of screening surfaces, said screening surfaces are essentially flat; and characterized in that the distance between the pair of screening surfaces of the second compartment is smaller than the distance between the pair of screening surfaces of the first compartment. In a second and third aspect, the current invention pertains to a method and system for analyzing a liquid cell sample by DHM, employing the sample vial of the current invention.
US09846140B2

A method is provided for determining analyte concentrations, for example glucose concentrations, that utilizes a dynamic determination of the appropriate time for making a glucose measurement, for example when a current versus time curve substantially conforms to a Cottrell decay, or when the current is established in a plateau region. Dynamic determination of the time to take the measurement allows each strip to operate in the shortest appropriate time frame, thereby avoiding using an average measurement time that may be longer than necessary for some strips and too short for others.
US09846133B2

Provided are an inspection device that detects with high precision and classifies surface unevenness, step batching, penetrating blade-shaped dislocations, penetrating spiral dislocations, basal plane dislocations, and stacking defects formed in an SiC substrate and an epitaxial layer; and a system. In the inspection device using charged particle beams, a device is used that has an electrode provided between a sample and an objective lens, the device applies a positive or negative voltage to the electrode and obtains images. A secondary electron emission rate is measured and energy EL and EH for the charged particles are found. A first image is obtained using the EH and positive potential conditions. A second image is obtained using the EL and negative potential conditions. A third image is obtained at the same position as the second image, and by using the EL and positive potential conditions.
US09846129B2

A method for measuring optical distortion in a contoured glass sheet includes the steps of conveying the glass sheet in a first direction, employing at least one display to project a preselected multi-phase non-repeating contrasting pattern, and employing at least one camera, and uniquely pairing each one of the cameras one of the displays. The method may also include controlling each of the cameras to acquire the desired images, analyzing and combining the data acquired by the cameras to construct a definition of the surface of the glass sheet, and performing one or more optical processing operations on the surface data to analyze the optical characteristics of the glass sheet.
US09846126B2

Apparatus, sensor chips and techniques for optical sensing of substances by using optical sensors on sensor chips.
US09846123B2

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element comprises a substrate having a principal surface; a molded layer including a support part formed on the principal surface and a fine structure part formed on the support part; and a conductor layer, deposited on the fine structure part, constituting an optical functional part for generating surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The fine structure part has a plurality of pillars erected on the support part. The support part is provided with a plurality of opposing parts opposing side faces of the pillars. The opposing parts are located on the substrate side relative to leading end parts of the pillars in a projecting direction of the pillars.
US09846120B2

A light measurement apparatus includes a master laser, a slave laser, an illumination light pulse, and a signal-under-measurement generator. The master laser generates as an output a master laser light pulse, and the slave laser generates as an output a slave laser light pulse having a repetition frequency or a phase different from that of the master laser light pulse. The illumination light pulse generator receives the master laser light pulse and generates as an output an illumination light pulse, and the signal-under-measurement generator, at a point in time when receiving a light pulse under measurement obtained by illuminating the object under measurement with the illumination light pulse and further the slave laser light pulse, generates as an output a signal under measurement according to a power of the light pulse under measurement. The apparatus corrects an error in a measurement of the signal under measurement.
US09846116B2

Methods of determining concentrations and/or amounts of redox-active elements at each valence state in an electrolyte solution of a redox flow battery are provided. Once determined, the concentrations and/or amounts of the redox-active elements at each valence state can be used to determine side-reactions, make chemical adjustments, periodically monitor battery capacity, adjust performance, or to otherwise determine a baseline concentration of the redox-active ions for any purpose.
US09846110B2

A diagnostic module for diagnosing a particulate matter sensor in a vehicle includes a sensor mode selection module, a heater power detector, and a protection tube diagnostic module. The sensor mode selection module selects a regeneration mode for the particulate matter sensor from among a plurality of operation modes. The regeneration mode regenerates the particulate matter sensor. The heater power detector determines a voltage output based on a voltage applied to the particulate matter sensor. The voltage output corresponds to operation of the particulate matter sensor in the selected mode. The protection tube diagnostic module performs a diagnostic of the particulate matter sensor. The protection tube diagnostic module selectively diagnoses a fault in the particulate matter sensor based on the voltage output determined during the regeneration mode and a regeneration power threshold.
US09846108B2

The disclosure is directed to sampling bags having flexible walls. The sampling bags may have agile walls that include a shape memory component. The shape memory component tends to return the sampling bag to its initial shape. Such sampling bags may be used in a variety of sampling methods.
US09846097B2

A sensor device includes a substrate having a port extending through it and a membrane including a first electrode spanning across the port. The port exposes the membrane to a pressure stimulus from an external environment. A second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode by a gap having a first width. A control circuit applies an actuation voltage to move the second electrode closer to the first electrode and change the gap to a second width that is less than the first width. When the gap is set to the second width, the pressure sensor exhibits a greater sensitivity then when the gap is set to the first width. The membrane with the first electrode is movable in response to the pressure stimulus and the pressure stimulus is sensed as movement of the first electrode relative to the second electrode while the actuation voltage is applied.
US09846095B2

In a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensor, thin and fragile bond wires that are used in the prior art to connect a MEMS pressure sensing element to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for the input and output signals between these two chips are replaced by stacking the ASIC on the MEMS pressure sensing element and connecting each other using conductive vias formed in the ASIC. Gel used to protect the bond wires, ASIC and MEMS pressure sensing element can be eliminated if bond wires are no longer used. Stacking the ASIC on the MEMS pressure sensing element and connecting them using conductive vias enables a reduction in the size and cost of a housing in which the devices are placed and protected.
US09846094B2

A hail strike recording device is operable to provide quantifiable information about a hail storm event experienced by a roof. The recording device is operable to be installed on a roof and includes a panel component and a mounting assembly. The panel component presents a hail impact zone to sense one or more hail strikes, with the recording device operable to provide recorded data associated with the sensed one or more hail strikes.
US09846092B2

Provided herein is technology relating to weather sensors and particularly, but not exclusively, to devices, methods, and systems related to collecting weather data by measuring bending and compression stresses in a weather sensor device.
US09846090B2

A magnetic load sensor unit (1) is provided which can detect the magnitude of an axial load applied by a linear motion actuator (14) to a friction pad (22). The magnetic load sensor unit (1) includes a magnetic target (4) which generates a magnetic field, and a magnetic sensor (5) designed to move relative to the magnetic target (4) corresponding to the axial load.
US09846089B2

There is provided a calorimeter. Heat flows in and out of the sample via a thermoelectric module. The thermoelectric module is so constituted that a pair of a P-type thermoelectric element and an N-type thermoelectric element is disposed between substrates, and the pair of the thermoelectric elements are connected in n pairs so that the P-type thermoelectric elements and the N-type thermoelectric element are arranged alternately in π-shape; a calorimetric sensitivity of the thermoelectric module of a thermal conductance surrounding thermoelectric module and a thermal conductance between substrates of the thermoelectric modules and a noise based on an electric resistance of the thermoelectric module depend on an L/A ratio of the thermoelectric element constituting the thermoelectric module and the number n of the pairs of the thermoelectric elements, where the L/A ratio is 6 mm−1 or more, and the number n of the pairs is 4 or more.
US09846075B2

A method and device for leak detection and localization in at least a portion of a of fluid distribution system. At each of two or more locations, a position locator determines the location of the device and a vibration sensor generates a signal indicative of vibrations detected by the vibration sensor at the location. A processor calculates a parameter of the signal indicative of an average power of the signal at the location over a predetermined time period. For each location, the processor stores in a memory the location of the device and the value of calculated parameter, and then determines a location in the fluid distribution system where the calculated parameter has a maximum value satisfying a predetermined criterion.
US09846069B2

A level measurement system for conductive liquids including a liquid container (10) and at least three electrodes (18, 20, 22) arranged inside the liquid container (10) at different levels. The electrodes (18, 20, 22) are connected to a network including a plurality of resistor elements (R, R1, R2, R3, RP1, RP2, RR1, RR2). The network includes at least two input terminals (V+, GND) for applying an external voltage and at least two output terminals providing a voltage depending on the level of the conductive liquid in the liquid container (10). The level measurement system is provided for detecting at least three different levels of conductive liquids in the liquid container (10) and indicating the levels by one voltage value. The level measurement system may be used for water in a storage container such as in a domestic appliance having a liquid container for supplying the domestic appliance with liquid.
US09846055B2

A vibratory gyroscope system is described which utilizes a mechanical resonator having a first mode of vibration and an associated first natural frequency, and a second mode of vibration having an associated second natural frequency. The angular rate of motion input couples energy between the first and second modes of vibration. The gyroscope has driver circuits, sensors and actuators for the first and second modes. The invention utilizes a bias error shifting method which provides for shifting the bias error away from DC to a higher frequency, where it can be removed by low pass filtering. As a result of the inventive method, gyroscope systems can be produced with significantly lower bias error.
US09846044B2

A travel information recording system for associating travel information on a vehicle obtained immediately after travel through a branch location with an appropriate road segment includes: travel segment specifying unit for specifying a travel segment that is a road segment in which a vehicle is traveling; and travel information recorder for recording travel information on the vehicle obtained during travel in the travel segment in association with the travel segment in a storage medium. In the case where there occurs a segment variation in which the travel segment is varied from one of several road segments branched off from a branch location, the travel information recorder acquires the travel information to be recorded in association with a post-variation segment, which is the travel segment after the segment variation, on the basis of the travel information obtained before the segment variation.
US09846042B2

An indoor localization system uses Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM) aided by gyroscope sensor information. Indoor environments pose several challenges which could cause a vision only system to fail due to tracking errors. Investigation revealed significant feature loss in a vision only system when traversing plain walls, windows and staircases. However, the addition of a gyroscope helps in handling such difficult conditions by providing additional rotational information. A portable system consisting of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and a stereo camera has been developed for indoor mapping. The images and gyroscope rates acquired by the system are stored and post-processed using Gyroscope Assisted Scalable Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Algorithm.
US09846034B2

A device and method for projecting visible level laser lines onto a work surface and measuring distances along the level laser lines. The device includes a self-leveling laser housing that allows the lasers to level when activated. The device also includes separate distance measuring lasers and a handheld display used to measure distances from the center of the device.
US09846029B2

The invention relates to a laser system (100) comprising a laser receiver (10) and a laser emitter (20) and to a method using this system (100). The laser receiver is designed for locating a laser beam (22) relative to the laser receiver (10) by its laser light photo sensor (1). The laser receiver (10) has an acceleration sensor (4) providing a signal indicating a movement of the laser receiver together with a movement direction and an acceleration of this movement and a circuitry (3) connected to said photo sensor (1) and to the acceleration sensor (4) designed to compute and correlate the signals of photo sensor (1) and acceleration sensor (4) and to weight the information derived from the acceleration sensor (4). Laser receiver and laser emitter of the laser system are both provided with communication means, so that by communicating the weighted information the laser plane can be adjusted and/or re-adjusted in response to a movement of the leaser receiver.
US09846028B2

A film thickness measurement device 1A includes a light emission unit 10 for emitting light onto a measurement object 100, a light detection unit 20A for detecting the wavelength-dependent intensity of reflected light, and a film thickness calculation unit 30A for determining the film thickness of a first film 102 by comparing measured spectral reflectance obtained based on the detection result in the light detection unit 20A with theoretical spectral reflectance that takes into account front surface reflectance, front surface transmissivity, and back surface reflectance. The film thickness calculation unit 30A compares the measured spectral reflectance with a plurality of values of the theoretical spectral reflectance obtained by changing the front surface reflectance value, the front surface transmissivity value, and the back surface reflectance value, and determines the film thickness of the first film 102 based on the theoretical spectral reflectance closest to the measured spectral reflectance.
US09846025B2

A track data determination system including: a video camera device positioned on a vehicle to capture video data in at least one field-of-view; a geographic positioning unit associated with the vehicle to generate position data and time data; a recording device to store at least one of the following: at least a portion of the video data, at least a portion of the position data, at least a portion of the time data, or any combination thereof; and a controller to: (i) receive the video data, the position data, and/or the time data; and (ii) determine track data based at least in part upon the video data, the position data, and/or the time data. A computer-implemented track data determination method is also disclosed.
US09846023B1

A method for monitoring position of and controlling a second nanosatellite (NS) relative to a position of a first NS. Each of the first and second NSs has a rectangular or cubical configuration of independently activatable, current-carrying solenoids, each solenoid having an independent magnetic dipole moment vector, μ1 and μ2. A vector force F and a vector torque are expressed as linear or bilinear combinations of the first set and second set of magnetic moments, and a distance vector extending between the first and second NSs is estimated. Control equations are applied to estimate vectors, μ1 and μ2, required to move the NSs toward a desired NS configuration. This extends to control of N nanosatellites.
US09846016B2

Methods, devices, and systems may protect a target from undesirable electromagnetic radiation by detecting electromagnetic radiation (including coherent radiation such as laser beams) aimed at a target from a source; calculating a first release position to disrupt the electromagnetic radiation thereby protecting the target; launching a projectile that may include a disruptive medium or a disruptive-medium precursor; directing the projectile to the first release position; and releasing the disruptive medium from the projectile at the first release position, such that the releasing of the disruptive medium forms a cloud of the disruptive medium.
US09846007B2

A monitoring apparatus and system for recording, differentiating, and reporting the discharge of firearms. The monitoring apparatus can be mounted to a firearm and may be automatically activated when the firearm is drawn from a holster thus enabling the monitoring apparatus to record information such as sound, video, location, time, and the like. The apparatus may use this information to differentiate between shots fired by the firearm and shots fired by other firearms. The device may report this distinction to a remote computer configured to receive updates from the weapon mounted apparatus in real time. The remote computer may display the information on a user interface such as a map display, and/or distribute the information according to rules defining how the information should be processed.
US09845990B2

A stacking support that has a plurality of sidewalls extending along a longitudinal axis that define an open ended longitudinally extending channel. The sidewalls may define a substantially square cross-sectional shape. Tubes and/or angled corner braces may be positioned at the corners of the substantially square cross-sectional shape. The stacking support may be constructed entirely of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. One or more items may be stacked upon two or more stacking supports. Optionally, the stacking support may be supported by at least one a slider, roller, or caster on a support surface. The stacking support may be coupled to an underside of a platform along with one or more like stacking supports to create a stacking assembly. One or more items may be stacked upon the stacking assembly.
US09845986B2

Lighting units for refrigerator drawers and baskets are disclosed. An example refrigerator drawer assembly includes a shelf having a divider, the shelf defining at least a portion of a drawer compartment, first and second drawers disposed beneath the shelf, an elongated light source attached to a bottom surface of the divider, the elongated light source having a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) along the length of the elongated light source to provide a source of visible light for the first and second drawers.
US09845974B2

A particle comprises an inner part and an outer coating. The inner part comprises CaO and the outer coating comprises hydrophobic nanoparticles of a size less than 1 μm. The particle has an average size of from 1 to 1000 μm. A device adapted to perform an absorption process comprises at least one such particle. A method for manufacturing such a particle comprises mixing CaO with hydrophobic nanoparticles, and mixing with sufficient energy to obtain particles comprising CaO coated with the hydrophobic nanoparticles.
US09845966B2

An air conditioning system includes an air handling unit (AHU) configured to control outdoor air that is externally supplied, exhaust air that is discharged from indoors to outdoors, and return air that is circulated indoors and supplied again, control the outdoor air or mixed air of the return air and the outdoor air at a set temperature, and supply cool/warm supply air indoors, at least one outdoor unit configured to supply a refrigerant to the AHU, a controller configured to control the AHU through communication with the outdoor unit, and an interface unit configured to operate as an input/output unit of the controller. The interface unit displays setting menus for devices forming the AHU, sets basis data for controlling the devices in response to data received through the setting menus, inputs the set basis data to the controller, and outputs a control menu and a monitoring menu in accordance with functions of the AHU changed according to a configuration of the plurality of devices.
US09845961B2

A humidifier obtains, based on detection values of a first and second temperature and humidity sensors, the amount of humidification, the amount of water evaporated by a humidifying material per preset time, controls the amount of water supplied by a water supply unit per the preset time to be smaller than a specific value when the amount of humidification obtained at the present time is increased compared to the amount of humidification obtained at the previous time, and controls the amount of water supplied by the water supply unit per the preset time to be equal to or greater than the specific value when the amount of humidification obtained at the present time is decreased compared to the amount of humidification obtained at the previous time or when the amount of humidification obtained at the present time is equal to the amount of humidification obtained at the previous time.
US09845957B2

A pellet stove includes a hopper for storing pellets, a basket for receiving the pellets by gravity, a duct for conveying combustion air to the basket, and a conduit for conducting heated air away from the basket. The position of the basket is adjustable, such as by raising and lowering it, or by rotating it, so as to control the number of pellets in the area of most intense combustion. One or more burn plates, positioned below the basket, provide platforms on which pellets falling through the basket can burn down to a smaller size. The pellet stove requires no external source of power. The stove so constructed enables quiet, efficient and clean burning of the pellets.
US09845954B2

An object of the present invention is to realize a combustion control device that reduces, when a pressure within a mixer is rapidly increased at the time of ignition of the combustion control device, the transmission of the temporarily increased pressure to a pressure sensor, that brings the pressure sensor into a non-operated state and that thereby can continue combustion in the combustion control device. Hence, a combustion control device is provided that includes: a combustion chamber which has a heat dissipation disc on a front surface and within which a combustion room is formed; a burner which is attached to the combustion chamber; a mixer which mixes a gas supplied to the burner with air; and a pressure sensor which is connected to the mixer through a pressure passage, where a pressure propagation delay means which reduces transmission to the pressure sensor caused by a temporary pressure increase within the mixer is provided partway along the pressure passage.
US09845943B2

Certain example embodiments relate to improved lighting systems and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, a lighting system includes a glass substrate with one or more apertures. An LED or other light source is disposed at one end of the aperture such that light from the LED directed through the aperture of the glass substrate exits the opposite end of the aperture. Inner surfaces of the aperture have a mirroring material such as silver to reflect the emitted light from the LED. In certain example embodiments, a remote phosphor article or layer is disposed opposite the LED at the other end of the aperture. In certain example embodiment, a lens is disposed in the aperture, between the remote phosphor article and the LED.
US09845942B2

A light strip system for securing luminaire units and supplying them with power having an elongate support structure, especially at least one support rail for securing the luminaire units and power supply extending along the support structure for supplying the luminaire units with power. The power supply includes first lines which extend along the support structure and define a first power supply circuit (I), and second lines which extend over part of the length of the first power supply circuit (I) along the support structure and define a second power supply circuit (II) which is designed to be in electrical contact with the luminaire units, the first power supply circuit (I) being coupled to the second power supply circuit (II) by a converter unit which converts a first supply voltage available in the first power supply circuit (I) to a second supply voltage suitable for operating the luminaire units.
US09845940B2

A lighting device (10) having a base housing (12) to receive one or more batteries therein to power a light source located in a light housing (14). The light housing (14) being pivotally attached to the base housing (12) at pivot points on both sides of the base housing (12), wherein a handle (24) is provided which extends along the axis of rotation (13) between the pivot points.
US09845939B2

A light emitting device includes: a plurality of light emitting modules each provided with a circuit board, and first to n-th light source groups disposed on the circuit board, n being an integer greater than two, wherein the first to n-th light source groups each include at least one light emitting diode (LED); a driving module supplying driving power to the plurality of light emitting modules, and determine a number of light source groups operating in each of the plurality of light emitting modules based on a level of the driving power; and a module connection unit connecting first to n-th light source groups provided in one of the plurality of light emitting modules and first to n-th light source groups provided in another light emitting module in parallel in a detachable manner, respectively.
US09845936B1

A light shield includes a main portion and an overlap portion that is substantially perpendicular to the main portion. The main portion includes a first scored area and a base platform disposed below the first scored area. The first scored area includes a plurality of score lines that define one or more detachable panels. The overlap portion includes a second scored area and another base platform. The second scored area includes another plurality of score lines that define one or more detachable overlap panels. Further, the light shield includes a flange that extends substantially perpendicular to and along a length of a base platform of the light shield's main portion. A first interlocking arm extends from a first end of the flange and a second interlocking arm extends from a second end of the flange that is opposite to the first end.
US09845930B2

