US09978880B2
A display device is disclosed, which includes: a substrate; a first conductive layer disposed on the substrate and including a gate with a gate edge parallel to a first direction; a semiconductor layer disposed on the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer disposed on the semiconductor layer and including a drain and a data line extending along the first direction, the second conductive layer electrically connecting to the semiconductor layer, the drain including a drain edge parallel to the first direction, the gate edge located between the data line and the drain edge, and a projection of the drain on the substrate located in a projection of the semiconductor layer on the substrate. Herein, a maximum width of the semiconductor layer overlapping the gate edge along the first direction is smaller than maximum widths thereof overlapping the gate and the drain edge along the first direction.
US09978875B2
The present disclosure provides a thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the same, an array substrate and a display device. The method for manufacturing a TFT includes forming a source electrode and a drain electrode, forming a metal layer on the source and drain electrodes, and forming a metal oxynitride semiconductor layer on the metal layer or on the source and drain electrodes and the metal layer. The metal layer is capable of being oxidized by oxygen ions in the metal oxynitride semiconductor layer.
US09978870B2
A fin structure suitable for a FinFET and having a buried insulator layer is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a substrate with a first semiconductor material and having a fin structure formed thereupon. The fin structure includes a lower region proximate to the substrate, a second semiconductor material disposed on the lower region, a third semiconductor material disposed on the second semiconductor material, and an insulating material selectively disposed on the second semiconductor material such that the insulating material electrically isolates a channel region of the fin structure and further such that the insulating material exerts a strain on the channel region. The semiconductor device further comprises an isolation feature disposed adjacent to the fin structure.
US09978867B1
A semiconductor substrate structure includes a substrate having a first conductivity type, an oxide layer disposed on the substrate, and a semiconductor layer disposed on the oxide layer. The semiconductor substrate structure also includes a first buried layer disposed in the semiconductor layer, having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type. The semiconductor substrate structure further includes a second buried layer disposed in the semiconductor layer and above the first buried layer, having the first conductivity type, wherein the first buried layer and the second buried layer are separated by a distance.
US09978862B2
A semiconductor die includes a semiconductor substrate having a first region and a second region isolated from the first region. A power transistor disposed in the first region of the semiconductor substrate has a gate, a source and a drain. A gate driver transistor disposed in the second region of the semiconductor substrate has a gate, a source and a drain. The gate driver transistor is electrically connected to the gate of the power transistor and operable to turn the power transistor off or on responsive to an externally-generated control signal applied to the gate of the gate driver transistor. A first contact pad is electrically connected to the source of the power transistor, and a second contact pad is electrically connected to the drain of the power transistor. A third contact pad is electrically connected to the gate of the gate driver transistor for receiving the externally-generated control signal.
US09978859B2
A semiconductor device includes a trench formed in an epitaxial layer and an oxide layer that lines the sidewalls of the trench. The thickness of the oxide layer is non-uniform, so that the thickness of the oxide layer toward the top of the trench is thinner than it is toward the bottom of the trench. The epitaxial layer can have a non-uniform dopant concentration, where the dopant concentration varies according to the thickness of the oxide layer.
US09978855B2
One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device at least including an oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, and a gate electrode overlapping with the oxide semiconductor film with the gate insulating film therebetween. The oxide semiconductor film has a spin density lower than 9.3×1016 spins/cm3 and a carrier density lower than 1×1015/cm3. The spin density is calculated from a peak of a signal detected at a g value (g) of around 1.93 by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The oxide semiconductor film is formed by a sputtering method while bias power is supplied to the substrate side and self-bias voltage is controlled, and then subjected to heat treatment.
US09978850B2
An integrated circuit having an improved gate contact and a method of making the circuit are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a substrate. The substrate includes a gate stack disposed on the substrate and an interlayer dielectric disposed on the gate stack. The interlayer dielectric is first etched to expose a portion of the gate electrode, and then the exposed portion of the gate electrode is etched to form a cavity. The cavity is shaped such that a portion of the gate electrode overhangs the electrode. A conductive material is deposited within the cavity and in electrical contact with the gate electrode. In some such embodiments, the etching of the gate electrode forms a curvilinear surface of the gate electrode that defines the cavity.
US09978849B2
Methods form transistor structures that include, among other components, a substrate having an active region bordered by an isolation region, a gate insulator on the substrate, and a gate conductor on the gate insulator. First and second sections of the gate conductor are within the active region of the substrate, while a third section is in the isolation region of the substrate. The second section of the gate conductor tapers from the width of the first section to the width of the wider third section. The first section and the second section of the gate conductor have undercut regions where the corner of the gate conductor contacts the substrate. The third section of the gate conductor lacks the undercut regions. The gate insulator is relatively thicker in the undercut regions and is relatively thinner where the corner of the gate conductor lacks the undercut regions in the isolation region.
US09978848B2
An Ultra Thin Body and Box (UTBB) fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) field effect transistor (FET) employing a split gate topology is provided. A gate dielectric layer is disposed beneath a gate structure and in contact with a channel layer of the device. The gate dielectric layer contains two portions, a thin portion and a thick portion. The thin portion is arranged and configured to reduce a trans-conductance of the device, while a thick portion is arranged and configured to increase the break down voltage of the device. The device further contains a bulk region that can be electrically connected to voltage source to provide control over the threshold voltage of the device.
US09978842B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region, a third semiconductor region, a first electrode, a second electrode, a control electrode and an insulating film. The first semiconductor region is of a first conductivity type and includes SiC. The second semiconductor region is provided on the first semiconductor region and has a first surface. The second semiconductor region is of a second conductivity type and includes SiC. The third semiconductor region is provided on the second semiconductor region, is of the first conductivity type and includes SiC. The first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the third semiconductor region. The control electrode is provided on the second semiconductor region. The insulating film is provided between the second semiconductor region and the control electrode. The insulating film contacts the first surface and the control electrode and includes nitrogen.
US09978841B2
Provided are a graphene-based laminate and a method of preparing the graphene-based laminate. The graphene-based laminate may include a substrate; a graphene layer formed on at least one surface of the substrate; and an inorganic layer formed on the graphene layer and including a fluorine-containing lithium compound.
US09978840B2
In a first main surface of a silicon carbide substrate, a second trench having a second side surface which connects to the first main surface and is in contact with a third impurity region and a second impurity region and a second bottom portion continuous to the second side surface is formed. A fourth impurity region has a first region arranged between a second main surface and the second impurity region and a second region connecting the second bottom portion of the second trench and the first region to each other. A first electrode is electrically connected to the third impurity region on a side of the first main surface and is in contact with the second region at the second bottom portion of the second trench.
US09978826B2
An organic light emitting display device is discussed. The organic light emitting display device includes a driving thin film transistor including an active layer and a gate electrode; a storage capacitor including a first electrode and a second electrode; a first pattern electrode including the gate electrode and the first electrode; an anode disposed on the driving thin film transistor and the storage capacitor; a second pattern electrode connected with an anode contact part which connects an output electrode connected with the active layer and the anode; and a patterned semiconductor layer including the active layer having a semiconductive characteristic and a shield unit having a conductive characteristic.
US09978825B2
A curved display device including a display area and a non-display area is provided. The curved display device includes a first direction area configured to maintain a flat state and a bending area connected to the first direction area. A thin film transistor (TFT) layer, a passivation layer, a sealing layer, and an upper film are provided on a base substrate in an area where the display area overlaps the bending area, and the sealing layer and the upper film extend to an area where the non-display area overlaps the bending area.
US09978824B2
An organic light emitting display device including a substrate, a first semiconductor element, a first lower electrode, a protection member, a first light emitting layer, a second lower electrode, and a second light emitting layer. The substrate has a first pixel region in which a light is emitted in a first direction, and a second pixel region in which a light is emitted in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.
US09978817B2
An optoelectronic component and a method to operate the optoelectronic component are disclosed. In an embodiment the optoelectronic component includes an organic light-emitting diode configured to emit radiation through a main emission surface and a liquid crystal element configured to adjust a color location of the radiation, wherein the liquid crystal element is switchable into a first state and into a second state, wherein the liquid crystal element in the first state is suitable for selectively reflecting light of a first wavelength range and in the second state is transparent, and wherein the liquid crystal element is arranged on a rear side of the organic light-emitting diode facing the main emission surface so that light of the first wavelength range that is emitted towards the rear side is at least partially reflected in a direction of the main emission surface in the first state of the liquid crystal element.
US09978812B2
The organic EL display panel includes: a substrate; and an organic electroluminescent element disposed on the substrate, the organic electroluminescent element including, in the given order: an anode; a light-emitting layer; and a cathode, the light-emitting layer including multiple light-emitting portions, the multiple light-emitting portions each providing a luminescent color different from the luminescent color of the adjacent light-emitting portion, the multiple light-emitting portions each containing a luminescent dopant material, the concentration of the luminescent dopant material in each light-emitting portion changing in the thickness direction of the light-emitting portion and being at a local maximum in the vicinity of a first interface on the anode side and in the vicinity of a second interface on the cathode side, the local maximum in each light-emitting portion being 20% by weight or higher of the total weight of the light-emitting portion.
US09978810B2
A three dimensional (3D) memory array may include a plurality of memory cells. An example 3D memory array may include an electrode plane and a memory material disposed through and coupled to the electrode plane. A memory cell included in the memory material is aligned in a same plane as the electrode plane, and the memory cell is configured to exhibit a first threshold voltage representative of a first logic state and a second threshold voltage representative of a second logic state. A conductive pillar is disposed through and coupled to the memory cell, wherein the conductive pillar and electrode plane are configured to provide a voltage across the memory cell to write a logic state to the memory cell.
US09978804B2
A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising fixing a first wafer on a second wafer to form a space theirbetween, via a surrounding member configured to surround the space, forming an opening on a bottom side of the first wafer to expose a conductive member included in the first wafer, and then forming an electrode connected to the conductive member, wherein, in the fixing, the first wafer includes a trench intersecting the surrounding member, on an upper side of the first surface, and, in the forming, the electrode is formed under a condition that the space communicates with an external space via the trench.
US09978795B1
A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a plurality of image sensing devices formed in the substrate, at least a passivation layer formed on the substrate, a plurality of first metal patterns formed on the passivation layer, a plurality of gaps formed between the first metal patterns, an insulating layer lining the gaps, and a plurality of light-guiding structures respectively formed in the gaps. The light-guiding structures respectively include an anchor portion and a body portion, and bottom surfaces of the anchor portions being lower than top surfaces of the first metal patterns.
US09978794B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a solid-state imaging device photoelectrically converting light taken by a lens; and a light shielding member shielding part of light incident on the solid-state imaging device from the lens, wherein an angle made between an edge surface of the light shielding member and an optical axis direction of the lens is larger than an incident angle of light to be incident on an edge portion of the light shielding member.
US09978791B2
An image sensor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The image sensor structure includes a first substrate including a first radiation sensing region and a first interconnect structure formed over a front side of the first substrate. The image sensor structure further includes a second substrate including a second radiation sensing region and a second interconnect structure formed over a front side of the second substrate. In addition, the first interconnect structure is bonded with the second interconnect structure.
US09978783B2
A semiconductor device includes first and second photo-electric conversion elements, each having a light-receiving surface, disposed adjacent to each other, each outputting a light current that is a current corresponding to an intensity of received light, a first filter disposed on the light-receiving surface of the first photo-electric conversion element, a second filter disposed on the light-receiving surface of the second photo-electric conversion element, and a third filter disposed on the light-receiving surface of the second photo-electric conversion element and being in contact with the second filter, one end of the second filter and one end of the third filter overlapping one end of the first filter at a vicinity of a boundary between the first photo-electric conversion element and the second photo-electric conversion element.
US09978781B2
A display device including: a substrate including a display area for displaying an image and a non-display area positioned at a periphery of the display area; a plurality of pixels positioned at the display area; a plurality of data lines connected with the plurality of pixels; and a crack detecting line positioned at the non-display area, wherein the crack detecting line includes: a plurality of unit connectors extending in a first direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to an extending direction of a side of the substrate nearest to the unit connectors; and a plurality of wiring portion units connected to each other through the plurality of unit connectors, wherein the number of wiring portion units is an even number.
US09978780B2
A thin film transistor array panel includes a substrate; a plurality of gate lines that are formed on the substrate; a plurality of data lines that intersect the gate lines; a plurality of thin film transistors that are connected to the gate lines and the data lines; a plurality of color filters that are formed on upper parts of the gate lines, the data lines, and the thin film transistors; a common electrode that is formed on the color filters and that includes a transparent conductor; a passivation layer that is formed on an upper part of the common electrode; and a plurality of pixel electrodes that are formed on an upper part of the passivation layer and that are connected to a drain electrode of each of the thin film transistors.
US09978775B2
A plurality of semiconductor fins is formed on a surface of an insulator layer. Gate structures are then formed that are orientated perpendicular and straddle each semiconductor fin. A dielectric spacer is then formed on vertical sidewalls of each gate structure. Next, an etch is performed that removes exposed portions of each semiconductor fin and a portion of the insulator layer not protected by the dielectric spacers and the gate structures. The etch provides semiconductor fin portions that have exposed vertical sidewalls. A doped semiconductor material is then formed from each exposed vertical sidewall of each semiconductor fin portion, followed by an anneal which causes diffusion of dopants from the doped semiconductor material into each semiconductor fin portion and the formation of source/drain regions. The source/drain regions are present along the sidewalls of each semiconductor fin portion and are located beneath the dielectric spacers.
US09978774B2
A highly reliable semiconductor device suitable for miniaturization and high integration is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first insulator; a transistor over the first insulator; a second insulator over the transistor; a first conductor embedded in an opening in the second insulator; a barrier layer over the first conductor; a third insulator over the second insulator and over the barrier layer; and a second conductor over the third insulator. The first insulator, the third insulator, and the barrier layer have a barrier property against oxygen and hydrogen. The second insulator includes an excess-oxygen region. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor. The barrier layer, the third insulator, and the second conductor function as a capacitor.
US09978772B1
A memory cell comprises, in the following order, channel material, a charge-passage structure, charge-storage material, a charge-blocking region, and a control gate. The charge-passage structure comprises a first material closest to the channel material, a third material furthest from the channel material, and a second material between the first material and the third material. Dielectric constant (k) of the first material is less than 5.0. Sum of bandgap (BG) and electron affinity (chi) of the second material is no greater than 6.7 eV. The k of the second material is at least 5.0. Sum of BG and chi of the third material is less than 9.0 eV and at least 0.5 eV greater than the sum of the BG and the chi of the second material.
US09978768B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a stack of alternating layers comprising insulating layers and spacer material layers over a substrate, forming a memory opening through the stack, forming a layer stack including a memory material layer, a tunneling dielectric layer, and a first semiconductor material layer in the memory opening, forming a protective layer over the first semiconductor channel layer, physically exposing a semiconductor surface underneath the layer stack by anisotropically etching horizontal portions of the protective layer and the layer stack at a bottom portion of the memory opening, removing a remaining portion of the protective layer selective to the first semiconductor channel layer, and forming a second semiconductor channel layer on the first semiconductor channel layer.
US09978766B1
A first tier structure including a first alternating stack of first insulating layers and first sacrificial material layers is formed over a substrate. First support openings and first memory openings are formed through the first tier structure. A dielectric material portion providing electrical isolation from the substrate is formed in each first memory openings. A second tier structure including a second alternating stack of second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers is formed the first tier structure. Second support openings and second memory openings are formed through the second tier structure above the first support openings and the first memory openings. Memory stack structures are formed in inter-tier openings formed by adjoining the first and second memory openings. The dielectric material portions provide electrical isolation between the substrate and the vertical semiconductor layers formed within support pillar structures to prevent or reduce electrical shorts to the substrate through the support pillar structures.
US09978765B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of U-shaped memory strings, each of the plurality of U-shaped memory strings including a first columnar body, a second columnar body, and a conductive connection body. The conductive connection body connects the first columnar body and the second columnar body. A plurality of first memory cells are connected in series in the first columnar body and are composed of a plurality of first conductive layers, a first inter-gate insulating film, a plurality of first floating electrodes, a first tunnel insulating film, and a first memory channel layer. The plurality of first floating electrodes are separated from the plurality of first conductive layers by the first inter-gate insulating film. A plurality of second memory cells are connected in series in the second columnar body, similarly to the plurality of first memory cells.
US09978761B2
The present disclosure relates to an improved integrated circuit having an embedded flash memory device with a word line having its height reduced, and associated processing methods. In some embodiments, the flash memory device includes a gate stack separated from a substrate by a gate dielectric. The gate stack includes a control gate separated from a floating gate by a control gate dielectric. An erase gate is disposed on a first side of the gate stack and a word line is disposed on a second side of the gate stack that is opposite to the first side. The word line has a height that monotonically increases from an outer side opposite to the gate stack to an inner side closer to the gate stack. A word line height at the outer side is smaller than an erase gate height.
US09978756B2
Semiconductor chips are provided. A semiconductor chip includes a peripheral circuit region on a substrate. The semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor layer on the peripheral circuit region. The semiconductor chip includes a cell region on the semiconductor layer. Moreover, the semiconductor chip includes a layer/connector that is adjacent the semiconductor layer. Methods of manufacturing semiconductor chips are also provided.
US09978754B2
A semiconductor arrangement includes a logic region and a memory region. The memory region has an active region that includes a semiconductor device. The memory region also has a capacitor within one or more dielectric layers over the active region. The semiconductor arrangement includes a protective ring within at least one of the logic region or the memory region and that separates the logic region from the memory region. The capacitor has a first electrode, a second electrode and an insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, where an electrode unit of the first electrode has a first portion and a second portion, and where the second portion is above the first portion and is wider than the first portion.
US09978750B1
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes accessing source/drain regions (S/D) in an n-type field effect transistor (NFET) region and in a p-type field effect transistor (PFET) region. First alloy elements are implanted in the S/D regions in the NFET region, and second alloy elements are implanted in the PFET region with the NFET region blocked. The first and second alloy elements form respective amorphized layers on the S/D regions in respective NFET and PFET regions. The amorphized layers are recrystallized to form metastable recrystallized interfaces using an epitaxy process wherein the metastable recrystallized interfaces formed in respective NFET and PFET regions exceed solubility of the first and second alloy elements in respective materials of the S/D regions in the NFET and PFET regions. Contacts to the metastable recrystallized layers of the S/D regions in the NFET and PFET regions are concurrently formed.
US09978749B2
A method includes providing a semiconductor structure comprising multiple fins and a gate structure on the fins. The method also includes removing a portion of the fins not covered by the gate structure to form a remaining portion of the fins, performing a first epitaxially growth process to form first epitaxially grown regions on the remaining portion of the fins, performing a first annealing process so that an upper portion of the first epitaxially grown regions is greater than a lower portion, performing a second epitaxially growth process on the annealed first epitaxially grown regions to form second epitaxially grown regions, and performing a second annealing process on the second epitaxially grown regions, so that an upper portion of the second epitaxially grown regions is greater than a lower portion. The second epitaxially grown regions are separated from each other before and after the second annealing process.
US09978747B2
Systems, apparatuses and methods for reduced OFF capacitance in switching devices are disclosed. A transistor stack includes first and second doped regions serving as a source and drain, respectively of a transistor, an elongated gate structure including a first gate structure disposed between the first and second regions and serving as a gate of the transistor, a first set of electrical contact pads disposed on the first region, and a second set of electrical contact pads disposed on the second region, the second set of contact pads having an offset position with respect to the first set of contact pads in a longitudinal direction of the first and second regions.
US09978739B2
A semiconductor arrangement includes a well region and a first region disposed within the well region. The first region includes a first conductivity type. The semiconductor arrangement includes a first gate disposed above the well region on a first side of the first region. The first gate includes a first top surface facing away from the well region. The first top surface has a first top surface area. The semiconductor arrangement includes a first gate contact disposed above the first gate. The first gate contact includes a first bottom surface facing towards the well region. The first bottom surface has a first bottom surface area. The first bottom surface area covers at least about two thirds of the first top surface area.
US09978726B2
A display device including a substrate including a wiring electrode; a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices electrically connected to the wiring electrode; and an intermediate electrode extending along one direction to be electrically connected to conductive electrodes of adjoining semiconductor light emitting devices, covering the conductive electrodes, and facing the wiring electrode to be electrically connected to the wiring electrode.
US09978723B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate, a bonding electrode, and a dummy electrode. The first semiconductor substrate has a first surface and a first wiring, and contains a first semiconductor material. The second semiconductor substrate has a second surface and a second wiring, and contains a second semiconductor material, and the first surface and the second surface face each other. The bonding electrode is arranged between the first surface and the second surface, and is electrically connected to the first wiring and the second wiring. The dummy electrode is arranged between the first surface and the second surface, and is electrically insulated from at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring. The bonding electrode has a bonding bump and a first bonding pad. The dummy electrode has a dummy bump and a first dummy pad.
US09978722B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe integrated circuit (IC) package assemblies having one or more wires that extend beyond a topmost component in the IC package assembly, computing devices incorporating the IC package assemblies, methods for formation of the IC package assemblies, and associated configurations. An IC package assembly may include a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, an IC die having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, where the first side of the IC die faces the first side of the substrate, a wire electrically coupled with the IC die, where an end of the wire extends beyond a topmost component in the IC package assembly, and an overmold coupled with the topmost component. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09978719B2
A method includes applying solder paste to a portion of a circuit board, arranging a first contact pad of a first electronic component adjacent the layer of solder paste, the first electronic component comprising a dielectric layer, at least one semiconductor die embedded in the dielectric layer, the at least one first contact pad being electrically coupled to the semiconductor die and arranged on a lower side of the dielectric layer, and at least one second contact pad positioned on an upper side of the dielectric layer, and melting the solder paste to produce a molten solder that flows onto at least one of the first contact pad and the second contact pad of the first electronic component.
US09978714B1
A bonding structure of a chip and an electronic circuit contains: a chip holder, a chip accommodated in the chip holder, multiple conductive feet electrically connected with the chip, and an electronic circuit. The chip and the multiple conductive feet are covered by a packaging material, and a part of each of the multiple conductive feet exposes outside the packaging material to form an extension. The electronic circuit includes a porous substrate and an electric circuit connected on the porous substrate, wherein the electric circuit is formed from conductive inks which penetrate into the porous substrate, and the extension is inserted through the electric circuit, hence the extension is electrically connected with the electric circuit.
US09978713B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: a wire tail forming step of forming a wire loop 130 between a first bonding point and a second bonding point with a bonding tool 40, and then cutting a portion of a wire 42 extending from a tip of the bonding tool 40 to thereby form a wire tail 43 at the tip of the bonding tool 40; and a wire tail bending step of bending the wire tail 43 so as to direct a tip 43a of the wire tail 43 upward by descending the bonding tool 40 toward the second bonding point with the wire loop 130 formed thereat and pressing the wire tail 43 against a portion of the wire loop 130 located above the second bonding point. Thus, the wire tail can be bent easily and efficiently.
US09978707B1
A circuit-board-assembly includes a printed-circuit-board, an integrated-circuit-die, a ball-grid-array, a barrier-material, and an adhesive-material. The printed-circuit-board includes a mounting-surface that defines a plurality of contact-pads and a continuous-trace that interconnects a selected-group of the contact-pads. The integrated-circuit-die includes an electrical-circuit having a plurality of solder-pads. The ball-grid-array includes a plurality of solder-balls interposed between the contact-pads and the solder-pads. The plurality of solder-balls establish electrical communication between the electrical-circuit and the contact-pads. The barrier-material is located between a string of solder-balls that are attached to the selected-group of the contact-pads to create a barrier. The barrier segregates an underfill-region from a non-underfill-region between the printed-circuit-board and the integrated-circuit-die. The barrier is in direct-contact with the string of the solder-balls, the integrated-circuit-die, and the continuous-trace. The adhesive-material is in direct contact with a portion of the underfill-region and the barrier prevents the adhesive-material from encroaching upon the non-underfill-region.
US09978706B2
Embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for rework of a BGA package. Memory shape material is placed adjacent to a plurality of solder joints of the package. Stimulation is applied to the material, with the stimulation causing the material to change from a non-stimulated shape to a stimulated shape. This stimulation causes an expansion of the material. As the material expands, it exerts a tensile force on the BGA package and an adjacently positioned carrier, causing a separation of the two components, while mitigating collateral heat of adjacently positioned components.
US09978703B2
In a method for producing a semi-conductor module (10) comprising at least two semi-conductor chips (12, 14) and an interposer (20) which has electrically conductive structures (28) connecting the semi-conductor chips (12, 14) to one another, the interposer (20) is printed directly onto a first (12) of the semi-conductor chips. When the interposer (20) is printed on, the electrically conductive structures (28) are produced by means of electrically conductive ink (68). The second semi-conductor chip (14) is mounted on the interposer (20) such that the two semi-conductor chips (12, 14) are arranged one above the other and that the interposer (20) forms an intermediate layer between the two semi-conductor chips (12, 14).
US09978700B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die and an encapsulant deposited over the semiconductor die. A first insulating layer is formed over a first surface of the encapsulant and an active surface of the semiconductor die. A second insulating layer is formed over a second surface of the encapsulant opposite the first surface. A conductive layer is formed over the first insulating layer. The conductive layer includes a line-pitch or line-spacing of less than 5 μm. The active surface of the semiconductor die is recessed within the encapsulant. A third insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor die including a surface of the third insulating layer coplanar with a surface of the encapsulant. The second insulating layer is formed prior to forming the conductive layer. A trench is formed in the first insulating layer. The conductive layer is formed within the trench.
US09978698B1
A structure having pair of structure members separated by a gap and an interconnect structure member disposed in the gap. The interconnect structure member includes: a fill-structure having opposing sides in direct contact with the opposing sides of the first structure member and the second structure member; and, an interconnecting microwave transmission line disposed on the fill-structure electrically interconnecting the microwave transmission line of the first structure member to the second member structure. An electrically conductive member is disposed over a signal line of, and electrically connected to the ground conductor the interconnecting microwave transmission.
US09978686B1
A process of fabrication and the resulting integrated circuit device is made of patterned metal electrical interconnections between semiconductor devices residing on and forming extremely harsh environment integrated circuit chips. The process enables more complicated wide band gap semiconductor integrated circuits with more than one level of interconnect to function for prolonged time periods (over 1000 hours) at much higher temperatures (500 C).
US09978668B1
In a general aspect, a packaged semiconductor device can include a semiconductor device and a metal leadframe structure having a signal lead that is electrically coupled with the semiconductor device. The device can also include a molding compound encapsulating at least a portion of the metal leadframe structure. At least a portion of the signal lead can be exposed outside the molding compound. The device can further include a solder plating disposed on exposed portions of the metal leadframe structure. In the device, a flank of the signal lead can have a surface area. At first portion of the surface area of the flank can be defined by the solder plating, and a second portion of the surface area of the flank can be defined by exposed metal of the metal leadframe structure. A perimeter of a surface of the exposed metal can have at least one curved edge.
US09978667B2
A semiconductor device (100) comprising a leadframe (120) having an assembly pad (121) in a first horizontal plane (180), the pad's first surface (121a) with a semiconductor chip (110) attached; further a plurality of leads (122) in a parallel second horizontal plane (190) offset from the first plane in the direction of the attached chip, the leads having a third surface (122a) with bonding wires, and an opposite fourth surface (122b); a package (140) encapsulating leadframe, chip, and wires, the package having a fifth surface (140a) parallel to the first and second planes; a plurality of recess holes (150) in the package, each hole stretching from the fifth surface to the fourth surface of respective leads; and solder (160) filling the recess holes, the solder attached to the fourth lead surface and extending to the fifth package surface.
US09978665B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor die. A first interconnect structure is disposed over a peripheral region of the semiconductor die. A semiconductor component is disposed over the semiconductor die. The semiconductor component includes a second interconnect structure. The semiconductor component is disposed over the semiconductor die to align the second interconnect structure with the first interconnect structure. The first interconnect structure includes a plurality of interconnection units disposed around first and second adjacent sides of the semiconductor die to form an L-shape border of the interconnection units around the semiconductor die. A third interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die perpendicular to the first interconnect structure. An insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor die and first interconnect structure. A plurality of vias is formed through the insulating layer and into the first interconnect structure with the second interconnect structure disposed within the vias.
US09978656B2
The mechanisms of forming a copper post structures described enable formation of copper post structures on a flat conductive surface. In addition, the copper post structures are supported by a molding layer with a Young's modulus (or a harder material) higher than polyimide. The copper post structures formed greatly reduce the risk of cracking of passivation layer and delamination of at the dielectric interface surrounding the copper post structures.
US09978645B2
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes: providing a substrate, forming a patterned semiconductor layer on the substrate, forming a filter layer to cover the patterned semiconductor layer and forming a low concentration dopant buried layer within the semiconductor substrate, wherein one to forty percent of dopant are filtered out by the filter layer in the formation of the low concentration dopant buried layer.
US09978644B1
Methods of dicing a wafer into a plurality of singulated dies are disclosed. Some methods coating sidewalls of the singulated dies with a polymer. The polymer may cover cracks formed in the sidewalls as result of dicing the wafer. Other methods may fill cracks formed in the sidewalls with a polymer. Such coating and/or filling of cracks may increase the structural integrity of the die.
US09978639B2
Methods for forming layers on a substrate having a feature are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for forming layers on a substrate having a features may include depositing a copper layer within the feature, wherein a thickness of the copper layer disposed on upper corners of an opening of the feature and on an upper portion of a sidewall proximate the upper corners of the feature is greater than the thickness of the copper layer disposed on a lower portion of a sidewall of the feature proximate a bottom of the feature; and exposing the substrate to a plasma formed from a process gas comprising hydrogen (H2) gas to selectively etch the copper layer proximate the upper corners of the opening and the upper portion of the sidewall proximate the upper corners, without substantially etching the copper layer proximate the lower portion of the sidewall proximate the bottom of the feature.
US09978638B2
A metal trench de-noise structure includes a trench disposed in a substrate, an insulating layer deposited on the sidewall of the trench, an Inter-Layer Dielectric layer covering the substrate and the insulating layer, and a metal layer penetrating the Inter-Layer Dielectric layer to fill up the trench. The metal layer may be grounded or floating.
US09978634B2
A method for fabricating a shallow trench isolation includes forming a trench in a substrate, forming a bottom shallow trench isolation dielectric filling a gap of the trench, and forming a top shallow trench isolation dielectric on the bottom shallow trench isolation. The bottom shallow trench isolation dielectric has a concave center portion, and the top shallow trench isolation dielectric is deposited on the bottom shallow trench isolation by a high density plasma chemical vapor deposition process using low deposition to sputter ratio. A semiconductor structure having the shallow trench isolation is also disclosed.
US09978629B1
A method of transferring micro devices is provided. A carrier substrate including a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of micro devices is provided. The micro devices are separated from each other and respectively electrically connected to the first electrodes. A receiving substrate is made to relatively close to the carrier substrate. The receiving substrate includes a plurality of second electrodes, and the second electrodes and the first electrodes are opposite in electrical property. A first voltage and a second voltage are applied to a portion of the adjacent two first electrodes, so that the micro devices are released from the carrier substrate to the receiving substrate and bonded to the receiving substrate. The first voltage is different from the second voltage. In addition, a micro devices transfer apparatus is also provided.
US09978627B2
A system for zapping a wafer, the system includes a pulse generator; a sensor; a first conductive interface; a second conductive interface; a controller; wherein the pulse generator is configured to generate zapping pulses; wherein the first conductive interface is configured to provide the zapping pulses to a first location of a backside insulating layer of a wafer; wherein the sensor is configured to monitor a coupling between the first conductive interface and the second conductive interface to provide a monitoring result; wherein the monitoring occurs while the second conductive interface contacts a second location of the backside insulating layer; and wherein the controller is configured to control a generation of the zapping pulses in response to the monitoring result.
US09978622B2
A method, device, and apparatus is provided for detecting moisture and/or electrically conductive remains on a wafer after the wafer is removed from a drying chamber of a processing tool that includes wet clean processing. Embodiments include fixing a wafer to an endeffector between a processing chamber and a FOUP, moving the wafer from the processing chamber toward the FOUP, detecting moisture and/or electrically conductive remains on the wafer, and delivering the wafer to the FOUP, if no moisture and/or electrically conductive remains are detected, or delivering the wafer to a buffer station, if moisture and/or electrically conductive remains are detected.
US09978620B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and a method for reducing the adverse effects of exposing portions of an integrated circuit (IC) device to various forms of radiation during one or more operations found within the IC formation processing sequence by controlling the environment surrounding and temperature of an IC device during one or more parts of the IC formation processing sequence. The provided energy may include the delivery of radiation to a surface of a formed or a partially formed IC device during a deposition, etching, inspection or post-processing process operation. In some embodiments of the disclosure, the temperature of the substrate on which the IC device is formed is controlled to a temperature that is below room temperature (e.g., <20° C.) during the one or more parts of the IC formation processing sequence.
