US09905554B2

Provided are a silicon carbide semiconductor device that is capable of preventing breakdown voltage degradation in the edge termination structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The p-type regions 31, 32 and the p-type region 33, which serves as an electric field relaxation region and is connected to the first p-type base regions 10, are positioned under the step-like portion 40, and the bottom surfaces of the p-type regions 31, 32, 33 are substantially flatly connected to the bottom surface of the first p-type base regions 10. The first base regions have an impurity concentration of 4×1017 cm−3 or higher. The p-type region 33 is designed to have a lower impurity concentration than the first base regions 10 and higher than the p-type regions 31, 32. In this way, the breakdown voltage degradation in the edge termination structure 102 can be prevented.
US09905540B1

A fan-out package may include a core supporter having a through hole, a first semiconductor chip disposed on a first surface of the core supporter in a way that a portion of the first semiconductor chip is exposed by the through hole, a second semiconductor chip disposed on a second surface of the core supporter, a first photosensitive dielectric layer disposed on the first surface of the core supporter to cover the first semiconductor chip, a second photosensitive dielectric layer disposed on the second surface of the core supporter to cover the second semiconductor chip and to fill the through hole, a first trace pattern disposed on the second photosensitive dielectric layer, and a first conductive via penetrating the second photosensitive dielectric layer in the through hole to be connected to both of the first trace pattern and the first semiconductor chip.
US09905538B2

A chip-stacked semiconductor package includes a first chip having a first front surface, a first back surface, and a first connection member on the first front surface, the first back surface being opposite to the first front surface; a second chip having a second front surface, a second back surface, a second connection member and a first through-silicon via (TSV) electrically connected to the second connection member, the second back surface opposite to the second front surface, and the second connection member on the second front face; and a first sealing member between the first front surface and the second front surface, the first sealing member filling a space between the first connection member and the second connection member, the first connection member of the first chip and the second connection member of the second chip being symmetric with respect to each other.
US09905536B2

A semiconductor device is provided including a package substrate, and a plurality of semiconductor chips stacked above the package substrate, at least one of the plurality of semiconductor chips including a step part in a periphery edge part of a rear surface.
US09905535B2

A semiconductor package and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor package may include a first semiconductor chip with a first circuit pattern, a second semiconductor chip disposed on the first semiconductor chip and provided with a second circuit pattern, and first and second connection structures penetrating the first and second semiconductor chips. The first connection structure may be electrically connected to the first circuit pattern and may be electrically disconnected from the second circuit pattern. The second connection structure may be electrically disconnected from the first circuit pattern and may be electrically connected to the second circuit pattern.
US09905533B2

A method for producing a semiconductor arrangement, said method includes fastening a semiconductor on a base element by means of a sintered layer, wherein a side of the sintered layer which faces the base element is configured planar; and perforating a region of the base element, which directly contacts the sinter, wherein the perforating includes generating a plurality of through-openings having a closed border in the region of the base element for adjusting a stiffness of at least a portion of the base element in a targeted manner
US09905522B1

Implementations of semiconductor packages may include: a silicon die including a pad, the pad including aluminum and copper; a passivation layer over at least a portion of the silicon die and a layer of one of a polyimide (PI) a polybenzoxazole (PBO), or a polymer resin coupled to the passivation layer. The package may include a first copper layer coupled over the pad, the first copper layer being about 1 microns to about 20 microns thick; a second copper layer coupled over the first copper layer, the second copper layer may be about 5 microns to about 40 microns thick; where a width of the first copper layer above the pad may be wider than a width of the second copper layer above the pad. The first and second copper layers may be configured to bond with a heavy copper wire or solder with a copper clip.
US09905519B1

An electronic structure process includes the following steps. A redistribution structure and a carrier plate are provided. A plurality of first bonding protruding portions and a first supporting structure are formed on the redistribution structure. A first encapsulated material is formed and filled between a first opening and the first bonding protruding portions. The carrier plate is removed. A plurality of second bonding protruding portions and a second supporting structure are formed on the redistribution structure. A second encapsulated material is formed and filled between a second opening and the second bonding protruding portions.
US09905515B2

The present invention provides an integrated circuit (IC) package with stress releasing structure. The IC package comprises: a metal plane, a substrate, an IC chip, and an IC fill layer. The metal plane has at least one first etching line for separating the metal plane into a plurality of areas. The substrate is formed on metal layer. The IC chip is formed on the substrate, and the IC fill layer is formed around the IC chip. The at least one first etching line forms at least one half cut line in the metal plane and the substrate.
US09905500B2

In accordance with an embodiment, a semiconductor component includes a support having a first device receiving structure and a second device receiving structure and a contact extension that is common to the first and second device receiving structures. The first device receiving structure includes a device receiving area and the second device receiving structure includes a drain contact area. A III-N based semiconductor chip has a drain bond pad bonded to the drain contact area and a source bond pad bonded to the contact extension and a gate bond pad bonded to an interconnect. A portion of the silicon based semiconductor chip is bonded to the support device receiving area. In accordance with another embodiment, a method for manufacturing the semiconductor component includes coupling a III-N based semiconductor chip to a portion of the support a silicon based semiconductor chip to another portion of the support.
US09905499B2

[Object] A semiconductor device is configured to release heat from semiconductor chips more efficiently. [Means for Solution] A semiconductor device includes: a die pad 11 which has a die pad main surface 111 and a die pad rear surface 112; a semiconductor chip 41 mounted on the die pad main surface 111; a sealing resin portion 7 formed with a recess 75 for exposure of the die pad rear surface 11 and covering the die pad 11 and the semiconductor chip 41; and a heat releasing layer 6 disposed in the recess 75. The recess 75 has a recess groove 753 outside the die pad 11 in a direction in which the die pad rear surface 112 extends, and the recess groove 753 is closer to the die pad main surface 111 than to the die pad rear surface 112. The heat releasing layer 6 has a junction layer which is in contact with the die pad rear surface 112 and having part thereof filling the recess groove 753.
US09905492B2

Improved methods and systems for passivating a surface of a high-mobility semiconductor and structures and devices formed using the methods are disclosed. The method includes providing a high-mobility semiconductor surface to a chamber of a reactor and exposing the high-mobility semiconductor surface to a gas-phase sulfur precursor to passivate the high-mobility semiconductor surface.
US09905488B2

The present disclosure provides an array substrate, its manufacturing method and a display device. The array substrate includes operating circuit interfaces, testing interfaces, and testing lines connecting the operating circuit interfaces and the testing interfaces. Each testing line includes at least one cut-off point, and conductive contacts extending to an upper surface of the array substrate are arranged at two sides of each cut-off point of the testing line. When testing an operating circuit, electrically connecting the conductive contacts at two sides of each cut-off point enables the testing line to be conductive.
US09905480B1

A method includes forming a first nitride layer on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first oxide layer on the first nitride layer, forming a first trench through the first oxide layer, the first nitride layer and a portion of the semiconductor substrate, forming a first spacer on a sidewall of the first trench, forming a second trench in the semiconductor substrate by using the first spacer as a mask, forming a third trench, forming a second oxide layer in the second trench, wherein the second oxide layer laterally extends into the semiconductor substrate and under the first spacer, forming a second spacer on a sidewall of the third trench, and removing a portion of the first nitride layer and a portion of the semiconductor substrate by etching and using the second spacer as a mask to form a fin structure on the second oxide layer.
US09905475B2

A method includes isolating a first and at least a second region on a semiconductor substrate, and forming one or more devices on each of the first and at least second regions. Forming the one or more devices includes forming at least one gate structures in each of the first and at least second regions on a first surface of the substrate, depositing a spacer over the gate structures in each of the first and the at least second regions and over the first surface of the substrate, etching horizontal portions of the spacer in the first region, growing epitaxial portions in the first region in alignment with said at least one gate structure in the first region, oxidizing exposed surfaces of the epitaxial portions in the first region, and repeating the etching, growing and oxidizing steps for the at least second region.
US09905468B2

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the semiconductor devices are provided. The methods may include forming a fin, forming a first device isolating layer on a side of the fin, forming a second device isolating layer extending through the first device isolating layer, forming first and second gates traversing the fin and forming a third device isolating layer between the first and second gates. The first device isolating layer may include a first material and a lowermost surface at a first depth. The second device isolating layer may include a second material and a lowermost surface at a second depth greater than the first depth. The third device isolating layer may extend into the fin, may include a lowermost surface at a third depth less than the first depth and a third material different from the first and the second materials.
US09905465B2

Various embodiments provide semiconductor structures and methods for forming the same. In an exemplary structure, a substrate has a device region, a seal ring region surrounding the device region, and a dielectric layer disposed thereon. A first seal ring structure is located within the dielectric layer on the seal ring region, and includes a plurality of first connection layers overlappingly disposed and separated by the dielectric layer. At least one first connection layer is formed by a plurality of discrete sub-connection layers. The first seal ring structure further includes a plurality of first conductive plugs between vertically adjacent first connection layers. A top of each first conductive plug is connected to an upper first connection layer. A bottom of each first conductive plug between at least two vertically adjacent first connection layers extends into the dielectric layer between horizontally adjacent sub-connection layers of a lower first connection layer.
US09905463B2

According to an embodiment of the present invention, self-aligned gate cap, comprises a gate located on a substrate; a gate cap surrounding a side of the gate; a contact region self-aligned to the gate; and a low dielectric constant oxide having a dielectric constant of less than 3.9 located on top of the gate. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a self-aligned contact comprises removing at least a portion of an interlayer dielectric layer to expose a top surface of a gate cap located on a substrate; recessing the gate cap to form a recessed area; depositing a low dielectric constant oxide having a dielectric constant of less than 3.9 in the recessed area; and polishing a surface of the low dielectric constant oxide to expose a contact area.
US09905454B2

In one embodiment, a substrate support assembly includes a susceptor for supporting a substrate, and a supporting transfer mechanism coupled to the susceptor, the supporting transfer mechanism having a surface for supporting a peripheral edge of the substrate, the supporting transfer mechanism being movable relative to an upper surface of the susceptor.
US09905452B2

In a method of fabricating element chips, a method of forming a mask pattern, and a method of processing a substrate, a process sequence is set such that developing in which the exposure-ended protection film is patterned is performed, after grinding in which the substrate is thinned by grinding a second surface opposite to a first surface to which a photosensitive protection film is pasted. Thereby, it is possible to perform the grinding for thinning in a state where the protection film is stable without being patterned, and to prevent the substrate or the protection film on which a mask pattern of the substrate is formed from being damaged at the time of the grinding, even in a case where a thin substrate of a wafer shape becomes a target.
US09905449B2

An electrostatic chuck includes: a ceramic dielectric substrate having a first major surface, a second major surface, and a through-hole; a metallic base plate which has a gas introduction path that communicates with the through-hole; and a bonding layer which is provided between the ceramic dielectric substrate and the base plate and includes a resin material. The bonding layer has a space which is provided between an opening of the through-hole in the second major surface and the gas introduction path and is larger than the opening in a horizontal direction, and a first area in which an end face of the bonding layer on a side of the space intersects with the second major surface being recessed from the opening further than a second area of the end face which is different from the first area.
US09905439B2

A power module package is provided, including a substrate, a first chip, and a second chip. The substrate includes a metal carrier, a patterned insulation layer disposed on the metal carrier and partially covering the metal carrier, and a patterned conductive layer disposed on the patterned insulation layer. The first chip is disposed on the metal carrier not covered by the patterned insulation layer. The second chip is disposed on the patterned conductive layer and electrically connected to the first chip.
US09905437B2

A method of producing a bonded body is disclosed in which a ceramic member made of ceramics and a Cu member made of Cu or a Cu alloy are bonded to each other, the method including: a laminating step of laminating the ceramic member and the Cu member in a state where a Cu—P-based brazing filler material containing 3 mass % to 10 mass % of P and an active metal material are interposed therebetween; and a heating step of heating the ceramic member and the Cu member which are laminated.
US09905434B2

The invention relates to a method for fabricating an array substrate, an array substrate and a display device. The method for fabricating an array substrate may comprise: forming a metal thin film layer for a source electrode, a drain electrode and a data line; forming a non-crystalline semiconductor thin film layer on the metal thin film layer; and performing annealing, so as to at least partly convert the non-crystalline semiconductor thin film layer into a metal semiconductor compound. By at least partly converting the non-crystalline semiconductor thin film layer into a metal semiconductor compound, the resulting metal semiconductor compound may prevent oxidative-corrosion of the metal thin film layer, such as a low-resistance metal (e.g., Cu or Ti) layer, in the subsequent procedures, which is favorable for the fabrication of a metal oxide thin film transistor using Cu or Ti.
US09905431B2

In the present invention, a dry etching method for plasma etching a second laminated film in which a first laminated film in which a silicon-containing film and a silicon dioxide film are laminated is laminated in plurality and an inorganic film arranged over the second laminated film, includes etching the inorganic film and the second laminated film by a mixed gas of an NF3 gas and a CH3F gas.
US09905428B2

A semiconductor device includes a split-gate lateral extended drain MOS transistor, which includes a first gate and a second gate laterally adjacent to the first gate. The first gate is laterally separated from the second gate by a gap of 10 nanometers to 250 nanometers. The first gate extends at least partially over the body, and the second gate extends at least partially over a drain drift region. The drain drift region abuts the body at a top surface of the substrate. A boundary between the drain drift region and the body at the top surface of the substrate is located under at least one of the first gate, the second gate and the gap between the first gate and the second gate. The second gate may be coupled to a gate bias voltage node or a gate signal node.
US09905409B2

Embodiments of the present invention feature devices and methods for performing mass analysis. One embodiment of the device comprises an inlet housing for mounting on the first wall between the area of low pressure and the area of high pressure. The inlet housing has passages and restrictions which can be adjusted with respect to a sample plume or changed by substituting alternative inlet housings.
US09905405B1

A method of generating an inclusion list for targeted mass spectrometric analysis is disclosed. Experimentally-acquired data for a plurality of isobarically-labeled peptides of interest is received at a computer. The data includes, for each of the isobarically-labeled peptides, a mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio, a charge state, and a chromatographic retention time. Predicted properties for a corresponding unlabeled peptide are determined via the computer. The predicted properties include a predicted m/z, a predicted charge state, and a predicted chromatographic retention time. The predicted properties for each corresponding unlabeled peptide are stored to the inclusion list. The predicted chromatographic retention time for the corresponding unlabeled peptide is determined based on hydrophobicity indices of the isobarically-labeled peptide and the corresponding unlabeled peptide, and chromatographic conditions for the targeted mass spectrometric analysis.
US09905402B2

An optimized plasma processing chamber configured to provide a current path is provided. The optimized plasma processing chamber includes at least an upper electrode, a powered lower electrode, a heating plate, a cooling plate, a plasma chamber lid, and clamp ring. Both the heating plate and the cooling plate are disposed above the upper electrode whereas the heating plate is configured to heat the upper electrode while the cooling plate is configured to cool the upper electrode. The clamp ring is configured to secure the upper electrode to a plasma chamber lid and to provide a current path from the upper electrode to the plasma chamber lid. A pocket may be formed between the clamp ring and the upper electrode to hold at least the heater plate, wherein the pocket is configured to allow longitudinal and lateral tolerances for thermal expansion of the heater plate from repetitive thermal cycling.
US09905401B2

A reactive sputtering apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate holder provided in the chamber, a target holder which is provided in the chamber and configured to hold a target, a deposition shield plate which is provided in the chamber so as to form a sputtering space between the target holder and the substrate holder, and prevents a sputter particle from adhering to an inner wall of the chamber, a reactive gas introduction pipe configured to introduce a reactive gas into the sputtering space, an inert gas introduction port which introduces an inert gas into a space that falls outside the sputtering space and within the chamber, and a shielding member which prevents a sputter particle from the target mounted on the target holder from adhering to an introduction port of the reactive gas introduction pipe upon sputtering.
US09905399B2

The invention relates to a method for operating a pulsed discontinuous spark discharge. The spark is fed via a capacitor. Between the pulses there are switched-off time intervals during which no spark current flows. Within the pulses, that is to say during the switched-on time intervals, the supply of charge is stopped upon a current threshold being reached and is restarted, with the result that subpulses occur within the pulses. The time intervals and subpulses are chosen according to the invention such that when the capacitor is switched on again, the spark discharge readily ignites again.
US09905396B1

An apparatus an ion beam generator to provide an ion beam. A scanning system may receive the ion beam and provide a scanned beam. An electrode may receive the scanned beam. At least a portion of the electrode is normal to a propagation direction of the scanned beam. The portion of the electrode that is normal to the propagation direction the scan beam may have a curved shape.
US09905393B2

A stage apparatus is provided including a base, a table that is movable relative to the base, a drive mechanism that moves the table, a pressing mechanism that presses the table, a position detection device that detects a location of the table, and a control device that controls the pressing mechanism. The table is moved in a predetermined moving direction relative to the base by the drive mechanism. The table is pressed by the pressing mechanism in a direction different from the moving direction. The control device, which is connected to the position detection device, controls the pressing mechanism to press the table at a stop position of the table. The control device controls the pressing mechanism based on locations of the table before and after being pressed, a correction amount indicating a difference between the locations, and a target location of the table.
US09905392B2

An ionic liquid ion source can include a microfabricated body including a base and a tip. The body can be formed of a porous material compatible with at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt. The body can have a pore size gradient that decreases from the base of the body to the tip of the body, such that the at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt is capable of being transported through capillarity from the base to the tip.
US09905390B2

A mechanism for cooling the anode of an x-ray tube using a phase change material to transfer heat away from the anode. The x-ray tube is joined to a sealed heat exchange chamber which contains a liquid metal as a liquid to vapor phase change material (L-V PCM). The back side of the anode is exposed to an interior of the heat exchange chamber, and a jet sprayer inside the heat exchange chamber sprays a liquid of the metal onto the back side of the heated anode. The L-C PCM evaporates on that surface to carry away the heat, and the vapor then condenses back into the liquid on the cool surfaces of the heat exchange chamber. The surfaces of the heat exchange chamber may be cooled by convection cooling. Optionally, pipes containing a circulating cooling fluid may be provide inside the heat exchange chamber.
US09905387B2

A circuit breaker includes an electrically insulative case including a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The circuit breaker further includes an end cover selectively installable on both the first and second ends of the electrically insulative case. The end cover includes a wall defining at least one opening for receiving a removable shield, a first end connectable to the electrically insulative case first end, and a second end connectable to the electrically insulative case second end.
US09905375B2

Provided is a nonaqueous electrolytic solution that provides an electric double layer capacitor having excellent durability. The nonaqueous electrolytic solution is prepared by dissolving a quaternary ammonium salt as an electrolyte in a nonaqueous solvent, and the nonaqueous electrolytic solution comprises a diethylpyrrolidinium salt and/or a 1-ethyl-1,3-dimethylpyrrolidinium salt.
US09905355B2

A coil component includes a first core, a second core, a lead wire, an outside mark, and an inside mark. The first core includes a winding portion and a pair of core ends. The second core connects a pair of the core ends and includes an inside surface and an outside surface. The lead wire is wound around the winding portion. The outside mark is formed on the outside surface of the second core and designed to change its arrangement at the time of rotating the second core by 90 degrees in a rotational direction whose central axis is along a normal direction of the outside surface. The inside mark with undulation is formed on the inside surface of the second core and designed to change its arrangement at the time of rotating the second core by 90 degrees in the rotational direction.
US09905352B2

The invention relates to an inductor (1) having a coil (2) and a core (3), wherein the core (3) is made of a Soft Magnetic Composite (SMC), the coil (2) is composed of a annularly wound electrical conductor, the coil (2) is substantially integrated into said core (3) so that the core (3) material acts as a thermal conductor having thermal conductivity above 1.5 W/m*K more preferably 2 W/m*K most preferably 3 W/m*K, conducting heat from said coil (2), wherein the inductor (1) is in thermal connection with at least one thermal connecting fixture (10-25), wherein said at least one thermal connecting fixture (10-25) is adapted to be connected to a first external heat receiver (4) so as to conduct heat from the inductor to said first external heat receiver (4).
US09905345B2

Coatings for magnetic materials, such as rare earth magnets, are described. The coatings are designed to reduce or prevent the release of one or both of nickel and cobalt from the coatings or from the underlying magnetic material. The coatings are designed to resist corrosion and release of nickel and cobalt when exposed to moist conditions. The coatings are also designed to be robust enough to withstand damage due to scratch forces. In some embodiments, the coatings include multiple layers of one or of metal and non-metal materials. The coated magnets are well suited for use in the manufacture of wearable consumer products.
US09905342B2

Provided are a metal nitride material for a thermistor, which has a high reliability and a high heat resistance and can be directly deposited on a film or the like without firing, a method for producing the same, and a film type thermistor sensor. The metal nitride material for a thermistor consists of a metal nitride represented by the general formula: CrxAlyNz (0.70≦y/(x+y)≦0.95, 0.4≦z≦0.5, and x+y+z=1), wherein the crystal structure thereof is a hexagonal wurtzite-type single phase. The method for producing the metal nitride material for a thermistor includes a deposition step of performing film deposition by reactive sputtering in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere using a Cr—Al alloy sputtering target.
US09905341B2

Provided are a metal nitride material for a thermistor, which exhibits high reliability and high heat resistance and can be directly deposited on a film or the like without firing, a method for producing the metal nitride material for a thermistor, and a film type thermistor sensor. The metal nitride material for a thermistor consists of a metal nitride represented by the general formula: TixAlyNz (where 0.70≦y/(x+y)≦0.95, 0.4≦z≦0.5, and x+y+z=1), and the crystal structure thereof is a hexagonal wurtzite-type single phase.
US09905340B2

A method for manufacturing a chip resistive element including a substrate, a resistor formed on the substrate, and electrodes connected to opposite ends of the resistor, the method including an electrode forming step of forming the electrodes on the substrate. The electrode forming step includes a step of forming a first electrode layer on the substrate using a first electrode material containing silver, and a step of forming a second electrode layer on the first electrode layer using a second electrode material containing silver and palladium. The first electrode material has a higher silver content than the second electrode material.
US09905327B2

A metal conducting structure includes a first metal conducting layer, a second metal conducting layer, and a third metal conducting layer. The first metal conducting layer consists of a first polymer material and first metal particles. The first metal conducting layer is covered by the second metal conducting layer which is a structure with pores, the structure consists of second metal particles. The second metal conducting layer is covered by the third metal conducting layer. The pores of the second metal conducting layer are filled with a metal material of the third metal conducting layer.
US09905309B2

A one-time programmable (OTP) memory device includes an OTP memory cell array comprising a plurality of dummy cells and a plurality of main cell groups of main cells and an access circuit configured to write data to at least two of the cells simultaneously. The arrangement of the dummy cells and the main cell groups may allow for the reliable writing of multi-bit data to the memory array. Each of the main cell groups may include a plurality of main cells which are connected to word lines, respectively, and to bit lines, respectively. Each of the main cells may be writable and each of the dummy cells may be unwritable. Each of the main cells may include a contact layer, and the dummy cells might not include the contact layer. A supply voltage may be applied to the OTP memory cell array through the contact layer.
US09905303B2

In one implementation, flash memory chips are provided with an operating power supply voltage to substantially match a power supply voltage expected at an edge connector of a dual inline memory module. The one or more of the flash memory chips and a memory support application integrated circuit (ASIC) may be mounted together into a multi-chip package for integrated circuits. The one or more flash memory chips and the memory support ASIC may be electrically coupled together by routing one or more conductors between each in the multi-chip package. The multi-chip package may be mounted onto a printed circuit board (PCB) of a flash memory DIMM to reduce the number of packages mounted thereto and reduce the height of the flash memory DIMM. The number of printed circuit board layers may also be reduced, such as by integrating address functions into the memory support ASIC.
US09905289B1

In general, embodiments of the technology relate to improving read performance of solid-state storage by using decoding parameters deemed particularly suitable for the read operation that is currently being performed. More specifically, embodiments of the technology relate to using different decoding parameters when a read operation needs to be repeated because the initial read operation has failed.
US09905287B2

An apparatus includes an interface and a circuit. The interface may be configured to generate a read signal that carries read data from a memory channel. The circuit may be configured to (i) modify the read signal with a de-emphasis on each pull up of the read signal and a pre-emphasis on each pull down of the read signal and (ii) transfer the read signal as modified to a memory controller.
US09905285B2

A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, a refresh controller configured to perform a plurality of refresh operations on the plurality of memory cells in response to a plurality of refresh commands from an external device, and a refresh counter configured to count a number of the refresh commands for a fixed period of time and compare the counted number with a threshold. The refresh counter is configured to generate a power failure signal to cause the DRAM device to enter a power failure mode in response to the comparison of the counted number with the threshold. The refresh controller is configured to perform a refresh operation on the plurality of memory cells without control of the external device in the power failure mode.
US09905280B2

Methods and apparatuses for increasing the voltage budget window of a memory array are disclosed. One or more pre-bias voltages may be applied across a selected cell by providing voltages to memory access lines coupled to the selected cell. The threshold voltage of the selected cell may decrease responsive to the pre-bias voltage. Conversely, threshold voltage of deselected cells coupled to only one of the memory access lines coupled to the selected cell may increase responsive to the pre-bias voltage. The decrease of the threshold voltage of the selected cell and the increase of the threshold voltage of the deselected cells may increase the voltage window of the memory array.
US09905278B2

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having non-volatile memory cells, a data line associated with a group of non-volatile memory cells of the non-volatile memory cells, a first transistor coupled to the data line and a node, a second transistor coupled to the node and an additional node, a pull-up component coupled to the node and a supply node, and an additional pull-up component coupled to the additional node and the supply node.
US09905273B2

An apparatus includes an actuator assembly, a dampening assembly coupled to the actuator assembly, and a vibration sensor assembly coupled to the dampening assembly and coupled to the actuator assembly by way of the dampening assembly. A method includes attaching a dampening assembly to an actuator assembly and attaching a vibration sensor assembly to the dampening assembly. The dampening assembly is positioned between the vibration sensor assembly and the actuator assembly.
US09905259B2

Provided herein is a method, including forming a first template including a first pattern, wherein forming the first template includes self-assembly of diblock copolymers guided by an initial pattern; forming a second template including a second pattern, wherein the second pattern corresponds to a servo pattern; and forming a master template from the first template, wherein the master template includes one or more portions of the first pattern combined with the second pattern.
US09905242B2

A signal analysis device includes: a signal reception unit which receives an input signal containing a plurality of constituent elements; and a signal analysis unit which generates analysis information indicating the relationship between the constituent elements from the input signal.
US09905231B2

The present invention relates to an audio signal processing method, comprising the steps of: receiving a bit-stream containing a normal channel signal and an exceptional channel signal; decoding the normal channel signal and the exceptional channel signal from the received bit-stream; generating correlation information using the decoded normal channel signal and the decoded exceptional channel signal; generating a gain value by at least one of a first downmix method applying the same downmix gain value using the correlation information and a second downmix method applying variable gain values over time; and outputting the exceptional channel signal as a plurality of channel signals using the gain value.
US09905227B2

Provided is a speech recognition system, including: a first information processing device including a speech recognition processing unit for receiving data to be used for speech recognition transmitted via a network, carrying out speech recognition processing, and returning resultant data; and a second information processing device connected to the first information processing device via the network. The second information processing device performs conversion of the data into data having a format that disables a content thereof from being perceived by application of a mapping function on phoneme ID's associated with the content, and also enables the speech recognition processing unit to perform the speech recognition processing. Thereafter, the second information processing device transmits the data to be used for the speech recognition by the speech recognition processing unit and constructs resultant data returned from the first information processing device into a content of a valid and perceivable recognition result.
US09905226B2

A voice command definition file (VCDF) declaratively defines voice commands for an application. For example, the VCDF may include definitions for: voice commands; one or more phrases/utterances that may be said to execute each of the commands; a navigation location to navigate to within the application (e.g. a page); phrase lists containing items that may be used as a parameter in a voice command; examples; feedback; and the like. A user may say a single utterance to launch the application, navigate to the associated location of the command and execute the command. The VCDF may define multiple ways to listen for a particular command. The VCDF may be edited/defined by a user and may include a user friendly name for an application. A speech engine loads the VCDF for use such that it may recognize the commands associated with an application. The definitions may be updated during runtime.
US09905218B2

Method and apparatus for diphone or concatenative synthesis to compensate for insufficient or missing diphones.
US09905215B2

A noise control method and device are provided that relate to the field of noise control. A noise control method includes: acquiring noise information of an ambient environment; and judging whether the noise information satisfies a predetermined condition, and if so, sending a noise control message to another device, the noise control message being used to notify the other device to adjust a volume. Another noise control method includes: receiving, by a device, a noise control message from an external device; and adjusting a volume based on a volume adjustment policy according to the noise control message and a current volume of the device. The noise control method and device in the embodiments of the present application may easily and quickly realize control over ambient noise, thereby improving user experience.
US09905208B1

A method for automatically forming a master digital audio track is disclosed. A processing device of a digital audio workstation (DAW) may receive a plurality of audio tracks. For each audio track of a plurality of audio tracks, the processing device may place one or more split points at one or more locations on the audio track to produce a plurality of segments that are free of sudden changes in one or more properties of a waveform corresponding to the track. For each audio track of a plurality of audio tracks, the processing device may score each segment of the plurality of segments according to at least one of how closely a pitch of the corresponding waveform is in tune and a degree to which the waveform in the segment surpasses a pre-determined threshold of volume. The processing device may align the plurality of segments of each track of the plurality of audio tracks according to corresponding split points across the plurality of audio tracks. The processing device may select one or more best scoring segments from the plurality of aligned segments to produce a suggested master digital audio track. The processing device may present the suggested master digital audio track in an editing window of a monitor associated with the DAW.
US09905194B2

A display driving integrated circuit is provided which drives a plurality of gate lines included in a display panel. The display driving integrated circuit includes: a charge pump configured to change a voltage from an external power source to generate an output voltage; and a gate line driver configured to drive the plurality of gate lines based on the output voltage. The charge pump may operate in one of a low-current mode and a high-current mode based on a size of the display panel.
US09905186B2

The present invention discloses a liquid crystal panel. The panel includes a display area that includes an array of pixel units formed thereon, a source controller, a gamma voltage control section, a gate controller, a chamfer voltage control section, and an image inspection section. The image inspection section classifies images into n classes according to ranking of grey level. The chamfer voltage control section is operated in response to the class of an image to control one of the n chamfer voltage circuits to supply the chamfer voltage to the gate controller and the gamma voltage control section is operated in responses to the class of the image to control one of the n gamma voltage circuits to supply the gamma voltage to the source controller, where n is an integer greater than 1. The present invention also discloses a driving method for the liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal display including the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel provided by the present invention allows for reduction of a feed-through voltage ΔV and at the same time reducing the difference of ΔV between high and low grey levels so as to enhance the displaying quality of the liquid crystal panel.
US09905182B2