A fiber-optic conversion module is provided as part of a lighting device on a vehicle. The module includes optical fibers with connectors, a light exit head, and a converter mounted on a cooling element. Shorter wavelength excitation light is fed to the optical fibers that emit the excitation light towards the converter arranged at an angle relative to the beam direction, at a light spot that remits useful light in a radiation angle in form of a cone of useful light and reflects excitation light as a Fresnel reflection substantially outside the cone of useful light, where Fresnel reflection is made harmless by a light stop.
US09845924B1

Apparatus and system for producing light using LED lighting with output within a predetermined desired color temperature range for commercial lighting uses. A preferred embodiment includes a first and second group of LEDs arranged in an alternating matrix configuration, each group of LEDs configured to produce light in a predetermined color temperature range. In a preferred embodiment, an LED light system includes a tubular LED lamp having substantially the same size and dimensions as a traditional fluorescent lamp tube and a control box for controlling power input and power gain to the first, second, or both groups of LEDs.
US09845921B2

The invention provides a lighting unit (100) comprising a housing (120) including a light source (110). The light source (110) is configured to provide light source light (111) through a light exit part (121) of the housing (120). The lighting unit (100) further comprises a light interception part (130) configured to intercept part of the light source light (111) as intercepted light source light (112), and a luminescent material (140) configured to convert at least part of the intercepted light source light (112) into luminescent material light (141). The housing (120) further comprises a light emitting part (150), configured to allow the luminescent material light (141) escape from the housing (120).
US09845919B2

A cryogenic plumbing support for supporting cryogenic plumbing having a first coefficient of thermal expansion associated with a cryogenic temperature may include a bracket. The bracket may include a second coefficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to the first coefficient of thermal expansion. The cryogenic plumbing support may also include a slide assembly. The slide assembly may include first and second end blocks, at least one slider, and a plurality of rods. The first end block may be coupled in spaced relationship to the second end block by the plurality of rods. The at least one slider may be coupled to the bracket and slidably coupled to the plurality of rods.
US09845916B2

Method for filling a tank with pressurized hydrogen via a filling station comprising at least one buffer container and a fluid circuit connected to said at least one buffer container, the circuit of the filling station comprising a first end connected to at least one source of hydrogen gas, the circuit comprising a second end fitted with a transfer pipe intended to be connected removably to the tank that is to be filled, the method involving a step of purifying the hydrogen supplied by the source in a purification member before transferring same to the at least one buffer container, the circuit of the filling station further comprising at least one compression member for compressing the pressurized gas in order to fill the at least one buffer container, the method being characterized in that it comprises a step of transferring heat energy between, on the one hand, the compressed gas of the outlet from the compression member and, on the other hand, the purification member.
US09845915B2

A stand attached to a baggage item includes a collapsible shaft having a proximal end attached to the baggage item and a distal end. In some embodiments, the stand includes a support on to which an object may be secured. In some embodiments, the stand includes one or more basal elements.
US09845904B2

A loosening-preventing device for pipe fitting. In the device, a casing includes a semispherical member equipped with an open surface, a female screw thread disposed at one end of the semispherical member, and a finishing member disposed at the other end of the semispherical member. A locking member has a male screw thread and a head at one end of the male screw thread, so as to connect to the female screw thread of the casing. The screw clamping of the casing and the locking member prevents the pipe fitting from rotating, thereby preventing the pipe fitting from being loosened.
US09845902B2

The present disclosure provides conduits with modified interior surfaces that increase the surface area of the interior surface of the conduit to provide the conduit with improved thermal energy exchange with the wall of the conduit. The modified interior surfaces can also be configured to reduce friction flow on the fluid passing therethrough.
US09845901B2

Cage apparatus having fluid passageways to affect flow characteristics of valves are disclosed. An example valve cage includes clustered fluid flow passages. Each fluid flow passage has a first portion connected to a second portion. The first portion tapers towards the second portion and the second portion tapers towards the first portion. The clustered fluid flow passages include a first row and an adjacent second row. The first row and the second row are oriented at a first angle relative an axis of the valve cage to extend along a helically-shaped path on the valve cage.
US09845900B2

A valve for preventing water hammer includes a speed reduction device for reducing a speed at which the valve may be closed. A method of preventing water hammer includes closing a valve at a fire hydrant after extracting water from the fire hydrant, in which the valve comprising a speed reduction device that increases an amount of time needed for closing the valve, and operating the valve to close the valve comprises operating the speed reduction device.
US09845896B2

A valve including a valve body having an area of weakness along which the valve body is predisposed to break. The valve further includes a closure valve positioned in the valve body, wherein the valve body includes a chamber configured to retain fluid therein to thereby maintain the closure valve in an open position. The valve is configured such when at least part of the valve body is sufficiently displaced or broken along the area of weakness at least part of the fluid in the chamber escapes the chamber, thereby causing or enabling the closure valve to move to a closed position.
US09845891B2

A system includes a split gate valve with first and second gate sections coupled together and configured to move together within a cavity of the split gate valve between an open position and a closed position. The split gate valve includes a rolling actuator to reduce friction and to convert a rotational input into a linear motion to move the first and second gate sections between the open and closed positions. The split gate valve also includes at least one expansion bar configured to bias the first and second gate sections from one another to seal against opposite seats of the split gate valve, wherein each expansion bar includes a spring mechanism configured to compress upon moving the first and second gate sections into and beyond the closed position to prevent buckling of the expansion bar.
US09845888B2

A mechanical seal has a seal ring and a mating ring that faces and slides against the seal ring and either the seal ring or mating ring is supported via a bellows on the equipment interior side of a seal cover installed on a housing, while the other rotates together with a rotational shaft; and a baffle sleeve with a roughly L-shaped cross-section is fixed on the equipment exterior side of the seal cover to guide quenching liquid to the sliding surfaces of the seal ring and mating ring, where the baffle sleeve is structurally split into a flange part and cylinder part. The mechanical seal allows for preassembly of its seal members on the stationary side, baffle sleeve, damper, and other related parts at a factory, service center, etc., in a reliable and controlled manner, requiring fewer assembly steps during onsite engineering works.
US09845884B2

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a brush seal comprising: a bristle pack that includes: a first plurality of bristles, each of the first plurality of bristles having a first dimension, and a second plurality of bristles, each of the second plurality of bristles having a second dimension that is different from the first dimension, where a ratio of the first dimension to the second dimension has a range of 2:1 to 5:1.
US09845882B2

A double sealing device for a rotating shaft comprising a first and a second seal of annular form mounted side by side in a peripheral groove formed in a wall of a circular cylindrical housing through which the shaft to be sealed passes. At least one of a discharge or vent channel opens into the peripheral groove between the two seals. The seals comprise a carrier ring with an outer axial flange and an inner radial flange, and a sealing washer applied to each carrier ring to cover a part of an outer face of the axial flange. A sealing lip bearing is formed slidably on the shaft, the first seal sealing a first fluid medium and the second seal sealing a second fluid medium. The axial flange has an extension forming a pierced structure, not covered by the sealing washer of the seal, and disposed facing the peripheral groove.
US09845871B2

An automatic transmission is provided. The transmission includes clutches coaxially arranged in layers in a radial direction of the transmission. The transmission includes a piston provided to each clutch, the pistons being aligned in the radial direction on a same plane perpendicular to an axis of the transmission, without overlapping with each other in an axial view. The transmission includes a common rotational member having a wall, commonly used for the clutches, and disposed at a predetermined position of the transmission in an axial direction, wherein the wall is formed along the plane. The transmission includes operational hydraulic passages parallely arranged in the wall of the common rotational member in a circumferential direction of the transmission on the same plane perpendicular to the axis, each of the operational hydraulic passages communicating with one of operational hydraulic chambers of the respective clutches.
US09845870B2

A lock-up clutch control device that sets a hydraulic pressure command value for a lock-up clutch as a starting device together with a pump impeller coupled to a motor of a vehicle and a turbine runner coupled to an input shaft of a transmission such that an actual rotational speed difference between the motor and the input shaft coincides with a target slip speed that matches a state of the vehicle, and that controls the lock-up clutch based on the hydraulic pressure command value.
US09845869B2

A mechanical oil pump, an electric oil pump, and a strainer are disposed inside a transmission case. As a suction oil passage that returns an excess hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic control device to the mechanical oil pump, a common oil passage extending from the hydraulic control device, a branch point, a first oil passage extending from the branch point to the mechanical oil pump, and a second oil passage extending from the branch point to the electric oil pump are formed in the transmission case. A meeting point where an inlet oil passage for suctioning oil via the strainer and the first oil passage of the suction oil passage meet is formed inside a pump body of the mechanical oil pump. Accordingly, the suction oil passage of the mechanical oil pump and an inlet oil passage of the electric oil pump have a portion in common.
US09845862B2

A vent for a machinery enclosure such as an automotive axle comprises a vent body having passageway between the interior of the enclosure and the exterior of the enclosure and an ePTFE membrane covering the passageway. The membrane and a fibrous sorbent are disposed within the passageway between the interior of the enclosure and the membrane.
US09845852B2

A motorized positioning apparatus for a seating unit includes a motor assembly that is configured to move a linkage assembly though a series of positions that arrange the seating unit in a closed position, open position, or extended position. The motor assembly attaches directly to a footrest drive link by way of a mounting tube. In addition, the motor assembly may attach either to a base rail of the seating unit or to a rear pivot link by way of a rear mounting tube.
US09845847B2

A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft receiving torque of an engine, an output shaft outputting torque of the engine, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, a fourth planetary gear set, a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft selectively connectable to the input shaft, and selectively connectable to a transmission housing, a fourth shaft selectively connectable to the input shaft, a fifth shaft directly connected to the output shaft, a sixth shaft, and a seventh shaft selectively connectable to the input shaft.
US09845846B2

A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft for receiving an engine torque, an output shaft for outputting a shifted torque, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, a fourth planetary gear set, six control elements, a first shaft directly connected with the input shaft, a second shaft selectively connectable with a transmission housing, a third shaft, a fourth shaft, a fifth shaft directly connected with the transmission housing, a sixth shaft selectively connectable with the second shaft, and directly connected with the output shaft, a seventh shaft selectively connectable with the fourth shaft, an eighth shaft selectively connectable with the third shaft and the fourth shaft, and a ninth shaft selectively connectable with the seventh shaft.
US09845838B2

A system for reducing the effect of a force includes a panel having a first side and a second side; a plurality of contact members disposed around a perimeter of the panel first side; and a biasing member positioned around a perimeter of the panel second side. The perimeter of the panel second side generally corresponds to the perimeter of the panel first side. The biasing member biases the contact members toward the panel first side. In a use configuration, a force received by the panel second side is at least partially transferred to the contact members causing at least one of the contact members to temporarily lose contact with the panel first side, whereby the return of the contact member into contact with the panel first side imparts a second force onto the panel first side, the second force being less than the force transferred to the contact members.
US09845837B2

A guide assembly for a disc brake, the guide assembly comprising a bore disposed in a disc brake caliper for receiving a guide pin. The bore comprises a first bore portion with a substantially circular cross-sectional profile and a second bore portion with a substantially circular cross-sectional profile arranged sequentially along the length of the bore and tangentially offset such that the bore is defined by the overlap of the first bore portion and second bore portion and has a lens-shaped cross-sectional profile.
US09845836B2

A clutch device for a clutch system has an input member that rotates at a first speed. A friction drive system is disposed between the input member and an output member. The clutch device is selectively movable by a fluid actuator assembly, between an engaged position in which the friction drive system drives the output member to rotate at the first speed, and a disengaged position in which a viscous drive system rotates the output member at a second speed slower than the first speed. A variable viscous fluid supply assembly includes a viscous fluid storage chamber, a valve, and a valve actuator that selectively drives the valve to move between an open position and a closed position to control an amount of viscous fluid available to the viscous drive system, thereby varying the second speed.
US09845818B2

A coupling device includes a plurality of frames, each of which includes a base wall, and two spaced-apart side walls that cooperate with the base wall to define an accommodation space. The frames are arranged such that the accommodation spaces of the frames communicate with each other. At least one coupling unit is disposed in the accommodation spaces of two adjacent ones of the frames and applies a force to the side walls of the two adjacent ones of the frames so as to couple together the two adjacent ones of the frames.
US09845813B2

There is provided a driving device for a work machine, having a closed hydraulic circuit system for driving cylinders with hydraulic pumps, the driving device making the speed of operation substantially the same in both directions of piston rod extension and contraction. The driving device includes: a first hydraulic pump that has flow rate control device for controlling the flow rate and direction of hydraulic fluid to be delivered; a single rod hydraulic cylinder that is driven with the hydraulic fluid to drive one of work members of a work device on the work machine; a closed hydraulic circuit that connects the first hydraulic pump with the single rod hydraulic cylinder to form a closed circuit using flow lines through which the hydraulic fluid flows; a branch line that branches from the flow line between the first hydraulic pump and the single rod hydraulic cylinder; a first flow line of which one end is connected to the branch line; a tank to which the other end of the first flow line is connected; and a hydraulic fluid flow rate control device attached to the first flow line to control the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flowing from the branch line to the tank or from the tank to the branch line.
US09845810B2

Flow control devices and structures designed and configured to improve the performance of a turbomachine. Exemplary flow control devices may include various flow guiding channels, ribs, diffuser passage-width reductions, and other treatments and may be located on one or both of a shroud and hub side of a machine to redirect, guide, or otherwise influence portions of a turbomachine flow field to thereby improve the performance of the machine.
US09845809B2

A sealing joint for a compressor casing, such as a compressor casing for a centrifugal compressor of a chiller, is provided. The sealing joint may be configured to have a first cover and a second cover. A first mating surface of the first cover may have an inner annular portion surrounding an inner cavity of the sealing joint, and an outer annular portion. The inner annular portion may be positioned between the inner cavity of the compressor casing and the outer annular portion. A sealant may be applied to the sealing joint, and a depth of the sealant on the inner annular portion may be deeper than a depth of the sealant on the outer annular portion. The depth of the sealant on the inner annular portion may help the sealing joint tolerate more elongation range without a sealant failure than a regular casing.
US09845808B2

A centrifugal pump has a number of stages, each of the stages having an impeller and a diffuser. The impellers are mounted to the pump drive shaft for rotation. A bearing in at least one of the stages includes a sleeve coupled to the drive shaft for rotation. The sleeve has upper and lower ends and an outer side wall facing radially outward that is convex and spherical. A bushing is mounted in the diffuser and has a bore with an inner side wall facing radially inward that is concave and spherical. A pair of slots is formed in the inner side wall of the bushing 180 degrees apart from each other and extending axially. The slots enable the sleeve to be inserted into the bore with the sleeve axis and bore axis perpendicular to each other, then tilted 90 degrees to coincide the sleeve axis with the bore axis.
US09845807B2

Provided is a compressor control device configured to control a flow rate of a compressor having a plurality of impellers connected to an outlet port-side flow path in parallel and a flow rate regulation unit configured to regulate a flow rate of each of the impellers, the compressor control device including a pressure detection unit configured to detect a pressure of the outlet port-side flow path, a flow rate detection unit configured to detect the flow rate of each of the impellers, and a control unit configured to output a flow rate regulation command of each of the impellers to the flow rate regulation unit and control the flow rate regulation unit based on the detection result of the pressure detection unit.
US09845805B2

Dual operation centrifugal fan apparatus and methods of operating same that may be used, for example, to cool the internal heat-generating components of an information handling system or other device. The dual operation centrifugal fan apparatus may be implemented in one embodiment as a self-cleaning blower apparatus that is operated in a first normal cooling direction to dissipate heat from internal components of an information handling system, and operated in second cleaning direction to reverse airflow and expel accumulated dust from the interior of the information handling system.
US09845799B2

A pump includes a molded housing configured with a rear endbell portion to receive an armature and bearing, an intermediate motor portion to receive a motor shell and magnets arranged around the armature, and a front endbell portion to receive a diaphragm assembly having a diaphragm support plate supporting a diaphragm, the rear endbell portion, the intermediate motor portion and the front endbell portion being configured as an integrated molded housing unit, the diaphragm having two circumferential diaphragm sealing surfaces. The pump also includes an upper housing configured to assemble and couple to the molded housing so as to form a circumferential fluid-tight sealing arrangement that is configured between the front endbell portion and the upper housing on only one end of the pump.
US09845790B2

A method of operating a wind power installation selectively in a first or second operating mode is disclosed. In the first operating mode, the installation generates as much electrical power as possible based on the prevailing wind and design of the wind power installation, and in the second operating mode generates less electrical power than in the first operating mode. The wind power installation is controlled in the first and second operating modes with first and second adjustment parameter sets, respectively. When the installation is operated in the second operating mode the maximum power which can be generated with the first adjustment parameter set or a differential power between the maximum power and a power currently generated in the second operating mode may be ascertained. The second adjustment parameter set may be selected based on a desired power reduction and the maximum power.
US09845785B2

A connection system for connecting a first connection point with a second connection point, the second connection point being arranged for rotation and translation with respect to the first connection point, the connection system includes a first connection point, a first support surface moveable linearly with respect to the first connection point, a second support surface moveable linearly and rotationally with respect to the first connection point, and a second connection point moveable linearly and rotationally with respect to the first connection point, moveable rotationally with respect to the first support surface, and fixed with respect to the second support surface, and a reverse bend radius cable chain located on the first and second support surfaces, and having a first end connected with the first connection point via a first connector cable, and a second end connected with the second connection point via a second connector cable.
US09845780B2

Methods and systems are provided for direct fuel injection. In one example, a fuel injector system includes a needle, a plurality of tangential fins coupled to a nozzle end of the needle, an actuator coupled to the needle, and a controller storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the controller to, responsive to a command to inject fuel, activate the actuator to push the needle in a downward direction by an amount based on one or more operating parameters. In this way, the fuel injector may inject fuel with a cone shaped spray pattern, reducing the spray penetration of the injected fuel.
US09845776B2

An injection device for an internal combustion engine having a first injection system for injecting fuel having a first fuel composition, and a second injection system for the injection of fuel having a second fuel composition that has a lower ethanol component than the first fuel composition, the first injection system having at least one first fuel injector for injecting fuel having the first fuel composition both in the direction of a first intake orifice of a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, and in the direction of a second intake orifice of the combustion chamber, in which the second injection system has a second fuel injector for injecting fuel having the second fuel composition essentially only in the direction of the first intake orifice, and a separate third fuel injector for injecting fuel having the second fuel composition essentially only in the direction of the second intake orifice.
US09845768B2

An exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine may include a plurality of flap trains in the exhaust stream of the gas turbine engine. The flap trains are operable to selectively control three separate flow paths of gas that traverse the engine. A first stream of is the core airflow. The second stream of air is peeled off of the first stream to form a low pressure fan bypass air stream. The third stream of air traverses along the engine casing and is passed over a flap assembly to aid in cooling. The flaps are operable converge/diverge to control the multiple streams of air.
US09845765B2

A power cylinder system for a reciprocating engine includes a steel piston configured to move within a cylinder of the reciprocating engine. The system also includes a groove extending circumferentially about the piston beneath a top land of the piston and configured to support a ring having an inner circumferential face. One or more channels are formed in the top land and are configured to facilitate transfer of combustion gases to a space between a portion of the groove and the inner circumferential face of the ring.
US09845763B2

A fuel injection strategy and ignition timing for a spark-ignition direct fuel injection engine are selected in response to monitored engine load in relation to a plurality of load regions. This includes selecting a preferred ignition timing based upon the engine load, and selecting a first fuel injection event that is executed post-ignition, wherein the first fuel injection event delivers a set fuel mass at a preset timing relative to the preferred timing for the spark ignition event regardless of the engine load. A first pre-ignition fuel injection event is selected, and includes a second fuel mass being injected at a second fuel injection timing, wherein an end-of-injection timing of the first pre-ignition fuel injection event is at a preset timing relative to the preferred ignition timing regardless of the engine load, and wherein the second fuel mass is determined in relation to the engine load.
US09845758B2

An air-fuel ratio region detection unit, including a first determination voltage higher than a target voltage value indicating the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and a second determination voltage lower than the target voltage value, determines that an air-fuel ratio of an engine is within a first rich region when an oxygen sensor output equals or exceeds the first determination voltage, determines that the air-fuel ratio is within a second rich region when the oxygen sensor output equals or exceeds the target voltage value but is lower than the first determination voltage, determines that the air-fuel ratio is within a second lean region when the oxygen sensor output equals or exceeds the second determination voltage but is lower than the target voltage value, and determines that the air-fuel ratio is within a first lean region when the oxygen sensor output is lower than the second determination voltage.
US09845757B2

