| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09254806B2 |
Device for controlling all airbags for a vehicle, a control unit for forming a control signal for all airbags for a vehicle, and a system of the device and the control unit
A device for controlling all airbags for a vehicle is provided, and also a control unit for forming a control signal for all airbags for a vehicle, as well as a system of this device and this control unit. The device has a trigger circuit control and also an energy reserve, in order to control power switches in a trigger circuit as a function of the control signal that comes from the control unit, and to use the energy from the energy reserve to trigger the trigger elements for the airbags. The control unit receives at least parts of the energy supply from the device. |
| US09254803B2 |
Apparatus for protecting passenger of autombile and control methodlamp
Provided is an apparatus for protecting a passenger of an automobile, including: an automobile body; a biaxial FIS sensor mounted at a front center of the automobile body to sense decelerations on an X axis which is in a length direction of the automobile body and a Y axis which is in a width direction of the automobile body during an automobile impact; a deceleration meter sensing a first deceleration during the automobile impact; and a controller determining an airbag splaying time based on a displacement value and a predicted displacement value moving forward from an initial position of the passenger calculated based on the first deceleration, and an X-axial velocity variation and a Y-axial velocity variation measured from the biaxial FIS sensor. |
| US09254796B2 |
Part marking of coated plastic substrates
A plastic assembly having a permanent mark therein at a subsurface location and formed after substantial manufacture of the panel assembly. The plastic panel includes a substrate and a coating over the substrate, the coating including a surface that defines an exterior surface of the panel assembly. A mark is located beneath the exterior surface of the panel assembly. In making the panel assembly, a plastic substrate is provided and a protective coating is applied to the substrate. After the step of applying the protective coating, a subsurface portion of panel assembly is exposed to a laser light. The laser light opacifies a subsurface portion of the panel assembly, thereby rendering the mark within the panel assembly. |
| US09254795B2 |
Water drain plug
In a water drain plug (10) for a cavity (16) of a vehicle, in particular a side sill (14), comprising a base body (18) which can be fixed in an aperture (12) of the cavity (14) and has an opening (20) in which a sealing element (22) is arranged that is adapted to be moved between a closing position in which the opening (20) is tightly closed, and an opening position in which the opening (20) is open, the sealing element (22) is mounted in the base body (18) for pivoting movement about a retaining axis (36). |
| US09254793B2 |
Cell phone holder
A cell phone holder that has a case with a back portion having an angled surface on an inside end surface of said back side so that a cell phone housed in said case is slanted with its face tilted at an angle for better viewing through said opening in said front surface and to provide room in said case to store a retractable ear phone device behind said cell phone. The back surface has a top portion curving backward with respect to the front surface of the case to provide an overhanging portion forming a clip to mount said case and is mountable in a recess between the driver side inner window surface and the driver side inner door so that the holder hangs on the driver side below the window and near the driver so as to be within range of a driver. |
| US09254790B2 |
Bike rack
Apparatus for a bike rack for securing at least one bicycle are described herein. The bike rack is attachable to a vehicle receiver hitch. The bike rack includes a hub assembly, hitch insert assembly, and support wing assembly. The tub assembly includes a pair of hubs each having an arm. The hitch insert assembly includes a first end and a second end. The first end is located within the hub assembly and the second end is engageable with the receiver hitch. The hubs are rotatably adjustable about the first end of the hitch insert assembly. The support wing assembly includes a first wing engageable with the arm of the first hub and a second wing engageable with the arm of the second hub. The bike rack also includes an integral locking member and a pair of independently moveable cradles on each wing. Each cradle includes a bike support member. |
| US09254788B2 |
Folding rear view mirrors
A vehicle folding rear view mirror support mechanism having first (15) and second (16) pivotally interconnected support arm means. A first end (15b1) of the first support arm means is pivoted on a mounting bracket (18) for attachment to the vehicle, a second end (15c1) of the first support arm means is pivotally connected with a first end (16b1) of the second support arm means, and a mirror mount (22) is pivotally connected to a second end (16c1) of the second support arm means. The first and second arm means (15, 16) are movable between a retracted reduced width position in which the two arm means are in a side by side substantially parallel relationship and an extended increased width position in which the two arm means are substantially end to end and the mirror mount (22) is supported at its maximum distance from the mounting bracket (18). |
| US09254787B2 |
Method and system for utilizing spread spectrum techniques for in car applications
A method of operating an audio system in an automobile includes identifying a user of the audio system. An audio recording playing on the audio system is identified. An audio setting entered into the audio system by the identified user while the audio recording is being played by the audio system is sensed. The sensed audio setting is stored in memory in association with the identified user and the identified audio recording. The audio recording is retrieved from memory with the sensed audio setting being embedded in the retrieved audio recording as a watermark signal. The retrieved audio recording is played on the audio system with the embedded sensed audio setting being automatically implemented by the audio system during the playing. |
| US09254772B2 |
System and method of loading and unloading containers
A system and method of loading and unloading a shipping container onto and off a tilt-tray vehicle is described. The system includes a drawbar assembly adapted to be releasably attached to opposite corner connectors provided on the container. A winch is provided for applying fraction to the drawbar assembly to draw the container onto the vehicle tray and to facilitate loading of the container onto the tray. An ejector assembly is also provided to releasably engage the drawbar assembly connected to the container. When it is desired to unload the container, the ejector assembly is moved towards the rear of the tray to move the container partially off the vehicle. |
| US09254771B2 |
Vehicular floor mat system
A floor mat for a vehicle includes an adapter plate for engaging the vehicle's mat retaining system, a mat portion, and a fastener for securing the mat portion to the adapter plate. The configuration of the adapter plate allows the mat portion to be transversely, longitudinally, and rotationally aligned and secured to the vehicle's floor despite variations in the arrangements of different vehicles' mat retaining systems. The mat portion may include a plurality of peripheral guidelines to assist the end-user to trim the mat to fit any intended one of a plurality of automobile models. |
| US09254765B2 |
Vehicle armrest with structural fabric substrate
A vehicle armrest includes an inner armrest substrate having at least one buckling member extending to an outer armrest substrate. A gap is defined by the inner and outer armrest substrates and the at least one buckling member. A fabric member extends across the gap and is attached to the inner and outer armrest substrates. A cover member extends over and is vertically supported by the fabric member. |
| US09254764B2 |
Seat with integrated trim assembly and head restraint
A vehicle seating assembly having a seat back including a polymeric body portion. A flexible comfort carrier is disposed over a front surface of the polymeric body portion and includes a multitude of openings defining a support matrix configured to support the weight of a passenger. A head restraint includes a headrest and a single downwardly extending support post that is homogenously formed with the headrest. The support post includes side portions that define slots. The support post is rotatably coupled to the seat back. The headrest is rotatable between a use position, wherein the downwardly extending support post extends into the seat back, and a storage position, wherein the downwardly extending support post is withdrawn from the seat back and rotated forward such that the head restraint extends substantially orthogonal to the seat back. |
| US09254763B2 |
Vehicle seat
A vehicle seat (car seat (S)) includes a seat cushion (S1), a seat back (S2), and a headrest (S3), the seat back (S2) including a seat back frame constituting a frame of the seat back (S2), and a seat back pad covering the seat back frame, and the vehicle seat being configured to allow an upper body of an occupant to sink into the seat back (S2) when a backward movement load acts on the seat back from the occupant's upper body. The seat back pad includes a center portion (51) configured to face a back region of the occupant's upper body, and right and left side portions (52) provided at right and left sides of the center portion (51) and each configured to protrude frontward farther than the center portion (51), and each of the right and left side portions has an upper side portion (52A) corresponding to a height of a chest region of the occupant and a lower side portion (52B) corresponding to a height of a lumbar region of the occupant, which are configured such that when they receive the backward movement load, the upper side portion (52A) is more easily deformable than the lower side portion (52B). |
| US09254762B2 |
Seat structure for vehicle
A seat structure for a vehicle of the present invention comprises a seat cushion frame, slide mechanisms including a pair of guide rails provided at a vehicle floor and a pair of sliders, a pair of connecting members connecting the pair of sliders and the seat cushion frame, a connection position of the connecting members and the seat cushion frame being located inward in a seat width direction relative to a connection position of the connecting members and the sliders, and a coupling member coupling the pair of connecting members in a vehicle width direction so as to restrain the pair of connecting members from moving inward in the seat width direction in a rear-end collision of the vehicle. |
| US09254757B2 |
Hybrid vehicle and parameter display method for hybrid vehicle
On a display, a running power determined in accordance with an accelerator position or the like is displayed. When the hybrid vehicle is controlled in a CS mode, the running power is displayed together with eco-acceleration power greater than a first engine starting power. When the hybrid vehicle is controlled in a CD mode, the running power is displayed together with a second engine starting power in place of the eco-acceleration power. The engine is stopped when the running power is smaller than the first engine starting threshold value in the CS mode. The engine is driven when the running power is equal to or greater than the first engine starting threshold value in the CS mode. The engine is stopped when the running power is smaller than a second engine starting threshold value in the CD mode. The engine is driven when the running power is equal to or greater than the second engine starting threshold value in the CD mode. The second engine starting threshold value is greater than the first engine starting threshold value. |
| US09254756B2 |
Power supply device and power supply method
A power supply device which performs power supply from an outside to a vehicle includes: a power source section for performing the power supply to the vehicle; and a control device that performs control of the power source section. The control device obtains information about power reception efficiency of the vehicle as an object of the power supply and determines a power reception efficiency range and a fee that correspond to the obtained information from a plurality of power reception efficiency ranges and plurality of fees that are set corresponding to the plurality of power reception efficiency ranges. The power supply device preferably further includes a power transmission section for receiving the power from the power source section and contactlessly performing power transmission to the vehicle. |
| US09254755B2 |
Method and apparatus for inductively charging the energy storage device of a vehicle by aligning the coils using heat sensors
A charging installation for inductively charging an electrical energy storage device of a vehicle, has a vehicle-side coil and a ground-side coil. At least one temperature sensor is disposed in the region of the ground-side coil and at least one heat source is disposed in the region of the vehicle-side coil. |
| US09254753B2 |
Train-information management device and device control method
The present invention includes a position detection unit; a regenerating-condition detection unit; a train-line information holding unit that holds therein information on a section in which a train is more likely to use a brake; an air-conditioning set-value holding unit that holds therein a temperature set value of an air conditioner; and a target-temperature control unit that decides a target temperature. In a regeneration-preparation condition in which a train is running through a position at which the distance between the position and a section in which a train is more likely to use a brake is equal to or less than a given value and in which the train does not use a regenerative brake, the target-temperature control unit decides a value, generated by adding a predetermined value to the temperature set value, as the target temperature. |
| US09254750B2 |
Graphical display with scrollable graphical elements
Aspects of the disclosed subject matter are directed to a graphical display that efficiently conveys information to a vehicle operator. In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided that presents scrollable graphical elements on a shared screen area. More specifically, the method includes assigning a priority level to scrollable graphical elements that convey vehicle readings on the graphical display. Then, the one or more scrollable graphical elements are rendered on the graphical display at locations that change locations periodically. When an abnormal vehicle reading is identified, the method dynamically assigns an enhanced priority level to the scrollable graphical element that is configured to convey the abnormal vehicle reading. If the scrollable graphical element is currently assigned an off-screen location, the method causes the scrollable graphical element to be rendered. |
| US09254748B2 |
Vehicle traction control
A method for controlling wheel slip comprising determining an actual wheel slip of a set of driven wheels on a vehicle, adjusting the actual wheel slip for cornering distortion, setting a target slip condition using a traction control unit with a multi-position switch depending upon road conditions, calculating overslip of the wheels, and retarding an engine output to minimize overslip, and an apparatus for accomplishing same. |
| US09254740B2 |
Drivetrain for a hybrid electric vehicle
A drivetrain for a hybrid-electric vehicle (200), including an engine (210), a first electrical machine (220), a second electrical machine (230), and at least one driveshaft (260). The first (220) and second (230) electrical machines are axial-flux electrical machines. The first electrical machine (220) is arranged to be driven by the engine (210) so as to operate as a generator and to supply electrical power for the second electrical machine (230). The second electrical machine (230) is arranged to receive electrical power so as to operate as a motor and to drive the at least one driveshaft (260). The drivetrain includes a clutch (225) selectively operable to provide inter-engagement between the rotor of the first electrical machine (220) and the rotor of the second electrical machine (230) to transmit rotary power therebetween. |
| US09254736B2 |
Glass run channel
A glass run channel includes a run channel main body including a bottom wall portion, an interior lateral wall portion, and an exterior lateral wall portion, and an interior seal lip and an exterior seal lips. At least one lateral wall portion and the bottom wall portion are formed from a sponge material. At least one lateral wall connecting portion among an interior lateral wall connecting portion and an exterior lateral wall connecting portion is formed from the sponge material thinner than the interior lateral wall portion, the exterior lateral wall portion, and the bottom wall portion so as to be capable of being bent when being mounted on the window frame. An outer peripheral side of the lateral wall connecting portion formed from the sponge material is covered with a covering portion made of a solid material. |
| US09254735B2 |
Tonneau cover latch system
A tonneau system for a pickup bed having a bracket system connectable with a side wall of the pickup bed having a ratchet receiving member, a tonneau cover assembly having a pivotal first cover section and a second section, and a latching system operably coupled between the tonneau cover assembly and the bracket system. The latching system includes a ratchet striker member operably coupled to the tonneau cover assembly selectively engageable with the ratchet receiving member of the bracket system to define a latched condition of the first cover section of the tonneau cover assembly relative to the bracket system. An actuation system is operably coupled to the latching system to permit actuation of the latching system. The actuation system includes an actuation lever operably coupled to a drive member and the drive member being coupled to the latching system for actuation of the ratchet striker member. |
| US09254733B2 |
Automotive glass channel and method
A door assembly includes an inner panel and an outer panel that cooperate to define a door cavity therebetween and a window frame that defines a window opening. The door assembly further includes a division post defining a glass run channel extending from the window opening into the door cavity. A bracket member is rotatably connected to the division post. |
| US09254728B2 |
Suspension system with a floating axle lock
A suspension system for a vehicle includes a right front wheel, a left front wheel, a right rear wheel and a left rear wheel. A suspension system for the vehicle includes a first cylinder supporting the vehicle at the right front wheel in fluid communication with a second cylinder supporting the vehicle at the left front wheel, wherein the first and second cylinders form a virtual articulated front axle. The suspension system also includes a third cylinder supporting the vehicle at the right rear wheel and a fourth cylinder supporting the vehicle at the left rear wheel. The suspension system includes two spool valves in fluid communication with the first and second cylinders and intermediate the first and second cylinders. When one of the rear wheels is unweighted, an associate one of the spool valves closes and fluid flow between the first and second cylinders is blocked to create a virtual locked axle. |
| US09254727B2 |
Gas spring and gas damper assembly
A gas spring and gas damper assembly (110; 200; 400) can include a gas spring assembly (128; 202; 402) and a gas damper assembly (130; 204; 404). The gas spring assembly can include opposing end members (206, 208; 406, 408) and a flexible spring member (210; 410) secured there between that at least partially forms a spring chamber (212; 412). One of the end members (208; 408) can include an end member chamber (268; 468) that is separated into a plurality of damping chambers (292, 294; 492, 494). Damper pistons (300, 302; 500, 502) are disposed within the damping chambers (292, 294; 492, 494) and are connected to the other end member (206; 406) by way of a damping rod (276; 476). |
| US09254721B2 |
Base tire and tire built on base tire
Provided is a base tire securing cut resistance while retaining rolling resistance performance of the tire and a tire built on such a base tire. A base tire includes a base rubber which forms the outer periphery of the base tire to which a tread rubber is applied, a pair of mini side rubbers, each protecting the axial edge of the base rubber, and a pair of outer rubber layers, each overlapping the axially outer side of the mini side rubber. |
| US09254720B2 |
Pneumatic tire for construction vehicle
An object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire for a construction vehicle capable of suppressing deterioration in heat release property while maintaining high wear resistance especially when used as driving wheels. A central area 20 is provided with a central narrow groove 21 continuously extending along a tire circumferential direction in a zigzag form. Each side area 30 is provided with a side narrow groove 32. A width direction narrow groove 22 is provided The central narrow groove 21, the side narrow grooves 32 and the width direction narrow grooves 22 define plural polygonal block land portions 23 having five or more straight sides in the tread portion 10. The block land portions are lined in the tire circumferential direction to form two block arrays arranged next to each other. |
| US09254719B2 |
Pneumatic tire
A motor car tire having a tread includes a central portion situated on either side of an equatorial plane and two shoulder portions. The central portion is separated from the shoulder portions of the tread by two circumferential grooves and has at least one circumferential rib situated between a first and a second circumferential groove. The tread has a solid/void ratio of less than 0.28. The circumferential rib includes transverse grooves which extend over at least 50% of its width. The transverse grooves include at least one curvilinear section, have a width less than that of the circumferential grooves and at least one of the circumferential grooves including the circumferential rib has at least one side wall defining an undulating profile. |
| US09254714B2 |
Treaded wheel
A wheel comprising: an inner hub including a first side, a second side being generally parallel to and opposite of the first side, an axle shaft emanating up from the second side, a plurality of inner spokes emanating up from the second side and outward from the axle shaft and engaging an inner circumferential member; an outer hub engaged to the inner circumferential member, a plurality of outer spokes emanating from the inner circumferential member, the outer spokes being engaged to the inner circumferential member at a proximal end of the spokes and engaged to an inner surface of an over mold substrate at a distal end of the spokes, the over mold substrate also having an outer surface being generally parallel to and opposite of the inner surface; and a over mold tread chemically bonded to the outer surface of the over mold substrate. |
| US09254709B2 |
Adhesive decorative pattern with pliable polymer film and method of making therof
An adhesive decorative pattern with a pliable polymer film includes first and second pliable polymer films, a first decorative element made out of fabric and consisting of a plurality of fabrics each extending in irregular directions, and a releasing paper defining a front releasably coated with a glue layer. The first pliable polymer film, the first decorative element, the second pliable polymer film, and the releasing paper are stacked together into a pile. The first decorative element is sandwiched between the first and second pliable polymer films. The glue layer is sandwiched between the second pliable polymer and the front of the releasing paper. The adhesive decorative pattern with the pliable film includes the first pliable polymer film, the first decorative element, and the second pliable polymer film bonded securely together, and includes the releasing paper being able to be released from the glue layer. |
| US09254706B2 |
Multicolor writing tools and methods
Various multicolor writing tools and methods for applying multiple volatile marking substances one at a time. The tool includes a case member, a cartridge member, a cap member, and an optional actuator member. The case member forms an interior in which is disposed the cartridge member with multiple cartridges each containing one of the marking substances and a tip through which the marking substance is applied. The cap member changes and restores its configuration, while the actuator member changes the configuration and exposes one of the tips selected by an user out of the interior when the tool is in use, and then restores the configuration and encloses all of the tips inside the interior when not in use. Thus, the tool opens the cap member in response to input force without requiring the user to engage in a separate maneuver to remove the cap member. |
| US09254705B2 |
Ring binder having attachable and detachable covers
A ring binder is provided that has attachable and detachable covers. The opposite edges of the binder's spine are hingedly attached to the proximal edges of respective front and back extensions which are relatively short in a direction perpendicular to the hinge axes. The extensions are sized to be substantially coextensive with the maximum projection of the binder's rings along an axis that is perpendicular to the inside surface of the spine, and the rings and associated structures are either mounted on the inside of the spine or inside of the back extension depending on the ring type. The front and back extensions function to extend the front and back covers to the hinges when the covers are attached to the extensions' distal edges. When so attached, an assembled ring binder having hinged covers is created that appears and functions as a conventional binder when used. |
| US09254704B2 |
Handwriting input apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and control method
Provided are a handwriting input apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a control method. The handwriting input apparatus includes a touch panel configured to detect pressure acting thereon through a sheet of paper; a holding section for pressing the sheet to hold the sheet onto the touch panel; and a page feed determining section configured to determine whether a page feed action has been performed or not by detecting a state change of the holding section. The handwriting input apparatus further includes a control section configured to, in response to the page feed determining section determining that the page feed action has been performed, conduct at least one of storing information of handwriting input which has been received through the touch panel until the page feed action as handwriting data and transferring the information of the handwriting input as handwriting data to an external device. |
| US09254702B1 |
Clamping assembly
A clamping assembly for selectively retaining a stack of pages includes a bottom disk that may be positioned proximate the stack of pages. A tube is operationally coupled to the bottom disk. A top disk is operationally coupled to the tube. The top disk selectively compresses the stack of pages between the top and bottom disks. A retainer is operationally coupled to the top disk. The retainer retains the top disk on the stack of pages. A release is operationally coupled to the top disk. The release may selectively release the top disk from the stack of pages. |
| US09254701B2 |
Underblanket of the blanket of a blanket cylinder of a printing press, particularly of the offset type
An underblanket of the blanket of a blanket cylinder of a printing press, particularly of the offset type, consists of a multilayer structure comprising a first layer comprising at least one polyurethane-based material, and at least a second layer comprising at least one polyurethane-based material, which is different from the one forming said first layer, and directly joined with said first layer by exploiting the intrinsic chemical/physical compatibility. |
| US09254698B2 |
Printing apparatus
A printing apparatus comprises supports for holding a roll of print media during printing, said supports being accessible from one side of the printer to insert a roll of print media, and an auxiliary media tray suitable for holding in a stable position a roll of print media placed with its outer surface resting on the tray, said auxiliary tray being attached to the printer on the same side of the printer from where the supports for the roll of print media are accessible. |
| US09254697B2 |
Recording apparatus, maintenance method and recording method of recording apparatus
A recording apparatus including: a medium support tray capable of supporting a recording medium; a moving mechanism moving the medium support tray; a recording head capable of recording on the recording medium which is transported by moving the medium support tray; a protective member of the recording head; an instruction receiving section which receives an instruction of a maintenance start of the protective member; and a controller which controls the moving mechanism so as to retract the medium support tray from a set position in which the recording medium is set on the medium support tray when the instruction receiving section receives the instruction of the maintenance start. |
| US09254695B2 |
Printing apparatus for printing an image on a printing medium and conveyance control method therefor
An apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: an acquiring unit configured to acquire data generated at a predetermined period in accordance with driving of a conveyance unit configured to convey a printing medium; a first specify unit configured to specify an average value of the data based on a plurality of data acquired by the acquiring unit; a second specify unit configured to specify a conveyance velocity of the printing medium based on the average value of the data specified by the specify unit; a deciding unit configured to decide a number of data, used by the second specify unit, for specifying the average value of the data in accordance with the conveyance velocity specified by the second specify unit; and a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit using the average value of the data specified by the second specify unit as position data of the printing medium. |
| US09254684B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes a recording head that ejects fluid onto a recording medium, a transport device that transports the recording medium along a support surface, and a heating device that heats the recording medium. The heating device is provided with plural first heating units in a direction crossing the transport direction in a state where a side of the first heating unit is parallel with the transport direction, and a second heating unit which extends in the transport direction at a boundary region which is present between the neighboring first heating units. |
| US09254681B2 |
Textile-printing apparatus
A textile-printing apparatus includes a pre-treatment agent-applying section that applies a pre-treatment agent to a textile-printing medium, a press section that compresses, while heating the textile-printing medium, the textile-printing medium to which the pre-treatment agent has been applied, a printing liquid discharge section that discharges a printing liquid to the textile-printing medium that has been compressed while being heated by the press section, and a heater that heats the textile-printing medium to which the printing liquid has been discharged. |