A GOA driving circuit, a TFT display panel and a display device are disclosed. The GOA driving circuit includes: an input module configured for outputting first control signals in accordance with the received display scanning signals and the touch scanning signals; an output module configured for outputting the first output control signals in accordance with the first control signals and the first clock signals; a pull-down module configured for outputting pull-down signals in accordance with the first control signals, the second control signals and the low level signals; and a pull-down maintaining module configure for outputting the second output control signals in accordance with the pull-down signals, the high level signals, and the first clock signals. The DC source is adopted to charge/discharge Qn to keep Qn at a reasonable level, and the transfer capability is enhanced. In addition, the forward scanning and the backward scanning may be implemented.
US09905174B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel which includes gate lines, data lines crossing the gate lines, and pixels connected to the gate lines and the data lines; a timing controller for receiving a control signal and image data and for generating a gate control signal and a data control signal; a gate driver for generating a gate signal based on the gate control signal and outputting the gate signal to the gate lines; and a data driver for performing data conversion on the image data based on the data control signal and outputting a conversion result to the data lines, wherein the timing controller analyzes the image data frame by frame data and applies two or more inversion driving techniques to frame data.
US09905171B2

Correction processing is provided for a display having pixel circuits respectively including a display element and a drive transistor that is configured to provide a drive current to the display element according to a luminance information value. A control transistor is disposed on a current path that provides the drive current to a unit pixel group that includes two or more of the pixel circuits, and a correction processing section is configured to obtain a correction factor that is a function of the luminance information values respectively corresponding to each of the pixel circuits in the unit pixel group, and to perform a correction of the luminance information value for at least one of the pixel circuits in the unit pixel group based on the correction factor.
US09905170B2

A display assembly includes a display unit having a liquid crystal layer and an LED array configured to illuminate the liquid crystal layer. A driver circuit is operatively connected to the LED array and configured to control a luminance of the LED array. A control module is operatively connected to the display unit and includes a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for controlling the LED array in the display unit. The control module is programmed to obtain a junction temperature (TJ) of the LED array, via the driver circuit. The junction temperature (TJ) is based at least partially on a first voltage (V1), a second voltage (V2) and a predetermined coefficient (Tcoefficient). The control module may be programmed to enter one of a plurality of stages based at least partially on the junction temperature (TJ).
US09905169B2

Provided is a display device capable of implementing a small size thereof by reducing a size of a frame and capable of implementing low cost. A source control circuit is formed integrally with a substrate being provided to a backlight frame and mounting a light-emitting diode. The substrate performs a function as a substrate for the light-emitting diode and a function as a substrate for the source control circuit. Since both functions are configured to be performed in one substrate, a frame area may be narrow, and a small-sized display device may be implemented.
US09905167B2

An organic light emitting display device includes a controller to control a first area and a second area of a display based on a predetermined condition. The controller simultaneously controls the pixels in the first area to display an image and controls the pixels in the second area to display light having a same gray scale value. The predetermined condition may be a user command or an operational condition, power mode, or status of a host device. The same gray scale value may be a lowest gray scale value in a predetermined range. The first and second areas may have different contours, and may be located at respective main and peripheral display locations of the host device.
US09905166B2

The present disclosure relates to a pixel driving circuit, a display apparatus and a pixel driving method. The pixel driving circuit comprises a reset unit. The reset unit is arranged to enable the storage capacitor to store not only a data voltage but also a threshold voltage of the driving unit in the charging phase, to compensate for the driving unit in the driving phase, so that the operating current of the driving unit is not influenced by the threshold voltage. This eliminates the influence of the threshold voltage of the driving unit to the operating current of the driving unit. Further, the reset unit is moved outside an active display area, and is shared by a row of pixel driving circuits, which can significantly increase the aperture rate of the pixels.
US09905165B2

A display device comprises a display panel including a plurality of active pixels and a plurality of dummy pixels adjacent to the plurality of active pixels and a control unit controlling a pixel driving circuit formed in each of the active pixels and a dummy driving circuit formed in each of the dummy pixels. The dummy driving circuit includes a dummy driving transistor, an A dummy transistor, and a B dummy transistor, and a control terminal of the A dummy transistor is connected to a control terminal of the dummy driving transistor, and an input terminal of the A dummy transistor is connected to an output terminal of the B dummy transistor, and an output terminal of the A dummy transistor is connected to an output terminal of the dummy driving transistor.
US09905163B2

An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes: a pixel coupled to a scan line, a data line, a control line, and a power line, the pixel comprising an organic light-emitting diode configured to emit light in response to a data voltage; and a power supply unit configured to apply power source voltages of different levels during one frame period, wherein the pixel is configured to increase an anode voltage of the organic light-emitting diode in a scan period when the data voltage is inputted.
US09905161B2

An organic light emitting display device includes a display panel including a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of emission lines, and a plurality of pixels, a scan driver configured to provide a scan signal to the pixels via the scan lines, a data driver configured to provide a data signal to the pixels via the data lines, an emission driver including a plurality of emission stages for providing an emission signal to the pixels via the emission lines, and a controller configured to control the scan driver, the data driver, and the emission driver, wherein each of the emission stages includes a plurality of sub-stages dependently connected to each other, and wherein one of the sub-stages is configured to output the emission signal to one of the emission lines.
US09905158B2

A display device and a power control device capable of preventing the degradation of image quality that may occur unexpectedly by performing the sub-pixel luminance deviation compensation. The display device can include an analog-to-digital converter, a timing controller, a power generator, and a power controller, among other components. The power control device can include a power generator and a power controller, among other components.
US09905151B2

A display panel includes a plurality of first unit pixels, each including: a data input terminal, a data output terminal, a display element, and a waveform shaping section. The display element is configured to perform display based on data inputted to the data input terminal. The first waveform shaping section is provided on a signal path from the data input terminal to the data output terminal.
US09905139B2

An in-store adhesive marketing signage method that allows semi-rigid and rigid store signage cards to conform to store shelves includes placing a crease/score on the cards above a bump on a label holder. The crease/score then relieves force on the cards and thereby eliminates the initiation of peeling away from the label holder.
US09905136B2

A modular learning system provides user histories to a viewing user. The modular learning system maintains a database of activity items associated with a set of user roles allowed to view and interact with the activity items. The activity items are generated as users perform actions on the modular learning system. The modular learning system receives a request for a user history from a viewing user. The modular learning system verifies a viewing user's role and identified activity items that are accessible to the viewing user based on the viewing user role. The identified activity items are used to generate histories that are provided to the viewing user.
US09905135B2

A healthcare simulation system including a mannequin with active physiological characteristics, a display monitor adapted for displaying physiological parameters, and a computer for controlling the mannequin and the monitor. A healthcare simulation method including the steps of programming the computer with healthcare scenarios, operating active characteristics of the mannequin, and dynamically displaying physiological parameters corresponding to patient vital signs. Alternative aspects of the invention include tools, such as computers and other equipment, for obtaining and displaying information and for interconnecting and interfacing participants, subjects and controllers in training systems and methods. Systems and methods for glucometer simulation and training are also disclosed.
US09905130B2

A computer-implemented method, a computer-implemented process, and a system for identifying a parking space may provide a computer application to allow communication between an arriving user and exiting user. An arrival time that may correspond to the arriving user and exit time that may correspond to the exiting user may be matched to identify a parking space in an authorized location common to the arriving user and the exiting user. The arriving user may be provided a trade identification that may include information that may describe an exiting vehicle. The exiting user may remove the exiting vehicle from the parking space, and an arriving user may park an arriving vehicle in the parking space.
US09905117B2

A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computer servers includes receiving a notification from a communication device, determining whether one or more other communication devices are within a stationary geofence, and in response to the notification, sending an emergency alert to the other communication devices determined to be within the stationary geofence. The computer-implemented method may further include receiving an acknowledgement of the emergency alert from at least one of the other communication devices determined to be within the stationary geofence and/or sending data indicating an approximate location of the communication device and an associated tolerance of the approximate location. Other example computer-implemented methods, communication devices including software applications, and systems are also disclosed.
US09905116B2

An apparatus is described for detecting a pattern warning signal from a hazard alarm and sending an alert signal to a home security panel for notification to a remote monitoring station. The apparatus is mounted proximate to the hazard alarm, where it receives audible pattern warning signals from the hazard alarm when the hazard alarm detects a hazard, such as smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, etc. A user of the apparatus enters identification of the hazard alarm into the apparatus. When a pattern warning signal has been detected by the apparatus, the apparatus transmits an alert signal to the home security panel, as well as the identification of the hazard alarm that generated the audible pattern warning signal.
US09905115B2

Systems and methods for installing, commissioning, testing, and maintaining a fire alarm control panel via a mobile device are provided. Some methods can include receiving a first signal from a fire alarm control panel device, the first signal containing identifying information of the fire alarm control panel device, transmitting a second signal containing the identifying information to a server device, receiving a third signal containing a second piece of information from the server device, and displaying the second piece of information on a user interface device, wherein the second piece of information includes information for installing, commissioning, testing, or maintaining the fire alarm control panel device.
US09905110B1

Securing communications from a process plant to a remote system includes a data diode disposed there between that allows data to egress from the plant but prevents ingress of data into the plant and its associated systems. Process plant data from the secure communications is then analyzed to detect conditions occurring at process plant entities in the process plant using various machine learning techniques. When the process plant entity is a valve, the mode of operation for the valve is determined and a different analysis is applied for each mode in which a valve operates. Additionally, the process plant data for each valve is compared to other valves in the same process plant, enterprise, industry, etc. Accordingly, the health of each of the valves is ranked relative to each other and the process plant data for each valve is displayed in a side-by-side comparison.
US09905107B2

A device may receive one or more environmental measurements associated with a workplace. The device may receive one or more physiological measurements associated with a worker. The one or more physiological measurements may be different from the one or more environmental measurements. The device may generate a safety score for the worker based on the one or more environmental measurements and the one or more physiological measurements. The device may provide information regarding the worker based on the safety score.
US09905106B2

Ergonomics awareness chairs, systems, and methods are disclosed. Methods include reading sensor values from sensors in an ergonomics awareness chair, calculating a posture type based on the sensor values, determining a time the user has been continuously sitting properly, and, if the time is greater than a predetermined threshold time, alerting the user to take a break. Systems include a user-interface computer and an ergonomics awareness chair with a controller. The ergonomics awareness chair includes a shoulder sensor, a lumbar sensor, a buttocks sensor, a thigh sensor, and an armrest sensor in each of the armrests. The controller is configured to acquire sensor values from the sensors. The user-interface computer is programmed to determine at least two types of postures based on the sensor values. The types of postures may include sitting properly and sitting improperly (e.g., slouching, hunching, straining shoulders, leaning, sitting on edge, and crossing legs).
US09905104B1

A baby detection system and corresponding method are provided. The baby detection system includes a camera configured to capture an input image of a subject purported to be a baby and presented at an electronic-gate system. The baby detection system further includes a memory storing a deep learning model configured to perform a baby detection task for an electronic-gate application corresponding to the electronic-gate system. The baby detection system also includes a processor configured to apply the deep learning model to the input image to provide a baby detection result of either a presence or an absence of an actual baby in relation to the subject purported to be the baby. The baby detection task is configured to evaluate one or more different distractor modalities corresponding to one or more different physical spoofing materials to prevent baby spoofing for the baby detection task.
US09905095B2

A method for moving detection includes: a service server acquiring a first surveillance image captured by a camera at a preset first moment, and calculating a first moving angle of a pan-tilt; acquiring a second surveillance image captured by the camera at a preset second moment, and calculating a second moving angle of the pan-tilt; and determining by comparison whether common images in the first surveillance image and the second surveillance image are consistent according to the first moving angle and the second moving angle; if inconsistent, triggering a moving detection alarm. The embodiments of the present document also disclose a corresponding system and a service server. The disclosed solution of the embodiments of the present document is applied to implement moving detection when a camera is in moving state, ensures the accuracy of moving detection alarm in a great extent.
US09905086B1

A device may determine that a cash supply associated with an automated teller machine (ATM) device needs to be refilled. The device may provide, to user devices, a notification requesting cash to refill the cash supply. The device may receive, from each of one or more user devices of the user devices, a response to the notification. The response, from a user device of the one or more user devices, may include information identifying a capability of an individual, associated with the user device, to: provide an amount of cash to refill the cash supply, provide the cash during a time period, or provide particular denominations of cash. The device may select at least one individual to refill the cash supply with the cash. The device may provide another notification related to refilling the cash supply to notify whether the individual has been selected to refill the cash supply.
US09905079B2

Provided systems include a display that presents a player with icons. The display is animated to show movement of the icons along a path. The icons move in and out of active and inactive regions on the display and the path, based on the shape and arrangement of the active and inactive regions and the shape and arrangement of the active and inactive portions of the path. The outcome is determined based on the position and arrangement of the icons on the display and the path. The system receives player instructions and game outcomes may be random or may be predetermined. An outcome for the game may be determined from a set of potential game outcomes and visually presented to the player and an associated award or prize may be provided to the player.
US09905078B2

Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for submitting a tax submission on behalf of a player of a game. Based on the location of the gaming device, determine at least one jurisdiction that governs the player's taxable winnings. The player fill out an electronic tax form for each jurisdiction and submits an electronic authorization. Transmitting, in response to the tax liability, a tax submission to a remote device, in which the tax submission comprises at least the electronic tax form and the electronic authorization.
US09905073B2

A gaming system including a cascading symbol or tumbling reel game which utilizes a plurality of symbol display position matrices or grids. Each symbol display position matrix includes a plurality of symbol display positions, wherein at least one of the symbol display position matrices includes one or more symbol display positions associated with a plurality of different symbol display positions of a plurality of the symbol display position matrices.
US09905066B2

It is presented a key device comprising: a mechanical interface for mechanically maneuvering a lock device upon successful access control. The mechanical interface comprises a connector for powering the lock device and for communication with the lock device such that the lock device is able to perform electronic access control using the key device. The key device further comprises a clock; a memory; a radio communication module; and a controller arranged to, using the radio communication module communicate online with an access control device and use the memory as temporary storage for offline communication between the access control device and one or more lock devices. A corresponding method, computer program and computer program product are also presented.
US09905063B1

An identification device includes, but is not limited to, a deformable substrate configured to conform to a skin surface of a body portion of a healthcare provider; a sensor assembly coupled to the deformable substrate, the sensor assembly including one or more identity sensors configured to generate one or more identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of the healthcare provider; circuitry configured to compare the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity; and a reporter configured to generate one or more communication signals associated with a comparison of the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one individual.
US09905057B2

A driving behavior monitoring system (11) comprising an on-board diagnostics module (3) adapted to be mounted in a vehicle, the on-board diagnostics module comprising a vehicle usage monitor operative to monitor usage of the vehicle and to generate vehicle usage data based on at least one usage characteristic of the vehicle, the system further comprising a controller (5) and a driving behavior scoring server (9) arranged to be in real-time communication with the controller via a telecommunications network, the on-board diagnostics module further comprising a transceiver operative to transmit the vehicle usage data to the server via the controller, the server comprising a database (12) on which vehicle usage data is stored, the server further comprising a data processor controlled by an algorithm such that the server is operative to generate an alert signal by processing the vehicle usage data generated by the on-board diagnostics module, the alert signal being indicative of a driving behavior score, and wherein the server is operative to transmit the alert signal from the server to the controller for review by the driver.
US09905052B2

Systems and methods are provided for controlling immersiveness of head-worn displays. A virtual-reality headset includes at least one panel on the virtual reality headset that is capable of being adjusted to increase or decrease opacity of the panel. A control device in communication with the at least one panel is capable of adjusting the opacity of the at least one panel in response to a command to increase or decrease the opacity of the panel so that a system user's immersiveness in the virtual world displayed by the virtual-reality headset is capable of being automatically controlled while the system user wears the virtual-reality headset.
US09905051B2

A method for tag-based search includes capturing an image, extracting a tag from the image, identifying a location associated with the captured image, and querying stored content for information that matches the location and the tag. Local storage is checked for the information first, and remote storage may be checked subsequently. Any located information may be used to augment the image. Information located in the remote storage may be saved in the local storage until it reaches a certain age, until it fails to be accessed for a threshold period of time, or until the location moves outside a threshold radius associated with a location of the information located in the remote storage.
US09905048B2

Disclosed is a system for authoring and providing augmented reality contents, which includes a database storing a plurality of place models expressing an inherent physical place, a positioning unit for determining a current position of a user, a place model processing unit for searching and loading a place model corresponding to the current position of the user from the database, and a virtual object processing unit for disposing a virtual object expressed through a HTML document at a predetermined location in the loaded place model, wherein the plurality of place models is hierarchically stored so that at least one place model has at least one another place model of a subordinate concept.
US09905040B2

Techniques are disclosed relating to texture sampling operations. In some embodiments, multi-fetch sampling instructions specify a region of a texture in which multiple samples are to be performed and texture processing circuitry is configured to sample the texture multiple times within the region. In some embodiments, the locations of the samples are determined according to a formula, which may be pseudo-random. In some embodiments, the locations of the samples are jittered to produce stochastic results. In some embodiments, the locations of the samples are determined based on one or more stored sets of samples that have particular properties (e.g., blue noise, in some embodiments). In various embodiments, disclosed techniques may facilitate Monte Carlo sampling.
US09905037B2

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for rejecting small primitives. A three-dimensional (3D) primitive is received and a position within the primitive is identified. The primitive has a size that is less than a threshold value. Sub-pixel coverage information is read from a pixel sample map using the position. If the position coincides with a sub-pixel sample according to the sub-pixel coverage information, then the 3D primitive is processed. Otherwise, the 3D primitive is rejected.
US09905034B2

The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for secure isolation of scripting from graphical representations in a unified charting framework. The technology disclosed relates to a platform for ultra-fast, ad-hoc data exploration and faceted navigation on integrated, heterogeneous data sets. The disclosed apparatus and methods for secure isolation of scripting from graphics make it possible to securely share live data as rendered on a live dashboard, for both desktop and mobile application environments, without saving a new state on a server when time data and dashboard elements are updated. The disclosed unified charting framework makes it possible to target multiple platforms—generating data visualization representations that can be displayed when rendered natively on both desktop and mobile devices, and when rendered in a browser window.
US09905030B2

An image processing device according to the present invention includes a display manner determination unit for determining a display manner of a second text in a cover image to be superimposed onto an original image integrated with a first text, so as to satisfy a predetermined condition concerning a coverage extent by which the first text in the original image is covered by the second text in the cover image, and for outputting position specifying data specifying a superimpose position at which the cover image integrated with the second text to be displayed in the display manner determined is superimposed onto the original image, so as to be correlated to the cover image.
US09905022B1

Embodiments disclosed herein include systems and methods for demonstrating the functionality of eyewear using digital images on an electronic display. The functionality of certain types of eyewear, such as, for example, sunglasses, may not be readily perceivable when the wearer is indoors. In some embodiments, a demonstration image is shown on an electronic display. In certain embodiments, the demonstration image can have a background portion, a wanted color portion, and unwanted color portion, and/or other portions that cooperate with an optical filter of the eyewear to simulate and/or emphasize the functionality of the eyewear when viewing real-world scenes.
US09905021B2

A method is provided for processing image data, wherein the image data are given by an image bitmap including pixels, wherein each pixel has exactly one pixel color value. Regions including pixels having a prespecifiable first color value and a prespecifiable maximum pixel spacing are overwritten by a rectangle having a prespecifiable second color value. This method advantageously allows for anonymization of selected image data on the basis of pixel color values to be carried out. The method may be used universally, independently of the form of the information to be anonymized (e.g., embedded texts, tables, images).
US09905016B2

A robot identification system includes a robot having a rotatable arm, an imaging unit imaging the robot, an angle detector detecting a rotation angle of the arm, a model generator producing robot models representing the forms of the robot on the basis of the rotation angle detected by the angle detector, and an image identification unit that compares an image captured by the imaging unit with the robot models generated by the model generator to identify a robot image in the image.
US09905014B2

The invention provides a method for a non-destructive, non-contacting and image forming examination of a sample by means of heat flow thermography. The method comprises exciting the sample at least twice independently from each other by means of the heat pulses from the excitation source; taking a first thermal image of the surface of the sample at a first time distance Δt1 from a first triggering of the heat pulse which first time distance Δt1 is characteristic for gradients in heat flow velocity in a first depth below the surface of the sample; taking a second thermal image of the surface of the sample at a 1 second time distance Δt2 from a second triggering of the heat pulse which second time distance Δt2 is characteristic for gradients in heat flow velocity in a second depth below the first depth; and taking any thermal images of the surface of the sample at a further time distances Δtn from any subsequent triggering of the heat pulse which further time distances Δtn are characteristic for gradients in heat flow velocity in further depths lying deeper as the second depth; and extracting from the thermal images an indication of the presence of any gradients of heat flow velocity at the respective depth distances from a surface of the sample. The system is configured to carry out the above method.
US09905013B2

A speed calculating device calculates the speed of an object around a moving body and includes: an image detection unit that captures an image of the surroundings of the moving body and detects the object from the captured image; and a speed calculation unit that calculates the speed of the object, using a moving body speed indicating the speed of the moving body and an image speed, which indicates the speed of the object and is calculated from the image, at a ratio corresponding to a distance from the moving body to the object. The speed calculation unit calculates the speed of the object using the moving body speed and the image speed such that the ratio of the moving body speed increases as the distance to the object increases and the ratio of the image speed increases as the distance to the object decreases.
US09905008B2

A method, system, and computer readable medium which automatically determine the side, field and a level of image quality of fundus images of the retina of a human eye is disclosed. The disclosure combines image processing, computer vision and pattern recognition techniques in a unique way to provide a robust process to identify and grade the quality of fundus images with application to improve efficiency and reduce errors in clinical or diagnostic retinal imaging workflows.
US09905006B2

A medical image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry implements registration on a medical image and each of a plurality of reference images. The processing circuitry performs deformation on the medical image based on a result of the registration. The processing circuitry sets a first region of interest on the deformed medical image. The processing circuitry sets on at least two of the plurality of reference images, a second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest. The processing circuitry retrieves from the reference images on which the second region of interest is set, a reference image similar to an image in the first region of interest.
US09905002B2

A system for determining the prognosis of a patient suffering from pulmonary embolism is provided. The system may include at least one computer system configure to receive patient specific data regarding his pulmonary embolism status. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a model of the patient's heart, with at least information of the two ventricles, and to determine the ratio of sizes of the ventricles. The system will then report such ratio to the clinician or report a risk index of clinical outcome for such patient.
US09904995B2

An inspection system that may include a processor and a memory module; wherein the memory module is configured to store a first image of an area of an object and a second image of the area of the object; wherein the processor is configured to generate a synthetic image of the area of the object, and to compare the synthetic image to the second image to provide defect detection results.
US09904994B2

A method for analyzing the shape of a wafer according to an embodiment comprises the steps of: acquiring a sectional image showing a wafer to be analyzed; finding a coordinate row of the surface contour of the wafer in the sectional image; and obtaining shape analysis data, including information about the shape of the wafer, using the coordinate row.
US09904992B2

It is determined whether the type of drug inserted into a packaging machine is correct, on the basis of the dispensing information of the drug to be packaged and the drug type information of the drug to be inserted into the packaging machine. Number-by-appearance information indicating the number of drugs for each outward appearance which are packaged in each packet is acquired. The image of each drug corresponding to each dose is captured. The number of drugs for each outward appearance which are packaged in each packet is counted on the basis of the captured image of the drugs. It is determined whether the number of drugs for each outward appearance is correct, on the basis of the number-by-appearance information and the counting result of the number-by-appearance counting unit. It is determined whether the occurrence or non-occurrence of a mix-up of the drugs can be determined, on the basis of at least the dispensing information of the drugs to be packaged and the drug type information of the drugs inserted into the packaging machine. It is determined whether the drugs packaged in each packet are correct.
US09904991B2

An image pickup apparatus which is capable of appropriately correcting the contrast of an image. A luminance histogram is detected from an image including a subject, and a subject distance to the subject is measured. A frequency percentage, which defines a luminance range in the luminance histogram for use in calculating a control point for a tone curve used to correct contrast of the image, is decided according to the subject distance. The frequency percentage is higher when the subject distance is long than when the subject distance is short.
US09904990B2

The disclosure includes a system and method for performing image rectification using a single image and information identified from the single image. An image recognition application receives an input image, identifies a plurality of objects in the input image, estimates rectification parameters for the plurality of objects, identifies a plurality of candidate rectification parameters using a voting procedure on the rectification parameters for the plurality of objects, estimates final rectification parameters based on the plurality of candidate rectification parameters, computes a global transformation matrix using the final rectification parameters, and performs image rectification on the input image using the global transformation matrix.
US09904989B2

A method for generating a digital image of at least a portion of a value document, comprises transporting the portion of the value document in a specified transport direction at a specified speed, capturing pixel regions, and generating capture pixel data allocated to integration intervals. The capture pixel data of at least one of the sequences of capture pixel data are corrected. This reduces the influences of the movement of the value document in the transport direction during the capture of capture pixel data.
US09904984B1

A wireless communication device configured to gather device orientation information and an orientation information gathering method in a wireless communication device are provided. The wireless communication device in one example embodiment includes an interface configured to communicate with a user and with external devices, a storage system configured to store at least an orientation detect routine and reference point information corresponding to two or more reference points on the wireless communication device, and a processing system coupled to the interface and the storage system and configured to determine if a predetermined orientation capture event has occurred, if the predetermined orientation capture event has occurred, then determine relative positions of the two or more reference points, save the relative positions of the two or more reference points to the orientation information and accumulate the orientation information for the wireless communication device, and transfer the orientation information to an external device or devices at intervals.
US09904983B2

One or more embodiments provide a neurosynaptic circuit that includes multiple neurosynaptic core circuits that: perform image sharpening by converting a source image to a sharpened destination image by: taking as input a sequence of image frames of a video with one or more channels per frame, and representing the intensity of each pixel of each channel of each frame as neural spikes; processing the source image to obtain the sharpened destination image for a particular frame and channel that enhances certain high frequency components of the source image; and processing neural spike representations of the destination image for outputting a spike representation of the sharpened destination image.
US09904981B2

An image processing apparatus and method, which add depth information to a color pixel and add color information to a depth pixel in an image including the color pixel and the depth pixel includes a depth information determination unit to determine depth information of a current color pixel using peripheral color pixels of the current color pixel and peripheral depth pixels of the current color pixel.
US09904979B2

A method to frame a video stream is provided. A video stream is captured, then motion of the camera, object presence in the video stream, and position of the object are detected. A framed video stream is generated using a framing in dependence on the motion of the camera and the position of the object. A system for framing a video stream is also provided, wherein the system comprises a camera and a processing unit, and the processing unit comprises at least one processor and at least on memory including computer program instructions to execute a method to frame a video stream.
US09904976B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for speeding up a computer having a graphics processing unit (GPU) and a general purpose processor (GP-GPU) by decoupling a convolution process for a first matrix into a row part and a column part; expanding the row part into a second matrix; performing matrix multiplication using the second matrix and a filter matrix; and performing reduction on an output matrix.
US09904971B2

In a graphics system regions of a frame are analyzed to determine local regions of the frame in which adaptive desampling may be performed. In one implementation a standard sampling scheme includes at least one sample per pixel and regions that are adaptively desampled have one sample for a block of pixels having a size of at least four pixels. A level of detail map is generating to identify regions in which desampling may be performed. The level of detail map may be based on detecting motion, detecting an edge, and detecting a content frequency.
US09904957B2

Certain example embodiments relate to systems and/or methods for providing enhanced control over potentially sensitive data sharable among and/or between different parties. For example, certain example embodiments provide views into computer-enabled workflows managed by external parties, including views into what sensitive data has been accessed, who has accessed it, etc., e.g., throughout the lifecycle of a product granted on the basis of an analysis of such data. A computer-enabled system for automatically assessing received sensitive data in accordance with one or more digitized rule sets also is provided in certain example embodiments, as are computer-mediated tools for helping to automatically, semi-automatically, and/or manually resolve issues detected in the assessments, e.g., via enhanced communication and collaboration, among and/or between parties to a transaction, as well as third-parties who indirectly are involved in the transaction. The data remains secure and traceable, e.g., in accordance with its provider's specifications.
US09904955B2

A system for electronic crime reduction is provided, comprising a computer system, a database, a malware de-compiler, a malware parser, and an inference engine. The database contains information that associates electronic crime attack signature data with at least one of an individual, a group, and a location. The malware de-compiler, when executed on the computer system, translates a first malware executable to an assembly language version. The first malware is associated with an electronic crime that has been committed. The malware parser, when executed on the computer system, analyzes the assembly language version to identify distinctive coding preferences used to develop the first malware. The inference engine, when executed on the computer system, analyzes the distinctive coding preferences identified by the malware parser application in combination with searching the database to identify one of an individual, a group, and a location associated with the electronic crime.
US09904949B1

The technology may monitor context items as a content page is navigated. A similarities dataset may be selected from a plurality of similarities datasets as a source of recommendations based on the context items. Recommendations in the similarities dataset selected may be ranked based on the context items. The recommendations may be provided based on the ranking.
US09904948B2

Embodiments of systems and methods for the aggregation, analysis, display and monetization of pricing data for commodities in general, and which may be particularly useful applied to vehicles are disclosed. Specifically, in certain embodiments, historical transaction data associated with a particular vehicle configuration may be obtained and processed to determine pricing data associated with the vehicle configuration. The historical transaction data or determined pricing data may then be presented in an intuitive manner.
US09904944B2

A system and method for providing users an assessment tool for determining the level of demand for domain names. The assessment tool is configured to receive, by a server communicatively coupled to a network, a request from a requester. The request is used to identify a domain name and determine whether the domain name is registered. When the domain name is not registered, a search metric for the domain name is determined and a first user interface listing the domain name and the search metric is displayed. The first user interface enables the requester to purchase the domain name.
US09904933B2

Embodiments of systems and methods for the aggregation, analysis, display and monetization of pricing data for commodities in general, and which may be particularly useful applied to vehicles are disclosed. Specifically, in certain embodiments, historical transaction data associated with a particular vehicle configuration may be obtained and processed to determine pricing data associated with the vehicle configuration. The historical transaction data or determined pricing data may then be presented in an intuitive manner.
US09904927B2

Systems, methods, and media for the application of funnel analysis using desktop analytics and textual analytics to map and analyze the flow of customer service interactions. In an example implementation, the method includes: defining at least one flow that is representative of a series of events comprising at least one speech event, at least one Data Processing Activity (DPA) event, and at least one Computer Telephone Integration (CTI) event; receiving customer service interaction data comprising communication data, DPA metadata, and CTI metadata; applying the at least one flow to the customer service interaction data; determining if the customer service interaction data meets the at least one flow; and producing an automated indication based upon the determination.
US09904926B2

A method of verifying a receiving of an item by a purchaser is disclosed. An indication that the purchaser agreed to purchase the item is received. A record is added to a purchase history associated with the purchaser, the record including a data item pertaining to the purchasing of the item. A notification that the purchaser has scanned information from a label on a package is received. It is determined that the package contains the item based on a correspondence between the data item and the information from the label. The record is updated to include verification data that the purchaser received the item.
US09904914B1

Systems, methods, and program products for performing cash sweep transactions with customer control are disclosed. A deposit sweep computer system may determine first allocations of funds for a plurality of customers. The system may determine for a first subset of the customers that their funds are allocated to respective different depository institutions than previously used for the respective customer. The system may generate and transmit to client devices associated with the first subset of customers machine-readable instructions to render respective destination institution management graphical user interfaces providing an indication of the respective different depository institutions along with accept options and reject options. The system may receive one or more selections of accept options or reject options. The system may then determine and execute second allocations based at least in part upon the first allocations and the one or more selections of the reject options.
US09904912B2