US09978613B1
Disclosed examples include a method of making a semiconductor die package comprising arranging at least one preformed die attach pad and at least two preformed leads on a lead frame carrier in a predetermined configuration to form a lead frame, attaching a semiconductor die to the at least one preformed die attach pad, wire bonding the semiconductor die to the at least two preformed leads, forming a molding structure including at least part of the semiconductor die and the at least two preformed leads, and removing the molding structure from the lead frame carrier.
US09978611B2
A method for forming a conductive structure is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of: forming a metallic frame having a plurality of metal parts separated from each other; forming an insulating layer over the top surface or the bottom surface of the plurality of metal parts; and forming a conductive pattern layer on the insulating layer for making electrical connections with at least one portion of the plurality of metal parts.
US09978610B2
Methods and apparatuses for filling features with metal materials such as tungsten-containing materials in a substantially void-free manner are provided. In certain embodiments, the method involves depositing an initial layer of a metal such as a tungsten-containing material followed by removing a portion of the initial layer to form a remaining layer, which is differentially passivated along the depth of the high-aspect ratio feature. The portion may be removed by exposing the tungsten-containing material to a plasma generated from a fluorine-containing nitrogen-containing gas and pulsing and/or ramping the plasma during the exposure.
US09978603B2
A method comprises forming a control gate structure over a substrate, depositing a memory gate layer over the substrate, applying a first etching process to the memory gate layer to form a memory gate structure, wherein, after applying the first etching process, a remaining portion of the memory gate layer is an L-shaped structure, forming a first spacer along a sidewall of the memory gate structure and forming a second spacer over the memory gate structure.
US09978599B2
An ion implantation system has a first chamber and a process chamber with a heated chuck. A controller transfers the workpiece between the heated chuck and first chamber and selectively energizes the heated chuck first and second modes. In the first and second modes, the heated chuck is heated to a first and second temperature, respectively. The first temperature is predetermined. The second temperature is variable, whereby the controller determines the second temperature based on a thermal budget, an implant energy, and/or an initial temperature of the workpiece in the first chamber, and generally maintains the second temperature in the second mode. Transferring the workpiece from the heated chuck to the first chamber removes implant energy from the process chamber in the second mode. Heat may be further transferred from the heated chuck to a cooling platen by a transfer of the workpiece therebetween to sequentially cool the heated chuck.
US09978595B2
The present invention belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, and specifically provides a photo mask and an exposure system. The photo mask is provided with a patterning structure for forming a resulting pattern, the patterning structure comprising a strip-like main body for forming a rectilinear pattern, wherein the patterning structure further comprises a patterning structure auxiliary unit provided at two sides of the strip-like main body, the patterning structure auxiliary unit being capable of adjusting and compensating direction and intensity of light during exposure. With the photo mask, the resulting pattern formed through exposure using the photo mask has improved fineness, thereby improving accuracy of the formed rectilinear pattern.
US09978584B2
A method for treating a substrate, in which a supercritical fluid is supplied into a chamber, in which the substrate is carried, to treat the substrate, the method including a supply step of supplying the supercritical fluid into the chamber until a pressure of the interior of the chamber reaches a preset pressure, and a substrate treating step of performing a supercritical process while repeating supply and exhaust of the supercritical fluid into and out of the interior of the chamber after the supply step, wherein a flow rate of the supercritical fluid supplied into the chamber in the supply step is variable.
US09978580B2
A lamp is provided. The lamp includes a transparent envelope for emitting light, and an RFID tag coupled to a portion of the transparent envelope.
US09978566B2
Disclosed is a plasma etching method which is performed using a plasma processing apparatus that is a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus, and includes: a processing container; a gas supply unit that supply an etching processing gas into the processing container; a placing table including a lower electrode; an upper electrode provided above the placing table; and a plurality of electromagnets including a plurality of coils, or a plurality of electromagnets each including a coil, on the upper electrode. The plasma etching method includes generating plasma of the processing gas to perform a plasma etching on a single film of a workpiece placed on the placing table; and controlling a current supplied to the plurality of electromagnet to change a distribution of an etching rate of the single film in the diametric direction with respect to the central axis during the generating of the plasma of the processing gas.
US09978563B2
Provided is a method of patterning a layer on a substrate using an integration scheme, the method comprising: disposing a substrate having a structure pattern layer, a neutral layer, and an underlying layer, the structure pattern layer comprising a first material and a second material; performing a first treatment process using a first process gas mixture to form a first pattern, the first process gas comprising a mixture of CxHyFz and argon; performing a second treatment process using a second process gas mixture to form a second pattern, the second process gas comprising a mixture of low oxygen-containing gas and argon; concurrently controlling selected two or more operating variables of the integration scheme in order to achieve target integration objectives.
US09978561B2
The invention relates to a post-column filter (a PCF) for a (Scanning) Transmission Electron Microscope (a (S)TEM). Traditionally these filters use excitations of the optical elements before the slit plane that are identical in both the EFTEM and the EELS mode. Although this eases the task for the person skilled in the art of developing and tuning a PCF, as it reduces the number of degrees of freedom to a manageable amount. Inventors found ways to determine settings of the optical elements before the slit plane for EELS mode that are different from the EFTEM mode and where the performance of the PCF in EELS mode is improved (especially the relative energy range that can be imaged) without degrading the performance of the PCF in EFTEM mode.
US09978557B2
A method and apparatus are provided for aligning a sample in a charged particle beam system. The charged particle beam is directed toward the sample to obtain a sample diffraction pattern. The sample diffraction pattern is compared with reference diffraction patterns having known misalignments to determine which reference pattern most closely matches the sample pattern. The known alignment of the best-matching reference diffraction pattern is used to correct the tilt of the sample. The “patterns” compared can be lists of bright spots with corresponding intensities rather than images.
US09978547B1
A battery powered control device configured to be mounted on a wall comprising a front housing cover comprising a vertical wall and a bezel frame extending therefrom, a button assembly, a circuit board, and a rear housing plate. The button assembly is located within the bezel frame and comprises at least one button protruding through an opening in the bezel frame. The circuit board is located within the bezel frame behind the button assembly and comprises at least one tactile switch configured for being depressed by the at least one button. The rear housing plate is mounted within the front housing cover such that a periphery of the rear housing plate fits within and is surrounded by a peripheral wall of the front housing cover and a rear surface of the rear housing plate is substantially flush with the terminal end of the peripheral wall of the front housing cover. The battery powered control device further comprises a battery receiving channel located on one side of the bezel frame and configured for guiding a battery through a battery receiving opening in the front housing cover and into a battery compartment located between the circuit board and the rear housing plate.
US09978532B2
A bi-facial tandem solar cell and a method of making a non-toxic perovskite/inorganic thin-film tandem solar cell stable, having matching bandgaps and a hysteresis free design including the steps of depositing a textured oxide buffer layer on an inexpensive substrate, depositing a metal-inorganic film from a eutectic alloy on the buffer layer; and depositing perovskite elements on the metal-inorganic film, thus forming a perovskite layer based on a metal from the metal-inorganic film, incorporating the metal into the perovskite layer wherein said perovskite layer is stable, hysteresis-free, and has a bandgap that matches the bandgap of the metal-inorganic.
US09978527B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes: an anode foil on which an oxide film is formed; a cathode foil; and a separator between the anode and cathode foils, wherein a solid electrolyte in a fine particle form made of a conductive high molecular weight compound and a water-soluble high-molecular weight compound in a liquid form are introduced into a gap between the anode and cathode foils in a state where the water-soluble high-molecular weight compound in a liquid form surrounds the solid electrolyte, and a ratio of an area that the solid electrolyte occupies in the gap is set to a value which falls within a range of 1 vol % to 30 vol %, and a ratio of an area that the water-soluble high-molecular weight compound in a liquid form occupies in the gap is set to a value which falls within a range of 10 vol % to 99 vol %.
US09978522B2
A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes: a ceramic body having dielectric layers laminated in a thickness direction, the dielectric layers having a greater width than a length; an active layer in which capacitance is formed, by including first and second internal electrodes alternately exposed to end surfaces of the ceramic body opposite to each other in a length direction with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween; upper cover layer; lower cover layers being thicker than the upper cover layer; and first and second external electrodes, wherein, when half of thickness of the ceramic body is denoted by A, thickness of the lower cover layer is denoted by B, half of thickness of the active layer is denoted by C, and thickness of the upper cover layer is denoted by D, 1.042≤(B+C)/A≤1.537 is satisfied.
US09978498B2
A resin-mold core includes right and left leg portions, and a yoke portion interconnecting those. The resin-mold core includes a magnetic core, and a mold component having the magnetic core embedded therein by molding. Openings where the magnetic core in the mold component is exposed are formed in multiple faces of the mold component that are upper, lower, front, rear, and right and left faces. A part of the yoke portion of the resin-mold core corresponding to a location where terminals are drawn to the exterior of the core from coils attached to the outer circumferences of the leg portions of the core has no opening formed in the multiple faces of the mold component. Positioning members to coaxially align the leg portions of the opposing resin-mold core are formed in abutting faces of the leg portions of the resin-mold core.
US09978497B2
The invention provides a wound magnetic core which is configured by winding an Fe-based amorphous alloy ribbon, the wound magnetic core containing a recess row including plural recesses formed by laser irradiation in a central part of the Fe-based amorphous alloy ribbon in a width direction, in which a ratio of a length of the central part to a total width is from 0.2 to 0.8.
US09978496B1
A magnetic device for an electronic circuit includes a printed circuit board. A first and second magnetic component assembly can be electrically connected to the printed circuit. The second magnetic component assembly can be stacked on the first magnetic component assembly. The first magnetic component assembly can be positioned between the second magnetic component assembly and the printed circuit board. Each magnetic component assembly can include a bobbin, a winding disposed on the bobbin, and a core extending through the bobbin. A second bobbin on the second magnetic component can be positioned on either a first core or a first bobbin of the first magnetic component assembly. The stacked magnetic component configuration can help reduce the board space required to electrically connect both the first and second magnetic component assemblies to the printed circuit board, which can help increase the power density of the magnetic device.
US09978494B2
A primary electromagnetic induction coil, which supplies power to a primary resonance coil in a pair of a primary and a secondary resonance coils that conduct non-contact power supply by magnetic field resonance, includes a coil main body and a wedge that mounts an end portion of the coil main body to separate the end portion from other portions. Impedance matching can be achieved by adjusting a position of the wedge and a number of turns of the coil main body.
US09978493B2
Techniques for tuning magnetic potential using a variable gap in a parallel dipole line (PDL) trap are provided. In one aspect, a PDL trap is provided. The PDL trap includes: a pair of dipole line magnets separated from one another by a variable gap g; and a diamagnetic object levitating above the dipole line magnets. The dipole line magnets can be separated from one another by at least one spacer, or a variable gap fixture can be used in which the dipole line magnets are affixed to separate mounts for varying the gap g between the dipole line magnets. A bigger trap or track can be built with multiple segments of PDL trap. A method of operating a PDL trap is also provided.
US09978492B2
This disclosure discloses a coil. An outer shape of the coil as viewed from the first direction has an approximately rectangular shape or an approximately square shape with four corner parts. The coil includes at least one parallel part extended parallelly along the circumferential direction, and at least one connecting part arranged at a portion corresponding to any of the four corner parts, the at least one connecting part being extended along a diagonal direction with respect to the circumferential direction to connect the two parallel parts.
US09978489B2
Provides is a method of producing a grain oriented electrical steel sheet by heating a steel slab having a predetermined composition, then subjecting the slab to hot rolling to obtain a hot rolled sheet, then optionally subjecting the hot rolled sheet to hot band annealing and subsequent cold rolling once, or twice or more with intermediate annealing performed therebetween to obtain a cold rolled sheet with final sheet thickness, then subjecting the cold rolled sheet to primary recrystallization annealing and subsequent secondary recrystallization annealing, in which the aging index AI of the steel sheet before final cold rolling is set to 70 MPa or less to effectively grow Goss-oriented grains to thereby obtain a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet with good magnetic properties, without the restriction of containing a relatively large amount of C.
US09978484B2
Provided are a metal nitride film for a thermistor, which has an excellent bending 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 film for a thermistor, which 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), wherein the crystal structure thereof is a hexagonal wurtzite-type single phase, and the peak ratio of the diffraction peak intensity of a-axis orientation (100) relative to the diffraction peak intensity of c-axis orientation (002) (i.e., the diffraction peak intensity of a-axis orientation (100)/the diffraction peak intensity of c-axis orientation (002)) is 0.1 or lower in X-ray diffraction.
US09978478B2
The present invention relates to a polymer composition, to the use of the composition for producing an electrical device, as well as to a cable surrounded by at least one layer including the polymer composition.
US09978476B2
The present invention relates to a polymer composition with improved electrical properties and to a use thereof preferably in electrical devices as well as to a cable surrounded by at least one layer including the polymer composition.
US09978472B2
A transparent conductor and an optical display including the same are disclosed. The transparent conductor includes a base layer, and a transparent conductive layer formed on the base layer and including metal nanowires. The transparent conductor has a total diffuse reflection (DR) of greater than or equal to about 80% and less than 330% at a wavelength of about 380 nm to about 780 nm and a reflective b* value from about −2 to about 1 at a wavelength of about 380 nm to about 780 nm.
US09978471B2
A flying spot forming apparatus includes a radiation source and a shielding body. A side wall of the shielding body is provided with at least two pairs of helical grooves. Each helical groove is provided with a predetermined slope. A first incident groove is adjacent to a second incident groove. A head end of the first incident groove is higher than a head end of the second incident groove. A tail end of the first incident groove is higher than a tail end of the second incident groove. The tail end of the first incident groove is not higher than the head end of the second incident groove. A first axial cross section of the shielding body intersects with the tail end of the first incident groove. A second axial cross section intersects with the head end of the second incident groove.
US09978467B2
The invention is an innovative design/repair methodology for PWR piping nozzles and vessel nozzles that are attached to the piping/vessel base material with a full penetration weld joint geometry. The development of a robust repair methodology for nozzles of this configuration is necessary due to plant aging, potential material degradation in the original materials of construction, potential increased nondestructive examination requirements, and PWSCC phenomena in the susceptible original materials of construction. The purpose/objective of the repair methodology is to provide a means of partially replacing the existing pressure boundary susceptible materials with PWSCC-resistant materials to facilitate the long-term repair life of the plant. The invention may be applied to a plurality of nozzle, piping, and vessel sizes with a full penetration weld joint.
US09978466B2
A method of harnessing geothermal energy to produce electricity by lowering a geothermal generator deep into a pre-drilled well bore below the Earth's surface. The Self Contained In-Ground Geothermal Generator (SCI-GGG) includes a boiler, a turbine compartment, an electricity generator, a condenser and produces electricity down at the heat sources and transmits it up to the ground surface by cable. The Self Contained Heat Exchanger (SCHE) is integral part of (SCI-GGG) system and can function independently. It consists of a closed loop system with two heat exchangers. No pollution is emitted during production process. There is no need for hydro-thermal reservoirs although not limited to hot rocks. It can be implemented in many different applications. The SCHE also includes an in-line water pump operatively coupled to the closed loop system and can be used in many different applications.
US09978465B2
This invention relates to a system for regulating a liquid in a circuit, with the system comprising: a plug valve comprising at least one inlet and one outlet, the plug comprising an internal passage through which is intended to pass the liquid flowing from the inlet to the outlet of the valve when the valve is open at least partially, an expansion reservoir in communication with the liquid flowing in the circuit and intended to contain liquid and a compensating gas, characterized in that the plug comprises at least partially an expansion channel which has at least one lateral opening located on a lateral face of the plug and which is conformed to provide a permanent communication between said lateral opening and the expansion reservoir, the valve being conformed in such a way that: at least when the valve is closed: the lateral opening is in direct communication with the liquid coming from the inlet or from the outlet of the valve, when the valve is open at least partially, the lateral opening cooperates with an inner wall integral with a body of the valve in such a way as to form a conduit in communication on the one hand with the expansion reservoir and on the other hand with the internal passage. The invention also relates to a circuit integrating this system as well as a use of this system.
US09978453B2
A memory device with a plurality of memory block may include a plurality of memory cells constituting a memory blocks, and two or more select transistors coupled to the plurality of memory cells constituting the memory block and configured to select the memory block, the two or more select transistors having different threshold voltages from one another.
US09978439B1
The semiconductor memory device includes a cell array unit comprising a plurality of cell mats; a column decoder suitable for outputting a plurality of column selection signals based on a column address to a plurality of column selection lines, respectively, during a normal operation, and for applying a signal having a first logic level to the plurality of column selection lines during a test operation; and a line defect detection circuit suitable for detecting whether a defect is present in the plurality of column selection lines in response to signals of the plurality of column selection lines, and outputting a defect detection signal based on the detection result, during the test operation.
US09978438B2
A device includes a first data terminal, a second data terminal, a first switching buffer coupled between a data node and the first data terminal and a second switching buffer coupled between the data node and the second data terminal. The first switching buffer and the second switching buffer are arranged such that a distance between the first switching buffer and the second data terminal is shorter than a distance between the second switching buffer and the second data terminal and that a distance between the first switching buffer and the first data terminal is shorter than a distance between the second switching buffer and the first data terminal.
US09978427B2
A device capable of continuing to record data even when a volume of data in a storage medium reaches a capacity limit in the middle of recording the data in the storage medium. A CPU of a data recorder divides data, which are to be recorded in one recording session, into a plurality of small files, and sequentially records the small files into memory. When a volume of data in the memory reaches a capacity limit of the memory, the earliest small file among the small files that are recorded in the memory and that make up the recording session is deleted, and the small files are continually recorded in an available space created by deletion. After completion of recording, all the small files making up the recording session are coupled and recorded in the memory.
US09978423B2
A method and system includes obtaining video content at a programmed processor. The programmed processor generates a playback rate for each of multiple portions of the video content based on a predetermined playback rate obtained by the processor for each of the multiple portions. The processor further modifies the multiple portions of the video content for playback, wherein each portion is modified in accordance with the generated playback rate which is variable for each of the portions. The modified multiple portions may be provided to a monitor device for playing the video content via in accordance with the generated playback rate for each portion of the video content.
US09978409B2
A read/write head has an input coupler that receives light at a fundamental mode from an energy source. A mode converter of the read/write head converts light from the fundamental mode to a higher-order mode. The read/write head has a bent waveguide coupled to the mode converter at an interface. The bent waveguide includes a curve with a taper. The taper nullifies the fundamental mode generated in the curve and recovers the higher-order mode at an output of the bent waveguide. A near-field transducer that receives the output of the bent waveguide is offset from the facet of the input coupler in a cross-track direction.
US09978407B2
A diamond probe is suitable to be attached to an Atomic Force Microscope and is created with a tip that incorporates a one or more Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) centers located near the end of the tip. The probe arm acts as an optical waveguide to propagate the emission from the NV center with high efficiency and a beveled end directs excitation light to the NV center and directs photoluminescence light emanating from the NV center into the probe arm. The light source (or a portion of the light source), a detector, as well as an RF antenna, if used, may be mounted to the probe arm. The probe with integrated components enable excitation of photoluminescence in the NV center as well as optically detected Electron Spin Resonance (ODMR) and temperature measurements, and may further serve as a light probe utilizing the physical effect of Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED).
US09978404B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes an air bearing surface, a magnetic pole having a distal end portion, a write shield opposed to the distal end portion of the magnetic pole across a write gap, and a high-frequency oscillator between the magnetic pole and the write shield in the write gap. The high-frequency oscillator includes a spin injection layer, an intermediate layer and an oscillation layer which are stacked in a head travel direction. A film thickness of the spin injection layer in the head travel direction at a height position away from the air bearing surface is greater than a film thickness of the spin injection layer in the head travel direction on the air bearing surface.
US09978401B1
Systems and methods for a providing a chirped current profile with an undershoot for a channel preamplifier are described. A method for writing bits in a magnetic recording disc may include applying an overshoot to a write current which is supplied to a magnetic writer of the magnetic recording disc and applying an undershoot to the write current after the overshoot is applied to at least partially de-saturate the magnetic writer. The method may also include writing a bit to the magnetic recording disc with the magnetic writer using the supplied write current. In some examples, the application of a short negative pulse after an overshoot portion of the write current waveform is delivered to the head during a write operation that writes the bit to the magnetic recording disc.
US09978393B1
Embodiment apparatus and associated methods relate to automatically improving the quality of a segmented audio stream containing a desired signal, based on filtering an audio segment with an audio filter configured to remove a predetermined noise, and adapting the audio filter degree of noise removal determined as a function of a characteristic of the desired signal in the audio segment. In an illustrative example, the desired signal may be human voice. The predetermined noise may be, for example, wireless ring, hum, or tick resulting from a wireless microphone. In various implementations, the desired signal characteristic may be voice activity detected in the audio segment, and the audio filter degree of noise removal may be adapted as a function of the voice activity. Various examples may advantageously provide faster and more accurate vocal dialog editing in sound production procedures such as ADR (known as Alternative Dialog Replacement, or, Additional Dialog Recording).
US09978391B2
According to an embodiment, a power spectrum iteration factor is determined according to a noisy speech and a background noise, and a moving average power spectrum of the speech is obtained according to the power spectrum iteration factor. A server is able to trace the noisy speech according to the power spectrum iteration factor.
US09978387B1
An audio device may have an output speaker that produces audio within the environment of a user and one or more input microphones that capture speech and other sounds from the user environment. The audio device may use acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) to suppress echoed components of the speaker output that may be present in audio captured by the input microphones. The AEC may be implemented using an adaptive filter that estimates echoing based on an output reference signal. The output reference signal may be generated by a reference microphone placed near the speaker of the audio device.
US09978384B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes: a first processing unit; a storage unit, configured to store at least one audio file; a first memory unit; and a modulator-demodulator (modem), configured to perform audio processing of the electronic device during a phone call, wherein when the electronic device is used to play the audio file, the first processing unit reads the audio file from the storage unit, retrieves header information of the audio file, and writes the audio file into the first memory unit, wherein the modem accesses the audio file stored in the first memory unit based on the header information, and performs audio decoding on the audio file.
US09978382B2
Methods and apparatus for audio watermarking are disclosed in which watermark data is codified in a plurality of Fourier transform coefficients of the audio signal. The watermarked audio is transmitted and captured as sound waves after analogic conversion, typically through a medium with some degree of signal degradation. The receiving end converts the watermarked audio back to the digital domain before extracting the watermark data from the Fourier transform coefficients. This configuration is enhanced in certain embodiments by a robust bit codification technique with fast decoding algorithms, synchronization signalling and error correction.
US09978373B2
A method of accessing a dial-up service is disclosed. An example method of providing access to a service includes receiving a first speech signal from a user to form a first utterance; recognizing the first utterance using speaker independent speaker recognition; requesting the user to enter a personal identification number; and when the personal identification number is valid, receiving a second speech signal to form a second utterance and providing access to the service.
US09978363B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for generating domain-specific speech recognition models for a domain of interest by combining and tuning existing speech recognition models when a speech recognizer does not have access to a speech recognition model for that domain of interest and when available domain-specific data is below a minimum desired threshold to create a new domain-specific speech recognition model. A system configured to practice the method identifies a speech recognition domain and combines a set of speech recognition models, each speech recognition model of the set of speech recognition models being from a respective speech recognition domain. The system receives an amount of data specific to the speech recognition domain, wherein the amount of data is less than a minimum threshold to create a new domain-specific model, and tunes the combined speech recognition model for the speech recognition domain based on the data.
US09978361B2
Systems and methods for building state specific multi-turn contextual language understanding systems
Systems and methods for building a dialog-state specific multi-turn contextual language understanding system are provided. More specifically, the systems and methods infer or are configured to infer a state-specific schema and/or state-specific rules from a formed single-shot language understanding model and/or a single-shot rule set. As such, the systems and methods only require the information necessary to form a single-shot language understanding model and/or a single-shot rule set from a builder to form or build the dialog-state specific multi-turn contextual language understanding system. Accordingly, the systems and methods for building a dialog-state specific multi-turn contextual language understanding system reduce the expertise, time, and resources necessary to build a dialog-state specific multi-turn contextual language understanding system for an application when compared to systems and methods that require further input from the builder than necessary to build a single-shot language understanding system.
US09978360B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for detecting and correcting abnormal stress patterns in unit-selection speech synthesis. A system practicing the method detects incorrect stress patterns in selected acoustic units representing speech to be synthesized, and corrects the incorrect stress patterns in the selected acoustic units to yield corrected stress patterns. The system can further synthesize speech based on the corrected stress patterns. In one aspect, the system also classifies the incorrect stress patterns using a machine learning algorithm such as a classification and regression tree, adaptive boosting, support vector machine, and maximum entropy. In this way a text-to-speech unit selection speech synthesizer can produce more natural sounding speech with suitable stress patterns regardless of the stress of units in a unit selection database.
US09978356B2
A system includes a sound generator (20) that generates sound superimposed to sound to be manipulated. An error sensor (50) measures superimposed sound and outputs a corresponding feedback signal (e′(n)). A signal generator (91) generates a sound signal (y(n)). A controller (92) generates a control signal (λ(n)) representing a value of a sequence of rational numbers. A weighter (93) weights the generated sound signal (y(n)) with the control signal (λ(n)) and inverts it. An adder (94) adds the weighted/inverted sound signal to the feedback signal (e′(n)) and outputs a modified feedback signal (e(n)) to the signal generator (91). A weighter (95) weights the generated sound signal (y(n)) with the difference from one and with the control signal (λ(n)) and outputs the sound signal y′(n). The generated sound signal (y(n)) is a function of the modified feedback signal (e(n)).
US09978354B2
A panel for attenuating noise includes a core having a first baffle, a second baffle, a first septum, a second septum and a stiffener. The core forms first and second cavities vertically between a first skin and a second skin, wherein the first and the second cavities are each fluidly coupled with perforations in the first skin. The first cavity is formed laterally between the first baffle and the second baffle and has a first cross-sectional geometry. The first septum is laterally between the first baffle and the second baffle and divides the first cavity into fluidly coupled sub-cavities. The second cavity is formed laterally between the second baffle and the stiffener and has a second cross-sectional geometry that is at least approximately identical to the first cross-sectional geometry. The second septum is laterally between the second baffle and the stiffener and divides the second cavity into fluidly coupled sub-cavities.
US09978351B1
A modular apparatus having at least two connecting members substantially at right angles from each other for self-supported wielding of musical instruments. The modular apparatus is worn over at least one shoulder and around the back of the user's neck while it is detachably connected to a musical instrument, such as a violin. The musical instrument is detachably connected to the modular apparatus via a support attachment, support, strap and fastening mechanism. The plurality of members allows even distribution of pressure and tension throughout the upper body caused by supporting and playing the musical instrument.
US09978349B2
A clamp is attachable to a rim or rim region of a drum, and is suited for resiliently retaining an ancillary drumstick such that a terminal end of the ancillary drumstick is positioned above a skin of the drum, and advantageously spaced apart from the skin by a selected distance, allowing a single drumstick strike to the ancillary drumstick by another drumstick held by the drummer to create multiple hits by the clamped ancillary drumstick in response to a drum strike by the hand-held drum stick.
US09978336B2
A display controller includes a first register set by an open operating system, a second register set by a secure operating system, a first data input circuit configured to read normal data according to set information in the first register, a second data input circuit configured to read secure data according to set information in the second register, and a data processor configured to blend and output the normal data with the secure data to display the secure data over the normal data.
US09978335B2
A display apparatus includes gate lines extending in a first direction, data lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, first color pixels, and second color pixels. A first color pixel arranged in an f-th column between an f-th data line and an (f+1)th data line is connected to one of the f-th data line and the (f+1)th data line. A first color pixel arranged in a g-th column between a g-th data line and a (g+1)th data line is connected to one of a (g−1)th data line and a (g+2)th data line. First color pixels in a first color pixel diagonal group receive data voltages having a same polarity.Second color pixels in a second color pixel diagonal group receive data voltages having a same polarity.
US09978331B2
The present invention discloses a digital to analog conversion module, a data drive circuit and a liquid crystal display, wherein the digital to analog conversion module can comprise 2N−1 sub circuits and 2N−1−1 first divider resistors, and each sub circuit comprises a second divider resistor, a first switch circuit and a second switch circuit, wherein the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit are respectively coupled to two ends of the second divider resistor; the first switch circuit comprises N first switch units coupled in series, and the second switch circuit comprises a second switch unit and at least one first switch unit coupled in series; according to a preset order, a control end of the second switch unit is coupled to a connection node of a N−1th and a Nth first switch units; an output end of the second switch unit is coupled to the first switch unit.
US09978325B2
A unit (10; 11; 12; 13) used to control a segment liquid crystal display (15; 16). The segment liquid crystal display (15; 16) includes at least a backplane electrode (20) and at least a front plane electrode (25) both associated with a same segment of the segment liquid crystal display (15; 16). The unit (10; 11; 12; 13) includes a controller (30; 40; 50) in order to generate a pulse-width-modulated control signal (35) that has two voltage levels and a variable duty cycle. The unit (10; 1; 12; 13) further includes an integrator (60; 61) to integrate the pulse-width-modulated control signal (35) and to provide an integrated control signal (90) which has more than two discrete voltage levels corresponding to different variable duty cycle values. An output of the unit (10; 11; 2; 13) supplies the integrated control signal (90) to the at least a backplane electrode (20) or to the at least a front plane electrode (25) so that visibility of the same segment in the segment liquid crystal display (15; 16) can be controlled. By having a pulse-width-modulated control signal (35) with only two voltage levels and different duty cycle values generated by the controller (30; 40; 50), and by having the integrator (60; 61) integrating said pulse-width-modulated control signal (35), more than two different discrete voltage levels are generated to control the at least a backplane electrode (20) or at least a front plane electrode (25) without the need to use an application specific segment liquid crystal interface in the unit (10; 11; 12; 13), thereby abating the cost of implementation of the unit (10; 11; 12; 13).
US09978322B2
A display apparatus includes gate lines extending in a first direction data lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, and pixels connected to the gate lines and the data lines. The pixels displaying first, second, third, and fourth colors are repeatedly arranged in the second direction. A k-th gate line connected to at least one of first pixels displaying the first color among the pixels arranged in an i-th row is electrically connected to a (k+j)th gate line connected to at least one of second pixels displaying the first color among pixels arranged in one row of (i+1)th, (i+2)th, and (i+3)th rows.
US09978309B2
To prevent image retention, the pixel circuit includes: a light emitting element; a driving transistor which supplies an electric current according to an applied voltage to the light emitting element; a capacitor part which holds the voltage containing a threshold voltage and a data voltage of the driving transistor; and a switch part which has the voltage containing the threshold voltage and the data voltage held to the capacitor part and applies the voltage to the driving transistor. Further, the switch part has a function which applies a constant voltage to the driving transistor before having the voltage containing the threshold voltage and the data voltage held to the capacitor part.
US09978307B2
An organic light emitting display includes: a first pixel; and a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, the second pixel being configured to emit light at a different time from the first pixel, wherein the first pixel and the second pixel share a storage capacitor configured to store a voltage of a data signal.
US09978299B2
The present invention discloses a transparent display, comprising a first display, comprising a plurality of first display regions and a plurality of transparent regions alternately arranged along a first direction; a second display, comprising a plurality of second display regions and a plurality of second transparent regions which are alternately located along the first direction, and the second display is laminated with the first display and located at one side of the first display in an image display direction, and the vertical projections of the second display regions on the first display completely coincide with the first transparent regions, and the vertical projections of the second transparent regions on the first display completely coincide with the first transparent regions; a camera shooting module; a signal process module.
US09978287B2
Certain embodiments relate to systems and methods for improving tennis stroke recognition that includes: outputting on an output device a video or animation of an opponent player executing a tennis stroke, a layout of the near court, and one or more tennis stroke indicators corresponding to different tennis strokes; detecting a first user gesture or voice utterance adjacent to the output device to select one of the tennis stroke indicators a user believes is executed by the opponent player; detecting a second user gesture adjacent to the output device identifying a location in the layout of the near court the user expects the ball to hit; and updating the output device to display an actual type of tennis stroke executed by the opponent player and an actual location in the layout of the near court the ball hits as a result of the actual tennis stroke executed by the opponent.
US09978279B2
An advice target location at which a user had a predetermined emotion, for example, is determined based on location information, user biological information, and user transportation means information, which have been acquired by a terminal device (20) being used by the user. Advice information containing information indicating an advice presentation region set by a server device (50) is generated based on the advice target location. This advice information is supplied from the server device (50) to the terminal device (20), so that the terminal device (20) presents advice. With this, advice as to locations pedestrians find dangerous can be presented to drivers, and advice as to locations drivers find dangerous can be presented to pedestrians. Accordingly, accidents and the like can be prevented.