A controller for a diesel engine has a fuel injector which injects a fuel into a cylinder. The controller has a middle-combustion time computing portion which computes a middle-combustion time period that has elapsed from the fuel is injected until a half of the fuel has combusted, based on a detection value of a cylinder pressure sensor. Further, the controller has a fuel component computing portion which computes a ratio of a carbon quantity relative to a hydrogen quantity contained in the fuel based on the middle-combustion time period.
US09845748B2

The invention reduces exhaust emission by quickly supplying CO2 into a cylinder, and restraining a delay in EGR, when an EGR request occurs. An engine 10 includes an upstream EGR passage 34, a middle EGR passage 36, a downstream EGR passage 38, a bypass passage 40, an EGR valve 42, a changeover valve 44, an EGR cooler 46, a CO2 adsorbent 48. When an EGR request does not occur, the ECU 70 keeps a temperature of the CO2 adsorbent 48 in a release temperature region by the heater 50, and opens the EGR valve 42 by a valve opening set time period t so that a gas in the middle EGR passage 36 is replaced with CO2 released from the CO2 adsorbent. When an EGR request occurs, CO2 accumulated in the middle EGR passage 36 can be quickly supplied into a cylinder, without releasing CO2 from the CO2 adsorbent 48.
US09845741B2

An abnormality detection device is mounted on an engine control device that calculates a target load factor by using a target torque, converts the target load factor to a target throttle opening, calculates a target ignition timing by using a target efficiency, and controls an engine based on the target throttle opening and the target ignition timing. In the abnormality detection device, a target efficiency for monitoring is calculated by using the target ignition timing, a target torque for monitoring is calculated by using the target efficiency for monitoring and the target load factor, a torque deviation between the target torque for monitoring and the target torque is calculated, and the presence or absence of an abnormality is detected by using the torque deviation.
US09845738B2

The variable compression ratio piston system for an engine adjusts the compression ratio of the engine piston by way of hydraulic fluid distributed between a pair of chambers formed in a pair of bores receiving control pistons mechanically coupled to the engine piston. A control valve selectively permits flow of hydraulic fluid between the high compression ratio line and the low compression ratio line. A variable force solenoid controlled by an engine control unit preferably controls the position of the control valve. The position of the spool controls whether hydraulic fluid can flow toward the first chamber, toward the second chamber, or not at all. Flow of hydraulic fluid is actuated by alternating forces from inertial and combustion forces on a crankshaft from operation of the engine.
US09845737B2

An engine system includes main exhaust ports fluidly communicating with each combustion chamber. An exhaust variable valve lift apparatus controls an operation of a main exhaust valve which closes or opens each main exhaust port. A main exhaust manifold is connected with the main exhaust ports. Scavenge exhaust ports fluidly communicate with each combustion chamber. A variable scavenge apparatus controls an operation of a scavenge valve which closes and opens each scavenge exhaust port. A scavenge manifold is connected with the scavenge exhaust ports. A controller is configured to control operations of the exhaust variable valve lift apparatus and the variable scavenge apparatus according to a vehicle operation state.
US09845733B2

A fire seal for use with a gas turbine engine is provided. The fire seal includes a body comprising a first metallic sheet and a second metallic sheet adjacent thereto, each sheet having a plurality of segmented fingers, the segmented fingers of the first metallic sheet and the second metallic sheet overlapped such that the space between fingers on one sheet does not overlap the space between the fingers on the other sheet, at least one finger of the first sheet having at least one first flow aperture therein and at least one finger of the second sheet having at least one second flow aperture, the flow aperture of one sheet overlapping the flow aperture of the other sheet. A mesh material is configured to cover the at least one flow aperture of the two sheets, wherein the mesh material is configured to allow the passage of air therethrough.
US09845731B2

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for passively managing cooling air in a gas turbine engine. A cooling air supply line may supply cooling air to a component in the gas turbine engine. A metering coupon may have a negative coefficient of thermal expansion. The metering coupon may allow more airflow through the metering coupon and through the component in response to an increase in temperature.
US09845726B2

A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5.
US09845725B2

The invention relates to a melting unit and method in which: a melting chamber is heated by means of combustion, the combustion fumes are used to heat the air used as a heat-transfer gas, the heated air is used to pre-heat the combustion oxygen and/or the gaseous fuel, the tempered air resulting from the pre-heating is compressed, the compressed tempered air is heated by means of heat exchange with the combustion fumes, and the mechanical and/or electrical energy is generated by expansion of the heated compressed air.
US09845721B2

A combustion engine having a crankcase and a cylinder, wherein a piston is guided to be movable in strokes inside cylinder, piston movably limiting a combustion chamber, and wherein in cylinder at least one transfer port is inserted, which extends between crankcase and combustion chamber, and through which an ignition mixture can flow from crankcase into combustion chamber, and which opens out into combustion chamber in an upper discharge area in such a way that ignition mixture preferably does not reach transfer ports and thus the crankcase, while at the same time a direct connection of crankcase to combustion chamber is maintained via a transfer port, which is as short as possible, it is suggested that at least one storage chamber is provided which is connected to upper discharge area and in which exhaust gas flowing from the combustion chamber into discharge area can be temporarily stored.
US09845706B2

A lubrication system for a turbopropeller, includes an oil feed device for at least one enclosure and one equipment, the equipment being connected to the feed device via a displacement pump, and a pressure restricting valve mounted downstream of displacement pump and in parallel to the equipment, such that oil flows through the equipment when the same is active, and through the valve when the equipment is inactive.
US09845697B2

The present disclosure relates generally to a sliding seal between two components. The sliding seal includes a seal ring including a radially extending base and an axially-extending leg disposed in a seal cavity between first and second components. A retaining ring having a first leg and a second leg defining a cavity therebetween is disposed with a portion of the base and a portion of the first component contained therein, thereby providing loading forces to help the seal ring seal against both the first and second components. One or more rope seals are carried by the seal ring in an embodiment. Other combinations of seal rings, retaining rings, and rope seals are also disclosed.
US09845693B2

A surface structure having an overlapping herringbone filmhole pattern is disclosed. For instance, the surface structure may have filmholes arranged in filmrows, each filmrow divided into groups of filmholes. A first group may be oriented to direct cooling air generally outward over a surface of the surface structure and a second group may be oriented to direct cooling air generally inward over a surface of the surface structure. Between the first group and the second group of filmholes in each filmrow, a transition region exists. A transition region filmrow group may be disposed within the transition region and may be collinear with or staggered relative to the first group and/or the second group. In this manner, the transition region filmrow group enhances the effectiveness of the cooling proximate to the transition region.
US09845691B2

A turbine nozzle segment includes: an arcuate outer band segment; an airfoil-shaped turbine vane extending radially inward from the outer band segment, the turbine vane having a hollow interior; an impingement baffle assembly secured to the outer band so as to define an impingement cavity in cooperation with the outer band segment, wherein the impingement baffle assembly has at least one impingement hole formed therein which is arranged to direct cooling air at the outer band segment; and at least one impingement insert having at least one impingement hole formed therein disposed in the interior of the turbine vane, the impingement insert mating with an opening in the impingement baffle assembly such that the impingement baffle is isolated from direct fluid communication with the impingement cavity.
US09845690B1

This disclosure provides systems and methods for sealing flow path components, such as turbomachine airfoils, with a front-leaded seal. A seal channel is defined between a portion of the suction side surface of a first flow path component and a portion of the pressure side of a second flow path component. A seal is retained within the seal channel formed by the pressure side portion and the suction side portion and the seal channel defines a forward opening through which the seal is inserted during installation.
US09845685B2

Disclosed is a process for producing a run-in coating (20, 24, 32, 44) on a component of a turbomachine, in particular of a gas turbine. The run-in coating is applied and produced on the component of the turbomachine by a kinetic cold gas compacting process (K3). The invention also encompasses a run-in coating for a static or rotating component of a turbomachine and a static or rotating component of a turbomachine, in particular of a gas turbine, having at least one run-in coating.
US09845681B2

The invention relates to a vacuum pump for a motor vehicle, comprising a pump housing surface, on which a noise reduction hood delimiting a sound damping volume is mounted. The invention is characterized in that a multi-functional decoupling element is located between the pump housing surface and the noise reduction hood, said element carrying out a sealing function and a valve function in addition to a sound decoupling function.
US09845675B2

An apparatus includes a formation probe assembly that includes a probe piston configured for reciprocal movement between a retracted position and an extended position. The apparatus also includes a draw down assembly in fluid communication with the formation probe assembly. The draw down assembly includes a draw down piston being actuatable between a first position and a second position in a cylinder to draw fluid into the cylinder through the piston in the formation probe assembly and a position indicator configured to determine a position of the draw down piston in the cylinder. The apparatus includes a controller configured to control at least one of a rate and a volume of the fluid being drawn into the cylinder of the draw down assembly based, at least in part, on the position of the draw down piston determined by the position indicator.
US09845673B2

A downhole tool designed to be disposed in a borehole of a subterranean formation is provided. The downhole tool includes a probe used to interface with the subterranean formation in order to sample fluid from or to inject fluid into the subterranean formation. The downhole tool also includes a sample flowline fluidly coupled to the probe and used to direct fluid through the downhole tool. The downhole tool further includes at least two volume chambers. These volume chambers each include a first side fluidly coupled to the sample flowline, a second side fluidly coupled to the guard flowline, and a piston separating the first side from the second side. The downhole tool is able to control a flow of fluid from a high pressure environment to a low pressure environment via the at least two volume chambers, the sample flowline, and the guard flowline.
US09845669B2

For hydrocarbon recovery from a reservoir of bituminous sands, steam and a multi-function agent are injected into the reservoir for mobilizing bitumen in the reservoir to form a fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water and the multi-function agent. The fluid is produced from the reservoir. The multi-function agent may comprise an organic molecule that reduces viscosity of oil and the interfacial tension between oil and water or a gas or rock in the reservoir, and has a partition coefficient favoring solubility in oil over water and a partial pressure in the reservoir allowing the organic molecule to be transported with steam as a vapor. The multi-function agent may comprise a solvent for reducing viscosity of oil and a surfactant for reducing interfacial tension, where both the solvent and surfactant are transportable with steam as vapor.
US09845658B1

A frangible slip ring is disposable on a mandrel of a plug disposable in a casing of an oil or gas well. The slip ring is radially expandable during setting to fragment and radially expand to engage the casing. A plurality of external teeth are formed in an exterior of the slip ring, and spaced-apart axially along the slip ring. The plurality of teeth is radially segmented around a circumference of the slip ring by a plurality of axial slots spaced-apart around the circumference of the slip ring and extending into the exterior of the slip ring. An interior of the slip ring is axially segmented along a longitudinal axis by a plurality of annular grooves spaced-apart along the longitudinal axis of the slip ring and extending into the interior of the slip ring.
US09845652B2

There is provided systems, methods and apparatus for the use of directed energy, including high power laser energy, in conjunction with mechanical shearing, sealing and closing devices to provide reduced mechanical energy well control systems and techniques.
US09845649B2

A diverter for diverting a fluid from a riser in a drilling system. The diverter includes a diverter support housing comprising a suspension structure configured so that the diverter support housing is suspendable from a drilling rig, and a main passage arranged to extend from an uppermost end of the diverter support housing to a lowermost end of the diverter support housing. The main passage is configured to have a drill string extend therethrough. A diverter housing is arranged in the main passage. An annular packer element is mounted within the diverter housing. An actuator is mounted within the diverter housing. The actuator is configured to force the annular packer element into a sealing engagement with the drill string. A seal locking mechanism is configured to retain a tubular sealing element in the diverter housing adjacent to the annular packer element.
US09845647B2

Treatment fluids comprising viscosifiers and filtration control agents that may be useful at high temperatures and methods for using the treatment fluids to treat subterranean formations are provided herein. A method of treating a subterranean formation comprising: providing a treatment fluid comprising: an aqueous base fluid, a tetrapolymer that comprises at least one monomer, and a graft copolymer that comprises: a backbone comprising a lignite, and at least one monomer; and introducing the treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation.
US09845642B2

A cutting element may include a substrate and a volume of polycrystalline diamond material affixed to the substrate at an interface. The volume of polycrystalline diamond may include a front cutting face with at least one substantially planar portion and at least one recess. The at least one recess may extend from a plane defined by the at least one substantially planar portion a first depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in an axial direction parallel to a central axis of the cutting element. The volume of polycrystalline diamond material may comprise a region including a catalyst material. At least one region substantially free of the catalyst material may extend from the at least one substantially planar portion of the front cutting face a second depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond in the axial direction. Methods of forming cutting elements.
US09845625B2

A hinge apparatus that connects a first member and a second member to each other so that the first member and the second member are mutually foldable. The hinge apparatus includes a first gear disposed on the first member to rotate according to a rotation of the first member and a second gear disposed on the second member and tooth-engaged with the first gear to rotate according to a rotation of the second member or a rotation of the first gear. The hinge apparatus also including a pressure member to reinforce a mesh force between the first and the second gears.
US09845622B2

Described herein is a motor vehicle lock arrangement that includes a motor vehicle lock, with an operable functional element and a securing device which is associated with the functional element, wherein the securing device is coupled or it being possible to couple the securing device to the functional element in order to counteract an automatic operating movement of the functional element due to a crash acceleration phenomena which can occur in the event of a crash. In one embodiment, the securing device has a deflectable blocking element which can be deflected into a blocking position in which an operating movement of the functional element can be blocked by the blocking element, and the blocking element has an associated latching arrangement which latches in when the blocking element is deflected into the blocking position, and the latched-in latching arrangement holds the blocking element in the blocking position.
US09845621B2

Locks, systems and methods of monitoring a lock, the lock having a hub with a slot rotatable by a handle to open and close a latchbolt. A locking member is moveable into and out of engagement with the hub slot to prevent and permit movement of the hub and latchbolt. A sensor on the lock, adjacent the hub and locking member, monitors a moving lock component. The sensor may sense the position of the locking member in or out of engagement with the hub slot. The sensor may be a reed switch actuated by a magnet on the moving lock component. The lock may further include a magnet mounted on the hub and the sensor may comprise a reed switch capable of being actuated by the magnet on the hub. The lock and system may include an external control unit having an alarm for controlling operation of the lock.
US09845618B2

A lock assembly (30, 30′) is provided that includes a housing (32), a rotary bolt (36) or a translating bolt (36′), and a bolt blocker (38) that moves between a blocking position blocking movement of the bolts (36, 36′) and an unblocking position permitting the bolts (36, 36′) to move to a retracted position. The lock assemblies (30, 30′) are resistant to shocks being applied to the locks assemblies (30, 30′) in an effort to open the lock assemblies (30, 30′) without authorization.
US09845615B2

A mounting structure of a decorative cap includes a door panel, a cylinder lock fixed to the door panel, and a decorative cap member. A protrusion portion of a cylinder lock protruding 5 from the door panel is covered with the decorative cap member. The decorative cap member includes a water guide channel guiding infiltrated water from a gap between a key insertion opening and a surface of the cylinder lock, to a water ejection opening which is opened on a peripheral wall. The key insertion opening 10 exposes a key insertion section of the cylinder lock.
US09845602B2

A roofing material is provided having an asphalt-coated mat or felt made up of or in combinations of fiberglass, polyester, nylon, cotton, cellulosic fibers or materials, polyethylene, polypropylene, co-polymers, melamine, phenolic, acrylics, polycarbonate, carbon fiber, clay, metallic in woven, non-woven, strands or sheets, styrene compounds, rubber, silk, leather, or wool in a woven, non-woven, or solid form. The surfacing materials can be made up of or in combination minerals, plastic particles or film, metal particles or film, cement particles, clay particles, paints, coatings, glass, ceramics, wood, wood fiber, or composite materials.
US09845590B2

A hydraulic system for providing hydraulic power to the work implements and subassemblies on an earth-moving machine such as a loader includes a first hydraulic pump and a second hydraulic pump. The first hydraulic pump can be associated with a lift circuit including a lift arm that can be raised and lowered with respect to the machine. The second hydraulic pump can be associated with both a tilt circuit for tilting a bucket pivotally connected to the lift arm and a steering circuit for steering the machine. The lift circuit and the tilt and steering circuits can be operated concurrently and independently of each other due to the arrangement of the first hydraulic pump and the second hydraulic pump.
US09845581B2

A personal use plow for pushing, but not limited to, snow and slush from one's driveway by most passenger automobiles and/or ATVs that is attached using a unique strapping and cog bracing system. The plow is made of injected molded structural foam plastic and comes in five (5) separate panels that can be easily assembled into a solid plow blade. This material is lightweight and allows for easy transportation, storage and use. When assembled, the plow can be used either in the front or back of the vehicle. The plow attaches to the vehicle by a special hook, designed as part of this patent, which attaches to the hood, trunk or luggage rack of the vehicle. All parts for the functionality of the plow are contained on the plow itself, so there are no brackets or hitches required to be attached to the bumpers of the vehicle.
US09845569B2

Flame resistant fabrics having antimicrobial properties that combat odor and/or resist hazardous microorganisms. The fabrics are particularly suitable for use in clothing and more particularly in protective garments designed to be worn by individuals, such as military personnel and emergency rescue personnel, at risk of exposure to fire and extreme temperatures as well as hazardous substances. The fabrics may be formed in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, incorporating antimicrobial fibers into the flame resistant fabric yarn or by treating the pre-formed flame resistant yarn or fabric with antimicrobial agents in a dyeing or finishing process.
US09845558B1

A spool of thread holder and threading device for holding a plurality of spools of thread, made up of a frame and a plurality of spool thread holders, said spool thread holders further comprising a rod, a base and a wing. The wing attaches to the rod along the axial length of said rod and the rod extends from the base. Each of the individual spool thread holders comprising the multiple spool thread holder, allows receipt of a spool of thread and the wing maintains the spool of thread adjacent the base. The frame is configured for attachment to a quilting machine to allow thread to unspool from each non-rotating spool of thread during operation under substantially equal tension.
US09845556B2

A composite fiber may include at least one reinforcing filament formed of a first material. A second material maybe systematically deposited in a printed onto the at least one reinforcing filament such that at least one of a length, a width, and a thickness of the second material varies across a surface of the at least one reinforcing filament. The printed pattern may alter one or more properties of a composite structure containing the composite fiber.
US09845530B2

A mask for a vapor deposition apparatus includes an outer frame; a first bar disposed on an inner side of the outer frame and fixed to the outer frame; and a pattern forming portion disposed on the outer frame and the first bar and fixed to the outer frame. The pattern forming portion includes a plurality of mask openings for pattern formation. Each of the plurality of mask openings is disposed along a first direction. The plurality of mask openings are disposed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first bar is positioned between adjacent two mask openings among the plurality of mask openings when viewed along a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and is in contact with the pattern forming portion.
US09845525B2

Provided is an equipment system for producing a piercing-rolling plug to be used for producing a seamless steel tube/pipe, which includes a shotblasting device for applying shotblasting on a surface of the plug, and an arc-spraying device for performing arc-spraying of iron wires on a surface of a base metal of the plug to which the shotblasting is applied, so as to form a film containing oxide and Fe thereon. The arc-spraying device includes plural spraying booths each of which separately forms part of the film in turn in each of sections into which the surface of the base metal of the plug is divided along an axial direction of the plug. The production efficiency of the plug can therefore be maintained at a high level, and steady enhancement of the durability life of the plug can be realized during the piercing-rolling.
US09845524B2

The present disclosure relates generally to a fixture for use in applying a coating to a multiple vane nozzle for use in a turbomachine. The fixture includes first and second masks that are applied to opposite sides of the nozzle to mimic the geometry and spacing of the vanes of the nozzle.
US09845519B2

Provided are: a boron-added high strength steel for bolt excellent in delayed fracture resistance even having a tensile strength of 1100 MPa or more without addition of large amounts of expensive alloy elements such as Cr and Mo: and a high strength bolt made from the boron-added high strength steel for bolt. The high strength steel for bolt contains C of 0.23% to less than 0.40%, Si of 0.23% to 1.50%, Mn of 0.30% to 1.45%, P of 0.03% or less (excluding 0%), S of 0.03% or less (excluding 0%), Cr of 0.05% to 1.5%, V of 0.02% to 0.30%, Ti of 0.02% to 0.1%, B of 0.0003% to 0.0050%, Al of 0.01% to 0.10%, and N of 0.002% to 0.010%, with the remainder being iron and inevitable impurities. The steel has a ratio ([Si]/[C]) of the Si content [Si] to the C content [C] of 1.0 or more and has a ferrite-pearlite mixed microstructure.
US09845518B2