Technology is described for protecting transactions. The technology may include a switching component that a user can employ to switch an associated mobile device into a secure mode so that a user can confirm the transaction. After initiating a transaction request, the user can confirm the transaction request by activating the switching component, which can cause the mobile device to switch into a secure mode. In the secure mode, the mobile device may prevent the mobile device from conducting various normal activities, such as executing applications, receiving input, providing output, and so forth. The switching component may disable other processing temporarily. Upon receiving the confirmation from the user, the switching component may send a confirmation communication to complete the transaction.
US09904911B2

A recycling kiosk for recycling and financial remuneration for submission of a mobile telephone is disclosed herein. The recycling kiosk includes an inspection area with at least one camera and a plurality of electrical connectors in order to perform a visual analysis and an electrical analysis of the mobile telephone for determination of a value of the mobile telephone. The recycling kiosk also includes a processor, a display and a user interface.
US09904900B2

Systems and methods relating to one or more ride-sharing vehicles, each having a driver mobile device in the vehicle to receive a ride-sharing request from one or more riders. The system includes a server coupled to the mobile device, wherein the server receives a group purchase of rides, the server determining first and second riders interested in purchasing rides and establishing a customer-defined group identity with the first and second rider being group members receiving a benefit, and wherein the one or more ride-sharing vehicles provides one or more rides by the first and second customer using the group identity.
US09904898B2

A computer-readable medium, computer-implemented method, and system are provided. In one embodiment, a business rule is created, and, when a rule set does not already exist, a rule set is already created. The business rule is added to the rule set, and the rule set is added to a rule dictionary of a business process. The rule dictionary is stored in a process definition table.
US09904896B2

A method and apparatus for managing a configuration of a vehicle structure. Data sets are compared each representing the configuration of the vehicle structure at different phases in a lifecycle of the vehicle structure. Each of the data sets includes identifications of components for the vehicle structure. Differences are identified between the identifications of the components in the data sets.
US09904890B2

An approach for detecting a transient error in a body fluid sample based on the shape of a response curve of a sensor is provided. The response curve is represented by an equation including at least one coefficient describing a curvature or slope of the response curve. The approach includes comparing the coefficient to a range of coefficients which includes coefficients of response curves corresponding to known analyte concentrations. The approach further includes detecting a transient error based on the comparison. In some examples of the approach, the comparison and detection are performed by a processing transient error detector executing computer readable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Other examples of the approach determine a concentration of the analyte based on the equation. Advantageously, various examples of the approach can expedite detection of transient errors at the time of measuring and before reporting sample result.
US09904886B2

The present invention causes an active display or the adapter driving the display to emit RFID formatted QR code information (or bar code information) in sync with displayed QR or Bar codes to allow portable devices in reasonable proximity to acquire the QR code data without physical scanning, without taking a picture and without taking a video, allowing for a fully automated QR code acquisition system.
US09904874B2

Systems, methods, and computer media for implementing convolutional neural networks efficiently in hardware are disclosed herein. A memory is configured to store a sparse, frequency domain representation of a convolutional weighting kernel. A time-domain-to-frequency-domain converter is configured to generate a frequency domain representation of an input image. A feature extractor is configured to access the memory and, by a processor, extract features based on the sparse, frequency domain representation of the convolutional weighting kernel and the frequency domain representation of the input image. The feature extractor includes convolutional layers and fully connected layers. A classifier is configured to determine, based on extracted features, whether the input image contains an object of interest. Various types of memory can be used to store different information, allowing information-dense data to be stored in faster (e.g., faster access time) memory and sparse data to be stored in slower memory.
US09904870B2

Information of different scans of physical objects may require comparison, for example to determine if the scans are of the same object or if an object has changed, or better information for a three dimensional model may be desired. Different scans of physical objects may be compared by determining lines or planes tangent to a surface at a discrete number of points, registering three dimensional information provided by the scans using the tangent lines or planes, and determining a measure of discrepancy between the surfaces. Three dimensional information of different scans of the same object may also be merged after determining lines or planes tangent to a surface at a discrete number of points and performing registration and merging.
US09904864B2

A method for displaying one or more images in an electronic device is provided, which includes displaying a first image; retrieving at least one second image on the basis of additional information of the first image; comparing at least one first feature point of the first image with at least one second feature point of the at least one second image; displaying information on whether at least one recommended image with respect to the first image exists, based on a result of the comparison; and if the at least one recommended image exists, displaying the at least one recommended image according to a user input.
US09904863B2

An information processing apparatus comprising an obtaining unit configured to obtain biological information of a person and a determination unit configured to determine, based on a state of the biological information of a plurality of persons including a specific person, processing allowed for a person who is not the specific person. The processing is performed by the information processing apparatus. The determination unit is configured to determine processing which is allowed for the person other than the specific person in relation to positional relation between the specific person and the information processing apparatus.
US09904857B2

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for detecting an object for a vehicle, the apparatus including: a camera unit configured to output a surrounding image of a vehicle; an object candidate extracting unit configured to extract an object candidate from the output surrounding image of the vehicle; a height reference filtering unit configured to output a filtered image by excluding an object having a height equal to or smaller than a threshold value from the extracted object candidate; and an object recognizing unit configured to detect a specific object from the output filtered image.
US09904849B2

A system for simplified generation of systems for analysis of satellite images to geolocate one or more objects of interest. A plurality of training images labeled for a study object or objects with irrelevant features loaded into a preexisting feature identification subsystem causes automated generation of models for the study object. This model is used to parameterize pre-engineered machine learning elements that are running a preprogrammed machine learning protocol. Training images with the study are used to train object recognition filters. This filter is used to identify the study object in unanalyzed images. The system reports results in a requestor's preferred format.
US09904848B1

An image processing system or electronic device may implement processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may receive an image, such as financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the financial document image or particular portions of the financial document image without recognizing any particular character in the financial document image. In that regard, the processing circuitry may determine a top left score for pixels in the financial document, the top left score indicating or representing a likelihood that a particular pixel corresponds to a top left corner of a text character. The processing circuitry may also determine top right score for image pixels. Then, the processing circuitry may identify one or more text chunks using the top left and top rights scores for pixels in the financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the identified text chunks.
US09904834B2

Methods and systems for auto-tuning a handheld scanning device that can account for changes in the orientation between the handheld scanning device and a presented symbol can include capturing a first image containing a presented symbol, recording an orientation parameter and parameters associated with capturing the first image containing the presented symbol, capturing a subsequent image containing the presented symbol, recording an orientation parameter of the presented symbol contained in the subsequent image, comparing the orientation parameter of the symbol contained in the subsequent images to the orientation parameter of the presented symbol contained in the subsequent image, determining if the orientation parameter of the presented symbol contained in the subsequent images is substantially similar to the orientation parameter of the symbol contained in the first image, and recording parameters associated with capturing the subsequent images containing the presented symbol.
US09904826B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for implicitly confirming movement of an item in a materials handling facility. In one embodiment, a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) having an antenna directed at a plurality of storage locations is activated. Each of the storage locations has a corresponding RFID. A particular storage location of the plurality of storage location is determined based at least in part on an observed signal change of one of the corresponding RFIDs. An action is then initiated based at least in part on whether the particular storage location is an expected storage location.
US09904825B2

A coded light device comprising a light source configured to emit coded light, an identifier detection unit configured to detect a product identifier, and a processing unit having a code generator configured to generate a product-related code on basis of the product identifier, and a light source controller configured to control the light source to emit the product-related code by coding its light output.
US09904824B2

A mm-wave RFID tag interrogation apparatus includes multiple transmitting antennas, and multiple receiving antennas. The transmitting and receiving antennas are spatially distributed and oriented in orthogonal polarization states. A transmitter is coupled to the transmitting antennas, and transmits a corresponding multiple number of separable mm-wave signals. A receiver coupled to the receiving antennas is configured to extract separable components of received mm-wave signals. A processing unit processes the extracted signal components using a synthetic aperture algorithm. An RFID tag, readable by the interrogation apparatus, includes meander-line conductive elements arranged to encode information spatially on a substrate.
US09904823B2

An antenna, a read/write unit, an radio frequency identification (RFID) arrangement and a method, wherein the antenna is configured to connect to an external antenna connection of the read/write unit via an antenna line, wherein the antenna includes a data memory having type information and/or having property information, the content of the data memory being readable by the read/write unit, and includes a measuring device for determining a value of the field strength or power of a radio frequency signal fed into the antenna by the read/write unit, and includes a device for informing the read/write unit about the value being reached or exceeded.
US09904816B1

Various apparatuses for use in a wireless network are disclosed. A first apparatus comprises two antennae oriented orthogonally, a biosensor capable of reading a user's fingerprint, and a housing comprising a groove for guiding a user's finger, the groove physically separating the antennae, effectively creating a radome for each antenna. A second apparatus comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) a port, a shell enclosing the PCB, and at least one horseshoe gasket, the shell and gasket creating a waterproof seal isolating the port and the external environment from the rest of the PCB. A third apparatus comprising a bracket for attaching a housing to a building material, an aiming annulus for aiming the housing and the housing. Wherein two or more of the bracket, aiming annulus and housing may be joined in order to mount and aim the housing using one or more structures on the components.
US09904814B2

A secure element integrated circuit may be mounted to an underside of a bus interface integrated circuit. The bus interface integrated circuit may have a plurality of external contacts and a first plurality of internal contacts. The secure element integrated circuit may have a second plurality of internal contacts coupled to the first plurality of internal contacts.
US09904813B2

An information processing device comprising a control unit which, when a predetermined automatic label generation condition is satisfied by data being input, generates or selects electronic label information having a preset content correlated with an application identification information of an application in operation at time of the input of the data and the automatic label generation condition. The control unit is configured so that, when the control unit generates or selects the electronic label information, the control unit correlates and stores the generated or selected electronic label information with the input data as associated information and the application identification information in a predetermined memory.
US09904809B2

Aspects of a method and system for multi-level security initialization and configuration are provided. A security system may comprise a security processor, a host processor, and at least one security component, such as a descrambler. The security processor may enable a security component based on information stored within a non-volatile memory integrated within the security processor. The host processor may enable generation of at least one configuration command communicated to the security processor for configuring the enabled security component. The configuration command may correspond to a security control operational mode for the security component that may indicate, for example, activation or deactivation of the security component. The security processor may authenticate a digital signature in the configuration command. Initialization and configuration may be performed during a system boot sequence of the security system.
US09904808B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for numeric keypad encryption using an augmented reality device. The method may include establishing a secure connection to an augmented reality device. A random keypad layout is generated and sent to the augmented reality device. The random keypad layout is displayed in the augmented reality view over a real-world numeric keypad.
US09904806B2

Provided is a method of updating an integrity check value (ICV) stored in a hardware security module (HSM). The method includes storing user authentication information of the terminal transferred from the terminal to preregister a user of the terminal, transferring an authentication information request message, requesting the user authentication information, to the terminal in response to an update request message which is transferred from the terminal and includes an update value of the ICV, comparing the user authentication information transferred from the terminal with the stored user authentication information to perform an authentication operation on the user of the terminal according to the authentication information request message; and when the user of the terminal is successfully authenticated, updating the stored ICV by using the update value.
US09904798B2

Personal information is retrieved from at least one data source and personal information associated with a first individual is identified. A document is generated that is a version of a first document, wherein the personal information associated with the first individual cannot be discerned.
US09904793B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus to provide private information retrieval. A disclosed example system includes a first trusted processing unit to store a first portion of data such that entities other than the first trusted processing unit are unable to access the first portion of the data in the first trusted processing unit; a second trusted processing unit to store a second portion of the data such that entities other than the second trusted processing unit are unable to access the second portion of the data in the second trusted processing unit; and a third trusted processing unit to: determine that a data element specified in a request is stored in the first trusted processing unit; request the data element from the first trusted processing unit; send a dummy request to the second trusted processing unit; and send the data element to a requester.
US09904792B1

A method for protecting a computer includes identifying potential NOP-sled target addresses in a heap within the memory of the computer. Using a security program module running on the computer, blocks of the memory containing the identified target addresses are preallocated so as to prevent exploitation of the identified target addresses by a heap-spray attack.
US09904789B1

A hardware module has a plug to interface with an audio channel of a speech communication device. A scrambler connected to the plug is configured to receive a local audio input signal and form an encrypted audio output signal in a human audible range that is applied to the audio channel of the speech communication device. The scrambler also receives a remote encrypted audio input signal in a human audible range and forms a remote audio output signal corresponding to the remote encrypted audio input signal.
US09904781B2

One example method includes executing a software application within the virtual machine environment; during execution of the software application, detecting a network request sent from the software application within the virtual machine environment, the network request formatted according to a particular network protocol; in response to detecting the network request: determining an expected response to the network request based on at least one of information included in the network request or the particular network protocol; and providing the expected response to the software application within the virtual machine environment.
US09904778B2

A function performing apparatus includes a function performing unit performing a specific function, a processor, and memory storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the function performing apparatus to perform, in response to receiving a user authentication information when the user authentication information has been registered in an authentication memory, transitioning a state of the apparatus from a non-permission state to a permission state, registering, in the authentication memory, a device authentication information in association with the user authentication information upon establishing a first connection with a portable device, and transitioning the state of the apparatus from the non-permission state to the permission state when a second connection with the portable device is established and the device authentication information is obtained from the portable device.
US09904776B2

A device package includes a sensor die, one or more additional dies adjacent the sensor die, and a molding compound encircling the sensor die and the one or more additional dies. The device package further includes redistribution layers over the sensor die, the one or more additional dies, and the molding compound. The redistribution layers include first conductive features in a first dielectric layer. The first conductive features electrically connect the sensor die to the one or more additional dies. The redistribution layers further include an array of electrodes in a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer and electrically connected to the sensor die.
US09904770B2

To provide a user-friendly information-gathering device enabling users to select buttons easily. An information-gathering device has a plurality of selection buttons, a communication module, and a cancel button. The communication module has an IC chip and a button cell. The IC chip has a storage which stores information for identifying the pressed selection button and information about the time of the press, in chronological order, a controller which performs control to store the information in the storage, and a wireless communication unit. When the cancel button is pressed, the controller stores, in the storage, information requesting to cancel press information about the selection button pressed immediately before the cancel button is pressed.
US09904769B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a user engagement platform to support clinical decisions. The user engagement platform is a point of care decision support platform for inpatients in an emergency department (ED), an intensive care unit (ICU), or other medical care department or facility that services patients with critical care needs. The user engagement platform is configured to receive and process data parameters obtained from a patient electronic health record (EHR), identify abnormalities based on such data parameters, prompt a user (e.g., clinician or other healthcare professional such as a nurse) to consider conditions common in ICU or ED patients that could result in patient death and update the patient EHR based on such user input.
US09904768B2

Techniques for presenting alternative hypotheses for medical facts may include identifying, using at least one statistical fact extraction model, a plurality of alternative hypotheses for a medical fact to be extracted from a portion of text documenting a patient encounter. At least two of the alternative hypotheses may be selected, and the selected hypotheses may be presented to a user documenting the patient encounter.
US09904767B2

A method and apparatus for setting an imaging environment of a medical apparatus based on one or more signals transmitted from a plurality of clients are provided. The method of setting an imaging environment of a medical apparatus based on one or more signals transmitted from a plurality of clients includes transmitting information regarding an imaging operation of the medical apparatus to the plurality of clients, receiving one or more response signals with respect to the information from the plurality of clients, and setting the imaging environment of the medical apparatus based on the one or more response signals.
US09904756B1

Disclosed are techniques for implementing DRC clean multi-patterning process nodes with lateral fills. These techniques identify design rules governing multi-patterning and track patterns by accessing a rule deck to retrieve the design rules, identify a first shape and a second shape sandwiching a space and characteristics of the first and second shapes by examining design data of the electronic design, insert one or more lateral fill shapes in the space by implementing the one or more lateral fill shapes along one or more routing tracks of a legal track pattern while automatically complying with the design rules, and perform post-lateral fill or post-layout operations to improve the layout and to prepare the layout for manufacturing.
US09904753B2

A method of designing a layout of a semiconductor device includes preparing a layout for a semiconductor integrated circuit, the preparing of the layout including providing lower and upper metal patterns and via patterns, which are vertically interposed between the lower and upper metal patterns, performing a retargeting process on the lower and upper metal patterns, classifying the via patterns to extract at least one risk via from the via patterns and changing a position of the risk via. During the changing of the position of the risk via, all of the via patterns, other than the risk via, are unchanged in position thereof. Related systems and computer program products are disclosed.
US09904747B2

Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing mass haul optimization for agricultural terrain forming, based at least in part on three-dimensional soil modeling. In some embodiments, a computer system might determine desired soil conditions (including minimum topsoil depth, maximum and minimum slope, etc.) for an agricultural area. The computer system might also identify, based on 3-D topographical surveys and 3-D soil profiles, deficient locations within the agricultural area that do not possess at least the minimum topsoil depth, excess locations that possess greater than the minimum topsoil depth, sloped locations that exceed the maximum slope, and/or flat locations whose slopes are less than the minimum slope. Costs and volumes of topsoil and/or subsurface material may be calculated, and based on such calculations it may be determined how much topsoil and/or subsurface material to relocate or order to achieve the desired topsoil depth and slope at the identified locations.
US09904734B2

A multi-mode reader instrument capable of detecting and determining digital data from a signal from one or more markers, indicia or taggants on an object, the markers, indicia or taggants such as a bar code, a QR code, an RFID, an optical compound, a fluorescent compound, a phosphorescent compound, a DNA taggant, an upconverting phosphor (UCP), a chemical dye, a digitized image, a radioactive compound, an olfactory compound or a thermal attribute of the object is provided. Also, provided is a method and a system for identifying an object, the system includes: a multi-mode reader instrument for detecting data from a signal from one or more markers, indicia or taggants on an object and assignment of digital code for the marker and a database for securing and retrieving information relevant to the item.
US09904724B1

Example embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for message based security audit logging. The method includes receiving an event notification related to an event in a storage resource management service, processing the event notification according to a messaging fabric and an ontology model, and, according to the processed event notification, persisting an audit log entry corresponding to the event.
US09904723B2

Event based metadata synthesis is provided. In some embodiments, event based metadata synthesis includes determining time and location information for a first digital asset (e.g., a photograph, video, or recording) associated with a first user based on a first set of metadata associated with the first digital asset, in which the first set of metadata does not include location information, and in which the first set of metadata includes a first time value, and based on a second set of metadata associated with a second digital asset associated with a second user, in which the second set of metadata includes a second time value and a first location value; determining the first digital asset is associated with an event based on a correlation of the determined time and location information for the first digital asset with event time and location information for the event, in which the determined time and location information for the first digital asset includes the first time value and the first location value; and associate the first digital asset with a third set of metadata associated with the event. In some embodiments, event based metadata synthesis further includes, associating the first user with the second user based on a social graph associated with a social networking service, wherein the social networking service stores a plurality of digital assets for each of the first user and the second user.
US09904722B1

For a given cross-data-store transaction request at a storage service, a coordinator transmits respective voting transition requests to a plurality of log-based transaction managers (LTMs) configured for the respective data stores to which writes are directed in the transaction. The LTMs transmit responses to the coordinator based on data-store-specific conflict detection performed using contents of the voting transition requests and respective data-store-specific state transition logs. The coordinator determines a termination status of the cross-data-store transaction based on the LTMs' responses, and provides an indication of the termination status to the LTMs.
US09904720B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a user of a client computing device and when the client computing device is disconnected from an on-line service, input associated with the on-line service. The method further includes locally storing or modifying locally stored content associated with the on-line service based on the input. The client computing device may determine data contemporaneous with the content and locally associate the data with the content. The method further includes automatically uploading the content as locally stored or modified and the data locally associated with the content to the on-line service when the client computing device is connected to the on-line service.
US09904703B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for searching using social network data. Techniques include: receiving a request for search results; in response to the request, obtaining search results using one or more social engagement signals to identify content deemed to have entertainment value, where the one or more social engagement signals are unspecified in the request; and providing the search results to a computing device.
US09904701B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for concurrent access of mixed services, and relate to the field of database applications, so as to implement concurrent read/write access to a database service, allow lock-free concurrency of query and modification operations, lower operation complexity, reduce overheads, reduce a waste of memory, and improve data timeliness. The method includes: dividing a data table to obtain at least one data set; breaking down a modification or query operation on the data table into at least one point operation; determining whether to-be-processed data on which point operation processing is performed is distributed in multiple columns; and if the to-be-processed data is distributed in multiple columns, determining whether the to-be-processed data is in a same data set, and performing a modification or query operation on the to-be-processed data according to a result of the determining.
US09904692B2

In response to receiving a request from a client device, a first image can be determined based at least in part on an image identification in the request. The first image may be associated with a plurality of layers. A subset of the plurality of layers can be determined. Information configured to enable a selection of at least one layer in the subset may be sent to the client device. In response to receiving a request from a client device, a composite image can be obtained based at least in part on a selection of at least one layer of a plurality of layers of an image received in the request. The composite image may be dynamically generated or retrieved from a storage device. The composite image and/or information associated with the composite image can be sent to the client device.
US09904682B2

A method and apparatus are provided for navigating through a media object collection using a mobile device. Users navigate to the target media objects by repeatedly specifying filters. After a user specifies a filter, the filter is applied in combination with all previously specified filters to produce a filtered set of media objects. After a filter is applied, a display level is selected for each hierarchical dimension for which the media objects have metadata. The selection of the display level may be based on the number of distinct values that the media objects in the filtered set have for each level of the hierarchical dimension. Single-action controls are then displayed for each of the values that the media objects in the filtered set have for the selected display level.
US09904681B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for assembling a set of documents related to a triggering item. One embodiment of a method for assembling a set of electronic documents related to an electronic triggering item detected by a computing device being operated by a user includes automatically extracting by the computing device a set of features from the triggering item, without receiving a request by the user to assemble the set of electronic documents, and assembling as the set of electronic documents a plurality of documents that is relevant to the set of features, wherein the plurality of documents is retrieved from a plurality of different types of electronic sources.
US09904677B2

According to an embodiment, a data processing device includes an extractor, a generator, and a constructor. The extractor is configured to extract, from a document having been subjected to predicate argument structure analysis and anaphora resolution, an element sequence including elements each being a combination of predicate having a shared argument and case type information of the shared argument, together with the shared argument. The generator is configured to produce case example data expressed by a feature vector for each attention element which is one of the elements. The feature vector includes feature value(s) about a sub-sequence having the attention element and feature value(s) about a sequence of the shared argument corresponding to the sub-sequence. The constructor is configured to construct a script model for estimating the elements each following antecedent context by performing machine learning based on a discriminative model using the case example data.
US09904667B2

According to an aspect, a query and a passage are parsed by a language parser to detect noun-centric phrases and verb-centric phrases in the query and the passage. Entities, including at least one untyped entity, are identified based on the noun-centric phrases and relations are identified based on the verb-centric phrases. Entity pairs are created that include an entity identified in the query and an entity identified in the passage, each pair satisfies a matching criteria. Relation pairs are created that include a relation identified in the query and a relation identified in the passage, each pair satisfies a matching criteria. A passage score that indicates the likelihood that an answer to the query is contained in the passage is determined based on the entity pairs, the matching criteria satisfied by each entity pair, the elation pairs, and the matching criteria satisfied by each relation pair.
US09904659B1

An apparatus determines patterns of occurrence of compound variables based on a set of mathematical interactions and patterns of occurrence of a set of electrical signals. Then, the apparatus calculates statistical relationships corresponding to a pattern of occurrence of neural activity of one or more organisms and the patterns of occurrence of the compound variables. Moreover, the apparatus determines numbers of occurrences of electrical signals that were used to determine compound variables in at least a statistically significant subset of the compound variables, and determines numbers of different mathematical interactions that were used to determine the compound variables in the subset for the electrical signals that are associated with the corresponding numbers of occurrences. Next, the apparatus identifies one or more of the electrical signals as one or more association variables based on the numbers of occurrences and/or the numbers of different mathematical interactions.
US09904653B2

The disclosure provides a PCI Express Scaled Port, a computing device and a method of communicating between PCI Express components. In one embodiment, the PCI Express Scaled Port includes: (1) an interface configured to communicate flow control negotiating packets with another PCI Express Port and (2) a FCC Controller configured to generate the flow control negotiating packets, wherein the flow control negotiating packets include a flow control credit for PCI Express packets and a scaling factor for the flow control credit.
US09904652B2

A serial low-power inter-chip media bus communications link is deployed in apparatus having multiple Integrated Circuit devices. Communications capabilities of a device coupled to the communications link may be determined and configuration or framing message may be sent to the first device based on the capabilities. The messages may be transmitted on a primary data line of the communications link with a clock used to control timing of transmission on at least the primary data line. The communications capabilities can include information identifying a number of data wires supported by or coupled to the device. A first device may be configured to communicate with a second device over a secondary data line, which may be reserved for such direct communication. Communications on the secondary data line may be synchronized using the clock signal and may be controlled by a different protocol than the protocol used for the primary data line.
US09904650B2

An interface for low power, high bandwidth communications between units in a device in provided herein. The interface comprises a USB 3.0 system interface and a SuperSpeed inter-chip (SSIC) protocol adaptor configured to facilitate communications between the USB3.0 system interface and an M-PHY interface, wherein the SSIC is configured to issue remote register access protocol (RRAP) commands through a local M-PHY to a remote M-PHY in a low speed burst mode.
US09904646B2

A microcontroller includes a general purpose input/output (GPIO) port having a plurality of bits coupled to a plurality of external pins; a first set of registers for providing at least one of first control and data input/output functionality of the GPIO port; a second set of registers for providing at least one of second control and data input/output functionality of the GPIO port; and a multiplexer and associated select register for controlling the multiplexer to control said GPIO port through either said first or second register set.
US09904645B2

This invention is a bus communication protocol. A master device stores bus credits. The master device may transmit a bus transaction only if it holds sufficient number and type of bus credits. Upon transmission, the master device decrements the number of stored bus credits. The bus credits correspond to resources on a slave device for receiving bus transactions. The slave device must receive the bus transaction if accompanied by the proper credits. The slave device services the transaction. The slave device then transmits a credit return. The master device adds the corresponding number and types of credits to the stored amount. The slave device is ready to accept another bus transaction and the master device is re-enabled to initiate the bus transaction. In many types of interactions a bus agent may act as both master and slave depending upon the state of the process.
US09904644B2

A system for managing internal-computer system communications including a processor, an SPI controller, an interconnector, and an SPI cluster containing multiple SPI interfaces, with the SPI interfaces being connected to one or more devices in the computer system or environment. The SPI cluster includes SPI interfaces that can convert communications to/from a plurality of device's formats to serialized digital formats suitable for ingest and actuation for the SPI controllers. The interconnector may use a differentially, optically, galvanometrically, inductively coupled driven wire and to enable communications between the SPI cluster constituents and the SPI controller. The SPI controller manages communications to the SPI interfaces that act as coordinated intermediates for device control and communications, thus insulating the computer system's processor from the increased workload of managing all internal system communications.
US09904643B2

An electronic system including a first electronic device and a second electronic device and a method of switching operating systems thereof are provided. The first electronic device executes a first operating system. The second electronic device executes a second operating system. The operating system switch unit of the first electronic device includes an input and output switch unit and a logic determining circuit unit. The logic determining circuit unit determines whether the second electronic device is connected to the first electronic device to generate the connection information and determines whether to receive switch information which is generated by enabling a switch. The input and output switch unit determines to provide the control right of the peripheral input and output device of the first electronic device to the first electronic device or the second electronic device according to the connection information and the switch information, and the first operating system and the second operating system is selectively executed accordingly. As a result, the operating system of multiple electronic devices, respectively, can be freely switched to be executed at one of the electronic devices via the peripheral input and output device of one of the electronic devices.
US09904637B2

System, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate transmission of data, particularly between two devices within an electronic apparatus. A method performed by a slave device coupled to a serial bus includes detecting an event related to a function of the slave device, initiating a first counter in the slave device, asserting an in-band interrupt request by driving at least one signal on the serial bus, and transmitting content of the first counter to a bus master coupled to the serial bus during an interrupt handling procedure. The first counter may count cycles of a clock used by the slave device or occurrences of a signaling state or condition on the serial bus. The content of the first counter may be used to determine a time stamp for the event.
US09904636B2

Modular processing units for mainframe construction built around an ultra-wide internal bus, and equipped with memory storage, an arithmetic logic unit and instruction execution unit, and a plurality of input/output ports that are designed to be directly connected with identical neighbor modular processing units, to form a mainframe computing array. In some examples, the processing units include multiple instruction units. In some further examples, the processing units include all necessary components on a single chip, in a single chip carrier package, needing only a properly specified power source.
US09904621B2

The embodiments described herein are used to allocate memory in a storage system. The method includes, at a memory controller in the storage system, determining a current memory allocation for a set of memory devices, wherein the set of memory devices is formatted with a ratio of first storage density designated portions to second storage density designated portions in accordance with the current memory allocation. The method further includes detecting satisfaction of one or more memory reallocation trigger conditions. The method further includes, in response to detecting satisfaction of one or more memory reallocation trigger conditions, modifying the ratio of the first storage density designated portions to the second storage density designated portions in the set of memory devices to generate a second memory allocation for the set of memory devices.
US09904618B2

Embodiments relate to accessing data in a memory. A method for accessing data in a memory coupled to a processor is provided. The method receives a memory reference instruction for accessing data of a first size at an address in the memory. The method determines an alignment size of the address in the memory. The method accesses the data of the first size in one or more groups of data by accessing each group of data block concurrently. The groups of data have sizes that are multiples of the alignment size.
US09904615B1

In an embodiment, a system is configured to replay and/or reconstruct execution events and system states in real time or substantially in real time starting from the point when execution of a target program has stopped to the point when the user desires to step through the target program's execution in order to debug the software. In an embodiment, a system is configured to efficiently collect trace data that is sufficient to reconstruct the state of a computer system at any point of time from the start of execution to the time execution was stopped. Efficient and effective debugging of the software can be performed using embodiments of the disclosed methods, systems, and devices.
US09904608B2

Efficient logging in a control system. Register update requests to store data values in one or more of a plurality of primary registers are received. The most frequently updated primary registers of the plurality of primary registers are periodically identifying. A shadow register is associated with each of the identified most frequently updated primary registers. In response to receiving a register update request to store a data value in one of the most frequently updated primary registers, it is determined if the data value to store is different than the data value stored in the shadow register associated with the register to update. If so, the data value to store is stored into the register to update, stored into the shadow register associated with the register to update, and a log entry corresponding to the register update request is stored in an event log file.
US09904604B2

Systems and techniques for a distributed file system element collection are described herein. A node may identify a state of a file system element, which is identified in a file system element definition, from a local data store. The state corresponds to a distribution action. The file system element definition is one of a plurality of file system element definitions in a collection schema of a collection to which the node is a member. The node may, in response to identifying the state of the file system element, issue a communication to some members of the collection in furtherance of completion of the distribution action. A response may be received by the node from a participant node in the list of participant nodes. The node may complete the distribution action using content from the response.
US09904603B2

Systems and methods for checking data integrity of a data object copied between storage pools in a storage system by comparing data samples copied from data objects. A series of successive copy operations are scheduled over time for copying a data object from a source data store to a target data store. A first data sample is generated based on a sampling scheme comprising an offset and a period. A second data sample is generated using a similar sampling scheme. The blocks of data in the first data sample and the second data sample are compared to determine if they differ to thereby indicate that the data object at the target store differs from the corresponding data object at the source data store.
US09904595B1