US09978278B2
A system includes a vehicle, a vehicle network disposed within the vehicle, and at least one earpiece for use within the vehicle. The vehicle is configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one wireless earpiece within the vehicle. The vehicle is configured to wirelessly communication with at least one wireless earpiece within a separate and independent vehicle. A method includes sensing data with a sensor of a wireless earpiece within a first vehicle to provide sensed data, determining by the wireless earpiece within the first vehicle an alert condition based on the sensed data, and wirelessly communicating a message from a wireless earpiece within a first vehicle to a wireless ear piece within a second vehicle, the message indicating occurrence of the alert condition.
US09978276B2
A vehicle exterior environment recognition device includes a traveling path predicting module that predicts a traveling path on which a vehicle travels, based on a current traveling condition of the vehicle, a traveling path restricting module that restricts the predicted traveling path in the width direction of the vehicle, according to at least one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a traveling speed of the vehicle, an indicating state of a blinker, an angular speed of the vehicle, and a steering angle, and a control input identifying module that identifies a traffic indicator that exists ahead of the vehicle based on the restricted traveling path and that is to be used as the control input.
US09978270B2
Embodiments describe new mechanisms for signalized intersection control. Embodiments expand inputs beyond traditional traffic control methods to include awareness of agency policies for signalized control, industry standardized calculations for traffic control parameters, geometric awareness of the roadway and/or intersection, and/or input of vehicle trajectory data relative to this intersection geometry. In certain embodiments, these new inputs facilitate a real-time, future-state trajectory modeling of the phase timing and sequencing options for signalized intersection control. Phase selection and timing can be improved or otherwise optimized based upon modeling the signal's future state impact on arriving vehicle trajectories. This improvement or optimization can be performed to reduce or minimize the cost basis of a user definable objective function.
US09978256B1
The near-universal connection between control panels and monitoring stations is used to transmit status information for non-compatible control panels to connected services systems. In this way, connected services systems can incorporate monitoring and tracking of non-compatible control panels as well as compatible control panels.
US09978254B2
A wireless speaker device configured for use with a wireless A/V recording and communication device, such as a doorbell. The wireless speaker device, which includes a speaker, may connect to the user's local area network (LAN), such as a Wi-Fi network. The LAN is connected to a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). When the wireless A/V recording and communication device detects a visitor, it sends a signal, via the LAN, to at least one device in the WAN, such as a server and/or a service. In response, the at least one device in the WAN sends a signal, via the LAN, to the wireless speaker device. The signal to the wireless speaker device includes a command for the wireless speaker device to emit a tone through its speaker. The wireless speaker device then emits a tone through its speaker to alert the user that a visitor is at the wireless A/V recording and communication device.
US09978251B2
A wireless location-based gas detection system and method includes a gas detector for wirelessly detecting location information associated with a hazardous gas event. The gas detector includes one or more remote gas sensors that monitor for the occurrence of a gas event and wirelessly communicates information with respect to the location of the event in association with time information to a server or location manager. A wireless communication device in association with one or more location anchor points periodically and under event conditions, transmits the location information and the gas concentration level. A location engine calculates an estimated location of the gas detector based on information received from the wireless communication device and provides the location data to the location manager. The location manager records the gas concentration level, the estimated location, and the time information and stores this information within a database. A graphical user interface is provided for visualizing the current and historical information.
US09978243B2
A wandering notification system (1) to which the present invention is applied is provided with a management server (2), a neighborhood terminal (3), and an external terminal (4). A wandering information transmission unit (10) of the management server (2) extracts a plurality of neighborhood terminals (3) for making known information with a notification area in a certain range, set on the basis of an address of a person to be protected who starts wandering, as a reference. Further, the wandering information transmission unit (10) receives positional information of the extracted neighborhood terminals (3) and transmits personal information and wandering information of the person to be protected to the neighborhood terminal (3) that exists within the notification area.
US09978235B2
Systems (100) and methods (800) for operating a security tag. The methods involve: coupling the security tag to an article by at least partially inserting an attachment assembly into a tag body; performing core security tag functions by a first electronic circuit disposed within the tag body of the security tag to protect the article from an unauthorized removal of the article from an area; and performing at least one first peripheral security tag function by a second electronic circuit disposed within the attachment assembly of the security tag.
US09978234B2
Provided is a method for manufacturing a housing of a radiation detection cassette that can appropriately form a recess without a housing material depositing on an end mill or the like, in a case where a recess is formed by working the housing material formed of an alloy containing Mg and Li. A method for manufacturing a housing of a radiation detection cassette that houses a radiation detector in the housing includes preparing a housing material that is formed of an alloy containing Mg and Li and contains 0.1 mass % or more of Li, forming a recess using a working method other than cutting work on a surface of the housing material, and performing cutting work on the formed recess to shape the recess.
US09978231B2
Tamper-respondent assemblies and methods of fabrication are provided which include an inner enclosure, a tamper-respondent sensor(s), a protective wrap(s) and an outer enclosure. The inner enclosure is sized to receive one or more electronic components to be protected, and the tamper-respondent sensor(s) wraps around the inner enclosure. The protective wrap(s) overlies and wraps around the tamper-respondent sensor(s) and inner enclosure, and together the inner enclosure, tamper-respondent sensor(s), and protective wrap(s) form a tamper-respondent subassembly. The outer enclosure receives and surrounds, at least in part, the tamper-respondent subassembly, with the tamper-respondent sensor(s) and protective wrap(s) disposed between the inner enclosure and the outer enclosure. When operative, the inner enclosure, tamper-respondent sensor(s), protective wrap(s) and outer enclosure are coupled together and facilitate conduction of heat from the electronic component(s) out to the outer enclosure.
US09978227B2
A keyless entry device is provided. The keyless entry device includes a transceiver, a haptic actuator coupled to a drive circuit, and a processor coupled to the transceiver and the drive circuit. The transceiver communicates with a vehicle over a communication channel. The processor determines proximity information between the keyless entry device and the vehicle, selects a control signal based on the proximity information, and outputs the control signal to the drive circuit to cause the haptic actuator to periodically or continuously generate a haptic effect to a user.
US09978224B2
Embodiments of the invention generally include an alarm system and method of using an alarm system to reliably provide an alarm to a user at a desired time or at the occurrence of some desired action. In some embodiments, the apparatus and methods include a media output device that can receive information about an alarm event and then automatically provide an alarm prompt at the time when the alarm event is to occur. In one configuration, a media output device is configured to communicate and synchronize with a portable electronic device, so that a reliable and coordinated delivery of an alarm prompt can be obtained by these devices. Some aspects of the invention may include an apparatus, method and/or computing device software application configured to more easily setup and reliably deliver the alarm signal information to the user using one or more media output devices that are used in combination with an input device.
US09978221B2
Gaming systems and methods for providing a multi-dimensional symbol game with expanding wild symbols.
US09978218B2
A method and system for micro-betting. One or more micro-bets can be electronically placed with respect to one or more micro-events associated with an event during a round of micro-betting. One or more wages with respect to the micro-bet(s) can be managed and controlled during the round of micro-betting. The wager(s) can be managed and controlled remote from electronically placing the micro-bet(s) during the round of micro-betting. Additionally, a portion of a profit can be automatically obtained with respect to the round of micro-bets in exchange for the aforementioned managing and controlling of the wager(s) with respect to the micro-bet(s) during the round of micro-betting.
US09978215B2
Embodiments relate to gaming devices and to techniques for operating such devices in connection with secondary gameplay features of computer-based games. The secondary gameplay may share gameplay features with primary gameplay. In some group-matching games, each game piece includes two characteristics that may affect a display of the game piece in a computer user interface. One characteristic may be used during primary gameplay and another may be used to track when a user has an opportunity for secondary gameplay. For example, a gameplay facility may determine whether the grid includes a set of game pieces having a first characteristic. If so, the gameplay facility may then evaluate each of the game pieces in the set and increment a score based on whether each game piece has a second characteristic. When the score meets or exceeds a threshold, the gameplay facility triggers secondary gameplay.
US09978212B2
A solution for concealing confidential information that is printed at the point of sale in a game of chance utilizing a more common type printer designed for printing on a standard grade and biodegradable direct thermal paper. This system can print and cut each individual ticket in variable lengths. The unique and innovative concept of this new system allows a second and separate biodegradable substrate to be collated in a continuous stream over top of the printed ribbon before it is cut away and delivered into the presenter. The second substrate contains a strip of a specially formulated adhesive and is adhered to the top surface of the printed ribbon as the two substrates join together while passing through mechanical nip rollers. The confidential printed information is now covered and the combined substrates are cut and delivered as one ticket unit. The ticket information is revealed by easily peeling away the adhered top layer.
US09978203B2
In an effect assemblage for a gaming machine which is configured to display a process of determining win/loss and a result of the win/loss by moving a first object image and a second object image relative to each other and stopping the first object image at a predetermined part of the second object image, after the first object image and the second object image move relative to each other, the movement of the second object image is corrected, with the result that a predetermined part of the second object image reaches the end of the movement locus at a timing at which the first object image reaches the end of the movement locus.
US09978199B2
Methods and systems are provided for processing a transaction between a first party and a second party. Information defining terms of the transaction and identifying a presentation instrument are received at a host system. Preference information associated with the presentation instrument is retrieved with the host system. The preference information specifies terms for an allocation of transaction amounts among multiple transaction types. An amount for the transaction is allocated among the transaction types in accordance with terms of the transaction and the terms for the allocation.
US09978175B2
Systems and methods for automatically generating animation-ready 3D character models based upon model parameter, clothing selections, and texture-region color component selections are described. One embodiment of the invention includes an application server configured to receive the user defined model parameters and the at least one texture selection via a user interface. In addition, the application server includes a generative model and the application server is configured to generate a 3D mesh based upon the user defined model parameters using the generative model and to apply texture to the generated mesh based upon the at least one texture selection.
US09978173B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for generating viewpoints and/or digital images of defects in a three-dimensional model. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods generate exterior viewpoints by clustering intersection points between a bounding sphere and rays originating from exterior vertices corresponding to one or more defects. In addition, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods generate interior viewpoints by clustering intersection points between one or more medial spheres and rays originating from vertices corresponding to interior vertices corresponding to one or more defects. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods can apply colors to vertices corresponding to defects in the three-dimensional model such that adjacent vertices in the three-dimensional model have different colors and are more readily discernable.
US09978169B2
A method for creating a computer simulation of an actor having a first foot, a second foot and a body including the steps of planting the first foot as a support foot along a space time-varying path. There is the step of stopping time regarding placement of the first foot. There is the step of changing posture of the first foot while the first foot is planted. There is the step of moving time into the future for the second foot as a lifted foot and changing posture for the lifted foot. An apparatus for creating a computer simulation of an actor depicting the actor based on a plurality of postural parameters of the actor. A method for creating a computer simulation of a crowd.
US09978163B2
An exposure management system according to an embodiment includes a processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to calculate a deviation index related to a difference between a target exposure index indicating an index of an exposure value that is set as a target of an X-ray image taking process and an image-taking-period exposure index indicating an index of an exposure value observed during the X-ray image taking process. The processing circuitry is configured to control so as to cause a display device to display history information from a predetermined time period indicating at least one selected from between image-taking-period exposure indices and deviation indices.
US09978158B2
A method includes receiving at least two sets of noisy basis material line integrals, each set corresponding to a different basis material and filtering the at least two sets of noisy basis material line integrals with an anti-correlation filter that at least includes a regularization term with balancing regularization factors, thereby producing de-noised basis material line integrals. An imaging system (100) includes a projection data processor (116) with an anti-correlation filter (118) that filters at least two sets of noisy basis material line integrals, each set corresponding to a different basis material, thereby producing de-noised basis material line integrals, wherein the anti-correlation filter includes a regularization term with regularization balancing factors.
US09978157B2
Methods and systems for performing x-ray computerized tomographic (CT) reconstruction of imaging data on a rotatable portion of the system, such as a ring-shaped rotor. The rotor may include an x-ray source, and x-ray detector system and a processor, coupled to the detector system, for performing tomographic reconstruction of imaging data collected by the detector system.
US09978155B2
A method and apparatus for counting a number of persons in an image are provided. The person counting apparatus includes: a detector configured to detect a movement area in a top-view distance image, of at least one image frame, providing distance information; an estimator configured to estimate a candidate head area from the movement area based on the distance information; and a determiner configured to determine whether the candidate head area is an actual head of a person based on a similarity to a circle of the candidate head area and a spherical curvature of the candidate head area estimated from the distance information about the candidate head area.
US09978147B2
A method and apparatus for performing inbuilt calibration of camera system that performs three-dimensional measurements and depth reconstruction are described. In one embodiment, the method includes displaying, using a projector of a capture device, a fiducial projection pattern in response to calibration of the capture device. The method may also include capturing, with a camera of the capture, an image of the fiducial projection pattern. The method may also include determining calibration coefficient values indicative of relative physical relationships of one or more components of the depth camera system based on analysis of the captured image of the fiducial projection pattern.
US09978146B2
A method of operating data-processing system for calibration of a vehicle surround view based on images captured of one or more 2D calibration patterns located at arbitrary positions in an overlapping field of view between two or more cameras fixed to the vehicle. The calibration patterns are arbitrary orientated in respect to the vehicle or other calibration patterns. Each calibration pattern is laying in the plane Z=0 on which the vehicle having surround view system is parked. The images of any calibration pattern j positioned in an overlapping field of view between two or more cameras are taken simultaneously establishing connected topological structure of the form: . . . —camera i—pattern j—camera i′—pattern j^′—camera i″— . . . The data-processing results with the corrected extrinsic camera i parameters Ri,Ci for the vehicle coordinate system.
US09978145B2
A system and method are provided for use in the assessment of an attentional deficit. During the assessment, a test image is presented to a subject on a display. A camera image is obtained from a camera which is indicative of a geometric relation between the head of the subject and the display during the assessment. The camera image is analyzed to determine a deviation in the geometric relation between the head of the subject and the display from a reference geometric relation. Deviation data is then generated and output which is indicative of the deviation. Advantageous uses of the deviation data include providing visual feedback to the user, adjusting the test image, and taking the deviation into account when processing test data of the assessment. Advantageously, the need for a trained professional to be present during the assessment is reduced or avoided.
US09978142B2
A system for quality assessment of optical colonoscopy images includes an input device configured to acquire a series of images during an optical colonoscopy. A computing device is coupled in communication with the input device and configured to acquire from the input device an input image from the series of images captured during the optical colonoscopy; form a cell grid including a plurality of cells on the input image; perform an image transformation onto the input image with each cell of the plurality of cells within the cell grid; reconstruct each cell to form a reconstructed image; compute a difference image of a sum of a plurality of differences between the input image and the reconstructed image; compute a histogram of the difference image; and apply a probabilistic classifier to the histogram to calculate an informativeness score for the input image.
US09978133B2
In an ejection controller for an injection molding machine, an image of an ejection process for a molded article is captured, a point in time when the molded article starts to drop from a mold is obtained as a drop start time point, an ejection stop time point is set based on the obtained drop start time point, and an ejection operation of an ejection device is interrupted at the set time point. Thus, the ejection is interrupted in a predetermined position, so that an operator can manually remove the molded article.
US09978131B2
The invention relates to image processing technology field, and discloses a video image denoising and enhancing method based on random spray retinex, including: structuring spray pixel sets, and tuning parameters related to the random spray retinex based on the spray pixel sets, wherein the parameters include quantity of the spray pixel sets and quantity of pixels; processing video images with random spray retinex based on tuned parameters; denoising the video images processed by the random spray retinex via low pass filters and blur channels to get a brightness variation calculating formula; obtaining a brightness calculating formula of output images, combined with the brightness variation calculating formula, and calculating brightness variations of three channels via the brightness calculating formula to get local brightness estimating vectors; and fusing the three channels based on the local brightness estimating vectors to get denoised and enhanced video images.
US09978127B2
A processing device receives input representing a selection of a first area of a source image. The processing device identifies a result image that corresponds to the source image. The result image is previously created for the source image using a blur operation. The processing device aligns the selected first area of the source image with a corresponding portion in the result image. The processing device transforms, using the corresponding portion in the result image, the aligned first area in the source image to a blurred area without blurring a remaining area of the source image.
US09978120B2
The present disclosure is directed toward systems and method for warping a panoramic image to fit a predetermined shape using content-unaware warping techniques. For example, systems and methods described herein involve generating a mesh grid for a panoramic image with skewed edges by sampling boundary points around edges of the panoramic image and interpolated interior vertex points from the boundary points. Further, systems and methods described herein involve warping the mesh grid and underlying pixels of the panoramic image to fit a predetermined boundary. Further, systems and methods described herein involve generating the mesh grid and warping the panoramic image without consideration of content included therein and without overly-warping individual cells of the mesh grid and underlying pixels of the panoramic image.
US09978114B2
A system for optimizing processing and display of large datasets is provided. The system includes a graphics processing and optimization (GPO) computing device. The GPO computing device is configured to store a dataset including a data point in a memory device, select the data point to display on a display device based on a first display request signal received via a user interface, and accelerate graphical processing of the dataset using optimization algorithms, wherein the GPO computing device is configured to assign a worker process to execute on the data point, The GPO computing device is also configured to convert the data point into a renderable graphics component, and generate a least-compute intensive representation of the data point, and cause the user interface to display a graphical representation of a first subset of the data including the renderable graphics component at a first display resolution.
US09978104B2
A method for displaying a matrix of correlations or other statistical measures of co-movement associated with a plurality of financial instruments, portfolios, indices, or asset classes is disclosed. The method includes: converting the matrix of correlations or other co-movement measures into a probability transition matrix; defining a corresponding abstract distance measurement between any two of the plurality of financial instruments, portfolios, indices, or asset classes based on the probability transition matrix; assigning coordinates in a Euclidean space to each of the plurality of financial instruments, portfolios, indices, or asset classes, wherein a Euclidean distance between any two financial instruments, portfolios, indices, or asset classes in the Euclidean space corresponds to the corresponding abstract distance measurement; and displaying on a display device the plurality of financial instruments, portfolios, indices, or asset classes based on more significant dimensions of the Euclidean space.
US09978102B2
A post-trade aggregation system includes an allocation middleware interface, which interacts with data interface to allocate and settle trades. An order management system receives a trade order on behalf of a customer and causes apportionment of the trade into a plurality of smaller orders to be transmitted to a plurality of order destinations directly (e.g. via the FIX protocol). The post-trade aggregation system includes an allocation middleware interface which receives the individual trade executions from the plurality of order destination and compresses them into a single average-priced block. The allocation middleware interface then transmits the single average-priced block to be cleared by a designated clearing agent and allocates the single average-priced block into one or more custodian accounts.
US09978090B2
A method, system, and/or computer program product optimizes shopping for one or more desired items. An identification of a desired item, which is initially available for purchase at a first physical store, is received. An identity of a second shopper, who also wants the desired item and is currently shopping for the desired item, is received. One or more processors then determine a likelihood of the first shopper arriving at the first physical store before the second shopper purchases a last available instance of the desired item in the first physical store. In response to determining that the first shopper will arrive at the first physical store before the last available instance of the desired item has been purchased by the second shopper, the first shopper is provided with an identity of the first physical store.
US09978083B2
Methods and systems are provided herein for determining a dynamic advertisement schedule. These methods and systems are provided by way of associating a first value with a selectable delay option on a playlist menu, and associating a second value with a selectable skip option on the playlist menu. Each time the selectable delay option is selected, the first value may be added to a composite value, and each time the selectable skip option is selected, the second value may be added to a composite value. The composite value may be compared to a threshold value, and when the composite value corresponds to the threshold value, an advertisement may be generated for display on a display screen and the composite value may be reset.
US09978078B2
Provided is a process, including: obtaining a coupon issued by a merchant, the coupon being redeemable both on-line, at the merchant's website, and in-store, at a physical location of the merchant; sending the coupon to publishers for presentation to consumers by the publishers on user devices of the consumers; and receiving indications from the user devices of the consumers that the consumers interacted with the coupon, the indications indicating a consumer selection of an in-store redemption option or an on-line redemption option.
US09978076B2
Methods and systems for providing cash using crowdsourcing are described. A requestor sends a request for cash, and the request is relayed to a plurality of lenders in the vicinity of the requestor. The requestor is matched with a lender based on certain criteria. After the exchange of cash is confirmed, the lender may be given a reward, such as cash, coupons, a good rating, and/or virtual points.
US09978073B2
The invention relates to an improved advertising and marketing system and method that includes a data terminal for communicating information over a communication network and a display terminal for displaying information related to first and second products that are being offered for sale.The invention also relates to the measurement and specific sales and marketing that can be performed as a result of the information gathered by the data terminals.
US09978070B1
Functionality is disclosed herein for providing messages specified by a third party to customers of an electronic marketplace while maintaining customer privacy. An occurrence of a customer relationship management event configured by a third party is detected and a message is provided to one or more customers of an electronic marketplace. Actions of customers of the electronic marketplace might be tracked that relate to the message. Analytics may also be provided to a third party while maintaining customer privacy.
US09978067B1
Systems and methods include: collecting digital event data from at least one remote source of digital event data; using the collected digital event data as input into primary machine learning ensemble that predicts the likelihood of digital fraud and/or digital abuse; generating by the machine learning system the global digital threat score; identifying a sub-request for a specific digital threat score for a digital abuse type; in response to identifying the sub-request, providing the input of the collected digital event data to a secondary machine learning model ensemble of the machine learning system that predicts a likelihood of the identified digital abuse type; generating by the secondary machine learning ensemble the specific digital threat score for the digital abuse type based on the input of the collected digital event data; and transmitting the global digital threat score and the specific digital threat score for the identified digital abuse type.
US09978060B2
In a payment-enabled smartphone, a shared cardholder verification method (CVM) applet serves a number of mobile payment cardlets. The shared CVM applet validates CVM information input by a user of the smartphone and in response issues a CVM token. The CVM token is passed to a particular one of the mobile payment cardlets that is selected for a current transaction. The selected mobile payment cardlet submits the CVM token back to the shared CVM applet for verification. Upon verifying the CVM token, the shared CVM applet enables the selected mobile payment cardlet to perform the current transaction.
US09978059B2
Methods and systems for a mobile companion prepaid card purchase transaction. In an embodiment, a process includes a wallet provider computer receiving, via an application program interface (API) Web request from an issuer financial institution (FI) processor, mobile companion prepaid card data and purchase transaction data and then verifying the availability of funds in a mobile wallet prepaid card account. The process also includes authorizing the purchase transaction based on the verification, debiting an open to buy amount of the mobile companion prepaid card account, and then transmitting a purchase transaction authorization response to the issuer FI processor.
US09978049B2
A method of remotely configuring a point-of-sale device that is configured with resident executable program code involves the resident executable program code transmitting a framework update request to a computer server. The resident executable program code imposes a security requirement prohibiting unauthorized change of the resident executable program code. The resident executable program code also defines an operational framework of at least one allowed mode of operation for the point-of-sale device. The framework update request includes a credential. In accordance with a validity of the credential, the point-of-sale device receives a framework update payload in response to the framework update request, and installs the framework update payload into the point-of-sale device. The resident executable program code together with the framework update payload define an updated version of the operational framework. The updated version of the operational framework maintains the imposed security requirement.
US09978017B1
A method includes performing a comparison, at a computing device, of first probability distribution function (PDF) parameters of a first data set to second PDF parameters of a second data set. The first data set and the second data set at least partially overlap. The method also includes determining, at the computer device, based on the comparison whether a state change occurs between the first data set and the second data set. The method further includes, in response to determining that the state change occurs, generating an indication of the state change.
US09978016B2
A pneumatic valve system that includes an actuator that pneumatically actuates a valve, and circuitry that calculates a control signal to control the actuator by compensating for nonlinear dynamic of the actuator using a stable inverse model of the valve, optimizes parameters of the stable inverse model such that a difference between output information of the pneumatic valve system and desired reference information is reduced, and outputs the control signal to control the actuator.
US09978013B2
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for detecting objects in a radar image stream. Embodiments of the invention can receive a data stream from radar sensors and use a deep neural network to convert the received data stream into a set of semantic labels, where each semantic label corresponds to an object in the radar data stream that the deep neural network has identified. Processing units running the deep neural network may be collocated onboard an airborne vehicle along with the radar sensor(s). The processing units can be configured with powerful, high-speed graphics processing units or field-programmable gate arrays that are low in size, weight, and power requirements. Embodiments of the invention are also directed to providing innovative advances to object recognition training systems that utilize a detector and an object recognition cascade to analyze radar image streams in real time. The object recognition cascade can comprise at least one recognizer that receives a non-background stream of image patches from a detector and automatically assigns one or more semantic labels to each non-background image patch. In some embodiments, a separate recognizer for the background analysis of patches may also be incorporated. There may be multiple detectors and multiple recognizers, depending on the design of the cascade. Embodiments of the invention also include novel methods to tailor deep neural network algorithms to successfully process radar imagery, utilizing techniques such as normalization, sampling, data augmentation, foveation, cascade architectures, and label harmonization.
US09977999B2
Examples disclosed herein relate to classifying paper based on three-dimensional characteristics of the paper. For example, a representation of the three-dimensional characteristics of the paper may be created, and statistical summary information related to the three-dimensional characteristics of the paper may be determined based on the representation. The paper may be classified based on the statistical summary information.
US09977997B2
Disclosed are a training method and apparatus for a CNN model, which belong to the field of image recognition. The method comprises: performing a convolution operation, maximal pooling operation and horizontal pooling operation on training images, respectively, to obtain second feature images; determining feature vectors according to the second feature images; processing the feature vectors to obtain category probability vectors; according to the category probability vectors and an initial category, calculating a category error; based on the category error, adjusting model parameters; based on the adjusted model parameters, continuing the model parameters adjusting process, and using the model parameters when the number of iteration times reaches a pre-set number of times as the model parameters for the well-trained CNN model. After the convolution operation and maximal pooling operation on the training images on each level of convolution layer, a horizontal pooling operation is performed. Since the horizontal pooling operation can extract feature images identifying image horizontal direction features from the feature images, such that the well-trained CNN model can recognize an image of any size, thus expanding the applicable range of the well-trained CNN model in image recognition.
US09977985B2
A method for producing a histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) for at least a portion of an image comprises dividing said image portion into cells, each cell comprising a plurality of image pixels. For each image pixel of a cell, a horizontal gradient component, gx, and a vertical gradient component, gy, is obtained based on differences in pixel values along at least a row of said image and a column of said image respectively including the pixel. A gradient is allocated to one of a plurality of sectors, each sector extending through a range of orientation angles. At least some of said sectors are divided from adjacent sectors along lines including gx=2n·gy, where n is any integer value with a magnitude greater than or equal to 1. At least one sector is associated with a bin; and a count of each instance of a pixel gradient of a cell associated with a bin is performed to provide a HOG for said cell.
US09977976B2
Disclosed herein is a method that improves the performance of handwriting recognition by calculating path scores so as to identify the path with the highest score as the basis for interpreting handwritten characters. Specifically, the method comprises the following steps: detecting connected regions in an input image comprising handwritten characters; determining a plurality of segmentation positions of the input image; obtaining a plurality of recognition results for each segment of each path in the input image, wherein each recognition result represents a character candidate for the segment and each path comprises one or more segments; obtaining a plurality of scores corresponding to the recognition results; calculating scores for each path in the input image based on segment lengths and the scores corresponding to the recognition results; and using the path with the highest score to interpret the handwritten characters in the input image.
US09977970B2
Method and system for detecting the occurrence of an interaction event via trajectory-based analysis
Disclosed is a method and system for detecting an interaction event between two or more objects in a surveillance area, via the application of heuristics to trajectory representations of the static or dynamic movements associated with the objects. According to an exemplary embodiment, trajectory interaction features (TIFs) are extracted from the trajectory representations and heuristics are applied to the TIFs to determine if an interaction event has occurred, such as a potential illegal drug deal involving two or more pedestrians.
US09977964B2
In the image processing device, the image processing method and the recording medium, the instruction acquiring section acquires the instruction input by the first user. The image group selecting section selects, as the second image group, a part of images from the first image group owned by the first user based on the instruction. The image analyzer carries out image analysis on images contained in the first image group. And the image group extracting section extracts, as the third image group, at least a part of images having relevance to images contained in the second image group from the first image group except the second image group based on the result of image analysis on images contained in the first image group.
US09977960B2
A system for determining a gaze direction of a user is disclosed. The system may include a first illuminator, a first profile sensor, and at least one processor. The first illuminator may be configured to illuminate an eye of a user. The first profile sensor may be configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user. The processor(s) may be configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor.
US09977956B2
A method for image processing. The method includes: reading an image of a flowchart; identifying, within the image, a plurality of paths corresponding to the flowchart; grouping the plurality of paths into a plurality of groups including a first group and a second group; calculating a plurality of likelihood scores corresponding to flowchart elements for each of the plurality of groups; identifying a first path belonging to the first group and the second group; and selecting the first group as the primary group for the first path based on a maximum likelihood score for the first group and a maximum likelihood score for the second group; and generating a flowchart object based on the primary group for the first path.
US09977955B2
A method and system for identifying books located on a bookshelf. Photographs of the bookshelf are captured and processed to identify individual books. Processing involves segmenting the photograph into individual book spines and extracting and analyzing features of the book spines. Analysis may include database matching and/or optical character recognition. Book spines for which a match is not found are human labeled, and the label information is added to the database. User feedback is also used to update the database.
US09977942B2
A sensing apparatus includes a substrate, N groups of sensing elements formed on the substrate, a sensing circuit and a switch control circuit. Each group of the N groups of sensing elements includes a plurality of sensing elements. Each of the sensing elements includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) switch and a sensing electrode. The sensing electrode drives the N groups of sensing elements to sequentially generate N groups of sensing signals. By controlling the TFT switches, the switch control circuit controls a plurality of sensing electrodes included in one group of the N groups of sensing elements to be coupled to the sensing circuit.
US09977936B2
A computer-implemented method for tracking an item having an electromagnetic frequency signature is provided. The method includes obtaining, using a processor system of a device, an electromagnetic frequency signature of an item. The item associated with the obtained electromagnetic frequency signature is identified and the location of the device at the time the item is identified. The identity of the item associated with the electromagnetic frequency signature and the location of the device at the time the electromagnetic frequency signature is obtained are recorded for associating the item with the location of the device.
US09977932B2
A method provides and manages information linked to RFID data storage media in a network with data transmission between an RFID data storage medium and an RFID reading unit, integrated in a mobile radio device, for reading the data stored on the RFID data storage medium. A data link is set up to a network server in a network via a radio interface of the mobile radio device. A data memory area on the network server is associated with the RFID data storage medium. An arrangement provides and manages information linked to RFID data storage media in a network. The arrangement includes an RFID data storage medium, a mobile radio device with an integrated RFID reading unit for reading RFID data records, and a network with a network server. The network server has a data memory area which is associated with the RFID data storage medium.
US09977929B2
A communication device is provided for identifying and/or locating an RFID transponder. The communication device includes a first RFID reader and at least one second RFID reader. The first and/or the at least one second RFID reader is configured to send out a query signal to the RFID transponder and to receive a response signal from the RFID transponder. The communication device also includes a trigger device configured to send a trigger signal to the first and/or the at least one second RFID reader, and as a result of which, the first and/or the at least one second RFID reader is configured to send out the query signal.
US09977928B2
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tray for use with a cloud application platform is described. A cloud application, operatively coupled to the RFID tray via the cloud application platform, issues a command to the RFID tray. The issued command is received by an embedded agent of the RFID tray. Based on the received command, the RFID tray performs an RFID scan of one or more RFID-tagged items placed on or in the RFID tray, and the embedded agent sends the tag information from the one or more RFID-tagged items to a cloud application of the cloud network that tracks an inventory of the RFID-tagged items.
US09977925B2
The invention relates to a slide device (1) for ascertaining an amount of insulin to be injected, comprising portions of flat material arranged in layers, which form a disk-like housing body (52), having a plurality of slide tongues displaceable counter to one another, wherein a first slide tongue (8) has a plurality of input scales (16), each with an equidistant line graduation, and a output scale (18), and can be manually grasped for the intended use and is displaceable in a first direction (14); wherein each input scale (16) is assigned a first parameter (37); wherein a second slide tongue (30) is displaceable in a second direction (32), which extends transversely to the first direction (14), and has a window (34) with a setting mark (35), which can be positioned relative to the housing body (52) in such a way that a visual inspection selectively of each of the input scales (16) is enabled; wherein next to the second slide tongue (30), a third slide tongue (38) is displaceable in the second direction (32) and has a plurality of windows (40), which are embodied and arranged in such a way that each window (40), in a suitably selectable displacement position of the third slide tongue (38) relative to the housing body (52), enables a visual inspection of the output scale (18); and wherein each window (40) of the third slide tongue (38) on its periphery in the first direction has a reading scale (42) with an equidistant line graduation, and each reading scale (42) is assigned a second parameter (45); and wherein the second slide tongue (30) and the third slide tongue (38) can be placed nondisplaceably in a respective positioning relative to the housing body (52); and wherein after the second and third slide tongues (30, 38) have been positioned, the first slide tongue (8) can be positioned opposite the setting mark (35) at the window (34) of the second slide tongue (30) and then, at a value of the reading scale (42) as a reading mark, a value on the output scale (18) can be read out, which is equivalent to the amount of insulin to be injected.