| US09254676B2 |
Treatment liquid for plastic film, primer liquid for printing, ink composition, and method for ink jet recording using them
This invention provides a treatment liquid for an ink jet recording medium having a recording face of a plastic film, wherein the treatment liquid including at least a specific cyclic ester compound or a specific cyclic amide compound, a primer liquid for printing, and an ink composition. According to the present invention, a plastic recorded matter possessing excellent adhesion and waterfastness can be formed on a recording medium having a recording face of a plastic film. |
| US09254675B2 |
Filter unit and liquid ejecting apparatus
Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a liquid ejecting head having nozzles through which liquid can be ejected, a liquid supply path through which the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting head, and a filter chamber which is disposed in the middle of the liquid supply path and of which an inner portion is divided into a first chamber on a downstream side and a second chamber on an upstream side by a filter which filters the liquid, in which a liquid outlet through which the liquid is introduced from the first chamber of the filter chamber to a downstream side of the liquid supply path is formed in an upper position of the first chamber in a vertical direction. |
| US09254671B2 |
Liquid supplying device and liquid cartridge mountable therein
A liquid supplying device includes a liquid cartridge and a cartridge mounting unit having a liquid extraction tube. The liquid cartridge includes a liquid chamber, a valve chamber extending in a first direction away from the liquid chamber, first and second air channels, a seal member having a through-hole, a valve element having a closing part, first and second sealing parts and a liquid channel. A third sealing part is provided on the closing part or the liquid extraction tube. The liquid extraction tube entering into the valve chamber through the through-hole contacts the closing part, moving the valve element in a second direction opposite to the first direction from a first state where the closing part closes the through-hole, to a second state where the third sealing part closes the through-hole, and to a third state where the valve chamber is communicated with inside of the liquid extraction tube. |
| US09254667B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes a case, disposed outside a housing, holding a liquid holding member that holds a liquid to be supplied to a recording unit and having a discharge opening that discharges the liquid in the liquid holding member to the exterior, and a connection portion to which the discharge opening is connected. The case has a cover member capable of opening and closing the case by pivoting central to an axis line extending in a direction that intersects with a vertical direction, and a guide portion, provided on an inner surface of the cover member, that guides the liquid holding member when the liquid holding member is set in the case with the cover member in an open state so that the discharge opening of the liquid holding member is connected to the connection portion. |
| US09254663B2 |
Liquid ejecting apparatus
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that includes a nozzle formation surface on which a plurality of nozzles which eject a liquid are formed to be lined up in one direction to form nozzle columns, a belt-shaped member that is brought into contact with the nozzle formation surface, and a belt-shaped member contact portion that brings the belt-shaped member into contact with the nozzle formation surface in both a first contact state where the belt-shaped member is brought into contact with a partial area of the nozzle formation surface and a second contact state where the belt-shaped member is in contact with an area corresponding to the nozzle column in a direction along the nozzle column on the nozzle formation surface. |
| US09254657B1 |
Flow path component, liquid discharge head, and liquid discharge apparatus
An inclined plane which inclines toward a lower plane of a ceiling portion, that is, the lower plane of a communication substrate from a ceiling plane of a second liquid chamber is formed in the second liquid chamber of the communication substrate. Therefore, an individual communication opening is formed, in a state of penetrating the communication substrate from the inclined plane. One end (lower end) of the individual communication opening communicates with the second liquid chamber by being open onto the inclined plane, and the other end (upper end) of the individual communication opening individually communicates with a pressure chamber of a pressure chamber forming substrate by being open onto an upper plane of the communication substrate. When a thickness of the communication substrate is referred to as T, a length of the individual communication opening is referred to as L, and a substantial depth of the second liquid chamber is referred to as D, the dimensions are configured so as to be L+D>T. |
| US09254656B2 |
Liquid ejecting head, liquid ejecting apparatus, and manufacturing method of liquid ejecting head
A liquid ejecting head includes a basic wiring board which includes a first connection region and a second connection region, a plurality of head units, and a plurality of individual wiring boards each of which includes a first connection portion, a relay portion, and a second connection portion, and electrically connects the basic wiring board and each head unit, in which the second connection portion of an individual wiring board is fixed to the first connection region by being bent to the second connection region side, the second connection portion of an individual wiring board is fixed to the second connection region by being bent to the first connection region side, and an interval between the relay portions of the two individual wiring boards is large on the basic wiring board side compared to the head unit side. |
| US09254653B2 |
Wiring structure, method of manufacturing wiring structure, liquid droplet ejecting head, and liquid droplet ejecting apparatus
A liquid droplet ejecting head includes a vibrating plate on which terminals are formed, a reservoir forming substrate which is bonded to the vibrating plate and has a through portion having an inclined surface at an acute angle with respect to the vibrating plate as an inner wall, a substrate which is located on an opposite side to the vibrating plate through the reservoir forming substrate, is bonded to the reservoir forming substrate, and has terminals formed thereof, an IC package which is mounted on the substrate and is electrically connected to the terminals of the substrate, and wirings which are formed on the inclined surface and electrically connect the terminals on the vibrating plate and the terminals on the substrate. |
| US09254635B2 |
Tape adhering device and tape adhering method
The pressing tool and the ACF tape cutting device are linked and connected with each other by a link device, and the forcing member is caused to move relatively towards and away from the knife member by lifting up and down the pressing tool so as to form a cut. By allowing the tool lifting device to double as a drive device for causing the forcing member to move relatively towards and away from the knife member, the necessity of the actuator of the ACF tape cutting device which is needed in the related art tape adhering device can be obviated. |
| US09254629B2 |
Methods and systems for installing screen protectors for electronic devices
In some embodiments, the instant invention is a kit having at least: a tray, having: a first cutout, a second cutout, and a third cutout; and a protective film for an electronic device, where a first alignment tab and a second alignment tab are attached to the protective film, where the at least one first alignment tab includes a first alignment portion that extends from an edge of the protective film, where the at least one second alignment tab includes a second alignment portion that extends from the edge of the protective film, where the first alignment portion of the first alignment tab matches a shape of the second cutout and where the second alignment portion of the second alignment tab matches a shape of the third cutout so that the first alignment tab and the second alignment tab are capable of aligning the protective film within the first cutout. |
| US09254628B2 |
Peelable film for container lid
A peelable multilayer film includes a seal layer (peel layer) and at least one core layer. The peelable multilayer film can bond to a container. |
| US09254624B2 |
Non-slip supportive carpet underlay
A multilayered carpet cushion underlay structure is provided having a primary sheet of resilient viscoelastic polyurethane foam adhered to a non-woven fabric carrier. The composite material additionally features a subjacent surface having an arrangement of polymeric fictionalizing projections that provide optimal resistance to slippage. |
| US09254620B2 |
High burst zipper assembly for large reclosable packages
The present disclosure relates to a high burst slider zipper which allows for bottom filling of reclosable packages, such as large bags, and further provides increased resistance to damage from the dropping or shock loading of the filled package. This is achieved by providing a peel seal or other frangible or separable connection between the zipper profiles, and by sealing a portion of one of the flanges to itself by a hard seal above the peel seal. This causes the external forces on a bag from bottom filling or shock loading to be directed toward the hard seal and further directed so as to cause a shear force against the peel seal, thereby increasing the resistance of the package to external forces. |
| US09254619B2 |
Method and apparatus for fabricating variable gauge, contoured composite stiffeners
Method and tooling apparatus for forming a composite charge into a contoured composite blade stringer including an elongate punch and an elongate die flexible along their lengths. The charge is press formed by using the punch to drive the charge into the die. The punch and the die are mounted between a pair of flexible plates. A press coupled with the plates contours the charge by bending the plates into a desired contour. The stringer is allowed to cool down to room temperature while being constrained, before withdrawing the stringer from the tooling apparatus in order to reduce wrinkling. |
| US09254618B2 |
Method for manufacturing a tyre and apparatus for laying a reinforcing element on a forming support
An apparatus for the deposition of at least one reinforcing element on a forming including at least one feeding unit of at least one reinforcing element at a forming support, at least one deposition unit of the at least one reinforcing element on the forming support, the at least one deposition unit including at least one presser member, a control unit of the at least one deposition unit, at least one detection device of the deviations between an actual deposition profile and a theoretical deposition profile along a first deposition path defined based upon the theoretical profile, and a processing unit to define, based upon said deviations, an actual deposition path of the at least one reinforcing element on the forming support. |
| US09254615B2 |
Method and an apparatus for manufacturing an optical lens
A method of manufacturing an optical lens, the method comprising the steps of blocking a lens member at a first position on a blocker; determining the first position of the lens member with respect to the blocker; comparing the first position of the lens member with a predetermined position in order to determine a positioning error between the first position and the predetermined position; determining a surface position of the surface to be manufactured with respect to the blocker according to the positioning error; and configuring operational parameters of a lens manufacturing tool in order to manufacture a surface according to the determined surface position such that the desired optical properties of the optical lens are respected. The invention further relates to an apparatus for manufacturing an optical lens. |
| US09254614B2 |
Tire puncture sealant
A tire puncture sealant including a rubber latex and/or a resin emulsion, and an acetylene alcohol and/or a derivative thereof. |
| US09254613B2 |
Regenerating surface properties for composites
This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite member, where a number of different material layers including at least one layer of gelcoat are applied in a mold, and where resin is applied for joining of the layers. The method is new in that particles are added to the gelcoat, whereby the gelcoat comprising such particles forms an outermost layer on at least a part of the manufactured composite member. Hereby is obtained a composite with a hydrophobic and lotus-like surface yielding good self-cleaning properties and which is on the same time self-regenerating. The invention furthermore relates to composite members comprising such a gelcoat layer with particles and to the use of gelcoat comprising particles for giving regenerating self-cleaning properties. |
| US09254612B2 |
Translatable heat shrink oven for applying heat shrink film to a silicone rubber bladder
A heat shrink apparatus for heat shrinking a shrink film to a bladder. The heat shrink apparatus may include a support structure, a bladder support system, and a heat chamber. The bladder support system for supporting the bladder thereon may have two spaced apart parallel rows of a plurality of resilient members pivotally and/or resiliently attached to the support structure. The heat chamber may be hollow with opposing end openings and may have one or more heating elements therein. The heat chamber may translate over the shrink film and the bladder along the support structure between the two spaced apart parallel rows, shrinking the shrink film to the bladder. As the heat chamber translates, it may contact ends of the resilient members, thereby pivoting or deflecting the resilient members from a first position to a second position such that the heat chamber can pass between the two parallel rows. |
| US09254610B2 |
Connector fixing structure and method of manufacturing the same
A connector fixing structure comprises a housing integrally formed with a tubular resin housing-side insertion opening member protruding inward and a receptacle connector provided in the housing and joined to the housing-side insertion opening member. The receptacle connector has a connector-side insertion opening member having a shape corresponding to that of the housing-side insertion opening member and a welding portion provided to the connector-side insertion opening member and combined with the housing-side insertion opening member. The housing-side insertion opening member and the connector-side insertion opening member are welded together by melting the welding portion over its entire circumference. |
| US09254609B2 |
Battery pack case assembly for electric and hybrid vehicles using a plastic composite and method for manufacturing the same
Disclosed is a battery pack case assembly for an electric or hybrid vehicle and a method for manufacturing the same. The battery pack case assembly includes a case body and a cover. The case body receives a battery pack, and the cover is coupled to the case body. The case body is formed of a plastic composite in which a long fiber or a blend of a long fiber and a continuous fiber is used as a reinforcing fiber in a plastic matrix. A separate reinforced member is bonded to both side bracket parts for coupling to a vehicle body, and is formed of a plastic composite in which a long fiber, a continuous, or a blend of a long fiber and a continuous fiber is used as the reinforcing fiber in the plastic matrix. |
| US09254608B2 |
Imprint apparatus, imprint method, and method of manufacturing article
The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which performs an imprint process in which a resin on a substrate is cured, in a contact state in which a mold is kept in contact with the resin, to transfer a pattern onto the substrate, the apparatus including a stage configured to move upon holding the substrate, a detection unit configured to detect a first mark formed on the mold, and a second mark formed on the substrate, and a processing unit configured to perform alignment of the mold and the substrate in the contact state. |
| US09254607B2 |
Moisture-permeable and waterproof film, and method for producing it
It is an object of the invention to provide a moisture-permeable and waterproof film that is biodegradable, has high biomass and exhibits high flexibility. The moisture-permeable and waterproof film comprises polylactic acid and an inorganic filler, wherein the film has high-stretch regions (H1) and low-stretch regions (L1) each parallel to a first direction and alternating in the direction perpendicular to the first direction, the film has bending resistance in the range of 15-30 mm, and the film has moisture permeability in the range of 2,000-4,000 g/m2/24 hours. |
| US09254603B2 |
Apparatus for processing plastic material
Disclosed is an apparatus for the processing of plastics, with a container with a mixing implement rotatable around an axis of rotation, wherein, in a side wall, an aperture is formed, through which the plastics material can be removed, and a conveyor, with a screw rotating in a housing, wherein the imaginary continuation of the longitudinal axis of the conveyor in a direction opposite to the direction of conveying passes the axis of rotation, and wherein the L/D ratio of the screw is ≧7, and wherein the setting angle (γ) of the radially outermost mixing implement, closest to the base, complies with the following relationship: γ=k*d+K, where d is the diameter of the screw in mm, K is a factor in the range from 15 to 35, k is a factor in the range from 0.08 to 0.2. |
| US09254595B2 |
Decorative sheet and in-mold forming method
Provided are a decorative sheet having stretchability and heat resistance and an in-mold forming method capable of forming in-mold injection formed products having excellent decorative image. A decorative sheet includes an image layer and an image running prevention region in order on a resin sheet, in which the image layer is a cured image of an ink composition containing (a) a polymerizable compound, (b) a polymerization initiator, and (c) a coloring agent; the image running prevention region is a cured layer of a composition for running prevention containing (a) a polymerizable compound, and (b) a polymerization initiator; and the image running prevention region has superior heat resistance to the image layer, and an injection forming method using the decorative sheet. |
| US09254589B2 |
Reaction container and vacuum heat treatment apparatus having the same
Disclose are a reaction container and a vacuum heat treatment apparatus. A method of preparing a reaction container comprises preparing a graphite mixture by mixing first and second graphite powders having particle sizes different from each other, preparing a graphite molded body by pressing the graphite mixture, and processing the graphite molded body. The density of the graphite molded body is in a range of 1.8 g/cm3 to 2.1 g/cm3. A method of preparing a reaction container comprises preparing a graphite molded body by pressing graphite powders, and processing the graphite molded body to prepare the reaction container. A carbon source is impregnated into the graphite molded body or the reaction container, and density of the reaction container is in a range of 1.8 g/cm3 to 2.1 g/cm3. |
| US09254587B1 |
Modular endplate for prestressed precast concrete products
A modular endplate for prestressed precast concrete products comprising multiple clamps vertically disposed in an abutting relationship with the adjacent clamp, a T-shaped top disposed above the clamps and multiple steel strands extending through the endplate. |
| US09254582B2 |
Process for the manufacture of phosphorus removal aggregate from fractionating sand mine waste products
The present invention provides a process for producing granular material useful as a phosphorus removal aggregate and involves the mixing of a pulverized calcium or magnesium oxide material with a dewatered clay waste material in a paddle or ribbon type mixer until reaching a state of a uniform consistency paste like material and then allowing such material to cure for several days while periodically mixing to expose new surface area thereof to the air to facilitate evaporation until the water content of the cured material is less than six percent. |
| US09254578B2 |
Tear-assist apparatus
A system for processing a line of material along a path and a tear-assist apparatus. The tear-assist comprising a driving portion that drives the line of material along the path, a sensing unit that detects pulling of the line of material in a first direction along the path away from the driving portion, and a cutting member for cutting the line of material. The sensing unit can be associated with the driving portion such that upon detecting movement of the line in the first direction, the sensing unit causes the driving portion to drive the line of material in a second direction along the path for drawing the line of material against the cutting member to cut the line of material. In another configuration, when the sensing unit detects the movement in the first direction, the sensing unit can cause the driving portion to, drive the line of material in the second direction sufficiently for severing the portion of the line of material. The driving portion can also be configured to drive the line of material in the first direction along the path to dispense the material. |
| US09254571B2 |
Robot and method for creating path of the robot
A robot and a method for creating a robot path. The method for planning the robot path includes generating a depth map including a plurality of cells by measuring a distance to an object, dividing a boundary among the plurality of cells into a plurality of partitions according to individual depth values of the cells, and extracting a single closed loop formed by the divided boundary, obtaining a position and shape of the object located at a first time through the extracted single closed loop, calculating a probability that the object is located at a second time after t seconds on the basis of the obtained position and shape of the object located at the first time, and creating a moving path simultaneously while avoiding the object according to the calculated probability, thereby creating an optimum path without colliding with the object. |
| US09254569B2 |
Trajectory control device and control method for articulated robot
In a trajectory control device (10) for an articulated robot, a first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than the natural oscillation frequency of the robot, performs filtering processing with respect to a joint-angle command value (θc), and outputs a processed joint-angle target value (θd). A second dynamic characteristic calculation unit (400) is provided with a high-frequency cutoff characteristic having a cutoff frequency which is lower than that of the first dynamic characteristic calculation unit (300), performs filtering processing with respect to the output from a coupling-torque compensation command value calculation unit (200), and outputs a processed coupling-torque compensation value (cd). |
| US09254562B2 |
Power tool
An improved power tool is provided which can alert a user of any halfway selection of a driving mode of a tool bit. A representative power tool is provided which is capable of switching among driving modes different in driving state of a tool bit. The power tool has a mode switching member that switches among the driving modes, a detecting part that detects a drive prohibited state in which any of the driving modes of the tool bit is not selected, and indicating parts that indicate a result detected by the detecting part. |
| US09254556B2 |
Socket
A socket is adapted for being disposed in a sleeve hole of a wrench wherein the sleeve hole has a positioning element disposed on an inner wall of the sleeve hole. The socket includes a main body having a driving portion and a connecting portion at two ends. The connecting portion has a polygonal external surface including plural driven faces arranged around an axial direction. A shared edge is formed between every two adjacent driven faces, and at least one shared edge is formed with a notch for receiving the positioning element. The notch has a triangle cross-section and has a steeper first bottom face and a second bottom face which is more remote from the driving portion than the first bottom face. Thus, the socket can be prevented from moving forward and is easier to remove. |
| US09254554B1 |
Polycrystalline diamond compact including substantially single-phase polycrystalline diamond body, methods of making same, and applications therefor
Embodiments of the invention relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDC”) exhibiting enhanced diamond-to-diamond bonding. In an embodiment, PDC includes a sintered substantially single-phase polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) body consisting essentially of bonded-together diamond grains exhibiting a morphology different than that of a PCD body formed by sintering diamond crystals. A substrate is bonded to the sintered substantially single-phase PCD body. Other embodiments are directed to methods of forming such PDCs, and various applications for such PDCs in rotary drill bits, bearing apparatuses, and wire-drawing dies. |
| US09254553B2 |
Bonded abrasive article and method of forming
An abrasive article includes a body having abrasive grains contained within a bond material comprising a metal or metal alloy, wherein the body comprises a ratio of VAG/VBM of at least about 1.3, wherein VAG is the volume percent of abrasive grains within the total volume of the body and VBM is the volume percent of bond material within the total volume of the body. |
| US09254547B2 |
Side pad design for edge pedestal
A method and apparatus for facilitating equalized conditioning of a polishing surface of a polishing pad is described. The apparatus includes an extension device coupled to a base adjacent a peripheral edge of a polishing pad that is adapted to support a conditioning device, the extension device includes a body that is movable relative to the polishing pad, and a sacrificial pad comprising a polishing material coupled to a mounting surface of the body. |
| US09254546B2 |
Chemical mechanical polishing machine and polishing head assembly
A chemical mechanical polishing machine includes a polishing head assembly including a polishing head body and a membrane disposed at a bottom of the polishing head body. The bottom surface of the membrane includes a hydrophobic area and a hydrophilic area. |
| US09254544B2 |
Colloidal silica finishing of metal fluoride optical components
The invention is directed to a method for finishing alkaline earth metal fluoride optical components and to the alkaline earth optical elements produced using the method. In particular, in the last polishing step, the method of the invention uses a colloidal silica polishing slurry having containing silica particles having a particle size of <500 nm. Additionally, after colloidal silica polishing, the method using a megasonic cleaning step with a high pH detergent cleaning solution to remove any silica residue on the polished optical component. The optic resulting from use of the method has a polished and unetched surface roughness of less than 0.5 nm; a surface roughness of less then 0.6 nm after polishing and etching; and a step height of less than 6 nm. |
| US09254535B2 |
Apparatuses, systems and methods for three-dimensional printing
The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) objects, 3D printing processes, as well as methods, apparatuses and systems for the production of a 3D object. Methods, apparatuses and systems of the present disclosure may reduce or eliminate the need for auxiliary supports. The present disclosure provides three dimensional (3D) objects printed utilizing the printing processes, methods, apparatuses and systems described herein. |
| US09254534B2 |
Energy conversion method and apparatus, and welding device
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for converting the energy of an energy storage (2) for operating an arc (6), wherein in order to convert energy, at least one switch (9) of a step-down converter is switched on and off in a controlled manner, wherein said at least one switch (9) is connected to the energy storage (2) at the input end. In order to be able to supply as much of the limited energy available from the energy store (2) to the arc (6), it is provided that a synchronous converter is used as the step-down converter for operating the arc (6), and that the at least one switch (9) of the synchronous converter that is designed as a power unit (3) is connected to a snubber circuit (10) at the output end such that at least the switch (9) is switched on and off in an snubbed state. |
| US09254528B2 |
Adjustable die
A slip on nut and reverse cut die is provided for dressing the threads of a wellhead or other item. A nut is provided that may be slipped onto a threaded section, past any damaged threads, without engaging the threads of the threaded section. Once positioned on a threaded section the nut may be tightened as desired. When removing the nut the reverse edges of the nut may repair or even cut new threads into the threaded section. |
| US09254527B2 |
Method to produce a sawing bead
A method is described for producing a sawing bead for use in a sawing cord. Sawing cords are used for cutting hard and brittle materials. In the method, laser cladding is used to form an abrasive layer on a small metallic tube (204) or sleeve. The abrasive layer (220) comprises a metal matrix material in which abrasive particles such as diamond, cubic boron nitride or other hard cutting materials are embedded. The metal matrix material preferably comprises an active metal that improves wetting and adhesion of the abrasive particles. Although the abrasive particles are relative large—with a particle size in excess of 100 μm—they are evenly distributed throughout the abrasive layer. This is achieved by letting the tube (204) rotate relative to the laser cladding system possibly in combination with a relative axial movement so that the cladding track loops on itself thereby forming an abrasive layer (220). Additionally the method allows to shape the sawing bead for improved geometrical tolerances and centricity. Production times are less than ten seconds per bead and the method is easily automated. |
| US09254525B2 |
Shrink fit tool holder
A tool holder has a chuck portion with a retaining bore in which a cutting tool can be inserted. The tool has flat surfaces extending from its end, and a circumferential groove at rear ends of the flat surfaces. When the tool is inserted into the retaining bore, first protrusions of the tool holder pass through spaces between the flat surfaces and the inner wall of the retaining bore and fitted in the groove. When the tool is turned, the protrusions move in and engage the side edges of the groove, thus preventing the tool from pulling out of the chuck portion. When the first protrusions are fitted in the groove, second protrusions of the tool holder are located on the flat surfaces. When the tool is turned, the second protrusions are received in ends of the respective spaces, thereby preventing rotation of the tool relative to the chuck portion. |