The present invention provides a rolled steel sheet, for press hardening, for which the chemical composition includes, with contents expressed by weight, 0.24%≦C≦0.38%, 0.40%≦Mn≦3%, 0.10%≦Si≦0.70%, 0.015%≦Al≦0.070%, 0%≦Cr≦2%, 0.25%≦Ni≦2%, 0.015%≦Ti≦0.10%, 0%≦Nb≦0.060%, 0.0005%≦B≦0.0040%, 0.003%≦N≦0.010%, 0.0001%≦S≦0.005%, 0.0001%≦P≦0.025%, it being understood that the titanium and nitrogen content satisfy: Ti/N>3.42, and that the carbon, manganese, chromium and silicon content satisfy: 2.6 ⁢ C + Mn 5.3 + Cr 13 + Si 15 ≥ 1.1 ⁢ % , with the chemical composition optionally including one or more of the following elements: 0.05%≦Mo≦0.65%, 0.001%≦W≦0.30%, 0.0005%≦Ca≦0.005%, with the remainder made up of iron and inevitable impurities coming from preparation. The sheet includes a nickel content Nisurf at any point of the steel near the surface of said sheet over a depth Δ, such that Nisurf>Ninom, where Ninom designates the nominal nickel content of the steel, and such that Nimax designates the maximum nickel content within Δ: ( Ni max + Ni nom ) 2 × ( Δ ) ≥ 0.6 and such that: ( Ni max - Ni nom ) Δ ≥ 0.01 , with the depth Δ expressed in microns and the Nimax and Ninom contents expressed in percentages by weight.
US09845515B2

An apparatus for processing the skin side of a tubular fur, including a mandrel on which the tubular fur can be drawn from a first part of the mandrel towards a second part of the mandrel, one or more scraper units, each scraping unit having at least one scraper means configured for scraping the skin side when the fur is arranged on the mandrel, and a cover including a compartment and an outlet, where the cover encloses a part of the mandrel and at least one of the scraper means in the compartment during operation, where the outlet is arranged in a bottom part of the cover, and where the cover has walls with inner surfaces configured for leading material removed from the skin side by means of the scraper means towards the bottom part.
US09845514B2

A sugar composition comprising at least 40% dissolved solids in an aqueous solution having a viscosity at least 10% lower than a 42 DE (Dextrose Equivalents) reference solution with a same dissolved solids concentration at a given temperature. Another sugar composition comprising at least 30% glucose relative to total sugars, at least 10% mannose relative to total sugars, at least 5% xylose relative to total sugars, and less than 0.25% ash. Another sugar composition comprising at least 30% glucose relative to total sugars at least 10% mannose relative to total sugars, at least 5% xylose relative to total sugars, and at least 2% total furfurals.
US09845512B2

Certain aspects of this disclosure relate to a method that comprises contacting a mammalian cell with a glucocorticoid receptor ligand and a myostatin receptor ligand, thereby activating the glucocorticoid receptor and said myostatin receptor. A screening assay employing the same is also provided.
US09845504B2

An in vitro method for the prognosis or prediction of response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis to treatment with agents recognising the B-lymphocyte CD20 membrane receptor. The method of the invention comprises an assay in a blood sample from these patients and measuring, before starting the treatment, the transcriptional expression level (mRNA) of at least one of the genes selected from the group: ARG1, CPD, TRAF1, C1QA, LRRN3, LRRN3, HLA-DQA1, NLK, TLR4, LOC89944, TOM1L1, BACH, NCALD, EIF2C2, NFIC, PCDHB7, FLJ32770, ARID3A, C14ORF9, CSNK1E, BCAS1, TEAD2, C6orf145 and SNTA1; and the comparison of this expression level to the expression values previously obtained in patients who responded and who did not respond to the treatment.
US09845500B2

Nucleotide triphosphate probes containing a molecular and/or atomic tag on a γ and/or β phosphate group and/or a base moiety having a detectable property are disclosed, and kits and method for using the tagged nucleotides in sequencing reactions and various assay. Also, phosphate and polyphosphate molecular fidelity altering agents are disclosed.
US09845484B2

Provided herein are recombinant yeast cells having an active 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid (3-HP) pathway and further comprising a heterologous polynucleotide encoding an aspartate 1-decarboxylase (ADC) of the Class Insecta, Bivalvia, Branchioporia, Gastropoda, or Leptocardii. Also described are methods of using the recombinant yeast cells to produce 3-HP and acrylic acid.
US09845478B2

The invention provides promoter sequences that regulate specific expression of operably linked sequences in developing xylem cells and/or in developing xylem tissue. The developing xylem-specific sequences are exemplified by the DX5, DX8, DX11, and DX15 promoters, portions thereof, and homologs thereof. The invention further provides expression vectors, cells, tissues and plants that contain the invention's sequences. The compositions of the invention and methods of using them are useful in, for example, improving the quantity (biomass) and/or the quality (wood density, lignin content, sugar content etc.) of expressed biomass feedstock products that may be used for bioenergy, biorefinary, and generating wood products such as pulp, paper, and solid wood.
US09845475B2

An expression vector for expressing a target polypeptide in a prokaryotic cell is provided. The vector comprises a promoter operably linked to a polynucleotide encoding the target polypeptide operably linked to a eukaryotic secretion leader sequence, the eukaryotic secretion leader sequence encoding a signal peptide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) MLKRSSWLATLGLLTVASVSTIVYA; b) MKKATFITCLLAVLLVSNPIWNA; c) MKVSAAALAVILIATALCAPASA; d) MKVSTAFLCLLLTVSAFSAQVLA; and e) MKCLLLALGLALACAAQA. Processes for expressing polypeptides and prokaryotic microorganisms comprising such vectors are also provided.
US09845473B1

The invention discloses a method for improving immunity in shrimps, by administering a double-stranded RNA specific to tyrosine hydroxylase to a shrimp body to improve immunity of the shrimp body, wherein the double-stranded RNA is administered to the shrimp body by injection into the ventral sinus of the cephalothorax of the shrimp body.
US09845471B2

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating or reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer by administering compounds capable of inhibiting the expression or activity of RUNX3.
US09845464B2

Methods for display of recombinant proteins or protein libraries on the surface of lower eukaryotes such as yeast and filamentous fungi are described. The methods are useful for screening libraries of recombinant proteins in lower eukaryotes to identify particular proteins with desired properties from the array of proteins in the libraries. The methods are particularly useful for constructing and screening antibody libraries in lower eukaryotes.
US09845458B2

Disclosed is a cell mass containing an adipose-tissue-derived multipotent progenitor cell. Also disclosed is a method for producing an adipose-tissue-derived multipotent progenitor cell from an adipose tissue, which comprises the steps of: (a) removing erythrocytes from an adipose-tissue-derived cell mass to produce a preadipose-tissue-derived multipotent progenitor cell mass; and (b) removing cells other than the adipose-tissue-derived multipotent progenitor cell from the preadipose-tissue-derived multipotent progenitor cell mass to produce the desired adipose-tissue-derived multipotent progenitor cell. Further disclosed is an adipose-tissue-derived multipotent progenitor cell produced by the method.
US09845454B2

A culture apparatus includes a culture unit which cultures cells under a predetermined culture environment, and an imaging unit which captures an inspection image showing a state of a culture container which holds the cells or a state of the cells, further includes a carrying unit and a determining unit. The carrying unit delivers the culture container between at least one peripheral device to be used in a culture operation of the cells and the culture apparatus. The determining unit detects completion of the culture operation of the peripheral device, controls the imaging unit to capture the inspection image, and analyzes the inspection image to determine whether or not the culture operation by the peripheral device is appropriate.
US09845439B2

Provided is a technique by which the compatibility between coals for cokemaking can be quantitatively determined to estimate the coke strength taking into account the compatibility and to select and blend coals based on the coke strength estimated taking into account the compatibility, thereby allowing the production of a coke with the desired strength. A method for blending coals for cokemaking includes predicting the strength of a coke to be produced from a blend of a plurality of coals based on a difference between the surface tensions of the plurality of coals after heat treatment and determining the types and proportions of the coals to be blended.
US09845433B2

A method for producing an olefin and a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon of the present invention includes a dicyclopentadiene removal treatment step of removing dicyclopentadienes having a dicyclopentadiene skeleton from a feedstock oil which is a thermally-cracked heavy oil obtained from an apparatus for producing ethylene and which has a 90 volume % distillate temperature, as a distillation characteristic, of 390° C. or lower; and a cracking and reforming reaction step of obtaining a product containing an olefin and a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon by bringing the feedstock oil having a content of dicyclopentadienes adjusted to 10% by weight or less by treating a part or all of the feedstock oil through the dicyclopentadiene removal step into contact with a catalyst and reacting the feedstock oil.
US09845431B2

A method of depolymerizing coal includes preparing a high temperature depolymerizing medium consisting of heavy hydrocarbon oils and mixing it with coal to form a mixture, performing an optional first distillation at a temperature below 250° C. to recover naphthalene, heating the mixture to a temperature between 350° C. and 450° C. to create a digested coal, centrifuging the digested coal to remove ash and obtain a centrate, and distillation of the centrate into separate fractions. The high temperature depolymerizing medium may be a heavy hydrocarbon with a hydrogen to carbon (H/C) ratio higher than 7.0% and may include liquids chosen from the group consisting of: coal tar distillate, decant oil, anthracene oil, and heavy aromatic oils. The high temperature depolymerizing medium may be blended with an oil, preferably with H/C ratio higher than 10.0%, such as soybean oil, other biomass derived oil, lignin, petroleum oil, pyrolysis oil such that the overall hydrogen-to-carbon mass ratio in a digestion reactor is over 7.0% for the mixture of depolymerizing medium and coal. The depolymerized coal is an aromatic liquid that can itself be, either wholly or in part, a depolymerizing medium so that the process can be repeated.
US09845424B2

Process for the removal of deposits from an oil or gas well, and/or from surface structures, and/or from the equipment connected therewith, and/or from hydrocarbon-bearing formations, comprising:—injecting at least one oil-in-water nanoemulsion into said oil or gas well, and/or surface structures, and/or equipment connected therewith, and/or hydrocarbon bearing formations; leaving said nanoemulsion in said oil or gas well, and/or surface structures, and/or equipment connected therewith, and/or hydrocarbon bearing formations, for a predetermined time.
US09845421B1

The present invention relates to the technical field of petroleum drilling, specifically provides an encapsulating agent and preparing method thereof, and a drilling fluid, wherein the encapsulating agent comprises an acrylamide monomer structure unit represented by formula (I), an anti-temperature monomer structure unit represented by formula (II) and an cation monomer structure unit represented by formula (III); wherein R1 and R2 are each independently H, and linear or branched alkyl of C1-C15, and R3 is H or the linear or branched alkyl of C1-C5. The drilling fluid provided in the present invention has strong inhibition property and stable rheological property.
US09845419B2

Heat transfer compositions, methods and use wherein the composition comprising: (a) from about 5 to about 20% by weight of HFC-32 and (b) from about 80% to about 95% by weight of HFO-1234ze.
US09845418B2

Transparent, impact-resistant, anti-icing coatings are disclosed. In some variations, a transparent anti-icing coating comprises: a continuous matrix of a hardened material; asymmetric templates that inhibit wetting of water, wherein the asymmetric templates have a length scale from about 10-300 nanometers; porous voids surrounding the asymmetric templates, wherein the porous voids have a length scale from about 15-500 nanometers; and nanoparticles that inhibit heterogeneous nucleation of water, wherein the nanoparticles have an average size from about 5-50 nanometers. Disclosed coatings have transparencies of 90% or higher light transmission. These coatings utilize lightweight and environmentally benign materials that can be rapidly formed into coatings. A uniform distribution of particles and asymmetric templates throughout the coating allows it to be abraded, yet retain its anti-icing function as well as transparency. Therefore if the surface is damaged during use, freshly exposed surface is identical to that which was removed, for extended lifetime.
US09845411B2

A coating composition and a method for coating metallic substrates, such as aircraft components exposed to elevated temperatures and/or oxidative conditions. The coating composition includes an aqueous mixture having about 2 vol % to about 50 vol % organosilane, about 0.3 to about 25 vol % metal alkoxide, and about 0.1 to about 30 vol % organic complexing agent. The coating composition may be deposited on a metallic substrate and cured to form a sol-gel coating on the surface of the substrate that is adherent to the substrate, and oxidation and discoloration resistant.
US09845405B2

The invention relates to an aqueous coating composition of nano cellulose (e.g., microfibrillated cellulose), characterized in that has a dry matter concentration of 2%-12% of nano cellulose and comprises at least one cationic surfactant, which may be chosen among Hexadecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide, Octadecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide, Hexadecylpyridinium chloride and Tetradecyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, Dodecyl pyridinium chloride. The invention also pertains to use of the composition as a coating layer and as an oxygen barrier layer. Further it relates to substrates, e.g., board, cardboard or paper coated with the composition. Moreover, the invention pertains to a process for preparing the coating composition.
US09845404B2

Provided are a conductive composition for thin film printing and a method for forming a thin film conductive pattern, which can easily performing thin film printing, and can capable of improve conductivity by thermal sintering at a comparatively low temperature of 300° C. or less or by photo irradiation. A conductive composition comprises metal particles, a binder resin, and a solvent, the content of an organic compound in the solvent being 5 to 98% by mass, the organic compound comprising a hydrocarbon group having a bridged cyclic structure and a hydroxyl group, the content of metal particles being 15 to 60% by mass, the metal particles containing 20% by mass or more of flat metal particles, the content of the binder resin being 0.5 to 10 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the metal particles, and the viscosity at 25° C. being 1.0×103 to 2×105 mPa·s. The composition is printed in a pattern having any selected shape on a substrate, by screen printing, and the pattern is subjected to thermal sintering at a temperature of 300° C. or less and/or subjecting the pattern to pulsed light irradiation.
US09845403B2

Provided is an ink image matter generating method for selecting a fluorescent ink by performing (a) a process of color-measuring a target color which is a target of color reproduction on a medium and the medium on which an inkjet color ink for color reproduction of the target color is printed; (b) a process of calculating a difference between a colorimetric value of the target color and a colorimetric value of the medium on which the color ink is printed; and (c) a process of selecting a fluorescent ink for reducing the difference between the colorimetric value of the target color and the colorimetric value of the medium on which the color ink is printed, from fluorescent inks that are set in advance, and jetting droplets of the selected fluorescent ink together with the color ink, or after the droplets of the color ink are jetted to cause the fluorescent ink to exist on a surface of an ink image matter, thereby making it possible to select and use an appropriate fluorescent ink with respect to a specific color of which the color reproducibility cannot be ensured using only a color ink in inkjet printing on a medium which is a printing substrate and to ensure high color reproducibility ensuring high color reproducibility for the specific color.
US09845393B2

Embodiments of invention provide a method for producing a hard coat film which has a hard coat that is formed from an active energy ray-curable resin composition on at least one surface of a film base. According to at least one embodiment, the active energy ray-curable resin composition used in this method contains (P) 100 parts by mass of a urethane (meth)acrylate compound, (Q) 0.02-5 parts by mass of organic fine particles having an average particle diameter of 10-300 nm, and (R) 0.0002-2 parts by mass of an acrylic silicone-based leveling agent. The method according to at least one embodiment includes the steps of (1) forming a wet coating film by applying the active energy ray-curable resin composition to the film base, (2) forming a dry coating film by drying the wet coating film, and (3) forming a hard coat film by curing the dry coating film by means of active energy ray irradiation at a temperature of 50-90° C.
US09845384B2

A rubber compound for tyres comprising a cross-linkable unsaturated chain polymer base comprising, in turn, at least a rubber of synthetic origin, a silica-free filler at least partially comprising carbon black, a vulcanization system and a mercapto carboxylic acid.
US09845380B2

Disclosed are compositions and methods of preparing ionic polyimides. Also disclosed are methods to tune the properties of the ionic polyimide by designing the components of the ionic polyimide. Additionally, disclosed herein is a composition comprising an ionic polyimide. Also disclosed herein is a composition comprising an ionic polyimide and an ionic liquid. The disclosed compositions can be utilized to capture gases.
US09845367B2

Catalyst systems containing a Ziegler-Natta catalyst component are disclosed. Such catalyst systems can contain a co-catalyst and a supported catalyst containing a fluorided silica-coated alumina, a magnesium compound, and vanadium and/or tetravalent titanium.
US09845361B2

The invention relates to recognition molecules directed towards tumors, and it also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said recognition molecules, methods for the production of said recognition molecules, and to the use of said recognition molecules in the diagnosis and therapy of tumor diseases.
US09845360B2

The present invention provides for recombinant Endo-S mutants that exhibit reduced hydrolysis activity and increased transglycosylation activity for the synthesis of glycoproteins wherein a desired sialylated oxazoline or synthetic oligosaccharide oxazoline is added to a core fucosylated or nonfucosylated GlcNAc-protein acceptor. Such recombinant Endo-S mutants are useful for efficient glycosylation remodeling of IgG1-Fc domain to provide different antibody glycoforms carrying structurally well-defined Fc N-glycans.
US09845356B2

The present invention is based, in part, on the identification of novel antibodies that have binding affinity for both PD-L1 and PD-L2 and methods of using same. In one aspect, an isolated monoclonal antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, which specifically binds both PD-L1 and PD-L2, is provided. In one embodiment, both PD-L1 and PD-L2 are human PD-L1 and human PD-L2.
US09845347B2

A method for cultivating a bacterial cell comprising the addition of an amino acid in an alkaline solution used for pH regulation. Also an aspect is a method for producing a polypeptide comprising the steps of a) providing a bacterial cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide, b) cultivating the provided cell, c) adjusting the pH value during the cultivating with a basic solution comprising an amino acid, d) recovering the polypeptide from the cell or the cultivation medium and thereby producing the polypeptide.
US09845344B2

The present invention relates to the field of therapeutic use of proteins, genes and cells. More specifically the invention relates to therapy based on the biological function of a secreted therapeutic protein, NsG33, in particular for the treatment of disorders of the nervous system. NsG33 is a nerve survival and growth factor with antiapoptotic effects on a cell line with neuronal potential and with neuroprotective and/or neurogenesis effects on a neural precursor cell line and on primary striatal cultures. The invention also relates to novel bioactive NsG33 polypeptide fragments and the corresponding encoding DNA sequences.
US09845334B1

A new family of neutron/gamma discriminating scintillators is disclosed that comprises stable organic glasses that may be melt-cast into transparent monoliths. These materials have been shown to provide light yields greater than solution-grown trans-stilbene crystals and efficient PSD capabilities when combined with 0.01 to 0.05% by weight of the total composition of a wavelength-shifting fluorophore. Photoluminescence measurements reveal fluorescence quantum yields that are 2 to 5 times greater than conventional plastic or liquid scintillator matrices, which accounts for the superior light yield of these glasses. The unique combination of high scintillation light-yields, efficient neutron/gamma PSD, and straightforward scale-up via melt-casting distinguishes the developed organic glasses from existing scintillators.
US09845327B2

The present disclosure provides technologies relating to lysosomal activation. The disclosure provides several strategies for increasing level and/or activity of lysosomal enzyme, and furthermore demonstrates the surprising applicability of such strategies in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of certain proteinopathies. Among other things, the present invention provides methods and compositions for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of proteinopathies other than lysosomal storage diseases through lysosomal activation. In particular, the present disclosure provides methods and compositions for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of neurodegenerative proteinopathies, and in particular those associated with accumulation of α-synuclein. The present disclosure specifically provides methods and compositions for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of Parkinson's disease.
US09845323B2

Compounds of Formula (I), their preparation, and use in preventing or treating a bacterial infection are disclosed.
US09845315B2

Revealed in the present invention is a method for preparing Afatinib (I): using 2-nitrile-4-[4-(N,N-dimethylamino-1-oxo-2-buten-l-yl]amino-5-[(S)-(tetrahydrofuran-3-yl)oxy]aniline (II) and 4-fluoro-3-chloroaniline (III) as starting materials, and respectively performing a condensation and cyclization reaction with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethylacetal (IV) to prepare Afatinib (I), wherein the method significantly reduces the manufacturing steps of Afatinib and greatly lower the costs. In addition, also provided in the present invention is a method for preparing an intermediate of Afatinib, wherein the method has a stable process, uses readily available starting materials, has a low cost, and all the reactions are classic reactions, suitable for meeting amplification requirements in the industry.
US09845311B2