US09977917B2
A content management system implementing methodologies providing retroactive shared content item links is disclosed. The content management system and methodologies allow a team administrator of a team to configure a team-wide shared link policy that determines whether non-team members can access content items associated with team accounts using shared links generated for the content items by team members. The team shared link policy has two settings. In a first setting, the content management system allows non-team members to use shared links generated by team members to access content items associated with team accounts. In a second setting, the content management system blocks access to the content items by non-team members. Shared links are retroactive in the sense they do not need to be regenerated after the team shared link policy has been changed from the second setting back to the first setting.
US09977910B2
A trusted user circle server for encryption key distribution and authentication support, as well as a client-side application which resides on user's devices are disclosed. In particular, the trusted user circle server manages a repository for static public keys (SPUK) which are used for authentication and secure distribution of a dynamic private context key (DPCK) used for the end-to-many encryption. Accordingly, posting users encrypt posted document using the DPCK and viewing users retrieve the DPCK to decrypt the posted document. These keys are associated to the trusted user circle and are generated dynamically for a given circle policy context (CPC). The CPC is an identifier that represents a group of members of a trusted user circle. It changes whenever any member of the trusted user circle leave it, when a new trusted user circle is created or when the DPCK expires after a pre-determined period of time.
US09977909B1
A computer-implemented method may include (1) generating or receiving, at a computing device, display data defining a display layout and one or more fields, (2) providing, upon a display screen of the computing device and by processing the display data, a display that initially either obscures or shows first information in a first field of the one or more fields without obscuring an entirety of the display, (3) detecting, by one or more sensors of the computing device, a physical movement of the computing device or a change in orientation of a user of the computing device relative to the computing device, and, (4) in response to the sensor(s) detecting the physical movement or the change in orientation, causing the display to either show or obscure the first information in the first field without obscuring the entirety of the display. As a result, enhanced security for sensitive information is provided.
US09977907B2
Provided are an encryption processing method and device for an application, and a terminal. In the method, a first application to be encrypted is acquired, wherein the first application to be encrypted is selected by a user of the terminal; the user is prompted to input first information; a first key is generated according to the first information; the first application is encrypted by using the first key and the first key is stored in the first application. The technical solution can encrypt an application.
US09977905B2
A system for securing an electronic device may include a processor and a memory. The memory may be communicatively coupled to the processor and include instructions. The instructions, when loaded and executed by the processor, cause the processor to scan data including one or more application components to uniquely identify elements therein, determine from a given application component additional components to be accessed by the given application component, scan the additional components to uniquely identify elements therein, determine whether the additional components include any known vulnerabilities, associate one or more known vulnerabilities of the additional components with the given application component, record the known vulnerabilities and the given application component. The given application component may be uniquely identified.
US09977904B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for performing automatic, large-scale analysis mobile applications to determine and analyze application vulnerability. The disclosed systems and methods include identifying potentially vulnerable applications, identifying the application entry points that lead to vulnerable behavior, and generating smart input for text fields. Thus, a fully automated framework is implemented to run in parallel on multiple emulators, while collecting vital information.
US09977897B2
Systems, methods and media are shown for detecting a stack pivot programming exploit that involve extracting return addresses from a call stack from a snapshot of a running program and, for each extracted return address, identifying a stack frame and following frame from stack pointer information, checking whether the stack is consistent with the type of stack generated by the operating system and architecture conventions, and alerting that a stack pivot is likely if an anomaly in stack layout is found. Some examples involve determining whether the stack frame and following frame follow consistently in one of ascending or descending addresses. Some examples involve, given a consistent directional polarity and metadata about the directional polarity of the stack specified by one of the microarchitecture, operating system, software, or other configuration, determining whether the observed directional polarity corresponds to the expected directional polarity.
US09977895B2
A security system and method secures and responds to security threats in a computer having a CPU, a Kernel/OS, and software applications. A low-level data collector intercepts a selection of first tier calls between the CPU and Kernel/OS, and stores associated first tier call IDs. A Kernel module intercepts a selection of second tier calls between applications and the Kernel/OS, and stores associated second tier call IDs. An Analytic Engine maps the stored first and second tier call IDs to a rulebase containing patterns of security threats, to generate a threat analysis, and then responds to the threat analysis. The Analytic Engine enlarges or contracts the selection of first and second tier calls to increase or decrease specificity of the threat analysis. A Management Module generates user interfaces accessible remotely by a user device, to update the rulebase and configure the low-level collector, the Kernel module, and the Analytic Engine.
US09977879B2
An information security method operable to be executed in an electronic device with modules, such as a calculating module, a first determining module, an extracting module, a logic operation module, and an adjusting module. The modules find out audio segments which are suitable for the concealing of copyright and other information by way of phase inversion of the original data as audio codecs are applied and build the concealable information into the data by way of a key.
US09977873B1
A process of safe, secure storage and transfer of prescription medications for patient care in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or similar health care facility, permits the authorized user to obtain medications for multiple patients along a patient care route, place the medications in respective locking compartments for each patient, and bring the cart to each patient in turn to administer the medications. Scanning in the user ID opens the cart, and the ward or floor medications cabinet displays a 2-D bar code containing patient identification data, the user identification, and one or more delimiter characters indicating that the medication was transferred by the authorized user directly to the cart. For each patient, a patient specific drawer or compartment is unlocked and opened, and the medications are placed into it. This is repeated for each patient on the care route. At each patient bedside, the user scans in the patient ID, which opens only the patient specific drawer. If a medication is obtained when the cart is not at the cabinet, the cabinet labels the medication with a bar code containing a different delimiter. The system maintains an audit of each person handling the medication, and when each event occurred.
US09977870B2
A medication management system is described that is operable to determine whether a user is actually following a protocol, provide additional assistance to a user, starting with instructions, video instructions, and the like, and moving up to contact from a medication administrator if it is determined that the user would need such assistance in any medical adherence situation, including clinical trial settings, home care settings, healthcare administration locations, such as nursing homes, clinics, hospitals and the like. Suspicious activity on the part of a patient or other user of the system is identified and can be noted to a healthcare provider or other service provider where appropriate.
US09977866B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a set of parameters for selecting a physician from an administrator of a matching-engine system. The matching-engine system stores the parameters in a data store of the matching-engine system. The matching-engine system receives from a user a search query with a location of the user and a user-specified symptom or treatment. The matching-engine system determines a base-concept of a medical diagnosis or medical procedure based on the search query. The matching-engine system may identify a set of physicians to be recommended to the user based on the parameters, and a performance-score and experience-score associated with the base-concept for each physician. The matching-engine system may send a search-results page to the user listing the recommended physicians.
US09977860B2
Systems and methods are provided for processing a melting or dissociation curve of a DNA or other sample, for example, during PCR processing. In some embodiments, detection of the melting point and melting curve behavior can be enhanced by taking a derivative of the curve, and detecting peaks in the differential dissociation curve. In some embodiments, the derivative operation can comprise the use of edge-processing, or other detection algorithms. In some embodiments, the dissociation analysis can comprise removing low-frequency (or pedestal) components of the differential dissociation curve. In some embodiments, the differential dissociation curve can exhibit a smoothed or more regular appearance than the raw detected data.
US09977859B2
Motility contrast imaging (MCI) is a depth-resolved holographic technique to extract cellular and subcellular motion inside tissue. The holographic basis of the measurement technique makes it highly susceptible to mechanical motion. The motility contrast application, in particular, preferably includes increased mechanical stability because the signal is based on time-varying changes caused by cellular motion, not to be confused with mechanical motion of the system. The use of the resulting spectrogram response signatures, or “fingerprint” data, of known compounds is disclosed to screen new compounds for leads as to those having potentially beneficial mechanisms of action. The “fingerprint” data of known toxic compounds can be used to screen new compounds for toxicity.
US09977858B2
Methods, computer-readable storage mediums and systems provide for designing a motor drive power system including switching mode power conversion equipment. According to aspects of the disclosure, a resonant point is shifted to a shifted resonant point by changing impedance of at least one of a feeder or a motor. An EMI filter is designed for the shifted resonant point that is at a higher frequency such that the EMI filter for the shifted resonant point is lighter as compared to an EMI filter designed for the resonant point before it is shifted.
US09977851B2
Examples of techniques for automated attribute propagation and hierarchical consistency checking are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method may include: detecting, by a processor, a non-standard extension during convergence of an integrated circuit logic design; propagating, by the processor, the non-standard extension to each level of a plurality of hierarchies of the integrated circuit design for which a net utilizes a special constraint; and verifying, by the processor, a hierarchy consistency across each level of the plurality of hierarchies.
US09977848B1
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computations are performed at time increments using structural properties of the nozzle and flow properties of combustion products flowing through the nozzle. Each CFD computation accounts for movement of the wall geometry of the rocket nozzle due to the flowfield. Structural dynamics computations are performed at each time increment using the CFD computations in order to describe the movement of the wall geometry. Mesh dynamics computations at each time increment redefine the flowfield to account for the movement of the wall geometry. The mesh dynamics computations are based on a spring analogy process. The computations are iterated to solution convergence at each time increment with results being output to an output device.
US09977847B2
Examples of energy forecasting in hierarchical energy systems are provided herein. A global forecast model instance for a hierarchical energy system can be determined through aggregation of energy forecast model data from individual energy smart meters. Energy forecast model data can include values for energy forecast model parameters used by the individual smart meters. The energy smart meters include measurement, forecasting, and calculation capabilities. The smart meters locally determine a forecast model instance used by the smart meter and provide corresponding information to higher levels in the energy system hierarchy. A global forecast model instance is determined based on the provided information.
US09977845B2
A method of performing a static timing analysis on an integrated circuit includes loading a library that includes local random variation information of the integrated circuit and global variation information of the integrated circuit that is obtained based on a set of a plurality of global variation parameters of the integrated circuit, calculating delays of timing arcs included in the integrated circuit based on the library, and determining whether at least one timing path of a plurality of timing paths included in the integrated circuit violates a timing constraint based on the delays of the timing arcs in the at least one timing path, the local random variation information of the integrated circuit and the global variation information of the integrated circuit.
US09977843B2
Methods and systems for providing a lighting control system layout for a site. The site includes a plurality of floors and a plurality of lighting control system components. In response to a request from a user for the lighting control system layout, a user interface may be provided. The user interface includes a three-dimensional representation of the site. The three-dimensional representation includes a plurality of layers representative of the plurality of floors and a plurality of icons representative of the plurality of lighting control system components. The user may, in turn, perform one or more actions in connection with the provided interface. In response, different and/or additional information about the site, particularly the lighting control system, may be provided in the user interface. The provided lighting control system layout allows users, such as, for example, site managers, to easily navigate, maintain, and mange a lighting control system for a site.
US09977839B2
Systems, devices, methods, and computer-program products for reducing sensor reading time error and estimating the time of an event sensed by a sensor are presented. According to implementations, a sensor indicates to a system with which it interacts, the time when an event occurred. In some implementations, the sensor can generate an interrupt that is usable by the system to estimate the time when the event occurred. In implementations, the sensor can output a correction value that is usable by the system to estimate when the event occurred.
US09977834B2
An online system stores information identifying interactions by online system users with content provided by a third party system. The third party system includes a tracking mechanism in content that specifies one or more interactions with the content. When a user performs a specified interaction with the content via a client device, the tracking mechanism communicates information describing the performed interaction from the client device to the online system. The online system retrieves information identifying the user from the client device and stores the information describing the performed interaction in association with the information identifying the user. The third party system requests the online system generate content for presentation to the user, and the online system identifies content provided by the third party system with which additional users having at least a threshold measure of similarity to the user interacted to present to the user.
US09977832B2
A method comprises receiving a first user communication, accessing a directory entry associated with the user, accessing, by a processor, a database stored in a memory that includes content designated as private that is associated with the user in the directory, determining with the processor whether the first user communication includes content designated as private that is associated with the user, generating a second user communication by removing the content designated as private that is associated with the user from the first user communication, and sending the second user communication to an electronic personal assistant.
US09977830B2
A faster and more streamlined system for providing summary and analysis of large amounts of communication data is described. System and methods are disclosed that employ an ontology to automatically summarize communication data and present the summary to the user in a form that does not require the user to listen to the communication data. In one embodiment, the summary is presented as written snippets, or short fragments, of relevant communication data that capture the meaning of the data relating to a search performed by the user. Such snippets may be based on theme and meaning unit identification.
US09977825B2
Efficiency in monitoring documents is promoted by quantifying the priorities of the documents to be monitored. A document analysis system (1) includes: a score calculation unit (116) that calculates a score indicating strength of linkage between a document included in document information and a classification code indicating the relevance between the document information and a lawsuit or a fraud investigation; and a score report unit (701) that reports the score to a user according to the calculated score.
US09977820B1
A system for synchronizing states in associated for data records has been developed. The system includes a first data repository (R1) containing a first data record (DR1) and a second data repository (R2) containing a second data record (DR2). The system also includes a synchronizer that initiates synchronization activity between DR1 and DR2. Upon change in DR1, the system generates a listing of all possible target states for DR2 and determines the correct target state of DR2 from the listing of possible target states. The system then determines if DR2 is in the correct target state. If not, the system transitions DR2 to the correct target state, and synchronizes the data of DR2 with DR1.
US09977815B2
In one embodiment a computer-implemented method for recommending documents to a user, the method comprises determining, by a computer, audit logs entries that are associated with members of a group that includes the user as a member, each audit log entry is associated with a file that a member of the group has accessed; analyzing, by the computer, the associated audit log entries; and generating, by the computer, a recommendation of at least one file for the user based on the analyzing of the associated audit log entries.
US09977813B2
As a method for migrating data of a volume adopting a snapshot function to a new storage system, in order to perform migration without depending on a method for compressing snapshot data of a migration source storage system, and without stopping transmission and reception of data between the host computer and the storage system, at first, after migrating data of a volume being the source of snapshot (PVOL), migration is performed sequentially from newer generations. At this time, migration target data of each SVOL is all the data within the migration source storage system. The SVOL data copied to a migration destination storage is compared with one-generation-newer SVOL data within the migration destination storage system, and based on the comparison result, a difference management information is created. If there is difference, a VOL allocation management table is updated, and difference data is stored in the area allocated within the pool.
US09977811B2
The objects of an on object set may be synchronized across many clients (e.g., various devices may synchronize files of a mirrored filesystem). However, the synchronization of an object may be complicated, and an object may not yet be synchronized in the object set of a client for many reasons, such as an incomplete reception of the object, an unavailability of the object from currently reachable hosts, and a versioning conflict with a different version of the same object in the object set. In order to inform a user of the availability of an object in the object set, an analysis of the availability status of the object may be performed (e.g., by tracking metadata stored in object descriptors of respective objects of the object set, and later examining the metadata of respective objects), and a selected availability status may be presented to the user.
US09977808B2
Various embodiments of systems and methods to provide intent based real-time analytical visualizations are described herein. In one aspect, a requirement statement is received at real-time to generate visualization analysis. Further, an analytical requirement statement is generated from the received requirement statement by natural language processing. The analytical requirement statement is mapped with a unique analytical profile of a user associated with the requirement statement and corresponding business data artifacts, and the visualization analysis is generated based on the mapping information. The generated visualization analysis is displayed on a computer generated graphical user interface (GUI).
US09977805B1
An apparatus including a processor to index data records within a data cell, wherein for each data record, the processor retrieves data values from first and second data fields; determines whether the first and second data fields store unique data values; in response to the first data field storing a unique data value, adds an identifier of the data record to a first unique values index, in response to the second data field storing a unique data value, adds the identifier to a second unique values index, wherein identifiers of data records within the unique values indexes are ordered based on corresponding unique data values; and generates an indication of ranges of data values of the first and second data fields to enable a determination of whether a data value specified in search criteria is present within at least the data cell.
US09977802B2
Techniques for handling large string values in a string dictionary within an in-memory database system are presented. The string dictionary can be a paged-column main dictionary. For example, a value block of a dictionary may be loaded into memory, where the dictionary stores values for dictionary compression. The value block may include a first portion of a large string value and one or more logical pointers to one or more large string pages containing a remainder of the large string value. The large string value may be materialized into a contiguous location in memory, and a pointer to the materialized large string value may be created.
US09977799B2
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for managing a cloud computing environment. In some embodiments, this includes modifying an object or a component of an object at runtime and storing the modified object or modified component of an object in a storage device. In some embodiments, components of an object such as data structures are modified. In some embodiments, objects may have more than one version.
US09977784B2
Methods and systems for presenting multiple images of entities associated with media items in a media list are provided. A method may include identifying a first entity associated with a first media item in a media list. The first media item may be associated with a first time period. A second entity associated with a second media item may be identified in the media list. The second media item may be associated with a second time period. Next, from a database of entity images, a first image of the first entity may be selected based on the first time period and a second image of the second entity may be selected based on the second time period. As a result, the first image and the second image may be presented in an interface during activation of the media list.
US09977779B2
Methods and systems for providing a supplemental word correction dictionary are provided. The method is performed at one or more electronic devices each having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The method includes receiving an at least partial word input by a user. In some implementations, the at least partial word is input into a text field, such as an email body. The method includes determining that a use condition of the at least partial word is satisfied, such as whether the word appears in a trigger word list. The method further includes, in response to determining that the use condition is satisfied, obtaining a supplemental word correction dictionary that includes words associated with a same subject matter as the at least partial word, wherein the supplemental word correction dictionary supplements an existing word correction dictionary.
US09977771B2
In some embodiments a method includes sending, from a composition compute device and to a user compute device, a data file that is based on a print file template. The data file includes (1) a plurality of raster image fonts based on user selected text, (2) a low-resolution image based on a user selected image, and (3) frame data indicative of coordinate locations on a webpage for the raster image fonts and for the low-resolution image. The method includes receiving, at the composition computer device and from the user computer device, a signal indicative of a modification to the data file. The method includes defining, at the composition compute device, a print file based on (1) a plurality of vector fonts based on the user selected text, (2) a high-resolution image based on the user selected image, (3) the frame data, and (4) the modification to the data file.
US09977768B2
Disclosed is software which enables a service which allows users to load screen-shots of webpages to boards as clipped content, which preserves “live” links to the webpages from the clipped content, which identifies the content which was clipped, and which preserves links and other dynamic content in the clipped content.
US09977758B1
A system may include a first region implemented in programmable circuitry of a programmable integrated circuit. The first region may include predefined interface circuitry configured to communicate with a host processor. The system may include a second region implemented in the programmable circuitry of the programmable integrated circuit. The second region may include a first hardware accelerated kernel of an OpenCL application. The system may include a first monitor circuit implemented within the first region or the second region. The first hardware accelerated kernel and the first monitor circuit may be coupled to the interface circuitry of the first region. The first monitor circuit may be operable responsive to control signals received from the host processor of a platform through the interface circuitry to store operation data for the first region or the first hardware accelerated kernel.
US09977754B2
A electronic system includes: an integrated circuit including: an internal data path, configured to drive a functional output, a universal streaming and logging interface, coupled to the internal data path, to generate a trace data bus, and a direct memory access (DMA) controller, coupled to the universal streaming and logging interface, to manage the storage of the trace data bus; a support circuit, coupled to the integrated circuit, configured to receive the trace data bus; and a support processor chip, coupled to the support circuit, configured to analyze the trace data bus for identifying a failure mode of the integrated circuit.
US09977751B1
Embodiments include a method for arbitrating access to a plurality of resources by a plurality of components of a computing system, the method comprising: assigning, to each resource of the plurality of resources, a corresponding identification number, wherein a first resource of the plurality of resources is assigned a first identification number; assigning the first resource to a first component such that the first component has access to the first resource; storing (i) the first identification number of the first resource in a first assignment register of a plurality of assignment registers, and (ii) an identification of the assignment of the first resource to the first component in a first queue register; and while the identification of the assignment of the first resource is stored in the first queue register, refraining from assigning the first resource to any component, other than the first component.
US09977750B2
A data processing system includes a network of interconnected switch points having a plurality of edge switch points located at an edge of the network; a plurality of network interface controllers, wherein each edge switch point of the plurality of edge points is coupled to a corresponding network interface controller of the plurality of network interface controllers; a plurality of target controllers; and a crossbar switch coupled between the plurality of network interface controllers and the plurality of target controllers. The crossbar switch is configured to communicate read/write signals between any one of the plurality of network interface controllers and any one of the plurality of target controllers.
US09977749B2
A data processing system includes an application processor, a memory device, and a channel connecting the application processor and the memory device. The application processor encrypts first data using a first encryption key and a first initialization vector in response to a write command, and transmits first encrypted data to the memory device through the channel. The memory device decrypts the first encrypted data using a second encryption key and a second initialization vector, and stores first decrypted data in a memory core. The second encryption key and the second initialization vector are stored in the memory device. The first encryption key is the same as the second encryption key, and the first initialization vector is the same as the second initialization vector.
US09977748B2
Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for managing storage of digital content. An eligibility module determines one or more content elements that are eligible for compression. A content element is determined to be eligible for compression based on one or more characteristics of the content element. A rate module determines a compression rate for each of the one or more content elements. The compression rate comprises an amount of compression to be applied to a content element. The amount of compression to be applied to the content element is determined as a function of one or more characteristics of the content element. A compression module compresses each of the one or more eligible content elements according to the determined compression rate.
US09977747B2
Memory performance in a computer system that implements large page mapping is improved even when memory is scarce by identifying page sharing opportunities within the large pages at the granularity of small pages and breaking up the large pages so that small pages within the large page can be freed up through page sharing. In addition, the number of small page sharing opportunities within the large pages can be used to estimate the total amount of memory that could be reclaimed through page sharing.
US09977746B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for deduplicating data. One method includes an operation for receiving a data block having a logical address. The storage system includes a logical address mapping index for mapping logical addresses to block numbers, a block index for mapping block numbers to physical locations, and a fingerprint index for mapping fingerprints of data blocks to block numbers. Additionally, the method includes an operation for inline processing the data block. Inline processing the data block includes determining a fingerprint of the data block, examining the fingerprint index to determine if the fingerprint is already mapped to an existing data block in the storage system, if the fingerprint is already mapped then adding a mapping of the logical address to the existing data block in the logical address mapping index, and if the fingerprint is not already mapped then creating the corresponding entries in the indices.
US09977745B2
A router requests a reservation for an egress port prior to dequeuing data from an ingress port data queue. A request is also made for the allocation of a buffer. After the reservation is received and a buffer is allocated, the data is copied the ingress port data queue to the buffer, and an identifier of the buffer is enqueued to an identifier queue of the egress port. After the identifier is dequeued, the data is copied from the buffer to an egress data queue of the egress port, and the buffer is released for reallocation. The buffer can be released prior to completion of the data being copied from the buffer. The queues associated with the egress port determine whether their depths equal or exceed a threshold associated with the respective egress queues. If one or more of the depths does equal or exceed the associated threshold, the granting of reservations for the egress port are postponed. The thresholds are each set to less than full capacity, so as to indicate that the respective queue is congested, rather than to indicate that they have no space available.
US09977742B2
A cache coherency controller comprises a directory indicating, for memory addresses cached by a group of two or more cache memories in a coherent cache structure, which of the cache memories are caching those memory addresses, the directory being associative so that multiple memory addresses map to an associative set of more than one directory entry; and control logic responsive to a memory address to be newly cached, and configured to detect whether one or more of the set of directory entries mapped to that memory address is available for storage of an indication of which of the two or more cache memories are caching that memory address; the control logic being configured so that when all of the set of directory entries mapped to that memory address are occupied, the control logic is configured to select one of the set of directory entries as a directory entry to be overwritten and the corresponding cached information to be invalidated, the control logic being configured to select a directory entry to be overwritten, from the set of directory entries, in dependence upon which of the group of two or more cache memories is indicated by that directory entry, according to a likelihood of selection amongst the two or more cache memories.
US09977737B2
A method and a system embodying the method for a memory address alignment, comprising configuring one or more naturally aligned buffer structure(s); providing a return address pointer in a buffer of one of the one or more naturally aligned buffer structure(s); determining a configuration of the one of the one or more naturally aligned buffer structure(s); applying a modulo arithmetic to the return address and at least one parameter of the determined configuration; and providing a stacked address pointer determined in accordance with the applied modulo arithmetic, is disclosed.
US09977725B2
Automatic classification and parallel processing of untested code in a protected runtime environment
A system is provided to run new code modules safely in a duplicative, protected environment without affecting the code modules that are already trusted to be on the system. The system receives a new code module that validates operational data of a computing device, and instantiates a new, parallel execution engine to run the new code module on the operational data in parallel with another execution engine running the trusted/verified code modules that also validate the same operational data. The new engine runs the new code module with the operational data to produce new code module results. The production engine runs the trusted/verified code modules with the operational data to produce verified code module results. The new code module results are combined with the verified code module results to produce combined results describing the operational status of the computing device.
US09977724B2
Aspects of the technology include receiving (202) an event log of events, each that are associated with wall clock and uptime clock timestamps, and extracting (204) a currently analyzed event from the event log. Further, aspects include associating (208) a processor time to the currently analyzed event as a trusted event time if the event is the first event. Aspects include calculating (212) an elapsed time from wall clock times associated with an immediately preceding event and the currently analyzed event where the immediately preceding event is a boot log event. Further aspects can include calculating (214) the elapsed time from uptime clock times associated with the immediately preceding event and the currently analyzed event where the immediately preceding event is not a boot log event. Finally, aspects can include calculating (216) a trusted time by deducting the elapsed time from a trusted event time.
US09977711B2
An operation method of a nonvolatile memory system is provided. The method includes selecting a source block of memory blocks, performing a cell-counting with respect to the selected source block based on a reference voltage, and performing a reclaim operation on the source block based on the cell-counting result.
US09977710B2
The disclosure relates to cloud-based mobile discovery networks. For example, a mobile discovery network may include a network responsive to successful watermark detection or fingerprint extraction. One claim recites a cloud-based computing resolver cell in a mobile discovery network, the mobile discovery network having a cloud-based traffic router for forwarding requests from remote devices. The resolver cell includes: memory for storing response information; one or more processors programmed for: combine results from a third party inquiry, a traffic router health check, and an internal component or processing check within a certain time period determine whether to enter into a stabilization mode; entering the stabilization mode when a determination indicates stabilization is warranted; verifying, for a predetermined period, the status of the resolver cell before exiting the stabilization mode. Of course other claims and combinations are provided as well.
US09977708B1
Error correction in ancestry classification includes obtaining, from a classifier, initial ancestry classifications associated with portions of two phased haplotypes of a chromosome pair of an individual; performing error correction on an initial ancestry classification, including detecting a phasing error in the initial ancestry classifications; and outputting a corrected ancestry classification in which the phasing error is corrected.
US09977704B1
Embodiments are described for automatic backup and replication of virtual machines in a virtual center. A system or processor-based operation defines policies governing backup conditions and criteria for backing up and recovering the virtual machines, continuously polls the VMs of the virtual center to determine the health or change in each virtual machine. A backup component backs up at least one VM by copying or transferring data including content and state information of the VM to a storage device or other virtual center. The system detects if a failure condition or change in excess of a defined threshold value exists for any virtual machine, and if so, initiates a recovery operation, and then sends a message to the system administrator regarding the backup and recovery.
US09977697B2
Systems and methods are provided for managing task performance for a modular electronic device. In one implementation, a modular electronic device can include one or more electronic modular components. The modular electronic device can identify a computational task associated with the modular electronic device and identify one or more computing devices that are available to perform at least a portion of the computational task. The modular electronic device can obtain one or more sets of data associated with one or more computational resources of the computing devices. The modular electronic device can determine a potential benefit to the modular electronic device associated with the performance of the computational task by the computing devices. The modular electronic device can perform at least a portion of the computational task with the computing devices based, at least in part, on the sets of data associated with the computational resources and the potential benefit.
US09977678B2
A processor core having multiple parallel instruction execution slices and coupled to multiple dispatch queues by a dispatch routing network provides flexible and efficient use of internal resources. The configuration of the execution slices is selectable so that capabilities of the processor core can be adjusted according to execution requirements for the instruction streams. Two or more execution slices can be combined as super-slices to handle wider data, wider operands and/or vector operations, according to one or more mode control signal that also serves as a configuration control signal. The mode control signal is also used to partition clusters of the execution slices within the processor core according to whether single-threaded or multi-threaded operation is selected, and additionally according to a number of hardware threads that are active.
US09977677B2
Supplemental instruction dispatch may be used in some instances in a parallel slice processor to dispatch additional instructions, referred to as supplemental instructions, to supplemental instruction ports of execution slices and using primary instruction ports of one or more execution slices to supply one or more source operands for such supplemental instructions. In addition, in some instances, in lieu of or in addition to supplemental instruction dispatch, selective slice partitioning may be used to selectively partition groups of execution slices in a parallel slice processor based upon a threading mode within which such execution slices are executing.
US09977674B2
Disclosed are an apparatus, system, and method for implementing predicated instructions using micro-operations. A micro-code engine receives an instruction, decomposes the instruction, and generates a plurality of micro-operations to implement the instruction. Each of the decomposed micro-operations indicates a single destination register. For predicated instructions, the decomposed micro-operations include “conditional move” micro-operations to select between two potential output values. Except in the case that one of the potential output values is a constant, the decomposed micro-operations for a predicated instruction also include an append instruction that saves the incoming value of a destination register in a temporary variable. For at least one embodiment, the qualifying predicate for a predicated instruction is appended to the incoming value stored in the temporary register.
US09977673B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a platform-dependent porting layer. The method includes receiving source code, provided by a user, comprising a plurality of generic instructions. The method includes determining a platform type of a target platform for executing the source code. The method includes retrieving, based on the platform type, a porting layer, associated with the target platform, comprising a plurality of platform-specific instructions. The method includes mapping each generic instruction of the plurality of generic instructions to a platform-specific instruction of the plurality of platform-specific instructions.
US09977667B2
Examples described herein are directed to systems and methods for updating software. An update system may generate a first Domain Name System (DNS) record comprising first version data indicating a version of an update to the software. The update system may send the DNS record to a DNS server with an indication of a domain name associated with the software.
US09977665B2
The dependencies of an application are identified by intercepting application programming interface calls made by an application. A determination is then made at the runtime of the application as to whether the dependencies of the application are present. If the dependencies are not present, a client device upon which the application is executing is configured such that the dependencies are present and are made available only to the authorized application. If the dependencies are present and the application is authorized to interact with the dependencies, the application is permitted to execute.
US09977661B2
The present disclosure provides a method and system for generating an user interface, and the method includes: reading, by a script engine having memory and one or more processors, a user interface description file, analyzing, by the script engine, the user interface description file and generating, by the script engine, user interface data; and transmitting the user interface data to a main program wherein the main program acquires, from the script engine, a user interface element corresponding to the user interface data and draws a user interface according to the user interface element and the user interface data. The method for generating the user interface enables the main program to quickly generate the user interface.
US09977657B2
A web editing server includes an app dashboard module that provides a dashboard user interface for presenting information provided by apps installed on users' websites. In one embodiment, the app dashboard module organizes the information as a series of cards, with each card providing information for an associated app. A user can select a card to obtain more information from the app. An app developer system allows an app developer to create and/or service an app in the app center. App developers may create cards by selecting one or more components from a card definition module. The app developer system may determine data attributes from received app data, which can be used to automatically create cards for the app dashboard.
US09977652B2
Disclosed embodiments include systems, methods, and computer-readable media for generating pseudo-random numbers. Disclosed embodiments may receive, by the at least one processor, range data indicating a range of numbers. Disclosed embodiments may generate, based on the range data and by the at least one processor, a digitized finite state machine configured to produce pseudo-random output within the range of numbers. Further, disclosed embodiments may provide, by the at least one processor to a specialized pattern-matching device, programmable instructions to implement the digitized finite state machine on the specialized pattern-matching device. Disclosed embodiments may transmit, by the at least one processor to the specialized pattern-matching device, a pseudo-random bit stream for processing by the digitized finite state machine. Disclosed embodiments may receive, by the at least one processor from the specialized pattern-matching device, pseudo-random output from the digitized finite state machine.
US09977651B2
The present disclosure discloses an image processing method of a mobile terminal, and a mobile terminal. To process an image, an audio signal is collected using a sensor of the mobile terminal. Air-blowing signal intensity is acquired by performing a windowed fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the audio signal to obtain a frequency domain signal of the audio signal. The frequency domain signal of the audio signal is divided into at least one time-slice frequency domain signal. It is then identified whether the audio signal is an air-blowing signal according to the at least one time-slice frequency domain signal and a preset property of the air-blowing signal. The air-blowing signal intensity is acquired according to the at least one time-slice frequency domain signal when the audio signal is identified as an air-blowing signal. An image is acquired according to the air-blowing signal intensity. In this manner, the image processing method using the air-blowing signal intensity may provide improved processing efficiency and simplified operation.