| US09254523B2 |
Lathe with two cross beams
A lathe includes a machine support, a work table, two cross beams and a feeding device. The work table is positioned on the machine support. The two cross beams are mounted on the machine support above the work table. The feeding device includes a cutter. The feeding device is slidably assembled between the two cross beams to obtain support from opposite sides of the two cross beams. |
| US09254522B2 |
Mold clamping device
The mold clamping device is provided with a first platen to which a stationary mold is attached. A movable mold unit is capable of approaching and moving away from the stationary mold. A second platen is linked to the first platen via a tie bar. When the movable mold unit and the stationary mold are closed, a wedge member is driven onto the movable mold unit to generate mold clamping force. The second platen has a pressure receiving surface. The pressure receiving surface receives, through the wedge member, mold opening force that is generated by filling, with a molding material, the stationary mold and the movable mold unit that are in the closed state. |
| US09254514B2 |
Methods and processes of manufacturing two piece cans
A method of drawing and ironing metal into a can comprising the steps of: feeding a metal roll into a stamper; cutting the metal into circles; forming the circles into cups; feeding the cups into a body maker having a die pack with at least three dies and a punch hard coated to a micro finish between 4 and 12, not cross hatched and is the smallest allowed diameter; spraying a coolant lubricant liquid into the die pack and through the punch; ironing the cup into a thin walled cylinder; trimming the thin walled cylinder; washing, rinsing, drying and decorating the trimmed thin walled cylinder; spray coating the inside of the can with a protective coating; necking the trimmed thin walled cylinder; forming a lip on the top of the tapered thin walled cylinder; testing the trimmed thin walled cylinder for defects; and palletizing the thin walled cylinder. |
| US09254510B2 |
Drying apparatus with exhaust control cap for semiconductor wafers and associated methods
A drying apparatus for drying a semiconductor wafer includes a processing chamber including a rinsing section and a drying section adjacent thereto. The rinsing section has a chamber loading slot associated therewith for receiving the semiconductor wafer. The drying section has a chamber unloading slot associated therewith for outputting the semiconductor wafer. An exhaust control cap is carried by the processing chamber and includes a bottom wall, a top wall, at least one intermediate wall between the bottom and top walls, and a side wall coupled to the top, bottom and the at least one intermediate wall to define stacked exhaust sections. The exhaust control cap has a cap loading slot aligned with the chamber loading slot, a cap unloading slot aligned with the chamber unloading slot, and at least one exhaust port configured to be coupled to a vacuum source. |
| US09254508B2 |
Powder and granular material separation processing device, powder and granular material separation processing method, and powder and granular material separation and collection processing system
To introduce a mixture to be processed, in which powder and granular material with relatively large specific gravity and hardness and accompanying lightweight foreign substances are mixed together, inside a system and separate the same by a dry method.Disclosed is a powder and granular material separation processing device X that is connected to an external suction machine such as a dust collection device and an electric vacuum cleaner, introduces by suction a mixture to be processed into a separation processing container 1, and discharges lightweight foreign substances to the outside of a system while collecting powder and granular material inside the system. The separation processing container 1 has a suction introduction tube 2 that is attached and sealed as the upper part structure of a hopper tank 4 that collects and stores the powder and granular material and receives the mixture to be processed on the circumferential surface thereof, and a suction discharge tube 3 that is connected to an external suction machine on the upper surface thereof. In addition, the separation processing container 1 has a separation cone 11 with a funnel-shaped bottom surface and a cylindrical opening 13 that hangs in a protruding shape downward from the tip part of the separation cone 11 and of which the opening diameter thereof is reduced stepwise to have multiple steps. The suction discharge tube 3 has a multiple tube configuration at the tip part thereof in which each tube is given a small diameter corresponding to each opening diameter of the cylindrical opening 13 to be loosely inserted and face the tip part of an opening. |
| US09254507B2 |
Process for producing a repair coating on a coated metallic surface
A process for producing a repair coating on at least one metallic surface that is coated with at least one corrosion protecting coating A applied with at least one composition selected from the group of pretreatment compositions, of organic compositions and of silicon compound(s) containing compositions, whereby the at least one corrosion protecting coating A has been at least partially removed in the area Z, whereby a thin corrosion protecting coating B containing at least one silicon compound is applied with a solution or dispersion containing a silane, a silanol, a siloxane, or a polysiloxane on at least a part of the area Z. A further corrosion protecting coating C may be applied. |
| US09254502B2 |
Broken sprinkler flow restriction or flow shut off suppressor for sprinkler
A restriction valve in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a valve body adapted to be positioned at an inlet of the sprinkler, wherein the valve body includes a central opening through which water flows into the sprinkler, a rib extending downwardly from the valve body at a location beyond the margin of the central opening, a valve member configured to cooperate with the central opening to open and close the valve, wherein the valve member includes a valve stem extending downwardly from the valve member, and positioned and configured to be movably supported in a guide ring formed at a lower end of the rib, wherein the valve stem is movable vertically to move the valve member to its open and closed positions and a resilient member biasing the valve stem such that the valve member remains in an open position until water pressure pushing against the valve member reaches a predetermined level to move the valve member into the closed position to restrict the flow of water into the sprinkler |
| US09254497B2 |
Ionization probe
In the ionization probe, an assist gas nozzle, coaxial with a nozzle, is provided around a nozzle that discharges a liquid sample. A housing inside which is formed an annular assist gas channel is provided around the assist gas nozzle. A gas inlet for introducing gas into the assist gas heating channel and gas outlet for feeding gas from channel to assist gas nozzle are provided at opposite locations across the center of the channel. Gas introduced into the assist gas heating channel is heated by a substantially annular heater, and high temperature gas is discharged through gas discharge hole of the assist gas nozzle. The heater and the channel through which high temperature gas flows are arranged solely at the tip part of the ionization probe, so thermal insulation of the probe base part can be easily accomplished. |
| US09254493B2 |
Oxygen-enriched air producing device and oxygen-enriched air producing method
The invention is characterized in: forming a magnetic field inside a flow channel tube, the tube wall of which is formed from a material that is nonmagnetic and which, when the pressure outside the flow channel tube is lower than the pressure inside the flow channel tube, passes a portion of the air flowing inside the tube through the tube wall and discharges same to the outside thereof; supplying air to the flow channel tube so that at least a region of laminar flow is formed inside the flow channel tube; and reducing the pressure outside the flow channel tube to a prescribed pressure. |
| US09254488B2 |
Automated system for selectively processing a sample
A method and system for selectively processing a sample according to one of a plurality of different assays, for example, for detecting a certain target component in the sample, include a plurality of cartridges in which the processing of a sample can take place and which each contain a different set of reagents required for one of the assays. Moreover, the system further includes a manipulator for introducing a sample into a selected one of the cartridges. Depending on the assay to be performed with a sample at hand, the appropriate cartridge is chosen, and the sample is introduced into and processed in the cartridge. |
| US09254486B2 |
Micro-fluidic device
Embodiments described herein provide micro-fluidic systems and devices for use in performing various diagnostic and analytical tests. According to one embodiment, the micro-fluidic device includes a sample chamber for receiving a sample, and a reaction chamber for performing a chemical reaction. A bubble jet pump is structured on the device to control delivery of a fluid from the sample chamber to the reaction chamber. The pump is fluidically coupled to one or more chambers of the device using a fluidic channel such as a capillary. A valve may be coupled to one or more chambers to control flow into and out of those chambers. Also, a sensor may be positioned in one or more of the chambers, such as the reactant chamber, for sensing a property of the fluid within the chamber as well as the presence of a chemical within the chamber. |
| US09254483B2 |
Catalysts having metal nano-particle catalyst supported on surface-treated natural cellulose fibers and preparation method thereof
The present disclosure relates to a catalyst having metal catalyst nanoparticles supported on natural cellulose fibers and a method of preparing the same, whereby natural cellulose fibers are subjected to specific pretreatment to increase a surface area and form defects on the surface thereof and metal catalyst nanoparticles are then supported on the cellulose catalyst support in a highly dispersed state, thereby providing improved catalysis while allowing production of the catalyst at low cost. The catalyst may be utilized for various catalytic reactions. |
| US09254482B2 |
Catalyst material for the oxidation of hydrocarbons
A catalyst material for the oxidation and/or oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, in particular for the selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid, is specified, comprising a) molybdenum (Mo), b) vanadium (V), c) niobium (Nb), d) tellurium (Te), e) nickel (Ni), f) tungsten (W) and g) manganese (Mn), in which the molar ratio of at least one element, which is selected from nickel, tungsten and manganese, to molybdenum lies in the range 0.01 to 0.2, more preferably 0.05 to 0.15 and particularly preferably from 0.0025:1 to 0.3:1. Furthermore, a catalyst for the oxidation and/or oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, a use of the catalyst material or of the catalyst, a method for producing a catalyst material for the oxidation and/or oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons and a method for the selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid is specified. |
| US09254480B2 |
Oxidation catalyst for exhaust gas purification, method for producing the same, and exhaust gas purification method using the same
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an oxidation catalyst for exhaust gas purification having high durability and a method for producing the catalyst. The purpose is achieved by an oxidation catalyst for exhaust gas purification containing a refractory inorganic oxide, and a catalyst component and a metal component, which are supported on the refractory inorganic oxide, wherein the catalyst component is platinum, or platinum and palladium, and the metal component is one or more selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium. |
| US09254479B2 |
Process and catalyst for cracking of ethers and alcohols
A process for the production of olefins from at least one of an alcohol and ether, the process including: contacting at least one alcohol or ether with a hydrofluoric acid-treated amorphous synthetic alumina-silica catalyst under decomposition conditions to produce an olefin. Also disclosed is a process for the production of isobutylene from methyl tertiary butyl ether, the process including: feeding methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) to a reactor having at least one reaction zone containing a hydrofluoric acid-treated amorphous synthetic alumina-silica catalyst; contacting the MTBE with the hydrofluoric acid-treated amorphous synthetic alumina-silica catalyst under decomposition conditions to produce a reactor effluent comprising isobutylene, unreacted MTBE, heavies, and methanol; feeding the reactor effluent to a first distillation column; separating the isobutylene from the unreacted MTBE, heavies, and the methanol in the first distillation column to recover a first bottoms fraction comprising heavies, unreacted MTBE, and methanol and an isobutylene-rich overheads fraction. |
| US09254475B2 |
Exhaust gas purification catalyst
An exhaust gas purification catalyst includes a composite oxide support, and a precious metal catalyst supported on the composite oxide support. The composite oxide support includes alumina, zirconia, ceria, a first additive element oxide and a second additive element oxide. The first additive element oxide contains an additive element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements excluding cerium and alkali earth elements. The second additive element oxide contains an additive element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements excluding cerium and alkali earth elements. In the composite oxide support, alumina is contained in a range of 30 to 40% by mass and zirconia is contained in a range of 36 to 46% by mass. |
| US09254472B2 |
Process and apparatus for supersonic collision shockwave reaction mechanism for making chemical compounds
A novel process and apparatus is disclosed for performing chemical reactions. Highly compressed gaseous streams such as H2, CO, CO2, H2O, O2, or CH4 are raised to Mach speeds to form supersonic jets incorporating shockwaves. Two or more such jets are physically collided together to form a localized reaction zone where the energy from the shockwaves causes endothermic reactions wherein the chemical bonds of the reactant gases are broken. Between and among reactants molecular surface interaction and molecular surface chemistry take place. In the ensuing exothermic reactions a desired new chemical product is formed and this product is locked into a lower state of enthalpy (state of energy of formation) through adiabatic cooling by means of a free jet expansion. |
| US09254467B2 |
Oil repellency-imparted air-permeable filter with adhesive layer
Disclosed is an air-permeable filter with an adhesive layer. This air-permeable filter is imparted with oil repellency and includes: a porous membrane having a surface coated with an oil-repellent agent; and an adhesive layer disposed on the surface. The oil-repellent agent contains a linear fluorine-containing hydrocarbon group represented by (1) —R1C5F10CH2C4F9 or (2) —R2C6F13, where R1 and R2 are each independently an alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms or a phenylene group. This air-permeable filter is imparted with oil repellency without significantly reducing its adhesive strength to the adhesive layer. |
| US09254464B2 |
Filter module
A filter module includes a first filter stage and a second filter stage which are substantially concentrically arranged. The first filter stage and the second filter stage each include a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having a first fiber end and a second fiber end, which are embedded in a respective casting compound. The first filter stage is a filter stage for the filtration of a first medical fluid, and the second filter stage is a filter stage for the filtration of a second medical fluid. The first filter stage has unilaterally closed fiber ends, and is surrounded by a boundary element which separates the first filter stage and the second filter stage from one another. The boundary element has at least one opening which provides fluid communication between the first filter stage and the second filter stage. |
| US09254460B2 |
Filter element and process for producing a filter element
The invention relates to a hotmelt adhesive comprising a hotmelt adhesive mixture, the mixture including a) 15-85% by weight of a first, polyester-based hotmelt adhesive and b) 15-85% by weight of a second, polyamide-based hotmelt adhesive. |
| US09254459B2 |
Room air purifier with pressurization relief
Systems and methods are provided for an air purifier with over pressurization relief, including the following components. A room air inlet is configured to fluidly receive air from a room. A supply duct inlet is configured to fluidly receive air from a forced air system. An air filter and or air purification means is configured to filter/purify air. An outlet is configured to expel filtered/treated air into the room. A bypass damper system has at least one air filtering mode position and a bypass mode position. A pressure control mechanism is configured to automatically allow the bypass damper system to move from at least one air filtering mode position to a bypass mode position when the air received from the supply duct inlet exceeds a bypass threshold. The bypass mode position guides air from the supply duct inlet into the room without requiring passage through the filter and the outlet. |
| US09254452B2 |
Crystallization device
To provide a crystallization device with a simple structure and high classification performance in crystallization at a center part of an upper part in a vertical container having a classification leg on a bottom portion, rotor blade unit for generating a swirling flow of a raw material liquid of a suspension slurry in the container along an inner circumferential surface of the container is provided, and at a center part on a bottom surface of the container, liquid-flow direction changing unit for causing the raw material liquid to flow upward at the center part of the container is provided, and the liquid-flow direction changing unit is formed of baffles, each being made of a band-shaped plate, provided radially on the bottom surface. |
| US09254451B2 |
Method and apparatus for evaporating hydrogen halide and water from biomass hydrolyzates containing halogen acid
The invention relates to a method and a device with the aid of which hydrogen halide and water are removed from biomass hydrolyzates containing halogen acid. The core of the invention is an evacuated container (B1), which is continuously supplied with a heat-transfer medium and which is completely filled with the heat-transfer medium in a part. In said evaporation chamber, the biomass hydrolyzate is likewise continuously introduced. In the container (B1), heat is transferred from the heat-transfer medium to the hydrolyzate, wherein hydrogen halide and water are continuously evaporated. The remaining hydrolyzate particles are continuously discharged with the cooled heat-transfer medium and continuously removed by means of the heat-transfer medium and continuously separated from said heat-transfer medium. The invention described can also be used to treat other mixtures or solutions for the purpose of evaporation. The following is fundamental in regard to the heat-transfer medium used: the heat-transfer medium is chemically inert with respect to the introduced substances. |
| US09254449B2 |
Solid and liquid separation process
A process for separation of solid and liquid components in a distillation whole stillage utilizing airless spray drying is disclosed, which is more efficient and economical than conventional processes. In the process, distillation whole stillage resulting from distillation of fermented biomass is first subjected to an evaporation step for separating the whole stillage into a condensate and a concentrate including water, dissolved solids and suspended solids. The concentrate is then subjected to airless steam spray drying for converting the concentrate into dried solids, steam and vapors. All steam and vapors resulting from the airless steam spray drying step are then redirected as energy source to a processing step upstream of the airless spray drying step. At least some of the steam generated in the airless spray drying step is airless steam. |
| US09254448B2 |
Sublimation systems and associated methods
A system for vaporizing and sublimating a slurry comprising a fluid including solid particles therein. The system includes a first heat exchanger configured to receive the fluid including solid particles and vaporize the fluid and a second heat exchanger configured to receive the vaporized fluid and solid particles and sublimate the solid particles. A method for vaporizing and sublimating a fluid including solid particles therein is also disclosed. The method includes feeding the fluid including solid particles to a first heat exchanger, vaporizing the fluid, feeding the vaporized fluid and solid particles to a second heat exchanger and sublimating the solid particles. In some embodiments the fluid including solid particles is liquid natural gas or methane including solid carbon dioxide particles. |
| US09254447B2 |
Mirror maze with dynamic animation for projection onto an arch
The invention relates to a labyrinth of mirrors with elemental cells in the form of an equilateral triangle, each cell having at least one passage portal covered with opaque vinyl and at least one arch with a mirror forming a reflective obstacle. Each cell has a short-throw projector for projecting moving images with different designs or themes. The images are projected over the variable surface or contour of the passage portal which is covered with light opaque vinyl, the other two arches being covered with reflective vinyl or a mirror, as are the inner surfaces of the holding pillars or posts. The projection is defined by means of masks wherein the pixels outside the contour are covered in black or are rendered transparent, a technology called “projection mapping”. In each cell, there is at least one opaque arch and two reflectors. |
| US09254442B2 |
Video game apparatus, video game processing program, program recording medium, and video game processing method
In a video game that progresses a game using a limited number of items, the game can be made more interesting. In an area data table 126-1 of a first area, a brand ‘CAT’ having a previous brand point ‘14%’ is ‘BEST 1’, and a brand ‘BOAR’ having a previous brand point ‘13%’ is ‘BEST 2’. In addition, a brand ‘TIGER’ having a previous brand point ‘3%’ is ‘WORST 2’, and a brand ‘RAT’ having a previous brand point ‘2%’ is ‘WORST 1’. Accordingly, if a player character executes a battle against an enemy character in the first area, when an item of the brand ‘CAT’, which is ‘BEST 1’, is used, its power becomes three times higher than a reference power, and when an item of the brand ‘BOAR’, which is ‘BEST 2’, is used, its power becomes one and half times higher than the reference power. In addition, when an item of the brand ‘TIGER’, which is ‘WORST 2’, is used, its power becomes 0.5 times lower than the reference power, and an item of the brand ‘RAT’, which is ‘WORST 1’, becomes unavailable. |
| US09254433B2 |
Impact distributing mechanism
An article is provided that includes a core including a plurality of triangular core members. Two or more edges of each triangular core member are each attached to respective edges of other triangular core members in the plurality of triangular core members by respective hinges in a plurality of hinges. Each hinge in the plurality of hinges joins respective edges of a respective pair of substantially adjacent triangular core members in the plurality of triangular core members, is of a length to provide an offset between the pair of triangular core members, has a thickness less than thicknesses of the pair of triangular core members, and is integrally connected to the pair of triangular core members. |
| US09254432B2 |
Basketball shot-tracking system
A basketball shot-tracking system comprising a wrist tracker, a net tracker, and a shot-tracking mobile application. The wrist tracker is worn on the wrist or arm of a basketball player and the net tracker is attached to the net of the basketball hoop. The wrist tracker and net tracker automatically detect shot-attempt and made-shot events, respectively, and asynchronously transmit messages to the shot-tracking mobile application reporting these events. The shot-tracking mobile application, which runs on a mobile device, such as a smart phone or tablet computer, includes program instructions that, when executed by the CPU of the wireless mobile device, causes the wireless mobile device to automatically receive and process the asynchronous event data sent by the wrist tracker and net tracker, and to automatically tabulate, store and/or display the basketball player's shooting statistics (such as total shots taken, total shots made, shooting percentage, shot locations, and the like). |
| US09254426B2 |
Anti-theft device for a golf club
An anti-theft device for a golf club having a cover comprising an internal surface adapted to conform to a golf club hosel and a portion of a golf club shaft. One or more sensors are disposed within the internal surface of the cover and adapted to actuate between a passive state and an alarm alert state. An alarm is coupled to the one or more sensors, the alarm emitting a signal when the one or more sensors are actuated from the passive state to the alarm alert state. The one or more sensors are retracted in the passive state when the golf club hosel is housed within the cover. The one or more sensors are advanced in the alarm alert state when the golf club hosel is removed from the cover. |
| US09254424B2 |
Sport ball with indented casing
A sport ball may incorporate a casing that includes a plurality of joined panels. At least one of the panels may have a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The casing defines at least one indentation in the exterior surface, and the first layer is bonded to the third layer adjacent to the indentation. In some configurations, the casing may also define at least one indentations in a surface of the third layer, which may correspond in location with the indentation in the exterior surface. Additionally, the sport ball may include an intermediate structure and a bladder located within the casing. |
| US09254420B2 |
Golf ball composition and golf ball
A golf ball having a good rebound and excellent flight performance can be obtained using a golf ball composition which includes a diene polymer containing not more than 1.5% of components having a molecular weight of 30,000 or less. |
| US09254419B2 |
Underwater man-powered mechanical propeller
An underwater man-powered mechanical propeller includes a screw propeller arranged on a screw propeller shaft and encircled by a concentric protective ring. One side of the protective ring is provided with a supporting plate on which a first gear and a second gear mesh with each other, and a transitional gear and the second ear form a meshing pair. The drive shaft of the transitional gear passes through the supporting plate and has a second bevel gear, which meshes with a first bevel gear provided on the screw propeller shaft. The first gear is connected to a first connecting rod and the second gear is connected to a second connecting rod. |
| US09254418B2 |
Hanger
A storage and retrieval apparatus for objects with looped openings, the apparatus being flexible and made of metal, the apparatus characterized in having first and second arms, the first and second arms each having an upper end and each having a lower end, the apparatus having a body with first and second ends, the first end of the body connecting with the lower end of the first arm, the second end of the body connecting with the lower end of the second arm, the body having a shape, the shape of the body urging the first and second arms toward each other with a first spacing therebetween, the upper end of the first arm defining a first tip, the upper end of the second arm defining a second tip, the first tip and the second tip forming a space wider than the first spacing. |
| US09254417B2 |
Sprint trainer aid
Disclosed is a sprinter training aid which pulls the sprinter forward in an over speed condition, for the purpose of exercise the muscles which pull the leg forward when running, such the hip flexor muscles. Two devices can be used, one pulling the sprinter forward and one pulling the sprinter backward at the start of a run. The backward pulling at the start of the run exercises the sprinter's muscles which are used when going from a stationary position, to a full speed sprint. The device which pulls the sprinter forward would take over when the rearward pulling device shut off, and pull the sprinter to an over speed condition. Include in the device is a cable and cable winder, and a motor, computer, and a wireless connection to a data compilation computer. |
| US09254416B2 |
Touchscreen exercise device controller
A touchscreen exercise device controller is connected to an exercise device and is used to adjust one or more operational parameters relative to the exercise device. The touchscreen exercise device controller includes a touchscreen that displays one or more exercise device controls for controlling exercise device operations, and receives touch inputs from an exercise device user that indicate which exercise device operations are to be changed. The touchscreen exercise device controller further includes a processing module that generates operational commands for the exercise device based on the received user inputs, and upon determining that one or more of the touch inputs comprises a predefined touch input, modifies at least a portion of the exercise device controls displayed on the touchscreen. |
| US09254414B2 |
Exercise device
An elliptical trainer comprises a reciprocal-movement mechanism and an angle-adjusting chassis. The angle-adjusting chassis comprises a frame, a guider, an angle-adjusting assembly, and an intermediary part. Both the front end of the frame and the rear end of the guider may contact a supporting surface, and the rear portion of the frame may be pivotally coupled with a front portion of the guider. The angle-adjusting assembly is arranged near the rear portion of the frame, and the intermediary part is arranged at or near or attached to the front portion of the guider. The angle-adjusting assembly pushes the intermediary part, such that the guider rotates around its rear end, and the frame rotates around its front end, resulting in varying a first angle between the guider and the supporting surface and varying a second angle between the frame and the supporting surface. |
| US09254413B2 |
Elliptical exerciser
An elliptical exerciser includes a body having two foot support links and two rotation members. The rotation members are rotated about their respective rotation pivots to drive the foot support links to move along a supporting travel and a crossing travel to complete a closed pedal trajectory. The timing adjustment wheel is pivotally connected to the body. A distance is defined between the pivot of the timing adjustment wheel and either of the rotation pivots of the rotation members. Two connecting links are pivotally connected to the timing adjustment wheel. The lengths of the two connecting links are longer than the distance. When one of the foot support links moves within the supporting travel and rotates one of the rotation members, the timing adjustment wheel drives the other foot support link to move within the crossing travel and produces speed and phase differences to be more ergonomic. |