Aspects of the present disclosure include compounds that activate Nrf2. Such compounds may find use in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and disorders, such as for example psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. Embodiments of the present disclosure also relate to pharmaceutical compositions that include these compounds, methods of using these compounds in the treatment of various diseases and disorders, processes for preparing these compounds and intermediates useful in these processes.
US09845308B2

Provided are novel compounds of Formula (I): pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, which are useful in the treatment of diseases and disorders mediated by RORγ. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the novel compounds of Formula (I) and methods for their use in treating one or more inflammatory, metabolic, autoimmune and other diseases or disorders.
US09845292B2

The present invention relates to compounds of the general formula (I) having a selective FKBP51 ligand scaffold, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of these compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one of these compounds together with pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient and/or diluents. Said selective FKBP51 ligand compounds can be used for prophylaxis and/or treatment of psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, disorders and conditions.
US09845286B2

This invention relates to a process for operating a gas phase phosgenation plant (100) to form an isocyanate (4) by reacting an amine (2) with phosgene (1), in which the gas phase phosgenation plant is shut down by first stopping the amine stream and still maintaining the phosgene stream. After a period of time which corresponds to at least 10 times the residence time of phosgene (1) in the main parts of the gas phase phosgenation plant (100) in regular operation, calculated from the time at which the amine inflow has been completely stopped, the feed of phosgene is also stopped. An inert gas stream (3) is maintained through the amine and phosgene feeding devices and through all the other essential parts of the gas phase phosgenation plant (100) during the shutdown.
US09845284B1

A method of obtaining a complex acidic salt of a divalent metal and a dicarboxylic acid includes heating water in a reactor; adding a dicarboxylic acid to the heated water; stirring the water to dissolve the dicarboxylic acid in the heated water to produce a solution or a suspension of the dicarboxylic acid in the heated water; adding MeO to the solution or the suspension, where Me is a divalent metal; continuing the stirring of the solution or suspension until formation of the complex acidic salt Me(AcH)2.nH2O begins, where Ac is an anion of the dicarboxylic acid, and n=0-8; cooling the complex acidic salt to below a temperature of crystallization; sedimenting the complex acidic salt; filtering the complex acidic salt to remove water from the complex acidic salt; and drying the complex acidic salt.
US09845281B2

Hydroxyethyl (methyl)acrylate is prepared by a process of a combination of a three-stage tubular reactor and a tower reactor, wherein, firstly, a catalyst, a polymerization inhibitor and (methyl) acrylic acid are mixed until the solids are dissolved, then mixed with a part of ethylene oxide and thereafter enter into a first tubular reactor for a reaction, a reaction liquid flowing out from the first tubular reactor is mixed with a certain amount of ethylene oxide and enters into a second tubular reactor for a reaction, a reaction liquid flowing out from the second tubular reactor is then mixed with a certain amount of ethylene oxide and thereafter enters into a third tubular reactor, and a reaction liquid flowing out from the third tubular reactor is then passed through a stage of an adiabatic tower reactor and aged such that a product liquid is obtained from extraction.
US09845278B2

A method for improving preservation stability of 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde according to the present invention include at least: a first step of forming a “2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde-alcohol composite system” in which a 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde hemiacetal coexists with an excess alcohol, wherein the total molar amount of the alcohol is 1.15 to 4.00 times the total molar amount of 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde; and a second step of storing, in a storage container, the “2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde-alcohol composite system” formed in the first step. It is possible by this method to suppress the conversion of the 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde hemiacetal to a dimer and maintain the original aldehyde activity of the target compound with less composition change over a long term.
US09845272B2

The invention relates to the conversion of light hydrocarbon to higher-value hydrocarbon, such as aromatic hydrocarbon, to equipment and materials useful in such conversion, and to the use of such conversion for, e.g., natural gas upgrading. The conversion can be carried out in two stages, with each stage containing a dehydrocyclization catalyst comprising at least one dehydrogenation component and at least one molecular sieve.
US09845271B2

A catalyst system and a process for methanol to light olefin conversion with enhanced selectivity towards propylene. The catalyst system comprises a honeycomb monolith catalyst support coated with aluminosilicate nanozeolite catalysts on the edges and inside the channels of the support structure. The aluminosilicate nanozeolite catalysts have not been pre-modified with a promoter metal. The catalyst system gives higher hydrothermal stability to the catalyst compared to randomly packed pellet catalysts and allows methanol to be converted to predominantly propylene at a low temperature, with decreased selectivity towards C2, higher olefins and paraffinic hydrocarbons.
US09845269B2

Multifunctional Boron Nitride nanotube-Boron Nitride (BN—BN) nanocomposites for energy transducers, thermal conductors, anti-penetrator/wear resistance coatings, and radiation hardened materials for harsh environments. An all boron-nitride structured BN—BN composite is synthesized. A boron nitride containing precursor is synthesized, then mixed with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) to produce a composite solution which is used to make green bodies of different forms including, for example, fibers, mats, films, and plates. The green bodies are pyrolized to facilitate transformation into BN—BN composite ceramics. The pyrolysis temperature, pressure, atmosphere and time are controlled to produce a desired BN crystalline structure. The wholly BN structured materials exhibit excellent thermal stability, high thermal conductivity, piezoelectricity as well as enhanced toughness, hardness, and radiation shielding properties. By substituting with other elements into the original structure of the nanotubes and/or matrix, new nanocomposites (i.e., BCN, BCSiN ceramics) which possess excellent hardness, tailored photonic bandgap and photoluminescence, result.
US09845266B2

A fused grain is essentially composed of a matrix of a magnesium aluminum oxide of spinel structure MgAl2O4 and/or of the MgO—MgAl2O4 eutectic, the matrix including inclusions essentially composed of magnesium oxide, the grain exhibiting the following overall chemical composition, as percentages by weight, expressed in the form of oxides: more than 20.0% and less than 50.0% of Al2O3, Al2O3 and MgO together represent more than 95.0% of the weight of the grain, wherein the cumulative content of CaO and ZrO2 is less than 4000 ppm by weight.
US09845264B1

A high temperature composite includes a binder, cement or geopolymer and ceramic filler, negative coefficient of thermal expansion materials of AM2O8 or A2(MO4)3 family or ZrV2O7. The material is compatible with concrete, any ceramics or metals or metal alloy. The material is heat shock resistant and stable in harsh chemical environments and is impermeable to most solvents. The new sealant materials can be used as sealants, heat shock resistant structural materials and coatings.
US09845261B2

A method of making a heat treated (HT) substantially transparent coated article to be used in shower door applications, window applications, tabletop applications, or any other suitable applications. For example, certain embodiments relate to a method of making a coated article including a step of heat treating a glass substrate coated with at least layer of or including carbon (e.g., diamond-like carbon (DLC)) and an overlying protective film thereon. The protective film may be of or include both (a) an oxygen blocking or barrier layer, and (b) a release layer, with the release layer being located between at least the carbon based layer and the oxygen blocking layer. The release layer is of or includes zinc oxynitride (e.g., ZnOxNz). Following and/or during heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, or the like) the protective film may be entirely or partially removed. Other embodiments of this invention relate to the pre-HT coated article, or the post-HT coated article.
US09845259B2

An apparatus for filtering water has a valve head and a filtration/purification canister removably mountable thereon. Connecting the canister to the valve head automatically opens a check valve in the valve head to permit water to flow from the valve head into and through the canister, and then back to and through the valve head to an outlet port. Disconnecting the canister from the valve head automatically closes the check valve, stopping the flow of water. A bypass valve is provided in the valve head to permit a sanitizing solution to flow through the valve head and along the lines of the water distribution system to sanitize the system, while bypassing the canister. The outlet port may be directly connected to an appliance that uses water, to eliminate possible contamination that may occur when water is brought indirectly from the outlet port to the appliance instead.
US09845257B2

The present invention provides a vertical sewage treatment device including an anaerobic chamber, an anoxic chamber, an aerobiotic chamber, and a secondary precipitation chamber, wherein the anaerobic chamber, the anoxic chamber, the aerobiotic chamber, and the secondary precipitation chamber are vertically arranged in sequence from the bottom to the top. According to another aspect, the present invention also provides a sewage treatment method using the foregoing vertical sewage treatment device. The sewage treatment device and method of the present invention have the advantages such as a reduced occupied area, improved oxygenation efficiency, a decreased head loss, a reduced invalid structure volume, and a low heat loss.
US09845254B2

An ozone sparkling water supply apparatus includes a water supply and an ozone generator, wherein the ozone generator is communicated with the water supply via a first pipe. The ozone generator includes a main processor, a sensor electrically connected to the main processor and a fluid pressure switch communicated with the main processor via a second pipe, wherein the sensor and the fluid pressure switch correspond to each other. The fluid pressure switch starts the ozone generator for providing ozone into the water supply such that the water supply is capable of providing ozone sparkling water when the ozone is mixed into the water in the water supply.
US09845253B2

A method of treating contaminated water effluent from a well drilling operation. The method comprises decomposing organic contaminants in the effluent by bubbling a gas containing ozone through the effluent; adding a coagulant to increase the particle size of solid particles contained in the effluent; adding a flocculant to increase the particle size of solid particles contained in the effluent, thereby forming floes suspended in the effluent; and filtering the floes from the effluent to produce a filtrate and flocculated solids. The method may further comprise adding the coagulant into a stream of effluent flowing within a first conduit under controlled shear conditions, and adding the flocculant into a stream of effluent containing pin floes flowing within a second conduit under controlled shear conditions. The method may further comprise delivering the effluent containing the suspended floes into a filter through a conduit floating in the effluent contained in the filter.
US09845243B2

A method of forming a carbon nanotube array substrate is disclosed. One embodiment comprises depositing a composite catalyst layer on the substrate, oxidizing the composite catalyst layer, reducing the oxidized composite catalyst layer, and growing the array on the composite catalyst layer. The composite catalyst layer may comprise a group VIII element and a non-catalytic element deposited onto the substrate from an alloy. In another embodiment, the composite catalyst layer comprises alternating layers of iron and a lanthanide, preferably gadolinium or lanthanum. The composite catalyst layer may be reused to grow multiple carbon nanotube arrays without additional processing of the substrate. The method may comprise bulk synthesis by forming carbon nanotubes on a plurality of particulate substrates having a composite catalyst layer comprising the group VIII element and the non-catalytic element. In another embodiment, the composite catalyst layer is deposited on both sides of the substrate.
US09845241B2

The present invention relates to a method of purifying yellow phosphorus, and more particularly, to a method of effectively removing impurities from yellow phosphorus used as raw materials of a phosphoric acid to increase purity of the phosphoric acid, the method including: removing impurities from the phosphoric acid by adding an oxidizing agent to the yellow phosphorus, followed by stirring; and adding a solution including an additive having a specific functional group in a chemical structure to the yellow phosphorus from which the impurities are removed, followed by stirring.
US09845239B2

Systems, devices, and methods combine thermally stable reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen and a non-toxic liquid by-product. The reactant materials can sodium silicide or sodium silica gel. The hydrogen generation devices are used in fuels cells and other industrial applications. One system combines cooling, pumping, water storage, and other devices to sense and control reactions between reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. Springs and other pressurization mechanisms pressurize and deliver an aqueous solution to the reaction. A check valve and other pressure regulation mechanisms regulate the pressure of the aqueous solution delivered to the reactant fuel material in the reactor based upon characteristics of the pressurization mechanisms and can regulate the pressure of the delivered aqueous solution as a steady decay associated with the pressurization force. The pressure regulation mechanism can also prevent hydrogen gas from deflecting the pressure regulation mechanism.
US09845230B2

A closing device, in particular for bottles, jars, pots or similar packaging containers for pharmaceutical or cosmetic products, having a rotationally drivable screw head for screwing a closure, for example a screw cap, onto the container which screw head has on a carrier a gripping part for grasping a closure and is actuable between a release position and a clamping position. The gripping part is embraced by a sliding cage for actuation by relative movement. Both the gripping part and the sliding cage are configured as a monolithic component and the two are intertwined in such a way that parts of the sliding cage reach through openings in the gripping part into the interior thereof and as far as a lifting apparatus in the carrier.
US09845221B2

A winding device for winding a material to be wound includes a winding mandrel provided for carrying a carrier of material to be wound in a winding process, with a transporting unit on which at least a component of the winding mandrel is arranged, and with a positioning unit provided for changing a spatial position of the transporting unit. The positioning unit is provided for at least substantially adjusting a spatial end position according to requirement. The transporting unit is embodied as a pivot arm, the transporting unit is in at least one operating state provided for receiving a carrier of material to be wound, wherein the material to be wound is wound onto the carrier of material to be wound and/or is wound off the carrier of material to be wound, and the transporting unit is in the winding operative position during the winding process.
US09845219B2

A compact device for controlling the supply of a textile or metal thread to a processing machine, such as a textile machine or a spooling or winding machine, includes a body, at least one rotary member with which the thread cooperates, the member associated with a rotation velocity detector for detecting the rotation velocity thereof, the detector connected to a control unit, a tension detector provided for detecting the thread tension connected to such control unit. The rotary member is idle and is placed in rotation by the thread which is moved thereon, in proximity to such member the tension detector being placed.Also disclosed is a method for controlling the supply of thread actuated by such device.
US09845215B1

The cove base roll dolly is adapted for use in transporting objects. The cove base roll dolly is adapted for use in the transporting of cove base rolls. The cove base roll is further defined with as a spool of material loaded on the drum of a spool. The cove base roll is adapted for use in the distribution of the cove base. Wherein the cove base roll is distributed by unrolling the material off the spool. The cove base roll dolly receives the cove base roll for use in the distribution of the cove base off the cove base roll. The cove base roll dolly is a wheeled device. The cove base roll dolly further comprises a transport base, a slew bearing, a turntable, and a plurality of casters.
US09845202B2

A method and a device for stringing together objects in transport systems, preferably in coating systems, for adjusting the distance between two objects, preferably substrates or substrate holders, being arranged one behind the other, wherein the front object moves at a process speed vp in the transport system and the rear object is at an undefined distance from the front object. The method comprises the following steps: (a) accelerating the rear substrate to an initial speed vx>vp; (b) detecting an increase in the driving torque when the rear substrate moves against the front substrate; (c) delaying the rear substrate by a predetermined value in order to establish a predetermined distance ap from the front substrate; and (d) adjusting the speed of the rear substrate to the process speed vp.
US09845198B2

A tracking apparatus and method for urging a mistracking conveyor belt back towards a correct travel path are provided. The apparatus and method both utilize downstream shifting of an end portion of an idler roller due to mistracking of the conveyor belt for directing or steering the belt back toward its correct travel path and a reaction force from the belt due to the steering thereof for energizing a tilting action of the idler roller to raise the downstream end portion thereof. In this manner, the tilting of the idler roller is not mechanically coupled to the downstream shifting of the roller end portion allowing the belt tracking apparatus herein to be bi-directional for use with conveyor belts that may be run in opposite travel directions.
US09845193B2

A conveyance system includes storage racks that are provided near or adjacent to semiconductor manufacturing devices and store therein objects to be conveyed, a stacker crane that carries the objects into and out of the storage racks, vehicles that convey the objects, an ID tag reader that is provided to the stacker crane and reads ID tags of the objects; and a controller that is configured or programmed to, when identification information acquired by the ID tag reader R coincides with identification information contained in a conveyance command of an object, control the stacker crane to convey the object to a destination specified in the conveyance command. At least one section of each storage rack allows a gripper of each vehicle to take in and out the objects.
US09845188B2

Provided is a perforated plastic bag wherein the volume of said bag is 100 liters or more; wherein the average perforation diameter is 500 micrometers or less; wherein said plastic bag comprises a lower zone and a top zone, wherein the perforation density of said lower zone is greater than the perforation density of said top zone. Also provided is a method of using such a plastic bag.
US09845184B2

A woven laminated plastic bag having an easy open feature is provided. The easy open feature is generally defined by a weakened portion in the bag. In various aspects the bag can be fabricated from woven polypropylene and/or polyethylene layer which can be laminated with a film layer, can form a pinch bottom bag, and can have one or both sides include graphics and/or printing. The bag can also provide a top end and/or a bottom end either or both of which provide a discrete area which may contain discrete graphics and/or printing.
US09845181B2

A container closure comprises an annular region forming a counterface against which a gas permeable, liquid impermeable sealing element may be applied so as to urge the sealing element into sealing engagement with the rim of a container opening. The annular region comprises a gas pathway from an interior space opposite the container opening to the exterior of the annular region. The gas pathway may be of closed cross-section extending through the annular region. Alternatively the gas pathway may be of open-sided cross-section and provided in the counterface. Yet alternatively the annular region may comprise a washer, with the gas pathway provided at least partly in the washer and/or at least partly in the remainder of the annular region. A gas permeable, liquid impermeable sealing foil for bonding to a container rim is also disclosed.
US09845180B2

A closure assembly includes a valve for containing a substance in a squeeze bottle, a multi-layer material for providing a valve for such a closure assembly, a method for providing such a multi-layer material and a method for providing such a closure assembly. The closure assembly includes a closure cap with a cap part and a body part, a valve arranged in the body part of the closure cap, and an induction element. The induction element is arranged in the closure cap body part for induction sealing a loop shaped peripheral section of the valve to a loop shaped attachment surface of the closure cap body part.
US09845179B2

A resealable closure for a metal beverage container including a closure cap which engages with a dispensing mouth which provides an initial gas tight seal, tamper resistant and tamper evident means, good purchase and mechanical advantage to tighten and loosen as well as remove and apply the closure mechanism, a gas tight reseal capability, and a protected, hygienic dispensing mouth. The several embodiments of the invention employ designs, materials, and manufacturing methods which are inexpensive and consistent with current manufacturing practices. The functionality, size, cost, simplicity, reliability and robustness of the proposed designs are all advantageous.
US09845171B2

Containers are disclosed herein that include a reservoir, a handle disposed on the reservoir at an angle defined by a grip axis. The handle is configured for a single grip position and having a midpoint that coincides with a midpoint of a user's grip when the handle is gripped by a user. A first center of gravity coincident with a resting axis is substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall when the bottom wall is placed on a horizontal surface. A second center of gravity coincident with a carrying axis is substantially perpendicular to the grip axis when the container is carried by the handle.
US09845168B2

A source fluid inlet for an automated filling device. The source fluid inlet may comprise features that limit engagement and/or disengagement of a source fluid tubing set from a port in the source fluid inlet except when the port is disposed in a predetermined load position. In turn, engagement and/or disengagement of the source fluid tubing may be selectively allowed to assist in reduction of interconnection errors of one or more source fluid sources. The source fluid inlet may selectively position a source fluid tubing set in a fill position to facilitate fluid communication with a receptacle to be filled (e.g., a syringe). The source fluid inlet further comprises one or more mechanisms for engagement and/or retention of a cap disposed on a syringe.
US09845165B2

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a stand for launching, landing, testing, refueling and recharging a UAV, and methods for testing, landing and launching the UAV are disclosed. Further, embodiments may include transferring a payload onto or off of the UAV, and loading flight planning and diagnostic maintenance information to the UAV.
US09845150B2

A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.
US09845149B2

The embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and a device for driving a rotor. The method comprises: receiving a flight control command; obtaining current rotational states of first motors corresponding to first actuators and the current rotational states of second motors corresponding to second actuators; determining required first rotational states of the first motors according to the flight control command and the current rotational states of the first motors; determining required second rotational states of the second motors according to the flight control command and the current rotational states of the second motors; controlling the first motor to rotate in a corresponding first rotational state so as to drive first blade clamping bodies to twist relative to a lower rotor hub; controlling the second motor to rotate in a corresponding second rotational state so as to drive second blade clamping bodies to twist relative to an upper rotor hub. It can be seen that the present invention can overcome the drawback of a complex driving process present in existing rotor driving methods of rotor driving systems.
US09845148B2

An aircraft landing gear longitudinal force control system for an aircraft having landing gears with braking and/or driving wheel(s). The system includes an error-based force controller having feedback for minimising any error between the demanded force and the actual force achieved by the force control system. The feedback may be derived from force sensors on the landing gear for direct measurement of the landing gear longitudinal force. The force control system may include an aircraft level landing gear total force controller and/or a landing gear level force controller for each actuated landing gear.
US09845141B2