US09977649B2
A first example playback device includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform functions. The functions include generating a mixed audio signal comprising one or more components of a first audio stream and one or more components of a second audio stream; and playing the mixed audio signal, where the one or more components of the second audio stream of the mixed audio signal played by the first playback device are played in synchrony with a second playback device configured to play the second audio stream. An example non-transitory computer-readable medium and an example method, both related to the first example playback device, are also disclosed herein.
US09977642B2
The invention relates to an encoder and a decoder and methods therein for supporting screen sharing, where the screen sharing comprises encoding pictures F representing pixels of a shared screen, providing said pictures to a decoder where they are decoded. The method performed by the encoder comprises deriving information related to an object which is moved on the shared screen between two pictures Fn and Fn+1. At least part of the derived information is related to an intermediate position of the object, on the shared screen, between the two pictures Fn and Fn+1. The method further comprises providing said information to the decoder, thereby enabling the decoder to generate intermediate pictures, FIMD, in addition to the pictures, F, based on the provided information, wherein the object is generated in different positions in said intermediate pictures, FIMD, thus reconstructing the movement of the object between two provided pictures Fn and Fn+1.
US09977641B2
A display system is disclosed. The display system includes a processor. The display system also includes a first display device having a first display surface and receiving display data from the processor. The display system also includes a second displayed device having a display area smaller then the first display device and moveable over the surface of the first display device. The display system also includes a sensor in communication with the processor and communicating location data to the processor. The location data is representative of the relative location of the first display to the second display. Further still, the display system includes a program running on the processor and providing display data to the first and second display devices. The display data is provided to the second display device based on the location data.
US09977632B2
An information processing apparatus which can be connected to a first network includes a connection acceptance portion which accepts connection to the first network from a first device, a job acceptance portion which accepts a job output from the first device connected to the first network to a second network different from the first network, and a transfer portion which transfers, when the job is a job held in a second holding portion included in the second network and designated to be executed in response to acceptance of an execution instruction from a user in the second network, the job to a first holding portion such that the job is held in the first holding portion included in the first network.
US09977615B2
A method and apparatus for refreshing flash memory are disclosed herein. The method includes allocating a different and increasing sequence number to each of a plurality of physical blocks of the flash memory and storing each of the sequence numbers in connection with each of a corresponding one of the physical blocks in non-volatile memory. A refresh-sequence number equal to the highest sequence number in the non-volatile memory is also stored, and in response to a refresh trigger, data in each of the physical blocks that has a sequence number less than the refresh-sequence number is copied to a corresponding one of a plurality of new physical blocks. A new sequence number is then allocated to each of the new physical blocks.
US09977611B2
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a storage, first data in which a sequence number indicating a write-completion order is associated with each erase unit area included in areas of the storage, second data indicating a relationship between each write interval and each write destination, a selection module which obtains the erase unit area corresponding to a logical address of target data to be written, calculates a write interval of the target data from a difference between the sequence number at an occurrence time of writing and the sequence number corresponding to the erase unit area of the first data, and selects the write destination corresponding to the write interval of the target data, and a write module which writes the target data to the selected write destination, and changes the sequence number when writing is completed for one erase unit area.
US09977607B2
A portable lighting device that provides different user interfaces that may be selected by the user. Each user interface may provide one or more operational modes, such as on mode, power save mode, strobe mode or momentary mode. After a user interface is selected, the user may select on of the operational modes. The portable lighting device may be a flashlight.
US09977600B1
A system and method for efficiently maintaining metadata stored among a plurality of solid-state storage devices. A data storage subsystem supports multiple mapping tables. Records within a mapping table are arranged in multiple levels. Each level stores at least pairs of a key value and a physical pointer value. The levels are sorted by time. New records are inserted in a created new highest (youngest) level. No edits are performed in-place. A data storage controller determines both a cost of searching a given table exceeds a threshold and an amount of memory used to flatten levels exceeds a threshold. In response, the controller incrementally flattens selected levels within the table based on key ranges. After flattening the records in the selected levels within the key range, the records may be removed from the selected levels. The process repeats with another different key range.
US09977599B2
Techniques for implementing data deduplication in conjunction with thick and thin provisioning of storage objects are provided. In one embodiment, a system can receive a write request directed to a storage object stored by the system and can determine whether the storage object is a thin or thick object. If the storage object is a thin object, the system can calculate a usage value by adding a total amount of physical storage space used in the system to a total amount of storage space reserved for thick storage objects in the system and further subtracting a total amount of reserved storage space for the thick storage objects that are filled with unique data. The system can then reject the write request if the usage value is not less than the total storage capacity of the system.
US09977597B2
Systems and methods for enhanced read recovery based on write time information are described. In one embodiment, the systems and methods include opening a block of flash memory cells for programming, tracking a block open time, and performing a read operation of a programmed page from the block based at least in part on the block open time. In some embodiments, the block includes a plurality of pages, each page including a plurality of flash memory cells. In some cases, the block open time includes an amount of time between the block opening for programming to a time the block closes for programming.
US09977583B2
A system and method for displaying a non-biasing VAS that automatically adjusts to different screen aspect ratios/resolutions of a computing device, while preserving the reliability of the VAS. The system and method can calculate a number of pixels available on a screen display to display a VAS. Further, the system and method can generate a VAS comprising equally sized intervals of distance to fit the available screen display. In addition, the system and method can include an anchor line at each end of the VAS that indicates an upper and lower value of a range of values measured by the VAS. The system and method can also include a unit cursor on the VAS that allows a subject to indicate, by pixel, interval or target area, a position on the VAS.
US09977576B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for preventing battery power consumption and degradation of system performance due to the system resources being utilized by applications being executed, while providing a multi-tasking function through a plurality of applications. In the method, when a plurality of applications are executed, such execution of the plurality of applications is reported to the user, so as to enable the user to terminate one or more applications, thereby preventing unnecessary consumption of battery power.
US09977563B2
System and method for editing a graphical diagram. A graphical diagram, such as a graphical program, is displayed on a display device. User input may be received editing the graphical diagram, thereby generating an edited graphical diagram. Placement of one or more elements in the graphical diagram may be adjusted in response to the editing based on determined forces applied to the one or more elements in the edited graphical diagram based on the said editing, resulting in an adjusted edited graphical diagram. The adjusted edited graphical diagram may be displayed on the display device, which may include displaying an animation illustrating the movement of the elements to an equilibrium state in which the forces balance and movement ceases. The editing, adjusting, and displaying may be performed sequentially and/or concurrently, as desired.
US09977552B2
A touch control device includes a touch control circuitry and a plurality of touch control electrodes electrically coupling with the touch control circuitry. Each touch control electrode includes a plurality of micro electrodes. Each micro electrode has a first length along a first direction and a second length along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. Both the first and second lengths are equal to or smaller than 80 micrometer and equal to or larger than 50 micrometers.
US09977550B2
An active one-layer multi-touch sensor panel device includes a one-layer multi-touch sensor panel, a die of touch controller IC, and a flexible printed circuit board. The one-layer multi-touch sensor panel has a plurality of conductive lines for forming a plurality of touch sensing areas thereon. The die of touch controller IC is bonded onto the one-layer multi-touch sensor panel by a chip-on-glass method. The die of touch controller IC is connected to the plurality of conductive lines to drive the plurality of conductive lines and receive sensing signals associated with the plurality of conductive lines for detecting touch positions on the one-layer multi-touch sensor panel. The flexible printed circuit board is electrically connected to the die of touch controller IC by the one-layer multi-touch sensor panel to transmit the sensing signals received.
US09977549B2
The embodiments described herein are related to capacitive input device, including a substrate, first sensor electrodes deposited on the substrate and arranged in a first direction, an insulating layer, connecting elements deposited on the insulating layer, and second sensor electrodes. The second sensor electrodes includes sensor electrode elements deposited on the substrate ohmically isolated from the first sensor electrodes. Each of the sensor electrode elements are connected to at least one other sensor electrode element. The capacitive input device may further include a routing elements deposited on the insulating layer, where each of the routing elements are coupled to one of the second sensor electrodes and is substantially disposed in the first direction.
US09977547B1
A smart home controller receives information from an electronic device with a two-dimensional capacitance sensing area. The received information is based on a predefined capacitance distribution detected for an object placed on or near the two-dimensional capacitance sensing area. In response to receiving the information from the electronic device with the two-dimensional capacitance sensing area, the smart home controller is at least conditionally configured, such that the smart home controller changes from operating in a first configuration to operating in a second configuration, distinct from the first configuration, based on the received information.
US09977535B2
A capacitance-type touch panel, allowing disturbance noise and touch detection time to be reduced and having a simple configuration, is provided. The capacitance-type touch panel including: a plurality of drive electrodes each having a strip shape; a drive control circuit performing control such that a drive signal for touch detection is selectively applied to the drive electrodes; a plurality of touch detection electrodes arranged to intersect with the drive electrodes in such a manner that capacitance is formed in each intersecting part, and each outputting a detection signal in synchronization with the drive signal; and a detection circuit detecting an external proximity object based on the detection signal. The drive control circuit controls application of the drive signal in such a manner that the detection signal is a polarity-alternating signal including a positive-negative asymmetrical signal component which is due to presence of the external proximity object.
US09977528B2
An electronic device with a touch sensor includes a body mounted with an electronic element, and a cover detachably coupled to the body. The body includes a signal generating circuitry that generates an electric signal, a first antenna that transmits the electric signal, and a touch processing circuitry that processes a touch signal received through the first antenna. The cover includes a touch sensor that is driven by the electric signal and recognizes a touch, and a second antenna connected with the touch sensor. The second antenna receives the electric signal and transmits a touch signal sensed through the touch sensor unit.
US09977521B2
A method for controlling an electronic device and an associated apparatus are provided, where the electronic device includes a proximity sensor for performing proximity detection, and the method includes the steps of: determining whether a first condition is satisfied according to an application status; performing a proximity sensor threshold adjustment operation corresponding to the first condition when the first condition is satisfied, to obtain an adjusted proximity sensor threshold for the proximity sensor; and performing proximity detection by utilizing the proximity sensor according to the adjusted proximity sensor threshold. The step of determining whether the first condition is satisfied according to the application status may further include: when a specific application is running in the foreground or launched, determining that the first condition is satisfied. For example, when the specific application is running in the foreground, the proximity sensor threshold adjustment operation corresponding to the specific application can be performed.
US09977520B2
Embodiments of a stylus having a capacitive slide sensor and grip sensors are disclosed, for use with electronic devices and particularly with touchscreen devices. The stylus is in signal communication with the electronic device, either wired or wirelessly, and the slide sensor allows a user to generate a sliding data value as well as a contact/no-contact datum; these can be used as scaled control values or as buttonpress control values to control features of applications running on the electronic device. The capacitive sensors are formed on a single flexible PCB wrapped inside the stylus barrel.
US09977498B2
Haptic systems are disclosed which may provide increased resolution in tactile feedback. A tiered haptic system may be formed by stacking of haptic elements. One or more arrays of shape change elements such as, for example, piezoelectric elements may be used to actuate a screen surface. Arrays may also be used to sense tactile interactions and stimuli on a screen surface. An embedded haptic system may be formed by inserting haptic elements into a contoured elastic sheet. The embedded haptic system may provide tactile interactions to a user. In some embodiments, both tiered and embedded haptic arrangements may be used.
US09977497B2
A portable terminal and a method for providing a haptic effect in the portable terminal are provided. The method includes displaying an application on a touch screen, detecting a touch in a haptic providing region set by a user, and providing a haptic effect corresponding to the haptic providing region in response to the detected touch.
US09977496B2
A software controlled user interface and method for a head-mountable device equipped with at least one display or connectivity to at least one touch pad. The method can scale between displaying a small to large number of different eye gaze target symbols at any given time, yet still transmit a large array of different symbols to outside devices. At least part of the method may be implemented by way of a virtual window onto the surface of a virtual cylinder, with touchpad or eye gaze sensitive symbols that can be rotated by touchpad touch or eye gaze thus bringing various groups of symbols into view, and then selected. Specific examples of use of this interface and method on a head-mountable device are disclosed, along with various operation examples including transmitting data including text, functionality in virtual or augmented reality, control of robotic devices and control of remote vehicles.
US09977491B2
A method for interacting with a flexible device and a user terminal thereof includes detecting a physical transformation of the flexible device, and performing an interaction, in association with the flexible device, corresponding to the physical transformation.
US09977481B2
There is disclosed a carry-on sized, portable apparatus configured as a processing apparatus for use as a single node, or as a node in a cluster of nodes, of a hyper-converged system. The apparatus is designed for quick extraction from the hyper-converged system in the event of a disaster and also configured to be able to re-establish communication for users requiring immediate access to mission critical applications in remote re-deployment. The processing apparatus includes an exoskeleton carrier with internally disposed chassis, the chassis including sub-chassis sections to securely contain an integrated power supply and management system, an integrated management and control system (MCS), and other electronics. The integrated MCS runs critical virtualization technology and is script configurable by an external programming source to operate as a single node, or as a node in a cluster of nodes, of a hyper-converged system in normal mode, but also in other modes in order to support disaster recovery contingencies. In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus is a data storage device with a separate dedicated MCS which helps with provisioning the apparatus on a network environment, but which is likewise configured for remote use such as in a disaster recovery.
US09977480B2
Selective coupling of power rails to memory domain(s) in processor-based system, such as to reduce or avoid the need to provide intentional decoupling capacitance in logic domain(s) is disclosed. To avoid or reduce providing additional intentional decoupling capacitance in logic domain to mitigate voltage droops on logic power rail, power rail selection circuit is provided. The power rail selection circuit is configured to couple memory domain to a logic power rail when the logic power rail can satisfy a minimum operating voltage of memory arrays. The additional intrinsic decoupling capacitance of the memory arrays is coupled to the logic power rail. However, if the operating voltage of the logic power rail is scaled down below the minimum operating voltage of the memory arrays when the logic domain does not need higher operation functionality, the power rail selection circuit is configured to couple the memory domain to separate memory power rail.
US09977478B1
Memory device and method with backup energy reservoir to write in-flight data in non-volatile memory
Provided is a memory device, comprising a non-volatile memory, an energy store coupled to the non-volatile memory, and a power management module configurable to power up the non-volatile memory and provide read access to the non-volatile memory, in response to the energy store being charged to at least a first predetermined level. Provided also is a computational device that includes the memory device. Provided also is a method in which an energy store coupled to a non-volatile memory of a memory device is charged to at least a first predetermined level. The non-volatile memory is powered up and read access is provided to the non-volatile memory, in response to charging the energy store to at least the first predetermined level.
US09977474B2
A heat dissipating assembly suited for an electronic device is provided. The electronic device has at least one heat source. The heat dissipating assembly includes a first tube, a second tube, and a fluid. The first tube has an inlet and an outlet, wherein a bore size of the inlet is smaller than a bore size of the outlet. Heat generated from the heat source is transferred to the first tube. Two opposite ends of the second tube are connected to the inlet and the outlet such that the first and the second tubes are formed into a closed loop. The fluid is filled in the closed loop. The fluid in the first tube transferred from the inlet toward the outlet absorbs the heat and is transferred to the second tube for heat dissipating. An electronic device is also provided.
US09977467B2
An electronic device can include a processor, output device(s) coupled thereto, and an outer housing or enclosure containing these and other electronic and/or optical items. The enclosure can include a substantially thin contoured component having an external surface exposed to a user and an internal surface. A stiffening plate situated with respect to the internal surface provides a substantial increase in the torsional stiffness and/or bending stiffness of the enclosure. The stiffening plate and contoured component can form a cavity therebetween, and one or more ridges, fins, plates, foam structures and/or other structural items can be located within the cavity. In various embodiments, the device can be a laptop computer and the contoured component can be a dome shaped outer housing behind the display portion thereof.
US09977460B2
An electronic device comprising a device enclosure having an exterior surface; a contact area positioned at the exterior surface and having first and second ends, the contact area having a plurality of contacts arranged between the first and second ends and substantially flush with the exterior surface; and an alignment feature within the enclosure comprising first and second magnets positioned on opposing sides of the contact area, the first magnet positioned adjacent to the first end of the contact area and the second magnet positioned adjacent to the second end of the contact area.
US09977455B2
A configurable impedance circuit includes a controller that senses a rectified voltage and generates a first and second control signals based on a comparison of the rectified voltage to at least one threshold voltage. The configurable impedance circuit also includes a filter for filtering the rectified voltage that couples a plurality of capacitors in series to the rectified voltage in a first configuration based on the first control signal and couples the plurality of capacitors in parallel to the rectified voltage in a second configuration based on the second control signal.
US09977452B2
Systems and methods for efficiently controlling energy sources are disclosed. In one example, a system for processing and storing energy may include a plurality of cells that store energy and a plurality of power switches coupled to the cells. The system may also include an inductor coupled to the power switches and a controller, wherein the controller controls the power switches to transfer the energy to a load.
US09977447B2
A method for dispatching buildings in a demand response program event including generating data sets for each of the buildings, each set having energy consumption values along with corresponding time and outside temperature values, where the energy consumption values within each set are shifted by one of a plurality of lag values relative to the corresponding time and outside temperature values, and where each of the plurality of lag values is different from other ones of the plurality of lag values; performing a regression analysis on each set to yield regression model parameters and a residual; determining a least valued residual from all residuals yielded, the least valued residual indicating a corresponding energy lag for the each of the buildings; and using energy lags for all of the buildings to generate a dispatch schedule for the demand response program event according to a prioritization of the energy lags.
US09977446B2
In the example of a voltage regulator outputting a negative voltage, its feedback voltage will also be negative. The feedback voltage is typically created using a resistor divider. A controller IC is powered by only a positive voltage and receives the negative feedback voltage at a high impedance input of an inverting amplifier. Therefore, the inverting amplifier does not load the resistor divider, resulting in an accurate regulated output voltage. The inverting amplifier converts the negative feedback voltage to a positive feedback voltage for further processing by the controller IC. An error amplifier and a power good monitor receive both the original feedback voltage and the inverted feedback voltage and use whichever feedback voltage is the more positive one. Therefore, the controller IC may be used in voltage regulators that generate either negative or positive output voltages.
US09977443B2
A low dropout linear regulator, a starting method, an electronic device, and a chip are provided. Wherein the low dropout linear regulator comprises an error amplifier circuit, an over current circuit and an over-current adjustor, the starting method includes: beginning a soft-starting process of the low dropout linear regulator and turning on a first transistor and a second transistor to provide a over current to raise an output voltage of the low dropout linear regulator; maintaining the ‘turn on’ state of the first transistor and the second transistor and decreasing the over current according to a signal obtained from the error amplifier circuit after the output voltage of the low dropout linear regulator reaches a starting voltage of the error amplifier circuit; wherein the error amplifier circuit begins to operate when the output voltage of the low dropout linear regulator reaches the starting voltage of the error amplifier circuit.
US09977436B2
There is provided a flow rate adjustment apparatus in which a flow rate measurement mechanism includes: a thermal flowmeter; and a lower casing, a flow rate adjustment mechanism includes: an electric drive mechanism that moves a valve body part; a control board; a valve main body in which a valve chamber, a second flow passage that communicates with a valve hole, and a third flow passage that is connected to an external flow passage have been formed; and an upper casing that houses the electric drive mechanism and the control board thereinside, the flow rate adjustment mechanism is attached to the flow rate measurement mechanism in a state where a clearance communicating with an outside is provided between the lower casing and the valve main body, and in which the thermal flowmeter has a coupling part that couples the second flow passage to a first flow passage.
US09977434B2
Some embodiments include methods performed by a processor associated with a wireless communication device for enabling an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to operate in an automatic user tracking mode. Such embodiments may include capturing image data of surroundings by a camera while the UAV is operating in the automatic user tracking mode, calculating estimated position information for the wireless communication device based on captured image data, and transmitting estimated position information to the UAV for use in tracking a user of the wireless communication device. Some embodiments include methods performed by a processor of a UAV for enabling the UAV to automatically follow a user. Such embodiments may include calculating a current position of the UAV, receiving from a user's wireless communication device estimated position information derived from image data captured by a camera of the wireless communication device, and determining whether an update to the UAV motion is required.
US09977430B2
Systems and methods are provided for navigating an autonomous vehicle using reinforcement learning techniques. In one implementation, a navigation system for a host vehicle may include at least one processing device programmed to: receive, from a camera, a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle; analyze the plurality of images to identify a navigational state associated with the host vehicle; provide the navigational state to a trained navigational system; receive, from the trained navigational system, a desired navigational action for execution by the host vehicle in response to the identified navigational state; analyze the desired navigational action relative to one or more predefined navigational constraints; determine an actual navigational action for the host vehicle, wherein the actual navigational action includes at least one modification of the desired navigational action determined based on the one or more predefined navigational constraints; and cause at least one adjustment of a navigational actuator of the host vehicle in response to the determined actual navigational action for the host vehicle.
US09977429B2
Methods and systems of positioning a drone including a camera. One method includes generating, from a first image capture position of the drone, a first image or video having a first field of view. The method further includes determining a plurality of regions of interest, each of the plurality of regions of interest located within a predetermined area and having an associated priority. The method further includes determining a second image capture position different from the first image capture position for the drone as a function of the associated priority and a viewing distance of the camera. The method further includes generating a command for the drone to move to the second image capture position. The method further includes moving the drone based on the command. The method further includes generating, from the second image capture position, a second image or video having a second field of view.
US09977426B2
A mobile device controlling system includes one mobile device of a plurality, a controlling terminal of a plurality, and a server. A method for the system is also described. The one mobile device of the plurality includes a connection establishment module, an information transmission module, and an operation module. The connection establishment module transmits on startup a connection request to a server to establish a connection and the information transmission module transmits mobile device ID and status to the server. The operation module receives feedback from the server as to one verified controlling terminal within the plurality and the mobile device can be exclusively controlled by that terminal according to the feedback.
US09977424B2
Disclosed is a system for measuring and controlling the thickness of asphalt roofing materials during manufacturing. Light beams are used to generate a time of flight signal that is used to determine the thickness of the asphalt roofing layer. A controller generates a thickness control signal that controls a coater to modify parameters of the coater to produce the asphalt roofing layer with a desired thickness.
US09977408B2
To provide a control device and control method capable of preventing overheating of both a master shaft and slave shaft. A control device for machine tools includes a master-shaft motor drive part, a slave-shaft motor drive part and a numerical control part that sends a master-shaft operation command to the master-shaft motor drive part, in which the master-shaft motor drive part drives the master-shaft motor based on the master-shaft operation command received from the numerical control part, the slave-shaft motor drive part drives the slave-shaft motor so as to synchronize with the master-shaft motor based on position feedback information received from the master-shaft motor, and the numerical control part creates the master-shaft operation command to change operation so as to restrict output of the master-shaft motor, upon the temperature of the master-shaft motor exceeding a first predetermined value, or the temperature of the slave-shaft motor exceeding a second predetermined value.
US09977405B2
A device for monitoring athletic performance of a user has a wristband configured to be worn by the user. The electronic module may include a controller and a screen and a plurality of user inputs operably associated with the controller. The user inputs may include a user input configured to be applied by the user against the screen and in a direction generally normal to the screen. The controller may further be configured to generate one or more user interfaces in response to various user inputs and conditions. For example, the controller may generate workout mode interfaces and non-workout mode interfaces including various goal information, workout data, reminders and the like. In one or more arrangements, multiple types of information may be displayed simultaneously.
US09977402B2
An optical information recording/reproducing apparatus and method thereof which compensate for the effect of mechanical instability on holographic data storage. A time dependent deviation profile of an optical beam during recording is determined. The time dependent deviation profile is related to a phase profile to be applied to a reference beam during recording or reproduction of a hologram, and the related phase profile is applied to the reference beam during recording or reproduction of the hologram.
US09977395B2
An image forming apparatus (1) includes photosensitive drums (41y, 41c, 41m, and 41k), static eliminators (45y, 45c, 45m, and 45k), transfer rollers (54y, 54c, 54m, and 54k), a power source (55a) for transfer, and load resistors (47y, 47c, 47m, and 47k). The static eliminators (45y, 45c, and 45m) perform static elimination on adjacently upstream or downstream photosensitive drums (41y, 41c, 41m, and 41k) in a movement direction of a transfer target. The transfer rollers (54y, 54c, 54m, and 54k) are disposed opposite to the respective photosensitive drums (41y, 41c, 41m, and 41k). The power source (55a) for transfer applies potential to the transfer rollers (54y, 54c, 54m, and 54k). The load resistors (57y, 57c, 57m, and 57k) are respectively connected in parallel to one another and in series between the power source (55a) for transfer and the respective transfer rollers (54y, 54c, 54m, and 54k).
US09977391B2
A print control apparatus includes a generating unit that generates color image data based on gloss-control image data, the gloss-control image data containing a gloss control value for identifying a type of a surface effect being a visual or a tactile effect applied to the recording medium and for identifying a region to which the surface effect is applied in the recording medium, and generates clear-toner image data based on presence or absence of at least one post processing device connected to the printing device and based on a type of the post processing device; a post-processing control unit that controls the post processing device in accordance with the presence or absence of the post processing device connected to the printing device and the type of the post processing device; and an output unit that outputs the clear-toner image data.
US09977389B2
A sheet stacking apparatus includes a body, a stacking portion which a sheet is stacked, a width regulating portion configured to move between a first position and a second position closer to a center of the stacking portion in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction than the first position, and including a regulating surface configured to regulate a position, in the width direction, of the sheet stacked on the stacking portion, and a supporting portion pivotably supporting the stacking portion. The supporting portion is disposed on the body and closer to the center of the stacking portion in the width direction, than the regulating surface of the width regulating portion positioned at the first position.
US09977377B1
An embodiment provides an image forming apparatus that has a first operation mode and a second operation mode. The first operation mode forms an image on a sheet with toner. The second operation mode decolorizes the toner on the sheet on which the image is formed with a decolorable toner having a decoloring function. In the first operation mode, when the sheet passes through a transfer unit, a transfer bias having the same polarity as that of a charge of the toner is applied to the transfer member and a toner image formed on a surface of the transfer member is transferred to the sheet. In the second operation mode, when the sheet passes through the transfer unit, a cleaning bias having a reverse polarity to that of the transfer bias is applied to the transfer member.
US09977376B1
A method for controlling transfer of black color toned images during simplex printing. The method comprises identifying a first image of a print job is a black-only image, determining whether or not the print job includes at least one color image, upon determining that the print job includes at least one color image, rotating only the black photoconductive (PC) drum and transferring a black-only toned first image thereon onto a rotating intermediate transfer member (ITM) belt and subsequently onto a surface of the media sheet at the image transfer roll, and moving color transfer rolls into engagement the color PC drums and pausing their rotation, and, upon determining that the print job does not include at least one color image, moving the color transfer rolls to disengage the ITM belt from the color PC drums and rotating only the black PC drum to sequentially transfer each remaining black-only toned image onto the ITM belt for printing on a surface of a corresponding next sequential media sheet at the image transfer roll.
US09977373B2
A printer includes an image formation portion, a feed portion, and a transfer portion. The image formation portion transfers formed first and second patterned marking agent layers from a photoconductor member onto an intermediate transfer member. The feed portion directs a portion of a foil layer to become adhered, according to the pattern, onto the first marking agent layer on the intermediate transfer member before the second marking agent layer is transferred onto, and becomes adhered to, the foil portion. The transfer portion causes transfer of the foil portion from the intermediate transfer member, via transfer of at least the second marking agent layer from the intermediate transfer member, onto a substrate.
US09977368B2
In an axial direction of a developing sleeve that bears magnetic developer on an outer circumferential surface thereof, ends of a sheet-shaped stirring member that stirs the magnetic developer in a container frame to move the magnetic developer toward the developing sleeve are disposed on an outer side of a region in a magnetic field region generated by a magnet roller disposed on an inner side of the developing sleeve. The region has a magnetic field strength equal to or larger than a predetermined magnetic flux density at which the magnetic developer can be borne on the surface of the developing sleeve.
US09977348B2
A lithographic apparatus includes an optical sensor, a movable body, a support, a deflector system, a first drive system and a second drive system. The movable body is moveable relative to the sensor. The support is for holding the sensor. The first drive system is arranged to move the movable body relative to the sensor. The second drive system is arranged to move the first drive system relative to the sensor. The second drive system is arranged to move the deflector system relative to the sensor. A disturbance is induced by a movement of the movable body. The deflector system is arranged to create a deflecting area for reflecting the disturbance away from the support.
US09977345B2
An exposure apparatus has a substrate holding member, a first supporting member, a second supporting member, and a driving system. The first supporting member supports the substrate holding member from below. The second supporting member supports the first supporting member from below such that the first supporting member and the second supporting member are capable of moving relative to each other. The driving system moves the substrate holding member, the first supporting member and the second supporting member. The driving system includes a first driving device and a second driving device, the first driving device moving the substrate holding member and the first supporting member in a direction along a predetermined axis, and the second driving device moving the second supporting member in the direction along the predetermined axis.
US09977340B2
Diffraction models and scatterometry are used to reconstruct a model of a microscopic structure on a substrate. A plurality of candidate structures are defined, each represented by a plurality of parameters (p1, p2, etc.)). A plurality of model diffraction signals are calculated by simulating illumination of each of the candidate structures. The structure is reconstructed by fitting one or more of the model diffraction signals to a signal detected from the structure. In the generation of the candidate structures, a model recipe is used in which parameters are designated as either fixed or variable. Among the variable parameters, certain parameters are constrained to vary together in accordance with certain constraints, such as linear constraints. An optimized set of constraints, and therefore an optimized model recipe, is determined by reference to a user input designating one or more parameters of interest for a measurement, and by simulating the reconstruction process reconstruction. The optimized model recipe can be determined automatically by a parameter advisor process that simulates reconstruction of a set of reference structures, using a plurality of candidate model recipes. In the generation of the reference structures, restrictions can be applied to exclude unrealistic parameter combinations.
US09977337B2
Provided is an exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern on a sample, the exposure apparatus including a plurality of blanking electrodes that are provided corresponding to a plurality of charged particle beams and each switch whether the corresponding particle beam irradiates the sample according to an input voltage; an irradiation control section that outputs switching signals for switching blanking voltages supplied respectively to the blanking electrodes; and a measuring section that, for each blanking electrode, measures a delay amount that is from when the switching signal changes to when the blanking voltage changes.
US09977330B2
The invention provides a compound for forming an organic film having a partial structure represented by the following formula (vii-2), wherein R1 represents a linear, branched or cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and a methylene group constituting R1 may be substituted by an oxygen atom; a+b is 1, 2 or 3; c and d are each independently 0, 1 or 2; x represents 0 or 1, when x=0, then a=c=0; L7 represents a linear, branched or cyclic divalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, L8′ represents the partial structure represented by the following formula (i), 0≤o<1, 0
US09977323B2
A reflective mask comprises a substrate, first and second stacked bodies, and an intermediate portion. The first stacked body is provided on a surface of the substrate. The first stacked body includes a plurality of first layers and a plurality of second layers. A refractive index for a first electromagnetic ray of the first layer is different from a refractive index for the first electromagnetic ray of the second layer. The second stacked body includes a plurality of third layers and a plurality of fourth layers. A refractive index for the first electromagnetic ray of the third layer is different from a refractive index for the first electromagnetic ray of the fourth layer. A reflectance to the first electromagnetic ray of each of the first stacked body and the second stacked body is higher than a reflectance to the first electromagnetic ray of the intermediate portion.
US09977314B1
The present application provides a light-pipe adjusting apparatus comprising: a first support; a light-pipe component, slidably connected to the first support via a first rail; and a first drive device, provided on the first support and connected to the light-pipe component for driving the light-pipe component to slide along the first rail. The present application can improve the accuracy and reliability of the position adjustment of the light-pipe component.
US09977297B2
The liquid crystal panel packaging assembly contains a liquid crystal panel assembly and a support tray. The liquid crystal panel assembly contains a liquid crystal panel, a wiring board, and a circuit board. The wiring board has a first end electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel and a second end configured with a first connection element. The circuit board has a second connection element for connection with the first connection element so that the circuit board is electrically connected to the wiring board. The support tray contains a first indentation for receiving the liquid crystal panel, a second indentation for receiving the wiring board, and at least a socket. The second indentation is at a side and is connected to the first indentation. The socket is located at a lateral side of the second indentation, and the circuit board is plugged into the socket.
US09977291B2
The invention provides a color filter substrate, an array substrate, a display panel and a display device. By providing a protective layer used for protecting a peripheral circuit on the array substrate from static electricity-induced corrosion, occurrence of static electricity-induced corrosion in the peripheral circuit on the array substrate can be prevented to improve image quality of LCD device and reduce cost loss caused by a great many of defective products.