| US09254412B2 |
Elliptical exerciser
An exerciser includes a body and an adjustment wheel. The body has two flywheels and two foot support links. The two flywheels each have a sliding portion which radially connected thereto so as to guide the two foot support links to alternatively move along a supporting travel and a crossing travel to complete a closed pedal trajectory when the flywheels rotate. The timing adjustment wheel is pivotally connected to the body. The timing adjustment wheel has a first slider and a second slider, the first and second sliders are configured to move along the sliding portions of the flywheels. The foot support links drives the flywheel to rotate so that the first and second sliders move along the sliding portions to change the speeds and phase differences of the foot support links so as to meet the principles of ergonomics. |
| US09254410B1 |
Multi-grip exercise bar
The multi-grip exercise bar includes an elongate cylindrical shaft having end sleeves at opposite ends for selective mounting of weights. The cylindrical shaft has a pair of intermediate, symmetrically disposed, offset, coplanar grip portions formed by trapezoidal bends in the shaft, defining a main longitudinal axis and an offset longitudinal axis. Eight knurled grips are formed on the shaft. A pair of handles extend from a central section of the shaft parallel to each other, providing another pair of grips. Two outer sections of the shaft along the main axis provide a wide pair of grips for straight lifts, and two sections along the offset axis provide a narrow pair of grips for straight lifts. The four oblique legs of the offset portions provide wide and narrow pairs of grips for curl lifts, with either internal or external rotation of the wrists. The two handles provide grips for triceps lifts. |
| US09254406B2 |
Exercise device and associated methods
A method of fatiguing a target muscle group of a user using an exercise device includes grasping in each hand one of a pair of outer handles of an exercise device, positioning the user's feet to be substantially aligned with the user's shoulders while maintaining the user's torso in a substantially upright orientation, positioning each hand in an initial position relative to the user's torso, cyclically pulling the outer handles away from one another in a cyclic motion to apply a cyclic pulling force to the tethers to cause the central disk to alternately rotate in opposing directions of rotation, and moving one or both hands to a secondary position relative to the user's torso and repeating the application of the cyclic force to fatigue the initial target muscle group or to fatigue a secondary target muscle group. |
| US09254405B1 |
Variable resistant exercise band, device containing same and exercise method
An exercise device is provided using a variable resistant exercise band having spaced apart eyelets along the length of the band. Each eyelet located at respective ends of the band is secured onto a hook member attached to a rigid bar, or a grip handle which permits the band to be pulled up to different levels, or in different directions.A method is also provided for using the exercise device. |
| US09254404B2 |
Exercise apparatus having a targeted fluid support system
An exerciser, preferably in the form of a stepper with a fluid resistance system guides stepper treadles angularly downward and outward from the center of the stepper. According to an embodiment bellows that support treadles angle downward and outward. |
| US09254403B2 |
Joint rehabilitation strap and method of using the same
The present invention is directed to a rehabilitation strap including a pair of handles and a strap of adjustable length and a method of using the same. The method includes rehabilitation exercises that an individual may practice after a joint replacement procedure. |
| US09254401B2 |
Jump rope assembly
Disclosed is a jump rope comprising: an oil impregnated bushing; having a pair of handles with an external surface treatment. Additionally, the rope may include a fastener attached to each end and secured within the head of the jump rope yet still free to rotate about an axis formed by the centerline of the rope body. In some configurations a universal joint is attached to each end and secured to the jump rope handle, with one end of the input yoke acting as a column for rotation and one end of the output yoke used to secure the rope, and both free ends of each yoke attaching to the cross-trunnion to complete the assembly. |
| US09254400B2 |
Method for processing peroxygen solutions
The present disclosure relates to a multi-step method for processing peroxygen solutions for reuse or disposal. The method uses an enzyme and a reducing agent. |
| US09254398B2 |
Self-dispersible coated metal oxide powder, and process for production and use
Disclosed is a composition having a substrate comprising metal oxide particles. The substrate has a coating thereon that includes an organic dispersant present in a amount that renders the substrate self-dispersible. Also disclosed is a composition, such as a cosmetic composition, that includes that self-dispersible coated substrate, and a process that includes coating a particulate metal oxide with an organic dispersant to render the metal oxide self-dispersible. |
| US09254396B2 |
Advanced radiotherapy treatment planning optimization
A method of radiotherapy treatment planning is described. A planned target volume is identified for radiotherapy treatment and at least one volume of interest is identified. The mass, density, and total deposited energy contained in the planned target volume and the volumes of interest are identified and dose objectives are determined. At least one of the objectives is a function of the identified mass, density, or deposited energy. A composite objective function is determined using the dose objectives for the planned target volume and the volumes of interest. A near optimal solution to the composite objective function is determined to produce a radiotherapy treatment plan. |
| US09254395B1 |
Multi-mode microcurrent stimulus system with safety circuitry and related methods
A microcurrent stimulation device with a power supply, two or more electrodes electronically coupled to the power supply, a microcontroller configured to generate an electromagnetic waveform, an impedance measurement module configured to measure electrical impedance of one or more biological tissues between the two or more electrodes. A first safety circuit monitors electric current flow through one or more components of the microcurrent stimulation device and interrupts electric current flow if the electric current flow through the one or more components is above a predetermined level. A second safety circuit interrupts electric current flow through the one or more components if a firmware failure occurs. |
| US09254389B2 |
Electrical inhibition of the phrenic nerve during cardiac pacing
According to various method embodiments for pacing a heart and avoiding unwanted stimulation of a phrenic nerve during cardiac pacing, a desired pacing time for delivering a cardiac pace is determined, and a desired nerve traffic inhibition time to inhibit nerve traffic in the phrenic nerve is determined using the desired pace time. The cardiac pace is delivered at the desired pacing time and nerve traffic in the phrenic nerve is inhibited at the desired nerve traffic inhibition time. |
| US09254385B2 |
Visual prosthesis for phosphene shape control
The present invention is an improved method of stimulating visual neurons to create artificial vision. It has been found that varying current of visual stimulation can create varying percept brightness, varying percept size, and varying percept shape. By determining the attributes of predetermined current levels, and using those attributes to program a video processor, more accurate video preproduction can be obtained.The present invention also includes an electrode array having alternating large and small electrodes in rows at a 45 degree angle to horizontal in the visual field. |
| US09254384B2 |
Inner hair cell stimulation model for use by a cochlear implant system
The stimulation provided in the electrically stimulated cochlea is modulated in accordance with the amplitude of a received acoustic signal and the onset of a sound in a received acoustic signal to provide increased sound perception. An onset time that corresponds to the onset of a sound is detected in an acoustic signal associated with a frequency band. A forcing voltage and a transmitting factor are determined, wherein the forcing voltage and the transmitting factor are associated with the frequency band at the detected onset time. The acoustic signal is modulated as a function of the forcing voltage and the transmitting factor to generate an output signal. The generated output signal can be used to stimulate the cochlea. The modulation strategy can be used in conjunction with sound processing strategies that employ frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, or a combination of frequency and amplitude modulation. |
| US09254383B2 |
Devices and methods for monitoring non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation
Devices and methods are disclosed that treat a medical condition, such as migraine headache, by electrically stimulating a nerve noninvasively, which may be a vagus nerve situated within a patient's neck. Preferred embodiments allow a patient to self-treat his or her condition. Disclosed methods assure that the device is being positioned correctly on the neck and that the amplitude and other parameters of the stimulation actually stimulate the vagus nerve with a therapeutic waveform. Those methods comprise measuring properties of the patient's larynx, pupil diameters, blood flow within an eye, electrodermal activity and/or heart rate variability. |
| US09254374B2 |
Catheter and method of manufacture
The instant invention relates generally to introducer catheters used to help deliver catheters or other medical devices to locations within the human body. In particular, the instant invention relates to large diameter introducer catheters (introducer catheters with lumens greater than about 6 French) having increased strength, flexibility, and kink resistance. Introducer catheters according to the teachings herein may also include curved distal ends and flared (that is, funnel-like) transition sections within their lumens. |
| US09254371B2 |
Retrieval systems and methods for use thereof
The devices and methods described herein relate to improved structures for removing obstructions from body lumens. Such devices have applicability in through-out the body, including clearing of blockages within the vasculature, by recanalizing or removing the obstruction within the body lumen. |
| US09254369B2 |
Leak determination in a breathing assistance system
Systems and methods for estimating a leak flow in a breathing assistance system including a ventilation device connected to a patient are provided. Data of a flow waveform indicating the flow of gas between the ventilation device and the patient is accessed. A specific portion of the flow waveform is identified, and a linear regression of the identified portion of the flow waveform is performed to determine an estimated leak flow in the breathing assistance system. |
| US09254367B2 |
Inhaler 624
In an exemplary embodiment, a breath actuated inhaler (BAI) actuator may include a loading element capable of being loaded with an actuation force and a breath actuated trigger mechanism arranged to counteract the actuation force of the loading element and to fire the actuator by releasing the actuation force of the loading element in response to an inhalation breath. An actuation locking device may be moveable between a locked position wherein it relieves the actuation force from the trigger mechanism setting the trigger mechanism in a neutral position, and an armed position wherein the trigger mechanism is set in an armed position. |
| US09254357B2 |
Container, system and method for providing a solution
A container (10) comprising a plurality of compartments (A, B, C) separated by compartment dividers (6), and an inlet connector (3) for receiving a liquid via a connection tube (2). The compartment dividers rupture when a sufficient pressure is applied by a liquid or gas introduced into the container (10) through the inlet connector (3). Some of the compartments comprise powder, which dissolves at the introduction of liquid into the container. A system, process and use in the field of dialysis are also disclosed. |
| US09254353B2 |
Adjustable reduced-pressure wound coverings
Adjustable covers, systems, and methods are presented that include an adjustable cover that may be adjusted to an appropriate size by hand without requiring cutting tools and without substantial leaks. In one instance, the adjustable covering includes a drape member with a plurality of non-leaking tear paths. Each non-leaking tear path includes a weakened path of the drape member that may be torn. The adjustable covering may further include a first plurality of tear starters formed on a first initiation edge of the drape member. Each tear starter of the first plurality of tear starters is aligned with one of the plurality of tear paths. Each of the first plurality of tear starters is adapted to facilitate the initiation of a tear along a tear path. The grains of the drape member, a backing layer, and support layer may also be in the same direction. Other adjustable covers, systems, and methods are presented. |
| US09254352B2 |
Fluid filtering device and method
An apparatus including a hollow body, an inlet fluidly coupled to the hollow body, a piston slidably engaged within the hollow body, and a filter arranged within the hollow body between the inlet and piston. The piston and hollow body cooperatively generate a negative pressure, relative to ambient, within the hollow body during piston translation from a first position, proximal the inlet, to a second position, distal the inlet, to draw a fluid, such as blood, through the filter into the hollow body. The piston and hollow body cooperatively generate a positive pressure, relative to ambient, within the hollow body during piston translation from the second position to the first position to egress the filtered fluid from the hollow body. |
| US09254351B2 |
Method for the surface treatment of titanium bone implants using, in order, a sodium hydroxide bath and anodization
The invention relates to a method for the surface treatment of a biologically inert titanium implant to be placed in contact with a bone of the human body, which involves allowing body fluids, such as the inorganic portion of human blood plasma, to naturally deposit, onto the titanium implant, a calcium phosphate film having the formula Ca5(PO4)3(OH), in the form of hydroxyapatite, with a view to rendering the biologically inert titanium biologically active so as to enable the bone to chemically bond to the implant, thus promoting osseointegration, the method including an operation that involves submerging the titanium in a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, wherein said submersion causes the formation of a film of hydrated titanium oxides (HTiO3—) on the titanium, which in turn causes hydroxyl groups (TiOH) to appear, thus enabling the deposition of said calcium phosphate film. The method according to the invention is characterized in that it includes, after the operation of submerging the implant in sodium hydroxide, an operation of anodizing the implant at a given voltage, thereby enabling the stabilization of the oxide film formed by means the operation of submerging the implant in the sodium hydroxide. |
| US09254348B2 |
In situ crosslinking hydrogel comprising γ-polyglutamic acid and method for producing the same
Disclosed are a biodegradable, biocompatible hydrogel that can be used for sealants of suppressing the leakage of blood or air during surgical operation, tissue adhesives, anti-adhesive agents and drug delivery carriers, and a method for producing the same. |
| US09254340B2 |
Nanodiamond and glycine conjugate and method for the preparation thereof
The invention relates to the field of pharmaceutics and medicine and concerns a nano-diamond conjugate with glycine for delivering glycine into an organism, the conjugate comprising nano-diamond particles modified by glycine, with a particle size of 2-10 nm, and containing up to 21% by mass of glycine which is included in the composition of the superficial shell of said particles with a thickness of up to 1 nm, and to a method for producing said conjugate. |
| US09254338B2 |
Use of a VEGF antagonist to treat angiogenic eye disorders
The present invention provides methods for treating angiogenic eye disorders by sequentially administering multiple doses of a VEGF antagonist to a patient. The methods of the present invention include the administration of multiple doses of a VEGF antagonist to a patient at a frequency of once every 8 or more weeks. The methods of the present invention are useful for the treatment of angiogenic eye disorders such as age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, central retinal vein occlusion, branch retinal vein occlusion, and corneal neovascularization. |
| US09254336B2 |
Method for activation and conjugation of biomolecules
The present invention is directed to a method for producing a biomolecule conjugate where the method is integrated into a single unit operation. |
| US09254329B2 |
Stable protective coatings for pharmaceutical dosage forms
A coating material, containing a mixture of i) a polymer obtained by radical polymerization from a) N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate, and b) at least one radically polymerizable compound, selected from esters of α,β-ethylenically unsaturated mono- and dicarboxylic acids with C1-C18 alkanols, as component A, ii) one or more antioxidants as component B, iii) one or more plasticizers as component C, and iv) other excipients as components D, wherein the total amount of the mixture of components A-D is 100 wt. %. |
| US09254326B2 |
Pharmaceutical composition comprising 11-deoxy-prostaglandin compound and method for stabilizing the compound
Provided is a pharmaceutical composition including an 11-deoxy-prostaglandin compound represented by formula (I): and a fatty acid ester. By mixing the compound of formula (I) and a fatty acid ester, the compound of formula (I) will be stabilized. |
| US09254322B2 |
Compositions comprising E-selectin antagonists and uses therefor
This invention discloses the use of an E-selectin antagonist and a mobilizer of hematopoietic stem cells or progenitor cells in methods and compositions for treating or preventing immunocompromised conditions resulting from medical treatment. The present invention is particular relevant for prophylaxis and/or treatment of hematopoeitic disorders including neutropenia, agranulocytosis, anemia and thrombocytopenia in individuals receiving or proposed to receive treatments that target rapidly dividing cells or that disrupt the cell cycle or cell division. |
| US09254321B2 |
Compositions and methods for stabilizing protein-containing formulations
The present invention relates to use of certain alkylglycoside compositions for the prevention of aggregation and oxidation of antibodies and other proteins in therapeutically useful formulations thereof. |
| US09254318B2 |
High titer recombinant influenza viruses for vaccines
The invention provides a composition useful to prepare high titer influenza viruses, e.g., in the absence of helper virus, which includes at least five internal genes from an influenza virus isolate that replicates to high titers in embryonated chicken eggs or MDCK cells. |
| US09254313B2 |
Variant, recombinant beta-glucocerebrosidase proteins with increased stability and increased retained catalytic activity
Described herein are variant, recombinant β-glucocerebrosidase proteins characterized as having increased stability relative to recombinant wild-type β-glucocerebrosidase. Also provided herein are variant, recombinant β-glucocerebrosidase proteins characterized as retaining more catalytic activity relative to recombinant wild-type β-glucocerebrosidase. Further described herein are variant, recombinant β-glucocerebrosidase proteins that can have amino acid variations at one or more of the following positions: 316, 317, 321 and 145. Methods of making the variant, recombinant β-glucocerebrosidase proteins are also described as well as methods of treating patients having lysosomal storage diseases. |
| US09254310B2 |
Therapeutic and cosmetic uses and applications of calreticulin
The invention relates to therapeutic and cosmetic uses of calreticulin including reducing or eliminating wrinkles and/or fine lines, tissue repair and reconstruction, repairing damaged bone and/or cartilage, stimulating regeneration of an epidermal appendage, enhancing phagocytosis of bacteria by phagocytes within a wound, treating a wound in a patient suffering from delayed wound healing, treating a corneal wound, and treating or preventing a surgical adhesion. |
| US09254309B2 |
Use of multivalent synthetic ligands of surface nucleolin for treating cancer or inflammation
A method for treating disorders involving deregulation of cell proliferation and/or angiogenesis comprising the administration of an effective amount of a multivalent synthetic compound comprising a support on which at least 3 pseudopeptide units are grafted, said compound being of formula (I). |
| US09254307B2 |
Polymeric delivery formulations of leuprolide with improved efficacy
The present invention is directed to a flowable composition that is suitable for use as a controlled release implant. The flowable composition includes a biodegradable thermoplastic polyester that is at least substantially insoluble in aqueous medium or body fluid. The flowable composition also includes a biocompatible polar aprotic solvent. The biocompatible polar aprotic solvent is miscible to dispersible in aqueous medium or body fluid. The flowable composition also includes leuprolide acetate. |
| US09254303B2 |
Synbiotic mixture
This invention relates to a preparation comprising N-acetyl-lactosamine and/or an oligosaccharide containing N-acetyl-lactosamine and a probiotic Lactobacillus sp. The invention extends to nutritional compositions comprising said preparation and to the use of the preparation in the prevention and treatment of pathogenic infections of the gastro-intestinal and upper respiratory tracts. |
| US09254299B2 |
Administration of hypoxia activated prodrugs in combination with Chk1 inhibitors for treating cancer
Cancer can be treated by administration of TH-302 in combination with a Chk1 inhibitor. |
| US09254298B2 |
Synthesis and formulations of salts of isophosphoramide mustard and analogs thereof
Disclosed herein are formulations and methods of manufacture of compounds of formula (E): wherein X and Y independently represent leaving groups; and A+ is an ammonium cation. |
| US09254296B2 |
Pharmaceutical composition comprising vitamin D analogue and cosolvent-surfactant mixture
A topical pharmaceutical composition which is an oil-in-water-oil emulsion comprising a vitamin D derivative or analogue dissolved in a mixture of a non-ionic surfactant and a lower alkanol. The topical pharmaceutical composition may be used in the treatment of dermal conditions, such as psoriasis. |
| US09254295B2 |
Tomatidine, analogs thereof, compositions comprising same, and uses for same
In one aspect, the invention relates to methods for promoting muscle hypertrophy or decreasing adiposity by providing to an animal in need thereof an effective amount of a compound. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. |
| US09254294B2 |
Transmucosal hormone delivery system
The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for sublingual or buccal administration of actives with low to poor aqueous solubility, e.g. the hormone estradiol, which contains a solution of the active in a pharmaceutically acceptable solvent adsorbed or absorbed onto particles of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and methods of preparing and using the pharmaceutical composition. |
| US09254290B2 |
Method for screening diabetes treating agent
The present invention provides a method for screening a diabetes treating agent comprising the following steps: (a) preparing cells inside a culture medium; (b) treating the culture medium with a test substance; (c) treating the result of step (b) with a glucose derivative which is not metabolized; and (d) measuring the glucose derivative which has flowed into the cells, wherein the test substance is determined to be a diabetes treating agent if the test substance accelerates uptake of the glucose derivative in the cells. Therefore, the described pharmaceutical composition, including a triazin-based compound as an active ingredient, can be useful for application in preventing or treating diabetes. |
| US09254283B2 |
Therapeutic agent for migraine
Provided are therapeutic and/or preventive agents for migraine which comprise, as an active ingredient, a compound having a selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonistic activity or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; therapeutic and/or preventive agents for migraine which comprise, as an active ingredient, a compound having a selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonistic activity, which has an affinity for the adenosine A2A receptor 10 times or higher than that for the adenosine A1 receptor, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and the like. |
| US09254278B2 |
Methods of therapeutic monitoring of nitrogen scavenging drugs
The present disclosure provides methods for evaluating daily ammonia exposure based on a single fasting ammonia blood level measurement, as well as methods that utilize this technique to adjust the dosage of a nitrogen scavenging drug, determine whether to administer a nitrogen scavenging drug, and treat nitrogen retention disorders. |
| US09254277B2 |
Pet food compositions and methods for treating arthritis and inflammation associated with arthritis
The present invention provides food compositions that are effective in treating arthritis or inflammation associated with arthritis in a companion animal, preferably a canine or feline. |
| US09254275B2 |
Branched chain fatty acids for prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disorders
The present invention is directed to a method of preventing or treating a gastrointestinal condition in a subject, that includes administering one or more branched chain fatty acid to the subject under conditions effective to prevent or treat the gastrointestinal condition in the subject. In general, branched chain fatty acids, in accordance with the present invention, may be non-esterified fatty acids or covalently linked to a lipid, including wax esters, sterol esters, triacylglycerols, or any other lipid-related molecular species, natural or artificial. The branched chain fatty acid can be a C11 to C26 branched chain fatty acid and mixtures thereof. |
| US09254272B2 |
Resorcinol derivatives
The disclosure relates to cannabinoid derivative compounds, pharmaceutical compositions made thereof, and methods for treating various diseases and disorders including cancer. |
| US09254271B2 |
Arthroscopic irrigation solution and method for peripheral vasoconstriction and inhibition of pain and inflammation
A method and solution for perioperatively inhibiting a variety of pain and inflammation processes during arthroscopic procedures. The solution preferably includes a vasoconstrictor that demonstrates substantial agonist activity at alpha adrenergic receptors and that is selected for peripheral (local) vasoconstriction and one or more additional pain and inflammation inhibitory agents at dilute concentration in a physiologic carrier, such as saline or lactated Ringer's solution. The solution is applied by continuous irrigation of a wound during a surgical procedure for peripheral vasoconstriction and inhibition of pain and/or inflammation while avoiding undesirable side effects associated with systemic application of larger doses of the agents. |
| US09254269B2 |
Method of managing hypercortisolemia, headache disorders, neuropathic pain and related disorders
The present disclosure relates to treatment and management of Cushing's syndrome, Headache disorders and Neuropathic using a composition comprising asiaticoside and madecasosside optionally along with at least one excipient. The treatment can be extended to Myalgia and other related disease conditions. |
| US09254268B2 |
Compositions comprising lipophilic active compounds and method for their preparation
Compositions are provided comprising a lipophilic active compound, e.g., a human or veterinary drug or a nutraceutical, interwoven with a polymeric matrix formed by two or more polymers, wherein one of the polymers is an amphiphilic polymer and the other polymer is either an amphiphilic polymer with a different hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance or a hydrophilic polymer, and the active lipophilic compound has modified physicochemical properties. The composition forms colloidal nanodispersion upon contact with aqueous media. |
| US09254267B2 |
Composite hydrogel drug delivery systems
Compositions and methods are provided to control the release of relatively low molecular weight therapeutic species through hydrogels by first dispersing or dissolving such therapeutic species within relatively hydrophobic rate modifying agents to form a mixture. The mixture is formed into microparticles that are dispersed within bioabsorbable hydrogels, so as to release the water soluble therapeutic agents in a controlled fashion. Methods of using the compositions of the present invention in therapeutic systems are also provided. |
| US09254266B2 |
Inhibiting surface enhanced crystallization of amorphous pharmaceuticals with ultrathin coatings
The present invention provides surface-stabilized amorphous pharmaceuticals comprising an amorphous pharmaceutical substrate coated with a biocompatible immobilizing material. Amorphous pharmaceutical substrates that are prone to surface enhanced crystallization benefit from the present coatings. The coated amorphous pharmaceuticals of the present invention maintain their amorphous state and, therefore, their solubility over extended periods of time, relative to uncoated pharmaceuticals. |
| US09254259B2 |
Methods of intravenous administration of glyburide
The present disclosure is drawn to a method of administering glyburide intravenously to a subject over a period of time as a first bolus administration of glyburide; a second bolus administration of glyburide, after the first bolus; and a first continuous infusion administration of glyburide, wherein the first continuous infusion is administered at a first rate of administration for a first period of time, after the second bolus administration of glyburide. |
| US09254255B2 |
Dental care product with two-part formulations and utility thereof
A dental care product comprises an orally acceptable carrier or excipient, and a bacterial resistance copolymer, which comprises a zwitterionic block and a charged anchoring block, wherein the anchoring block binds to tooth surfaces by electrostatic attraction, and the zwitterionic block extends outwardly to reduce the attachment of bacteria to tooth surfaces. |
| US09254251B2 |
Benzoic acid amide compound
The present invention relates to a novel benzoic acid amide derivative compound, isomers thereof, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, prodrugs thereof, hydrates thereof, or solvates thereof. The novel compound has excellent skin whitening effects. |