Error correction code (ECC) hardware includes write generation (Gen) ECC logic and a check ECC block coupled to an ECC output of a memory circuit with read Gen ECC logic coupled to an XOR circuit that outputs a syndrome signal to a syndrome decode block coupled to a single bit error correction block. A first MUX receives the write data is in series with an input to the write Gen ECC logic or a second MUX receives the read data from the memory circuit in series with an input of the read Gen ECC logic. A cross-coupling connector couples the read data from the memory circuit to a second input of the first MUX or for coupling the write data to a second input of the second MUX. An ECC bit comparator compares an output of the write Gen ECC logic to the read Gen ECC logic output.
US09904594B2

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for monitoring error correction operations performed in memory. A number of embodiments include a memory and circuitry configured to determine a quantity of erroneous data corrected during an error correction operation performed on soft data associated with a sensed data state of a number of memory cells of the memory, determine a quality of soft information associated with the erroneous data corrected during the error correction operation performed on the soft data, and determine whether to take a corrective action on the sensed data based on the quantity of the erroneous data corrected during the error correction operation and the quality of the soft information associated with the erroneous data corrected during the error correction operation.
US09904586B2

In one embodiment, a processor includes a core having a fetch unit to fetch instructions, a decode unit to decode the instructions, and one or more execution units to execute the instructions. The core may further include: a first pair of block address range registers to store a start location and an end location of a block range within a non-volatile block storage coupled to the processor; and a block status storage to store an error indicator responsive to an occurrence of an error within the block range during a block operation. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09904582B2

An apparatus includes a calculation processing unit configured to perform a calculation in the electronic device, a device manager configured to controls a speed of the calculation processing unit and output load factor information, one or more user-level application programs with a respective load factor limit, configured to request for load factor limit information of the calculation processing unit and calculation of a load with a load factor limit, and a service quality manager configured to receive the load factor limit information and the load with the load factor limit from the user-level application programs with the load factor limit, receive load factor information of the calculation processing unit from the device manager, generate a calculation parameter so that a load factor of the calculation processing unit is within the load factor limit information, and output the load with the load factor limit and the generated calculation parameter.
US09904572B2

A transactional memory system dynamically predicts the resource requirements of hardware transactions. A processor of the transactional memory system predicts resource requirements of a first hardware transaction to be executed based on any one of a resource hint and a previous execution of a prior hardware transaction. The processor allocates resources for the first hardware transaction based on the predicted resource requirements. The processor executes the first hardware transaction. The processor saves resource usage information of the first hardware transaction for future prediction.
US09904568B2

High-speed processing of packets to, and from, a virtualization environment can be provided while utilizing hardware-based segmentation offload and other such functionality. A hardware vendor such as a network interface card (NIC) manufacturer can enable the hardware to support open and proprietary stateless tunneling in conjunction with a protocol such as single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) in order to implement a virtualized overlay network. The hardware can utilize various rules, for example, that can be used by the NIC to perform certain actions, such as to encapsulate egress packets and decapsulate packets.
US09904562B2

A method of operating a datalogger adapted for logging sensor data from an absorbent article having at least one sensor element and the datalogger are described. The method includes: determining an external event; and on determination of the external event, transitioning from a first operating condition to a second operating condition. The external event can be an event selected from: a disconnection event in which the datalogger is disconnected from the absorbent article; a connection event in which the datalogger is connected to an absorbent article; a charge event in which the datalogger is connected to a charging station; and a user interaction event in which the user interacts with a user interface element of the datalogger. The first and second operation conditions can be selected from: a datalogging condition; a standby condition; a status notification condition; and a data transmission condition.
US09904560B2

Methods and systems for the collecting and monitoring of information related to the performance of application programming interfaces (APIs) are provided. A method includes obtaining one or more various measurements of performance of the APIs, and assessing a performance status for each API based on the obtained one or more various measurements of performance. The method further includes displaying, the performance status for each API and the APIs, and searching for a particular API of the displayed APIs using a search technique configured to compare a keyword indicative of the particular API to all fields of JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) objects that have been used to define the APIs. The method further includes displaying the particular API including the performance status for the particular API, the one or more various measurements of performance for the particular API, and methods of the particular API, as a result of the searching.
US09904558B1

A system to update firmware includes one of a number of clients and a server. The server includes a remote login module, an image scanning module, a comparing module, and a firmware updating module. The remote login module remotely logs in the client through SOL. The image scanning module obtains running images of running interface of the client at a preset speed in a preset period. The comparing module compares each running image to a preset PXE interface to determine whether the running image is consistent with the preset PXE interface. When the running image is consistent, the firmware updating module loads operating system image and firmware program image to RAM of the client and controls the client to run the operating system image and the firmware program image to update the firmware of the client. A firmware updating method is also disclosed.
US09904557B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for provisioning an operating system image from a server (2) to an untrusted user terminal (4) via a data communications network (3). A trusted device (5) such as a pocket USB device has tamper-resistant storage (9) containing bootloader logic, for controlling booting of a user terminal, and security data. On connection of the trusted device (5) to an untrusted user terminal (4), the user terminal is booted via the bootloader logic on the trusted device. Under control of the bootloader logic, a connection is established to the server (2) via the network (3) and the server is authenticated using the security data on the trusted device (5). An operating system boot image is received from the server (2) via this connection. The boot image is used to provision an operating system image from the server (2) to the user terminal (4) for execution of the operating system at the user terminal (4).
US09904550B2

A method for combining instructions, performed by a compiler, containing at least the following steps. First instructions are obtained, where each performs one of a calculation operation, a comparison operation, a logic operation, a selection operation, a branching operation, a LD/ST (Load/Store) operation, a SMP (sampling) operation and a complicated mathematics operation. The first instructions are combined as one combined instruction according to data dependencies between the first instructions. The combined instruction is sent to a SP (Stream Processor).
US09904546B2

A processor includes a front end to receive an instruction. The processor also includes a core to execute the instruction. The core includes logic to execute a base function of the instruction to yield a result, generate a predicate value of a comparison of the result based upon a predication setting in the instruction, and set the predicate value in a register. The processor also includes a retirement unit to retire the instruction.
US09904542B2

Techniques for specifying and implementing a software application targeted for execution on a multiprocessor array (MPA). The MPA may include a plurality of processing elements, supporting memory, and a high bandwidth interconnection network (IN), communicatively coupling the plurality of processing elements and supporting memory. In one embodiment, software code may include first program instructions executable to perform a function. In this embodiment, the software code may also include one or more language constructs that are configurable to specify one or more communication ports and one or more parameter inputs. In this embodiment, the one or more communication ports are configurable to specify communication with other software code. In this embodiment, the one or more parameter inputs are configurable to specify a set of hardware resources usable to execute the software code. In this embodiment, the hardware resources include multiple processors and may include multiple supporting memories.
US09904541B2

Described herein are technologies pertaining to semantic baselining. Correctness conditions of a baseline program are inferred based upon a first static analysis undertaken over the baseline program. The correctness conditions are subsequently inserted into a revision to the baseline program. When a second static analysis is undertaken over the revised program with the correctness conditions inserted therein, warnings inherited from the baseline program are suppressed, while warnings caused by revisions are surfaced to a developer.
US09904530B2

A method, executed by a computer, for deploying an application includes receiving a deployment description that indicates the one or more deployment configurations and an artifact corresponding to a deployment, accessing a repository that contains the deployment configurations and the artifact that correspond to the deployment, enabling a user to select a subset of deployment configurations, and deploying the subset of deployment configurations and artifact to a processing environment.
US09904529B2

A method for compact data marshaller generation includes determining a plurality of data types having a same memory layout from data to be marshalled using a processor, each of the plurality of data types being associated with one or more separate data marshallers. The one or more separate data marshallers are unified to provide a single data marshaller for the plurality of data types for compact data marshaller generation.
US09904528B1

An approach to selecting statements for inlining in a COBOL program involving creating a PERFORM Graph (PG), determining whether the PG is a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), responsive to determining the PG is not a DAG, identifying a maximum sub-graph DAG corresponding to the PG, computing one or more infeasible paths associated with a Control Flow Graph (CFG), wherein the infeasible paths are induced by PERFORM range calls associated with a plurality of edges corresponding to the PG or the maximum sub-graph DAG, ordering the plurality of edges corresponding to the PG or the maximum sub-graph DAG in a list, selecting one or more edges, based on traversing the list of the plurality of edges and generating an indicator of the one or more selected edges.
US09904525B2

Arrangements described herein relate to managing reusable artifacts. Responsive to receiving a request to create a placeholder for a reusable artifact representing a reusable unit, the placeholder for an appropriate version of the reusable artifact is created within a container and a first parameter identifying the reusable artifact is assigned to an artifact property of the placeholder. Responsive to receiving a request to pin a particular version of the reusable artifact to the placeholder, a version property of the placeholder can be updated to set the version, wherein the request to pin the particular version of the reusable artifact to the placeholder is implemented by assigning a value to a parameter in the placeholder or adding a pin property into the placeholder. The particular version can be maintained as the set version of the reusable artifact regardless of whether new artifact versions are created for the reusable artifact.
US09904522B2

The present invention provides a web development system. In a running state of a web application being developed, the development system generates or modifies a script code used to perform a predetermined function. The development system includes a script parser that parses the generated script code or the modified script code to correspondingly generate an object type which performs a new function, or to modify the object type which performs an existing function. The development system also includes an object manager that generates a new function object or modifies the existing function object according to the generated object type and organizes the invoking relationships between the new or modified function object and other objects, so as to generate or modify the predetermined function when the web application is operating.
US09904518B1

A system for collaborating on a component according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a computing device configured to execute an editing module. The editing module is configured to generate at least one developed feature of the component design in response to executing at least one global command relating to a multi-user CAx command set, and to generate at least one undeveloped feature of the component design in response to executing at least one local command relating to a local CAx command set.
US09904517B2

A system and method for automatically generating a displayable model of an application. A first and second screenshots of a first and second screens produced by an application may be captured and stored in a model. Transition information related to a transition from the first to the second screen may be obtained and stored in the model. A session may be recorded by recording screenshots and related events. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09904502B2

Electronic equipment with displays may be provided. A first display may be mounted in a first housing and a second display may be mounted in a second housing that is adjacent to the first housing. The first housing may rotate relative to the second housing about a hinge axis. The first housing may be a lid and the second housing may be a base housing that is coupled to the lid by a hinge. A first display may be mounted in the first housing and a second display may be mounted in the second housing. Polarizer layers and other optical layers in the displays may be configured to provide a viewer with the ability to view images on the displays while wearing vertically polarized sunglasses and to suppress reflections of light emitted by the first display off of the second display.
US09904499B2

An information processing system stores, for each application for carrying out a first sequence of processes using electronic data, application identification information and first-sequence information in a manner of associating them with one another; receives a request including the application identification information and electronic-data information; carries out the first sequence of processes on the electronic data according to the request; determines, before carrying out each process of the first sequence of processes, whether to generate second-sequence information where information concerning an additional process to be carried out before the process of the first sequence of processes is added, and if the determination result is to generate the second-sequence information, generates the second-sequence information and carries out a second sequence of processes where the additional process is carried out before the process of the first sequence of processes, on the electronic data.
US09904491B2

Provided are a memory device, a memory system, and a method of operating the memory device. A method of operating a memory device including a plurality of random access memory (RAM) chips includes inputting a read command, reading a plurality of pieces of block data including first block data corresponding to the read command from each of the plurality of RAM chips, generating two-dimensional (2D) data by combining the plurality of pieces of block data read from each of the RAM chips, and processing the read command by using the 2D data.
US09904475B2

In certain circumstances it is desirable to restrict access to a SCSI storage device (physical or virtual) to a particular user associated with a specific session identifier. By utilizing a specialized filter driver, certain operating system parameters may be set or modified even though the miniport driver cannot access the device object created by the storport driver for the storage device. The filter driver may issue custom commands to retrieve storage device specific information and use that information to set or modify one or more operating system commands to restrict the access to the storage device.
US09904474B2

A control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to collect plural types of performance information regarding a first data unit. The processor is configured to determine, on basis of the collected plural types of performance information, whether to transfer the first data unit from a first storage device which is under control of a first controller to a second storage device which is positioned as higher than the first storage device. The processor is configured to transfer the first data unit from the first storage device to the second storage device depending on a result of the determination.
US09904463B2

A method for controlling a user character for playing a game within a virtual environment, including providing a user character and virtual environment information on the touch sensitive display to a user; detecting a touch gesture via a touch sensitive gesture input device, the touch gesture formed by a continuous sweep touching at least two touch sensitive elements arranged in the pre-defined array; comparing the detected touch gesture to reference gestures of the user character for playing the game within the virtual environment; and generating an action for the user character within the virtual environment in response to finding a matching reference gesture based on comparison.
US09904460B2

A device includes a display displaying data, a digitizer sensor including a plurality of conductive elements spread across the display and a circuit connected to the plurality of conductive elements. The circuit transmits data displayed on the display via at least one of the conductive elements of the digitizer sensor. The conductive elements of the digitizer sensor are electrically isolated from one another.
US09904454B2

A method is provided for modifying an image. The method comprises displaying an image, the image comprising a portion of an object; and determining if an edge of the object is in a location within the portion. The method further comprises detecting movement, in a member direction, of an operating member with respect to the edge. The method still further comprises moving, if the edge is not in the location, the object in an object direction corresponding to the detected movement; and modifying, if the edge is in the location, the image in response to the detected movement, the modified image comprising the edge in the location.
US09904453B2

An image display apparatus includes: a display device for displaying an image; an operation receiving device for receiving a scroll operation for scrolling the image displayed on the display device in a specific direction; a processor; and a memory for storing instructions. When executed, the instructions cause the processor to: acquire a scroll-amount indicator value, that indicates an amount by which the image being displayed on the display device is to be scrolled by the current scroll operation, based on a current scroll operation received by the operation receiving device and on a display of the image on the display device by at least one previous scroll operation which is received by the operation receiving device in advance of the current scroll operation; and control the display device to display the image scrolled according to the acquired scroll-amount indicator value.
US09904452B2

A user specific meta application instance is launched. The user specific meta application instance inherits a pattern of display and at least one context of a meta application instance. A value for the at least one context of the user specific meta application instance is received. A selection of one or more applications from a plurality of applications provided by the user specific meta application instance is received. Each application from the one or more applications is associated with a pattern of display. One or more application contexts that match the at least one context of the user specific meta application instance are determined for each application from the selected one or more applications. The matching one or more application contexts are applied to each application from the selected one or more applications. A user specific UI based on the user specific meta application instance is displayed.
US09904451B2

An innovation management system, which includes a database of networked members, each of the networked members being associated with a pre-defined user profile, a user interface operable to receive inputs from a member and to display selected outputs to a member, a campaigns module onto which campaigns can be defined, a campaign being defined as a call to networked members to submit ideas for a particular context defined by the campaign, and an ideas module onto which ideas can be loaded, the ideas selectively being associated with a pre-defined campaign.
US09904444B2

A device which provides a user interface through which a user further easily selects an object and a method of providing the user interface are provided. The device includes at least one sensor which senses a motion of the device, a processor which compares a motion value determined by using the sensor with a preset threshold value and determines a movement value of the object based on a result of the comparing, and an Input/Output (I/O) unit which displays the object, wherein the object moves according to the movement value of the object.
US09904438B2

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of sensing force of a touch and a control method thereof. A mobile terminal according to one embodiment includes a touch screen capable of outputting screen information corresponding to a specific function, and a controller capable of controlling the touch screen to output a function key for controlling an output state of the screen information when it is detected that force of a touch applied to the touch screen is more than a preset first force, and capable of controlling the touch screen to change the function key to a function icon for executing a different function from the specific function when it is detected that the force of the touch is changed to a second force or more while the function key is output, the second force being stronger than the first force.
US09904428B2

A touch panel includes a touch sensor having a dielectric core layer disposed between first and second piezoelectric layers. Each piezoelectric layer comprises a poled piezoelectric polymer. The touch sensor further includes at least a first set of individually addressable electrodes disposed over the first piezoelectric layer and at least one second electrode disposed over the second piezoelectric layer. Circuitry is coupled to the first set of electrodes and the second electrode. The circuitry is configured to detect a change in an electrical signal of at least one electrode of the first set of electrodes referenced to the second electrode in response to a touch applied to the touch surface of the touch sensor.
US09904426B2

Provided is a touch chip including a touch input detector and a compensator, wherein an input terminal of the touch input detector and an output terminal of the compensator are together connected to a touch input sensing electrode, and a direction change of a first current flowing through the input terminal of the touch input detector and a direction change of a second current flowing through the output terminal of the compensator are performed through synchronization.
US09904415B2

An interactive display system includes an input device and an image interaction module. The input device has a touch portion including a built-in first light-emitting module and a built-in second light-emitting module. The image interaction module includes a display module, a first image-capturing module, a second image-capturing module and a processing module. The processing module captures invisible light generated by the first light-emitting module through the first image-capturing module, for determining and obtaining the position of the touch portion. The processing module captures visible light generated by the second light-emitting module through the second image-capturing module according to the position of the touch portion, for determining and obtaining a predetermined color light source provided by the visible light generated by the second light-emitting module.
US09904405B2

A portable terminal for sensing a touch input, including a direct touch input and a proximity touch input, includes a touch screen configured to receive the touch input via a touching object and responsively displaying at least a first portion of a page and a controller configured to recognize the direct touch input when the touching object contacts the touch screen and recognize the proximity touch input when the touching object is located within a threshold distance relative to the touch screen for a period of time, the proximity touch input being effective as long as the touching object remains within the threshold distance, wherein in response to the proximity touch input, a size of the displayed page is changed from a first size to a second size, or a second portion of the page is displayed on the touch screen, the second portion being different from the first portion.
US09904403B2

In an example, a processing system for an electronic device, such as a capacitive sensing device, includes a reservoir capacitor configured to store charge from a charge pump, and a control circuit configured to operate the charge pump at irregular intervals to transfer charge to the reservoir capacitor.
US09904386B2

The invention relates to a method for patterning one or more portions of a microstructure comprised of a flexible substrate, a conductor disposed on the substrate, and a metal layer disposed on the conductor, wherein the conductor is comprised of a stack of a first and a second transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer, and a metal doped silicon oxide layer sandwiched between the two TCO layers.
US09904385B2

A touch screen panel includes a film substrate defined by a touch active area and a non-touch active area and the touch area is arranged outside the touch active area. The touch screen panel includes a plurality of sensing electrodes arranged in the touch active area on an upper surface and a lower surface of the film substrate, and outer lines arranged in the non-touch active area on the upper and the lower surfaces of the film substrate. The outer lines are connected to the sensing electrodes along one of a first direction and a second direction, and the outer lines include a transparent electrode layer and a plating layer on the transparent electrode layer.
US09904383B2

A touch device includes a display panel with a plurality of pixel regions in a matrix, and a touch panel disposed on the display panel. The touch panel detects touch operations. The touch panel includes a substrate, a first conduction layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, and a second conduction layer disposed on a surface of the substrate. The first conduction layer includes a plurality of first conduction units arranged along a first direction. The second conduction layer includes a plurality of second conduction units arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first conduction units and the second conduction units are respectively formed by a plurality of randomized metal meshes connected with each other. The randomized metal mesh is formed based on a virtual randomized mesh shifted by a virtual regular mesh shift.
US09904377B2

In certain embodiments, a method includes wirelessly receiving, by an electrode of a stylus, a signal sent from a touch sensor of a computing device. The received signal includes a data bit and is based on a predefined code sequence. The method also includes producing, by the electrode of the stylus, a derivative signal from the received signal, the derivative signal corresponding to a derivative with respect to time of the received signal. The method further includes performing, by the stylus, a cross-correlation of the derivative signal and an expected-signal pattern, the expected-signal pattern based on a derivative with respect to time of the predefined code sequence, where the cross-correlation produces a cross-correlation signal including one or more cross-correlation pulses. The method also includes determining, by the stylus, based on the cross-correlation signal, that the received signal is associated with the predefined code sequence.
US09904369B2

Glasses with gesture recognition function include a glasses frame and a gesture recognition system. The gesture recognition system is disposed on the glasses frame and configured to detect hand gestures in front of the glasses thereby generating a control command. The gesture recognition system transmits the control command to an electronic device to correspondingly control the electronic device.
US09904355B2

This application discloses a display method and an electronic device, where the method is applicable to a first electronic device including a sensing unit and a display unit, and the method includes: obtaining first posture information of the first electronic device by the sensing unit when the first electronic device satisfies a first predetermined condition; determining a first picture according to the first posture information; displaying the first picture by the display unit; detecting second posture information of the first electronic device by the sensing unit when there is a change in posture of the first electronic device; determining a second picture according to the second posture information; and displaying the second picture by the display unit.
US09904353B2

An accessory device for handheld electronic devices such as, for example, a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a media player, and a tablet computer includes circuitry for sensing flow of human breath and for communicating with the handheld electronic device, to enable user control of the handheld electronic device employing the flow of human breath.
US09904352B2

A control apparatus and control method for a processor can reset the processor when the processor returns from low current consumption operation mode to regular operation mode. The control apparatus (11) for a processor (10) includes a watchdog timer (20) that resets the processor (10) when a P-RUN signal from the processor (10) cannot be acquired for a predetermined time, a current monitor (19) that suspends operation of the watchdog timer (20) when output current of a power supply (18) that supplies power to the processor (10) falls below a predetermined value and starts operation of the watchdog timer (20) when the output current becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and a current amplifier (21) that increases the output current to be equal to or greater than the predetermined value upon acquiring a signal for causing the processor (10) to start operating in the regular operation mode.
US09904339B2

In one embodiment, a processor includes multiple cores and a power control unit (PCU) coupled to the cores. The PCU has a stress detector to receive a voltage and a temperature at which the processor is operating and calculate lifetime statistical information including effective reliability stress, maintain the lifetime statistical information over multiple boot cycles of a computing system such as personal computer, server computer, tablet computer, smart phone or any other computing platform, control one or more operating parameters of the processor based on the lifetime statistical information, and communicate at least a portion of the lifetime statistical information to a user and/or a management entity via an interface of the processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09904332B2

A heat dissipation module, including a heat sink set, a first fan and a second fan disposed adjacent to each other on the heat sink set, is provided. A projection of an area covered by the first fan during rotation on a plane where the heat sink set is located partially overlaps with a projection of an area covered by the second fan during rotation on the plane where the heat sink set is located. A rotating direction of the first fan is different from a rotating direction of the second fan. A display card assembly including a display card and aforesaid heat dissipation module is further provided. An electronic device including a main board and aforesaid display card assembly is also provided.
US09904326B2

A waterproof housing including a frame structure and a waterproof structure is provided. The frame structure includes an opening. The waterproof structure is fixed on the frame structure and covers whole of the external surface and the opening of the frame structure. The waterproof structure includes a plurality of ribs extending toward the opening correspondingly and located in the opening. An electronic device is further provided including the waterproof housing and a keyboard module. The keyboard module includes a plurality of keys. The keyboard module is disposed under the waterproof housing and passes into the opening from an underside of the frame structure. The waterproof structure covers the keyboard module disposed in the opening and is fixed between the keys via the ribs. Therefore, the electronic device and the waterproof housing thereof have an improved water-proof function and are convenient in use.
US09904317B2

A mobile terminal disclosed herein includes a main body having front and side surfaces, a window provided on a top of the main body and curved from the front surface toward the side surfaces to define at least a part of the side surfaces, a touch sensor provided on a rear surface of the window and curved along a shape of the window, a frame provided on a rear surface of the display and having a shape corresponding to the display for support, supporting members supporting ends of the window, the touch sensor and the display and partially defining the side surfaces of the terminal, and a rear case covering a rear surface of the main body, wherein the touch sensor and display are formed longer along side surfaces of the window, and the window contacts parts of the supporting members, externally exposed to define the side surfaces of the terminal.
US09904315B2

An electronic device is provided according to the present application, which includes a first body having a working surface; and a second body having a main body and a support body, the main body has an operational surface, and the main body rotatably couples to the first body and the support body via respective opposing edges of the main body. The electronic device is operable in a stand mode, wherein respective corresponding edges of the main body and the support body are arranged to rest on a support surface to prevent the operational surface of the main body from contacting against the support surface in the stand mode.
US09904306B2

A voltage converter includes a high voltage regulator, a buck converter and a dual input linear regulator unit. The high voltage regulator converts a rectified voltage to a first load voltage. The rectified voltage is rectified from an input voltage. The buck converter generates an output voltage having a first level based on the rectified voltage during a stabilizing period and provides a transition detection signal that is enabled when the output voltage transitions to the first level. The stabilizing period is successive to an initializing period. The dual input linear regulator unit receives the first load voltage, the output voltage and a reference voltage, generates a second load voltage based on the first load voltage during the initializing period, and generates the second load voltage based on the output voltage during the stabilizing period.
US09904301B2

A pressure relief apparatus is disclosed herein. The pressure relief apparatus comprises a primary conduit for transporting fluid in a given direction. The pressure relief apparatus also includes a secondary conduit intersecting the primary conduit at an angle such that the secondary conduit extends from away from the primary conduit in a direction opposite of the given direction of the transported fluid in the primary conduit. The pressure relief apparatus further comprises a rupture disk disposed in the secondary conduit designed to fail when pressure of the transported fluid in the primary conduit increases above a desired pressure threshold. A method of passing fluid through the pressure relief apparatus is also provided herein.
US09904298B2

The invention discloses a metering valve for metering a metering material, having a valve chamber comprising an outlet aperture, a closure element arranged in or on to the valve chamber, a valve chamber casing and an actuator assembly realized to move at least the outlet aperture, preferably the valve chamber, relative to the valve chamber casing in an ejection direction and/or a retraction direction during operation such that, in at least one movement mode, metering material is expelled by the closure element through the outlet aperture by a movement of the outlet aperture in the ejection direction. The invention further discloses a metering method which can be performed by means of such a metering valve.
US09904295B2

A method for defining an automated process which is to be carried out in a liquid handling system, wherein the liquid handling system comprises an outlet element (e.g. a pipette) for aspirating and/or dispensing a liquid volume, a numerically controlled movement apparatus for carrying out movements in connection with the aspiration/and or dispensing, and a controller for controlling the process, having the following steps: using a graphic user interface in order to enable the user to predetermine parameters which are to be used by the liquid handling system when carrying out one or several substeps of the process, wherein at least a first parameter is dependent on a second parameter in such a way that the first parameter is adjusted automatically by the system if the second parameter changes.
US09904294B2

A control valve including: a valve body, a flow shutter operatively interposed between an inlet and an outlet, a driving spindle having at least a first actuating end and a second end connected to the flow shutter. The valve also includes a differential pressure automatic regulation device, comprising: a cup-shaped body arranged around the driving spindle and axially mobile with respect to said driving spindle; a spring operatively interposed between the valve body and the cup-shaped body to push the latter away from the flow shutter; a rolling membrane having a radially inner edge fixed to the cup-shaped body and a radially outer edge fixed to the valve body to delimit a first chamber in fluid communication with the inlet and a second chamber in fluid communication with the outlet.
US09904284B2

A robot that moves to a position indicated by a remote device, and a method for controlling the moving robot. The moving robot according to an embodiment includes a traveling unit that moves a main body, a light reception unit that receives light, and a control unit that determines a traveling direction of the moving robot by filtering the light received from the light reception unit in accordance with a probability-based filtering method, and controls the traveling unit so that the main body travels in the traveling direction.
US09904282B2

A work planner includes a divider and an adjustor. Based on action information including a plurality of first actions indicating work units that involve one executor or a plurality of executors including a robot and that start at respective defined start timings, the divider is configured to divide one action among the plurality of first actions that involves the plurality of executors into a plurality of second actions corresponding to the respective plurality of executors. Based on dependency information indicating a relationship of dependency among the plurality of first actions including the plurality of second actions, the adjustor is configured to adjust a start timing of at least one of third actions, among the plurality of first actions, that involve an identical executor.
US09904273B2

A machine tool includes a tool post having a tool unit for machining a workpiece, operation control means for controlling the operation of the tool unit in accordance with a plurality of commands described in a numerical control program and movement limiting means for inhibiting entry of the tool unit into a no-entry region. The plurality of commands include a limit value setting command for calculating a limit value of a position of the tool unit avoiding interference with a machine element located within a movable region of the tool unit and for determining the no-entry region by the calculated limit value. Upon reading the limit value setting command out of the numerical control program, the operation control means calculates the limit value and determines the no-entry region by the calculated limit value.
US09904272B2

A numerical controller obtains a maximum value of an impact produced in a machine during execution of a machining program, identifies an acceleration/deceleration time constant at a point where the maximum value of the impact is generated, based on command data, if the obtained value exceeds a threshold, changes the identified time constant, and recalculates a cycle time of the machining program based on the changed time constant. If the cycle time is within a preset tact time, the changed time constant is stored in advance in association with an identified command block so that it is referred to during the execution of the machining program.
US09904269B2

An apparatus including devices, a network operations center (NOC), and control nodes. Each of the devices consumes a portion of a resource when turned on, and performs a corresponding function within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off. The NOC is disposed external to a facility, and determines an energy lag for the facility based upon fine-grained energy consumption baseline data. The NOC employs the energy lag to generate a plurality of run time schedules that coordinates run times for the each of the devices to control the peak demand of the resource. Each of the plurality of control nodes is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of devices. The plurality of control nodes transmits sensor data and device status to the NOC via the demand coordination network for generation of the plurality of run time schedules, and executes selected ones of the run time schedules to cycle the plurality of devices on and off.
US09904255B2

A wearable electronic device is provided. The wearable electronic device includes a wireless communication unit, a processing unit, a watch interface and a display unit. The wireless communication unit performs wireless communication with a portable electronic device. The processing unit synchronizes with the portable electronic device to retrieve event data from the portable electronic device through the wireless communication unit, wherein the event data comprises a plurality of events and time information corresponding to the events. The watch interface has a dial. The processing unit controls the display unit to display a color bar surrounding the dial, wherein the color bar includes a plurality of sections to display durations of the events based on the time information. When the processing unit determines that a time-based condition or a location-based condition of the events is met, an intimating signal is generated under the control of the processing unit.
US09904254B1

A customizable watch and watch housing integrates the aspects of a traditional watch with the qualities of a smart device. The customizable watch and watch housing is a universally adaptable smart watch for housing different watch faces. The user can interchange different watch faces, and the watch housing can serve the function of a smart device, a watch, and a computer. The watch housing and/or a watch band can contain an interface for controlling one or more computer executable programs stored within a memory module of the watch and a phone component so that it can be used to make and receive telephone calls.
US09904245B2

An image forming apparatus 100 includes a photosensitive drum 21 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by being scanned with a light beam emitted from a light source 29 through a transparent member 26, a developing roller 23 that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 21 to form an image on the photosensitive drum 21, a transfer roller 24 that transfers the image developed and formed by the developing roller 23 to a sheet S, a fixing portion 30 that heat-fixes the image transferred on the sheet S by the transfer roller 24 to the sheet S, and a condensation member 28 provided in an airflow path A from the fixing portion 30 to the transparent member 26, and condenses and collects vapor in the airflow.
US09904242B2