US09977287B2
A liquid crystal panel includes: first and second substrates arranged to be opposite each other at a predetermined gap; a liquid crystal layer filled between the first and second substrates; alignment films; a counter electrode pattern formed on the first substrate; and a pixel electrode pattern formed on the first substrate so as to have a plurality of electrode branches, the extension direction of which is bent at one bend point provided near an upper pixel portion from the center of a pixel region, and which are connected at the end portion of at least the upper pixel portion or lower pixel portion, wherein the extension direction of a slit formed near the upper pixel portion from the bend point from among slits formed in the pixel electrode pattern crosses the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer at an angle of 7° or larger.
US09977279B2
A color filter substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device are provided. The color filter substrate includes a base substrate and a black matrix arranged on the base substrate, the color filter substrate further includes a via hole arranged in a non-display region, and viewing from a side of the base substrate opposite to the black matrix, the via hole exposes a part of the black matrix in contact with the via hole.
US09977261B2
An actuator assembly for an adjustable fluid-filled lens is provided. In some embodiments, the actuator assembly includes a clamp configured to adjust the optical power of the fluid lens module when the clamp is compressed. In some embodiments, a magnetic element is configured to adjust the optical power of the fluid-filled lens. In some embodiments, a plunger changes the optical power of the fluid lens module. In some embodiments, a reservoir is configured such that deformation of the reservoir changes the optical power of the fluid-filled lens. In some embodiments, a balloon is configured to deform the reservoir. In some embodiments, an adjustable fluid-filled lens includes a septum configured to be pierceable by a needle and automatically and fluidly seal a fluid chamber after withdrawal of the needle. In some embodiments, a thermal element can heat fluid within a fluid chamber to change an optical power of the lens module.
US09977259B2
A method of controlling a programmable lens device comprising a programmable lens and an optical function controller, the programmable lens having an optical function and extending between at least one eye of the wearer and the real world scene when the device is used by the wearer, and the optical function controller being arranged to control the optical function of the programmable lens, the method comprising: an optical function data receiving step during which optical function data relating to the optical function of the programmable lens is received by the optical function controller, an optical function modifying step during which the optical function of the programmable electronic lens device is modified by the optical function controller based on the optical function data.
US09977253B2
An optical device according to an embodiment includes a first birefringent element on which coherent incident light is incident, a transmissive diffusing element on which light emitted from the first birefringent element is incident, and a second birefringent element on which light emitted from the transmissive diffusing element is incident. Light emitted by a laser light source is incident on the first birefringent element and the incident light is separated into two lights by birefringence to be incident on the diffusing element. The diffusing element diffuses the two lights to emit. The second birefringent element synthesizes the two lights emitted from the diffusing element into one light to emit.
US09977247B1
A display can be utilized with an image source. The display includes a collimator and a substrate waveguide. The substrate waveguide sees collimated light from the collimator at an input and provides the collimated light to an output. The collimated light travels from the input to the output within the substrate by total internal reflection. An input diffraction grating is disposed in a first area at the input and an output diffraction grating is disposed in a second area at the output. The second diffraction grating is matched to the first diffraction grating. A combiner alignment detector is not required due to the periscopic effect according to one embodiment.
US09977246B2
An image combiner, also referred to as a combiner optic, of a near-eye display system or the like transmits enough light so a user can see remote objects in a “world view”, while also reflecting enough light so the user can simultaneously see a projected image in a “projected” (augmented) view. The disclosed image combiners use two partial reflectors configured to form a wedged reflective cavity. In the display system, light from an imaging device follows a path to the user's eye that includes three reflections in the wedged cavity. By using this capability of the wedged cavity, the combiner optic can have a substantially reduced thickness, and lower profile, than a combiner optic that uses only one partial reflector and only one reflection in the optical path.
US09977242B2
An example head-worn device includes a camera, a display device, weld detection circuitry, and pixel data processing circuitry. The camera generates first pixel data from a field of view of the head-worn device. The display device displays second pixel data to a wearer of the head-worn device based on the first pixel data captured by the camera. The weld detection circuitry determines whether a welding arc is present and generates a control signal indicating a result of the determination. The pixel data processing circuitry processes the first pixel data captured by the camera to generate the second pixel data for display on the display device, where a mode of operation of said pixel data processing circuitry is selected from a plurality of modes based on said control signal.
US09977239B2
A presentation controller in a control device captures an image of a driver using an onboard camera of an occupant state detection section, and acquires a state of the driver that is detected in the captured image and represents the posture of the driver, and the position of part of the body of the driver. The presentation controller then uses road-vehicle inter-communication to acquire, as an event, information from a detector of an event detection section indicating a danger in front of the vehicle, and detects a presentation direction for the event. The presentation controller then controls a device of a presentation section so as to move a marker that is assistance information along a direction from the vehicle toward the driver, as information perceivable by the occupant. The presentation controller then notifies the event to the ears of the driver.
US09977233B1
An electrowetting display comprises a first support plate, a second support plate substantially parallel to the first support plate, an electrolyte solution disposed between the first support plate and the second support plate, and a plurality of transparent diffuser elements protruding into the electrolyte solution from non-contiguous areas of the second support plate. Recesses separate the transparent diffuser elements.
US09977230B2
A microscope system includes a virtual-slide microscope that acquires a virtual-slide image of a specimen when mounted on a first stage, and a fluorescence microscope that acquires a fluorescence image of the specimen when mounted on a second stage. The virtual-slide microscope includes a display and an image-capturing-condition setting portion that sets image capturing conditions, including a fluorescence-image acquisition position, on the virtual-slide image. The fluorescence microscope includes a memory portion that stores coordinate transformation data between the coordinates of the specimen when fixed on the first stage and the coordinates of the specimen when fixed on the second stage, a condition input portion to which the image capturing conditions are input, and a driving-condition setting portion that sets a driving condition on the basis of the image capturing conditions and the coordinate transformation data.
US09977229B2
In an inner layer measurement method, first irradiation light and second irradiation light having a peak wavelength longer than that of the first irradiation light are formed by changing at least one of a position where light emitted from a lamp is transmitted through a short pass filter and a position where light emitted from a lamp is transmitted through a long pass filter. Then, a first XY sectional surface of a semitransparent body is measured by irradiating the first XY sectional surface with the first irradiation light. A second XY sectional surface positioned on a layer deeper than the first XY sectional surface is measured by irradiating the second XY sectional surface with the second irradiation light. Each of the short pass filter and the long pass filter can transmit the light and has properties of changing a cutoff wavelength according to the position where the light is transmitted.
US09977228B2
An optical module is configured to be used in a microlithography objective. The optical module includes a first holding device with a circumference extending in a first circumferential direction and a first supporting device configured to support a first optical element. The first supporting device is fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The optical module also includes a plurality of second supporting devices configured to support a second optical element, the second supporting devices being fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The first supporting device does not contact the second supporting devices. The first optical element is separate from the second optical element. Along the first circumferential direction, the first supporting device is located in a non-equidistant manner between two neighboring second supporting devices.
US09977227B2
A zoom lens includes in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit having a negative refractive power. At the time of zooming, distances between the lens units change, and a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit at a telephoto end is shorter than a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit at a wide angle end, and an aperture stop is disposed on an image side of an image-side surface of the first lens unit, and on an object side of an image-side surface of the second lens unit, and the zoom lens satisfies the conditional expressions.
US09977226B2
A spherical camera includes two oppositely-oriented lenses rigidly secured by a unibody dual-lens mount. The unibody dual-lens mount includes two lens barrel that are laterally offset from each other. Each lens barrel secures a lens and has a top, a midsection and a bottom along its axial length, where the midsection is located between the top and the bottom. A first base portion extends radially outward from the bottom of a first lens barrel to join the midsection of a second lens barrel. A second base portion extends radially outward from a bottom of the second lens barrel to join a midsection of the first lens barrel. The base portions may be approximately perpendicular to central axes of the lens barrels. Additionally, the first lens barrel can be approximately parallel to the second lens barrel, and the first base portion can be approximately parallel to the second base portion.
US09977220B2
An image pickup optical system includes: from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power; a second lens unit having a positive refractive power; and a third lens unit having a negative refractive power. The first lens unit includes one negative lens or two negative lenses, the second lens unit includes a positive lens closest to the object side, and includes a plurality of lenses, the third lens unit includes, from the object side to the image side, a negative lens and a positive lens. A focal length f1 of the first lens unit, a focal length f3 of the third lens unit, a focal length fGr of the positive lens included in the third lens unit, an entire lens length L, and a focal length f of the image pickup optical system are set appropriately.
US09977205B2
Embodiments describe an apparatus for magnetic charging and optical data transferring. The apparatus includes an inductive transmitting coil disposed within a housing, an optically transparent window disposed at a surface of the housing and above the inductive transmitting coil, and a first optical data transfer module disposed within the housing below the optically transparent window. The first optical data transfer module may be to perform at least one of emitting optical signals through the optically transparent window or detecting optical signals passing through the optically transparent window.
US09977202B2
Disclosed is an optical multichannel transmission and/or reception module, in particular for high-bitrate digital optical signals, with a housing having multiple optical input ports and/or optical output ports and containing an electric assembly and an essentially flat opto-electric module connected electrically to the electric assembly. Multiple electro-optic transmission elements and/or multiple opto-electric reception elements are located on or in the opto-electric module. The opto-electric module has an optical coupling area on one of its surfaces that is connected to the respective first ends of multiple optical waveguides. The opto-electric module has multiple optic paths for optical connection of each first end of an optic waveguide with an associated electro-optic transmission element and/or an associated opto-electric reception element.
US09977200B2
In an embodiment, an optical component assembly is disclosed and is configured to be at least partially disposed within at least one first opening of an optical subassembly housing. The at least one optical component assembly comprising a base extending from a first end to a second end along a longitudinal axis, and a vertical mount disposed on the base and including a first surface that provides a mounting region to couple to an optical component, the first surface defining a vertical axis that extends substantially upright from the base and a horizontal axis that is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the base at a first angle, the vertical mount further providing a channel that extends through the vertical mount, wherein the channel provides an optical pathway angled relative to the first surface at the first angle, the first angle being substantially between about 15 and 75 degrees.
US09977197B1
A floating adjustable sealing mechanism and a connector using same. The floating adjustable sealing mechanism comprises an adhesive sleeve, and a support of which a front end is a plugging end. An internal hole of the support is provided with a guide mounting section having a guiding direction extending along a front-rear direction. The adhesive sleeve is mounted in the internal hole of the support by means of a guide mating section which is disposed thereon and in a sliding and sealing fit with the guide mounting section. The length of the guide mounting section is greater than the length of the guide mating section. The adhesive sleeve is mounted in the internal hole of the support by means of the sliding and sealing fit between the guide mating section disposed on the adhesive sleeve and the guide mounting section on the support; and in this way, the adhesive sleeve can move back and forth in the internal hole of the support, and the relationship of sealing fit between the adhesive sleeve and the internal hole of the support can be constantly ensured during the back-and-forth movement.
US09977196B2
An optical connector includes a sleeve that positions a front end portion of a first ferrule and a front end portion of a second ferrule so as to face each other on the same axis, a first connection retaining member and a second connection retaining member that maintain a state in which the front end portions of the first and second ferrules contact each other and press against each other, and a coil spring that generates a force with which the front end portions of the first and second ferrules press against each other. Optical fiber cables can be connected to each other by containing the first ferrule and the second ferrule, which are attached to the sleeve, respectively in the first connection retaining member and the second connection retaining member and by coupling the first connection retaining member and the second connection retaining member to each other.
US09977183B2
The present embodiment relates to an optical fiber having a W-type refractive index d profile or a trench-type refractive index profile and having reduced microbending loss in a wavelength band to be actually used. The optical fiber includes a center core, an inner cladding surrounding the center core, and an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding. The inner cladding has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of at least the center core and the outer cladding has a refractive index lower than the refractive index of the center core and higher than the refractive index of the inner cladding. Wavelength dependency of microbending loss has a local maximal value and a shortest wavelength λth where the microbending loss becomes 10% of the local maximal value is longer than 1560 nm.
US09977173B2
In an embodiment, a display panel unit includes a reflective polarizing layer, a transparent layer, and a display panel. The polarizing layer transmits a first polarized component of light incident on an incident surface to an exit surface and reflects a second polarized component of the light. The transparent layer transmits the first and second polarized component of the light incident on a second surface to a first surface adhered to the incident surface and transmits the second polarized component reflected by the polarizing layer to be incident on the first surface to the second surface. The panel faces the exit surface, and selectively transmits the light exiting from the exit surface.
US09977170B2
A light device using a light cylinder is disclosed. The light device includes a cover, a light source section combined with at least part of an inside surface of the cover and configured to output a light, and a light cylinder configured to include one entrance part and a plurality of output parts. The entrance part is combined with the light source section, and the light incident through the entrance part is outputted through the output parts.
US09977168B2
An optical element includes a substrate, a plurality of reflective reflection layers on the substrate, and an absorbing layer over the reflection layers. The reflection layers are arranged in a striped manner in plan view. The absorbing layer absorbs polarized light oscillating in the direction in which the reflection layers extend. The optical element also includes an oxide film on the substrate between the reflection layers and on the absorbing layer. The oxide film is formed by oxidizing the absorbing layer.
US09977167B2
An optical film roll is disclosed capable of realizing excellent display characteristics while maintaining manufacturing efficiency. The optical film roll has a width corresponding to a pair of opposite sides of a liquid crystal cell and is used by being cut to a length corresponding to another pair of opposite sides of the liquid crystal cell to be continuously attached to a surface of the liquid crystal cell. The optical film roll includes a long optical film wound into a roll shape, the long optical film being obtained by subjecting a long optical raw film, which is produced by laminating a polarizing film having an absorption axis in its width direction, and a reflective polarizing film having a reflection axis in its width direction, to a slitting process in a machine direction while conveying the long optical raw film in its lengthwise direction.
US09977164B2
The present invention provides an optical member having a substrate and a dot in contact with a surface of the substrate, wherein the dot is made of a liquid crystal material having a cholesteric structure; the dot has wavelength selective reflection property; and the dot reflects both the right circularly polarized light and the left circularly polarized light at a wavelength at which the dot exhibits the wavelength selective reflection property. The present invention also provides an image display device having the above optical member. The optical member of the present invention achieves a large intensity of reflected light from the dot in the optical member, and the image display device of the present invention has favorable data input sensitivity as an image display device capable of receiving data input.
US09977144B2
Methods and apparatus for analyzing nested tubulars via electromagnetic (EM) logging. An example method includes operating an EM logging tool within tubulars nested within a wellbore. The EM logging tool includes an EM transmitter and multiple EM receivers. Data obtained via the EM receivers is utilized to estimate an individual thickness of each tubular at each of multiple depths within the wellbore. The estimated individual thicknesses are utilized to estimate a cumulative thickness of the tubulars at each depth. Local variations of the estimated cumulative thicknesses are utilized to distinguish between actual and spurious indications of differences between the estimated individual thicknesses at neighboring depths.
US09977143B2
One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method for processing seismic data comprising the steps of receiving data representing seismic energy gathered from a formation by a plurality of seismic receivers, wherein the data include primary and multiple data. A copy of the received data is created and compensated to reduce amplitude attenuation effects due to transmission and absorption losses. A multiple prediction algorithm is applied to the received and compensated data to obtain a multiple data prediction. The multiple data prediction is subtracted from the received data to obtain primary data. The primary data is processed to reduce attenuation effects in the received data.
US09977141B2
Method for building a subsurface model of velocity or other elastic property from seismic reflection data using tomography. The method uses velocity scans to pick a focusing velocity model at each image point (40). The focusing velocities are used to pick depth errors from tables (60) generated using a tomographic inversion matrix (30) and a suite of different velocity models (10). The depth errors are then reconstructed at each image point from the velocity scans based on the difference between the base velocity model and the most coherent velocity from the scan (70). The reconstructed depth errors are used to compute the velocity model update (80).
US09977140B2
An apparatus and method of processing X-ray projection data including spectral computed tomography (CT) projection data. The spectral CT data is decomposed into material projection lengths using a material-decomposition method that includes an initial-estimate method to provide an initial projection-lengths estimate. The initial-estimate method can include first reconstructing an image using non-spectral CT data, and then subdividing the reconstructed image into materials according to the relative attenuation density of areas within the reconstructed image (e.g., high attenuation areas correspond to a high attenuation material such as bone). The projection length estimates of each material are then obtained by forward projecting the corresponding subdivision of the reconstructed image. Also, the initial estimate can be obtained/refined by selecting the projection lengths with smallest cost-function value from randomly chosen projection lengths within a sample space. The initial estimate can also be conditioned on the X-ray flux at the X-ray source.
US09977135B2
A radiation imaging apparatus comprises a sensor portion including a pixel array configured to acquire an image signal corresponding to radiation, and a plurality of detection elements arranged in the pixel array and configured to detect the radiation, and a readout circuit configured to read out the image signal from the sensor portion, wherein the readout circuit includes a signal processing circuit arranged to combine and process signals from the plurality of detection elements if determining the presence or absence of radiation irradiation, and to process a signal for each detection element or combine and process signals from a number of detection elements from among the plurality of detection elements, the number being less than the number of detection elements that include the plurality of detection elements, if determining a radiation dose.
US09977133B2
Examples are provided that enable a cellular network location assist to confirm a position determined using a sensor of a mobile device. As a result of global positioning system signals becoming unavailable due to the mobile device traveling indoors, the mobile device implements a sensor-based position determination that provides a position of the mobile device as the mobile device travels about a location. In order to confirm the reliability of the sensor-based position determination, the mobile device, after passage of time or after traveling some estimated distance, requests location assistance indications from the cellular network. A processor of the mobile device receives the location assistance indications and generates a directional vector based on several of the location assistance indications. Using the directional vector, the processor confirms the reliability of the dead reckoning position.
US09977119B2
A rotating optical range finder includes a stationary base, a rotating base, an optical sensor, a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a first induction coil, and a second induction coil. The rotating base is disposed on the stationary base. The optical sensor is disposed in the rotating base. The transmitting circuit is disposed in the stationary base. The receiving circuit is disposed in the rotating base and electrically connected to the optical sensor. The first induction coil is disposed in the stationary base and electrically connected to the transmitting circuit. The second induction coil is disposed in the rotating base and electrically connected to the receiving circuit.
US09977118B2
The present invention relates to a method of operating a distance-measuring monitoring sensor for monitoring an at least two-dimensional protected field that is divided into a plurality of sector-shaped, cyclically scannable monitored fields, wherein the monitoring sensor comprises at least one light transmitter and at least one light receiver. The invention further relates to a monitoring sensor.
US09977116B2
Present disclosure describes an improved scaling mechanism for a multi-stage fixed-point FFT algorithm used to process signals received by radar or sonar systems. Proposed scaling includes scaling an output of every pair of consecutive butterfly stages of the FFT algorithm by a scaling factor equal to two times of the inverse of a growth factor for the pair of consecutive butterfly stages for the FFT algorithm for a purely complex exponential input signal. Besides this scaling, input signals are allowed to overflow by saturation. Such mechanism yields adequate performance of radar and sonar receivers implementing fixed-point FFTs for any types of input signals, from random to substantially complex exponential or sinusoidal signals. Proposed scaling achieves a balance between having signal to noise ratio (SNR) that is possible to obtain for a particular input signal and SNR that is needed to successfully process that signal for radar and sonar applications.
US09977101B2
Apparatus and method that includes amplifiers for transceiver antenna elements, and more specifically to power amplifying an RF (radio frequency) signal using a distributed power amplifier having electronic devices (such as field-effect transistors) that are thermally and/or mechanically connected to each one of a plurality of antenna elements (also called coil elements) to form a hybrid coil-amplifier (e.g., for use in a magnetic-resonance (MR) imaging or spectroscopy machine), and that is optionally adjusted from a remote location, optionally including remotely adjusting its gains, electrical resistances, inductances, and/or capacitances (which controls the magnitude, phase, frequency, spatial profile, and temporal profile of the RF signal)—and, in some embodiments, the components are compatible with, and function in, high fields (such as a magnetic field of up to and exceeding one tesla or even ten tesla or more and/or an electric field of many thousands of volts per meter).
US09977093B2
An electronic apparatus includes: an internal power supply to be charged; a charging circuit configured to supply electrical power from an external power supply to the internal power supply; a voltage measurement circuit configured to measure a voltage of the internal power supply; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the internal power supply; and an estimation circuit configured to estimate a degree of degradation of the internal power supply, wherein the estimation circuit determines whether it is possible to perform a degradation estimation process to estimate the degree of degradation of the internal power supply based on the voltage of the internal power supply and the temperature of the internal power supply, and performs the degradation estimation process on the internal power supply only when determining that it is possible to perform the degradation estimation process on the internal power supply.
US09977092B2
A voltage monitoring device has a capacitor circuit having capacitors connected in series, first switches connecting end terminals of the capacitor circuit to specific electrode terminals of unit cells in a battery pack, second switches connecting remaining electrode terminals of the unit cells to the connection nodes between the capacitors, first voltage detection sections corresponding to each of the capacitors, a second voltage detection section connected to the end terminals of the capacitor circuit, and a microcomputer which selectively performs a first process of charging each capacitor, and a second process of charging the capacitors simultaneously. The respective specific electrode terminals correspond to the unit cells, and are arranged at an interval corresponding to the number of connection nodes formed between the capacitors. The microcomputer performs a polarity switching process of adjusting for the adjacent capacitors to have a same polarity of the charged voltage before performing the second process.
US09977089B2
A charger system for battery starting current test, comprising: a battery equivalent circuit comprising a battery internal resistance R0 and an electromotive force E connected in series, two ends of the battery equivalent circuit are connected to a first signal and a second signal, respectively; a signal drive circuit, comprising a first DC output signal and a second DC output signal, and a first load circuit and a second load circuit configured between the first DC output signal and the second DC output signal, each load circuit is connected to the battery equivalent circuit and controlled by a first drive signal and a second drive signal; an intermediate resistor R28, configured between the signal drive circuit and the battery equivalent circuit. This invention uses the above technical solution to test the internal resistance of the battery, and find out the CCA value of the battery via the internal resistance correspondingly.
US09977088B2
A battery fuel gauge current sensing circuit includes: a sense unit coupled in series with the battery and configured to sense the battery current; a control unit configured to adjust the ON resistance of the sense unit based on the comparison of the voltage across the sense unit and a threshold voltage until the voltage across the sense unit is greater than the threshold voltage; and a sample unit coupled across the sense unit and configured to sample the voltage across the sense unit and to provide an analog sample voltage when the voltage across the sense unit is greater than the threshold voltage.
US09977086B2
A battery monitoring apparatus is for a vehicle including a battery and a starter for starting an engine thereof by using electric power supplied from the battery. The battery monitoring apparatus includes a current obtaining section that obtains, as a discharge current value, a value of a discharge current flowing out from the battery while the engine is being started, a current determination section that determines whether or not the discharge current value is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, a start determination section that determines whether or not the engine has been started up, and a jump-start determination section that determines that the engine has been jump-started if the discharge current value is determined to be smaller than the threshold value and the engine is determined to have been started up.
US09977082B2
A system and method for detecting a fusion of a relay of a battery is provided. The method includes detecting the fusion of the relay during disengagement of an ignition of a vehicle and determining the fusion status of the relay during engagement of the ignition of the vehicle. The method includes adjusting a first relay to an off position, after disengaging an ignition, and determining whether the fusion status of first relay based on measuring a voltage of an interval between the adjusting the first relay to an off position and adjusting a second relay to an off position. Then the second relay may be adjusted to the off position.
US09977081B2
Disclosed herein is a scan optimizer system and method designed to generate optimal ATE input/output timing with small margin but yielding stable results. Therefore the scan test time is greatly improved.
US09977078B2
Circuits and methods for loopback testing are provided. A die incorporates a receiver (RX) to each transmitter (TX) as well as a TX to each RX. This architecture is applied to each bit so, e.g., a die that transmits or receives 32 data bits during operation would have 32 transceivers (one for each bit). Focusing on one of the transceivers, a loopback architecture includes a TX data path and an RX data path that are coupled to each other through an external contact, such as a via at the transceiver. The die further includes a transmit clock tree feeding the TX data path and a receive clock tree feeding the RX data path. The transmit clock tree feeds the receive clock tree through a conductive clock node that is exposed on a surface of the die. Some systems further include a variable delay in the clock path.
US09977076B2
A technique for determining performance characteristics of electronic devices and systems is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by measuring a first response on a first transmission line from a single pulse transmitted on the first transmission line, and then measuring a second response on the first transmission line from a single pulse transmitted on at least one second transmission line, wherein the at least one second transmission line is substantially adjacent to the first transmission line. The worst case bit sequences for transmission on the first transmission line and the at least one second transmission line are then determined based upon the first response and the second response for determining performance characteristics associated with the first transmission line.
US09977074B2
A semiconductor device includes a board, an electronic component, an evaluation component, a wiring, and a groove portion. The board includes a product area, a non-product area, and a boundary area between the product area and the non-product area. The electronic component is mounted in the product area. The evaluation component is mounted in the non-product area. The wiring electrically connects the electronic component and the evaluation component. The groove portion is formed in the boundary area of the board so as to overlap at least a part of the wiring in a plan view. The non-product area is surrounded by the groove portion and at least a portion of sides of the board.
US09977070B2
A magnetron can be inspected with high accuracy. A life of the magnetron is determined on the basis of a comparison between a current parameter, which indicates a current status of the magnetron and is obtained from the one or more measurement values for specifying a current status of the magnetron at a time point when a time period having a predetermined duration or more has elapsed after generation of a high frequency power by the magnetron is started, and a difference between a power of a progressive wave and a set power is equal to or lower than a first predetermined value and a power of a reflection wave is equal to or lower than a second predetermined value, and an initial parameter, which indicates an initial status of the magnetron and corresponds to the current parameter.
US09977059B2
An electrochemical analysis apparatus 1 includes a power controller 20 that generates a rectangular wave signal having a first frequency (f1) and applies the rectangular wave signal to an electrochemical cell 10 including a plurality of electrodes 11 to 13 and an electrolyte 14, a Fourier transform section 30 that Fourier-transforms a response signal of the electrochemical cell 10 to the rectangular wave signal and calculates frequency characteristics including a component of a second frequency f2 of an integer multiple of the first frequency f1, and a calculating section 40 that calculates an impedance characteristic of the electrochemical cell 10 based on the frequency characteristics calculated by the Fourier transform section 30.
US09977054B2
Etching for probe wire tip is described particularly well suited to microelectronic device test. In one example, wires of a probe head are covered with an encapsulation material, the wires being attached to a test probe head substrate, each of the wires having two ends, the first end being attached to the substrate and the second end being opposite the substrate, each wire having an outer coating around a core. The wires are etched to remove the outer coating at the second end of the wires. The encapsulation material is then removed.
US09977050B2
A method and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) for scanning a surface of a material. The method and SPM have a cantilever sensor configured to exhibit both a first spring behavior and a second, stiffer spring behavior. While operating the SPM in contact mode, the sensor is scanned on the material surface and a first spring behavior of the sensor (e.g. a fundamental mode of flexure thereof) is excited by deflection of the sensor by the material surface. Also while operating the SPM in contact mode, excitation means are used to excite a second spring behavior of the sensor at a resonance frequency thereof (e.g. one or more higher-order resonant modes) of the cantilever sensor to modulate an interaction of the sensor and the material surface and thereby reduce the wearing of the material surface.
US09977046B2
A device includes two electrically isolated metalized posts attached in close proximity to each other on a bendable substrate. When the bendable substrate bends concavely with respect to the surface onto which the posts are mounted, the distance between the tops of the two posts decreases. At a fixed bending curvature, the two posts will meet and complete an electrical circuit. The posts comprise a flexible material so that the meeting of the posts has minimal effect on the spring constant or damping coefficient of the harmonic oscillation.
US09977040B2
The invention relates to a device for bringing an immobilized reactant into contact with at least one fluid, said device comprising: a basin having a bottom surface from which an upper side of at least one elevated portion projects into the interior of the basin, and said at least one elevated portion having a channel running, preferably perpendicular to the bottom surface of the basin, from the bottom surface of the basin to the upper side of the portion, and leading into at least one outlet opening on the upper side of the elevated portion, wherein the channel is fed from at least one fluid reservoir via a supply element by means of a pump device, said reservoir containing the at least one fluid; a holding device designed to detachably hold at least one object carrier, preferably a plurality of object carriers, having at least one surface of adhesion to the immobilized reactant, in such a way that the adhesion surface is facing the interior of the basin, and the upper side of the elevated portion and the adhesion surface are positioned relative to one another in such a way that fluid exiting the outlet opening comes into contact with the immobilized reactant; and optionally an object carrier introduced into the holding device. The invention also relates to a method for bringing an immobilized reactant into contact with at least one fluid, comprising the following steps: immobilizing the reactant on the adhesion surface of at least one object carrier suitable for introduction into the holding device of the device according to the invention; (provided that the preceding steps were carried out outside of the device according to the invention) introducing the object carrier into the holding device of the device according to the invention, preferably via a transport device in the device according to the invention; introducing the at least one fluid via the supply element in the direction of the outlet opening, until the at least one fluid comes into contact with the immobilized reactant.
US09977038B2
Provided is the development of a convenient LA detection method in which even a sample derived from a patient who receives anticoagulant therapy of warfarin, heparin or the like, is not affected by the anticoagulant therapy, discrimination from the deficiency of blood coagulation factors is enabled, and healthy person's plasma is not used. The method for detecting lupus anticoagulant includes the following steps (A), (B) and (C): (A) a step of adding a buffer solution composition containing blood coagulation factors to each of a blood sample and a diluted sample of the blood sample before measurement or at the time of measurement of the blood coagulation time; (B) a step of measuring the blood coagulation times for the various samples of step (A); and (C) a step of comparing the blood coagulation times for the various samples obtained in step (B).
US09977035B2
A method of detecting and measuring the level of total hemopexin and nitrated hemopexin in a sample of a patient in need thereof. The method uses an ELISA for total and nitrated hemopexin.
US09977030B2
The present invention stems from the finding that the extracellular domain of CD31 proteins present on blood leukocytes is shed and released in the circulation as a soluble form of CD31. A method for detecting shed CD31 is further disclosed. The invention therefore relates to a method for detecting a shed ectodomain of a transmembrane protein such as CD31 and to the use of such a method as a diagnostic tool. The invention further provides methods for determining whether a candidate protein is part of a molecular complex.
US09977028B2
A mass spectrometry-based method for analyzing an acidic organic target compound includes directing a charged solvent (44) toward a pre-acidified sample (12) comprising the target compound, to thereby ionize the pre-acidified sample (12). The method further includes directing the ionized pre-acidified sample (54) to a mass spectrometer (18), the mass spectrometer (18) being configured to identify and quantify the target compound.
US09977027B2
A method for analyzing one or more nitrogen-containing compounds is disclosed. In the method, a ninhydrin-containing composition is irradiated with UV light in an activation zone to produce a ninhydrin reagent containing hydrindantin. The ninhydrin reagent is passed to a reaction zone. In the reaction zone the ninhydrin reagent is contacted with the nitrogen-containing compounds.
US09977022B2
Method for the detection and classification of PRRSV-infections in swine herds, comprising a) the incubation of tissue samples taken from the animals with at least one antigen capable to bind a neutralizing antibody against the Type I-virus possibly present in the animal and with at least one antigen capable to bind a neutralizing antibody against the Type II-virus possibly present in the animal, b) testing whether a binding of antibodies against the Type I-virus and/or the Type II-virus has taken place and c) determining from the presence of possible epitope-antibody complexes whether an infection of the PRRSV I-Type and/or PRRSV II-Type is present in the herd and diagnostic compositions for such a method.
US09977021B2
The invention provides methods of isolating CD127lo/− immunosuppressive regulatory T cells which can be greatly enriched for FoxP3, methods of expanding the isolated cells, pharmaceutical compositions of such cells, and methods of their use in the treatment of autoimmune and other immune system mediated disorders.
US09977016B2
Methods of characterizing nanoparticles, nanoparticle complexes, and their biomolecular interactions are provided. Concurrent excitation and emission wavelength scans are performed and the optimal fluorescence intensity for the intersect of these wavelengths is determined. The intersect is dependent upon the physical characteristics of the particle and can be used to verify, for example, attachment of biomolecules, amount of biomolecules present, and structure of the attached biomolecule.
US09977004B2
Systems and methods are provided for measuring the amount of cationic organic water treatment additives in water systems. Disclosed systems and methods monitor, analyze and control the amounts of cationic organic water treatment additive supplied to the water. Disclosed systems and methods may include various dyes and surfactants for facilitating the monitoring and control of the cationic organic water treatment additives.