| US09254250B1 |
Molecules to perfect HbA1c levels
This invention is of particular use to patients with Diabetes Mellitus. It uses alkyl analogs of the methyl pyruvate (MP) family to provide energy and improve insulin and glucose homeostasis via accelerated intracellular delivery of protons and ATP from each MP. The energy upregulates cellular cross talk and networking resulting in a surge of ATP enabling NADH (via glycolysis) that enables pancreatic islet cells to obtain increased ATP allowing excess insulin manufacture. This process improves cellular respiration and expedites protein, lipid and hormone manufacture. The increased energy also enables telomeres and delays Hayflick limit. Instead of cellular repair, silence, or apoptosis, energy is allocated for cell/organ function. This invention curbs inflammation and ROS by idealizing cellular respiration and diminishing hyperglycemia. In turn a reduction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), lessened target RNA and nucleic acid toxins, i.e., diminished HbA1c occurs. By decreased drain of cellular energy, genomic function improves. |
| US09254248B2 |
Inhibitor of odor caused by sotolone
It is intended to provide a substance inhibiting an odor caused by sotolone. The present invention provides an inhibitor of an odor caused by sotolone, comprising an antagonist of an olfactory receptor OR8D1 as an active ingredient. |
| US09254242B2 |
Connector device
A connector device for connecting two containers with first and second members slidably displaceable in regard to each other along an axis between a first and a second position is presented. The first member comprises a needle parallel to the axis so that the first container's septum is penetrated by one end of the needle when the first container is introduced into the first member. The second member comprises a coupling to the second container. The other needle end penetrates the second container's septum when the members are in the second position establishing a connection between the two containers. The first member comprises a coupling to the second container coupled to the second member. The first member can couple to the second container when the two members are in the second position and cannot couple to the second container when the two members are in the first position. |
| US09254234B2 |
Robotic strong arm
A robotic strong arm (RSA) for assisting in the transfer of a person from a first surface to a second surface, comprising: first and second members, wherein in each member comprises a prismatic joint having first and second ends and comprising inner and outer shells and a motor for powered linear movement of the outer shell with respect to the inner shell; a first powered joint interconnecting the second end of the first member with the first end of the second member, wherein the first powered joint provides movement of the second member with respect to the first member; wherein the first end of the first member is attached to a rotatable base and wherein the rotatable base is movably attached for powered movement along a component associated with, and extending around at least a portion of a periphery about, the first surface; and a computer controller for controlling movements of the outer shells, first powered joint, rotation of the rotatable base and movement of the rotatable base and RSA along the component. |
| US09254233B2 |
Apparatus for lifting persons
An apparatus to lift persons includes: a base; wheels attached to the base; a vertical assembly including a fixed subassembly and a traveling subassembly; a mechanism such as an actuator that powers vertical movement of the traveling subassembly; a fork system attached to the traveling subassembly and comprises a pair of forks; and a substantially flat seat plate that is removably attached to the fork system and includes a pair of channels along opposite sides of the seat plate. The seat plate is removed from the fork system, placed onto the floor, and is then mounted by a person. The seat plate is reattached to the fork system by inserting the forks into the channels, and the actuator is activated to lift the person from the floor. The base and fork system may be pivotally attached to the fixed subassembly and traveling subassembly, respectively, so that the apparatus is collapsible. |
| US09254231B2 |
Multi-layered support system
In various embodiments, a support system includes a cover sheet with a number of layers. In certain embodiments, a top layer and a bottom layer are bonded to a middle spacer layer. |
| US09254229B2 |
Packaging unit and a dispenser for disposable articles
A packaging unit for holding a plurality of articles, preferably disposable articles, such, as plasters, tissues, gauze, etc. The packaging unit comprises a holding member (2) comprising a first part (5) with at most fifteen spaced apart flaps (6), and a second part (7), the first and second parts being arranged oppositely each other. A plurality of articles are arranged and retained between the first and second parts in such a manner that an individual article can be removed from the packaging unit. The packaging unit is insertable in a dispenser (13) and may serve as a refill package. Furthermore, a dispenser for delivering disposable articles, the dispenser comprising a retaining part (14) for retaining a packaging unit and an opening (15) allowing a packaging unit to be inserted and allowing an individual article to be delivered. The opening is arranged in such a manner that an individual article may be delivered from the dispenser by pulling it in a substantially downwards direction. The dispenser improves the hygienic standard as compared to prior art dispensers because the position of the opening prevents dirt, blood, or various items from entering the dispenser due to the force of gravity, thereby contaminating the articles positioned in the dispenser. |
| US09254228B2 |
Array of disposable absorbent articles having a sequence of graphics corresponding to a wearer's stages of development
An array of disposable absorbent articles comprising a sequence of graphic designs corresponding to a wearer's stage of development. For a disposable diaper, the array of disposable absorbent article graphic designs may comprise a first absorbent article graphic design for newborns and infants, a second absorbent article graphic design for toddlers, and a third absorbent article graphic design for older wearers, and other absorbent article graphic designs, and a wetness indicator. |
| US09254225B2 |
Punctal plug inserter and method
A surgical tool for inserting a spile or plug into the punctal opening of a meatus such as a lacrimo-nasal canaliculus comprises an oblong, hollowed member shaped and dimensioned to be conveniently manipulated with one hand and having at one of its end a punctal opening and meatus-dilating shaft and, at the opposite end, a plug inserter. The dilating shaft has a cross-diameter substantially equal to the cross-diameter of the plug and is terminated by a conical spike. The inserter comprises a tip extending axially from the member and having, at its distal end, a cup whose internal geometry is commensurate with a cap at the proximal end of the plug. A penetration-resisting bearing surface is provided by the cup rim. The plug can be allowed to retract within the cup under the force of insertion. A steel wire running through the inserter has its distal end inserted into the cap of the plug. The wire can be axially withdrawn by unidirectionally pressing a button in order to release the plug after insertion into the meatus. |
| US09254220B1 |
Method and system for assessing severity and stage of peripheral arterial disease and lower extremity wounds using angiosome mapping
The present invention provides a system for assessing the severity and stage of PAD including at least one sensor that measures skin perfusion pressure; a knowledge base that provides data on lower extremity angiosomes; and a processing device in operable communication with the sensor and the knowledge base, the processing device that outputs a visual representation of at least one of the lower extremity angiosomes that guides the sensor in the mapping of a testing site relative to a target vessel where the skin perfusion pressure measurement will be taken. |
| US09254219B2 |
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea prevention and treatment device
The present invention is a safe, inexpensive, easy to use and effective anti-snoring and anti-sleep apnea treatment device. The device has a vertical and horizontal bar. The horizontal bar is placed inside the mouth, behind or between the molar teeth with palatine and tongue shelves to prevent snoring and movement of the tongue backwards. The device is tethered to the hard palate by vacuum cups to prevent the movement of the tongue backwards during sleep to prevent sleep apnea. The proximal end of the vertical bar is anchored to string at the distal end with hook and loop fabric closure adhesive attachment and to the lips outside the mouth to prevent the accidental swallowing and aspiration of the device; and at the same time holds the tongue and device firmly in the mouth. The device is provided with canula with three way stopcocks to deliver supplemental oxygen and therapeutic agents. |
| US09254218B2 |
External urinary catheter system
A male external urinary catheter system includes an external collector having a proximal portion configured to receive a user's penis and a distal portion, a retaining structure configured to urge the proximal end of the external collector against the user's body adjacent the base of the penis, and a drainage container coupled to the distal portion of the external collector. |
| US09254217B2 |
Device for restraint of patients on a table
The present invention is a device for the restraint of patients on a treatment table. More specifically, the invention is designed to provide lateral side pressure on a patient in the abdomen, thorax, and hip areas during a radiation treatment. The main components of the device are paddle(s) and at least one crossbar assembly. The paddles are coupled to a crossbar assembly, which is positioned on a treatment table under the body cushion in which the patient is positioned. The paddles can be moved laterally along the crossbar such that they put lateral pressure on the cushion and the patient. |
| US09254210B2 |
Multi-stent and multi-balloon apparatus for treating bifurcations and methods of use
A system for treating a bifurcated vessel that includes a first delivery catheter and a second delivery catheter. The first delivery catheter carries a proximal first stent and a distal second stent. The first delivery catheter also has a first elongate shaft, a proximal first expandable member with the proximal first stent disposed thereover, and a distal second expandable member with the distal second stent disposed thereover. The proximal first expandable member and distal second expandable member are independently expandable of one another. The second delivery catheter carries a third stent. The second delivery catheter also has a second elongate shaft, and a third expandable member with the third stent disposed thereover. The third expandable member is independently expandable of the proximal first expandable member and the distal second expandable member. |
| US09254209B2 |
Stent fixation with reduced plastic deformation
An endovascular stent system (10) includes first and second generally tubular stents members (20, 22), which are shaped so as to define first and second interface sections (40, 42), respectively, which are securely coupleable to each other. The first interface section (40) is shaped so as to define an opening (44). The second interface section (42) is shaped so as to define a neck portion (50). When the first and second stent members (20, 22) are coupled together, the neck portion (50) is at least in part defined by: (a) first ones (72) of structural elements (70), positioned at respective first circumferential locations, which are configured to apply, to the opening (44), distally- and radially-outwardly-directed forces, without applying any proximally-directed forces, and (b) separate from the first structural elements (72), second ones (74) of the structural elements (70), positioned at respective second circumferential locations different from the first circumferential locations, which are configured to apply, to the opening (44), a proximally- and radially-outwardly-directed forces, without applying any distally-directed forces. |
| US09254207B2 |
Annular mesh
An annular mesh expandable radially from a compact diameter to a radially-expanded deployed disposition in which the mesh is capable of sustaining a radially outwardly directed resistive force even when flexing its longitudinal axis out of a straight line, the mesh being composed of stenting struts, the stenting struts being arranged in a plurality of zig-zag strings around the circumference of the lumen, with occasional connector struts joining adjacent strings to create a closed circumference unit cell between two such connector struts and two adjacent connected strings there being a plurality of such unit cells arranged in sequence around the circumference between said two adjacent strings; and characterized in that there is a non-constant increment of strut length, serving to displace along the longitudinal axis each unit cell relative to the circumferentially next adjacent unit cell. |
| US09254204B2 |
Stents having barbs protected during delivery
The present embodiments provide a stent comprising a plurality of interconnected strut segments that enable expansion of the stent from a delivery state to a deployed state. A first strut segment and a second strut segment, of the plurality of strut segments, each comprise frontal surfaces facing radially inward in the deployed state and rear surfaces facing radially outward in the deployed state. The frontal surface of the first strut segment is at least partially stacked behind the rear surface of the second strut segment in the delivery state. A first barb coupled to at least a portion of the first strut segment. A sharpened tip of the first barb is aligned at least partially circumferentially behind at least one strut segment in the delivery state such that the sharpened tip is not radially exposed. |
| US09254203B2 |
Delivery device
A medical device includes an elongate member and a delivery member. The elongate member has a retention portion and defining a lumen. The retention portion has a first configuration and a second configuration different than the first configuration. The retention portion is biased to the first configuration. The delivery member has a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The delivery member is configured to be disposed within the lumen of the elongate member to move the retention portion of the elongate member from the first configuration to the second configuration. |
| US09254199B2 |
Multi-walled placeholder
A placeholder for vertebrae or vertebral discs includes a tubular body, which along its jacket surface has a plurality of breakthroughs or openings for over-growth with adjacent tissue. The placeholder includes at least a second tubular body provided with a plurality of breakthroughs and openings at least partially inside the first tubular body. The first and second tubular bodies can have different cross-sectional shapes, can be are arranged inside one another by press fit or force fit or can be connected to each other via connecting pins and arranged side by side to one another in the first body. |
| US09254191B2 |
Balloon expandable platform with retaining features for a collapsible valve
Retainer structures (150) maintain stented valves (800) on the balloon (130) of a balloon catheter during delivery of the valve to an implantation node and subsequent expansion of the valve. The retainer structures define a raised edge relative to the outer surface of the balloon and limit movement of the valve longitudinally relative to the balloon. Deflation of the balloon following expansion of the valve stent releases the valve. |
| US09254189B2 |
Aberration-correcting vision prosthesis
A vision prosthesis includes an optical element having a characteristic function associated with refraction therethrough. The characteristic function is selected to reduce aberration in an eye when the optical element is implanted at a location therein. |
| US09254181B2 |
Automatic surgical lighting device and its lighting method
The present invention provides an automatic surgical lighting device and its lighting method. The surgical lighting device is located to face a target area and includes a supporting element that is connected to at least a moving element that is above the target area. A lighting capture module set on the moving element is used to illuminate the target area and capture the image of the target area in order to send feedback signal. Both the lighting capture module and moving element are electronically connected to at least one control unit. The control unit, base on the feedback signal received, moves the lighting capture module via the moving element till the whole image of the target area is obtained. By this method, the surgery quality is improved, the surgery time is shortened and the risk of cross infection and the consequent litigation is lowered. |
| US09254179B2 |
Surgical support system
A surgical support attaches to a surgical table by means of mounting plates and base plates that may communicate through a surgical drape without puncturing the surgical drape. The base plates may be attached to the surgical table by means of a pegboard or by direct clamping of the base plates to a side of the surgical table underneath the surgical drape. |
| US09254178B2 |
Curved cannula surgical system
A robotic surgical system is configured with rigid, curved cannulas that extend through the same opening into a patient's body. Surgical instruments with passively flexible shafts extend through the curved cannulas. The cannulas are oriented to direct the instruments towards a surgical site. Various port features that support the curved cannulas within the single opening are disclosed. Cannula support fixtures that support the cannulas during insertion into the single opening and mounting to robotic manipulators are disclosed. A teleoperation control system that moves the curved cannulas and their associated instruments in a manner that allows a surgeon to experience intuitive control is disclosed. |
| US09254166B2 |
Systems and methods for turbinate reduction
The present disclosure includes an electrosurgical apparatus for treating tissue at a target site. The apparatus has a shaft with a proximal end and a distal portion, the distal portion comprising a return electrode and electrode support. There is also at least one active electrode on the shaft distal portion, which has a proximal portion and a distal portion and a plurality of aspiration apertures disposed therebetween. These apertures are fluidly connected to a fluid aspiration cavity that is located within the electrode support, and the cavity is connected with a fluid aspiration element that is located along the shaft. The plurality of apertures vary in size and are generally arranged so that the larger sized apertures are disposed towards the electrode proximal portion and the smaller sized apertures are generally located towards the electrode distal portion. |
| US09254163B2 |
Assessment of electrode coupling for tissue ablation
An electrode catheter and a method for assessing electrode-tissue contact and coupling are disclosed. An exemplary electrode catheter comprises an electrode adapted to apply electrical energy. A measurement circuit is adapted to measure impedance between the electrode and ground as the electrode approaches a target tissue. A processor determines a contact and coupling condition for the target tissue based at least in part on reactance of the impedance measured by the measurement circuit. In another exemplary embodiment, the electrode catheter determines the contact and coupling condition based at least in part on a phase angle of the impedance. |
| US09254160B2 |
Driver assembly with guidewire control mechanism
An implant driver assembly includes an assembly for advancing a threaded implant over a wire. The assembly may include a driver tool with a proximal end, a distal end and a first engagement surface that has a first thread. The driver tool may also include a first wire passage. The assembly may further include a wire locking mechanism with a second engagement surface having a second thread. The second thread is engaged with the first thread to rotatably couple the wire locking mechanism with the driver tool. The wire locking mechanism may further include a second wire passage. The second wire passage may be substantially coaxially aligned with the first wire passage. |
| US09254153B2 |
Hip fracture device with static locking mechanism allowing compression
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of fusing fractures of a femoral neck using a bone plate including the steps of: placing a bone plate on the femur; inserting an assembly of a bone screw and a locking ring in an opening in the plate; simultaneously threading the locking ring and the bone screw in the femur; threading the bone screw in the femur to compress the fracture; creating a space between the locking ring and the bone screw; and allowing the bone screw to move towards the locking ring when the femur is loaded. In another embodiment, the present invention is a bone plating system including a bone plate having a plurality of openings; at least one bone screw capable of being received through the opening and into a bone; at least one end cap fixedly insertable in the opening; and a layer of polymeric material interposed between the end cap and the top of the head. |
| US09254149B2 |
Spinal fixation method and apparatus
A spinal stabilization system having a pedicle screw which includes (i) a shaft with external threads and a head segment on one end of the shaft; (ii) a first drive socket positioned in the head segment; (iii) a second drive socket on a shaft end opposite the first drive socket; and (iv) wherein the shaft end opposite the first drive socket has a lesser diameter than the shaft end at the head segment. The system further includes an intervertebral stabilization structure having an elongated body with rotating ring segments attached to each end of the elongated body. |
| US09254146B2 |
Echogenic nerve block apparatus and system
An apparatus for performing a nerve block procedure, the apparatus being composed of an echogenic needle or an echogenic soft tissue tunneling device and an echogenic catheter configured for controlled delivery of a medication. The apparatus may further include a sheath such that at least one of the needle or tunneling device and sheath is echogenic. The present invention also encompasses a system for performing a nerve block procedure, the system includes introducing an echogenic needle in the general area of a nerve bundle, positioning the echogenic needle adjacent the nerve bundle utilizing sonic imaging techniques, introducing an echogenic catheter configured for controlled delivery of a fluid through the echogenic needle, withdrawing the echogenic needle, positioning the echogenic catheter adjacent the nerve bundle utilizing sonic imaging techniques, and delivering fluid to the nerve bundle through the echogenic catheter. |
| US09254145B2 |
Atherectomy device
A device for modifying a body lumen of a mammal in need thereof is provided, comprising a helically-cut tube comprising cutting teeth, said helically-cut tube substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said device, a ramp wire that is displaced from the longitudinal axis of said device over at least a portion of said ramp wire and is enclosed by said helically-cut tube over at least a part of the length of said ramp wire, a drive rod wherein the broach may be moved proximally, distally, and/or radially via proximal, distal, and radial motions, respectively, of the drive rod. Also provided are methods for using the device. |
| US09254141B2 |
Apparatus and method for heart valve repair
A device for transcatheter gathering of tissue of a heart valve leaflet may include an elongated tube extending in a longitudinal direction and a capture tool moveable in the elongated tube between a retracted position and an extended position. The elongated tube may have at least one slot extending generally in the longitudinal direction from a distal end of the elongated tube. The at least one slot may have an open end at the distal end of the elongated tube and a closed end remote therefrom. The capture tool may be operable to gather tissue of the heart valve leaflet into the at least one slot. The gathered tissue may have a pleated configuration. |
| US09254139B2 |
Drilling/milling guide and keel cut preparation system
An instrument system, associated milling or drilling guide and method include use of a trial implant of a size corresponding to an actual implant for the intervertebral space, with a milling guide mounted on the trial implant. The system also includes a cutting tool which is used to form a cutout in an adjacent vertebra. |
| US09254137B2 |
Facet implant
Prostheses and methods for treating spinal pathologies and more specifically, for treating articulating surfaces of facet joints. The system includes a superior implant that is configured for placement on a superior articulating facet surface and an inferior implant that is configured for placement on an inferior articulating facet surface. The method includes creating a space between a superior and an inferior articular facet, such as by using a rasp, and fixing superior and inferior implants to the superior and inferior articular facets. |
| US09254132B2 |
Endoscopic plication device and method
In a method of stapling layers of tissue within a body cavity, an engaging instrument is passed between a stapler cartridge and anvil and used to engage a region of tissue. The engaging instrument is retracted to move the engaged tissue into the stapling position, and driving staples from the cartridge through at least two layers of the engaged tissue. The method and associated system may be used to form plications in body tissue, such as stomach wall tissue. Staples simultaneously driven through tissue may simultaneously capture a reinforcing elements positioned adjacent the cartridge and/or anvil prior to stapling. |
| US09254130B2 |
Blade anchor systems for bone fusion
Fusion devices include blade anchors. The blade anchors may slidingly penetrate a bone or bone fragment, and may induce compression of one bone to another or one fragment to another. The fusion devices may also include a body to which the blade anchors connect. |
| US09254129B2 |
Surgery automatic suturing and knot tying apparatus
A surgery automatic suturing and knot tying apparatus is to suture and tie knots on a surgical suture having a needle end and a tail end. The surgery automatic suturing and knot tying apparatus comprises a positioning board, a threading module located on the positioning board, and two thread drawing modules and two needle threading arms located on the positioning board. The two needle threading arms wind the surgical suture around the threading module, and collaborate with the two thread drawing modules to draw the surgical suture to make the surgical suture finally be separated from the threading module, thereby can tie knots automatically on the surgical suture to meet use requirements and alleviate the burden of doctors during surgical operation. |
| US09254128B2 |
Re-shapeable medical device
A medical device enables a user to bend it into a shape to suit a specific patient need or to orient efficiently the medical device for use. The medical device includes an elongate member, a mechanism, and an actuator. The mechanism is disposed at the distal portion of the elongate member. The actuator is at least partially disposed within the elongate member and coupled to the mechanism for actuating the mechanism relative to the elongate member. The elongate member is capable of being bent into a shape by the user and of retaining the shape during use. The shape may include multiple bends, in multiple directions, as needed for an application. Thereafter, the elongate member is capable of being bent into a second shape by the user and of maintaining the second shape during use. |
| US09254126B2 |
Non-rigid surgical retractor
The present invention provides a non-rigid retractor for providing access to a surgical site, such as a patient's spine, during a surgical process. When used in spinal surgery, the non-rigid retractor allows a surgeon to operate on one or more spinal levels. The non-rigid retractor includes at least one flexible strap anchored at a first end to the spine or other internal body part at the surgical site. The body of the at least one flexible strap extends from a skin incision and is anchored at a second location external to the body to retract skin and muscle from the surgical site, allowing adequate visualization of the surgical site and providing access for implants and surgical instruments to pass through the retractor and into the surgical site. |
| US09254125B2 |
Bladeless obturator
A surgical obturator adapted to penetrate a body wall includes an elongate shaft having an axis which extends between a proximal end and a distal end. A bladeless tip, disposed at the distal end of the shaft has an outer surface which extends to a blunt point. The outer surface has a pair of side sections separated by an intermediate section. The side sections extend from the blunt point radially outwardly with progressive positions proximally along the axis. These side sections include a distal portion in proximity to the blunt point, and a proximal portion in proximity to the shaft. The distal portion of the side section is twisted radially with respect to the proximal portion of the side section. The outer surface in radial cross section has the general configuration of a geometric shape which rotates in a first direction about the axis with progressive proximal radial cross sections along the axis. |
| US09254122B2 |
Reusable handpiece for disposable probes
A handpiece for removably attaching one of a plurality of probes including a housing, an actuation assembly arranged on the housing, a linkage assembly arranged on the housing and adapted to couple motion of the actuation assembly to actuation of the probe and an alignment feature arranged on the housing and adapted to control the orientation of a connected probe. Several probes are also disclosed in addition to method of performing a procedure. |
| US09254118B2 |
Floating transducer drive, system employing the same and method of operating
A floating transducer drive configured to isolate relatively low voltage system electronics from a relatively high voltage transmit circuit in an ultrasound imaging system. A receive circuit is electrically connected to an isolated local ground. An isolation circuit is electrically connected between the receive circuit and a relatively low-voltage processing circuit. The isolation circuit is configured such that during a transmit event during which the relatively high voltage transmit circuit sends a relatively high voltage signal to a transducer, the isolated local ground is electrically connected to the transmit circuit, but when the transmit event is not occurring, the isolated local ground is electrically connected to a system ground. |
| US09254116B2 |
Methods, systems and apparatuses for Van-Cittert Zernike imaging