A balloon system includes a balloon having a balloon membrane extending between an upper apex and a lower apex opening. The lower apex opening extends through the balloon membrane at a balloon lip. A ballonet is within the balloon. The ballonet is coupled with the balloon membrane at the lower apex opening. The ballonet includes a lower ballonet panel having a lower perimeter edge and a ballonet orifice extending through the lower ballonet panel at a ballonet lip and an upper ballonet panel having an upper perimeter edge. The upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges. A lower apex fitting couples the ballonet with the balloon at the balloon lip of the lower apex opening.
US09845137B2

A method for cycling autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that record seismic signals during a marine seismic survey. The method includes deploying plural current AUVs on the ocean bottom; recording the seismic signals during the marine seismic survey with plural current AUVs; releasing from an underwater base a new AUV to replace a corresponding current AUV from the plural current AUVs; recovering the current AUV; and continuing to record the seismic signals with the new AUV.
US09845136B2

A boat includes a hull, a deck, an engine disposed between the hull and the deck, and a jet propulsion unit including a jet nozzle configured to jet water therefrom. The jet nozzle includes a hole to which a water passage is connected and is configured to supply pressurized water from the jet nozzle to a water intake opening located in an interior of the hull. The water intake opening is connected to an interior water passage disposed in the interior of the hull and between the hull and the deck. The interior water passage is connected to a deck hose used to wash the boat.
US09845134B2

A bicycle derailleur comprises a base member adapted to be mounted to a bicycle, a movable member movably coupled to the base member, and a chain guide coupled to the movable member. The chain guide is coupled for rotation around a rotational axis (X), and a biasing element biases the chain guide in a selected rotational direction. A resistance applying unit applies a resistance to rotational movement of the chain guide in a direction opposite the selected rotational direction, and an adjusting unit adjusts an amount of resistance applied by the resistance applying unit.
US09845131B2

An object is to provide a front fork including a stroke sensor as well as a damping force variable device, and allowing structure of the front fork to be simplified. A front fork of an embodiment includes a pair of a first leg and a second leg. The first leg includes a stroke sensor section that detects a stroke amount of the front fork as a distance between extension and compression of the front fork. The second leg includes a damping force variable device that controls a flow of a working fluid contained in the second leg to enable a damping force to be varied.
US09845125B1

A multipurpose stand includes a first supporting unit, a second supporting unit and a vertical member. the first supporting unit includes the main body and the roller, the second supporting unit includes the first broad member, the second broad member and the third broad member, The vertical member comprises the first vertical section, the second vertical section and the enlarged end, wherein the second supporting unit is formed by cutting a plate material into the first broad member and the second broad member. The member connected with the third broad member is connected with the connecting member through a single point of the second supporting unit and the first supporting unit, and a vertical member is set between the first broad members of the second supporting unit.
US09845122B2

A mobile robot 1 having a plurality of kinds of moving forms includes a body unit 11 having a front face and a back face, four limb units 12 having a plurality of limb-side drive shafts, and front end tools 13 provided on a front end side of the limb units 12. A base end side of the limb unit 12 is connected to the body unit 11. The four limb units 12 are the same units. The body unit 11 and the four limb units 12 are movable by switching a front face side and a back face side so that a moving operation of the front face side and a moving operation of the back face side are symmetrical across the center of a thickness direction of the body unit 11.
US09845119B2

An aerodynamically effective attachment part or spoiler extension is disclosed. The spoiler extension includes a guide arrangement having a first guide element formed between the spoiler extension and a base body of the spoiler arrangement. Transfer of the spoiler extension is guided from a release position, in which the spoiler extension is detachable from the base body, along at transfer direction into a locking position, in which the spoiler extension is secured on the base body. The spoiler extension includes a securing element able to secure the spoiler extension automatically on the base body of the spoiler arrangement in the locking position.
US09845104B2

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for tilting a steering column, capable of smoothly guiding tooth-on-tooth between a moving gear moved along with a tilt shaft when an operating lever is operated such that a steering column tilts up and down, and a fixing gear fixed to a vehicle body. Consequently, it is possible to resolve faulty operation and prevent the emotional quality of product from deteriorating.
US09845098B2

A railcar bogie includes: a bogie frame including a cross beam supporting a carbody of a railcar; a pair of axles respectively arranged at both sides of the cross beam in a car longitudinal direction and extending in a car width direction; bearings provided at both car width direction sides of each of the axles and rotatably supporting the axles; axle boxes respectively accommodating the bearings; and coupling devices coupling the axle boxes and the bogie frame to one another, each of the coupling devices including a first member projecting from the axle box to the bogie frame, a second member projecting from the bogie frame to the first member, and a coupling portion coupling the first member and the second member to each other, and the second member being formed separately from the bogie frame and positioned by contacting the bogie frame.
US09845097B2

A driver evaluation system for a vehicle generates for display a parameter indicative of a driver's level of attention to driving the vehicle for a temporal period based on a complement of a weighted average of a plurality of counts. Some of the counts represent a number of interaction events between the driver and an infotainment system in the vehicle during the temporal period.
US09845089B2

The control device for a hybrid vehicle includes: a mechanical power source; an electric motor to be used when the mechanical power source is started; a first clutch arranged between the mechanical power source and a first transmission mechanism including a plurality of gear shift stages; a second clutch arranged between the mechanical power source and a second transmission mechanism including a plurality of gear shift stages; an electrical power source coupled to an input shaft of the first transmission mechanism; and a control unit for controlling a torque of at least one of the second clutch or the electric motor so as to compensate a braking force decreased upon a gear shift in the electrical power source when a gear shift request for shifting the gear shift stage of the first transmission mechanism is made during a regeneration travel of the electrical power source.
US09845084B2

A system includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is configured to detect sliding of a wheel of a vehicle. The controller is configured to communicate with the sensor and a traction motor operatively connected to the wheel such that the traction motor selectively applies forces in at least one direction to the wheel during operation. The controller is further configured to direct the traction motor to apply a motoring slide reducing force to the wheel when the sensor detects sliding of the wheel resulting from a frictional braking force.
US09845079B2

The windscreen wiper device includes a wiper element which is made of a flexible material and a carrier which operably supports the wiper element and biases the wiper element into a pre-curved position. A base is engaged with the carrier and at least one connector piece is releasably connectable with the base. The base includes a pair of holding elements which wrap around opposite lateral side edges of the carrier and a pair of laterally spaced side walls. The connector piece includes a pair of legs. A pair of projections are disposed in at least one of the side walls of the base and the legs of the connector piece and a pair of recesses are disposed on at least one of the side walls of the base and the legs of the connector piece for snappingly receiving the projections to releasably attach the connector piece with the base.
US09845076B2

The invention relates to a device for attaching a windshield wiper blade to a drive arm of a wiping system. The device comprises a connector attached to the blade and an adapter (9) for connecting the connector to the arm, said adapter (9) including holding means (20) for holding same in a nominal locking position on the arm. According to the invention, the connector and/or the adapter (9) comprise safety means (70) that allow the arm to be retained in the nominal locking position upon failure of the holding means (20), said safety means (70) being configured to allow the adapter (9) to be mounted on and/or removed from the arm during nominal operation. The invention also relates to such a connector and such an adapter, as well as to a wiping system comprising such an attachment device.
US09845072B1

A containment area can be defined by a single cable carrying an asymmetric electromagnetic signal that generates a magnetic field comprising an asymmetric waveform. A single inductor circuit configured to detect a single axis of the magnetic field can detect the asymmetric waveform and determine which direction the inductor is traveling relative to the cable. A human-propelled cart can have a wheel that includes the single inductor circuit and detect whether the cart is being pushed from inside-to-outside the containment area (which may reflect the cart is being stolen or improperly used) or from outside-to-inside (which may reflect the cart is being returned). The cart can include an anti-theft system (e.g., a locking or braking wheel), which can be triggered if the cart is being moved from inside to outside the containment area. The single cable, single inductor system can be less expensive and more efficient than multi-cable, multi-inductor systems.
US09845060B2

A removable, easily disassembled, truck bed can be installed in place of rear seats in a Jeep Wrangler® or four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited® type vehicle. In one embodiment, this truck bed is constructed of sheet steel bolted together in various parts to allow for easy shipping and storage. In another embodiment, this truck bed is constructed of molded plastic or fiberglass to allow for water-resistance and light weight. This truck bed converts a Jeep Wrangler®-type vehicle to a small pick-up truck, which would be of use for hauling small loads of bulk or ‘loose fill’ material (sand, dirt, gravel, mulch). The truck bed is easily removable so that when load-hauling is not required it can be removed and the vehicle's rear seats reinstalled for carrying passengers.
US09845059B2

A method of creating in situ an acoustic enclosure in a space that is between body panels of a motor vehicle, wherein the space defines an empty volume, the method comprising placing into the space between body panels a molding tool that comprises a solid barrier that divides the space between body panels into an interior portion on an inside of the molding tool and an exterior portion that is external to an outside of the molding tool, where the outside of the molding tool is exposed to the space between body panels, and while the molding tool is in the space between the panels, introducing a fluid material into the exterior portion of the space between the body panels, wherein the fluid material is configured to cure into a solid shell.
US09845048B1

A car door opening pre-detection system for a car includes a first detecting module, a second detecting module and a control module. The first detecting module is installed within the car. The first detecting module issues a motion detecting signal according to a result of detecting a motion of a palm. The second detecting module is installed outside the car. When the car is stopped, the second detecting module is enabled to selectively provide a first detection range or a second detection range. The control unit judges whether a car door of the car is about to be opened according to the motion detecting signal. When the car is stopped and the control module judges that the car door is about to be opened, the second detecting module provides the second detection range to detect whether there is a moving object behind the car.
US09845036B2

A retention grommet has a bottom grommet and a top grommet. A floor cover retention flange extends radially outwardly from an outer sidewall of the bottom grommet. The outer sidewall extends upwardly from the retention flange to a hinge plane of the bottom grommet. Plural fingers are disposed around the bottom grommet axis so as to be angularly spaced from each other and an inner surface of the outer sidewall. An upper end of each finger is joined to the outer sidewall at the hinge plane. Near a free, downwardly displaced end of each finger, a retention bead is formed to have an upwardly and radially outwardly inclined surface. This surface is capable of engaging with any of several types of vehicle floor cover retention posts. The top grommet fastens to the bottom grommet to secure the vehicle floor cover in place.
US09845033B1

A seat cover for a vehicle may include a lower or bench portion sized and configured to extend over a horizontally-oriented top of a bench of a vehicle seat. The lower portion may include a first section and a second section separated by a slit. The seat cover for the vehicle may also include an upper or backrest portion coupled to the lower portion. The upper portion may be sized and configured to extend upwardly over a backrest of the vehicle seat.
US09845030B2

A headrest device that integrates with vehicle's seats for providing persons with a device for resting ones head when traveling as a passenger in a vehicle, the headrest device including a headrest assembly that removably mates with a mount assembly.
US09845029B1

A vehicle seating assembly includes a conformal seating assembly coupled with a rigid shell and includes a seat base, a seatback base, seat side bolsters, and seatback side bolsters. An air-filled sender panel is disposed in the seat base. An air-filled receiver cell is disposed in one of the seat side bolster and the seatback side bolster. A liquid-filled sender panel is disposed between the air-filled receiver cell and the rigid shell. A liquid-filled receiver cell is adjacent the air-filled receiver cell and disposed in one of the seat side bolster and the seatback side bolster. A first distribution rail system is disposed on a first side of the seat base. A second distribution rail system is disposed on a second side of the seat base. A plurality of capillaries provide fluid communication between the sender panels and the receiver cells. A topper pad extends over the conformal seating assembly.
US09845021B2

An on-vehicle power supply system and an electric vehicle are provided. The on-vehicle power supply system includes: a power battery (10); a charge-discharge socket (20) connected with an external load (1001); a three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30) having a first DC terminal connected with a first terminal of the power battery (10) and a second DC terminal connected with a second terminal of the power battery (10); a charge-discharge control module (50) having a first terminal connected with an AC terminal of the three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30) and a second terminal connected with the charge-discharge socket (20); and a control module (60) connected with the charge-discharge control module (50) and the three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30), and configured to control the three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30) to convert a DC voltage of the power battery (10) into an AC voltage.
US09845012B2

A method for predicting mechanical failure of a traction motor in a vehicle includes monitoring first characteristics of an electrical signal supplied to a traction motor of a vehicle during a first detection window. The first characteristics represent a first motor electrical signature for the traction motor. The method also includes deriving one or more signature values from a first mathematical model of the first motor electrical signature and predicting a mechanical failure of the traction motor based on the one or more signature values.
US09845011B2

An auxiliary power source device for a vehicle is incorporated in an electric vehicle and includes a three-phase inverter that converts an input DC voltage into a desired three-phase AC voltage and applies the three-phase AC voltage to a load. The auxiliary power source device further includes a filter reactor that is connected to respective output terminals of a three-phase inverter, a filter capacitor that is connected in a Y-shape at an end on a load side of the filter reactor and is not grounded at a neutral point, and a three-phase transformer that includes primary windings that are connected in a Y-shape at the end on the load side of the filter reactor and is grounded at a neutral point and secondary windings that are connected in a delta shape.
US09845009B2

A seal for a meter ring includes a sealing section and a connecting portion. The sealing section is configured to block transmission of light from a first portion of a meter cluster to a second portion of the meter cluster. The connecting portion extends from the sealing section and is configured to couple the sealing section to a meter ring.
US09844999B2

An assembly having an intake connector with an air entrance for an air-conditioning system and a filter element having a concertina bellows having peripheral troughs and peripheral peaks, wherein the filter element has a water-repellent filter medium and wherein the filter element at least partially covers the air entrance, suitable for discharging snow and water, in particular snowmelt, to avoid flow into the air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle and to minimize damage to a filter element, wherein the concertina bellows is disposed so as to be inclined at an angle of 5° to 90°, preferably at an angle of 15° to 85°, in relation to the horizontal, wherein the filter element has an outflow unit for a water outflow from the peripheral troughs.
US09844992B2

Disclosed herein is an adjustable suspension mount system that includes a first mount link pivotally attached to a mount feature and extending to a device used to support a load on a first wheel, the first mount link pivotally attached to the device. The mount feature is attached to or integrated into the frame of the vehicle. The system further includes a second mount link pivotally attached to at least one of the mount feature and a second mount feature, the second mount link extending to the first mount link, the second mount link pivotally attached to the first mount link. Further disclosed is a vehicle including the system, and a kit including the components to provide the system for a vehicle.
US09844978B2

A bicycle wheel including a hub and a rim coupled to the hub. The wheel also includes a cover that is coupled to rim and that defines a bead seat engageable by a tire. The rim can have a first annular feature and the cover can have a second annular feature that is complementary to the first annular feature to attach the cover to the rim.
US09844969B2

In the field of protection of value documents and value commercial goods, the present disclosure relates to the field of security threads or stripes to be incorporated into or onto security documents, and security documents having security threads or stripes. The security threads or stripes include i) first optically variable layer imparting a first different color impression at different viewing angles, ii) second optically variable layer imparting a second different color impression at different viewing angles, iii) first color constant layer having a color matching color impression of the first or second optically variable layer at a first viewing angle, iv) second color constant layer having a color matching color impression of the first or second optically variable layer at a second viewing angle, and v) a substrate. The layers are jointly visible from one side of the security thread or stripe.
US09844966B2

A changeable book system including a book chassis configured to receive a plurality of books. The book chassis includes one or more membrane switches aligned with identifier indicia located on one or more pages of a book when the book is positioned adjacent to the book chassis. A reader may activate one or more membrane switches by pressing the corresponding identifier indicia. Activation of a membrane switch causes the book chassis to perform a function and/or produce a sound.
US09844965B1

A reusable notebook is used with heat-erasable ink. The reusable notebook includes a binding configured to hold a plurality of pages, at least one cover, and at least one ready indicator. The ready indicator is configured to indicate that at least one page in the notebook has reached at least a critical temperature. The critical temperature is a predetermined minimum temperature that is sufficient to erase thermochromic ink on the page(s). The indication occurs when the ready indicator is at a temperature equal to or above a predetermined minimum temperature referred to as the ready temperature. When the ready indicator is at or above the ready temperature, the critical temperature of the at least one page is reached.
US09844963B2

Various of the disclosed embodiments concern printing systems configured to deposit flexible dye sublimation inks onto flexible transfer materials. Together, the flexible ink and transfer material allow images to be transferred onto complex-shaped, i.e. non-planar, surfaces of a substrate. The flexible ink may be, for example, a thermoformable UV dye sublimation ink or a superflexible UV dye sublimation ink. In order to transfer an image onto the substrate, the transfer material is pressed onto the surface of the substrate. The substrate, transfer material, or both are heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the ink to sublimate. During the sublimation process, dye is able to permeate the substrate and form a transferred image. The flexible ink formulation may also include a soluble or solvent-sensitive component. In such embodiments, a solvent can be jetted onto the substrate and/or transfer material to remove residual ink.
US09844942B2

A recording apparatus includes a recording head capable of moving back and forth relative to a recording medium and ejecting a liquid from a nozzle, a cover portion that covers at least a portion of a no-nozzle-formed region in which the nozzle is not formed within a nozzle-formed surface in which the nozzle is formed, and a wiper provided in a back-and-forth movement range of the recording head and capable of wiping the cover portion without contacting the nozzle-formed surface as the recording head moves back and forth.
US09844936B2

A device for forming and ejecting drops of an ink jet of a CIJ printing machine, this device including: a cavity for containing an ink and including an end provided with a nozzle (10) for ejecting ink drops, actuator means (21, 22, 32, 41, 42), in contact with the cavity, in which device the jet velocity modulation, from the nozzle (10), has a value ΔVj(ft) at the operating frequency of the cavity and the actuator, and this jet velocity modulation, at the temperature of 15° C. and at the temperature of 35° C., does not vary, in a frequency range of ±5 kHz about the operating frequency ft, outside the range of between 0.25 ΔVj(ft) and 4 ΔVj(ft).
US09844911B2

A machine converts a web of preformed pouches, which are defined by transverse seals extending from a remote edge, into inflated dunnage units. A sealing arrangement is positioned to provide a longitudinal seal intersecting the transverse seals to close the preformed pouches and form a dunnage unit. The sealing arrangement has at least two sealing belts. Each belt is positioned so that respective first sides engage a surface of the web and pull the web through sealing elements positioned on either side of the web. A heating element is on a second side of the first belt not engaging the web. A compliant material is on a second side of the second belt not engaging the web. As the web passes between the heating element and compliant material, imperfections in the web are smoothed by the compliant material and the layers of the web are sealed by the heating element.
US09844907B2

A method for manufacturing a lining part (L), which is formed from a support part (10) and a decorative layer (20), the method having the steps of: moving together a first tool part (210) with a first shaping surface (210a), against which a support part (10) lies, and a second tool part (220) with a second shaping surface (220a), against which a decorative layer (20) lies, wherein a groove section (61) of the support part (10), forming a support part longitudinal groove (50), is situated in a tool depression which is constructed in the first shaping surface (210a), extending a positioner (250) mounted in the second tool part (220) into an extended position such that the positioner (250) positions an edge section (25) of the decorative layer (20) such that said edge section projects into a region (60) bounded by the support part longitudinal groove (50), extending a slider (270) adjacent to the extended positioner (250) such that an edge section of the slider (270) presses the edge section (25) of the decorative layer (20) onto a groove lateral face (33) of the support part longitudinal groove (50), heating the semi-finished parts for connecting the decorative layer (20) with the support part (10) and forming the interior lining part (L). and a tooling station to carry out the method.
US09844906B2

The present disclosure features processes and equipment for manufacturing materials that have a textured surface formed by applying a first texture to a curable coating, curing the coating, and then embossing a second, different texture over the first texture. The disclosure also features textured materials, including both release webs for use in replicative casting processes and finished products in sheet, board, plate or web form.
US09844902B2

A modular molding system having a mold base assembly for assembling an interchangeable mold insert assemblage. The assembled mold insert assemblage defines an internal cavity for forming a molded object. Each mold insert assemblage can be disengaged from the mold base assembly and exchanged with a different mold insert assemblage having an internal cavity having different dimensions.
US09844901B2

A method for producing a molded product 70 involves the use of a mold 40 including a cavity 44 to which a molding material is supplied and an intercepting member 45 capable of moving back and forth within the cavity 44. The method comprises an interception step for moving the intercepting member 45 into the cavity 44 and an injection step for injecting the molding material into the cavity 44. During the injection step, the intercepting member 45 is used to regulate the flow of the molding member inside the cavity 44 at the initial stage of the injection. The intercepting member is thereafter pulled into the mold 40.
US09844899B2