A process cartridge configured to be detachably installed to a main body of the imaging device includes a housing, and a photosensitive drum arranged in the housing. A drive coupler configured to receive a driving force from a drive head of the main body of the imaging device is provided at an end of the photosensitive drum. The process cartridge can be installed to the main body of the imaging device or be detached from the main body of the imaging device in a manner that the photosensitive drum rotation axis forms a variable included angle with respect to the drive head rotation axis. The installation of the process cartridge is facilitated, and the engagement of the drive coupler with the drive head of the imaging device is facilitated.
US09904240B1

An image-forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive substrate; a charging device that charges a surface of the photoreceptor; an exposure device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor by irradiating the surface of the photoreceptor with light, the exposure device including plural light sources arranged in an axial direction of the photoreceptor; a developing device including a developer including a toner which forms a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image with the developer; and a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a recording medium. A mean width WSm of waviness profiles of an outer periphery of the conductive substrate determined in accordance with JIS B0601 (2001) is smaller than an interval at which the light sources are arranged in the axial direction of the photoreceptor.
US09904236B2

An image forming apparatus includes a collection container for collecting toner discharged from an image forming station, the collection container being movable between a mount position in which the collection container is mounted in the apparatus and a removable position in which the collection container is removable from the apparatus; and a door provided on the apparatus to permit access into the apparatus. A track of the collection container when the collection container is moved from the mount position to the removable position overlaps a track of the door when the door is opened and closed, and when the door is in its open position, the collection container is incapable of being removed from the main assembly, and when the door is in its closed position, the collection container is removable from the main assembly.
US09904232B2

The power supply apparatus includes a transformer, a switch connected to a primary side of the transformer, a first line connected to a secondary side of the transformer to output a voltage of a first polarity, a second line connected to the secondary side of the transformer to output a second polarity voltage whose polarity is opposite to the first polarity, a first diode connected to the first line in a direction, a first capacitor connected to the first line, a second diode connected to the second line in another direction opposite to the direction of the first diode, a second capacitor connected to the second line, a resistor connected to the first line on an output side of the first diode, and a controller controlling a frequency of the switch to control an output from the second line constant.
US09904231B2

An image-forming apparatus includes a main body, a belt unit detachably attachable to the main body, a coupling and a restricting part. The belt unit includes: a first roller defining an axis extending in an axial direction, a second roller opposing the first roller in a first direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and a belt looped over the first roller and the second roller. The coupling is configured to move in the axial direction to come into engagement with the first roller for inputting a drive force into the first roller. The restricting part is provided on the main body and is configured to restrict the first roller from moving in a second direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the first direction when the belt unit is attached to the main body.
US09904228B2

A sheet conveyance apparatus, including: a rotatable first rotary member; a second rotary member configured to rotate together with the first rotary member to nip and convey a sheet; a rotary member support unit configured to support the first rotary member in a mountable and removable manner, the rotary member support unit being pivotally movable in a direction intersecting with a conveyance direction of the sheet; and a regulating member configured to regulate pivotal movement of the rotary member support unit so that the first rotary member is fitted into a predetermined position of the rotary member support unit when the first rotary member is mounted.
US09904227B2

There is provided an image forming apparatus that can detect a replacement of toner cartridge and can accurately manage information after the replacement even if serial numbers of the toner cartridges before and after the replacement are identical to each other. Each toner cartridge is provided with a nonvolatile memory that can record cartridge information, such as printed page count value (i.e., total number of printed sheets) and beginning-of-use date and time. The image forming apparatus includes a device built-in memory that can store and update the cartridge information. The image forming apparatus refers to and compares the cartridge information about two cartridges that are likely to be replaced at arbitrary timing and identifies the replacement of the toner cartridge if any discordance is confirmed.
US09904226B2

To prevent the detection accuracy from deteriorating due to stray light, an optical apparatus includes the following configuration. The optical apparatus includes a light-emitting member, a light-receiving member, and a substrate on which the light-emitting member and the light-receiving member are mounted. The substrate includes a plate-like substrate layer and a plate-like conductive layer. The optical apparatus further includes a light-shielding member disposed between the light-receiving member and the light-emitting member and inserted in a through-hole of the substrate provided between the light-receiving member and the light-emitting member. The light-receiving member receives reflected light from a portion to be irradiated with the light emitted from the light-emitting member. The conductive layer is excellent in light-shielding property compared to the substrate layer. The conductive layer is exposed to an inner cylindrical surface of the through-hole.
US09904223B2

An additive manufacturing system comprising a transfer medium configured to receive the layers from a imaging engine, a heater configured to heat the layers on the transfer medium, and a layer transfusion assembly that includes a build platform, and is configured to transfuse the heated layers onto the build platform in a layer-by-layer manner to print a three-dimensional part.
US09904220B2

A fixing device includes a fixing belt and an opposed rotator to press against a nip formation pad via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the opposed rotator. A primary heater and a secondary heater heat the fixing belt. The secondary heater includes a lateral end heat generator. The nip formation pad includes a base and at least one thermal conductor being interposed between the base and the fixing nip and having a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the base. The at least one thermal conductor includes an outboard edge disposed between an inboard edge and an outboard edge of the lateral end heat generator and disposed outboard from a conveyance span of the fixing belt in an axial direction of the fixing belt, where a recording medium is conveyed over the fixing belt.
US09904214B2

An image forming apparatus includes a belt, image forming unit, first and second transfer rollers, feeding portion, stretching roller and urging member. Regarding (1) a contact point between (i) an outer common tangential line between the stretching and first transfer rollers and (ii) the first transfer roller and (2) an intersection point between (i) the outer common tangential line and (ii) a line perpendicular to the outer common tangential line and passing through a rotation center of the second transfer roller, the contact point is closer to the stretching roller than the intersection point is to the stretching roller and a distance between the contact and intersection points is 5% or more of a diameter of the first transfer roller. The urging member urges the belt from an inner belt surface at a position, close to a transfer portion, between the first transfer roller and the belt.
US09904212B2

A toner agitation system according to one example embodiment includes a toner agitator movable in a reciprocating manner. A cam follower is operatively connected to the toner agitator. A rotatable cam has a cam surface that contacts the cam follower. A biasing member biases the cam follower into contact with the cam surface. Contact between the cam surface and the cam follower during rotation of the cam causes the toner agitator to move in the reciprocating manner.
US09904208B2

An accommodating device for collecting developer from an image bearing member includes an accommodating container for accommodating the developer from the image bearing member, a feeding member for feeding the developer in a developer feeding direction and provided in the accommodating container, and a wall member for partitioning inside of the accommodating container. The wall member is provided in the accommodating container and extends along a direction crossing the developer feeding direction and inclined toward a downstream side of the feeding member with respect to the developer feeding direction. The wall member is contactable to the developer being fed in the developer feeding direction.
US09904189B2

The present invention provides an electrostatic image developing toner containing a binder resin, a colorant and a wax, wherein at least one specific peak or shoulder attributable to a melting point of the wax is present at 55 to 90° C., a dust emission (Dt) of said electrostatic image developing toner satisfies the specific formula, another specific peak or shoulder relating to an endothermic quantity is present at 65.6 to 70.8° C., and an average value of tan δ in a range of an angular velocity of 20 to 100 rad/sec in a dynamic viscoelasticity measurement at 140° C. is from 1.62 to 2.20.
US09904185B2

A porous member is used in a liquid removal system of an immersion lithographic projection apparatus to smooth uneven flows. A pressure differential across the porous member may be maintained at below the bubble point of the porous member so that a single-phase liquid flow is obtained. Alternatively, the porous member may be used to reduce unevenness in a two-phase flow.
US09904181B2

The present invention determines property of a target (30) on a substrate (W), such as a grating on a wafer. An inspection apparatus has an illumination source (702, 710) with two or more illumination beams (716, 716′, 716″, 716′″) in the pupil plane of a high numerical aperture objective lens (L3). The substrate and target are illuminated via the objective lens from different angles of incidence with respect to the plane of the substrate. In the case of four illumination beams, a quad wedge optical device (QW) is used to separately redirect diffraction orders of radiation scattered from the substrate and separates diffraction orders from the two or more illumination beams. For example four 0th diffraction orders are separated for four incident directions. After capture in multimode fibers (MF), spectrometers (S1-S4) are used to measure the intensity of the separately redirected 0th diffraction orders as a function of wavelength. This may then be used in determining a property of a target.
US09904179B2

This invention provides an exposure apparatus for exposing each of a plurality of shot regions on a substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a control unit configured to control exposure processing of exposing each of the plurality of shot regions on the substrate using control information for controlling shapes of the shot regions exposed on the substrate such that the plurality of shot regions are adjacent to each other. The control information includes correction information for correcting, based on layout information of a plurality of shots adjacent to each other, a shift of adjacent portions of the plurality of shot regions caused by a distortion of the shapes of the plurality of shot regions. The control unit controls the exposure processing using the correction information.
US09904178B2

A stage assembly (10) that moves a device (15) includes a stage (14) that retains the device (15), a base (12), a stage mover assembly (16), and a supply system (20A). The supply system (20A) is secured to and positioned on the stage (14). The supply system (20A) includes a circulation system (24) that circulates a circulation fluid (22) through a circulation conduit (14D) in the stage (14) to control the temperature of the stage (14) and the device (15). The circulation system (24) can include a storage container assembly (234A) that defines a supply chamber (350) that supplies pressurized circulation fluid (22) to the circulation conduit (14D), a return chamber (352) that receives the circulation fluid (22) that was circulated through the circulation conduit (14D), a movable piston (354) that separates the supply chamber (350) from the return chamber (352), and a piston urger (356) that urges the piston (354) to move to reduce the supply volume of the supply chamber (350) and urge the circulation fluid (22) out of the supply chamber (350).
US09904176B2

An interference lithography device is provided with a laser source for providing a laser beam; a base thereon having a beam splitter for dividing the laser beam into a first beam portion and a second beam portion, a beam expander, a first set of reflectors, and a second set of reflectors; a set of lower reflectors; and a sample carrying stage for holding a substrate. The first beam portion and the second beam portion are respectively reflected from the second set of reflectors and then respectively reflected by the set of lower reflectors to form an interference pattern on the substrate.
US09904168B2

An actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition includes a resin (A) containing a repeating unit represented by General Formula (4) and a crosslinking agent (C) containing a polar group, in which the crosslinking agent (C) is a compound represented by General Formula (1) or a compound in which two to five structures represented by General Formula (1) are connected via a linking group or a single bond represented by L1 in General Formula (3).
US09904160B2

A light-emitting device (1) and a related light source system. The light-emitting device (1) comprises a laser light source (11, 21, 31) and a light collecting system (12, 22). The laser light source (11, 21, 31) comprises a first laser array (111, 211, 311) and a second laser array (112, 212, 312) for respectively generating a first light and a second light with different wavelength ranges. The light collecting system (12, 22) is used for collecting the light emitted from the laser light source arrays. The ratio of the divergence angle of the collected second light to that of the first light is less than or equal to a predetermined value. The predetermined value is 0.7. The light-emitting device (1) is capable of generating two kinds of light beams with different etendues.
US09904158B2

Provided is a projection system, a light source system, and a light source assembly. The light source system (100) comprises an excitation light source (101), a wavelength conversion device (106), a color filtering device (107), a drive device (108), and a first optical assembly. The wavelength conversion device (106) comprises at least one wavelength conversion region. The optical filtering device (107) is fixed face-to-face with the wavelength conversion device (106), and comprises at least a first optical filtering region. The drive device (108) drives the wavelength conversion device (106) and the optical filtering device (107), allowing the wavelength conversion region and the first optical filtering region to act synchronously, and the wavelength conversion region is periodically set on the propagation path of the excitation light, thereby converting the excitation light wavelength into converted light. The first optical assembly allows the converted light to be incident on the first optical filtering region. The first optical filtering region filters the converted light, so as to enhance the color purity of the converted light. The light source system is simple in structure, easy to implement, and highly synchronous.
US09904148B1

A swivel mount locking apparatus is configured to mount a camera system onto a target user, an object, or a surface. The camera system is mounted on a swivel component which can be rotated to a variety of different positions relative to a base component. To fix the camera position, a locking protrusion of a release lever in the base component is compressibly inserted into a detent located on the swivel component. When a new orientation of the camera system is desired, a user may forcibly pivot the release lever away from the swivel component to decouple the locking protrusion from the detent. The user can then rotate the mounted camera system and the swivel component to the new orientation relative to the base component. At the new orientation, the user may recouple the locking protrusion of the release lever into a different detent of the swivel component, thereby fixing the camera system into the desired, new orientation.
US09904144B1

Disclosed is an ultrafast optical switching device based on black phosphorus, including a first channel to generate a first laser which is a continuous wave of a first wavelength, a second channel to generate a second laser which is a continuous wave of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, a modulator to modulate the second laser generated by the second channel into a pump signal, a first and a second wavelength tunable filters to change wavelengths of the first laser and the second laser, respectively, a directional coupler to couple the first laser and the second laser, and an optical element to control the first and second lasers coupled by the directional coupler by means of nonlinearity and an evanescent field of black phosphorus. Accordingly, volume and size of an ultrafast optical switching device may be reduced, and a data processing rate may be improved.
US09904140B2

An electrophoretic particle, a method for manufacturing the electrophoretic particle, an electrophoretic microstructure and an electrophoretic display device are disclosed. The electrophoretic particle includes an electrophoretic particle body and a layer of photoluminescence material coated on the surface of the electrophoretic particle body. A method for manufacturing an electrophoretic particle includes: preparing a photoluminescence material; preparing an electrophoretic particle body; and forming a layer of photoluminescence material on the surface of the electrophoretic particle body.
US09904134B2

A liquid crystal display device (LCD) includes gate lines and data lines extending in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction, respectively, on a substrate that includes a display region, where a plurality pixel regions are arranged in row lines and column lines, and a non-display region; a common transfer line extending in the second direction in the non-display region; a gate link line traversing the common transfer line and connected to the gate line at a connection region that is located at an inner side of the common transfer line; and a first blocking portion extending from the common transfer line to a space between the connection region and the display region.
US09904130B2

There are provided connecting wires whose reliability may be ensured by preventing leakage between the connecting wires and by preventing entry of moisture. Overexposure is performed by using a mask having a shape of a protruding pattern (55a) with a sharp tip end at a position corresponding to a pattern edge of an organic insulating film (70) between adjacent connecting wires (50). Inclination of an inclined surface of the organic insulating film (70) sandwiched by the connecting wires (50) is thereby made gradual, and thus, at the time of forming the connecting wires (50), a film thickness of a resist may be prevented from becoming thick along an edge line of the organic insulating film (70). As a result, the resist is prevented from remaining in a connected manner at a region sandwiched by the adjacent connecting wires (50), and leakage between the adjacent connecting wires (50) may be prevented.
US09904129B2

Provided are a light modulation device and a use thereof. The light modulation device may apply an external signal by a composite layer having a high transmittance in a visible region, a low transmittance in an infrared region and a low sheet resistance. Such a light modulation device may be applied in various uses such as a smart window, a window protecting film, a flexible display element, an active retarder for displaying a 3D image or a viewing angle control film.
US09904124B2

A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a gate line disposed on an upper portion of the first substrate, a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate line, a semiconductor layer disposed on the gate insulating layer, a data line and a drain electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer, a passivation layer which covers the data line and the drain electrode and defines a contact hole which exposes a part of the drain electrode, a common electrode provided at an upper portion of the passivation layer and having a planar structure, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode through the contact hole and including a plurality of pixel branch electrodes, and a second substrate corresponding to the first substrate, where an opening is defined in the common electrode at a position which corresponds to a middle region of the plurality of pixel branch electrodes.
US09904123B2

A liquid crystal display panel includes switching elements, transparent pixel electrodes, and a transparent common electrode having a predetermined area overlapped with an upper layer of the transparent pixel electrode through an insulating film and driving liquid crystal with the transparent pixel electrode. In plane view, a shading layer covers at least one part of a conductive pattern where a light leakage occurs in front view by an alignment defect of the liquid crystal near a non-permeable conductive pattern disposed in the display region at the time of black display, and has eaves more protruding than the conductive pattern. The transparent common electrode is provided to overlap with the conductive pattern arranged to overlap with the light-shielding layer having the eaves in a side of the liquid crystal and to protrude compared with the light-shielding layer having the eaves in a planar view.
US09904120B2

A liquid crystal touch panel including an array and a color filter substrate disposed oppositely, wherein, on the array substrate, a common electrode layer and a planarization layer are disposed sequentially; the common electrode layer is divided into multiple self-capacitance electrodes; on the planarization layer, multiple electrode leads are provided; an insulation protective layer covers on the multiple electrode leads; between the array substrate and the color filter substrate, a main and an auxiliary post spacer having a same height are provided; first terminals of the main and the auxiliary post spacer are connected with the color filter substrate; a second terminal of the main post spacer abuts on the insulation protective layer, and right opposite to the electrode lead; a second terminal of the auxiliary post space is floating above the insulation protective layer and right opposite to a region without the electrode lead.
US09904119B2

A display device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate; a light blocking pattern disposed on the first substrate; and a column spacer which is disposed on the first substrate and maintains a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate, where the light blocking pattern and the column spacer are spaced apart from each other, and the column spacer has an island shape surrounded by the light blocking pattern.
US09904118B2

A frame sealant and a process for preparing the same, and a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid display containing the frame sealant. The frame sealant comprises a curing resin, an anion exchange resin, a photoinitiator, a heat curing agent, a coupling agent, an organic filler, and an inorganic filler.
US09904117B2

A display panel manufacturing method and a liquid crystal display device are disclosed. The method contains the following steps. Firstly, a first electrode plate, an opposing second electrode plate, and an array substrate in between are provided. Secondly, a first electrical field between the first and second electrode plates is produced, and a first photo-alignment on the first alignment film is conducted. Thirdly, a third electrode plate and an opposing color film substrate are provided. Fourthly, a second electrical field between the third electrode plate and the second transparent electrode is produced, and a second photo-alignment on the second alignment film is conducted. Finally, the array and color film substrates are joined together to form the display panel. The method is able to improve liquid crystal molecules' preset angles in the vertical direction, thereby enhancing the contrast of the display panel.
US09904115B2

A liquid crystal panel includes a first four-domain structure, a second four-domain structure, a third four-domain structure, and a fourth four-domain structure repeatedly arranged. A reference azimuth of the rotated liquid crystal within the first four-domain structure is the same with the second, the reference azimuth of the rotated liquid crystal within the third four-domain structure is the same with the fourth, a difference between the reference azimuth of the rotated liquid crystal within the first four-domain structure and the third four-domain structure is in a range between 40 and 50 degrees. A pretilt angle of the rotated liquid crystal within the first four-domain structure is different from the second, and the pretilt angle of the rotated liquid crystal within the third four-domain structure is different from the fourth. With such configuration, the light leakage and color shift issue may be eliminated.
US09904110B2

A liquid crystal display includes first and second substrates placed opposite each other, a common electrode on one side of the first substrate to substantially cover a whole surface, a segment electrode on one side of the second substrate, a routing wire on one side of the second substrate and connected to the segment electrode, a liquid-crystalline resin film without electrical conductivity on one side of the second substrate, and a liquid crystal film between the substrates, and being subject to twisted alignment between the substrates. The liquid-crystalline resin film has refractive index anisotropy being substantially equal to that of a liquid crystal material of the liquid crystal film, is subject to twisted alignment, and is disposed to fill a space between the routing wire and the common electrode. The liquid crystal film is disposed to fill a space between the segment electrode and the common electrode.
US09904106B2

The display device comprises a display panel, a light source, an optical plate being arranged to face the display panel and diffusing or guiding the light from the light source, and an optical sheet arranged on one surface of the optical plate, and further comprises a pressing part pressing an edge of the optical sheet, and a facing part coordinating with the pressing part and having a facing surface facing an end surface of the optical plate. The facing surface is slanting so that the distance between the facing surface and the end surface decreases toward the display panel.
US09904103B2

The disclosure provides an ultra thin display module, comprising a LED substrate, a plurality of LED lamp beads, a secondary lens and a display panel. The plurality of LED lamp beads is disposed on the array of the LED substrate, the secondary lens is disposed on the LED substrate, the secondary lens is encapsuled inside the top surface of the LED lamp beads, and the display panel is disposed on the top surface of the secondary lens. The ultra thin display module and method for assembling the same of the disclosure use a brand new structure of ultra thin display module, such that the thickness of the module is greatly decreased as compared with the present techniques.
US09904097B2

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a quantum dot color filter substrate, in which a black photoresist layer and a transparent photoresist layer are first coated and formed on a backing plate in sequence and then, first, second, and third patterns of a photo mask having different grey levels are used to pattern the black photoresist layer and the transparent photoresist layer to obtain a plurality of transparent barrier walls corresponding to the first pattern, sub spacers corresponding to the second pattern and located on the transparent barrier walls, and main spacers corresponding to the third pattern and located on the transparent barrier walls and also to obtain a plurality of black barrier walls covered by the plurality of transparent barrier walls, the plurality of black barrier walls and the plurality of transparent barrier walls located thereon collectively defining a plurality of pixel barrier walls; and then, patterned quantum dot layers are formed in sub-pixel zones that are delimited and surrounded by the plurality of pixel barrier walls by means of inkjet printing such that accuracy of inkjet printing is greatly improved.
US09904094B2

A liquid crystal display (1) includes a liquid crystal panel (4), a backlight (2), and a light-diffusing member (7). There exist azimuths in which a transmittance of the liquid crystal panel (4) and a luminance of the backlight (2) are higher than a transmittance and a luminance in a direction of a normal. The azimuth in which the transmittance of the liquid crystal panel (4) is higher coincides with the azimuth in which the luminance of the backlight (2) is higher.
US09904087B2

A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a substrate; a pixel electrode disposed on the substrate; a roof layer facing the pixel electrode; a liquid crystal layer disposed in a plurality of microcavities between the pixel electrode and the roof layer; a partition disposed between adjacent microcavities among the plurality of microcavities; and a shielding electrode disposed between the substrate and the partition, wherein the shielding electrode is disposed on the same layer as the pixel electrode.
US09904083B2

A display housing and a display device are disclosed. The display housing includes a front frame and a rear cover. A first hook and a first slot are disposed on the front frame, and a second slot and a second hook are disposed on the rear cover. The front frame and the rear cover are configured to be fixedly connected by snapping the first hook into the second slot and snapping the first slot into the second hook. The display housing may resolve the problem of assembling efficiency being low due to threaded connection.
US09904081B2

A steerable laser transmitter and situational awareness sensor uses a liquid crystal waveguide (LCWG) to steer a spot-beam onto a conical mirror, which in turn redirects the spot-beam to scan a FOV. The spot-beam passes through one or more annular sections of non-linearly material (NLM) formed along the axis and around the conical mirror. Each NLM section converts the wavelength of the spot-beam to a different wavelength while preserving the steering of the spot-beam. The LCWG may shape or move the spot-beam along the axis of the conic mirror to sequentially, time or time and spatially multiplex the spot-beam between the original and different wavelengths. This provides multispectral capability from a single laser source. The transmitter also supports steering the spot-beam at a wavelength at which the LCWG cannot steer directly.
US09904080B2

There is such an issue with the well-known optical element that it is difficult to achieve a high transmittance since the transmittance is determined according to the pattern size of the light transmission regions, so that the luminance of the display device to which such optical element is mounted is deteriorated. Provided is an optical element which employs a structure in which the shape of a conductive pattern where electrophoretic particles cohere in a wide viewing field mode is formed in a comb-like shape and plural stages and plural rows of light transmission regions are disposed in the spaces between the comb teeth. This makes it possible to exclude the electrophoretic particles from the regions other than the comb-like electrode for allowing the light to transmit that part.
US09904076B2

An eyeglass frame attachment assembly generally comprising a base, a platform and a T-shaped wind guard. The base in generally comprised of a right upper frame, a left upper frame and a center support. The right upper frame and the left upper frame each comprise at least two arm grooves wherein the eyeglass frame attachment assembly may be attached to the eyeglasses by passing the temple arm of the eyeglasses through one of the arm grooves. The center support strap can be affixed through a center hole for added support and stability to the platform. The platform comprises a channel, whereby the channel receives an interchangeable banner piece.
US09904073B2

What is described is a hinge device for connecting the sides (2) to the fronts of spectacle frames (4), comprising a first and a second hinge element (6, 7) pivoting about a hinge axis (X), the first element (6) comprising a substantially fork-shaped body (8) with a first and a second arm (9, 10) opposed to one another, between which the second hinge element (7) is interposed, and a screw means (16) forming a hinge pin, passing through respective holes formed coaxially in the first and the second hinge element (6, 7), so as to be, respectively, locked by a screw engagement in the first hinge element (6) and housed rotatably in the second hinge element (7). The device further comprises at least a first anti-seizing sleeve (18) provided in the hole (13) of the second hinge element (7) and capable of being engaged by the hinge screw (16) in a rotatable coupling, the sleeve (18) comprising at least a first surface (20) extending in a contact area and capable of relative sliding between the hinge elements (6, 7), at least one ring (22) of elastically flexible material, fitted on the hinge screw (16) and capable of being deformed elastically as a result of the tightening of the screw so as to exert a relative pressure between the first and the second hinge element (6, 7), thereby increasing the friction provided between the hinge elements, and at least one bush (23) mounted in a seat of the first hinge element (6), coaxially with the hinge screw (16), and capable of accommodating the ring (22), the bush (23) including at one of its axial ends a bearing shoulder (24) for the ring (22), and being capable of making contact with the first surface of the anti-seizing sleeve (18), so that the bush (23) is biased axially against the sleeve (18) by the elastic action generated by the friction ring (22) as a result of the tightening of the hinge screw (16).
US09904063B2

A display includes a first reflecting surface, a second reflecting surface, and a beam splitter. The second reflecting surface is positioned parallel with respect to the first reflecting surface, and the beam splitter is disposed between the first and second reflecting surfaces. The beam splitter includes a first transmissive substrate having opposed first and second sides and a length extending from a first end to a second end. A first layer of material is disposed on at least one of the first or second sides of the first transmissive substrate. The first layer of reflective material extends from the first end of the first transmissive substrate to a location along the length of the first transmissive substrate.
US09904062B2

To provide a substrate laminating apparatus and a substrate laminating method capable of laminating two substrates highly precisely while achieving low cost and saving space. The substrate laminating apparatus includes an upper-substrate camera group provided to a lower vacuum chamber for capturing an image of an upper substrate fixed to an upper vacuum chamber. The upper-substrate camera group captures images of a first upper-substrate alignment mark and a second upper-substrate alignment mark of the upper substrate fixed to the upper vacuum chamber by actions synchronized with the lower vacuum chamber. Thereby, it is possible to save the space and to lower the cost by reducing the number of mechanical components.
US09904061B2

The present invention relates to the field of display technologies, and discloses a raster, a display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the raster. The raster comprises a first substrate and a second substrate arranged to be opposed to each other, a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate is provided with a plate electrode thereon, a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate is provided thereon with a plurality strip electrodes arranged to space apart from each other. A spacer wall is arranged to correspond to each strip electrode and located between the first substrate and the second substrate, the spacer wall comprises a conductive protrusion electrically connected with the strip electrode, and a hydrophilic-hydrophobic conversion material layer covering the conductive protrusion. Filled between every two adjacent spacer walls are liquid layers including a polar liquid layer and a non-polar liquid layer. With the technique solution of the present invention, an angle of view of the raster may be increased, and a cost of the raster reduced.
US09904055B2

An HMD device is configured to check the placement of newly introduced objects in a virtual reality environment such as interactive elements like menus, widgets, and notifications to confirm that the objects are significantly present within the user's field of view. If the intended original placement would locate the object outside the field of view, the HMD device relocates the object so that a portion of the object is viewable at the edge of the HMD display closest to its original placement. Such smart placement of virtual objects enables the user to readily discover new objects when they are introduced into the virtual reality environment, and then interact with the objects within a range of motions and/or head positions that is comfortable to support a more optimal interaction and user experience.
US09904049B2

A lens module includes a lens barrel, a plurality of lenses disposed in the lens barrel and aligned along an optical axis, and a spacer, disposed between the plurality of lenses, comprising a light blocking hole configured to allow light incident to the plurality of lenses to pass therethrough, wherein a light absorbing layer is disposed on a wall surface of the spacer forming the light blocking hole.
US09904047B2

An imaging mechanism includes: an imaging device; a light receiving section that is provided on one surface of the imaging device; a cover member that covers the one surface of the imaging device and the light receiving section; and a lens unit that has a plurality of lenses including a plano-convex lens having a flat portion and a lens barrel, and that is optically coupled to the light receiving section, the lens barrel fixing the plurality of lenses, wherein the plano-convex lens having the flat portion is provided at a closest position to the imaging device in the plurality of lenses such that the flat portion faces the imaging device, and the flat portion protrudes from an end of the lens barrel toward the imaging device and is fixed to the cover member.
US09904034B2

An image capturing lens system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power having an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, a second lens element with negative refractive power having an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof, a third lens element with positive refractive power having an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof, and a fourth lens element with negative refractive power having an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof.
US09904028B2

A splice tray is removeably received in a chassis received in an access side of a frame. In some examples, the splice tray can have a capacity to receive at least about 288 fiber terminations. The frame having a first fiber management bay arranged at a middle of a back of the access side of the frame, a fiber passageway is arranged between a back of the chassis and the back of the access side of the frame, and a second fiber management bay is be arranged adjacent to the left side or right side of the frame proximate to the splice tray. A displaceable conduit communicatively coupled to a left side or a right side of the splice tray proximate to the front of the splice tray is protectively housed in the first fiber management bay, the fiber passageway, and the second fiber management bay such that the fiber terminations received by the displaceable conduit have at least a minimum bend radius.
US09904022B2

An optical receiving device includes: a lens portion configured to refract incident light with a first wavelength and refract incident light with a second wavelength; a first beam splitter configured to let refracted light with the first wavelength transmit and reflect refracted light with the second wavelength; a second beam splitter configured to reflect transmitted light with the first wavelength; and a light receiver configured to receive reflected light with the first wavelength and reflected light with the second wavelength, wherein the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter are disposed so as to be separated by a difference in optical path length between the light with the first wavelength and the light with the second wavelength.
US09904014B1

An optical image capturing system includes, along the optical axis in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, and a seventh lens. At least one lens among the first to the sixth lenses has positive refractive force. The seventh lens can have negative refractive force, and both surfaces thereof are aspheric. At least a surface of the seventh lens has an inflection point. The lenses in the optical image capturing system which have refractive power include the first to the seventh lenses. The optical image capturing system can increase aperture value and improve the imaging quality for use in compact cameras.
US09904002B2

Windows, or other types of transparent materials, may be constructed to passively allow light from alternate sources to pass therethrough, while also being able to actively produce artificial light for providing illumination from one side of the window by means of an incorporated optical waveguide that accepts light from an edge of the window and disperses it from only one side of the window.
US09903995B2

Examples are disclosed that relate to the coupling of light into a light guide for a backlight system. One disclosed example provides a flat-panel illuminator comprising a concentrating reflector, a light guide, and one or more light emitters. The example includes a curved reflective portion, a light guide including a planar face and an input edge positioned adjacent the concentrating reflector, and the one or more light emitters are arranged within the concentrating reflector and spaced from the input edge of the light guide.
US09903988B2