A method of creating an ultrasound image includes receiving a return signal from a time delayed signal emitted from a plurality of transducer elements at a target the return signal comprising a measurement at each of the plurality of transducer elements formed from a plurality of reflections off of a plurality of volume elements forming a two dimensional slice of a target, computing a Van-Cittert Zernike (VCZ) curve for each of the plurality of volume elements based upon the measured return signals and creating an short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) image comprising a plurality of pixels each associated with one of the plurality of volume elements wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises a value computed from a metric of the VCZ curve computed for each of the associated plurality of volume elements. |
| US09254112B2 |
Respiratory interval-based correlation and processing of dynamic imaging data
A method of dynamic imaging and resolving respiratory motion includes acquiring volume data for a volume over a plurality of respiratory cycles, acquiring respiratory data representative of respiration over the plurality of respiratory cycles, dividing each respiratory cycle of the plurality of respiratory cycles into a set of respiratory intervals based on the respiratory data, and displaying a respective composite three-dimensional image of the volume for each respiratory interval based on the volume data acquired during the respiratory interval from each respiratory cycle of the plurality of respiratory cycles. |
| US09254111B2 |
PET acquisition scheduling based on MR scout images
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to scheduling positron emission tomography (PET) scans for a combined PET-MRI scanner based on an acquisition of MR scout images of a subject. An anatomy and orientation of the subject can be determined based on the MR scout images and the schedule for acquiring PET scans of the subject can be determined from the anatomy of the subject. The schedule generated using exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can specify a sequence of bed positions, scan durations at each bed position, and whether respiratory gating will be used at one or more of the bed positions. |
| US09254110B2 |
Automatically obtaining optimized output data
A method and a system are disclosed for obtaining image data from inside an examination object from images of a computed tomograph. In an embodiment, the method includes accepting first measurement data of the examination object, acquired based on x-ray radiation of a first energy, and second measurement data of the examination object, acquired based on x-ray radiation of a second energy differing from the first energy; setting an optimized output of target image points on the basis of the first and second measurement data at the respective target image points, each as a function of local optimization parameter values of the target image points determined locally from the first and second measurement data in the area of the target image points, while deriving image point reproduction parameter values representing the optimized output; and determining the output data based on optimized output of the target image points. |
| US09254109B2 |
Selection of a radiation shaping filter
A method for selecting a radiation shaping filter is disclosed, which modifies the spatial distribution of the intensity and/or the spectrum of x-rays of an x-ray source of an imaging system. In an embodiment, anatomical measurement data of an object under examination is recorded, from which with the aid of the imaging system image data is created. The radiation shaping filter is selected automatically on the basis of the recorded anatomical measurement data of the object under examination. An imaging system, in which a radiation shaping filter is selected, is further disclosed. |
| US09254108B2 |
Gantry with bore safety mechanism
A tomography system may be used to scan a subject and provide reconstructed images of the subject. A gantry of the tomography system has a rotary member that is rotatable around an axis. While the rotary member rotates, a skid layer provides safety features between the rotary member and a subject-facing scan window. |
| US09254104B2 |
Systems and methods for remote patient monitoring
A system includes a local patient monitor and a plurality of remote patient monitors. The local patient monitor may display a plurality of physiological parameters for a local patient. The local patient monitor may further display a remote monitoring interface with the local patient's physiological parameters. The remote monitoring interface may include a plurality of status icons respectively representing the plurality of remote patient monitors. In one embodiment, the local patient monitor receives alarm information from a first remote patient monitor indicating that one or more physiological parameters for a remote patient are outside of a determined range. The alarm information may include, for example, location information for the remote patient and an alarm condition indicated by the one or more physiological parameters. The local patient monitor may display the alarm information within the remote monitoring interface. |
| US09254102B2 |
Method and apparatus for imaging of vessel segments
An apparatus, method and software arrangement for imaging a surface of a structure that is in contact with an opaque fluid is provided. The apparatus includes an article of manufacture (e.g., a housing), a fluid delivery arrangement and an imaging arrangement. The housing includes an aperture formed in the article of manufacture. The fluid delivery arrangement is configured to deliver a volume of substantially transparent fluid to the aperture formed in the housing. The imaging arrangement is configured to image the surface of the structure using an imaging modality after the volume of the transparent fluid is delivered to the aperture, wherein the imaging arrangement and/or the article of manufacture is translated along the surface of the structure while imaging the surface of the structure. |
| US09254101B2 |
Method and system to improve visceral adipose tissue estimate by measuring and correcting for subcutaneous adipose tissue composition
A method and system for estimating the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of a subject comprising performing a dual-energy X-ray scan of the subject; generating at least one image of the subject from the dual-energy X-ray scan; identifying a region of interest; dividing the region of interest into a plurality of sections; generating a soft tissue composition profile for each of the plurality of sections, wherein the soft tissue composition profile identifies an edge of the subject, an outer edge of an abdominal wall of the subject, a subcutaneous region and a subcutaneous thickness for each of the plurality of sections; determining a subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) composition for each of the plurality of sections, wherein a subcutaneous fat fraction is used to calculate the subcutaneous fat and lean masses and/or volumes; and determining a VAT based on the determined SAT composition for each of the plurality of sections. |
| US09254100B2 |
Logging daily average metabolic activity using a motion sensor
An implantable activity detector can detect metabolic stress levels, which can be normalized, such as to identify times of activities such as walking and running or to identify trends such as a decrease in metabolic activity. The data can be derived from different sources such as an accelerometer and pedometer. This data can be compared to independently specifiable thresholds, such as to trigger an alert or responsive therapy, or to display one or more trends. The information can also be combined with other congestive heart failure (CHF) indications. The alert can notify the patient or a caregiver, such as via remote monitoring. Metabolic activity data from one or more of the activity detectors can be used to establish a model of metabolic stress, to which further activity data can be compared for identifying periods of increased or decreased metabolic stress. |
| US09254099B2 |
Smart watch and food-imaging member for monitoring food consumption
This invention is a device and system for monitoring a person's food consumption comprising: a wearable sensor that automatically collects data to detect probable eating events; an imaging member that is used by the person to take pictures of food wherein the person is prompted to take pictures of food when an eating event is detected by the wearable sensor; and a data analysis component that analyzes these food pictures to estimate the types and amounts of foods, ingredients, nutrients, and/or calories that are consumed by the person. In an example, the wearable sensor can be part of a smart watch or smart bracelet. In an example, the imaging member can be part of a smart phone. The integrated operation of the wearable sensor and the imaging member disclosed in this invention offers accurate measurement of food consumption with low intrusion into the person's privacy. |
| US09254089B2 |
Apparatus and methods for facilitating at least partial overlap of dispersed ration on at least one sample
Exemplary embodiments of apparatus and method according to the present disclosure are provided. For example, an apparatus for providing electromagnetic radiation to a structure can be provided. The exemplary apparatus can include a first arrangement having at least two wave-guides which can be configured to provide there through at least two respective electromagnetic radiations with at least partially different wavelengths from one another. The exemplary apparatus can also include a dispersive second arrangement structured to receive the electro-magnetic radiations and forward at least two dispersed radiations associated with the respective electro-magnetic radiations to at least one section of the structure. The wave-guide(s) can be structured and/or spatially arranged with respect to the dispersive arrangement to facilitate at least partially overlap of the dispersed radiations on the structure. In addition, another arrangement can be provided which can include at least two further wave-guides which can be configured to receive the electro-magnetic radiations from the dispersive arrangement. Each of the further wave-guides can be structured and/or spatially arranged with respect to the dispersive arrangement to facilitate a receipt of a different one of the such electro-magnetic radiations as a function of wavelengths thereof. |
| US09254088B2 |
Headset device and method measuring a biosignal
A headset device includes a headset body, a connection unit to move relative to the headset body, and a sensor unit having a light emitting element and a light receiving element to sense a biosignal, the sensor unit mounted to the connection unit to make contact with a human body. The sensor unit may measure a biosignal of a user, and the headset body and the sensor unit are indirectly connected by the connection unit. Accordingly, the sensor unit may be isolated from movement or vibration received through the headset body. |
| US09254086B2 |
Wireless diagnostic sensor link
A wireless diagnostic sensor link for providing wireless communication between a signal source and a monitoring device. The wireless diagnostic sensor link includes a signal input device operable for receiving a signal from the signal source in a first communication protocol in the form of an analog signal, converting the analog signal to a digital signal, and transmitting the digital signal in the form of a wireless communication protocol. The wireless diagnostic sensor link also includes a signal output device, which receives the digital signal. The signal output device is in electrical communication with the monitoring device, and is also operable for communicating with the signal input device. The signal output device converts the digital signal back to an analog signal, and sends the signal to the monitoring device in the form of a second communications protocol. |
| US09254084B2 |
Fundus photographing apparatus
A fundus photographing apparatus includes: an illumination optical system for illuminating a fundus of a examinee's eye; and a photographing optical system for photographing the fundus illuminated by the illumination optical system. The photographing optical system includes: a first aperture diaphragm for forming an image of the aperture diaphragm in a position between a pupil and a posterior surface of a crystalline lens of the eye; and a second aperture diaphragm for forming an image of the aperture diaphragm not acting as a field diaphragm, in a position between the fundus of the eye and the image of the first aperture diaphragm. |
| US09254083B2 |
Light source modulation for a scanning microscope
Systems, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for imaging an object. The system includes a scanner. The scanner positions a spot of light from a light source on the object along a scanning path. The scanning path includes a plurality of scan lines. The spot moves along the scanning path at a scanning velocity. The scanning velocity is not constant. The intensity of the spot of light is modulated as a function of the scanning velocity. The system includes a detector that is arranged to output data associated with positions along the scanning path. The system includes one or more processors that perform calculations. Pixels are calculated based on the output data. The image is constructed of the object based on the pixels. |
| US09254082B2 |
Method of measuring the elasticity of crystalline lens, a method of determining whether crystalline lens is presbyopic, an apparatus for measuring the elasticity of crystalline lens and an apparatus for determining whether crystalline lens is presbyopic
The present invention provides a method of measuring the elasticity of crystalline lens and an apparatus for measuring the elasticity of the crystalline lens for measuring stiffness of the crystalline lens 1, wherein the crystalline lens 1 is irradiated with pulse laser light to generate photoelastic waves from the crystalline lens 1, and the photoelastic waves from the crystalline lens 1 are measured. |
| US09254078B2 |
Image capture unit in a surgical instrument
In a minimally invasive surgical system, an image capture unit includes a prism assembly and sensor assembly. The prism assembly includes a beam splitter, while the sensor assembly includes coplanar image capture sensors. Each of the coplanar image capture sensors has a common front end optical structure, e.g., the optical structure distal to the image capture unit is the same for each of the sensors. A controller enhances images acquired by the coplanar image capture sensors. The enhanced images may include (a) visible images with enhanced feature definition, in which a particular feature in the scene is emphasized to the operator of minimally invasive surgical system; (b) images having increased image apparent resolution; (c) images having increased dynamic range; (d) images displayed in a way based on a pixel color component vector having three or more color components; and (e) images having extended depth of field. |
| US09254068B2 |
Sequenced adjustable volume pumps, refill units and dispensers
Embodiments of sequenced foam pumps, refill units and dispensers are disclosed herein. One exemplary refill unit includes a container for holding a foamable liquid and a sequenced pump. The sequenced pump has a housing with a chamber located within the housing. There is an air inlet and a liquid inlet into the chamber. A hollow valve stem is movable within the chamber. A sealing member forms a seal between the valve stem and the chamber. When the valve stem is in a first position liquid flows into the chamber and air in the chamber flows into the container; and when the valve stem is in a second position, the sealing member seals off the liquid inlet, and air travels through the air inlet and mixes with the liquid in the chamber. The air and liquid mixture travels through the center of the valve stem and out of an outlet. |
| US09254065B2 |
Wonder spatula
A cooking utensil for turning grilled, fried or otherwise cooked items without risk of dropping or breaking the foodstuff. The utensil has two pivotally connected handles, joined by a spring-loaded hinge at one terminus. Each handle is equipped with a large, fan-shaped wire spatula for grasping food. The fan-shaped spatulas are large enough to grasp food items without risk of portions breaking or falling off. Further, the utensil is equipped with a hook and eye closure mechanism to secure the spatulas together when not in use. The device may also have metal prongs extending from the outer edges of the spatulas to better grasp foodstuffs. |
| US09254063B2 |
Double walled insulated container with rechargeable vacuum
An insulated container is disclosed. The container has an outer plastic member, an inner plastic member and an insulating, e.g., vacuum space, located therebetween. A vent assembly is located in the outer member in communication with the vacuum space. The vent assembly may be arranged to prevent liquid from entering into the insulating space and may be arranged to equalize the internal pressure within the insulating space and the ambient atmospheric pressures surrounding the outer member, while allowing higher internal pressure within the insulating space to vent to the ambient atmosphere when the container is heated, and to close off to seal the insulating space to maintain the vacuum therein when the container is cooled. |
| US09254061B2 |
Microwavable bag or sheet material
A microwavable material having a structure that may be used to enhance the browning and crisping, and thus improve the taste and appearance, of a food item cooked therein. The material may be in the form of a sheet material or formed as a container such as a bag, pouch, or other suitable structure. The material may have one or more features that help bring the material into close contact with the food item and help conform the bag around the food item. Furthermore, the material may have a structure that avoids substantial contact with liquid released by a food item, may have a venting system suitable for the exiting of moisture, may have a coating, a transparent surface, and when formed as a container, may have a gusseted surface. |
| US09254060B2 |
Multi-beverage vending machine
An instant drink vending machine is described. The instant drink vending machine has a water supply system for obtaining mixed warm water with a temperature selected among a set of pre-determined temperatures comprised between an upper and a lower value corresponding to temperatures of hot water and cold water to be mixed, said system including thermostatic shape memory alloy devices. |
| US09254057B1 |
Can cooker
A can cooker includes a main body that is generally cylindrical in shape having a bottom portion, wall portion, neck portion, and lid ring. The bottom portion, wall portion, and neck portion may be integrally formed and connected to one another. A lid is sized and shaped to fit within a part of the neck portion. The lid includes an outer lip that engaged with lid ring on the main body in such a way that a seal is formed between the lid ring and the outer lip. The lid is secured to the main body through a plurality of latches. Handles may be placed on the exterior surface of the lid and main body to ease use and transportation of the can cooker. |
| US09254055B2 |
Stand for supporting a pole within a base
A stand for a Christmas tree or the like is adapted to cooperate with a base portion of a pole such as a tree trunk to provide a stable support for the pole with its base spaced above a support surface such as a floor. The stand comprises a plurality of support members each having a proximal end spaced above the support surface. The proximal ends of the support members cooperate to form a clamp for receiving the base portion of the pole. The clamp is arranged such that, when the base portion of the pole is received in the clamp, one or more of the support members pivots at its proximal end about the clamp to thereby cause the clamp to close and grip the base portion of the pole. The weight of the pole may be sufficient to cause the clamp of the stand to automatically grip the pole. |
| US09254051B2 |
Display system
A display system is provided and includes a base, a collapsible support structure, a spinner connector, and a modular panel. The collapsible support structure connects with the base, and the spinner connector receives the collapsible support structure. The spinner connector independently moves around the collapsible support structure. The modular panel is removably connected to the spinner connector such that the modular panel can also move independent of the collapsible support structure. |
| US09254050B1 |
Detachable hanging assembly for cookware and utensils
An improved method of storing and retrieving cookware and utensils utilizing an assembly that can be attached to a shelf of a kitchen cabinet without the use of tools. The assembly incorporates Cookware hanger assemblies and Cookware guard whose positions are adjustable along the length of the assembly. Cookware can be stored onto the assembly in a hanging position. The Teflon coating of the cookware is protected from damage with the use of Cookware guard assemblies. |
| US09254048B2 |
Unlocked-state retention device and seat assembly having the same
An unlocked-state retention device is adapted for use in a seat assembly. The seat assembly includes a base frame and a seat body, which is mounted removably on the base frame through a locking unit to lock or unlock the seat body relative to the base frame such that the seat body is placed in a locked state or an unlocked state. The unlocked-state retention device includes a pusher adapted to be disposed movably in one of the base frame and the seat body, and includes a push member to retract ably project from the one of the base frame and the seat body and to push the other one of the base frame and the seat body when the seat body is unlocked relative to the base frame. |
| US09254047B1 |
Reinforced vinyl air mattress
A structural design and weld fabrication method for reinforced vinyl by eliminating butt seams, leaving 100% lap seams, as well as low cost, high strength internal beams for use in high quality air bed mattresses and all inflatable items. |
| US09254044B2 |
Foldable table for chair
A removable tray device is disclosed that offers a simple and easy way to eat or drink when sitting outside. The removable tray device comprises a tray component secured to a folding chair via a pinned hinge that allows the tray component to rotate vertically and a swivel component that allows the tray component to swivel horizontally. The tray component further comprises a catch or lock bracket on a leg of the chair which corresponds with a mating lock pin secured to a back edge of the tray component. Specifically, the lock pin of the tray component mates to and is secured within the catch or lock bracket to further secure the tray component to the folding chair when the tray component is in front of the folding chair or is to the side of the folding chair. |
| US09254039B1 |
Home audio mounting system having thematic designed support housing
A portable, motorcycle mountable audio entertainment system is provided having a motorcycle-theme housing formed of a faring supporting stereo electronics, speakers and an power supply. A vertical support structure is further provided having a pair of tubular, angled uprights and handle bars for attachment of the fairing. A vertical support pillar and a support plate provide a structured to allow for free standing use. |
| US09254037B2 |
Versatile student desk
A seat and desk assembly has a seat integrated with a desk by a interconnecting base and floor. One or both of the seat or desk can be disconnected from the assembly and used independently. Removable panels for the desk can be used to display information and hold replaceable placards for various purposes. The height of the seat and desk can be adjusted on the assembly, and the bottom rest of the seat can be pivoted up against the back to allow a user to stand on the floor as a standing platform with a lumbar support curve positioned for leaning support of the low-back while standing. The depth of the seat can also be adjusted relative to the desk to provide additional room for standing. Additionally, the tabletop of the desk may be able to slide fore-aft relative to the seated user. |
| US09254035B2 |
Control apparatus and method for sharing information in a collaborative workspace
A cable assembly for use in an opening formed in a table top, the cable assembly comprising a substantially horizontal deck member, the deck member forming a plurality of cable passing openings, each cable passing opening dimensioned to freely pass the intermediate portion of a cable, a separate cable passing through each of the cable passing openings, each cable having a distal end located at a height below the deck member and a proximal end located at a height above the deck member, the proximal end for linking to a video source device. |
| US09254029B2 |
Swivel base for a training aid
A swivel base for use with a training aid having a top member and a bottom member, the top member for receiving a training aid and the bottom member for receiving a holder or stand. The top member is coupled to a ball bearing and a mounting member fixedly coupled to the bottom member is rotatably coupled to the ball bearing to allow the top member to rotate relative to the bottom member. A locking mechanism which has a locking pin coupled to the bottom member secures the top member in one or more stationary positions. |
| US09254023B2 |
Protective cover for portable eletronic device
A protective cover for a portable electronic device includes a main body and a plurality of cushioning structures. The main body is configured to receive the portable electronic device. Each cushioning structure includes an elastic body protruding from the main body and a clearance defined between the main body and the elastic body. The elastic body is deformed toward the clearance when the elastic body is impacted. |
| US09254017B2 |
Expandable footwear for children
An expandable bootie is disclosed. The bootie includes a main body composed of fabric, wherein the main body is shaped in the form of a foot having a longitudinal axis, and a zipper that commences at a toe portion of the main body, and extends in a spiral path around the main body such that the spiral path twists at least three hundred and sixty degrees around the main body. The bootie further includes a portion of fabric disposed between mating tape members of the zipper, wherein when the zipper is closed the portion of fabric is contracted and wherein when the zipper is open the portion of fabric is extended and the main body has a longer longitudinal length, and a strap comprising a strip extending substantially horizontally and connected to an ankle portion of the main body. |
| US09254015B2 |
Non-gaiter bootleg cover
A universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover for wrapping around and decorating only the shaft of an any sized and mundane boot. The universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover includes a decorative substrate, and apparatus for universally and readily interchangeably maintaining the decorative substrate around only the shaft of the any sized and mundane boot. The decorative substrate is for universally and readily interchangeably wrapping around only the shaft of the any sized and mundane boot and not the foot of the any sized and mundane boot so as to at least eliminate potential damage to the universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover caused by normal flexure of the foot of the any sized and mundane boot, and in so doing, decorates only the shaft of the any sized and mundane boot. |
| US09254014B2 |
Boot with stretchable opening
In the preferred embodiment, a partial length slit is introduced in the inwardly facing wall of a boot in both the exterior and corresponding interior portions of the boot. Included in the midst of the slit, between the exterior and corresponding interior portions, is a piece of elastomeric fabric which preferably is stitched in. |
| US09254010B2 |
Pocketed athletic garment
A pocketed athletic garment. The garment includes an outer layer, an inner layer, and a waistband coupled to the outer layer and the inner layer, the waistband including a plurality of pockets. |
| US09254006B2 |
Portable cigar ashtray
A portable cigar ashtray includes a cup-shaped base portion having a closed bottom, a side wall extending upwardly from the closed bottom, and an open top. A resting platform is disposed inside the cup-shaped base portion and spaced from the closed bottom. A retaining assembly is disposed near an upper end of the cup-shaped base portion and includes a retaining ring and a nub holder. |
| US09254004B2 |
Method for making hinged-lid packets
A blank for hinged-lid packets for smoking articles comprises four panels extending side by side in pairs along a direction perpendicular to a direction of longitudinal extension of the packets obtainable from the blank; the blank is foldable along folding lines made between the pairs of panels and parallel to said direction of longitudinal extension, and an upper portion of one of the four panels is integral, on the outside of the selfsame four panels, with a portion forming the hinged lid of the respective packet. Also described is a method for making hinged-lid packets for smoking articles. |
| US09253986B2 |
Wash product comprising a disinfectant mixture of silver ions and non-disinfectant hydantoin
A wash product and method for both washing and disinfecting articles during a washing cycle where the washing can be done in a conventional washing machine using the combination of a conventional detergent for removing residue from the articles and a source of silver ions and a hydantoin for increasing the level of available silver ions to a level that is greater than the level of available silver ions normally available if the source of silver ions were used without the hydantoin. |
| US09253985B2 |
Herbicidal composition for tolerant or resistant cereal crops
The invention provides herbicide combinations and the use of herbicide combinations for controlling harmful plants in cereal crops wherein the herbicide combination in question comprises (A) a herbicide from the group of glufosinate derivatives of the formula (A1) in which Z represents hydroxyl, —NHCH(CH3)CONHCH(CH3)COOH or —NHCH(CH3)CONHCH[CH2CH(CH3)2]COOH, or an ester or salt thereof, and (B) a herbicide from the group of carboxylic acid derivatives of the formula (B1) in which X represents N or CH and R represents CO2H or a herbicidally active derivative thereof, and the cereal crops are tolerant, if appropriate in the presence of safeners, to the herbicides (A) and (B) present in the combination. |
| US09253982B2 |
Fungicide active substance combinations
The novel active compound combinations comprising 2-[2-(1-chlorocyclopropyl)-3-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-hydroxypropyl]-2,4-dihydro-[1,2,4]-triazole-3-thione of the formula and the active compound of groups (1) to (24) listed in the description have very good fungicidal properties. |
| US09253981B2 |
Stable suspension concentrate formulation for water-soluble compounds
The present invention is directed to an insecticidal water based suspension concentrate formulation comprising a water-soluble insecticide selected from the group consisting of N-cyanomethyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)nicotinamide and (EZ)-1-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmethyl)-N-nitroimidazolidin-2-ylidineamine and at least one water-soluble salt selected from the group consisting of magnesium sulfate (hydrated and anhydrous forms) and sodium sulfate, wherein the water-soluble insecticide is present in an insecticidally effective amount and methods of use. |
| US09253980B2 |
Use of substituted dithiine-tetracarboximides for combating phytopathogenic fungi