A process for producing molded products having portions formed with two separate materials is provided. The process involves forming a first component over a structural core in a first step, and forming a second component that is secured to the first component and the core in a second step. The second component can be formed directly over the first component or can be secured thereto after formation. The first and second components can additionally be formed with indicia thereon, or with recesses within which inserts containing the desired indicia can be positioned. Additionally, the first component can be formed with a ridge disposed on a projection formed on the first component that effectively seals off a portion of the first component when the second component is formed around the core and the first component to ensure the portion of the first component surrounded by the ridge remains visible after formation of the second component.
US09844898B2

Various processes for creating mirrored features are discussed herein as well as devices that include the mirrored features. One embodiment includes a button having a transparent layer and an opaque layer coupled to the transparent layer. A portion of the transparent layer extends through the opaque layer so that the portion of the transparent layer is flush with a back surface of the opaque layer and generally has a shape of a desired feature. The button also includes a reflective object positioned so that it may be seen through the transparent layer.
US09844896B2

A container manufacturing plant (10) includes an air circuit (78) employing a recycling method that includes at least the successive steps of: extracting filtered air from an oven (26), after the air has been used in the latter, for the purpose of cooling at least one part of the preforms; treating the sterilizing agent present in the extracted air resulting from the sterilization of the preforms; and recycling the extracted and treated air to the industrial area (16) where the plant (10) is installed. An air recycling method is also described.
US09844895B1

A mould lifting device is suitable for use in lifting and rotating a middle mould. At each of two lateral surfaces of the middle mould is provided a pivot portion. The mould lifting device includes: a platform, two longitudinal guide assemblies, two transmissions, a power assembly, two lifting members, two push members, two pivot arms, and two covers. When the pivot arms lift and rotate the middle mould, the lifted portion of the covers will not be pushed by the lifting portions of the lifting members anymore, and the covers will naturally pivot downward by gravity to make the cover portions cover the openings of the restricting grooves, which prevents the disengagement of the pivot portions of the middle mould from the restricting grooves, and thus improving the stability and security of the middle mould during the course of lifting and rotation.
US09844885B2

A gripping device comprises a base, a first finger rotatably or movably connected to the base, and a second finger connected to the base. The first finger and the second finger are capable of selectively entering an opened gripping mode and a closed gripping mode to grip an object. In the opened gripping mode, the first and second fingers grip the object from the same side of the object. In the closed gripping mode, the first and second fingers grip the object from different sides of the object.
US09844884B2

A mechanical hand is provided that can increase the operation stroke and also the gripping force of a pair of gripping members. The hand includes first and second sliders, a driving source, a rotating plate, a first clamping link. Of these components, the first and second sliders are provided on a hand body so as to be linearly movable in opening and closing directions and the driving source is provided in the hand body. The rotating plate is rotatably driven by the driving source. The first clamping link is linked with the rotating plate so as to be only rotatable on a first shaft, and is linked with the first slider so as to be only rotatable on a second shaft. Moreover, the second clamping link is linked with the rotating plate so as to be only rotatable on a third shaft, and is linked with the second slider so as be only rotatable on a fourth shaft. The first and second sliders move linearly in the opening and closing directions by making the driving source rotate the rotating plate.
US09844883B2

The invention concerns a gripper (1) adapted to be used in an automated system for handling flexible substrates provided in a pile. The gripper (1) is rotatably arranged on an arm (6) of a robot and comprises a lower finger (7) and an upper finger (8). The lower finger (7) comprises a sharp, wedge-shaped edge (14), which is adapted to enable insertion of the lower finger (7) between substrates of the pile. The lower finger (7) has a round tip (11), which extends to at least one side of the lower finger (7) and forms a smooth, wedge-shaped edge (15), wherein the sharp, wedge-shaped edge (14) is arranged on the at least one side remote from the round tip (11) and substantially in level with but protruding further than the smooth, wedge-shaped edge (15).
US09844882B2

A robot system is provided with a three-dimensional sensor which acquires three-dimensional information of an object, and a robot which includes a gripping device for gripping an object. The robot system uses first three-dimensional information which relates to a state before an object is taken out and second three-dimensional information which relates to a state after an object is taken out as the basis to acquire three-dimensional shape information of an object, and uses the three-dimensional shape information of the object as the basis to calculate a position and posture of the robot when an object is placed at a target site.
US09844881B2

A machine vision system for a controllable robotic device proximal to a workspace includes an image acquisition sensor arranged to periodically capture vision signal inputs each including an image of a field of view including the workspace. A controller operatively couples to the robotic device and includes a non-transitory memory component including an executable vision perception routine. The vision perception routine includes a focus loop control routine operative to dynamically track a focus object in the workspace and a background loop control routine operative to monitor a background of the workspace. The focus loop control routine executes simultaneously asynchronously in parallel with the background loop control routine to determine a combined resultant including the focus object and the background based upon the periodically captured vision signal inputs. The controller is operative to control the robotic device to manipulate the focus object based upon the focus loop control routine.
US09844879B1

A method for constraining movements of a robot comprises: using the robot, receiving dynamic building data that describes a temporary condition of a building or campus comprising a set of buildings and a location of the temporary condition; using the robot, updating, from the dynamic building data, a map layer of a plurality of map layers of a map by calculating an increased cost of navigation of the portion of the map layer corresponding to the location of the temporary condition, the increased cost based on the description of the temporary condition; using the robot, upon receiving a task having an origin location and a destination location, determining a fastest route from the origin location to the destination location from the plurality of map layers of the map using a graph search algorithm that calculates an expected velocity of the robot over the portion of the map layer corresponding to the location of the temporary condition; using the robot, traversing the fastest route from the origin location to the destination location.
US09844877B1

Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for training a path of a robot within a graphical user interface (GUI) and/or by physically moving the robot. In particular, the technology generates a trained path for the robot based on waypoints defined by a user and generates one or more parameters for one or more movement characteristics of the robot along the trained path. The parameters for the movement characteristics are generated based on spatial proximity of a plurality of the waypoints that are defined by the user.
US09844849B2

A motor driven appliance in one aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure comprises a light source, a lighting unit, a motor, an operation unit, an operation detector, a reference signal output unit, a determination unit, and a control unit. The operation detector detects that the operation unit is operated, and outputs an operation detection signal that indicates that the operation unit is operated. The reference signal output unit outputs at least one reference signal that can be used as a reference for determining whether the detection by the operation detector is normal. The determination unit determines whether the operation unit is actually operated based on the operation detection signal and the at least one reference signal. The control unit controls operation of the lighting unit based on the determination made by the determination unit.
US09844845B1

A process for assembling a coil clad hose includes suspending a spring wire helix between carriages mounted on a rail, rotating one of the ends of the helix to expand the helix, inserting a hose through the expanded helix, contracting the helix onto the hose, installing an end fitting onto each end of the hose, fixing one end of the helix together with the ferrule and the hose at one end of the hose, adjusting a pitch of the helix along the hose to another end of the hose, and fixing the helix and the hose together with the ferrule at the another end of the hose. The apparatus includes a rail, a pair of carriages movably supported on the rail, each of the carriages having a through bore holding a tang clamp bushing therein, and a pair of cable clamp fixtures mounted one at each end of the rail.
US09844844B2

An example packaging line to pack profiles having a U-shaped or a C-shaped cross-section includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor to transfer profiles. The first conveyor and the second conveyor are spaced from and parallel to each other. The example includes a head block to move upward and downward. The first conveyor and the second conveyor transfer profiles to an area beneath the head block. The example includes a rotor, carried by the head block, to couple to a first profile transferred by the first and second conveyors with a concave side of the first profile facing upwards. The rotor rotates the first profile such that the concave side of the first profile is facing downwards over a second profile, where a concave side of the second profile is facing upward, and the rotor releases the first profile to insert the first profile into the second profile.
US09844842B2

A scaffolding clip and a scaffolding clip applicator tool are provided for fastening a web, such as a retaining mesh, to a scaffolding pole. During use a preferred method includes holding the fastening clip with the applicator, locating the web between the pole and the fastening clip, piercing the web with opposed ends of the clip and disengaging the applicator from the clip. In order to subsequently remove the clip from the pole a loop of the clip is engaged by a catch of the applicator and levered from the pole with a heel of the applicator that extends from opposite the catch and acts as a fulcrum.
US09844835B2

To provide a production method including: a first step of forming a mask member in which a resin film and a magnetic metal member, which has first through-holes and second through-holes, are brought into close contact; a second step in which a peripheral edge of the magnetic metal member is bonded to one end face of a frame; and a third step in which a portion of the film in each first through-hole is irradiated with laser light to form an opening pattern, and a portion of the film in each second through-hole is irradiated with laser light to form a mask-side alignment mark.
US09844833B2

A system and a method for manufacturing a sapphire part. A sapphire substrate is obtained for performing a laser cutting operation. The sapphire substrate is cut along a cut profile using a laser and a first gas medium. The first gas medium is substantially comprised of an inert gas. The sapphire substrate is then irradiated at or near the cut profile using the laser and a second gas medium. The second gas medium is different than the first gas medium comprising oxygen.
US09844828B2

A wire feeder has a motor, mounting plate, intermediate mounting plate, and base assembly. The mounting plate has a plurality of mounting hole patterns and a shaft hole. The motor a mounting hole pattern that aligns with at least one of the plurality. One of a plurality of motor types can be mounted to the mounting plate. The mounting plate is mounted to the intermediate mounting plate, which is mounted to the base assembly. The base assembly includes a drive gear, which is connected to rotate with an insulating cap that receives a gear hub. The gear hub is connected to rotate with the motor shaft via matching keys. The insulating hub, intermediate mounting plate and mounting plate are electrically insulating, so that the base assembly is electrically isolated from the motor.
US09844822B2

A multi-link miter saw includes a base, a table supported on the base, a supporting unit connected to the table, a linkage unit connected to the supporting unit, a cantilever arm unit including a cantilever arm pivotally connected to the linkage unit and a connection member pivotally connected between the cantilever arm and the linkage unit for enabling the cantilever arm to be driven by the linkage unit and the connection member to move along a horizontal axis between the rear edge and front edge of the base, and a cutting unit pivotally connected to the cantilever arm unit. Based on the arrangement of the linkage unit and the cantilever arm unit, the cutting unit can be moved smoothly relative to the table, thus enhancing operation stability.
US09844819B2

A long twist drill includes a shank and a drill body having a drill tip (16). The twist drill has a length L and an outer diameter D, and has a cemented carbide or high speed steel substrate and a coating of at least one layer. The quota L/D is at least 16. The twist drill has two cutting segments at the tip and two flutes chip. The twist drill is provided with holes for fluid opening in the tip. The twist drill has an axial web thinning angle GAA, which is 40 to 50°. The twist drill further has a web that back tapers such that a web diameter gets smaller in a direction away from the tip towards the shank within an axial distance.
US09844818B2

An extension assembly configured to permit a user to drill a hole through inaccessible areas in a wall is disclosed. The extension assembly includes a flexible, solid core rod having first and second ends and a holding means. The rod is configured to extend through a hole in a wall cavity and flex therein to position a tool bit at an inaccessible location in the wall cavity and permit a user to drill a hole through a substrate at the inaccessible location. The holding means is secured to the second end of the rod for releasably holding a tool bit for rotation with the rod and includes a sleeve adapted to slide axially along a body of the holding means between a secured position where a tool bit is securely held within the holding means and a release position where the tool bit is released from the holding means.
US09844815B2

A turning device has two turning stations, each with a rotatable work piece spindle to hold a lens blank, each lens blank with a turning tool for the machining of a lens blank. A method for the operation of the turning device, wherein first and the second lens blanks are simultaneously machined with the turning tools is disclosed. Control electronics attune drive signals to each other such that certain drive signals for fast tool servomotors of the turning tools accomplish at least a temporary or phase-wise opposite running of the fast tool servomotors for vibration dampening. A fabrication mechanism is provided for the manufacturing of eyeglass lenses from lens blanks with a milling device and a turning device along with a method for operating the fabrication mechanism.
US09844807B2

Fins are formed monolithically from the material of a tube body. The fins extend from the tube body outer surface, and include a fin base and a fin top. Wings extending from a fin side surface between the fin base and fin top can produce upper and lower channels between adjacent fins. Depressions can be formed in the fin top with platforms below the depressions. The tube can also include helical ridges on an inner surface of the tube. The tubes are used for heat transfer, and can be included in shell and tube heat exchangers.
US09844797B2

The present invention relates to a process for coating paper, wherein the coating material used is a biodegradable, aliphatic-aromatic polyester having a melt volume rate (MVR) according to EN ISO 1133 (190° C., 2.16 kg weight) of from 3 to 50 cm3/10 min.
US09844784B2

A grinding device, in particular a vertical mill for grinding a grinding material, the grinding device including at least two grinding elements that are movable relative to one another, wherein the two grinding elements together form at least one grinding portion in which the grinding material is grindable by the two grinding elements; and at least one contact pressure device including at least one hydraulic cylinder including a cylinder operating chamber and at least one gas spring including a spring operating chamber, wherein the cylinder operating chamber and the spring operating chamber are flow connected with one another, wherein a contact force is impartible upon at least one of the grinding elements by the at least one contact pressure device and the grinding elements are pressable onto one another by the contact force.
US09844782B2

An apparatus for preparing samples for chemical analysis includes a container receptacle for receiving a sample container having a crucible portion and an expansion portion. The container receptacle includes a heating compartment and a cooling compartment spaced apart from the heating compartment. The heating compartment is shaped to receive the crucible portion of the sample container, and the cooling compartment is shaped to receive the expansion portion of the sample container. The apparatus also includes a heating mechanism for heating the sample within the crucible portion of the sample container, a first cooling mechanism for cooling the expansion portion of the sample container, and a second cooling mechanism for cooling the crucible portion of the sample container.
US09844780B2

Provided is an allergen detecting apparatus that can combine with an allergen microarray chip, and the apparatus comprises a microfluidic chip and a clamping unit. The allergen microarray chip can be any commercial chip and a reaction region of the microfluidic chip is configured to fit tightly with a microarray region of the allergen microarray chip allowing a sample or a reagent to contact with a protein allergen disposed on the microarray region. The present invention also provides a platform comprising a control system configured to automatically perform the mixing/binding reactions of the antibody/antigen in the apparatus of the present invention to achieve a faster, more cost-effective, and accurate detection of allergens.
US09844769B2

A catalytic composition useful for the conversion of an olefin selected from the group consisting of propylene, isobutylene or mixtures thereof, to acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, and mixtures thereof. The catalytic composition comprises a complex of metal oxides comprising rubidium, bismuth, cerium, molybdenum, iron and other promoters, with a desirable composition.
US09844768B2

The honeycomb catalyst body is equipped with a honeycomb structure body having partition walls that define a plurality of cells extending from a first end face as one of the end faces to a second end face as the other end face and serving as through channels of a fluid. The partition walls each have a base layer containing from 50 to 90 mass % of zeolite and a coat layer with which the surface of the base layer 11 is coated with a thickness of from 1 to 50 μm. The coat layer is either a coat layer (A) containing from 1 to 5 mass % vanadia and titania or a coat layer (B) containing from 1 to 5 mass % vanadia and a composite oxide of titania and tungsten oxide.
US09844764B2

The present invention relates to a protein or peptide printing method, comprising (a) a step for preparing nucleic acids and a cell-free protein synthesis system in an engraved plate composed of microscopic grooves having a specific opening shape, (b) a step for superimposing a substrate on the engraved plate so as to contact a protein or peptide to be synthesized in the microscopic grooves, and (c) a step for synthesizing the protein or peptide from the nucleic acids using the cell-free protein synthesis system in the microscopic grooves, and immobilizing the protein or peptide on the substrate along the specific opening shapes of the microscopic grooves.
US09844763B2

Methods and systems for heating a reactor feed in a multi reactor hydrocarbon dehydrogenation process. The methods and systems are advantageously employed for the production of styrene by the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. The catalytic dehydrogenation process employs heating steam operating at a steam to oil ratio of about 1.0 or less and relatively low steam superheater furnace temperature, such that all components exposed to steam in the process (outside of the fired heaters) can be constructed with standard metallurgy.
US09844750B2

The invention relates to a cyclical method for producing a nitrogen fraction, the purity of which is greater than or equal to 95 mol %, and a hydrocarbon-enriched fraction from a filler containing nitrogen and a hydrocarbon, said method using a specific class of porous hybrid solids as an adsorbent in a pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) process. The invention also relates to equipment for implementing said method.
US09844749B2

A pressure swing adsorption apparatus for the removal of one or more components such as oxygen from a mixture of gases such as air is disclosed. The apparatus includes pairs of columns (14, 16) for receiving a stream of compressed air with one column operating in a working mode whilst the other said column operates in a purging mode. The columns contain carbon molecular sieve material (26) for adsorbing oxygen and a desiccant material formed into a plurality of tubes (28).
US09844748B2

A method to condense and recover CO2 from CO2 containing streams. A first step involve providing at more than one heat exchanger, with each heat exchanger having a first flow path for passage of a first fluid and a second flow path for passage of a second fluid. A second step involves passing a stream of very cold natural gas sequentially along the second flow path of each heat exchanger until it is heated for distribution and concurrently passing a CO2 containing stream sequentially along the first flow path of each heat exchanger, allowing the water vapor portion of the CO2 containing stream to condense and precipitate on the condensing heat exchangers. A third step involves passing a water vapor free CO2 containing stream to a cryogenic heat exchanger to condense, precipitate and recover CO2. This processes results in the recovery of CO2 and water vapor from CO2 containing streams using condensing heat exchangers, chiller, compressor, expander and power generator to recover the low value thermal heat available in CO2 containing waste streams.
US09844747B2

A filter core has a wavy filtering sheet and a flat filtering sheet. The filtering sheets are for filtering suspended pollutants and respectively have multiple corrugations axially arranged apart from each other. Therefore, channels formed between the filtering sheets also have corrugations formed on inner walls of the channels after the filtering sheets are adhered. The corrugations on the inner walls of the channels are also axially arranged apart from each other and form concave and convex portions. As a result, when fluid, such as air, axially moves in the channels, the suspended pollutants on the fluid may hit, gather and accumulate on the corrugations, thereby slowing the fluid flow and providing one more filtering process. In addition, the corrugations on the filtering sheets also increase a filtering area. To sum up, the filter core can enhance the filtering effect.
US09844744B2

A filter element having a longitudinal center axis for a fresh air system of an internal combustion engine may include a first plate filter body composed of a pleated filter material and a separate second plate filter body composed of a pleated filter material. The filter element may include first wall body and a second wall body, and a first end body and a second end body. The first wall body, the second wall body, the first end body and the second end body may be connected to the first plate body and the second plate filter body to define an inner space. At least one of the first plate filter body and the second plate filter body may include a curvature projecting to the interior space in a profile extending transversely to a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal center axis.
US09844738B1

A tray assembly for improved gas/liquid contact in a chemical process tower includes a tray deck and a downcomer. A mixer is provided in the top of the downcomer and a distributor is attached to a floor of the downcomer. The mixer includes at least one mixing baffle parallel to an outlet weir on the tray. The distributor includes a plurality of spaced apart flow directing plates extending downwardly toward and spaced apart from the floor of the downcomer. In combination, the mixer and distributor effect even liquid flow across the surface of a subjacent tray deck.
US09844736B1

The present invention provides for a protective enclosure comprising a base comprising a first continuous mating surface and at least one conveyance aperture, a cover comprising a second continuous mating surface, wherein the second continuous mating surface is configured to form a seal with the first continuous mating surface, and a clamp, wherein at least a portion of the clamp is coupleable to the base, wherein a mouth of the clamp is configured to be offset from the aperture when the clamp is coupled to the base, wherein the clamp comprises a first sealing layer, and wherein the clamp is configured to seal the aperture against contaminants. The protective enclosure may be configured for use in a remotely controllable model vehicle to protect a control module.
US09844729B2

Methods for managing video game title and user play metrics for video game titles executed on a game cloud system includes determining that the video game title has been obtained from an online retailer, by a user. The method further includes enabling execution of game play of the video game title on the game cloud system. Game play metrics for the video game title during execution of game play, is monitored. Selected game play metrics for the video game title are identified. The selected game play metrics are communicated to the online retailer to enable classification of the user that obtained the video game title from the online retailer.
US09844723B2