A dispersion, a resin containing the dispersion and polymer film formed from the resin are disclosed. The dispersion includes an infrared light absorbing pigment including organo-metallic particles being less than 1.5 micrometer or less than one micrometer in size. The dispersion also includes a dispersant including phosphorus and a polyol.
US09903987B2

A laser optical device is provided with a plurality of laser light sources, a collimating lens that has an optical axis that intersects a line connecting the plurality of laser light sources in a plan view viewed from a direction perpendicular to both this line and the optical axis and collimates lights respectively emitted from the plurality of laser light sources, and a deflecting element that deflects a plurality of lights emitted from the collimating lens so output lights where the lights respectively emitted from the plurality of laser light sources are optically processed make contact.
US09903986B2

A light extraction film for EL elements enables a surface light emitting body to have a good balance between suppression of emission angle dependence of the wavelength of emitted light and improvement of light extraction efficiency and luminance in the normal direction. A surface light emitting body has improved light extraction efficiency and luminance in the normal direction, while being suppressed in emission angle dependence of the wavelength of emitted light. A light extraction film for EL elements comprises a recessed and projected structure having a plurality of spherical projections, each containing a resin and fine particles added into the resin. The content of the fine particles in the spherical projections is 22-55% by mass, and the average maximum diameter (Aave) of the bottom portions of the spherical projections and the volume average particle diameter (P) of the fine particles satisfy the following mathematical formula (1). Aave/P≧5  (1)
US09903980B2

The present invention provides a photosensitive epoxy resin composition for an optical waveguide. The photosensitive epoxy resin composition contains: (A) a cresol novolak polyfunctional epoxy resin, the cresol novolak polyfunctional epoxy resin not being fluorene skeleton-containing epoxy resins (C) and (D); (B) a solid bisphenol-A epoxy resin; (C) a solid fluorene skeleton-containing epoxy resin; (D) a liquid fluorene skeleton-containing epoxy resin; and (E) a cationic curing initiator, wherein the components (A) to (E) are each present in a proportion falling within a predetermined range based on the amount of the overall epoxy resin component. Therefore, the photosensitive epoxy resin composition is excellent in coatability, patterning resolution, roll-to-roll process adaptability and the like, and has higher transparency and heat resistance.
US09903976B2

An apparatus for airborne electromagnetic surveying is provided, comprising a central hub defining an equatorial plane, a transmitter loop, and radials connecting the hub to the transmitter loop. The loop generally lies in a plane during flight, and comprises loop sections, some of which are connected with flexible joints allowing the loop to flex out of the plane during lift-offs and landings. A loop section comprises current conducting elements connected to current conducting elements of adjacent loop sections forming a transmitter loop circuit. A radial connects to the hub at a point that is substantially offset from the transmitter loop plane, thereby contributing to the stability of the transmitter loop connection point in an up-down direction relative to the hub. Additionally, a loop section comprising rigid conductive elements retained in a spaced-apart relationship by a frame member is also provided.
US09903974B2

Apparatus, computer readable medium, and program code for identifying rock properties in real-time during drilling, are provided. An example of an embodiment of such an apparatus includes a downhole sensor subassembly connected between a drill bit and a drill string, acoustic sensors operably coupled to a downhole processor, a borehole telemetry system, downhole and surface data transmitting interfaces, and a surface computer operably coupled to the downhole data transmitting interface. The downhole processor is adapted to perform operations including receiving raw acoustic sensor data resulting from rotational contact of the drill bit with rock, transforming the raw acoustic sensor data into the frequency domain, filtering the transformed data, and deriving acoustic characteristics from the filtered data. The surface computer is adapted to perform operations including deriving petrophysical properties from the acoustic characteristics directly or by utilizing a petrophysical properties evaluation algorithm.
US09903968B2

Embodiments of non-uniformly spaced seismic receiver arrays and associated noise removal techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment of a method of seismic data acquisition, a plurality of seismic receivers may be positioned in an array having a plurality of regions, each region in the array having a respective average spacing between seismic receivers, with the average spacing in a second region of the plurality of regions being greater than the average spacing in a first region of the plurality of regions that is adjacent to the second region. Seismic data may be acquired utilizing the plurality of seismic receivers, and noise may be removed therefrom.
US09903965B2

Each adapter disposed on a rack includes a pair of arms that configure an opening/closing mechanism. During rack conveyance, a guiding block is slotted between a pair of legs contained in the rack. The opening/closing mechanism being abutted against the guiding block causes the opening/closing mechanism to perform an opening/closing operation. When the state of the opening/closing mechanism is changed from closed to open, a pre-measurement sample container is passed from a sample storage unit to a lifting mechanism. Subsequent to the post-measurement sample container being returned to the sample storage unit, the state of the opening/closing mechanism is changed from open to closed.
US09903963B2

The present invention relates the system of the correction of energy crosstalk in dual-isotopes simultaneous acquisition (DISA), the system includes a collimator, a metal thin film, a detecting unit, an analyzing unit and a display unit for analyzing energy distribution charts of the dual-isotopes, and using specific equations or artificial neural network methods or independent component analysis to compare the energy distribution charts which are with and without metal thin film The invention uses the metal thin film to remove the energy contamination from dual-isotopes simultaneous acquisition whose photopeak energies are close, the invention effectively separates the energy distribution charts without energy crosstalk, therefore, the system improves diagnostic imaging and relieves patient's discomfort.
US09903962B2

A customizable and upgradeable imaging system is provided. Imaging detector columns are installed in a gantry to receive imaging information about a subject. Imaging detector columns can extend and retract radially as well as be rotated orbitally around the gantry. The gantry can be partially populated with detector columns and the detector columns can be partially populated with detector elements.
US09903950B2

A device may include a laser configured to rotate about an azimuth axis of the device and an elevation axis of the device. The device may also include a plurality of cameras configured to rotate about the azimuth axis and fixed with respect to the elevation axis. The cameras may be configured to have a collective field-of-view that includes a collective elevation field-of-view and a collective azimuth field-of-view. The device may also include a control system configured to direct the laser to rotate about the azimuth axis and the elevation axis such that the laser is configured to scan a setting. The control system may also be configured to direct the cameras to each begin capturing an image of the setting at substantially the same time.
US09903948B2

A method for detecting a concealed material in a target comprising a body and the concealed material, the method comprising: emitting radio frequency (RF) energy toward a direction of the target, capturing a signal corresponding to a scattered RF energy reflected from the target, measuring a first mean signal level in a first frequency band of the signal, measuring a second mean signal level in a second frequency band of the signal, and detecting the concealed material when the difference between the first mean signal level and the second mean signal level is above a threshold.
US09903946B2

A system performs operations including receiving pairs of sensor signals indicative of imaging of an environment, each pair of sensor signals including (i) a first sensor signal received from a first sensor and including first spatial coordinates and a first signal characteristic and (ii) a second sensor signal including second spatial coordinates and a second signal characteristic. The operations include identifying valid pairs of sensor signals, including determining that an address including the first coordinates of the first sensor signal of a given pair and the second coordinates of the second sensor signal of the given pair corresponds to an admissible address in a set of admissible addresses stored in a data storage. The operations include identifying, from among the valid pairs of sensor signals, pairs of sensor signals that satisfy a threshold, including determining that a value based on a combination of the first signal characteristic of a given pair and the second signal characteristic of the given pair satisfies a threshold value. The operations include generating a representation of a target in the environment based on the identified pairs of sensor signals that satisfy the threshold.
US09903930B2

The present invention provides a method and system to reduce the problem of signal dropout in data acquired using gradient-echo and asymmetric spin-echo magnetic resonance techniques, caused by linear susceptibility gradients in the direction of slice-selection. Specifically an algorithm is used to determine the optimal parameters of a tailored radiofrequency pulse along with the accompanying slice-selection and slice-refocusing gradients to correct this signal dropout.
US09903926B2

A method for determining communication latency in a magnetic resonance tomography system includes emitting a high-frequency pulse at a first timepoint, receiving the high-frequency pulse by a local coil arrangement of the magnetic resonance tomography system, and transmitting a return signal from the local coil arrangement to a receiving unit. The method also includes receiving the return signal by the receiving unit at a second timepoint, and evaluating a time difference between the first timepoint and the second timepoint in order to determine the communication latency.
US09903921B2

Apparatus, method, and computer-accessible medium embodiments for a noninvasive mapping of electrical properties of tissues or materials. For example, it is possible to apply a plurality of stimulations to a target. It is possible to receive at least one signal from the target in response to the applied stimulations. Further, it is possible to process the at least one signal to determine electromagnetic-field-related quantities associated with the stimulations and the target response. Also, it is possible to supply the electromagnetic-field-related quantities to a system of equations relating these quantities to a plurality of electrical property values and residual field-related unknown values of the at least one target. It is also possible to determine a solution to the system of equations, including determining at least one electrical property of the at least one target.
US09903913B2

A capture clock generation control mechanism is provided. The capture clock generation control mechanism controls the number of at-speed clocks generated and supplied to one or more scan chains during scan testing of a microcircuit based on control data stored in a JTAG or scan test register. The scan test register may be formed out of scan cells and comprise part of a scan chain. Automatic Test Pattern Generation (ATPG) tools may generate the data that is loaded into the scan test register to automatically configure the clock generation control mechanism. The clock control mechanism may include the ability to adjust the position of the at-speed clocks within a capture cycle, thereby facilitating transition fault detection.
US09903899B2

A sensor apparatus for detecting leakage current in a post-type insulator of an electrical power system includes: a sensor unit having a housing, the sensor unit including: a sensor assembly operable to generate an analog signal proportional to a received leakage current; an electronics module operable to covert the analog signal to a digital value; and a communications system operable to wirelessly transmit the digital value to an external receiver; a collection band adapted to be connected to an exterior surface of the insulator; and a transfer lead interconnecting the sensor assembly and the collection band, the transfer lead operable to transfer leakage current from the insulator from the collection band to the sensor assembly.
US09903897B2

A device for identifying a local coil property of a local coil for a magnetic resonance imaging scanner includes at least one label configured to transmit at least one identity number wirelessly. The device also includes at least one reading unit with a reading-unit antenna. The reading unit is configured to receive the at least one identity number. The device includes an identification apparatus configured to identify a local coil property of the local coil based on the at least one received identity number.
US09903887B2

Disclosed is a wiring board for simultaneously testing of multiple semiconductor devices. The wiring board includes a multilayer ceramic substrate, an organic wiring structure arranged on the multilayer ceramic substrate, a plurality of capacitor connection pads formed on the organic wiring structure and a plurality of test pads formed on the organic wiring structure. The organic wiring structure has a plurality of inner conductor layers including first and second plane layers. Each of the first plane layers is divided in a plurality of regions. Each of the second plane layer(s) is placed in a different layer from the first plane layers and made larger in area than the first plane layers. At least a part of the test pads of each test pad group is electrically connected to at least a part of the connection pads via an outermost one of the first plane layers.
US09903882B2

A method for determining a flow speed of a liquid in a fluid conduit is provided. During a signal-generating phase, an impulse signal is applied to a first ultrasonic transducer. A response signal is then received at a second ultrasonic transducer. A measuring signal is later derived from the response signal, wherein the derivation comprises reversing a signal portion with respect to time. During a measurement phase, a liquid moves with respect to the fluid conduit. The measuring signal is then applied to one of the two transducers and a response signal of the measuring signal is measured at the other transducer. A flow speed is derived from the response signal of the measuring signal.
US09903880B2

A heating device for heating a thermally fixable sealing cover disposed over the microplate adjacent the wells, a cooling device for actively cooling the microplate and a controller set up to control activity of the heating and cooling devices in a manner to heat the sealing cover so as to thermally fix it to the microplate and to actively cool the microplate so as to keep a temperature of the samples below a predefined temperature when heating the sealing cover. It further relates to a method for automatically sealing a microplate in which the thermally fusible sealing cover is disposed over the microplate, the sealing cover is heated to thermally fix it to the microplate and the microplate is actively cooled in a manner that a temperature of the liquid reaction mixtures is kept below a predefined temperature when heating the sealing cover.
US09903868B2

The invention provides a method for detecting the presence or absence of a biomarker in a biological sample at a very low concentration comprising the steps of (a) contacting the biological sample with a capture binding sequence immobilized on a surface, (b) providing a conjugate comprising a detection binding sequence-glucose oxidase, (c) contacting the surface with the detection binding sequence-glucose oxidase conjugate, (d) separating any unbound detection binding sequence-glucose oxidase conjugate from the surface, (e) incubating the resulting surface with a glucose solution and a mixture comprising gold nanoparticles and a gold salt, wherein the gold nanoparticles have an initial particle size of about 5 nm, and (f) observing any change in color of the mixture. The invention also provides a method for diagnosing the presence of a prostate cancer biomarker in a subject and a kit for detecting or quantifying a biomarker in a biological sample.
US09903866B2

Portable devices for anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) testing are provided. These devices can be used in various applications, including but not restricted to the following: uniform testing of patients for ADAs; selection of therapeutic drug for patient treatment; evaluation of the need to change therapeutic drug or to apply tolerance regimens; selection of patients for clinical trials; comparison of therapeutic drugs marketed for a given disease and also gene therapy; scientific guidance for discovering therapeutic drugs; therapeutic drug development; postmarketing surveillance of therapeutic drugs.
US09903852B2

The present invention relates to a method for non-destructive judgment of pearl quality by measuring the ultraviolet-visible reflectance spectrum and/or ultraviolet-visible fluorescence spectrum of a pearl or pearl shell to be inspected and comparing the values obtained with those preliminarily measured for a normal pearl or pearl shell. The present invention also relates to a non-destructive inspection apparatus of pearl quality. According to the present invention, the quality of the aimed pearl or pearl shell can be easily and rapidly judged under a non-destructive condition.
US09903851B2

A vehicle includes a thermal harvesting device that is positioned adjacent a heat-generating vehicle system. The thermal harvesting device generates electricity based on a temperature differential in order to power a sensor and a wireless transmitter.
US09903846B2

A device and associated method can detect hydrocarbon gas with at least a control module having a plurality of different gas detection means housed in a mobile enclosure, the control module configured to activate at least two different gas detection means to provide amounts and types of gases present in a fluid.
US09903844B2

A real-time method and analytical system for determining haloacetic acids in water which operate by: (1) extracting samples on ion-exchange absorbent medium; (2) concentrating haloacetic acids on hyper-crosslinked medium; (3) eluting the analytes from the concentration medium for injection into an HPLC system; (4) separating individual haloacetic acid in reverse-phase chromatography performed by the HPLC system; and (5) measuring optical characteristics (UV-absorbance) of haloacetic acids, to determine concentration. The entire process can be performed using a completely self-contained, in-situ mechanism that sits at a water distribution point for 24/7 testing, with automated control, monitoring, reporting, and employment of remedial measures (e.g., automated adjustment of the water treatment process).
US09903843B2

A flow channel module comprises a flow channel plate, a flow channel connection block, and a pressing mechanism. The flow channel plate is provided with a main body and a protrusion section protruding in the circumferential direction from the peripheral edge of the main body, the protrusion section having a port communicating with an inner flow channel. The flow channel connection block is provided with a concave section for being engaged with the protrusion section and having inside a port facing surface for facing the port, and an outer flow channel connection section that is connected to the port facing surface by a flow channel. The pressing mechanism is configured to press the protrusion section inserted in the concave section and the port facing surface against each other so that the flow channel and the port are connected while maintaining air tightness or liquid tightness.
US09903836B2

The present disclosure relates generally to microfluidic devices and methods for fabricating the devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to microfluidic devices having encapsulated fluidic tubing and encapsulated electrodes, microfluidic devices having encapsulated fluidic tubing, encapsulated capillary loops and encapsulated electrodes, and methods of fabricating devices having encapsulated fluidic tubing, encapsulated capillary loops and encapsulated electrodes resulting in reduced dead volume interconnects between the fluidic tubing and capillary loops and associated microchannels and aligned fluidic tubing openings, capillary loop openings, electrodes and other device features.
US09903833B2

A control device calculates an SOx concentration in exhaust gas on the basis of a sensor output current when a voltage applied to a limiting current sensor is stepped down from a predetermined voltage value. The control device is configured to step up the voltage applied to the limiting current sensor to the predetermined voltage value when the temperature of the limiting current sensor is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature or when a condition in which the temperature of the limiting current sensor is predicted to be equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature is established.
US09903825B2

An X-ray fluoroscopic radiographing apparatus comprises a display unit that processes a received X-ray moving image and instantaneously displays the moving image; a storing unit that stores the received moving image as a non-processed raw image; an instructing unit that instructs the raw image to be referred to from the stored raw images; a second display unit that processes the instructed raw image and displays the processed raw image; a changing unit that changes the image process in the second display unit; a second storing unit that stores image process information obtained by the changing unit in association with the instructed raw image; a second instructing unit that instructs the raw image to be transferred from the stored raw images; and a transferring unit that executes the image process associated by the second storing unit to the instructed raw image and transfers the processed raw image to a destination.
US09903817B1

The dissolved gas sensor system includes a dissolved gas sensor partially located within a housing and partially extending through the housing lid. The sensor is created by affixing a selectively permeable membrane to a dissolved gas transducer with a waterproof polymer. This forms a membrane cavity between the membrane, polymer, and transducer. The membrane cavity allows the transducer to detect whatever gas or gases can pass through the selectively permeable membrane. These readings pass to a controller located within the housing body that can receive and process data, and store the data in a removable data storage for later retrieval by a user. The controller can also regulate overall power consumption of the system to increase the operating life of the system.
US09903816B2

A sensor and methods of making a sensor are disclosed. The sensor may include a substrate, an optical source, an optical detector, a plurality of optical cavities in the substrate or in a layer structure over the substrate, where the plurality of optical cavities may be arranged in an optical path between the optical source and the optical detector, and a processing circuit coupled to the optical detector and configured to receive a signal representing an optical signal received by the optical detector.
US09903812B2

Optical observation apparatus includes: light source emitting broadband light; image fiber with first and second end faces, wherein end faces of plural cores are two-dimensionally arrayed in first and second end faces; imaging optical system provided on first end face side of image fiber, causing light from first end face to be imaged on imaging plane; and axial aberration optical system provided on second end face side of image fiber, having an axial chromatic aberration on optical axis, and causing light from second end face toward object to be observed to be converged. Image fiber takes light from light source from first end face, and transmits light to second end face, and takes light, reflected and scattered by a surface of object, converged by axial aberration optical system, and focused for each plural core on second end face, from second end face and transmits light to first end face.
US09903802B2

A drilling fluid monitoring system includes a scale and a container disposed on the scale. A container inlet is disposed proximate a top of the container and a container outlet is disposed proximate a bottom of the container. A serpentine passage is disposed inside the container and is fluidically connected to the container inlet and the container outlet.
US09903800B2

Methods for measuring the effective fracture toughness in a material are described. A rail and roller system are used to apply a gradual force to a specimen. The time-dependent force creates a steady fracture development that allows a camera to record the progressive fracture in the material. Mathematical methods can then be used to analyze the fracture progression and determine the effective fracture toughness.
US09903797B2

An object of the present invention is to provide: a staining agent for tissue staining which has an improved fluorescence signal evaluation accuracy; and a tissue staining kit comprising the staining agent. The staining agent for tissue staining contains, as a staining component, dye-resin particles comprising thermosetting resin particles and a fluorescent dye immobilized on the resin particles, wherein the resin particles contains a substituent having an electric charge opposite to that of the fluorescent dye and forms an ionic bond or a covalent bond with the fluorescent dye, and the dye-resin particles have a particle size variation coefficient of 15% or less.
US09903794B2

An automated smear making apparatus used to prepare and smear samples on glass slides. In one embodiment, there is provided a smearing subsystem that generally includes a smear cartridge having: an input reel; at least one roll bar; a take-up reel; and a smearing tape. The smearing tape is initially wound within the input reel and coupled to the take-up reel such that the smearing tape can be drawn from the input reel and into the take-up reel. The smearing tape may include a plurality of perforations formed therein. The smearing tape may then be wrapped around the roll bar such that each of the plurality of perforations forms a blade that extends from the smearing tape to expose a smear surface as the smearing tape is drawn into the take-up reel. Alternatively, the smearing tape may be bent such that an edge of the smearing tape forms a smear surface between two roll bars. A slide transport surface is also provided to move a slide across the smear surface.
US09903793B1

An apparatus and method for controlling biofouling of a datasonde. The apparatus includes a sample chamber that attaches to the end of the datasonde and encloses its sensor array. The sample chamber is plumbed with a water tube that allows ambient water to flow into and out of the sample chamber. The chamber is also plumbed with an air tube that allows air to flow into and out of the sample chamber. The air tube is split above the water surface with each side having an in-line solenoid valve. One side of the air tube is connected to a compressed air source and the other side is open to the atmosphere. Compressed air is introduced to the sample chamber at set intervals, forcing extant sample water from the sample chamber via the water tube to control biofouling of the sensor array.
US09903792B2

Disclosed herein is a ventilator text fixture comprising a ventilator port that connects to a ventilator through a breathing circuit; where the ventilator delivers air through the ventilator port to a ventilator test fixture at a rate and pressure that can be controlled by a user to simulate inhalation; an input port; where the input port is in fluid communication with the ventilator port; where the input port permits additional simulated secretions or test liquids to be pumped into the ventilator text fixture; one or more bent supports; a liquid reservoir; where the liquid reservoir is operative to hold test fluids; and one or more tubes; where the one or more tubes are in fluid communication with the ventilator port and the input port via the liquid reservoir; and where the one or more bent supports are operative to mimic an anatomy of the trachea.
US09903791B2

An inspection device for holding and turning a tire includes a centering structure which centers a first bead of the tire, a locking structure which locks the first bead in a centered position, a rotational driver which turns the tire about a tire axis, and at least one centering gripper module which interacts with a second bead of the tire. Each centering gripper module is provided with an internal spacing roller, an external holding roller, and a centering roller. The internal spacing roller is able to press axially against an internal face of the second bead. The external holding roller is able to bear axially against an external face of the second bead opposite the internal face. The centering roller is able to bear radially against the second bead and extends substantially axially. The internal spacing roller and the external holding roller extend substantially radially.
US09903787B2

The rotor of the turbine is monitored by sensors of the rotor vibrations arranged in at least one plane of measuring perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and by sensors of the absolute vibrations of the bearings. When using this method of processing, synchronically digitalized signals of the sensors of rotor vibrations, first the arithmetic mean of the individual harmonic bands in full spectrum in the frequency domain is calculated, by which means the information about the subharmonic components and their multiples in the full spectrum of these signals is transferred into the frequency band −1X to 1X, at the same time is by the calculation of the median estimated the level of the signal noise, with which individual frequency bands of the full spectrum are encumbered, and which is subtracted from the amplitudes in the individual frequency bands of full spectrum of the signals of the sensors.
US09903782B2

An apparatus and methods for testing the integrity of a barrier coating on a vessel. An off gas test fixture includes a face seal positioned about an opening of the vessel. A side seal is positioned about a portion of the vessel's wall and separated from the face seal by a space. Additionally, a cover may be secured to the fixture that encompasses an interface portion of the fixture and the vessel. Before and/or during testing, gas in the space between the side and face seals may be evacuated, as well as gas present in an interior area of the vessel. The vessel may be exposed to test gas(es) that is soluble by the plastic material of the vessel before and/or after being secured to the fixture. During testing, test gas(es) desorbed by the vessel may be evacuated, with the molecular flow being measured using a mass extraction unit.
US09903779B2

A pressure sensor system comprises one or more self-calibrating pressure sensors for self-calibrating sensor parameters based on a membrane deflection or a membrane displacement from an electrostatic force and a single reference pressure from an additional sensor. The additional sensor has a greater accuracy level or range than the self-calibrating sensor. Sensor parameters are derived from capacitance measurements and a single pressure measurement, which are utilized for self-calibration to one or more target values.
US09903770B2

A thermal conductivity detector includes a switch controllable to short-circuit the input of an amplifier to improve the thermal conductivity detector for use in gas chromatography without the need of an additional reference cell, wherein a digital signal processor calculates a transfer function of an analog signal processor from a digitized difference signal received in response to short-circuiting the input of the amplifier at a given time when solely a reference carrier fluid passes through a measuring cell, and the digital signal processor recovers a detector signal by deconvoluting the digitized difference signal with a transfer function.
US09903768B2

A thermionic sensor package and methods of using the same are disclosed. The sensor package includes a substrate, a package housing disposed on the substrate and at least partially defining a package chamber in which vacuum conditions are maintained, a thermionic sensor disposed in the package chamber, and a wireless transmission device disposed on the substrate. The thermionic sensor includes a sensor housing at least partially defining an emission chamber, a cathode disposed in the emission chamber, an anode disposed in the emission chamber and spaced apart from the cathode, and an electrically conductive layer disposed in the emission chamber facing the anode and cathode. The method includes generating a detection signal when the anode and the cathode of the sensor are at substantially the same temperature.
US09903762B2

A pyrometric detection device for use in an apparatus for producing three-dimensional work pieces comprises a pyrometric detecting unit (10) configured to receive thermal radiation emitted at different points of a detection plane in a detection direction and a calibration device (12) comprising a substrate (14) and a plurality of light guides (16) each having a first end (18) for coupling light into the light guide (16) and a second end (20) for emitting light from the light guide (16), the second end (20) being fixed to the substrate (14). The substrate (14) is adapted to be removably arranged relative to the pyrometric detecting unit (10) in such a manner that the second ends (20) of the plurality of light guides (16) are arranged in the detection plane and emit light in the detection direction, in a calibration state of the pyrometric detection device.
US09903760B2

A resin identification device capable of measuring samples having various shapes is provided. The resin identification device includes a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), and sample placing plates 31 and 32 having an opening 33. The FTIR includes: an infrared light source section 10, irradiating a sample S with infrared light; an infrared light detection section 20, detecting light intensity information of the infrared light reflected from the sample S; and a control section 50, obtaining the light intensity information. By replacement of the sample S in a predetermined position so as to block off the opening 33, the infrared light source section 10 irradiates infrared light on a lower surface of the sample S, and the infrared light detection section 20 detects the light intensity information of the infrared light reflected by the lower surface of the sample S.
US09903754B2

A security device in an electronic device which protects against unauthorized disassembly includes light sources, a plurality of photosensitive elements, a detection unit, a storage unit, a processor, and light guiding devices. Light conducting channels are provided between the light sources and the induction elements. Barrier objects that block light are installed at certain first light guiding channels of the light guiding channels, and are removed from the first light conducting channels when the electronic device is disassembled, so that induction signals output by the photosensitive elements are changed from the model or original digitally-recorded signals.
US09903741B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a magnetic position sensor (100; 200). The magnetic position sensor (100; 200) includes a magnetic field source (110; 210) with at least a first multi-pole magnet strip (120-1; 220-1) arranged on a first surface and with at least a second multi-pole magnet strip (120-2; 220-2) arranged on a second surface perpendicular to the first surface. The first and the second multi-pole magnet strips are arranged in a fixed relative position to each other and comprise different numbers of magnet poles (130; 132; 230; 232) along a common length.
US09903736B2

A utility meter includes: a meter body having a chamber through which material passes; a measuring unit contained within the chamber; and a register attached to the chamber. The register includes a register body and an electronics unit operatively connected to the measuring unit and positioned within the register body. The electronics unit coacts with the measuring unit to determine at least one of a volume of flow and a flow rate of a fluid traveling through the chamber. The register also includes a multiple resonance antenna operatively connected to the electronics unit and positioned within the register. The multiple resonance antenna is configured to resonate at at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band such that a signal representing at least one of the volume of flow and the flow rate is transmitted to a remote unit within the first frequency band when the utility meter is surrounded by a first medium and the signal representing at least one of the volume of flow and the flow rate is transmitted to the remote unit within the second frequency band when the utility meter is surrounded by a second medium.
US09903734B2

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a mapping management computer system. According to various embodiments, the mapping management computer system may be configured for updating geographical maps by assessing map data and operational data including vehicle telematics data to identify portions of a vehicle path that do not correspond to known travel paths. In various embodiments, the system is configured to define these identified portions as new known travel paths corresponding to a public road, private road, parking lot lane, or the like, and update the map data to reflect the new known travel paths.
US09903729B2

A route search apparatus comprises a road information storage part configured to store road information including link information comprised of single link information and composite link information; and a route searcher configured to search a recommended route between two different points using the link information. The single link information includes information regarding an approach link that is a link approaching to a node at one end of a target link, an exit link that is a link exiting from a node at the other end of the target link, and a cost of the target link for entering from the approach link and exiting to the exit link. The composite link information includes information regarding an approach link that is a link approaching to a node at one end of a target link array, an exit link that is a link exiting from a node at the other end of the target link array, and a cost of the target link array for entering from the approach link and exiting to the exit link.
US09903721B2

A method for transferring a route of a trip identified by departure and destination which are calculated by a server to a third terminal, according to one embodiment of the present invention, is performed by a terminal, and the departure is a position of the third terminal defined as an identifier (Id) of the third terminal, and the destination is a current position of the terminal. The method comprises the steps of: requesting a server to transfer a route to the third terminal, wherein the route is transferred to the third terminal according to the request for the route transfer; requesting registration in a notification service with respect to the third terminal to the server, wherein the notification service is set in order to notify the terminal that a specific operation of the third terminal is performed if the specific operation is performed; receiving, from the server, a notification for indicating that the specific operation of the third terminal is performed, when the specific operation of the third terminal is performed; and transmitting an updated position of the terminal to the server when the terminal moves from a previously reported position to a predetermined distance, if the notification indicates that the third terminal has requested reception of update information with respect to the route.
US09903711B2

A metrology performance analysis system includes a metrology tool including one or more detectors and a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more detectors. The controller is configured to receive one or more metrology data sets associated with a metrology target from the metrology tool in which the one or more metrology data sets include one or more measured metrology metrics and the one or more measured metrology metrics indicate deviations from nominal values. The controller is further configured to determine relationships between the deviations from the nominal values and one or more selected semiconductor process variations, and determine one or more root causes of the deviations from the nominal values based on the relationships between values of the one or more metrology metrics and the one or more selected semiconductor process variations.
US09903708B2

A semiconductor measuring tool has a folding mirror configuration that directs a light beam to pass the same space multiple times to reduce the size and footprint. Furthermore, the folding mirrors may reflect the light beam at less than forty-five degrees; thereby allowing for smaller folding mirrors as compared to the prior art.
US09903699B2

An apparatus to assist a machinist in the setup of a remote computer controlled machine tool table has an X-axis electronic gauge block assembly, a Y-axis electronic gauge block assembly, and a Z-axis electronic gauge block assembly each positioned on the machine tool table, to respectively collect X-axis probe position values, Y-axis probe position values, and Z-axis probe position values. Environmental sensors collect environmental values. An electronics processing system establishes a raw X-axis probe position, a raw Y-axis probe position, and a raw Z-axis probe position. A wireless interface transmits the environmental values, the raw X-axis probe position value, the raw Y-axis probe position value, and the raw Z-axis probe position value to the remote computer and receives from the remote computer refined probe position values to assist the machinist in the setup of the machine tool table.
US09903697B2