The present invention relates to the use of dithiine-tetracarboximide compounds of formula I as defined in the description, and the N-oxides, and salts thereof for combating harmful fungi and seed coated with at least one such compound. The invention also relates to novel dithiine-tetracarboximides, processes and intermediates for preparing these compounds and also to compositions comprising at least one such compound. |
| US09253979B2 |
Methods of controlling insects
Methods of controlling insects include applying at least one spinosyn compound to a locus of a neonicotinoid-resistant insect, such as a strain of Drosophila melanogaster resistant to a neonicotinoid compound. The spinosyn compound may be a mixture of spinosyn A and spinosyn D. The spinosyn compound may cause up to approximately ten times increased mortality in the neonicotinoid-resistant insect compared to an insect susceptible to a neonicotinoid compound. |
| US09253978B2 |
Sulfoperoxycarboxylic acids, their preparation and methods of use as bleaching and antimicrobial agents
The present invention relates to novel sulfoperoxycarboxylic acid compounds, and methods for making and using them. The sulfoperoxycarboxylic compounds of the invention are storage stable, water soluble and have low to no odor. Further, the compounds of the present invention can be formed from non-petroleum based renewable materials. The compounds of the present invention can be used as antimicrobials, and bleaching agents. The compounds of the present invention are also suitable for use as coupling agents. |
| US09253975B2 |
Tool for transferring membranous tissue, kit and method for transferring membranous tissue
Disclosed herein is a tool, a kit, and associated method for transferring a membranous tissue composed of cells derived from a living body. The tool can include a first sheet-like supporting member disposed on one side of the membranous tissue in a wet state, and a second sheet-like supporting member disposed on the other side of the membranous tissue in a wet state. The first supporting member and the second supporting member can be configured to entirely hold the membranous tissue, such that a frictional force between the first supporting member and the membranous tissue is larger than a frictional force between the second supporting member and the membranous tissue. |
| US09253970B2 |
Multi-functional portable fishing accessory
A portable, multi-functional fishing accessory formed of a rigid plate member having a flat work surface and a side wall formed around a periphery of the work surface, and wherein the work surface is slanted relative to the side wall. The fishing accessory has one or more magnets positioned opposite from the work surface of the plate member and secured thereto. A stanchion mount is adapted to rotatably mount on a cylindrical stanchion for maintaining the plate member in a substantially upright position. |
| US09253967B2 |
Snag-resistant fishing lure and methods of making and using
The snag-resistant fishing lure is designed to minimize the chances of the lure becoming ensnared. The lure has a jig and a blade attached to the blade in a configuration that limits the side-to-side movement of the blade, thereby preventing the jig from rolling to a hook-downward position prone to snagging. A centrally aligned hole is positioned close to the front edge of the blade member. An eyelet extending from the jig body is attached through an aperture in the blade. The blade is limited in its side-to-side movement by contact between the blade edge and either the jig body or the eyelet. The limited side-to-side movement of the blade creates a quick, controlled, oscillating blade action that imparts a natural swimming motion to the lure, emulating prey species movements. |
| US09253965B2 |
Animal models and therapeutic molecules
The invention discloses methods for the generation of chimaeric human-nonhuman antibodies and chimaeric antibody chains, antibodies and antibody chains so produced, and derivatives thereof including fully humanised antibodies; compositions comprising the disclosed antibodies, antibody chains and derivatives, as well as cells, non-human mammals and vectors, suitable for use in the disclosed methods. |
| US09253955B1 |
Maize inbred PH1VY6
A novel maize variety designated PH1VY6 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1VY6 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1VY6 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1VY6 or a locus conversion of PH1VY6 with another maize variety. |
| US09253952B2 |
Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformation and expression of rol genes in Kalanchoë
The present disclosure embraces Kalanchoë interspecific hybrid plants, and considers rol transformation in Kalanchoë species and hybrids. Disclosed herein are methodology and the like for producing rol-transformed Kalanchoë interspecific hybrid plants, as well as resultant rol-transformed Kalanchoë interspecific hybrid plants with novel phenotypes. |
| US09253948B2 |
Continuous round baler with adjustable screed
A continuous round baler system has a baler and an accumulating system. The accumulating system includes a conveyor configured to convey crop material extending from a pickup mechanism to a bale formation chamber in the baler. A screed is positioned adjacent the end of the conveyor and is configured to be movable by a lifting mechanism between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the first conveyor. In the raised position, a gap is formed between the screed and the first conveyor so that crop material passes into the bale formation chamber. In the lowered position, the gap is closed thereby preventing the crop material from passing to the baler causing the crop material to remain on the conveyor. |
| US09253943B2 |
Method for operating a self-propelled harvesting machine, and self-propelled harvesting machine
A method for operating a self-propelled harvesting machine with a plurality of working assemblies for processing picked-up crop, includes controlling the working assemblies using a control device assigned to the harvesting machine. At least one working assembly of the working assemblies is controlled by an input mechanism operatively connected to the control device and having a specific first function (F1) in the harvesting mode. A second function (F2), which deviates from the first function (F1) is assigned to the input mechanism by the control device depending on an operating state change. The second function (F2) is specific for the working assembly in an operating state that deviates from the harvesting mode. |
| US09253941B2 |
Specific location dry yield measurement for forage
Dry yield for baled forage crop materials may be obtained for specific cut locations in the field by allocating the overall average baled dry yield for the entire field to the specific cut locations in accordance with the cut yield at such locations. Information obtained from a position sensor and one or more crop volume sensors on the windrower or mower is later combined with information obtained from a weight sensor on the baler to arrive at a specific location dry yield report for the baled product. |
| US09253937B2 |
Towed agricultural machine with packer unit and method for operating such a machine
A towed agricultural machine for tillage purposes and/or for sowing seeds is disclosed. The machine comprises a running gear, tillage tools, and a packer unit, the latter being coupled to the running gear and forming a constructional and/or functional unit therewith. In a first operating position, the running gear is in an active position for road traffic and the packer tools are brought outside the engagement range with the ground. In a second operating position, the running gear, or at least parts thereof, are in an inactive position out of contact range with the ground, while the packer tools are in an active mode in engagement with the ground. |
| US09258936B2 |
Adsorption head for surface mounting device
An adsorption head for a surface mounting device, including: a main body; a shaft which moves in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the shaft and rotates around the longitudinal axis mounted on the main body, and the shaft includes a lower shaft and an upper shaft. The lower shaft is detachably attached to the upper shaft; and an adsorption nozzle which adsorbs electronic parts mounted on a lower end of the shaft, wherein an air passage connected to the adsorption nozzle is provided in the lower shaft. |
| US09258935B2 |
Board processing apparatus
Provided is a board processing apparatus which includes a head unit for performing a predetermined operation for a board, and a moving device for moving the head unit in a uniaxial direction, wherein the moving device includes a guide rail and a sliding member that is moved along the guide rail. The head unit is fixed to the sliding member in such a manner that at least a portion of the head unit protrudes outwardly from an edge face of the sliding member oriented in a moving direction thereof. |
| US09258934B2 |
In-vehicle electronic device and vehicle having the electronic device
An in-vehicle electronic device is provided which can ensure resistance to static electricity for the in-vehicle electronic device covered with a resin case, is more downsized smaller in the number of components, and inexpensive. An in-vehicle electronic device 43 includes: a resin housing (resin case) 5; a control board 7 that is covered with the housing, and accommodated within the housing a battery harness 27 that is a power wiring which supplies power to the control board; a signal harness 31 that is an input/output signal wiring that transmits an input/output signal to the control board; and a metal bracket 1 that fixes the resin housing to a vehicle main body. In the device, a distance between a projection 35 of the metal bracket 1 and the battery harness 27 is set to be shorter than a distance between the projection 25 of the metal bracket 1 and the signal harness 31 to form a discharge gap 33. |
| US09258933B2 |
Wire harness
A wire harness includes an electric wire, a braided shield covering the electric wire, an annular electromagnetic wave absorption component that includes a through-hole for inserting electric wire and absorbs electromagnetic wave emitted from the electric wire, and a movement-restricting member for restricting the electromagnetic wave absorption component from moving in a direction of inserting the electric wire in the through-hole. |
| US09258931B2 |
Liquid cooled data center with alternating coolant supply lines
Methods of preventing overheating of computer equipment in a cabinet when a supply coolant to a cooler in the cabinet fails. An example embodiment is a data center that includes a plurality of cabinets configured to house computer equipment. At least two coolant supply lines from which the cabinets receive coolant are made available, with each of the supply lines providing the coolant to multiple cabinets. Moreover, the cabinets are arranged in rows and columns such that the cabinets along a row are spaced closer together than the cabinets along a column. Furthermore, each row of the cabinets receives coolant from alternating coolant supply lines. |
| US09258926B2 |
System and method for fluid cooling of electronic devices installed in a sealed enclosure
A system and method for cooling electronic devices disposed with the innermost volume of a hollow-walled fluid-tight sealed enclosure. Thermally conductive fluids that fill one or more volumes within the hollow walls of said sealed enclosure may be circulated away from said sealed enclosure to an external heat exchange mechanism. The innermost volume of the sealed container contains one or more single phase or multi-phase dielectric thermally conductive fluids, which may be circulated passively by convection or actively by means of a pump, bubbler, fan, propeller or other means. Pressure balancing mechanisms may be included to maintain suitable pressure of gaseous fluid in the innermost volume of the sealed container. |
| US09258925B2 |
Selective clamping of electronics card to coolant-cooled structure
Methods of fabricating cooling apparatuses are provided which include: providing a thermal transfer structure configured to couple to an electronics card, the thermal transfer structure including a clamping structure movable between opened and clamped positions; and providing a coolant-cooled structure configured to reside within, and be associated with a receiving slot of, an electronic system within which the electronics card operatively inserts, the coolant-cooled structure residing between the electronics card and, at least partially, the clamping structure when the transfer structure is coupled to the electronics card and the card is operatively inserted into the receiving slot, wherein the opened position facilitates insertion of the electronics card into the electronic system, and movement of the clamping structure to the clamped position facilitates clamping of the thermal transfer structure to the coolant-cooled structure, and thermal conduction of heat from the electronics card to the coolant-cooled structure. |
| US09258921B1 |
Systems and methods for securing electrical receptacles in a user device
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for securing a port component of a user that receives a connection component to a remote device. The port component may be secured by a docking component that may include compressible features that apply a force to the port component to insure proper alignment or orientation to receive the connection component. |
| US09258920B2 |
Display arrangement and the mounting thereof
The invention relates to a display arrangement and the mounting thereof. |
| US09258919B1 |
Firewall insert box
The invention described herein is a fire protection device in the form of an insert designed to be quickly installed in new or existing electrical boxes located in firewalls. This insert is comprised of a material designed to withstand high direct heat and serve as a barrier to the passage of direct heat or smoke and gases through firewalls rated under ASTM E-119. The insert features a flanged open end which overlaps any gaps between the existing electrical box and the wall. The back wall of the insert box may have either openings to permit wires to pass through to the electrical device or a plug-harness assembly which obviates the use of holes in the back of the insert box. |
| US09258918B2 |
Module for integrated control electronics having simplified design
A housing concept for integrated control electronics, comprising a housing bottom, a circuit carrier populated with electronic components of the central control electronics, and a signal and current distribution component as the electric connection between the central control electronics and peripheral components. The housing bottom is configured in the shape of a basin, the circuit carrier for the electronic components of the central control electronics being disposed therein such that the same can be electrically connected on at least one upwardly curved edge region to the signal and current distribution component disposed above the same via contact points, and wherein the housing bottom may also be connected circumferentially to the signal and current distribution component. |
| US09258916B2 |
High density cassette storage system
A cassette conveying system comprising a housing having front, back, left, and right sides, wherein the front side is open; and a cassette holding assembly for holding one or more cassettes, the holding assembly including a bracket to which each cassette is coupled, each cassette including at least one device and receiving one or more cables operatively connected to the device, and a cassette conveying assembly operably coupling the cassette holding assembly to the housing such that the cassette holding assembly is linearly and rotationally movable in relation to the housing and transitionable between a stored state and a retracted state; wherein, in the stored state, the cassette holding mechanism is stored completely within the housing; and wherein, in the retracted state, the cassette holding mechanism is at least partially external the front side of the housing. |
| US09258912B2 |
Display device
A display device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the display device includes a display panel, a housing which houses the display panel and a frame which is disposed under the housing and comprises a first bottom portion. The first bottom portion includes a first bottom surface which is an upper surface thereof and a first base surface which is a lower surface thereof, and the frame includes a groove recessed from the first bottom surface. |
| US09258907B2 |
Conformal 3D non-planar multi-layer circuitry
A method for making conformal non-planar multi-layer circuitry is described. The method can include providing a substrate having a non-planar surface and depositing a first conformal dielectric layer on the substrate, the first conformal dielectric layer conforming to the non-planar surface of the substrate and having a non-planar surface. The method can also include applying a first conformal circuitry layer on the first conformal dielectric layer. The method can include depositing a second conformal dielectric layer on the first conformal circuitry layer, the second conformal dielectric layer conforming to a non-planar surface of the first conformal circuitry layer, and applying a second conformal circuitry layer on the second conformal dielectric layer. Successive layers can be sequentially deposited. Microvias may provide electrical connections between circuit layers. |
| US09258900B2 |
Copper foil structure having blackened ultra-thin foil and manufacturing method thereof
A copper foil structure having blackened ultra-thin copper foil of the instant disclosure includes a carrier foil, a blackened layer, a release layer, and an ultra-thin copper foil. The carrier foil includes a matte surface and a shiny surface wherein the blackened layer is disposed thereon. The release layer is disposed on the blackened layer formed with one selected from the group: copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese while the release layer is formed with one selected from the group: molybdenum, nickel, chromium, and potassium. Successively, the ultra-thin copper foil is disposed on the release layer. Laser drilling can apply to the blackened ultra-thin copper foil on the inner layers of a high density multi-layer printed wiring board, thus eliminating the traditional blackening or browning chemical process. The blackened ultra-thin copper foil in combination with a polyimide thin (PI) or other substrate materials displays desirable appearance. |
| US09258896B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor
A multilayer ceramic capacitor may have low equivalent series inductance (ESL), in which via electrodes are opposed to each other diagonally and be off-centered from positions corresponding to center points of external electrodes, so that a distance between the via electrodes is significantly reduced and a current path is reduced. |
| US09258895B1 |
Electronic device socket with an integrated decoupling capacitor and heat sink
An electronic device socket includes an insulating circuit board having a plurality of electrical terminals mounted therein, a decoupling capacitor mounted on the circuit board and a heat sink body. Each electrical terminal has a female upper end which can receive a lead of an electronic device, and a male lower end which can be received in a printed circuit board or another socket. The decoupling capacitor is electrically connected between the designated voltage and ground terminals. The heat conducting body has an upper surface configured to receive an electronic device in thermally conductive relation, and a lower surface having a recessed cavity configured to receive the circuit board. The heat conducting body has vias corresponding to the electrical terminals. The circuit board is received within the recessed cavity wherein the female upper ends of the electrical terminals are aligned with vias and receive the leads of an electronic device. |
| US09258892B2 |
Circuit materials, circuits laminates, and method of manufacture thereof
A circuit subassembly is disclosed comprising a conductive metal layer and a dielectric substrate layer having a dielectric constant of less than about 3.5 and a dissipation factor of less than about 0.006 at 10 GHz, wherein the composition of the dielectric substrate layer comprises about 5 to about 70 volume percent of borosilicate microspheres that have been treated with an alkaline solution. |
| US09258890B2 |
Support structure for stacked integrated circuit dies
Delamination of stacked integrated circuit die configurations on printed circuit boards is avoided by providing a metal trace support structure underneath the die stack. The metal trace support structure features substantially equally spaced thin metal traces in place of a contiguous metal plate which has been used in the past. Spaced apart thin metal traces are less vulnerable to thermal expansion than a metal plate which has a large thermal mass. The metal traces still provide structural stability, while preventing delamination of the die stack configuration during thermal processing. A method of attaching a bridge die stack configuration to a printed circuit board by adhering a die attach film to a field of metal traces is demonstrated. In addition, the electrical and structural integrity of the bridge die stack formed with a metal trace support structure is confirmed with test results. |
| US09258886B2 |
Printed circuit board having differential line pairs with a percentage of their lengths disposed as an outer signal layer
A printed circuit board includes an outer signal layer, a first ground layer, a first ground layer located below the outer signal layer, an inner signal layer located below the first ground layer, an second ground layer located below the inner signal layer, and a first differential signal transmission pair and a second differential signal transmission pair laid on the outer signal layer and the inner signal layer. A value h is equal to a distance between the inner signal layer and its closest ground layer. A distance between the first pair and the second pair is not more than h×3. |
| US09258884B2 |
Suppression of current component using EBG structure
A structure member is mounted in a communication apparatus including a conductive housing incorporating a dielectric substrate on which a high-frequency circuit is mounted. The structure member includes a pass member which passes a harmonic current component of an operating frequency generated in the dielectric substrate when the high-frequency circuit operates, and a suppression member having an EBG structure which suppresses a predetermined current component of the operating frequency. The structure member is provided between the dielectric substrate and the conductive housing. The suppression member is disposed along a current path of a harmonic current component flowing in the pass member. |
| US09258883B2 |
Via structure
A via structure includes a ground conductor, a floated conductor and a signal conductor. The ground conductor is electrically coupled to a reference potential. The floated conductor is electrically insulated from the ground conductor. The signal conductor is located between and insulated from the ground conductor and the floated conductor. |
| US09258882B2 |
Electronic devices comprising printed circuit boards
An electronic device may include at least one power component and a printed circuit board. The at least one power component may include a main body and a lead. The printed circuit board may include at least two conductive layers parallel to a plane. The printed circuit board may further include a mounting element and a conductor. The mounting element may include first conductive tubes. The conductor may include second conductive tubes. The first conductive tubes and the second conductive tubes may elongate through a thickness of the printed circuit board along a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane. The main body of the at least one power component may be fixed to the mounting element. The lead of the at least one power component may be fixed to the conductor. |
| US09258881B2 |
SMT heat sink anchor
An electronic device includes a printed circuit board having a top surface, a clip member, a heat sink mounted on the top surface of the printed circuit board, and an anchor having a mounting portion with a solder surface for soldering to the top surface of the printed circuit board and a hook portion used to lock the clip member assembled to the heat sink. The solder surface is mounted to the top surface of the printed circuit board by surface mount technique (SMT). |
| US09258861B2 |
Apparatus for driving multi-color LED strings
An apparatus comprises red, green and blue LED strings each having a corresponding switching circuit. Each LED string is divided into a plurality of LED segments. The three LED strings are connected in parallel or in series. Each LED string may be connected in series with a respective current source or share a common current source. A controller controls each switching circuit so that the number of LED segments connected in series in the red, green or blue LED string can be respectively controlled according to a color setting signal and the voltage level of an input voltage. A first control method is provided for controlling the apparatus having a constant input voltage and a second control method is provided for controlling the apparatus having a periodically time-varying input voltage. |
| US09258858B2 |
Active capacitor circuit
The present invention relates to an active capacitor circuit (40) for use in a driver device for driving a load (22), in particular an LED unit comprising one or more LEDs (23). Further, the present invention relates to a driver device comprising such an active capacitor circuit. The proposed active capacitor circuit comprises coupling terminals (41, 42) for providing a drive voltage (vD) and/or drive current (iD) for driving a load (22) to be coupled between said coupling terminals (41, 42), an output power stage (50) coupled between said coupling terminals (41, 42) for converting said periodic current (iA) into said drive current (iD), a low frequency capacitor (46) coupled between a capacitor output terminal (48) of said output power stage (50) and a coupling terminal (42), and a control unit (60) for controlling said output power stage (50) by use of a control signal (Sd) obtained from a feedback of the drive voltage (vD), a capacitor voltage (vC) across said low frequency capacitor (46) and/or a capacitor current (iC) through said low frequency capacitor (46). |
| US09258854B2 |
LED PAR and R lamps
A PAR-type light bulb includes an LED lacking a phosphor coating, the LED covered by a lens having a phosphor coating, and a base comprising reverse threads. |
| US09258850B2 |
Microwave heating device and image fixing apparatus using the same
A heating chamber is divided into a plurality of spaces by barrier sections including a conductive material. Phase shifters having different lengths with respect to a direction and including a dielectric body having permittivity higher than air are inserted in positions of a terminal section, in the spaces except for at least one space, to differentiate positions of bottoms of standing microwaves formed in the respective spaces from each other with respect to the direction. In addition, impedance adjusters having different lengths with respect to the direction and including a dielectric body having permittivity higher than air are inserted in positions on an upstream side of a region passed by the object to be heated, in the spaces except for at least one space, to reduce differences in impedance of the spaces from an entrance of the heating chamber to the terminal section including the phase shifters. |
| US09258848B2 |
Matrix-patterned cloth
A matrix-patterned cloth includes: first and second fiber layers including mutually isolated first and second conductors, respectively; an intermediate fiber layer between the first and second fiber layers; conductive connecting yarns connecting one of the first conductors and one of the second conductors, wherein, when a pressure is applied to the matrix-patterned cloth, each connecting yarn bends so that a position of contact between the connecting yarn and the first or second conductor changes depending on how large the pressure is; a selector; and a heating controller or a resistance measuring unit. The selector scans and sequentially selects one of the first conductors and one of the second conductors. The heating controller applies voltage to intersecting areas where the selected first and second conductors intersect each other via the first and second conductors. The resistance measuring unit measures electric resistances of the intersecting areas via the first and second conductors. |
| US09258841B2 |
Method of reducing a waiting time when cancelling a connection and an electronic device therefor
A method and apparatus attempt to connect Wi-Fi direct devices with each other and quickly recognize a cancellation of a connection when the connection is cancelled. The method includes performing a provision discovery process with a counterpart Wi-Fi electronic device, performing a group owner negotiation process with the counterpart Wi-Fi electronic device, and sending a cancellation notification to the counterpart Wi-Fi electronic device when connection with the counterpart Wi-Fi electronic device is ended. |
| US09258840B2 |
Method and system of managing voice call and IP media sessions in a wireless network environment
A method and system for managing voice call and IP media sessions in a wireless communication environment are provided. The method includes determining whether a User Equipment (UE) is simultaneously performing a voice call session and at least one Internet Protocol (IP) media session over a first network cell associated with a first Radio Access Technology (RAT); continuing, if the UE is simultaneously performing the voice call session and the at least one IP media session, the voice call session over the first network cell and routing data streams associated with the at least one IP media session to the UE over a second network cell associated with a second RAT; and detaching, if the UE is not simultaneously performing the voice call session and the at least one IP media session, the UE from the first network cell associated with the first RAT. |
| US09258837B2 |
Discovery in device-to-device communication
A method in a base station comprising a memory storing one or more service types and a radio interface that communicates with a device. The method includes arranging a service scheduling by assigning at least one time slot to a service type and transmitting information on said service scheduling to a device. |
| US09258836B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method therefor, and recording medium
An information processing apparatus, for communicating with a communication device using a first wireless communication protocol and a second wireless communication protocol, includes a first wireless communication unit configured to use the first wireless communication protocol and configured to receive information, relating to a start-up state of the communication device, from the communication device using the first wireless communication protocol, a second wireless communication unit configured to use the second wireless communication protocol, and a control unit configured to control a sequence for establishing connection, using the second wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication protocol, with the communication device. The control unit is arranged to change the sequence for establishing connection, using the second wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication protocol, in accordance with the content of the received information relating to the start-up state of the communication device. |