A system, a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method are described herein to render one or more graphical objects on multiple types of browsers despite the browsers providing support for different graphical capabilities. A Rendering Engine receives source data associated with a graphical object. The Rendering Engine receives an identification of a program for rendering the graphical object in a first browser that supports a graphical capability. The Rendering Engine infers an intended first graphical result of the program. The Rendering Engine identifies a function for rendering a second graphical result in a second browser that does not support the graphical capability. The second graphical result is similar to the intended first graphical result of the program. The Rendering Engine generates target data based on the source data. The Rendering Engine calls the function according to the target data.
US09844718B2

A snowboard binding includes a baseplate configured to secure to an upper surface of a snowboard a high back and straps secure to the baseplate. A drive plate is secured to the upper surface of the baseplate and has a stiffness effective to change ride properties of the snowboard. The drive plate may include a laminate structure including one or more composite layers such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, aluminum, or titanium. A carriage may mount the drive plate to the snowboard and may define a recess for receiving the drive plate. Tabs may extend from the lower surface of the carriage and engage corresponding apertures in the baseplate. The tabs may have hooked end portions to secure the carriage to the baseplate.
US09844717B2

A portable pitching mound that offers the strength and durability of a traditional dirt mound that is compatible with turf fields and will not create an edge lip on a baseball field.
US09844714B2

A horse-riding training device comprises a base, a body portion for supporting a rider, the body portion being displaceably mounted on the base, a neck portion pivotally connected to the base and a resilient element which resists displacement of the body portion and the neck portion with respect to the base, which provides a realistic simulation of riding a horse.
US09844712B1

A ball toss and retrieval toy provides for entertainment and exercise by children. The toy takes the form of a bat and has an open end for tossing the ball from the toy. The toy also has a cord and reel mechanism that attaches the ball to the bat, allowing for retrieval of the ball from a fixed position. The reel mechanism includes a release mechanism that allows the cord to play out as the toy is operated in a toss operation similar to a fishing casting operation. The ball can then be reeled in by the reel mechanism, which may include a mechanical crank or may be motorized.
US09844701B2

The present invention provides a golf ball having an outer surface comprising a plurality of dimples covering greater than 70 percent of the outer surface, wherein at least 20 percent of the dimples incorporate directional surface texturing therein. The directional surface texturing preferably comprises substantially parallel channels or protrusions formed within the dimples.
US09844700B1

An avalanche self-rescue device uses an MEMS accelerometer and possibly a gyroscope in order to determine its orientation relative to the gravitational horizon. Whenever the device is oriented vertically with respect to the gravitational horizon (pointing gravitationally upwardly), a speaker emits a tone to so indicate and possibly a light illuminates in conjunction with the sound output. A different tone and possibly a different light output may be dispensed whenever the accelerometer is not oriented vertically with respect to the gravitational horizon. The device can be a standalone device, incorporated in an item of clothing, safety equipment, etc., or integrated into another electronic device such as a rescue beacon or a cellular phone.
US09844697B2

In order to determine the state of a muscle between a normal non-tired state, a tired state and a passive involuntary tension state, a signal from the muscle is recorded at rest by using an electrode arrangement, where an earth body may prevent the electrodes from picking up signals beyond the extent of the earth body. The frequency content of the signal is determined by spectral analysis, e.g. by computing a moment of the spectrum. A normal frequency content indicates a non-tired muscle state, whereas a low and a high frequency content indicate a tired and a passive involuntary tension muscle state. A mapping is used to improve accuracy of state determination, e.g. with a reference database.
US09844690B2

A fire extinguishing appliance adjustable in foam expansion ratio includes a main body, a spray-head seat connected with the main body, and a guide unit. The main body is provided with an agent chamber received therein with a non-toxic agent, while the guide unit is formed with an inlet, an outlet and an inner wall having a damping piece mounted thereon. Thus, when the non-toxic agent is actuated to pass through the inlet and get into the guide unit, the non-toxic agent will collide with the damping piece and rotate to carry out foaming, able to enhance the foam expansion ratio, the mixing efficiency and the fire extinguishing efficiency of the non-toxic agent.
US09844684B2

An optimization technique for use with radiation therapy planning that combines stochastic optimization techniques such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) with deterministic techniques to solve for optimal and reliable locations for delivery of radiation doses to a targeted tumor while minimizing the radiation dose experienced by the surrounding critical structures such as normal tissues and organs.
US09844682B2

A skin treatment device for home use is provided herein. The device has enhanced safety features and improved operation efficiency. RF energy is delivered under strict control to a relatively small and well localized volume of the skin, avoiding excessive heating of the skin surface. Surface heating is monitored both by direct temperature measurement and by movement monitoring of the device to ensure proper use and prevent skin overheating and the pain associated therewith.
US09844679B2

Nanoparticle-sized magnetic absorption enhancers (MAEs) exhibiting a controlled response to a magnetic field, including a controlled mechanical response and an inductive thermal response. The MAEs have a magnetic material that exhibits inductive thermal response to the magnetic field and is embedded in a coating, such that the MAE conforms to a particular shape, e.g., hemisphere, dome or shell, chosen to produce the controlled mechanical response. A targeting moiety for specifically binding the MAE to a pathogen target is also provided. The MAEs can be bound by a flexible linker to promote the desired mechanical response, which includes interactions between MAEs that are not bound to any pathogen target for the purpose of forming spheres, spherical shells, or generally spherical dimers to contain the thermal energy produced and to thus reduce collateral healthy tissue damage during hyperthermic treatment.
US09844677B2

An external controller/charger system for an implantable medical device is disclosed, in which the external controller/charger system provides automatic switching between telemetry and charging without any manual intervention by the patient. The external controller/charger system includes an external controller which houses a telemetry coil and an external charging coil coupled to the external controller. Normally, a charging session is carried out using the external charging coil, and a telemetry session is carried out using the telemetry coil. However, when a patient requests to carry out telemetry during a charging session, the external charging coil is used instead of the internal telemetry coil.
US09844675B2

An implantable medical device comprising a signal generator configured to generate and deliver anti-tachyarrhythmia pacing (ATP) to a heart of a patient and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to detect an enable event, responsive to detecting the enable event, enable the delivery of ATP by the signal generator, detect a disable event indicating that another implantable medical device cannot be relied upon to deliver an anti-tachyarrhythmia shock, and responsive to detecting the disable event, disable delivery of ATP.
US09844670B2

Presented herein are techniques for determining an arrangement of complex stimulation channels to optimally distribute sensory information across the channels of a multi-channel tissue-stimulating prosthesis. A tissue-stimulating prosthesis may initially be associated with a set of complex stimulation channels. A stimulation efficiency is determined for each complex stimulation channel within the set of complex stimulation channels. A first complex stimulation channel from the set of complex stimulation channels that has an associated stimulation efficiency that is below a stimulation efficiency limit is identified. The first complex stimulation channel is combined with an adjacent/neighboring complex stimulation channel to create a combined complex stimulation channel. The combined complex stimulation channel replaces both the first complex stimulation channel and the adjacent complex stimulation channel within the set of complex stimulation channels.
US09844656B2

A method for localizing delivery of an agent to a target site in a subject is provided. The method allows accumulation and/or release of the agent at the target site in the subject through the use of an energy source.
US09844643B2

A neuromodulation catheter includes an elongate shaft and a neuromodulation element. The shaft includes two or more first cut shapes and two or more second cut shapes along a helical path extending around a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The first cut shapes are configured to at least partially resist deformation in response to longitudinal compression and tension on the shaft and torsion on the shaft in a first circumferential direction. The second cut shapes are configured to at least partially resist deformation in response to longitudinal compression on the shaft and torsion on the shaft in both first and second opposite circumferential directions.
US09844639B2

Various embodiments of a patient interface device, such as a mask, nasal pillow, or nasal cannula, that includes an adhesive layer provided on a surface thereof that is structured to temporarily bond to the skin of a user of the patient interface device. The adhesive layer may include a bonding agent, such as a polymer gel, having a residual extraction force of between about 50 grams and about 200 grams.
US09844631B2

A self-injection device with a miniaturized drug delivery portion is provided. The device includes a housing (10) having an interior volume and the drug delivery portion (20) has a volume enclosed within the housing. The drug delivery portion includes a reservoir (30) containing a fluid to be delivered to a user and a microneedle (22) in fluid communication with the reservoir and extendable through the housing. The drug delivery portion also includes a drive mechanism for expelling fluid from the reservoir through the microneedle, wherein the volume of the drug delivery portion is less than 40% of the interior volume of the housing. The volume of the drug delivery portion may be less than 30% of the interior volume of the housing.
US09844626B2

An IV flow rate regulator for precision dosage of medical liquids including a first part, a second part with an integrated outlet tubular connector and a mating attachment part with an integrated inlet tubular connector, coupled to one another in a rotatable manner with a first elastic gasket in a depression in the base wall of the second part, a second elastic gasket in a depression in the base wall of the mating attachment part, a dosing passage groove provided between the first and second gaskets, the dosing groove opening progressively the communication between the inlet tubular connector and the outlet tubular connector by rotation of the first and second parts. Also provided is a method for the fabrication of the IV flow regulator.
US09844623B2

A method of implanting a penis erection stimulation system into a patient's body comprises cutting the skin of the patient body, dissecting free an area near the left and right corpus cavernosum, placing a drug delivery device within the dissected area and placing at least one infusion needle of the drug delivery device in a first position in the patient's body in between the left and right corpus cavernosum.
US09844613B2

An irrigation and aspiration system is disclosed. The system can be configured to aspirate and irrigate alone, sequentially or concurrently. The system can be configured to aspirate and irrigate the nasal cavity. The system can be manually controlled. The system can have removable and easily cleanable reservoirs for aspirant and irrigant.
US09844606B2

The present invention aims at providing a novel indocyanine compound solving problems of conventionally used indocyanine green, such as solubility in water or physiological saline, a synthesis method and a purification method thereof, and a diagnostic composition including the novel indocyanine compound. Further, provided are a method for evaluating biokinetics of the novel indocyanine compound and a device for measuring biokinetics, and a method and a device for visualizing circulation of fluid such as blood in a living body, which utilize the diagnostic composition. Also, found are a novel indocyanine compound in which a hydrophobic moiety in a near-infrared fluorescent indocyanine molecule is included in a cavity of a cyclic sugar chain cyclodextrin to cover the hydrophobic moiety in the indocyanine molecule with the glucose, and a synthesis method and a purification method thereof. Furthermore, found are a method for fluorescence-imaging an organ other than liver by intravenous administration, a method for evaluating biokinetics of the novel indocyanine compound, a device for measuring biokinetics, and a method and a device for visualizing circulation of fluid such as blood in a living body, utilizing the diagnostic composition including the novel indocyanine compound.
US09844602B2

The present invention provides a composition comprising an antibody or fragment thereof against oxidized Collagen II (CII) in which the antibody or fragment thereof is conjugated to a pharmaceutically active moiety. The invention also provides a composition comprising an antibody or fragment thereof against oxidized Collagen II (Gil) and a detectable label. The invention further provides the use of such compositions in medicine, in particular for the treatment of an arthropathy, and in methods of diagnosis.
US09844597B2

The present invention provides compositions, and related kits and methods, for formation of hydrogels. The compositions comprise one or more chemically crosslinkable agents dissolved in an aqueous solution to form a precursor solution. The chemically crosslinkable agents useful in the present invention are selected from polymers modified with a molecule selected from acrylate, maleimide, vinylsulfone, N-hydroxysuccinimide, aldehyde, ketone, carbodiimide, carbonate, iodoacetyl, mercaptonicotinamide, quinone, thiol, amine, and combinations thereof. The precursor solution is characterized as being in an aqueous form at a non-physiologic physical-chemical condition and undergoing gelation when in contact with another fluid or body at a physiologic physical-chemical condition.
US09844591B2

The present invention relates to a polypeptide comprising at least three peptide fragments consisting of 10 to 50 consecutive amino acid residues of at least one wild-type allergen fused to the N- and C-terminus of a surface polypeptide of a virus of the hepadnaviridae family or at least one fragment of said surface polypeptide.
US09844589B2

The invention relates to HIV-1 envelope polypeptides comprising the consensus envelope of SEQ ID NO: 35, compositions comprising these envelopes and methods for using same.
US09844588B2

A vaccine composition for prophylaxis and treatment of Chikungunya virus infections is disclosed which is capable of conferring immunity against any genotypic variants of the Chikungunya virus. More particularly the invention discloses particular nucleotide sequences and their translated proteins thereof, which may be expressed as Virus Like Particles which for use as a vaccine antigens against Chikungunya virus infections. The compositions disclosed in this invention are also protective against any genotypic variants of the Chikungunya virus which may be propagated by any suitable vector of the disease including Aedis albopictus and Aedis aegypti.
US09844585B2

An embodiment of the invention is directed to a microfabricated, silicon-based, Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) device. The device comprises a silicon shank portion, at least one individual parylene channel disposed along at least a part of an entire length of the shank, wherein the channel has one or more dimensioned fluid exit ports disposed at one or more respective locations of the channel and a fluid (drug) input opening. The fluid input opening may be configured or adapted to be connected to a fluid reservoir and/or a pump and/or a meter and/or a valve or other suitable control device(s) or apparatus that supplies and/or delivers fluid (e.g., a drug) to the microfabricated device. The device may have multiple channels disposed side by side or in different surfaces of the device. The device may be rigid, or flexible, in which case a flexible device can be attached to a bio-degradable support scaffold that provides sufficient structural rigidity for insertion of the device into the target tissue. In certain “functionalized” embodiments of the invention, the CED device is equipped with integrated electrodes and/or a sensor (e.g., glutamate) to detect and convey selective parametric information. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a CED method for drugs and/or other agents. The method may comprise the delivery of enzymes or other materials to modify tissue permeability and improve drug diffusion. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for making a device for CED of drugs.
US09844583B2

Nucleic acids encoding modified myosin heavy-chain-associated RNA transcripts are provided. The modified myosin heavy-chain-associated RNA transcripts belongs to a cluster of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) and bind to chromatin remodeler Brg1 to inhibit Brg1's genomic targeting and gene regulation function. The modified myosin heavy-chain-associated RNA transcripts expressed in an individual inhibit Brg1's gene regulation function and protect the heart of the individual from myopathy and failure. One of the modified heavy-chain-associated RNAs is a 400 base pair fragment segmented from a natural 779 base pair sequence of Mhrt (Mhrt779) and has the same cardioprotective effects as the Mhrt779.
US09844576B2

The present disclosure provides Diels-Alder adducts of chalcone and prenylphenyl moieties capable of modulating the activity of cannabinoid receptors, and to oligomers of flavan-3-ol capable of modulating fat absorption and storage. Such Diels-Alder adducts of chalcone and prenylphenyl moieties or oligomers of flavan-3-ol can optionally be used in combination with other weight management agents, such as anorectic agents, a lipase inhibitors, other cannabinoid receptor modulators, psychotropic agents, insulin sensitizers, stimulants, or satiety agents, as well as to methods of use thereof such as treating or preventing weight gain or obesity, promoting weight loss, appetite suppression, modifying satiety, or the like.
US09844566B2

The proposed compositions and methods for preparation thereof relate to pharmacology, medicine, veterinary science and pharmaceutical industry. The compositions can be used for preparing infusion solutions of antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) preparations increasing therapeutic efficiency thereof. The compositions include nanostructured colloidal silica and are efficient when treating overwhelming sepsis of tested animals. The pharmaceutical compositions have a proven and significant clinically important potentiating impact on therapeutic efficiency of the infusion solution, when treating inflammatory diseases, in comparison with traditional solvents.
US09844556B2

The present invention provides a method for the prevention and treatment of complications after cataract surgery such as secondary cataract and anterior capsule contraction that occur after cataract operation.The present invention relates to a preventive/therapeutic method comprising administering to a subject a medicine containing 4-fluoro-5-{[(2S)-2-methyl-1,4-diazepan-1-yl]sulfonyl}isoquinoline (Ripasudil) or a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof as an active ingredient.
US09844555B2

New oxathiazin-like compounds and their derivatives are useful as antineoplastic and antimicrobial agents. Compositions and methods of using oxathiazin-like compounds and their derivatives are disclosed.
US09844553B2

This invention relates to pyrazolopyridyl compounds of the structural formula: or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, wherein the variable are defined herein. The inventive compounds selectively inhibit aldosterone synthase. This invention also provides for pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of Formula I or their salts as well as potentially to methods for the treatment, amelioration or prevention of conditions that could be treated by inhibiting aldosterone synthase.
US09844552B2

Disclosed are methods of treating fibrosis in a patient, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an ACK inhibitor (e.g., a BTK inhibitor, such as for example an irreversible BTK inhibitor, such as for example, ibrutinib).
US09844545B2

An oral methylphenidate extended release tablet is described, which can be scored and still retain its extended release profile. The tablet contains a combination of an uncoated methylphenidate-ion exchange resin complex, a barrier coated methylphenidate-ion exchange resin complex-matrix, and an uncomplexed methylphenidate active component. Following administration of a single dose of the extended release methylphenidate chewable tablet, a therapeutically effective amount of methylphenidate is reached in less than about 20 minutes and the composition provides a twelve-hour extended release profile.
US09844540B2

Provided are methods for treating cancer in a patient by administering at least antibiotic selected from the group consisting of clofazimine, rifabutin and clarithromycin, in combination with an aryladamantane compound. In an embodiment, the aryladamantane compound is [3-(4-chlorophenyl)-adamantane-1-carboxylic acid (pyridin-4-ylmethyl)amide], or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US09844537B2

The invention provides compositions and methods for the treatment of presbyopia. The compositions preferably comprise aceclidine and a polyol. The compositions optionally contain a cycloplegic agent, a surfactant, a viscosity enhancer, an osmolarity modifier and a preservative.
US09844533B2

The invention encompasses methods for inhibiting histamine release pathways in a companion animal, for example, felines and in treating or preventing idiopathic cystitis or interstitial cystitis. The compositions and methods of the invention include an amount of lipoic acid that is effective in inhibiting histamine release pathways in a companion animal, for example, felines and in treating or preventing idiopathic cystitis or interstitial cystitis.
US09844525B2

The present invention relates to the use of polyunsaturated fatty acids and one or more components which have a beneficial effect on total methionine metabolism selected from the group consisting of vitamin B 12 and precursors thereof, vitamin B6 and derivatives thereof, folic acid, zinc and magnesium, in the manufacture of a preparation for improving the action of receptors. This preparation is advantageously applied in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, epilepsy, schizophrenia, paranoia, depression, sleep disorders, impaired memory function, psychoses, dementia and ADHD.
US09844519B1

A method of treating TDP-43 proteinopathies such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and fronto-temporal lobar dementia is presented herein. It was found that administering hexachlorophene to cells expressing endogenous TDP-43 or overexpressing wild-type TDP-43 reduced accumulation of TDP-43 in the cells.
US09844517B2

Disclosed are nutritional formulations including predigested fats that can be administered to preterm infants, infants, toddlers, and children for improving tolerance, digestion, and absorption of nutrients and for reducing the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, colic, and short bowel syndrome. The predigested fats include fatty acid-containing monoglycerides and/or a fatty acid component.
US09844515B2

The invention is concerned with a transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) comprising buprenorphine and a method of manufacturing such a TTS. The transdermal therapeutic system is used for the transdermal administration of buprenorphine and analogues thereof. In particular, the invention relates to the use of a transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) for analgesic purposes. The TTS according to the invention comprises a transdermal drug delivery composition comprising buprenorphine and an adhesive component, which is a mixture of a crosslinked and a non-crosslinked acrylic polymer and a penetration enhancer comprising a keto acid.
US09844509B2

This application provides a high throughput method of making nanoparticles that utilizes plates comprising wells (e.g., 96-well plates).
US09844502B2

A make-up composition is for the skin, is prepared by a process and used in a makeup method. The cosmetic composition is intended for making up the skin. The composition has from 75 to 98% by weight of a powder or a mixture of powders, as well as at least one cosmetically acceptable fatty phase having at least one oil. The composition additionally includes a block copolymer of at least one styrene polymer and of at least one olefin polymer, the olefin being other than styrene, or a mixture of these block copolymers.
US09844500B2

The process of the invention provides for a preventive hair treatment with buffering agent, in particular glyoxylic acid in combination with mechanical straightening with hair straightening iron at temperature of approximately 200° C.+/−50° C.
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