A method and an apparatus for the non-contact support of a sensor and/or actuator device with respect to a substrate which reflects sound at least in regions has a moving suspension device, a sensor and/or actuator device which is mechanically connected to the suspension device, and a positioning device which is mechanically connected to the suspension device and which has at least one non-contact bearing for the non-contact support of the sensor and/or actuator device with respect to the substrate. The positioning device has at least one sonotrode for emitting an ultrasonic field which, between the sonotrode and the substrate, forms acoustic levitation waves for the non-contact support of the sensor and/or actuator device with respect to the substrate by a non-contact bearing which is designed as an ultrasonic bearing.
US09903694B2

The present invention provides an ammunition disabling system for selectively disabling ammunition that is operatively coupled to a selectively changeable material. In the operative state the material permits transmission of a percussive impact through the material for enabling firing of the ammunition; and in the deactivated state the material inhibits transmission of the percussion wave through the material for preventing firing of the ammunition. The ammunition disabling system includes an energy wave generator with an energy wave source that emits an energy wave at a frequency resonant a natural frequency of the material. When the ammunition with the material are exposed to the energy wave, the energy wave induces a response (physical and/or chemical) in the material that results in a mechanical change in the material from the operative state to the deactivated state by degrading the mechanical structure of the material.
US09903686B2

An apparatus includes a first gunsight and a second gunsight, where both the first and the second sights are configured to be positioned on a forward portion of a barrel of a firearm. According to an embodiment, a third gunsight may be configured to be positioned on the forward portion of the barrel. The gunsight may be interchangeable with different gunsights.
US09903677B2

There is provided an automatic firing apparatus, and a method for operating the automatic firing apparatus, the apparatus comprising a trigger actuator for automatically firing bullets contained in a magazine of a firearm; a magazine release actuator for releasing an empty magazine from the firearm; a magazine bank for storing a bullet magazine inside the firearm; and a magazine loading actuator for loading a new magazine inside the firearm from the magazine bank. There is further provided a magazine bank apparatus for use with a firearm comprising a magazine bank base having a plurality of slots adapted to receive and store bullet magazines; and a magazine load actuator adapted to be automatically triggered for loading a bullet magazine among the stored bullet magazines inside the firearm.
US09903670B2

An insert is configured to be inserted into a heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes. The insert includes a base and a multiple blades. The blades are extended from the base. At least one of the blades has a spring portion. The spring portion is resiliently deformable and configured to be resiliently inserted between two of the tubes.
US09903660B2

A heat exchanger for heat exchange between at least two fluids, in particular for a motor vehicle, includes: a core (3) for heat exchange between the fluids, and a casing (5) for receiving the core and having at least one side opening. The exchanger further includes a cover (7) for closing the at least one opening in the casing (5), which is tightly connected to the core (3) and the casing (5) in order to form a non-separable unit assembly.
US09903658B2

An insert is configured to be inserted into a heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes. The insert includes a base and a multiple blades. The blades are extended from the base. At least one of the blades has a spring portion. The spring portion is resiliently deformable and configured to be resiliently inserted between two of the tubes.
US09903647B2

System and methods for floating dockside liquefaction of natural gas are described. A system for floating dockside liquefaction of natural gas comprises a natural gas pretreatment facility located onshore proximate a dock, wherein the natural gas pretreatment facility is configured to process pipeline quality gas into pretreated natural gas, a floating liquefaction unit moored at the dock, wherein the floating liquefaction unit further comprises a natural gas liquefaction module on a deck, and an LNG storage tank for storing produced LNG below the deck, a pipeline coupling the onshore pretreatment facility to the dock, wherein the pipeline is configured to transport pretreated natural gas onto the dock, and a high pressure gas arm fluidly coupling the pipeline to the floating liquefaction unit, wherein the gas arm is configured to transfer pretreated natural gas to the floating liquefaction unit.
US09903637B1

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an enclosure. The enclosure is bounded by a lower surface, a pair of opposing side surfaces and an upper surface. The apparatus further includes a door for providing selective access to the enclosure that is slidable relative to the cabinet between an open and a closed position, the door being slidably coupled to the cabinet by a slide assembly located externally of the enclosure.
US09903625B2

An air-conditioning apparatus includes an injection pipe allowing a part of a refrigerant, as discharged from a compressing device, to flow into an intermediate portion of a compression stroke of the compressing device, and an injection internal heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant stream that flows through the injection pipe and a refrigerant stream that flows into a heat-source-side heat exchanger after passing through an indoor unit.
US09903617B2

An energy consumption controller may be communicatively coupled with a plurality of alternative energy sources and an engine. The controller may be configured to manage energy consumption from the alternative energy sources interconnected with the engine and to keep the engine within a desired temperature range. Within the desired temperature range, the engine will start and run at a full load more rapidly than if the engine cooled excessively. The controller may change the selected energy source as required, based on factors such as cost, engine maintenance and testing and/or imminent need of the engine.
US09903607B2

An enclosure vent is operable to be mounted to a building that presents an interior space and to move in response to a change in vent temperature. The vent includes a vent frame and a laminated composite vent panel. The vent panel includes outer and inner panel layers and an intermediate connecting structure that connects the panel layers relative to one another along an interface defined between the panel layers. The outer and inner panel layers have, respectively, first and second coefficients of thermal expansion that are different from each other and cause expansion and contraction of the corresponding panel layers along the interface. The connecting structure permits expansion and/or contraction of each panel layer in response to a vent temperature change so that the panel flexes.
US09903602B2

A humidifying apparatus includes a body and a nozzle detachably mounted on the body. The body includes a chamber, a water tank for supplying water to the chamber, and a motor-driven impeller for generating an air flow over water stored in the chamber. An ultraviolet radiation emitting lamp irradiates water stored in the chamber. The air flow is humidified with water from the chamber, and conveyed to the nozzle for emission from the apparatus. A sensor detects the position of the nozzle relative to the body, and a drive circuit controls the actuation of the lamp depending on an output from the sensor.
US09903595B2

Examples are disclosed herein that relate to a ventilation system incorporated in a cooking apparatus. One example provides a cooking system including a body supporting a cooking surface, an air duct located within the body, and an air inlet disposed adjacent the cooking surface and in fluid communication with the air duct. The cooking system further comprises a fan disposed within the body and configured to pull exhaust from cooking through the air inlet and the air duct, a muffler configured to receive the exhaust from the fan, and an exhaust duct disposed within the body and connecting the fan to the muffler to carry the exhaust from the fan to the muffler, the exhaust duct having a curved configuration between an outlet of the fan and an inlet of the muffler.
US09903593B2

A cooking appliance includes a cooktop, at least one cooking element mounted to the cooktop, and a grate including a surface portion for supporting a cooking vessel and at least one cup member. The grate is mounted to the cooktop with the at least one cup member being interengaged with locating structure on the cooktop such that the grate can be selectively lifted vertically from the cooktop or pivoted relative to the cooktop. Upon pivoting through a predetermined angle, the grate is prevented from being lifted vertically based on the at least one cup member becoming interlocked with the locating structure.
US09903585B1

A catalytic burner comprising a burner chamber and a utilization chamber, the burner chamber functionally divided into a fuel-oxidant mixing zone and a catalytic combustion zone. The burner chamber occupies a space disposed between outer and inner tubular walls of the burner. The utilization chamber, which is a space bounded by the inner tubular wall, remains hollow for secondary useful purposes, for example, connection to a heat sink of a Stirling engine and/or incorporation of a second heat source (e.g., solar or geothermal heat source). Auxiliary system components can also be packaged into the utilization chamber. The burner can function in hybrid flame and/or flameless modes, and can further include a recuperator to capture heat by-passing the heat sink.
US09903583B2

A feed-water discharge side of a condenser is connected to a feed-water entry side of an flue gas cooler through a bypass line provided with a steam production preventive pump and with an inlet cutoff valve. A feed-water discharge side of the flue gas cooler is connected to the feed-water entry side of the condenser through a steam production preventive water circulation line provided with an outlet cutoff valve. When a boiler feed-water pump is stopped in boiler fuel cutoff, the inlet and outlet cutoff valves are opened and the steam production preventive pump is activated to cause water to flow through the bypass line into the flue gas cooler, is returned through the steam production preventive water circulation line to the condenser and is circulated.
US09903582B2

A lighting unit for a household appliance, the lighting unit has a printed circuit board having a light-emitting means arranged on the printed circuit board, and a base for receiving the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board is arranged on a metallic holding part such that good thermally conductive contact is provided between the printed circuit board and the holding part, and the holding part is fastened on the base in such a way that good heat transfer is provided from the holding part to the base.
US09903576B2

A lighting apparatus has an at least partially optically transmissive enclosure and a light source located in the enclosure that is operable to emit light when energized through an electrical path. A connector is secured to the base and is configured to receive a control module for providing control information to the LED light source. The control module is rotatably mounted relative to the enclosure. The control module may comprise a sensor that turns the light source off and on, changes the color of the light source or dims the light source upon detection of the stimulus. The enclosure has a bottom member and a mounting portion secured to the bottom support where the connector is located between the mounting portion and the bottom support.
US09903567B2

The present application discloses an LED module mounting mechanism which comprises a fixing frame (2), at least one gap adjusting mechanism mounted on the fixing frame (2), and at least two moving blocks (3) movably connected with the fixing frame (2). The LED modules (100) are arranged on the moving blocks (3). Two ends of the gap adjusting mechanism are connected with the moving blocks (3) respectively. A gap between the LED modules (100) arranged on the moving blocks (3) is adjusted by moving the moving blocks (3) on the two ends toward or away from each other. The present application belongs to the technical field of LED modules and LED display screens. The LED module mounting mechanism solves the technical problems in the prior art that the method for adjusting the planar gap between the LED modules is complex and unstable, and adjusting the planeness which is perpendicular to the planar direction of the LED modules can't be achieve. The LED module mounting mechanism is particularly applicable to adjusting the planeness perpendicular to the direction of the LED modules and the planar gap between the LED modules, the adjusting operation is simple, and the adjusting effect is stable.
US09903566B1

A portable floor light emits light along a surface of the floor and at a shallow emitted angle to provide lighting during dark conditions. The housing of the portable floor light has a curved light emitting edge with a light emitting gap to project light across a wide area of the floor. The light emitting edge may be an arc that extends 60 degrees or more, such as 90 degrees or 180 degrees for example. The portable floor light has a motion sensor and ambient light sensor that provide input to a controller. The light will be activated when motion is detected and the ambient light is below a threshold value, or in darker conditions. The light emitted may have a wavelength no less than about 570 nm to avoid disrupting the circadian rhythms of people when they get up in the night, for example.
US09903564B2

A lamp comprising at least one light source adapted for emitting optical radiation, at least one scanning mirror, a fluorescent body and optical means for transmitting at least a portion of the optical radiation being directed from the light source by the scanning mirror onto the fluorescent body to an output of the lamp. The fluorescent body is plate-shaped, whilst the optical means comprises at least one lens, wherein each part of the plate-shaped fluorescent body can be imaged by the at least one lens in a predetermined direction to the output of the lamp.
US09903563B2

An LED luminaire with reduced glare provides a polar arrayed light gradient on a diffuser lens and replicates the appearance of a filament or tube lamp. The luminaire includes a housing having an opening, a diffuser lens extending across the opening, and a plurality of LEDs positioned within the housing behind the diffuser lens. The plurality of LEDs are arranged to generate a composite light pattern having a polar arrayed light gradient across an aperture of the diffuser lens. The polar arrayed light gradient has a light intensity that decreases concentrically with increasing radius.
US09903556B2

A light assembly includes a plurality of light modules attached to a carrier, a stationary bezel attached to the carrier and defining an opening through which light from the light modules passes, first and second masks attached to the carrier for rotation about an axis, and a drive system coupled to and interconnecting the first and second rotating masks, the drive system having a drive gear coupled to the first and second rotating masks, to simultaneously rotate the masks between respective open positions, and closed positions where the masks block light from the light modules from passing through the opening.
US09903551B2

Disclosed is a vehicle lamp structure including a lamp cup structure and a light-emitting structure. The lamp cup structure has a first light-reflecting surface and a second light-reflecting surface. The first light-reflecting surface has a first focal point and a second focal point. The second light-reflecting surface has a third focal point and a fourth focal point. The light-emitting structure includes a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element. The first light-emitting element corresponds to the first focal point. The second light-emitting element corresponds to the third focal point. The first light-emitting element generates a first light source projected onto the first light-reflecting surface to form a first reflection light source through the second focal point. The second light-emitting element generates a second light source projected onto the second light-reflecting surface to form a second reflection light source through the fourth focal point.
US09903545B1

A visual and audio safety display beacon unit that mounts and dismounts from a landing pad body strap and utility tote is disclosed. It is a solar rechargeable multifunctional device that can be shared between individuals as well as domestic pets and surfaces.
US09903543B2

A lighting device (100) comprising a collimator (112) having an entrance aperture and an exit aperture (302), a crossed beam splitter (106, 206) and at least four lighting units. Each of the lighting units comprises a light source (102) and a focusing element (104) having an entrance aperture (308) arranged to receive light from the light source (102) and an exit aperture (304). The focusing element (104) is configured to focus light towards the beam splitter (106, 206), and the crossed beam splitter is arranged to receive light from each of the lighting units and configured to split the light from each light source into four beams. Further, the beam splitter (106, 206) is arranged and configured such that said four beams are directed towards the entrance aperture of the collimator (112). The collimator (112) is configured to interact with said beams to provide four images, each image comprising one fourth of the light from each lighting unit.
US09903539B2

The invention relates to a circuit board element (1) comprising a substrate (2), on which at least one dielectric layer (7) is arranged, and at least one LED (light-emitting diode) (10), wherein at least one channel-shaped waveguide cavity (11) leading away from the LED (10) is provided in the dielectric layer (7), which waveguide cavity leads to at least one integrated light-sensitive component (12), preferably a photo-diode or photocell, arranged for examining the light emission, wherein the LED (10) is preferably also arranged in a cavity (9) that is connected to the waveguide cavity (11). The invention further relates to a method for producing such a circuit board element (1).
US09903522B2

A bicycle hydraulic hose cap comprises a hose attachment to be detachably attached to an end of a hydraulic hose, and a reservoir including a fluid chamber having a variable internal volume. The fluid chamber is connected to a fluid passageway of the hydraulic hose in an attachment state where the hose attachment is attached to the end of the hydraulic hose.
US09903521B2

The present invention provides methods and systems for an upstream pipe plug that includes a first bulkhead, a second bulkhead, a vent pipe engaged to the second bulkhead, and an insertion pipe engaged to the second bulkhead.
US09903511B2

One embodiment of the invention provides a latchable plastic clip formed from a resilient main band body bent into a near closed “S” or “Figure 8” shape. The clip is useful when used in numbers for releasably suspending elongated objects such as wires, cords and hoses beneath and along supportive objects, such as rods, bars, railings, or pipes. It is also useful when used singularly for storing items such as ropes, straps, chains, harnesses, halters and reins by hanging them from support structure such as rods, bars, railings or pipes, coiling them first if necessary or desirable.
US09903509B2

Techniques and systems to reduce deflection of a riser extending from an offshore platform. The riser may include a flow guide. The flow guide may receive a fluid. The flow guide may also include one or more outlets that are configured to transmit the fluid. This transmission of the fluid by the one or more outlets may counteract currents or other factors to mitigate deflection in the riser.
US09903503B2

An aircraft water heating tank air vent valve includes an air vent valve housing having an upper vent valve body and a lower valve adapter sealingly mated together to define an interior chamber. A tubular collar is disposed within the interior chamber between an upper planar valve seat member and a lower notched valve seat member, and a ball float is movable within the tubular collar between first and second positions seated on the upper planar valve seat member or the lower notched valve seat member, respectively. The lower notched valve seat member includes oblique notches and frustoconical projections providing upper shoulders upon which the tubular collar is positioned, and providing outwardly flaring radially inner oblique edges upon which the ball float can be seated.
US09903500B2

A self-holding electromagnetic valve includes: a solenoid having a tubular guide part having the same center as a central axis extending in an axial direction; a axially movable element located radially inside the guide part; a cover housing the solenoid and the movable element, having a hole portion, and made of a magnetic material; a pin located at the hole portion and movable along with movement of the movable element; and a valve section provided outside the cover and opened/closed along with movement of the movable element and the pin. The solenoid has a cylindrical part with an inner circumferential surface that receives the guide part, tooth parts that extend radially outward from the cylindrical part and are made of a magnetic material, bobbin parts provided each tooth part, and coils wound around the bobbin parts.
US09903497B2

A first thermal shield constituted by a material with a thermal conductivity of 20 W/(m·K) or less and a second thermal shield constituted by a space are disposed between a passage and a laminated piezoelectric actuator. Preferably, a third thermal shield with a thermal conductivity of 20 W/(m·K) or less is further disposed. Thereby, a flow control valve which can effectively intercept a transmission of heat using a simpler and compacter structure than a flow control valve according to a conventional technology so that the temperature of a laminated piezoelectric actuator does not exceed its heat-resistant temperature even when it is used for high-temperature process gas is provided.
US09903490B2

The present invention provides a swaging structure having a high pressure resistance strength suitable for a high pressure switch that solves the conventional disadvantages that the swaging for providing an increased thickness causes a manufacturing facility having a larger size or the swaged part having winkles or that a pressure switch finds a difficulty in the adjustment of the swaging margin when the number of diaphragms is changed for example. A swaging structure comprises at least a to-be-swaged member required to have airtightness to a surrounding environment and a swaging member configured to retain the to-be-swaged member by a swaging processing, the swaging member has an annular side wall surrounding the to-be-swaged member to retain the to-be-swaged member after the swaging processing and the swaging structure further includes an annular spacer including therein a penetration hole to be sandwiched between the to-be-swaged member and the annular side wall after the swaging processing.
US09903487B2

A valve system, for use with a cylinder having an extensible rod, includes a first valve assembly having a first inlet/outlet port, a check valve biased toward a closed state, the check valve having a check valve body at least partially receivable within a first port of the cylinder, a flow control valve positioned in series between the first inlet/outlet port and the check valve, and a first pilot port selectively communicable with a source of pressurized gas for opening the check valve. The valve system further includes a second valve assembly having a second inlet/outlet port, a second pilot port through which the pressurized gas must flow before being introduced to the first pilot port, and a valve body at least partially receivable within a second port of the cylinder.
US09903485B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a control valve assembly that includes a piston slidably seated within a valve chamber and moveable between multiple positions to adjust a flow rate of fluid through the control valve assembly. The piston comprises flow zones and seal surfaces to define variable flow rates related to the position of the piston within the valve chamber and to selectively seal with the valve chamber.
US09903479B2

A valve device includes: a drive source; a turning member; a valve body, being fixed to the turning member and integrally turned with the turning member; and a valve seat, being sliding contacted with an end face of the valve body opposite to the end face of the valve body contacting with the turning member. The valve seat has at least one outflow hole for fluid passing through the valve device. The valve body has a throttle part being a minute hole that communicates with the outflow hole in a part of a turning angle of the valve body. A flow passage has an opening part provided between opposed faces of the turning member and the valve body, thus the throttle part is communicated with an inflow hole for the fluid and inflow of an individual matter having a size unable to pass through the throttle part is shielded.
US09903469B2

A hydraulic control circuit includes: a shift valve configured to be switched between a state of supplying oil pressure to a clearance adjusting chamber of an LR brake and a state of discharging the oil pressure from the clearance adjusting chamber of the LR brake; and a linear SV configured to control the oil pressure supplied to a pressing chamber of the LR brake. The hydraulic control circuit further includes a source pressure oil passage through which oil pressure equal to the oil pressure supplied from the shift valve to the clearance adjusting chamber is supplied to a source pressure port a of the linear SV. By discharging the oil pressure in the clearance adjusting chamber at the time of opening malfunction of the linear SV, the oil pressure in the pressing chamber is also discharged through a drain port of the shift valve.
US09903467B2

A button-type electronic shift system is provided. The electronic shift system executes a gear-changing operation to a target shift position by the rotation and the forward movement of a shift lever.
US09903445B2

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 engine torque, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, and six control elements for selectively interconnecting the rotation elements, a first shaft connected with the first rotation element, and selectively connectable with the input shaft, a second shaft selectively connectable with the first shaft, a third shaft, a fourth shaft selectively connectable with the input shaft, a fifth shaft directly connected with the transmission housing, a sixth shaft selectively connectable with the first shaft, and a seventh shaft selectively connectable with the third shaft, and directly connected with the output shaft.
US09903440B2

A shackle with captured pin assembly. The shackle includes a pair of opposed legs. A first ear for one of the opposed legs includes an opening therethrough to receive a shackle pin. A recess in the opening receives a spring clip surrounding a shaft of the shackle pin. A second ear for another of the opposed legs is opposed to the first ear. The second ear has an opening therethrough to receive the shackle pin and has an opening with a threaded portion. The shackle pin has a head, a threaded portion engageable with the threaded portion of the second ear opening, and a reduced diameter portion. The rotating retaining clip rotates about an axis parallel to the shackle pin between a locked and an unlocked position.
US09903438B2

A hydraulically damping bush bearing has an elongated inner part, and outer bush, an elastomeric damping member disposed between the inner part and outer bush and a pair of axial chambers offset from one another in an axial direction. The axial chambers communicate with one another via at least one axial channel. The bush bearing also has a pair of radial chambers that communicate via at least one radial channel. The radial chambers are disposed between the pair of axial chambers and are offset from each other in a circumferential direction. At least fluid-free damping chamber is provided between the axial.
US09903433B2

An anti-vibration structure includes an inner elastic body that is a separate body to a multi-layered material and that is disposed in a through-hole piercing through a layering direction of the multi-layered material, and a restricting member that has at least a portion embedded in the inner elastic body, that has one end coupled to an upper plate and another end coupled to a lower plate and that restricts separation of the upper plate and the lower plate.
US09903431B2

The invention relates to an operating apparatus for a brake, having an actuator unit with a linearly mobile actuator element, an actuating unit with a linearly mobile actuating element by means of which a braking element can be moved relative to a brake disc or a brake drum, and a transmission unit for transmitting a force from the actuator element to the actuating element. The transmission unit has a deflection device by means of which the force which is transmitted from the actuator element to the actuating element can be deflected from a first direction into a second direction.
US09903429B2

A brake is provided that employs an electromagnetic or magnetic circuit to disengage the brake and in which a reed switch is used to indicate an operating condition of the brake. The reed switch is positioned across an air gap between two members of the electromagnetic or magnetic circuit. The reed switch is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the reed switch extends in a direction other than parallel to one or both of (i) the axis of rotation for rotating components of the brake and (ii) a direction of a magnetic force at a point in the air gap where the magnetic force is greatest.
US09903423B2

A fluid friction clutch (1) including a housing (2, 3), a clutch plate (4) which is situated on an end (5) of a shaft (6) mounted centrally within the housing (2, 3), a working chamber (9) between the housing (2, 3) and the clutch plate (4), a supply chamber (10) for clutch fluid, and a supply channel (11A, 11B) which leads from the supply chamber (10) to the working chamber (9). A feed pump element (14) which is rotatable with respect to the housing (2, 3), is situated rotationally fixed on the shaft (6), and defines a shear gap (12) with the housing (2, 3). A valve (17) is situated between the feed pump element (14) and the supply chamber (10), the valve (17) in the closed position effectively establishing a main working path (HA) between the feed pump element (14) and the working chamber (9), and the valve (17) in an open position unblocking a discharge path (EP) between the feed pump element (14) and the supply chamber (10).
US09903418B2

An adapter for use in a power system having a first powertrain joined to a second powertrain by a coupling. The adapter may have a generally cylindrical body having a central bore formed therein that is configured to receive a shaft of the first powertrain, and splines formed at an end of the central bore. The adapter may also have a connection keyway formed within an outer annular surface of the generally cylindrical body and configured to receive a key that engages the coupling, and a balancing keyway formed within the outer annular surface of the generally cylindrical body and configured to remain empty to balance the coupling.
US09903404B2

The present invention provides a general use tapping screw, which is a two-line screw having a cylindrical body, and main threads and auxiliary threads which are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the body, wherein the outer diameter of the auxiliary threads is 92˜97% the outer diameter of the main threads, the angle of the front flank surfaces of the main threads and the auxiliary threads is in the range of 12±3 degrees, the angle of the rear flank surfaces of the main threads is in the range of 25±3 degrees, the angle of the rear flank surfaces of the auxiliary threads is in the range of 20±3 degrees, and intervals between a first pitch from the main thread to the auxiliary thread and a second pitch from the auxiliary thread to the next main threads have a difference in the range of ±10-20%.
US09903402B2

Piece to be crimped on a support, comprising a bearing head and a shaft comprising a crimping section intended to be deformed when crimping the piece, the crimping section comprising a first hollow section adjacent to the bearing head and a second section adjacent the first section, the second section being configured to deform outside of the piece into a crimping flange for crimping the piece on the support, and the first section is configured to deform inside the hollow space of the shaft into a clearance flange in order to limit stresses on the support when crimping the piece.
US09903399B2

A simple locking device includes a locking bracket, a locking tongue piece, a tension spring, a tension side wall, a base, at least two guide shafts, connection components and, wherein the locking bracket includes a lock piece, at least two guide holes and a retaining piece; the tension side wall is fixed to the base; and the at least two guide shafts respectively pass through the at least two guide holes to mount the locking bracket onto the base, such that the locking bracket is guided by the guide holes to move.
US09903389B2

An axial-flow compressor with variable stator vanes located at a single stage can be modified by adding variable stator vanes to the axial-flow compressor so that the variable stator vanes are located at a plurality of stages. The axial-flow compressor includes stator vane rows located at the plurality of stages and include the variable stator vanes extending in a radial direction of the axial-flow compressor and rotating around rotary shafts of the variable stator vanes so as to adjust angles of the variable stator vanes; a plurality of rings are connected to the stator vane rows and drive and rotate the variable stator vanes of the stator vane rows that correspond to respective rings; a plurality of levers that correspond to the plurality of rings; a rotary shaft that holds the plurality of levers so as to enable the levers to pivot.
US09903375B2

A fan including a system for holding blades having variable pitch, in which the bases of the blades are mounted onto radial shafts of a rotor of the fan by pivots, is provided. The system includes a main body capable of being attached onto the rotor; and at least one holding arm mounted onto the main body and capable of extending inside a pivot so as to engage with the pivot in order to lock the movement of the pivot along the axis of the shaft on which the holding arm is mounted.
US09903367B2

A variable displacement oil pump for an internal combustion engine includes a pump element to vary inside volumes of pumping chambers to suck and discharge an oil, a varying mechanism to vary a pumping volume variation quantity of the pumping chambers, with movement of a movable member such as a cam ring, an urging mechanism to urge the movable member in a direction to increase the pumping volume variation quantity, first and second control oil chambers to urge the movable member to vary the pumping volume variation quantity, and a control mechanism, such as a pilot valve, to control the supply/drainage of the oil to or from the second control oil chamber. An operation oil pressure of the movable member is set higher than an operation oil pressure of the control mechanism in a higher pressure region.
US09903366B2

A variable displacement vane pump includes first and second sealing grooves formed on an intake port side and separated away from each other in a circumferential direction; first and second sealing members provided in the first and second sealing grooves; a first fluid-pressure chamber formed on a side on which a volume thereof decreases when the cam ring moves to a side on which an eccentricity of the cam ring increases; and a second fluid-pressure chamber formed on a side on which a volume thereof increases when the cam ring moves to a side on which the eccentricity of the cam ring increases; and a control valve configured to control the pressure in the first or second fluid-pressure chamber.
US09903363B2

Provided is a device submersion preventing structure which is capable of releasing heat generated from a device such as a pump and oil vapor, and preventing submersion of the device. The device submersion preventing structure comprises an enclosure having an internal chamber 60 for installing a pump 20 therein, wherein the enclosure 60 is configured such that an opening 61 is provided only in a bottom portion thereof, and a remaining portion thereof is formed as an air-confining structure.
US09903361B2

A derrick-type long-stroke hydraulic pumping unit containing a rack, a counterweight basket, a sucker rod side oil cylinder, a counterweight basket side oil cylinder, a hydraulic station, and an oxbow component. The sucker rod side oil cylinder and the counterweight basket side oil cylinder each include a cylinder barrier. A piston and a piston rod are disposed inside the cylinder barrel. A cylinder cap component includes a cylinder cap body. A pressing sleeve mechanism is disposed on an upper part of the cylinder cap body. An oil scraping mechanism is disposed between the cylinder cap body and the pressing sleeve mechanism. The hydraulic pumping unit has the advantages of a reasonable structure, a long service life, high work efficiency, and resource saving.
US09903360B2

A novel changeover mechanism for a compressed air driven double diaphragm pump comprises a shaft slidably mounted through aligned apertures in opposing surfaces of the twin diaphragm chambers. At the center of the shaft between the two diaphragm chambers is provided an annular notch in to which is located an arm extending from a U shaped frame. The U shaped frame is pivotally mounted atop a valve plate which includes multiple ports. Positioned against a surface of the valve plate is a valve closure component which is configured to slide across the surface selectively obstructing the multiple ports. The valve closure component is held in place by a metal peg hingedly mounted in slots provided in parallel extension of the U shaped frame. Linear tension springs connect the hinged wire pusher with U shaped frame adjacent the pivot point. The springs bias the position of the valve closure component against the valve plate in an off center position.
US09903358B2

An air compressor comprising an air intake unit for importing air at atmospheric pressure. A cylinder means for compressing air; a storage tank; a first airline extending between the air intake unit and the cylinder means, the first airline being configured to convey air from the air intake unit into the cylinder means; a second airline extending between the cylinder means and the storage tank, the second airline being configured to convey compressed air from the cylinder means to the storage tank; a motor connected to the cylinder means, configured for driving the cylinder means; a valve inserted into the first airline, the valve being configured to be adjustable between a closed condition and an open condition.
US09903356B2

A discharge muffler may include a discharge space in the cylinder block and a pulsation and/or noise reducing member (e.g., a pulsation reducing member) engaged in the discharge space having a passage (e.g., a pulsation and/or noise reducing passage) on a circumferential surface configured to guide the working fluid to an inner space of the discharge space.
US09903351B2

A device for transfer of granular solid material between two chambers at different pressures. A piston type transfer pump device used in a horizontal position transfers granular material into the compression chamber by gravity and evacuates the material into the exhaust chamber at a higher pressure. Such a device may for example find an application for feeding a gasification reactor with biomass.
US09903348B2

Drive device for a wind mill comprising a large pulley disposed on a main shaft and at least one belt or chain adapted to transfer rotation from the pulley to a generator. The pulley is rotationally coupled to at least two secondary shafts, which are disposed parallel to the main shaft. One or more belts, which transfer the rotation, extend over the pulley and the secondary shafts. The secondary shafts are in turn rotationally coupled to at least one, preferably two, electric generators.
US09903341B2

Control method for a wind turbine which comprises the steps of obtaining a first signal regarding the azimuthal position for each blade, obtaining at least one signal indicative of wind speed, and calculating a blade pitch angle control term. The step of calculating the blade pitch angle control term comprises the use of at least one function dependent on the at least one signal indicative of wind speed and the at least one function dependent on the at least one signal indicative of wind speed includes an increasing piece within a range of wind speed values below a nominal wind speed.
US09903340B2