US09976996B2
An efficient absorption spectroscopy system is provided. The spectroscopy system may be configured to measure solid, liquid or gaseous samples. Vacuum ultra-violet wavelengths may be utilized. Some of the disclosed techniques can be used for detecting the presence of trace concentrations of gaseous species. A preferable gas flow cell is disclosed. Some of the disclosed techniques may be used with a gas chromatography system so as to detect and identify species eluted from the column. Some of the disclosed techniques may be used in conjunction with an electrospray interface and a liquid chromatography system so as to detect and identify gas phase ions of macromolecules produced from solution. Some of the disclosed techniques may be used to characterize chemical reactions. Some of the disclosed techniques may be used in conjunction with an ultra short-path length sample cell to measure liquids.
US09976994B2
A system reduces unwanted noise due to pump movement. The system includes a pump including a non-conductive piston extending into a pumping chamber for pumping the sample fluid along an analysis fluid path, a wash chamber, and a seal fluidly separating the pumping chamber from the wash chamber. The system also includes a wash path supplying a wash fluid from a wash reservoir to the wash chamber, an electrical conductor electrically connecting the analysis fluid path to the wash fluid path, and a ground conductor electrically connecting the electrical conductor to ground via a resistor. The electrical conductors and resistor combination between the chambers reduces unwanted noise in the conductivity detector due voltage potentials between the eluent and wash chambers created as the piston moves between the chambers.
US09976991B2
A sensor head is described herein. The sensor head can include a first piece, where the first piece can include a body having an outer surface and an inner surface. The first piece can also include a light source cavity disposed in the body at the inner surface. The first piece can further include an optical device cavity disposed in the body at the inner surface. The first piece can also include an ellipsoidal cavity disposed in the body at the inner surface, where the ellipsoidal cavity is disposed adjacent to the optical device cavity. The first piece can further include a receiving device cavity disposed in the body adjacent to the inner surface that forms the ellipsoidal cavity. The first piece can also include at least one channel disposed in the body.
US09976961B2
A SERS element comprises a substrate; a fine structure part formed on a front face of the substrate and having a plurality of pillars; and a conductor layer formed on the fine structure part and constituting an optical function part for generating surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The conductor layer has a base part formed along the front face of the substrate and a plurality of protrusions protruding from the base part at respective positions corresponding to the pillars. The base part and the protrusions form a plurality of gaps in the conductor layer, each of the gaps having an interstice gradually decreasing in the projecting direction of the pillar.
US09976957B2
A device for measuring floating micro-organisms and an air conditioner including a device for measuring floating micro-organisms are provided. The device for measuring floating micro-organisms may include an air flow path through which air including floating micro-organisms may flow, a first main body provided at a first side of the air flow path and having a first space and a second space, a second main body provided at a second side of the air flow path and in which a collecting portion to collect the floating micro-organisms may be provided, a light emitter provided in the first space that emits a predetermined wavelength range of light toward the collecting portion, and a light receiver provided in the second space that detects a fluorescence signal generated from light which acts on riboflavin contained in the floating micro-organisms.
US09976952B2
In general, this disclosure is directed to a flexible or stretchable sensor and a method of detecting a substance and/or electromagnetic radiation using said sensor. The sensor comprises a flexible or stretchable substrate, a pair of terminal electrodes disposed on the flexible or stretchable substrate in mutually spaced apart and opposing relation, and a sensing element applied to the flexible or stretchable substrate, between and in electrical contact with the pair of terminal electrodes, wherein the sensing element is responsive to a substance and/or electromagnetic radiation impinging thereon, and wherein when a voltage is applied across the sensor, an electrical signal is generated that is proportional to a resistance value corresponding to a sensing of the substance and/or electromagnetic radiation impinging on the sensing element.
US09976948B2
A phase separation observation method according to one embodiment includes determining a progress degree of phase separation of a self-assembly material layer. The progress degree is determined based on the birefringence amount of an observation object. The observation object includes a substrate, and a self-assembly material layer formed on the substrate.
US09976943B2
The invention relates to a device to position and align a rotationally-symmetrical body (28) with respect to a measuring device (19) for the implementation of a measurement on the rotationally-symmetrical body (28), having a basic element (24) which has a contact surface (22) on a pin (23) or is allocated to a contact surface (22) on which the rotationally-symmetrical body (28) is supported for the implementation of the measurement, wherein a positioning element (41) which can be moved relative to the contact surface (22) is provided on the basic element (24), said positioning element (41) comprising a prismatic receiver (64), wherein the contact surface (22) is positioned within the prismatic receiver (64) or abuts on this and a movement path of the positioning element (41) towards the basic element (22) corresponds at least to the height of the prismatic receiver (64).
US09976931B2
An optical imaging arrangement includes an optical projection system and a support structure system. The optical projection system includes a group of optical elements configured to transfer, in an exposure process using exposure light along an exposure light path, an image of a pattern of a mask onto a substrate. The support structure system includes an optical element support structure and a metrology support structure. The optical element support structure supports the group of optical elements, while the metrology support structure supports a group of metrology devices associated with the group of optical elements and configured to capture status information representative of at least one of a position and an orientation of each of the optical elements in at least one degree of freedom up to all six degrees of freedom.
US09976919B2
A fiber-optic force and displacement sensor includes a mirror comprising a plurality of sectors extending from a center point to a peripheral edge. Each of the sectors has a high reflectance corresponding to only one of a plurality of single wavelength light beams having different wavelengths transmitted from a laser light source. A method of measuring force and displacement includes measuring the radiant flux between each of a plurality of reflected single wavelength light beams that change as the area of the sectors are displaced towards and away from a center of projection of a combination light beam that comprises the plurality of single wavelength light beams projected towards the center point of the mirror when the mirror is in a rested position. Forces acting upon the mirror are measured as a function of the displacement of the mirror and the transverse and the axial stiffness of a connector.
US09976918B2
A pressure sensing device having a Dirac material and a method of operating the same are provided. The pressure sensing device includes a Dirac material pattern disposed on a substrate and having a band structure in which Dirac cones meet at a Dirac point. A source electrode and a drain electrode are respectively connected to the Dirac material pattern. A spacer layer including a cavity on the Dirac material pattern is disposed on the substrate. A gate electrode overlapping the Dirac material pattern is disposed on the cavity.
US09976911B1
Sensors, devices, apparatus, systems and methods for replacing microlens arrays with one or more switchable diffractive waveplate microlens arrays for providing measurements of wavefronts and intensity distribution in light beams with high spatial resolution with a single optical radiation sensor. The device acts like a conventional Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor when the microlens array elements are in focusing state, and the device performs light beam intensity profile characterization acting as a beam profiler when the optical power of lens array elements is switched off.
US09976910B2
An infrared detector includes a source region and a drain region which are formed on a semiconductor substrate, an infrared ray absorbing film as a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode which is formed of a transparent electrode for infrared rays on the gate insulating film, in which, when a predetermined voltage is applied to the gate electrode, a predetermined current flows between the source region and the drain region.
US09976909B2
An apparatus and method for controlling stray radiation within a CVD chamber. A heater array disposed beneath a wafer carrier for radiatively heating of the wafer carrier includes a peripheral or outermost heating element or elements. Scattered radiation originating from a designated segment of the peripheral heating element(s) can be reduced locally by one of several mechanisms, including reducing the emission (e.g., operating temperature) of the designated segment, or capturing or deflecting a portion of the radiation originating from the designated segment. In one embodiment, an electrical connector on a resistance heating element provides the reduced emission from the designated segment. It has been found that radiation thermometers fixed proximate an axis that extends from the center of the wafer carrier and across the designated segment is subject to less stray radiation, thus providing a more reliable temperature reading in the optical wavelengths.
US09976905B2
Since both gloss and a reflection characteristic are measured by one surface characteristic measurement device, a gloss measurement target area and a reflection characteristic measurement target area are appropriately set. A gloss measurement instrument and a color measurement instrument are integrated with a gloss colorimeter. The gloss measurement instrument illuminates an illumination target face by illumination light, receives reflected light generated by a regular reflection of the illumination light on the illumination target face, and outputs a measurement result for the reflected light. A size of the gloss measurement target area can be changed. The color measurement instrument illuminates the illumination target face by annular illumination light, receives reflected light generated by a reflection of the annular illumination light on the illumination target face, and outputs a measurement result for the reflected light. A size of the reflection characteristic measurement target area can be changed.
US09976896B2
Utilizing a quench time to deionize an ultraviolet (UV) sensor tube are described herein. One method includes monitoring firing events within a UV sensor tube, where a particular firing event initiates arming the UV sensor tube, initiating a quench time to deionize the UV sensor tube, where the quench time includes, disarming the UV sensor tube to prevent a firing event.
US09976892B2
The volume measuring device has a coating forming means which, using resin, forms a coating on either part or all of the inner surface of the cylinder; a pressure measuring means which introduces a fixed quantity of gas into the cylinder in which the coating has been formed, or derives a fixed quantity of gas from the inside of the cylinder, and measures the pressure within the cylinder before and after the introduction/derivation; and a volume calculating means which uses the pressure value obtained by the pressure measuring means to calculate the volume of the cylinder.
US09976890B2
A flowmeter is provides that includes a sensor assembly and meter electronics. The flowmeter comprises one or more rigid flow tubes, a driver coupled to the flow tubes that is oriented to induce a drive mode vibration in the flow tubes. Two or more strain gages are coupled to the one or more rigid flow tubes and oriented to sense tension and compression of the flow tubes. One or more bridge circuits is in electrical communication with the two or more strain gages, wherein outputs of the bridge circuits are proportional to a strain detected by at least one of the strain gages.
US09976889B1
A tuning fork, particularly for a Coriolis mass flowmeter, and method of assembly comprising providing a first and a second measuring tube; providing a driver holder per measuring tube; providing at least one sensor holder per measuring tube; providing a first bracket part and fixing it to opposing portions of said first and second measuring tube such that said bracket part forms a bridge between said measuring tubes at positions corresponding to said driver holders; providing at least one second bracket part and fixing it to opposing portions of said first and second measuring tube such that said second bracket part forms a bridge between said measuring tubes at positions corresponding to said sensor holders; fixing at least one additional part of the tuning fork to the bracketed measuring tubes; severing said first bracket part; and severing said second bracket part. The disclosure additionally provides a tuning fork pre-stage.
US09976884B2
There is provided an electromagnetic flowmeter including a measurement tube through which fluid to be measured flows, a lining which covers an inner side of the measurement tube, electrodes which are respectively inserted into through-holes formed in the lining and which output a detection signal based on an electromotive force generated in the fluid, and a lining wear detection unit which measures a magnitude of a slurry noise included in the detection signal to detect wear of the lining. The electrodes are configured such that a portion in contact with the fluid in a state where the lining has no wear is coated with a porous insulating material. The lining wear detection unit detects the wear of the lining by comparing the magnitude of the measured slurry noise with the magnitude of the slurry noise in the state where the lining has no wear.
US09976880B2
A sensor fiber for the detection of changes of temperature, bending, and/or torsion includes a multicore optical waveguide with a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) structure. One embodiment contains at least two FBG cores and a surrounding cladding. The sensor fiber is characterized by one or more distinction and orientation means which produce a marker zone to assign and label each individual FBG core.
US09976875B2
Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for use in landing identification. In this regard, a method is provided comprising receiving pulse information over a first time period, wherein the pulse information is indicative of an angular distance traveled by a first wheel, comparing the pulse information to a threshold value, and determining a likelihood of a landing event based upon the comparison. In various embodiments, a system is provided comprising a monostable multivibrator in electrical communication with a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a resistor-capacitor network in electrical communication with the MOSFET, and a comparator that receives a voltage from the resistor-capacitor network and a reference voltage.
US09976871B2
Methods, computer-readable storage media, and systems for signaling a communication device through an AMR interface for an immediate read of status information. It is determined whether the AMR interface is in an idle state, and if the interface is idle, the communication device is signaled to initiate retrieval of the status information through a data line of the AMR interface. Once the communication device initiates communication through the AMR interface, the data line is released.
US09976867B2
A navigation method for a wearer of a see-through head mounted device, the method comprising: •—a wearer visualization parameter providing step (S1), during which at least one wearer visualization parameter is provided, •—a geo-position determining step (S2), during which the geo-position of the wearer along a route is determined, •—a geo-position comparing step during which the geo-position of the wearer determined during the geo-position determining step is compared to stored geo-positions along the route and •—a navigation visual aid function adapting step (S3) during which upon matching of the geo-position of the wearer with one of the stored geo-positions, the navigation visual aid function is adapted based on the wearer vision parameter and the geo-position of the wearer to facilitate the guiding of the wearer.
US09976859B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided which receive requests for map data, and generate virtual tables for accessing underlying navigational map data. Navigational functionality may be offered through structured query language (SQL) commands for all kinds of navigation data by the use of virtual tables. By offering functionality through SQL commands map developers benefit because there is no difference in accessing low-level data of the navigation database and higher-level functionality such as displaying map components. The commands used to send information to the graphic user interface, the navigation core, as well as the data access layer may all be accessed using virtual tables and SQL commands.
US09976858B2
A sensor is disclosed for detecting a rotational motion about a resulting sensitivity axis. The sensor includes at least two dual mass gyroscope units, each of the gyroscope units are adapted to detect a rotational motion about a sensitivity axis of the respective gyroscope unit. The sensitivity axes being parallel to each other and to the resulting sensitivity axis. The gyroscope units are interconnected at the inertial masses of the gyroscope units which cause the gyroscope unit to operate synchronously.
US09976855B1
A top mounted column placement element includes a plumb bob hanging element to allow a plumb bob to hang from the top mounted column placement element and identify a corresponding portion of a bottom mounted column placement element. The top mounted column placement element defines a column perimeter. The bottom mounted column placement element also defines a column perimeter. Once the top mounted column placement portion and bottom mounted column placement element are in place, the column can be placed and set to conform to both defined column perimeters, ensuring the column is properly positioned.
US09976850B2
An optical surface roughness measurement-enabling arrangement and method are disclosed for enabling measurement of the surface roughness of a material. The arrangement comprises an optical radiation source for generating a beam of collimated radiation along a first axis for illuminating the surface of the material with the radiation directed along the first axis, a refractive optical element optically alignable with the beam of radiation for refracting the beam along a second axis which is non-parallel with the first axis, for illuminating the surface of the material with the radiation directed along the second axis and a detector which is arranged to detect the radiation, incident upon the surface along the first axis and second axis, which becomes reflected off the surface of the material. An optical surface roughness measuring arrangement and method are also disclosed for providing a measurement value of the surface roughness.
US09976838B1
A disrupter cannon and a reducer for increasing a pressure of water expelled from the disrupter cannon to disable an explosive device housed in a hardened container.
US09976830B2
Described herein is a firearm barrel operable to manage gas pressure behind a projectile traveling through the firearm barrel. The design of the firearm barrel enables a firearm to be discharged at a low-report by managing gas pressure behind a bullet while the bullet is under compression from the barrel. In embodiments, the firearm barrel includes an inner barrel having at least one opening in its surface and an outer tube surrounding the inner barrel, such that a chamber is created between the inner barrel and outer tube, the chamber being operable to temporarily retain gases that are generated as a result of discharging a firearm. The gases may pass from the barrel into the chamber through the at least one opening, and the gases may be temporarily retained within the chamber before escaping back through the at least one opening and out of the barrel behind a discharged projectile.
US09976817B2
Planar element adapted to form, when stacked with a plurality of other such elements, a heat exchanger, comprising an inlet region, a first zone adapted to direct flow from the inlet region towards a second zone, a second zone comprising at least one cutout in the plane of the planar element, adapted to accommodate a cooling core, a third zone, adapted to direct flow from the second zone towards an outlet region and an outlet region, the planar element comprising a first blockage protrusion disposed along a first group of said side edges, the first group comprising at least a side edge adjacent to said outlet region, and a second blockage protrusion disposed along a second group of said side edges, the second group comprising at least a side edge adjacent to said inlet region.
US09976810B2
To recover water from a cooling tower exhaust an air entry is provided adjacent thereto which feeds into a cooling heat exchanger. The cooling heat exchanger reduces a temperature of the wet air entering the air entry, causing condensation of water. This condensed water is captured and discharged from the system separate from dry air. A pre-cooler loop can be provided with a pre-cooler heat exchanger upstream of the cooling heat exchanger and fed by a cool line with a cold working fluid drawing heat out of the wet air. The pre-cooler heat exchanger can have its working fluid re-cooled in a second heat exchanger which exchanges heat with the cooler dry air downstream of the cooling heat exchanger. The cooling heat exchanger has a cold fluid passing therethrough which is cooled by a refrigeration system or some other cold fluid source.
US09976802B2
A cooling device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a case; a tray installed inside the case and on which a beverage container is placed; a mixing member configured to perform a seesaw motion about a mixing axis to mix a fluid filled in the beverage container; a driving part connected to the mixing member and configured to provide driving force; and a cool air supply part configured to supply cool air into the case, wherein the mixing member comprises: a supporter configured to protrude from a bottom of the case, the tray being connected to an upper end of the supporter to perform the seesaw motion; a driving link connected to one end of the case; and a mixing motor configured to transmit the driving force to the driving link, wherein the tray comprises: a tray body; a first seating part formed on the tray body so that the beverage container is placed in a lengthwise direction of the tray body; and a second seating part formed on the tray body in a direction that crosses the first seating part.
US09976801B2
A system is disclosed for monitoring and controlling a refrigerated medical storage unit. The system may include a control station. The control station may receive temperature information from the refrigerated medical storage unit and may cause at least a portion of the temperature information to be stored. The control station may determine whether the temperature is outside a predefined range and may causes an alarm to be generated when the temperature is outside the predefined range. The control station may receive user authentication information from a user, and upon verification of the user authentication information, send unlock instructions to the refrigerated medical storage unit.
US09976791B2
A refrigerator includes a main body section having at least one storage chamber, a door section, a cooling cycle section, a temperature measurement section, a defrost section for removing frost adhered to the evaporator and a control unit configured to operate the refrigerator in a power-saving mode when at least one of operation conditions to calculate an operation ratio of the compressor for each predetermined check time in the power-saving mode, and to operate the defrost section when the operation ratio is equal to or greater than a predefined threshold operation ratio.
US09976785B2
An apparatus for reducing discharge pressure includes a compensator reservoir and a compensator line. The compensator line connects the compensator reservoir and a liquid line. The liquid line connects an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger of a reversible HVAC system. The compensator line includes a connection to the compensator reservoir and a connection to the liquid line. A first expansion device is disposed in the liquid line and configured to only act on refrigerant flowing towards the outdoor heat exchanger. A second expansion device disposed in the liquid line and configured to only act on refrigerant flowing towards the indoor heat exchanger. The compensator is operable to receive refrigerant, driven by pressure, from the HVAC system, and further operable to allow refrigerant to flow back into the HVAC system.
US09976782B1
Standalone and self-contained cooling systems using compressed liquid and/or gas C02 containers positioned in an insulated or non-insulated vessel and consisting of a specially designed unit where the containers are vertically positioned in an upright or upside-down position. The liquid and/or gas CO2 coolant is then released into capillary tube(s) embedded into a heat transfer plate or heat exchanger thus leveraging the C02 coolant properties. The temperature is controlled by a metering C02 releasing system encompassing an electronic control device which can be operated remotely and/or via a touch screen and which sends alerts when pre-defined thresholds are exceeded. The invention's metering C02 releasing system may be triggered by an electronic or a thermostatic valve or may be triggered manually or by an electronic solenoid. The invention's cooling system also encompasses check valves, which avoid liquid and/or gas C02 from escaping when removing or replacing C02 containers individually.
US09976777B2
A solar thermal collecting system, including at least one solar thermal collector and a pressure-adjusting module, is provided. The solar thermal collector includes a container, a light-transmissive cover that seals the container, and a plurality of solar thermal collecting pipes. The solar thermal collecting pipes are installed in the container, so as to allow a heat transfer material to flow therein. The outer surfaces of the solar thermal collecting pipes are correspondingly deposited with solar selective coatings for absorbing solar radiation energy, transforming the radiation energy into thermal energy, and transmitting thermal energy to the heat transfer material flowing in the solar thermal collecting pipes. The pressure-adjusting module controls the heat loss rate of the solar thermal collector by adjusting the air pressure inside the solar thermal collector and controlling the direction of air circulation to flow in or out of the solar thermal collector.
US09976774B1
A system and method for improving the responsiveness of forced hot water heat exchangers placed around the baseboards of conditioned living spaces and improving the efficiently of centralized hot water heating systems. The control system may comprise replacement baseboard heat exchanger cover, a blower, a diffuser and a sensor which are mounted to one or more baseboard heat exchangers. When heating system and forced hot water reaches its operating temperature, the blower activates to rapidly transfer energy from the heated water into the air and disperse treated, heated air into the room. After the centralized heating system turns off, the system continues to disperse the treated, heated air until the latent heat of the heating element centralized heating system has been extracted and the return loop temperatures are at levels consistent with optimal boiler performance.
US09976767B2
Air-to-air heat exchanger for ventilation systems with two countercurrent air flows disposed inside a cylindrical housing, a first air flow circulating inside the heat exchanger inside closed pipes, while the second air flow is in spaces between the pipes and cylindrical housing, and a fan moving the countercurrent air flows and disposed at one end of the cylindrical housing, with the fan including concentric inner and outer rings separated by a wall for moving air in opposite directions, a bunch of straight, parallel pipes whose end elements at the fan side are tightly gathered together, in the end of a cylindrical wall and, on the opposite side, in the end of a cylindrical pipe fitting, and between end elements, taper into middle sections between which are spaces, and a sleeve lining the inner wall of the housing at the middle sections and constricts the inner diameter of the housing.
US09976766B2
An air-conditioning apparatus includes a time constant calculation unit that estimates a response time constant at a time when an opening degree of an expansion device is changed on the basis of specifications of a compressor that forms a refrigeration cycle of the air-conditioning apparatus, specifications of a load side heat exchanger, and an operating state quantity of the air-conditioning apparatus, a control constant calculation means that calculates at least one of a control gain of the opening degree of the expansion device and a control interval on the basis of a calculation result of the time constant calculation means, and a control constant change means that changes a control constant.
US09976763B2
An HVAC system may include a VAV box including a damper movable between a first damper position and a second damper position and an HVAC controller that is mounted remotely from the VAV box. The HVAC controller may be configured to control the VAV box in accordance with a temperature set point entered into the HVAC controller and may be programmed with a test and balance procedure. In some cases, the HVAC controller may also be programmed with functionality that facilitates an installer or other technician in configuring and/or reconfiguring the VAV box. This may include providing a user interface that supports a test and balance procedure of the VAV box. Such functionality may be user-accessible via the user interface of the HVAC controller, and in some cases, may be used to drive the damper of the VAV box between various damper positions as well as perform other functionality.
US09976762B2
A synthetic jet driven cooling device includes at least one synthetic jet actuator to generate and project a series of fluid vortices. A manifold coupled to the synthetic jet actuator(s) receives the fluid vortices and generates a primary air stream. An air amplifier connected to the manifold by a connecting pipe receives the primary air stream. The air amplifier includes an air intake oriented perpendicular to the connecting pipe and an air outlet positioned opposite the air intake, with a venturi section positioned between the air intake and air outlet that has a diameter smaller than the air intake diameter. A low pressure region in a center of the venturi section entrains a surrounding air in through the air intake to generate a secondary air stream that combines with the primary air stream to generate a combined air flow that flows through the venturi and exits the air outlet.
US09976759B2
A system includes a coil of an outdoor unit, where tubing forming the coil is configured to circulate a refrigerant therethrough, a fan configured to direct air from within an inner chamber formed by a structure of the coil such that air is in a heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant, a motor located within the inner chamber, where the motor is configured to rotate the fan, a panel coupled to the coil, a fan controller mounted to the panel such that the fan controller is positioned within the inner chamber remote from the fan and the motor, where the fan controller is coupled to the motor, and the fan controller is configured to supply power to the motor to adjust a speed of the fan, and a rain shield disposed over the fan controller and configured to block contaminants from entering a housing of the fan controller.
US09976758B2
An indoor unit of an air conditioning device which is installed on a wall surface of a room includes an air sending fan which sends room air from an air inlet disposed at an upper part to an air outlet disposed at a lower part of a front side; heat exchangers disposed at the upstream side of the air sending fan; and a back case which is located close to the wall surface with respect to the air sending fan and supports the heat exchangers, wherein the back case is composed of an air outlet passage wall member which forms an air outlet passage for air blown out from the air sending fan and an installation member which is located on a back side of the air outlet passage wall member and is mounted on an installation plate which is fixed on the wall surface with the air outlet passage wall member and the installation member being arranged in parallel in the front and back direction, and a first space is formed between a back surface of an air outlet passage wall of the air outlet passage wall member and the installation member.
US09976756B2
A radiator bracket connects a radiator to a support surface, such as a wall, and includes at least one vertically extending channel having a width that decreases from an open end to a narrow end with the narrow end being located closer to either the radiator or the support surface. The vertically extending channel can be a single channel or two channels. Where the bracket has a single channel, two brackets can be used with one of the brackets having its narrow end closest to the radiator and the other having its narrow end closest to the wall.
US09976747B2
A stove or a stove body has a trigger control that directs toxic fumes to the stovetop during cooking and to a side outdoor venting channel when cooking container is removed from the stovetop to ensure safe release of toxic fumes.
US09976746B2
A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine is provided. The combustor assembly generally includes an annular dome and a liner. The liner at least partially defines a combustion chamber and includes the forward end received within a slot defined by the annular dome. Additionally, a heat shield is provided. The heat shield includes an end also received within the slot defined by the annular dome. A mounting assembly attaches the forward end of the liner and the end of the heat shield to the annular dome, such that the forward end of the liner and the end of the heat shield are co-mounted within the slot defined by the annular dome.
US09976737B2
A computer case is provided, including a housing and a light-emitting module. The housing has a cover and a main body. The cover coveringly is attached to the main body and having a receiving portion. The light-emitting module is attached to the receiving portion and includes a shell, a substrate, a boost circuit and a plasma tube. The shell has a light-penetrable portion, and the boost circuit is disposed on the substrate. The plasma tube has a light-emitting main body and two electrodes. The light-emitting main body at least partly corresponds to the light-penetrable portion.
US09976735B2
A linear light fixture is provided which includes a housing body onto which a bezel is attached. Semiconductor LEDs or other light emitting source that produce light when electrically powered are located behind a lens that is secured to the housing body by the bezel. One or more incandescent light bulbs that include an electric filament that produce light when electrified as well as one or more fluorescent bulbs that produce light based at least in part on the electrification and illumination of a plasma or gas can also be used as a source of illumination. For example, the linear light fixture can further include a driver housing that includes a driver housing cover to permit access to at least one driver and/or battery backup components located within the driver housing. There is also at least one window in the bezel which permits illumination of an area or object.
US09976733B1
A lighting device includes a substrate, a control circuit, multiple lighting elements and an opaque division plate. The control circuit, the lighting elements and the division plate are mounted on the substrate. The control circuit has a sensor. The lighting elements are electrically connected to the control circuit. The division plate is located between the control circuit and the lighting elements. Given the opaque division plate installed between the lighting elements and the control circuit, light emitted from the lighting elements fails to penetrate through the division plate and is thus not sensed by the sensor on the control circuit opposite to the lighting elements. Accordingly, when detecting a dark environmental luminance, the control circuit activates the lighting elements, and after the lighting elements are activated, light emitted from the lighting elements won't cast on the sensor to affect correct determination of the control circuit.
US09976732B2
The light fixture includes a frame configured to define a channel, and a substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel disposed within the frame. Power circuitry is disposed within the first channel, the power circuitry being configured to electrically couple the substantially flat LED panel to an external AC power supply. The power circuitry is sized to be positioned within the first channel and has a length and a width, the length-to-width ratio being at least 5 to 1, and optionally at least 10 to 1. The power circuitry is configured to convert an AC input into a DC output suitable for powering the substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel. The substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel includes an optically transmissive panel, and an array of LEDs disposed adjacent to an edge of the optically transmissive panel and disposed adjacent at least one edge of the frame.
US09976730B1
A quick installation LED lamp includes an aluminum profile having a groove on a top thereof, the aluminum profile being provided with an abutting portion on a bottom thereof; a light source assembly received in the groove, the light source assembly comprising a support strip and a plurality of LED beads arranged spaced and equidistantly on the support strip; a lampshade mounted on the aluminum profile and covering the light source assembly; a connector assembly, and a fixing piece having a base plate and the two side plates extending upwardly from both sides of the base plate, wherein the side plate has a bending portion latching with the abutting portion.
US09976726B2
A window assembly includes a pressure pane and a bezel proximate a periphery of the pressure pane and defining an inner opening. The bezel includes an inner wall with a channel. An electro-optic element is disposed in the inner opening and is received in the channel of the inner wall. The electro-optic element operates between a transmissive condition and a dimmed condition. A surface of the electro-optic element exhibits a first level of spectral reflectivity at least when in the dimmed condition. The assembly further includes a dust cover assembly proximate the bezel. The dust cover assembly including a light transmitting sheet and a plurality of light sources disposed at edges of the light transmitting sheet and to emit light into the light transmitting sheet to illuminate the light transmitting sheet with a diffuse light.
US09976719B2
In a diffusion light distribution optical system configured such that a plurality of lens bodies are arranged to be aligned in a vehicle width direction, second emission surfaces of the plurality of lens bodies form a continuous emission surface having a semicircular column shape and extending in a line in the vehicle width direction in a state where the second emission surfaces are adjacent to each other, and one or more lens bodies of the plurality of lens bodies are arranged in a state where an optical axis of a first lens unit is slanted with respect to a vehicle travel direction.
US09976714B2
The present disclosure describes light delivery and distribution components of a light duct that can be used as a luminaire, such as a bollard-style luminaire that can be useful for the illumination of pedestrian crosswalks, the light engine useful in the luminaire, and methods for making the light engine and the luminaire. The present disclosure further describes methods for crosswalk illumination using the bollard-style luminaires, and methods of communication between bollard luminaires. The bollard luminaire includes a design that generally confines light to illuminate the crosswalk and the pedestrian in the crosswalk, such that light that could produce glare for the pedestrian and/or a driver approaching the crosswalk is minimized.
US09976709B2
A method for making an LED lighting fixture includes the steps of: a) cutting a flat blank to form a flat plate including a central piece having a central region and a circumferential region, and a plurality of peripheral extensions; b) forming on the flat plate a patterned circuit which includes a plurality of electrical contact pairs that are formed on the central piece or the peripheral extensions; c) bringing a plurality of LED dies into electrical contact with the electrical contact pairs, respectively; and d) bending the peripheral extensions rearwardly relative to the central piece and toward the central axis to form a shell.
US09976698B1
A multi-angled television wall mount is a television mounting system that is adapted to have extension arms with multiple angle adjustments for mounting a television to irregularly angled wall or ceiling surfaces. The mounting system has two vertical angle adjustments and two horizontal angle adjustments.
US09976697B2
A mounting system for attaching an audio/visual device to a surface via a surface mounting member. The mounting system includes a support attachment bracket configured to operatively connect to the surface mounting member, a display mounting bracket configured to operatively connect to the audio/visual device, an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a position of the display mounting bracket relative to the support attachment bracket between a collapsed position and a tilted position, and a locking feature configured to selectively engage a post for retaining the mounting system in the collapsed position. The locking feature is disposed on one of the support attachment bracket, the display mounting bracket, and the adjustment mechanism. The post is disposed on another of the support attachment bracket, the display mounting bracket, and the adjustment mechanism.
US09976695B2
A holder for supporting one or more media sheets with respect to a monitor, the holder comprising a body a plurality of retainers, the retainers being configured such that in use a media sheet is biased by the retainer into contact with the body so as to be supported in facing relationship with the body and a connector adapted to connect the body with the monitor.
US09976693B1
Systems and methods for mounting a weapon are provided. The system includes an adjustable stand, which includes a support base, at least two adjustable cradles configured to secure a hunting weapon, a swivel joint configured to rotate the support base and secure the support base at a pivoting angle, and a mounting device configured to secure the adjustable stand to an external device, the mounting device being coupled to the swivel joint.
US09976690B2
The invention relates to a foot (6) of a device, in particular of a table-top kitchen appliance (1), wherein the device has a housing (5) comprising an appendage (9), which projects downwards in the case of a common setup, which rests on a foot part (12), which forms a base (10), by interlaying a soft part (25), wherein the soft part (25) is received in a shell section (18) of the foot part (12), which is open to the top, and the appendage, which projects into the shell section, is also movably received in the shell section at right angles to a deflection movement as a result of a weight force of the device, wherein the soft part furthermore forms an upper impact surface (27) for the appendage (9). To attain a better position of the device in response to movement, it is proposed that, starting at the impact surface, the soft part (25) is to also be embodied without a weight-loading by the appendage (9), also laterally to the appendage (9) on the top.
US09976678B2
A clamp for use in joining conduit segments comprising a ring sector and a radially projecting channel sector having first and second straps, first and second compression members, a central compression member, and a fastener wherein upon tightening the fastener, axial forces along the fastener are transferred into clamping forces around the clamp in order to seal the conduit segments.
US09976670B2
A gas cock that according to some embodiments includes an electromagnetic actuator having an electrically conductive static element and an electrically conductive moving element. The gas cock has a closure element that is attached to and moves with the moving element. The gas cock has an actuator shaft that in a first position does not contact the moving element, and in a second position pushes against the moving element to cause the moving element to make contact with the static element. The static element is electrically coupled to a signal line. When the actuator shaft is in the second position the closure element is positioned to permit gas flow through the gas cock and the actuator shaft is electrically coupled with the signal line.
US09976667B2
A controller opens or closes a valve in response to the ambient temperature crossing a threshold value, for example to prevent the continued supply of water to pipes that might have frozen and burst. An output shaft (4) acts on a stem of the valve to rotate it between the open and closed positions. A clock spring (8) biases the output shaft towards one of those positions but is restrained by a latch (28) until a thermal actuator (30) operates mechanically to release the latch in response to a change in temperature. The latch may be a pawl (28) acting on a ratchet gear (22) that allows the output shaft (4) to rotate in one direction but not the other. The ratchet gear (22) may be mounted on an input shaft (14), which is connected to the output shaft (4) through a gear train (16-19) to give a mechanical advantage when turning the output shaft (4) against the force of the spring (8).
US09976662B2
A pressure relief valve includes a valve element having, at one end, a flow restricting head and, at an opposed end, a damping head. The damping head includes a damping channel formed therein to allow fluid flow between an inlet chamber and a damping chamber of the valve.
US09976644B2
A method of sensing an internal temperature of a differential carrier includes providing a differential carrier temperature sensing package with an electronic circuit board having a first temperature sensor that is in thermally conductive contact with a thermal conductor, where the thermal resistance of the package and thermal conductor is given and known as RENC. The package is extended through an opening in a differential carrier that has a fluid in it. The first temperature sensor senses a differential fluid temperature TSNS. The electronic circuit board further has a second temperature sensor, whereby the thermal resistance of the circuit board is a given known resistance RPCB. The second temperature sensor senses an internal package temperature TPCB within the package. Consequently, an internal temperature of the differential is calculated from the equation: TINT=TSNS(1+RENC/RPCB)−TPCB(RENC/RPCB).
US09976634B2
A tensioner comprising a base having a base aperture, the base aperture disposed to receive a driven component, a rotary arm pivotally engaged with the base, an axis of rotation of the rotary arm aligned with a base aperture center, a first pulley journalled to the rotary arm, a swing arm pivotally engaged with the rotary arm about a shaft, the shaft and swing arm each having cooperating frustoconical portions, a torsion spring biasing the pivot arm, a second pulley journalled to the swing arm, a bushing having a frustoconical portion in frictional engagement with the swing arm frustoconical portion, the bushing in fixed relation to the shaft or pivot arm, and a first damping ring frictionally engaged between the rotary arm and the base, a Belleville spring in pressing engagement whereby a normal force is applied to the first damping ring.
US09976625B2
A pendulum crankshaft for an internal combustion engine includes a pendulum crankshaft having pendulum crank cycloid inserts. The inserts may be formed from high graded hardened steel while the crankshaft may be formed from conventional iron. The pendulum crankshaft includes a crankshaft having pendulum-holding ears. A cycloid insert-receiving aperture is formed in each of said ears for receiving a cycloid insert. Each of the cycloid inserts has a cycloid path formed therethrough. The pendulum is movably attached to the ears by a rolling pin fitted through the cycloid paths of the ears and captured between the cycloid paths formed in each half of the pendulum. Each half of the pendulum includes recessed areas on which the cycloid paths are formed. A pin is provided between each cycloid insert and the ear into which it is inserted to restrict rotation of the cycloid insert with respect to the ear.
US09976609B2
A vehicle disc brake assembly includes a brake caliper. The brake caliper has a lug through which a bore extends, the bore having an axis. A guide rod fastener extends through the bore and is secured to a guide rod. An elastic bushing is in the bore between the lug and the guide rod fastener, wherein a circumference of the bushing contacts the lug. A radial clearance is between the lug and the guide rod fastener. The radial clearance is perpendicular to the axis.
US09976604B2
A translational force Fh to one side in a rotational axis direction is caused to act from a hydraulic piston to a sleeve when an engaged stage between an engagement tooth and an engaged tooth is maintained, so that translation of the sleeve to the other side in the rotational axis direction and consequent disengagement of the engagement tooth and the engaged tooth can be prevented. Therefore, the engaged state between the engagement member and the engaged member can be stably maintained regardless of the condition of the torque acting from the drive source to the engagement member.
US09976596B2
The invention provides a ring for a bearing. The invention further provides an inner ring, an outer ring and the bearing. The ring includes a raceway ring being a hardened steel metal ring providing a raceway surface configured and constructed for guiding rolling elements of the bearing. The ring further provides printed material bonded to the steel of the raceway ring. The printed material being material printed via an additive manufacturing process. The printed material may be used to customize a shape of the ring, for example, of the inner ring or the outer ring of the bearing, thus allowing flexible customization.
US09976587B2
Coupling by means of which a first and a second component are connectable to each other, having the following features: a coupling bolt having a fastening end, a holding head and a supporting section arranged therebetween, in which the holding head and the supporting section are connected to each other by means of a web, which is tapered with respect to the holding head, and the fastening end is fastenable at the first component, a holder having a keyhole and an abutting portion, in which an edge of the keyhole encloses a non-planar surface, the coupling bolt is lockable in the keyhole in a form-fit manner by means of an inserting-pivoting-movement and the holder is fastenable at the second component by means of a fastening structure.
US09976580B2
The invention relates to a fluid actuator for influencing the flow along a flow surface by ejection of a fluid. By means of a like fluid actuator a continuous flow is distributed to at least two outlet openings in order to generate fluid pulses out of these outlet openings. Control of this distribution takes place inside an interaction chamber supplied with fluid flow via a feed line. Into this interaction chamber there merge at least two control lines via control openings to which respective different pressures may be applied. The flow in the interaction chamber is distributed to the individual outlet openings as a function of the pressure difference at the control openings.
US09976573B2
A rotary isobaric pressure exchanger (IPX) includes a first end cover having a first surface that interfaces with a first end face of a rotor, wherein the first end cover has at least one first fluid inlet and at least one first fluid outlet. The IPX includes a second end cover having a second surface that interfaces with a second end face of the rotor, wherein the second end cover has at least one second fluid inlet and at least one second fluid outlet. The IPX includes a port disposed through the first surface of the first end cover or through the second surface of the second end cover, wherein during rotation of the cylindrical rotor about the rotational axis the port is configured to fluidly communicate with at least one channel of the plurality of channels within the rotor.
US09976570B2
This blower apparatus includes an air blowing portion, a motor portion, and a housing. The housing includes an air inlet and an air outlet. At least one of the flat plates includes an air hole. Once the air blowing portion starts rotating, an air flow traveling radially outward is generated between the flat plates by viscous drag of surfaces of the flat plates and a centrifugal force. Since the air flow is generated between the flat plates, the air flow does not easily leak upwardly or downwardly, and thus, an improvement in air blowing efficiency is achieved. Since the air hole is defined in the flat plate(s), gas can be easily supplied to the axial gap, resulting in improved air blowing efficiency. In addition, with each spacer being arranged between the flat plates, the axial gap can be adjusted to have a desired axial dimension.
US09976565B2
A compressor (22) has a housing assembly (50) with a suction port (24) and a discharge port (26). A shaft (70) is mounted for rotation about an axis (500) and an impeller (44) is mounted to the shaft to be driven in at least a first condition so as to draw fluid in through the suction port and discharge the fluid from the discharge port. A mag netic bearing system (66, 67, 68) supports the shaft. A controller (84) is coupled to a sensor (80, 82) and configured to detect at least one of surge and pre-surge rotating stall and, responsive to said detection, take action to prevent or counter surge.
US09976562B2
A semi-hermetic compressor for ammonia service includes a compressor portion and a motor encased in an airtight housing portion. The compressor portion compresses ammonia. The motor includes a stator winding. Motor leads are connected to the field windings, and extend from the housing portion through a pass-through assembly. The pass-through assembly includes a base portion, a first isolation portion, a second isolation portion, a sealant and a cap portion. The base portion is inserted into the housing portion with an airtight seal. The first isolation portion is arranged to fit within an annular opening in the base portion. First and second isolation portions include apertures for a motor lead. Sealant is disposed between the isolation portions. A cap portion attaches to the base portion. An anti-rotation element prevents relative rotation there between.
US09976561B2
An electromechanical is provided which includes an electromagnetic rotor, a housing with an interior opening with a stop, a first bearing mount for supporting a first bearing rotatably mounting the rotor in the housing, a cover connected with the housing having a boss having an interior providing a second bearing mount supporting a second bearing rotatably mounting the rotor in the housing, a stator having a clearance fit within the housing interior opening, the stator being axially limited in a direction toward such first bearing mount by the housing stop, the stator having an axial clearance in a direction toward the cover boss, and an elastomeric spacer connected on an extreme end of the boss compliantly filling the axial clearance between the stator and the boss positioning the stator in an axial direction and restricting movement of the stator in an angular direction within the housing opening.
US09976552B2
A performance prediction device includes: an actual measured data obtaining unit that obtains actual measured data of a compressor; a test gas physical property correction formula database in which test gas physical property correction formulae are stored; a test parameter calculation unit that calculates test parameters of the compressor; and a test parameter correction unit that selects at least one of the test gas physical property correction formulae from the test gas physical property correction formula database based on types and a mix ratio of gases included in a test gas to be used in the prediction and corrects the test parameters by using the selected test gas physical property correction formula.
US09976548B2
An improved free piston assembly for use in combination with a plunger lift assembly is provided. The improved free piston assembly includes a sleeve member, a flow restriction member, and retention means. In some embodiments of the invention the sleeve member has an inner surface that is contoured to provide a seat for the flow restriction member during lifting operations. The flow restriction member can be a ball held in the interior of the sleeve by retention means capable of overcoming the force of gravity but at the same time designed to release the flow restriction member when a rod of the plunger lift assembly contacts the flow restriction member. In one embodiment of the invention the retention means is a plurality of inwardly biased spring loaded held in place by a retention ring that is fittably received by a groove in the exterior surface of the sleeve. In other embodiments of the invention the retention means are in the form of a raised lip or a retention sleeve.
US09976533B2
A circuit wiring body includes a wiring main body and an electrical connection unit. The wiring main body includes a conductive member that is wired between a cylinder head and a head cover in an engine, and an insulating member that stores therein the conductive member. The electrical connection unit includes a terminal that electrically connects a counterpart connector of an electrical component (electromagnetic driving valve) at least interposed between the cylinder head and the head cover to the conductive member.
US09976529B2
A valve assembly for an injection valve includes a valve body with a central longitudinal axis, the valve body having a valve body groove extending circumferentially around the valve body and being designed to take in a gasket, the valve body groove having a first wall section and a second wall section, the wall sections configured to be coupled to the gasket in a manner that the valve assembly is sealingly coupable with a cylinder head of a combustion engine, and an injection nozzle enabling a fluid flow through the valve assembly. The second wall section is arranged relative to the first wall section in axial direction away from the injection nozzle. The first wall section extends to a first radius and the second wall section extends to a second radius, and the first radius is bigger than the second radius.
US09976526B2
A fuel injection system (10) for delivering metered amounts fuel into the combustion chamber or cylinder of an engine. The fuel delivered can selectively comprise a gaseous fuel, a liquid fuel or a fuel mixture comprising the gaseous fuel and the liquid fuel. When the fuel delivered comprises a mixture of the gaseous fuel and the liquid fuel, the quantity of liquid fuel comprises a metered quantity. The quantity of gaseous fuel also comprises a metered quantity, with the metering of the gaseous fuel being regulated by prediction. The injection event involves delivering the liquid fuel and the gaseous fuel, with the metering of the gaseous fuel delivered being adjusted to allow for the quantity of liquid fuel delivered with the gaseous fuel. The injection system (10) comprises a liquid fuel circuit (11) and a gaseous fuel circuit (13), both communicating with a fuel delivery injector (15) that delivers fuel to the combustion chamber. The fuel injection system (10) further comprises an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling operation of the fuel injection system (10). The ECU controls operation of the fuel delivery injector (15) and a fluid metering injector (31). The ECU determines the proportions of liquid fuel and gaseous fuel required to meet the fuelling demand. The ECU operates the fluid metering injector (31) to deliver the required quantity of liquid fuel into a holding chamber within the fuel delivery injector (15). The ECU also predicts the gaseous fuel flow required to deliver the necessary proportion of gaseous fuel and operates the fuel delivery injector (15) accordingly. In particular, the ECU refers to a “look-up” map or table to determine the operating parameters of the fuel delivery injector (15) to deliver the necessary quantity of gaseous fuel in conjunction with the metered quantity of liquid fuel.
US09976520B2
A vaporized fuel processing apparatus in which, if an internal pressure of a fuel tank is high when refueling, a closing valve opens before a refueling cap opens, so that vaporized fuel is flown to a canister via a path with a float valve to lower the internal pressure of the tank. The apparatus includes a refueling switch for instructing a start of refueling to the fuel tank, an internal pressure sensor for detecting a space pressure inside the tank, and a closing valve control means for, if the refueling start signal is output from the refueling switch and the internal pressure of the fuel tank is higher than a set pressure, opening the closing valve within a range in which the float valve does not operate, and increasing the valve-opening speed of the closing valve in accordance with a reduction in the internal pressure of the fuel tank.
US09976517B2
The disclosure describes a system for pressurizing a fluid. The system includes a source of liquid fuel, a pressure build chamber in fluid communication with the source of liquid fuel such that the pressure build chamber is configured to receive a volume of liquid fuel from the source, wherein the pressure build chamber is configured to heat a portion of the volume of liquid fuel to a sufficient temperature to convert the portion of the volume of liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel or supercritical fluid, and wherein the pressure build chamber is configured to increase a pressure of a fluid in the pressure build chamber to a threshold pressure to inject the gaseous fuel or supercritical fluid into an engine.
US09976508B2
When switching the combustion mode from a stoichiometric mode to a homogeneous lean mode, a controller starts switching of the combustion mode after switching of the opening angle of a tumble control valve is started. When a target operating point of an internal combustion engine lies outside a predetermined operational region that is set in a range that excludes at least a low intake load factor region and includes at least a medium intake load factor and medium engine speed region, the controller sets the waiting time from the start of switching of the opening angle of the tumble control valve to the start of switching of the combustion mode to be longer than when the target operating point lies in the predetermined operational region.
US09976505B2
The present disclosure teaches a method for operating an injector with piezoelectric direct drive of an injection system of an internal combustion engine. The method may comprise providing a current to the piezoelectric actuator at a first level, then quickly reducing the current for charging the piezoelectric actuator before or after the opening of the nozzle needle and before the mechanical impacting of the needle or the hydraulic equilibrium point of the needle, the current reduced to such an extent that the sum of the forces acting on the nozzle needle become approximately zero in the case of a small needle lift (part lift), and after reducing the current, supplying a low current in a constant or ramp-shaped fashion until a predetermined setpoint energy is reached.
US09976504B2
A method for calibrating an electronic fuel injector with a control module and the electronic fuel injector disposed on a test apparatus may include: setting a supply voltage to a control module; applying a control voltage signal having a pulse width to an electronic fuel injector by the control module; determining whether a fuel pressure of a fuel supply to the electronic fuel injector decreases by a predetermined amount; and in response to determining that the fuel pressure of the fuel supply to the electronic fuel injector decreases by the predetermined amount, recording the pulse width and the supply voltage to the control module.
US09976497B2
In an internal combustion engine an air-fuel ratio is switched between at least two target values without generating torque fluctuations, while a deterioration in fuel consumption performance and exhaust performance is suppressed. When a condition for switching a combustion mode from stoichiometric combustion to lean combustion and a condition that the amount of change in a target torque is less than or equal to a predetermined value are satisfied, a target EGR rate is increased towards an EGR limit prior to switching the target air-fuel ratio. The target air-fuel ratio is maintained at the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio until the target EGR rate reaches the EGR limit, and in response to the target EGR rate reaching the EGR limit, the target air-fuel ratio is changed towards a lean air-fuel ratio.
US09976495B2
In the present invention, an internal combustion engine is provided with a variable-compression-ratio mechanism with a variable mechanical compression ratio and the variable-compression-ratio mechanism comprises a drive device for changing the volume of a combustion chamber when a piston reaches top dead center. The drive device comprises a reverse input blocking clutch disposed in a drive power transmission path for transmitting the rotational force of a rotator. A control device estimates the reverse input torque applied to an output shaft of the reverse input blocking clutch and sets a gradient for torque output by the rotator and a continuation duration for continuing the torque increase on the basis of the reverse input torque.
US09976489B2
A gas turbine engine comprises a fan for delivering air into a bypass duct as bypass flow, into a core housing as core flow, with the core housing containing an upstream compressor rotor and a downstream compressor rotor. An overall pressure ratio is defined across the upstream and downstream compressor rotors. A bypass ratio is defined as a volume of air delivered as bypass flow compared to a volume of air delivered into the core housing. The overall pressure ratio is greater than or equal to about 45.0, and the bypass ratio is greater than or equal to about 11.0.
US09976487B2
A gas turbine that includes a working fluid flowpath extending aftward from a forward injector in a combustor. The combustor may include an inner radial wall, an outer radial wall, and, therebetween, a flow annulus. A staged injector may intersect the flow annulus so to attain an injection point within the working fluid flowpath by which aftward and forward annulus sections are defined. Air directing structure may include an aftward intake section that corresponds to the aftward annulus section and a forward intake section that corresponds to the forward annulus section. The air directing structure may be configured to: direct air entering through the aftward intake section through the aftward annulus section in a forward direction to the staged injector; and direct air entering through the forward intake section through the forward annulus section in an aftward direction to the staged injector.
US09976486B2
A method for producing a device having at least one internal feature includes manufacturing an internal volume of the internal features out of a first material, disposing the internal volume in a parent material that has a higher melting point than the first material, causing the internal volume to melt within the parent material, and allowing at least a portion of the first material to diffuse into the parent material, thereby leaving behind the at least one internal feature within the parent material.
US09976480B2
A fluid intake system including a fluid collector scoop designed to be fastened on an inside surface of a wall in order to collect the fluid flowing on the outside of the wall; and an extraction duct suitable for directing the fluid from an inlet orifice into the duct to at least one outlet orifice from the duct, is provided. The scoop is arranged so as to direct the collected fluid towards the inlet orifice of the extraction duct. In this system, at least one outlet orifice is of substantially elliptical section with a ratio of the major diameter of the ellipse over its minor diameter being greater than 1.5.
US09976479B2
A power plant includes a compressor, a combustor downstream from the compressor and a turbine disposed downstream from the combustor. The compressor includes a compressor extraction port. The turbine includes a turbine extraction port that is in fluid communication with a hot gas path of the turbine and which provides a flow path for a stream of combustion gas to flow out of the turbine. An exhaust duct is disposed downstream from the turbine and receives exhaust gas from the turbine. A static mixer coupled to the turbine extraction port and to the compressor extraction port cools the stream of combustion gas upstream from the exhaust duct. The cooled combustion gas flows into the exhaust duct at a higher temperature than the exhaust gas and mixes with the exhaust gas within the exhaust duct to provide a heated exhaust gas mixture to a heat exchanger downstream from the exhaust duct.
US09976477B2
According to the present invention, there is provided a secondary engine cover formed from a polymeric material comprising a wear indicator, wherein the wear indicator comprises a region of reduced thickness of polymeric material and wherein the region of reduced thickness comprises a blind hole.
US09976476B2
An assembly can include a turbocharger center housing that includes a through bore and a counterbore positioned between a compressor end and a turbine end of the through bore where the through bore includes a sleeve mating surface positioned between the compressor end and the counterbore and a turbine side bearing lubricant film formation surface positioned between the counterbore and the turbine end; and a sleeve positioned at least in part in the through bore of the turbocharger center housing between the compressor end and the counterbore where the sleeve includes a locating flange and an axial extension that extends from the locating flange where the axial extension includes an outer mating surface, an inner compressor side bearing lubricant film formation surface, a compressor side axially facing spacer surface and a turbine side axially facing spacer surface.
US09976474B2
A process for monitoring turbocharger operation in a machine is disclosed. The machine includes a power source having an intake manifold for supplying the power source with air and a plurality of turbochargers. Each turbocharger includes an air inlet passageway to receive air, a plurality of pressure sensors arranged within the inlet passageway, a compressor configured to pressurize air, an air outlet passageway to direct pressurized air from the compressor to the intake manifold, and an exhaust turbine operably driven by exhaust gas from the power source and coupled to the compressor by a turbine shaft. The process includes monitoring the differential pressure across the air inlet passageway for each turbocharger, comparing the differential pressures for each turbocharger and indicating an anomaly in turbocharger speed when the differential pressure for one turbocharger exceeds the differential pressure for another turbocharger by a threshold amount.
US09976473B2
Methods and systems are provided for reducing corrosion of a charge air cooler and reducing engine misfire due to condensate formation. In response to charge air cooler outlet temperature, electric fan operation and grille shutter opening is adjusted. Electric fan operation and grille shutter opening may also be controlled in response to vehicle operating conditions.
US09976472B2
A method of operating a cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The engine is equipped with an engine head, and the cooling circuit includes a pump configured to deliver a variable flow of coolant through the cooling circuit. A coolant flow rate to be delivered by the pump is calculated as a function of an engine load, an engine speed and a desired engine head temperature, and the pump is operated to deliver the calculated coolant flow rate.
US09976470B2
An aftertreatment module is disclosed for use with an engine. The aftertreatment module may have an inlet housing at least partially defining an inlet passage for exhaust, and at least one mixer disposed in the inlet passage. The aftertreatment module may also have an outlet housing at least partially defining an outlet passage for exhaust, and a catalyst housing removably connected between the inlet housing and the outlet housing. The aftertreatment module may further have a plurality of catalyst substrates configured to be mounted in the catalyst housing, to receive exhaust from the inlet passage in parallel, and to discharge exhaust to the outlet housing in parallel.
US09976469B2
A flexible conduit insulated to prevent unwanted heat transfer. The conduit is insulated by a jacket-like component that creates a space between the conduit and the jacket, where the gap can be filled with air or some other insulating material. The jacket is sealed to the flexible conduit by sealing components that are configured to slide along end cap portions of the flexible conduit. Because the conduit is flexible, it can couple two other conduits that move relative to one another such that fluid can flow from one area to another via the flexible conduit.
US09976463B2
The disclosure relates to an ammonia storage structure in particular for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gases of combustion vehicles, including at least one storage material in which the ammonia can be stored, where the structure includes at least two different storage portions, each storage portion containing a storage material, and not all the storage materials of the different storage portions being identical. The disclosure also relates to an ammonia storage and removal system of a vehicle that includes a storage chamber, including such a storage structure. A selective catalytic reduction system for internal combustion engine exhaust gases, includes such an ammonia storage system and to a module for feeding ammonia into the exhaust gases.
US09976459B2
Regeneration of a diesel particle filter of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle is controlled according to soot mass loading and the vehicle operating condition. Regeneration modes include active regeneration and forced passive regeneration, and operating conditions include highway, town and off-road driving. One strategy may determine initiation of regeneration, and another may determine cessation. Regeneration mode may change in real time.
US09976450B2
A camshaft phaser includes an input member and an output member defining an advance chamber and a retard chamber; a valve spool moveable along an axis between an advance position and a retard position and having a valve spool bore with a phasing volume and a venting volume defined therein such that the phasing volume is fluidly segregated from the venting volume, the valve spool having a first spool recirculation passage and a second spool recirculation passage which is diametrically opposed to the first spool recirculation passage. The first spool recirculation passage and the second spool recirculation passage provide paths for oil to flow from the advance chamber or the retard chamber to the phasing volume depending on the position of the valve spool.
US09976424B2
A turbine blade includes an airfoil having an internal cooling circuit. The cooling circuit includes a body cooling passage with at least one turn, and a tip cooling channel that forms a cooling barrier to thermally isolate the turn from at least a portion of the exterior surface of the airfoil.
US09976418B2
An improved diamond coated tip on a bit/holder for road milling operations has a broadened base that provides cutting overlap with adjacent bit/holders resulting in a micro milling type surface when utilizing a regular ⅝ inch center-to-center drum.
US09976417B2
A method improves the capability for testing a fluid sample, e.g. testing a reservoir sample of hydrocarbon fluid. The methodology comprises positioning a capillary electrophoresis system within an enclosed chamber system. The enclosed chamber system preserves the desired downhole reservoir conditions during testing of the reservoir sample. In some applications, the reservoir sample is divided into a plurality of capillaries of the capillary electrophoresis system to enable testing of the reservoir sample with different types of detectors in one capillary electrophoresis system. The method can also be applied to depressurized reservoir samples.
US09976414B2
The embodiments described herein generally relate a downhole probe assembly incorporating a Bluetooth device for wirelessly transmitting electrical information between the downhole probe assembly and a surface electronic interface such as a computer when the probe assembly is above ground. The downhole probe assembly includes sensors for sensing downhole conditions; a controller in electrical communication with the sensors and configured to receive and process information from the sensors; a housing enclosing the one or more than one sensor and the controller; the Bluetooth device in electrical communication with the controller; and an end cap assembly fitted at one end of the housing. The end cap assembly partially surrounds the Bluetooth device and is configured for transmission of the electrical information therethrough. Also described is an end cap assembly for fitting to one end of a downhole probe assembly including a transmission module mated with and electrically connected to the Bluetooth device. The end cap assembly includes an end cap having an end cap mating section configured to mate with a mating section of the transmission module to form a chamber enclosing the Bluetooth device between the transmission module and the end cap. A known downhole probe assembly can be retrofitted with the Bluetooth device and end cap subassembly. The end cap subassembly is configured and adapted to promote signal transmission between the Bluetooth device and a surface computer or other electronic interface.
US09976409B2
An assembly for measuring a temperature of a fluid flowing through a tubing section is provided. The assembly can include the tubing section that can include a reduced-width portion. The reduced-width portion can traverse a circumference of the tubing section. The assembly can also include a temperature measurement component in thermal communication with an inner diameter of the tubing section. A temperature of a fluid flowing through the tubing section can be detected using the temperature measurement component.
US09976406B2
A single critically damped acoustic stack yields a wide frequency range as an acoustic transmitter or as an acoustic transducer having particular use in well integrity determination. The critically damped present acoustic stack utilizes a plurality of stacked acoustic elements such as piezoelectric ceramics that are energized in two manners, providing different center frequencies, each producing a respective center frequency of 100% bandwidth to yield an acoustic stack having a total bandwidth exceeding the bandwidth of an acoustic element or the bandwidth of the plurality of acoustic elements. One manner of energizing is to pulse only one of the acoustic elements. The other manner is to pulse a first acoustic element then pulse a second acoustic element after a delay equal to the amount of time it takes for the first pulse to reach the face of the second acoustic element. The acoustic stack is primarily used in pulse-echo analysis of metal casing wall thickness and cement bond quality detection of wells.
US09976398B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring one or more parameters associated with an artificial lift system for hydrocarbon production and operating the system based on the measured parameters. One embodiment of the invention provides a lubricator for a plunger lift system, which generally includes a housing, a spring disposed in the housing for absorbing an impact by a plunger, and a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of the spring. One example method of operating a plunger lift system for hydrocarbon production generally includes measuring at least one parameter of a spring disposed in a lubricator of the plunger lift system and operating the plunger lift system based on the measured parameter.
US09976396B2
An apparatus for setting a liner in a wellbore that includes a setting tool attached to a work string. The setting tool includes a stretching mandrel and a liner top releasably attached to the setting tool. The liner top includes banded elastomer sheaths positioned in multiple locations along its length. The apparatus may also include a roller screw, operatively attached to the setting tool, so that a rotational movement imparted to the work string causes a forward, rotational movement of the stretching mandrel and engages the stretching mandrel with an inner portion of the liner top so that a protuberance is formed on the inner portion of the liner top and a groove is formed on an outer surface of the liner top.
US09976394B1
A system and method for successively fracking a wellbore at spaced intervals along tubing having therein frac ports each openably closed by a sliding sleeve. The system has at least one actuation member and at least one cylindrical sand screen sub insertable into the tubing. Each actuation member has a collet sleeve with a radially-outwardly biased protuberance of a first profile configured to matingly engage an interior groove profile on at least one of the sliding sleeves and slide the sliding sleeve downhole to open the corresponding port. Each cylindrical sand screen sub has a dissolvable plug member or burst plate disposed on one end thereof allowing for the sand screen to be forced into the well by pressure acting against the plug or plate, and has a resiliently-outwardly biased protuberance configured for engaging a mating profile on the tubing and retaining the sand screen sub in a desired position.
US09976378B2
The system includes a number of flexible fluid containment structures, or tubes, for storing fluids used in or produced during fracking. The tubes may be filled to store water prior to introduction into the well or drilling waste expunged from the well. A series of valves and pumps control the flow of fluids to and from the tubes, well, and purification equipment. A backflow preventer including a primary port, forward port, and return port supports bi-directional fluid transfer with the well. Drilling fluids are piped into the forward port and exit the primary port to the well. A flow meter may be coupled to the forward port to determine the volume of fluid flowing through the forward port to the well. Drilling waste may also return from the well via the primary port and exit the return port, which may also include a flow meter.
US09976368B2
The present invention relates to a downhole punch for insertion into a wall of a casing. The downhole punch comprises a body having a first end and a second end and a through-bore forming an inner face of the body and an outer face of the body, wherein the first end comprises at least one cutting edge at least forming a leading tip or a leading edge for punching an opening in the casing, and a component is arranged in the through-bore. The present invention also relates to a downhole valve for insertion into a wall of a casing. The downhole valve comprises a housing having a first end and a second end and an inner face and an outer face. Furthermore, the invention relates to a downhole tool for inserting a downhole valve into a wall of a casing, to a downhole system comprising the downhole tool as well as to a downhole method for insertion of a downhole unit into a casing downhole.
US09976363B2
A method of installing a flexible line between an offshore platform and a subsea structure and a method of removing a flexible line deployed between an offshore platform and a subsea structure. The method of installing includes at least partially deploying the line in the water using an installation vessel located outside of an exclusion zone in the vicinity of the platform, including lowering a topside end of the line either to the seabed or to an intermediate location between the seabed and the platform. The method further includes pulling the topside end to a position within the exclusion zone and winching the topside end up to the platform, and coupling the topside end to the platform. The method of removing includes decoupling a topside end of the riser from the platform, lowering the topside end from the platform and pulling the topside end to a position outside of an exclusion zone in the vicinity of the platform, and at least partially removing the line from the water using an installation vessel located outside of the exclusion zone, including raising the topside end of the line onto the installation vessel either from the seabed or from an intermediate location between the seabed and the platform.
US09976360B2
A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a magnetorheological fluid valve assembly having a supply of a magnetorheological fluid. A remanent magnetic field is induced in the valve during operation that can be used to provide the magnetic field for operating the valve so as to eliminate the need to energize the coils except temporarily when changing the amount of damping required. The current to be supplied to the coil for inducing a desired magnetic field in the valve is determined based on the limiting hysteresis curve of the valve and the history of the magnetization of the value using a binary search methodology. The history of the magnetization of the valve is expressed as a series of sets of current and it resulting magnetization at which the current experienced a reversal compared to prior values of the current.
US09976352B2
A rock formation drill bit assembly with electrodes includes a drill bit including a hollow portion that extends along a longitudinal axis of the drill bit. The hollow portion extends from a first end to a second end opposing the first end. Cutters as positioned on the first end. The cutters are configured to cut the rock formation resulting in a rock core protruding from the rock formation into the hollow portion. The rock core includes a circumferential surface. Multiple electrodes are positioned within an inner circumferential surface of the hollow portion. The multiple electrodes are configured to apply electrical discharge across multiple locations on the circumferential surface of the rock core. The electrical discharge causes the rock core to fracture.
US09976350B2
An apparatus including a rotating segment having a first radial surface, a non-rotating segment having a second radial surface, a housing disposed around the first and second radial surfaces, and one or more rolling elements disposed between and in contact with the first and second radial surfaces for transferring the non-rotating segment in an axial direction upon rotation of the rotating segment. The non-rotating element may be a second rotating element that rotates at a different rotational rate than the rotating element. Each rolling element moves 360 degrees along a circular path relative to the first radial surface and the second radial surface. The first or second radial surface has a tapered section. A downhole apparatus includes a power mandrel having a first end connected to a power section member and a second end having a rotating cam surface; a rotating element engaging the rotating cam surface; an anvil sub attached to a workstring, with the anvil sub having a stationary cam surface configured to engage with the rotating cam surface. Rotation of the rotating cam surface moves the anvil sub and the workstring axially within the wellbore.