It describes a control system and method of a wind turbine to operate it in optimum output operation in situations wherein incidents occur. To do this a series of measurements are taken of elements in the surrounding area of the wind turbine which incide it to be able to calculate blade pitch angle set-points to reorientate or move the same until positions designated in accordance with said pitch angle set-point. The method described here is based, among other parameters, on the wind speed; so that it provides for at least two possible control situations in accordance with said speed: one when the speed is less than a rated value and another when said speed is greater than a rated value.
US09903328B2

A solenoid valve for controlling fluids includes a closing element that opens and closes at least one outlet opening on a valve seat, and a magnetic circuit that includes an armature, an internal pole, a magnetic return path, and a coil, the armature being connected to the closing element. The magnetic circuit includes a nonmagnetic separating element for interrupting the magnetic circuit and at least one magnetic crosspiece running in a direction of a longitudinal extension of the valve and situated on the nonmagnetic separating element.
US09903327B2

A fuel injector includes a valve with a needle that is movable along a longitudinal axis between an open position and a closed position, for opening or closing the valve. The fuel injector also includes an actuator including an armature and a pole piece, the armature being axially movable and operable to interact mechanically with the needle, such that the needle is moved towards the open position by a movement of the armature in axial direction towards the pole piece. The fuel injector also includes a first spring for biasing the armature in axial direction away from the pole piece. The spring force of the first spring is configured to stop said movement of the armature when the needle is in the open position.
US09903323B2

A system for an internal combustion engine can include a separation device and an engine component including first and second valves. The separation device can separate intake air into a volume of nitrogen-rich air and a volume of oxygen-rich air. A first valve element can be movable relative to a first valve body and can have an annular shape disposed about a central axis of the combustion chamber. The first valve body can be fluidly coupled to the separation device and direct the oxygen-rich air into a central area of the combustion chamber. A second valve element can be movable relative to a second valve body and can have an annular shape disposed about the central axis, radially outward of the first valve. The second valve body can be fluidly coupled to the separation device and can direct the nitrogen-rich air to a peripheral area of the combustion chamber.
US09903316B2

Methods and systems for low emission power generation in hydrocarbon recovery processes are provided. One system includes a gas turbine system configured to stoichiometrically combust a compressed oxidant derived from enriched air and a fuel in the presence of a compressed recycle exhaust gas and expand the discharge in an expander to generate a recycle exhaust stream and drive a main compressor. A boost compressor receives and increases the pressure of the recycle exhaust stream and prior to being compressed in a compressor configured to generate the compressed recycle exhaust gas. To promote the stoichiometric combustion of the fuel and increase the CO2 content in the recycle exhaust gas, the enriched air can have an increased oxygen concentration.
US09903314B2

The present invention is to prevent mixing of fresh air and an air-fuel mixture when a throttle valve is fully opened and increase a delivery ratio. A main nozzle (30) is surrounded by a tunnel-like air flow guiding member (52). The air flow guiding member (52) is opened at its front and back sides. A whole amount of fuel discharged via a main nozzle (30) is sent to a downstream side by an air flow created by the air flow guiding member (52). When a throttle valve (22) and a choke valve (24) are both in a fully-opened state, fresh air flows into an air-fuel mixture passage (12) through a gap between these valves (22, 24).
US09903311B1

An engine cam cover with integrated wiring provides quick-connect capability for electrical components in a manner that simultaneously establishes electrical interconnection and mechanical fastening. The cover comprises a shell with inner and outer layers defining a plurality of sockets with respective passages for receiving respective electrical components. A wire bundle has a plurality of wires extending from a connector end at a periphery of the shell to a terminal end disposed within a space between the layers. A plurality of retainers are disposed in respective passages, each having at least one helical track for rotationally receiving a connector pin extending radially from a respective electrical component. A plurality of metal cups installed at an end of each helical track are connected to respective wires at a respective terminal end. Each socket is configured to provide a latch to hold each respective connector pin at the respective track end.
US09903302B2

Feedback control is executed based on a measured CA10 and a measured CA50 that are calculated based on measured data for MFB. During steady operation a correlation index value IRA that shows a degree of correlation between the measured data and reference data corresponding thereto is calculated. During transient operation, a correlation index value IAA that shows a degree of correlation between the measured data and measured data that is measured immediately prior to the measured data is calculated. If the correlation index value IRA or the correlation index value IAA is less than a determination value Ith, control is performed to prohibit reflection in the aforementioned feedback control of each of the measured CA10 and the measured CA50 which are measured in the combustion cycle in which the relevant correlation index value is calculated.
US09903301B2

A control apparatus is provided for an internal combustion engine equipped with compression ratio variable and variable valve mechanisms and includes first and second sub control apparatuses and a main control apparatus. The first sub control apparatus has a first microcomputer controlling the compression ratio variable mechanism, the second sub control apparatus has a second microcomputer controlling the variable valve mechanism, and the main control apparatus has a third microcomputer that calculates a target value of a top dead center of a piston and a target value of a valve timing of an intake valve, and outputs the target values. The main control apparatus changes a variable range of the target valve of the top dead center of the piston according to the valve timing of the intake valve, and the first sub control apparatus changes a control range of the top dead center of the piston.
US09903297B2

The internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust purification catalyst able to store oxygen, and a downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor arranged at a downstream side of the exhaust purification catalyst in a direction of exhaust flow. The control system performs feedback control of an amount of fuel fed to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine so that an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst becomes a target air-fuel ratio and performs learning control to correct a parameter relating to the feedback control based on an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas detected by the downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor. The target air-fuel ratio is alternately switched between a rich set air-fuel ratio and a lean set air-fuel ratio leaner. When a condition for learning acceleration, which is satisfied when it is necessary to accelerate correction of the parameter by the learning control, is satisfied, a rich degree of the rich set air-fuel ratio is increased. Therefore, there is provided an internal combustion engine able to suitably change the speed of updating the learning value.
US09903293B2

A diagnostic system for an internal combustion engine includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor and an ECU. The ECU is configured to: (a) determine whether each cylinder of the evaluation target cylinder group is a lean cylinder; (b) estimate a degree of leanness of the air-fuel ratio of the present lean cylinders when the lean cylinders are present in the evaluation target cylinder group; (c) calculate a polytropic index in an expansion stroke for each cylinder; (d) correlate relationship information for defining a relationship between the polytropic index in the expansion stroke and an air-fuel ratio index value with the polytropic index in the expansion stroke of a reference lean cylinder; and (e) calculate the difference in air-fuel ratio between cylinders on the basis of the polytropic index of the reference lean cylinder, the relationship information correlated with the polytropic index of the reference lean cylinder.
US09903265B2

Methods and systems are provided for estimating water storage in a charge air cooler (CAC). In one example, an amount of water accumulating in the CAC may be based on an output of an oxygen sensor positioned downstream of the CAC and ambient humidity. Further, engine actuators may be adjusted to purge condensate from the CAC and/or reduce condensate formation based on the amount of water inside the CAC.
US09903264B1

A control system for an engine cylinder having a pre-chamber and a main chamber includes a pressure sensor being provided in the pre-chamber, and a processor coupled to the pressure sensor. The processor is configured to measure pre-chamber pressure using the pressure sensor, determine a peak pre-chamber pressure from the measured pre-chamber pressure, calculate an estimated main chamber pressure corresponding to the peak pre-chamber pressure from at least one cylinder condition at ignition, calculate a pressure ratio of the peak pre-chamber pressure to the estimated main chamber pressure, calculate a fuel parameter for at least one of the pre-chamber and main chamber from the pressure ratio to achieve a desired pressure ratio, and generate a control signal to provide fuel to at least one of the pre-chamber and main chamber in accordance with the fuel parameter.
US09903252B2

A method for encasing a body of an exhaust gas system with a housing which is wound around the body. Using a winding method, the body is placed in a loop formed by a belt-shaped conveyor element that can be driven in a conveyor device, wherein the conveyor element is seated against the outer casing face at a wrapping angle u of at least 270 degrees. Starting with a first edge, the metal strip is then introduced in a conveyor device between the body and the conveyor element, is drawn into the gap between the body and the conveyor element and is bent around the body until the body is encased at least twice by the metal strip.
US09903250B2

An exhaust treatment fluid system includes a tank housing for storing an exhaust treatment fluid. A suction tube includes a first end positioned within the housing. A first sensor is positioned within the tank housing for determining at least one of a fluid level and a concentration of the exhaust treatment fluid. A skirt is positioned in the tank to peripherally surround the first sensor.
US09903248B2

An exhaust aftertreatment system for purifying an exhaust gas feedstream that is expelled from an internal combustion engine that is operable at an air/fuel ratio that is lean of stoichiometry is described. The exhaust aftertreatment system includes a barrier discharge plasma reactor that is disposed upstream relative to a catalytic reactor and electrically connected to a plasma controller. The barrier discharge plasma reactor is controlled to generate ozone from constituents of the exhaust gas feedstream when the internal combustion engine is operating at a lean air/fuel ratio and at a low temperature condition. The generated ozone reacts, in the catalytic reactor, to oxidize non-methane hydrocarbons contained in the exhaust gas feedstream when the internal combustion engine is operating at lean air/fuel ratio and at low temperature conditions.
US09903244B2

Directing exhaust gas around a catalyst may pre-heat the catalyst and may thereby bring the catalyst quickly in its operating temperature range. An exhaust gas treatment system for treating the exhaust gas may include a first flow path, a second flow path, and a control system. The first flow path may include a catalyst. The second flow path may be coaxially arranged in heat exchange relation with respect to the first flow path. The control system may be configured to control the flow of exhaust gas through the first flow path or the second flow path dependent upon the catalyst temperature.
US09903236B2

An adjustable camshaft can be used in a valve drive of an internal combustion engine. The adjustable camshaft may include an inner shaft rotatably supported by and concentric with an outer shaft. A cam element may be rotatably supported on the outer shaft such that the outer shaft extends through a cam bore of the cam element. The cam element may be rotatably-fixed to the inner shaft, in some cases, by way of a bolt. Further, a bearing sleeve that is rotatably-fixed to the cam element may be inserted within the cam bore such that a slide bearing gap is formed between the bearing sleeve and the outer shaft. Furthermore, in some examples the cam element may be a collared cam that has a cam base body and a cam collar adjacent to one another.
US09903235B2

A valve timing control apparatus includes: a drive-side rotational member synchronously rotating with a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotational member disposed inside the drive-side rotational member and integrally rotating with a valve opening/closing camshaft; a hydrostatic pressure chamber formed by partitioning a space between the drive-side rotational and driven-side rotational members; an advance angle chamber and a retardation angle chamber formed by dividing the hydrostatic pressure chamber; an intermediate lock mechanism able to selectively switch between locked and unlocked states; an advance angle flow path allowing the hydraulic fluid to be circulated; a retardation angle flow path allowing the hydraulic fluid to be circulated; a control valve having a spool; and a phase control unit controlling the control valve.
US09903231B2

A system for warming up a steam turbine includes a gas turbine and a controller operably connected to the gas turbine. The controller is programmed to receive a plurality of measured input signals and control the gas turbine to produce an exhaust having a desired energy. A first measured input signal is reflective of a measured operating parameter of the gas turbine and a second measured input signal is reflective of an operating parameter of the steam turbine. A method for warming up a steam turbine includes sending a plurality of measured input signals to a controller, wherein a first measured input signal reflects a measured operating parameter of a gas turbine and a second measured input signal reflects an operating parameter of the steam turbine. The method further includes controlling the gas turbine based on the plurality of measured input signals and producing an exhaust from the gas turbine, wherein the exhaust has a desired energy.
US09903225B2

A turbocharger is provided that includes a turbine, a compressor and a bearing housing disposed and connected between the turbine and the compressor. A shaft rotatably disposed within the bearing housing and extending into the turbine and the compressor. A bearing arrangement is disposed between the shaft and the bearing housing. The bearing arrangement including first and second bearings, each of the first and second bearings formed by a respective first and second plurality of roller elements engaged between a respective first and second inner race and a respective first and second outer race. The shaft is made of a steel alloy with a carbon content of less than 0.40% by weight.
US09903221B2

A trip control system for use with, for example, turbines, includes a porting manifold that supports and provides fluid to two or more trip manifolds, each of which includes a bleed circuit having two or more bleed valves connected in parallel between a trip header line and a return or dump line to bleed the hydraulic fluid pressure from the trip header line to thereby cause a trip. The trip control system includes redundant trip manifolds operating in parallel, wherein each trip manifold is able to independently engage a trip of the turbine and each of the trip manifolds includes redundant sets of valves and other trip components that enable the trip manifold to operate to engage a trip of the turbine in the presence of a failure of one of the sets of components on a trip manifold, or while various components of the trip manifold are being tested.
US09903215B2

An inner casing assembly for a turbine including: an annular inner casing including cooling passages, wherein each passage extends through a wall of the inner casing from a source of cooling fluid to an outer surface of the wall of the inner casing, and struts extending outward from the outer surface of the inner casing wherein the cooling passages are arranged on the inner casing such that a pair of the cooling passages is on opposite sides of each of the struts, and the cooling passages in each pair are equidistant to the corresponding strut.
US09903209B2

The invention refers to a rotor blade or guide vane airfoil for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal axis and a source of cooling fluid. The airfoil has a pressure wall, a suction wall, a leading edge, a trailing edge and at least one cooling fluid flow passage. The cooling fluid flow passage is in fluid communication with the source of cooling fluid. Means for directing cooling fluid at least to the trailing edge are provided, whereas the cooling fluid flow passage including: a plurality of axially extending walls, each of the walls extending laterally between the pressure wall and suction wall. The plurality of walls are radially spaced within the cooling fluid flow passage such that adjacent pairs of walls define a channel. The axial spacing between the adjacent walls include in radial direction of the airfoil a pins and a ribs structure, wherein the pins holistic or approximately cover the axial height of the channel. The ribs have a deeper level with respect to the pins and the ribs establish a bridge-like connection between each of adjacent ribs.
US09903205B2

An impeller for a rotor of a turbomachine includes: a wheel disc mounted on the rotor, the wheel disc having plural grooves arranged along a circumference of the wheel disc and extending in the thickness direction of the wheel disc. A toothed profile is formed on two sides of each groove. A plurality of impeller blades each have one root with two sides on each of which one toothed profile is formed. Each blade is inserted into a groove so as to form a blade-groove combination with the toothed profiles of the root and of the groove in engagement. Each combination having a fixing device that fixes the blade in the groove in the thickness direction and in the radial direction of the wheel disc. Each fixing device has a recess movably received in the groove base.
US09903203B2

A longitudinally yieldable support for underground roof support includes first and second outer shell portions having a first wall thickness and a third outer shell portion having a second wall thickness that is greater than the first wall thickness. The support is filled with a solid compressible filler material. At least one air ventilation tube extends between opposite sides of the third outer shell portion to allow a flow of air through the support as the first and second outer shell portions and filler material therein yield under load.
US09903199B2

Systems, tools, and methods for measurement of a property of a solid body or fluid involve an electromagnetic measurement tool that includes a transmitter configured to transmit electromagnetic energy, a receiver configured to receive the electromagnetic energy, and a metamaterial element comprising a negative refractive index. The metamaterial element may focus the electromagnetic energy. The electromagnetic tool may be placed adjacent the solid body or fluid, electromagnetic energy may be transmitted via the transmitter, and the electromagnetic energy may be received with the receiver to measure a property of the solid body or fluid.
US09903195B2

Disclosed embodiments include well ranging apparatus, systems, and methods which operate to detect and determine a relative distance and/or azimuthal direction of nearby target well conductors such as pipes, well casing, etc., from within a borehole of a drilling well.
US09903192B2

A tool assembly for performing a wellbore operation including an actuatable tool, a location device, and on-board controller are together dimensioned and arranged to be deployed in the wellbore as an autonomous unit. The actuatable tool, such as a perforating gun having associated charges, perforates a wellbore along a selected zone of interest. The location device, such as casing collar locator, senses the location of the actuatable tool based on a physical signature provided along the wellbore. The on-board controller or micro-processor is configured to send an activation signal to the actuatable tool when the location device has recognized a selected location of the tool based on the physical signature. The tool assembly further includes a multi-gate safety system. The safety system prevents premature activation of the actuatable tool.
US09903190B2

A modular fracturing system including a fracturing fluid manifold and a skid apparatus coupled in fluid communication with the fracturing fluid manifold and only one fracturing tree. The skid apparatus can include an inlet coupled to the fracturing fluid manifold, a single outlet coupled to the one fracturing tree via a fluid conduit, and a valve between the inlet and the single outlet to control flow of fracturing fluid from the fracturing fluid manifold through the skid apparatus to the one fracturing tree.
US09903185B2

A perforating gun includes an orienting device retained in a carrier and a charge tube rotatably connected to the orienting device. The orienting device misaligns a center axis of the charge tube with a different second axis such that gravity can cause the charge tube to rotate about the different second axis. The charge tube does not rotate about the center axis of the charge tube while the charge tube rotates about the different second axis.
US09903182B2

A fracturing valve comprising a tubular mandrel having a through bore continuous with a tubing string, and a frac window through the side of the tubular mandrel. An outer sleeve is radially disposed around the tubular mandrel. The outer sleeve includes a sleeve port in a sidewall. The tubular mandrel slides relative to the sleeve by application and release of set down weight on a coiled tubing string. When the valve is closed, there is no fluid communication from the tubing string out of the frac window. When the valve is open, fluid communication from the tubing string is enabled. The valve may be installed in a downhole tool having a perforation device. The tool string can be used with one sealing element as the tool is pulled up the hole isolating lower perforations, or with two sealing elements to allow pin-point treatments isolating perforations both up and downhole.
US09903176B2

Methods and apparatus include tubing expanded to create a seal in an annulus surrounding the tubing. The tubing includes a sealing material selected to cause forming of undulations in a diameter of the tubing upon expansion of the tubing. Various factors of the sealing material such as deviations in its thickness influence sealing performance of the tubing with the sealing material.
US09903175B2

A pressure control device for isolating a section of a conduit comprises a support member, a flexible cup member mounted to the support member, a first swellable element, the first swellable element adapted, upon activation by an activation fluid, to urge a first portion of the cup member outwards into engagement with a conduit surface and at least one bypass arranged to permit the activation fluid to bypass the swellable element and build up behind a second portion of the cup member.
US09903168B2

A tubular handling apparatus including a tubular member running tool adapted to provide load-bearing, and preferably torquing, capacity upon the gripping of a tubular is provided. The running tool includes a slotted member having a plurality of elongated slots, a recessed member associated with the slotted member and having a plurality of recesses, and a plurality of gripping elements disposed between the slotted member and recessed member. Each such gripping element is adapted to move with an engaged tubular so as to grip the tubular. A tubular member elevator associated to the running tool, as well as related floor slips, are also encompassed. Methods of casing running are also included.
US09903166B2

The invention relates to a tool holder on a drill transmission for tubular drilling tools having at least two different diameters, wherein the holder is equipped with a hollow-cylindrical recess and with at least one radially oriented locking bolt which is installed in the wall of the hollow-cylindrical recess and which engages in a corresponding opening in the drilling tool, wherein there is at least one further hollow-cylindrical recess which is complementary to one of the different drilling tools.
US09903163B2

In a fixed cutter drill bit, a hybrid cutter with a cutting edge including a substantially continuous curve interrupted by at least one arc discontinuity. In a fixed cutter drill bit, a contoured cutter with a contoured cutting face including a raised shape, wherein the raised shape has a raised shape axis which is oblique to a drill bit body axis. In a cutter for a fixed cutter drill bit, a chamfer including a side bevel and a cutting face bevel, wherein a cutting face bevel length is at least two times a side bevel length.
US09903147B2

A motor vehicle door includes a door body and first and second windows carried on that door body. A window drive system independently displaces the first and second windows between closed and opened positions. A related method is also provided.
US09903139B2

Some embodiments include a lock cylinder comprising: a plug assembly having a front portion and a back portion; a housing shell within which the plug assembly is rotatably disposed, wherein the housing shell includes a notch; wherein the back portion of the plug assembly comprises: a locking pin that is movably disposed, and wherein the locking pin is configured to prevent a rotation of the plug assembly when the locking pin is engaged in the notch and prevented from retracting by a multi-stable mechanism; and the multi-stable mechanism having at least two stable configurations corresponding to respectively to a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein the multi-stable mechanism can maintain the stable configurations without consuming energy; wherein, at a first stable configuration, the multi-stable mechanism prevents the locking pin from retracting, and, at a second stable configuration, the multi-stable mechanism enables the locking pin to retract.
US09903136B2

A portable shelter is provided for sheltering materials or human occupants at a remote location. The shelter includes, among other things, a flexible cover and a supporting frame. In operation, hinged members that are part of the frame are used to support a first portion and then a second portion of the shelter. Before the frame is raised up, the people who are constructing it can easily reach the top parts of the shelter without a stepladder or the like. By avoiding the need for a stepladder, the overall size and weight of the assembled components that have to be transported to the remote location can be reduced, and the shelter can be constructed more quickly and easily. Hinges, purlin connections, and corner closure systems for the shelter are also disclosed.
US09903132B2

A pool cleaning robot may include a housing that has a first fluid opening and a second fluid opening; a filter that comprises a filter core that is at least partially located within the housing and comprises an one or more inlets, an one or more outlets and at least one filtering element positioned between the one or more inlets and the an one or more outlets; and a filter core rotator that is arranged to rotate the filter core during at least one period in which the filter core filters fluid that enters through the one or more inlets to output filtered fluid via the one or more outlets.
US09903130B2

An external docking station may be provided and may include a filter manipulator that is arranged to (i) input a filter into a pool cleaning robot that exited a pool and is located in a filter replacement position and to (ii) assist in positioning the filter at a filtering position in which the filter is at least partially disposed within a fluid path formed between a first fluid opening and a second fluid opening of the housing thereby allowing the filter to apply a filtering operation on fluid that passes through the fluid path.
US09903106B2

A backwater valve has a hollow valve body with an inlet defined by a vertical surface, an outlet, and a bottom. A pivoting valve member is pivotlly movable about a pivot axis between a normally open position along the bottom of the valve body and a closed, vertical position sealing the inlet. The valve member has a hinge and, the pivot axis being positioned at the hinge end. An overbalancing member carried by the valve member biases the float toward the closed position. The overbalancing member comprises at least one of a counterweight and a magnetic element. The overbalancing member is positioned at the hinge end and spaced from the pivot axis such that the overbalancing member is vertically above the piot axis when the valve member is in the open position and horizontally over from the pivot axis when the valve member is in the closed position.
US09903104B2

A dirt shield system for enhancing cleanliness of a toilet includes a toilet that has a pedestal, a bowl and a tank. A cover is provided and the cover is removably wrapped around the toilet. The cover is positioned to cover the bowl and the pedestal. Thus, the cover prevents the bowl and the pedestal from becoming soiled.
US09903095B2

A tool coupler is disclosed for coupling a tool system to a machine. The tool coupler may including a base configured to connect to the tool system and having spaced-apart plates, hooks, a first pin, and at least one web connecting the spaced-apart plates. The tool coupler may also include an anchor configured to connect to the machine and having a monolithic structure. The anchor may also include a rounded primary engagement feature protruding outward to engage the hooks, a transverse slot formed within a top surface of the monolithic structure and configured to receive the first pin, and an elongated pocket formed inside the monolithic structure that is open to the transverse slot. The anchor may further include a wedge, and a linear actuator disposed inside the pocket and connected to push the wedge into the transverse slot over the first pin.
US09903094B2

Provided is a work machine driving device which can reduce unnecessary switching control of switching valves. The present invention is configured so that at least two closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 2a to 2f can be connected in a closed loop to any one of hydraulic actuators 7a to 7c, 10c through electromagnetic switching valves 12, in which a controller 16 includes a priority order calculating circuit 31 which calculates the allocation of the closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 2a to 2f to the hydraulic actuators 7a to 7c, 10c according to operation of operation levers 17a, 17b and a priority order map 32 determining priority connection relationships between the closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 2a to 2f and the hydraulic actuators 7a to 7c, 10c, and the priority order calculating circuit 31 selects and allocates an unallocated closed-circuit hydraulic pump 2a to 2f when the number of closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 2a to 2f to be allocated increases.
US09903091B2

A quick coupler includes a coupler body having a first hook, a lock member, a slidable second hook, a hydraulic cylinder, and a connecting pin connecting the cylinder and coupler body. The lock member is movable between locking and unlocking positions in which the lock member protrudes into and retracts from an opening of the first hook. The cylinder includes first and second end portions connected to the coupler body and the second hook, respectively. The cylinder extends and contracts to cause the second hook to slide away from and towards the first hook, respectively. The coupler body includes a support hole moveably supporting the connecting pin in an extension and contraction direction of the cylinder. The first end portion of the cylinder moves away from the second end portion within a movability range of the connecting pin to move the lock member from the unlocking to locking position.
US09903086B2

A friction reducing jacket is applied to a pile. The jacket comprises a sheet material and is formed in a shape that can conform to the exterior surface of the pile. The sheet material comprises a thermoplastic, e.g., polyolefin, and a slip agent, e.g., amide. A method of shielding a pile from downward force exerted by backfilled earthen materials during settlement includes the steps of providing a friction reducing jacket constructed of sheet material comprising a thermoplastic polymer and an amide slip agent; driving the pile into soil, leaving a portion of the pile above the soil exposed; wrapping the friction reducing jacket around the exterior surface of the exposed portion of the pile such that the interior surface of the jacket contacts the exposed exterior surface of the pile; and placing backfilled earthen materials around the jacketed section of the pile.
US09903084B2

A mobile drilling unit having a floatable platform for use in a body of water with a plurality of vertical support legs. With each vertical support leg configured to move with a cleat at the lower end of each support leg. Each cleat having a lower surface to transmit gravitational force from the unit to the sea floor. The cleats are asymmetric with respect to the legs which allows expansion of the center of pressure on the cleats to be beyond the vertical support legs.
US09903080B2

A modular wave-break includes a wall, a base attached to the wall, and an anchor attached to the base. The wall includes a set of dissipating holes integrally formed in the wall and a set of passage holes integrally formed in the wall. Reinforcing structural rods may be embedded in the wall, the base, and the anchor to provide strength. Mounting holes in the base enable the modular wave-break to be secured to a water bottom surface. Multiple modular wave-breaks may be interconnected to form a single wave-break. In an alternate embodiment, a water control structure provides for management of the water table of a wetland area. The water control structure includes a panel comprising a wall, a base attached to the wall, an anchor attached to the base, and a flow hole through the wall. Multiple panels are connected in series to create a water tight water control structure.
US09903077B2

A system for compacting a work area is described. The system includes a compactor having a variable vibratory mechanism for providing a compaction effort to the work area. The system further includes a location sensor to generate a location data for the compactor. The system further includes a controller in communication with the location sensor and the variable vibratory mechanism. The controller is configured to determine a pass count for the work area based on the location data. The controller is further configured to determine a target compaction effort for the work area based on the pass count. The controller is further configured to modify the compaction effort to the target compaction effort.
US09903074B2

A railway rail anchoring device (12) for fastening a railway rail (16) to an underlying foundation (18), the anchoring device comprising a protrusion (28), the anchoring device protrusion being configured to cooperate with a corresponding recess (36) provided in a receiving portion associated with the underlying foundation.
US09903066B2

A washing machine includes a cabinet; a tub which is disposed in the cabinet and in which washing water is stored; a rotating tub that is disposed in the tub and accommodates laundry; a spray unit configured to spray washing water into the rotating tub; and a fixing unit to which at least a portion of the spray unit is coupled and which includes a mounting structure provided at at least a portion of a circumferential direction of the fixing unit so as to fix the spray unit. The mounting structure in which a spray unit can be fixed by a fixing unit provides that movement of the spray unit can be prevented when a washing machine operates and the spray unit can be assembled in a desired position of the washing machine.
US09903062B2

Laundry washing machine (1) includes an outer casing (2) and, inside said casing (2), a washing tub (3). A rotatable drum arranged in an axially rotating manner inside the washing tub (3) and is structured for receiving the laundry to be washed. A detergent dispensing assembly (9) is structured for supplying detergent into the washing tub (3). A first fresh-water supply circuit (10) is structured for selectively channeling a flow of fresh water from the water mains towards the detergent dispensing assembly (9) and/or the washing tub (3). A water softening device (11) which is interposed between the first fresh-water supply circuit (10) and the detergent dispensing assembly (9) or the washing tub (3), and is structured for reducing the hardness degree of the fresh water supplied to the washing tub (3). The detergent dispensing assembly (9), includes a detergent container (16) which is provided with a number of detergent compartments (16a) each fillable with a respective detergent product, and a detergent flush circuit (18) which receives the fresh water from the water softening device (11) and is structured for selectively spilling/pouring the fresh water arriving from the water softening device (11) into any one of said detergent compartments (16a). The laundry washing machine (1) furthermore includes a second fresh-water supply circuit (44) which connects the water mains directly to the detergent flush circuit (18) of the detergent dispensing assembly (9), bypassing the water softening device (11), and which is structured so as to control/regulate the flow of fresh water from the water mains towards said detergent flush circuit (18).
US09903043B2

The invention provides a crucible assembly and method of manufacturing a crystalline silicon ingot by use of such crucible assembly. The crucible assembly of the invention includes a crucible body and a fiber textile article. The fiber textile article is made of a plurality of carbon fibers, and is loaded on a bottom of the crucible body. The fiber textile article has a plurality of intrinsic pores randomly arranged.
US09903038B2

The present invention provides a zinc alloy electroplating method comprising applying a current through an alkaline zinc alloy electroplating bath comprising a cathode and an anode, wherein a cathode region including the cathode and an anode region including the anode are separated from each other by a separator comprising an electrically conductive electrolyte gel.
US09903037B2

Coating a metallic surface with at least one of a pretreatment composition prior to organic coating, with a passivation composition without intent for subsequent organic coating, with a pretreatment primer composition, with a primer composition, with a paint composition and with an electrocoating composition, wherein the coating composition includes particles on a base of at least one layered double hydroxide (LDH) phase characterized by the general formula [M2+(1±0.5)−x(M3+, M4+)x(OH)2±0.75]An−x/n.mH2O.
US09903031B2

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrolytic electrode, the method capable of appropriately controlling the amount of an electrode catalyst component as desired and also capable of manufacturing a high-performance electrolytic electrode in a cost-effective and efficient way without affecting the electrode performance. A method for manufacturing an electrolytic electrode including a step of forming an electrode catalyst layer on each of a front and a back of a conductive electrode substrate, by applying a coating solution containing a starting material for the electrode catalyst component on the front of the conductive electrode substrate with a plurality of holes, the conductive electrode substrate being expanded mesh or the like, and thereafter drying and firing the coating solution, wherein the substrate contains at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ta, Nb, Zr, Hf, and Ni, and alloys thereof, the electrode catalyst component contains at least one selected from the group consisting of Pt, Ir, Ru, Pd, Os, and oxides thereof, and an amount of the electrode catalyst component adhering to the back of the substrate is controlled by preheating the substrate to a temperature higher than room temperature at least once before the coating solution is applied and/or by presetting the temperature to which the substrate is preheated in the electrode catalyst layer-forming step.
US09903030B2

According to an aspect, a hydrogen-containing water generating electrode includes: a positive electrode that is a tubular conductor and includes a plurality of openings in a side portion; an insulator that is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the positive electrode and is in contact with the positive electrode; and a negative electrode that is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the insulator, is a tubular conductor in contact with the insulator, and includes a plurality of openings in a side portion.
Patent Agency Ranking