| US09258831B2 |
Apparatus and method for use in a communication system
Apparatuses and method for communication includes controlling one or more local area base stations and allocating resources of a common random access channel between the local area base stations, the resources including preambles and informing the local area base stations and user equipment within a given area about the allocation. |
| US09258830B2 |
Method and device for random access in mobile communication system
The present invention relates to a method for a terminal to execute a random access in a mobile communication system, and comprises the steps of: transmitting a random access preamble using a resource determined according to a random access setting for the terminal; and receiving a random access response including uplink approval information from a base station as a response to the preamble transmission, wherein the random access setting is determined by a group corresponding to the terminal from a first random access setting for a first terminal group or a second random access setting for a second terminal group, and a resource reserved for the second terminal group according to the second random access setting is used for transmission of the random access preamble or transmission of uplink data. |
| US09258827B2 |
Method and system for facilitating preemptive based radio channel access control
Preemptive based radio access control is facilitated. Queue data is received, wherein the queue data corresponds to a set of requests for highly prioritized communications included on a prioritized queue. The queue data is used to determine whether a set of conditions for involuntarily terminating a radio communication session has been met. Session data corresponding to characteristics for each of a plurality of radio communication sessions are also received and utilized to determine which of the plurality of radio communication sessions to terminate if the set of conditions for involuntarily terminating a radio communication session have been met. |
| US09258825B2 |
Base station apparatus, mobile terminal apparatus and communication control method
The present invention makes it possible to transmit and receive CSI-RSs adequately even when the number of CSI-RSs increase following the increase of antennas. The present invention provides a base station apparatus (20) that transmits CSI-RSs to a mobile terminal apparatus (10A) which is capable of receiving CSI-RSs for channel state measurement from a plurality of antennas, and to a mobile terminal apparatus (10B) which is capable of receiving CSI-RSs from a smaller number of antennas than the mobile terminal apparatus, and this base station apparatus has a CSI-RS allocation section (211) which allocates CSI-RSs for the number of antennas which the mobile terminal apparatus (10A) supports, to radio resources, and a transmitting/receiving section which reports, to the mobile terminal apparatus (10A), the resources where the CSI-RSs are allocated, and which, upon reporting the resources where CSI-RSs are allocated, to the mobile terminal apparatus (10B), reports part of the resources as resources to be muted. |
| US09258824B2 |
Method of reducing interference between stations in wireless LAN system, and apparatus supporting the same
An interference avoidance method performed by an Access Point (AP) in a WLAN system in an Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) environment is provided. The interference avoidance method includes receiving an interference avoidance request message from the first STA, the interference avoidance request message informing that frame transmission of the AP acts as interference with a first STA; transmitting an interference avoidance response message in response to the interference avoidance request message; obtaining first channel information about a first channel between the first STA and the AP from the first STA which has received the interference avoidance response message; determining a transmitting steering matrix based on the first channel information; and transmitting data to a second STA by performing beamforming according to the transmitting steering matrix. |
| US09258822B2 |
Intelligent load balancing bandwidth allocation for multiple interface wireless devices
A system and method is provided for intelligent bandwidth allocation in a wireless communication device supporting multiple interfaces. A wireless communications device operating in connection with a first communications interface and a second communications interface is capable of switching channels back and forth so as to receive beacons from both interfaces effectively and provide enough bandwidth for each interface for data traffic to continue without any observable interruptions. |
| US09258821B2 |
Communications base station with decision function for distributing traffic across multiple backhauls
A communication station, such as a base station or access point, has multiple backhaul options and distributes backhaul data between the available backhaul options. The communication station includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data with user equipments, multiple backhaul interface modules, and a backhaul distribution module arranged for monitoring demand for backhaul bandwidth and distributing data over the backhauls based on the demand for backhaul bandwidth. Additional modules for user data and control plane processing may be included with the user/control distinction used in distributing data over the backhauls. The backhaul options may include a preferred backhaul and an alternate backhaul. Distributing data over the backhauls may be based, for example, on applications associated with the data, financial cost, delay, robustness, computational resources, and/or additional security associated with using a particular backhaul. |
| US09258816B2 |
Method and apparatus for notifying a subframe configuration of multicast broadcast single frequency network
The present invention provides a method for notifying Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe configuration, which comprises the following steps: a first node sends its MBSFN subframe configuration, via an X2 interface, to a second node with which the first node is connected; the first node receives the MBSFN subframe configuration of the second node as a feedback. According to the invention, a serving cell can obtain the MBSFN subframe configurations of the neighboring cells and/or RNs, so that rational utilization of resources is achieved according to the configurations. Therefore, interference between cells is reduced, and system capacity and efficiency are improved. |
| US09258813B2 |
Channel access method and apparatus using the same in wireless local area network system
A method of apparatus for channel access in a wireless local area network is provided. A station receives a channel access control message including group indication information indicating a group of stations allowed to access a channel from an access point. The station attempts contention for accessing the channel if the station belongs to the group indicated by the group indication information. |
| US09258811B2 |
Signaling method to enable controlled TX deferring in mixed license and unlicensed spectrum in carrier aggregation in future LTE-A networks
The present invention discloses a signaling method, an apparatus and a computer program for controlled transmission signal deferring utilizing both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands for carrier aggregation. In the method, a connection is established between a User Equipment and a base station. For example, based on a sensed interference level, a transmission deferring indication is generated regarding a secondary component carrier locating on an unlicensed band, in case the secondary component carrier is occupied. This indication may be generated and sent either by the base station or by the User Equipment. Finally, the secondary component carrier is deactivated for data transmission, for deferring data transmission for a certain time period. After the deferring time has passed, the data transmission can be re-performed on the same secondary component carrier, or through switching to another secondary component carrier in unlicensed spectrum. |
| US09258809B2 |
Methods for multi-point carrier aggregation configuration and data forwarding
Methods of multi-point carrier aggregation configuration and data forwarding are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a primary connection is established between a UE and a primary base station in a primary cell with a first UE-ID. A second connection is configured between the UE and a second base station in a secondary cell with a second UE-ID. Component carriers from the primary and the second connections are configured and aggregated. Mobility management functions are performed on the primary connection. In another embodiment of the current invention, a first UE data is received from a primary connection with a UE connecting to a first base station, a second UE data is received from a second base station. The first UE data and the second UE data are combined. A third UE data from a network entity is distributed to the first and the second base station. |
| US09258805B2 |
HARQ/ACK codebook size determination
Devices, methods, computer-readable media, and systems configurations for determining a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ)-acknowledgment (ACK) codebook in wireless communication networks. A user equipment (UE) may communicate with a plurality of serving cells, wherein at least two of the serving cells include different time division duplexing (TDD) uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configurations. The UE may determine a value based on a downlink assignment index (DAI), and determine a number of downlink subframes or special subframes that are included in a bundling window associated with an uplink subframe. Further, the UE may select the lesser of the determined value or the determined number of downlink subframes or special subframes included in the bundling window to correspond to a number of subframes for which the UE needs to feedback HARQ-ACK bits for the first serving cell. |
| US09258803B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating and transmitting time and frequency resource for resource request indicator
Method and apparatus are provided to allocate a time and frequency resource of a resource request indicator (RRI) and to transmit an RRI. Codes are allocated for an RRI and other (such as non-RRI) uplink control signaling. The RRI and other uplink control signaling can be multiplexed in the same time and frequency resource, such as through multiplexing in a code division manner. |
| US09258799B2 |
Method for reporting channel information based on link adaptation in wireless local area network and the apparatus for the same
A method and device for link adaptation in a wireless local area network system, are discussed. The method may include receiving, by a responding station, from a requesting station, a requesting Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) for requesting a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) feedback via a plurality of spatial streams, the requesting PPDU including an MCS request (MRQ) field that is set to one to request the responding station to provide the MCS feedback; and transmitting, by the responding station, to the requesting station, the MCS feedback including a recommended MCS field and a recommended stream field. The recommended MCS field indicates a recommended MCS, the recommended stream field indicates a number of at least one recommended spatial stream, and the number of the at least one recommended spatial stream is less than a number of the plurality of spatial streams used for the requesting PPDU. |
| US09258798B2 |
Apparatus and method for paging in communication systems with large number of antennas
A mobile station performs a method for paging configuration in a wireless network. The method includes transmitting, to a base station, a parameter M representing a number of receiving (RX) beam instances at the mobile station in idle mode for the mobile station to finish one round of beam steering. The method also includes determining a timing for receiving a paging message from the base station, the timing being a function of the parameter M, the paging message comprising a mobile station identifier. The method further includes receiving the paging message from the base station based on the determined timing. |
| US09258796B2 |
Sensor interface with mobile terminal satellite modem and global location system
A system and method for implementing a low-power local-area network for use with a mobile terminal satellite modem. This low-power local-area network enables sensors on an asset to transmit sensor data to a mobile terminal affixed on the asset. The mobile terminal reports the sensor data along with asset position information to a centralized facility via a communications satellite. |
| US09258794B2 |
Method, and apparatus for determining the position using radio signals
A method, comprising: detecting, at an apparatus, one or more radio signals from a first location; using the one or more detected radio signals to estimate a bearing from the first location; and using the bearing estimate to determine whether further detection of one or more radio signals is required before positioning the apparatus; and positioning of the apparatus using a bearing and constraint information. |
| US09258793B1 |
Method and system for lightweight sessions in content management clients
Methods and systems for providing light weight client sessions. Connections are immediately decoupled from sessions when released by a user and made available to the same or other users. Re-authentication of the user to re-use a connection can be streamlined by maintaining client login data in a client login record cache. |
| US09258790B2 |
Dynamic power spectrum management method, spectrum optimization system and client device
The present invention provides a dynamic power spectrum management method, a spectrum optimization system, and a client device, which can improve spectrum management. The method includes: calculating, from a tax factor containing user crosstalk information, a water-filling parameter corresponding to the case that total power of each user is below or equal to a threshold of total power of the user; calculating, from the water-filling parameter, power allocated to each user in each sub-carrier until convergence is attained for all users. Correspondingly, the present invention further provides a spectrum optimization system and a client device. In effect, the present invention can improve the spectrum management. |
| US09258788B2 |
Methods and apparatus for use in peer to peer communications devices and/or systems relating to rate scheduling, traffic scheduling, rate control, and/or power control
Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. Embodiments directed to methods and apparatus for establishing traffic data transmission rates and/or transmission power levels between wireless terminals is described. Embodiments direct to methods and apparatus of making decisions whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the received response signals are also described. Transmission of pilot signals after granting of a transmission request and a decision to transmit traffic data has been made occurs in some embodiments. Rate information to be used in determining a traffic rate may be received in response to the pilot signal from a peer to peer (P2P) device. |
| US09258785B2 |
Uplink signal transmitting and receiving method and device in a wireless communication system
A method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving an uplink signal by a mobile terminal in a wireless communication system are provided. The first mobile terminal includes a receiver configured to receive, from a base station, a power control variable determined based on an interference value for a first receive beam used in order to receive an uplink signal of the first mobile terminal from among a plurality of receive beams of the base station, to receive, from the base station, neighboring receive beam allocation data indicating whether any of the receive beams in the plurality of receive beams, different from the first receive beam, is being used for uplink signal reception, to determine an uplink transmit power value based on the received power control variable and neighboring receive beam allocation data, and to transmit an uplink signal to the base station by using the determined uplink transmit power value. |
| US09258775B1 |
Location-based software updates
Techniques for determining appropriate locations to update mobile device software to prevent initiation of unwanted software updates are provided. An example method includes identifying one or more wireless access points within wireless connection range of a mobile device, determining whether a wireless access point of the one or more identified wireless access points is included in a list of preferred wireless access points, the list generated with consideration to previous software updates performed via the preferred wireless access points and durations of network connectivity during the previous software updates, scheduling one or more software updates using the wireless access point, when the wireless access point is included in the list of preferred wireless access points, and performing the scheduled software updates upon connection to the wireless access point. |
| US09258769B2 |
Apparatus, method and computer program product providing priority setting for multi-rat interworking
Apparatus, methods and computer program products operate an electronic device to receive through from a wireless communications network a prioritized list of radio access technologies; to store the prioritized list of radio access technologies in a memory of the electronic device; and to consult the prioritized list of radio access technologies during cell selection and reselection operations. In variants the radio access technologies listed in the prioritized list of radio access technologies can be E-UTRAN, UTRAN or GERAN. In a further variant to consult the prioritized list may mean to compare at least one of a signal measurement and a quality measurement with at least one threshold established for a certain radio access technology appearing in the prioritized list, and to select/reselect to the certain radio access technology only if the at least one of the signal measurement and the quality measurement exceeds the threshold. |
| US09258767B2 |
Methods and arrangements to compress identification
Logic to reduce the probability of hashing collisions via a single hash function. Logic may hash the service set identification (SSID) to generate a compressed SSID and determine multiple compressed SSID segments based upon the compressed SSID. Logic may generate multiple SSID segments by hashing modified versions of the SSID or modifying hashed versions of the SSID. And logic may identify the compressed SSID segment with an index number. Logic may receive one or more compressed SSID segments, determine an index number associated with the segment(s) and compare the received SSID segment against a compressed SSID segment of an SSID that is sought. Logic may generate the multiple compressed SSID segments, store the segments in memory, and compare the compressed SSID segment received in a beacon with a corresponding compressed SSID segment in the memory. |
| US09258764B2 |
System and methods for anonymous crowdsourcing of network condition measurements
A communication device and method for crowdsourcing of information from one or more communication devices. The crowdsourced information can be defined by one or more parameters defined in an operational framework. The operational framework can be, for example, an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) framework. The operational framework can include, for example, positional and/or movement information of the communication device(s), a signal quality of a communication network, a visibility duration of a communication network, data rate information of a communication network, and/or quality of service (QoS) information of a communication network. |
| US09258763B2 |
Communication apparatus and method that can promptly and efficiently perform decoding/processing of a downlink control information that is related to a search space
A communication system, a mobile station apparatus, a base station apparatus, and a processing method are provided that can perform decoding processing of a PDCCH related to a search space efficiently, and can perform communication promptly. A mobile station apparatus for performing communication with a base station apparatus in a mobile communication system: perform monitoring of a physical downlink control channel in an extension search space in accordance with an instruction from the base station apparatus. |
| US09258760B2 |
Radio communication apparatus
An in-vehicle apparatus that is a radio communication apparatus includes: a radio communication unit capable of performing radio communication using at least a 5-GHz band; a present-position detecting unit that detects a present position of the own apparatus; and a radio-communication-zone predicting unit that determines, when the radio communication unit is performing communication, whether switching of a channel of the radio communication unit is necessary on a basis of interference data, which is information concerning a coverage of a radio wave transmitted from another system that uses a 5-GHz band and transmits and receives a radio wave in a stationary state, map data, and the present position detected by the present-position detecting unit, and, when switching is necessary, further selects a switching destination channel or causes the radio communication unit to select the switching destination channel. |
| US09258758B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing long distance service for roaming mobile telephones
When a roaming telephone user in a visited network dials a long-distance number, he is transferred to a substitute telephone number which is local to that network and belongs to a service center which can route his call efficiently and cost effectively. Typically, the visited network contacts the user's home network for permission to complete the long-distance call. When that happens, the home network obtains the substitute number from a database on a telephone number server, based upon the location of the visited network, and responds to the visited network, instructing it to forward the user's call to the substitute telephone number. When the service center receives the roaming user's telephone call, it contacts the telephone number server and obtains the original long-distance number, which is stored in the database in association with the substitute telephone number. The service center is then able to route the roaming users call efficiently and cost-effectively by making use of its base of service providers. |
| US09258757B1 |
Dynamic control of transmission of reverse-link control signals
A method and system for dynamically controlling the transmission of reverse-link control signals to help reduce interference on the reverse link. A RAN identifies a mobile device whose transmission of reverse-link control signals best represents the reverse-link air interface condition of each other mobile device in a plurality of mobile devices. Then the RAN causes each mobile device in the plurality other than the identified mobile device to not send its respective reverse-link control signal at a given time, thereby reducing the number of mobile devices that transmit reverse-link control signals at the given time. |
| US09258754B2 |
Apparatus and method for multimode device handover
Systems and methods of operating multimode 3G/4G communications devices in an overlapping 3G/4G coverage area (e.g., WiMAX or LTE/CDMA EvDO) include determining if a number associated with temporarily-disabled sectors of an available sector set of the multimode device while the device is operational with a 3G base station is at least equal to a threshold number. If the number is at least equal to the threshold number, a scan for a sector in the 4G network to handover the operation of the multimode device from the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage is initiated. A scan for a fixed period of time for a new available sector in the 3G network to be added in the available sector set may be initiated; and, if a new available sector is added to the sector set, it may be redetermined if the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors is at least equal to the threshold number, before initiating the scan for a sector in the 4G network. |
| US09258751B2 |
Method and arrangement in a communication network
Method and arrangement in a network control node, for performing access control of a mobile node in a handover from a source cell to a target subscriber group cell. The method comprises obtaining a network based allowed subscriber group list, receiving a target subscriber group identification, checking if the target subscriber group identification is comprised in the obtained network based allowed subscriber group list. If it is, information from a target network control node is obtained, verifying that the received subscriber group identification corresponds to the target subscriber group cell. Still further, the method comprises granting the mobile node access to the target subscriber group cell.Also, a method and arrangement in a target network control node, for assisting a network control node in performing access control for a mobile node in a handover from a source cell to a target subscriber group cell is provided. |
| US09258747B2 |
User equipment and methods for fast handover failure recovery in 3GPP LTE network
Embodiments of User Equipment (UE) and methods for fast handover failure recovery in a 3GPP LTE network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the UE may initiate handover (HO) failure recovery by transmission of a random-access channel (RACH) 2 message when both a radio-link failure (RLF) timer and a time-to trigger (TTT) timer are concurrently running. The RACH 2 message may be a message transmitted on a random-access channel for radio-resource control (RRC) connection re-establishment. The RLF timer may be activated as part of a radio-link monitoring (RLM) process based on radio-link conditions with a serving cell, and the TTT timer may have been activated as part of a HO process based on a measurement reporting event. |
| US09258742B1 |
Policy-directed value-added services chaining
In general, techniques are described for leveraging at least one of a policy control and charging or application detection architecture for an access network to dynamically control value-added services applied to packet flows. In some examples, a policy enforcement device receives a policy rule that defines at least one of policy control and application detection by an access network for a subscriber device. The policy rule includes a service chain identifier that identifies a service chain that defines one or more value-added services to be applied in a particular order to provide a composite service for application to packet flows associated to the service chain. The policy enforcement device receives a packet sourced by the subscriber device and destined to the packet data network, applies the policy rule to the packet to associate the packet to the service chain, and forwards the packet according to the service chain. |
| US09258741B2 |
Carrier aggregation acknowledgement bits
Systems, methods, and user equipment can involve transmitting Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) bits for carrier aggregation between a first cell and a second cell in a User Equipment (UE). With the UE, for a sub-frame, a first number of ACK/NACK bits for the first cell can be compared with a second number of ACK/NACK bits for the second cell. If a first number of ACK/NACK bits for the first cell is less than a second number of ACK/NACK bits for the second cell, an ACK/NACK bit position from the first cell can be used to transmit an ACK/NACK bit for the second cell. In some implementations, one or more DTX bits can be used to set the number of ACK/NACK bits in the first cell equal to the number of ACK/NACK bits in the second cell. |
| US09258738B2 |
Distributed load balancing in a radio access network
Embodiments relate to a baseband processing apparatus (200) for processing baseband signals to or from at least one remote radio head (204), the at least one remote radio head (204) serving a radio cell of a cellular communication system, the baseband processing apparatus (200) comprising: an interface (208) to connect the baseband processing apparatus (200), as a first node (200-1) of a network (300), to a further baseband processing apparatus as a second node (200-2) of the network (300); a plurality of dedicated user data processors (210; 410; 420), wherein each is operable to process user specific data of first users being associated to the radio cell, the processing of the user specific data of the first users leading to a processing load of the first node (200-1); and a load balancer (212) operable to exchange load information with a load balancer of the second node (200-2) via the interface (208) and to distribute processing tasks between the plurality of dedicated user data processors (210; 410; 420) of the first node (200-1) and/or to distribute processing tasks between plurality of dedicated user data processors (210; 410; 420) of the first node (200-1) and the second node (200-2) in response to the exchanged load information in order to distribute processing load among different nodes of the network (300). |
| US09258736B2 |
Broadcasting of data files and file repair procedure with regards to the broadcasted data files
A method in a Broadcast Multicast Service Center, BM-SC, comprising at least two file repair servers is arranged for performing a file repair session following a broadcast transmission of a data file to a User Equipment, UE, in a radio communication system. After having determined whether a first of the file repair servers is experiencing, or is predicted to experience, an overload condition, an information message, indicating the existing or predicted overload experience of the first file repair server and capable of indicating a time interval, T, which shall have elapsed before the UE is allowed to transmit a file repair request to the first file repair server, is transmitted to the UE in case it is determined that the first file repair server is experiencing, or is predicted to experience, an overload condition. |
| US09258733B2 |
Network congestion control
A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium to obtain a traffic volume value that indicates a volume of traffic to and/or from a radio node, a value that indicates a class of the radio node, or a received signal strength value that indicates a received signal strength of a macro signal received by the radio node; calculate a delay time value based on traffic volume value, the value that indicates the class, or the received signal strength value; and transmit the delay time value to the radio node, wherein the delay time value indicates a time period to wait, by the radio node, before attempting to authenticate and register with one or more network devices. |
| US09258732B2 |
Radio communication control device and radio communication terminal
A radio communication control device accepts a call-up from a radio communication terminal and includes a unit configured to detect the degree of jamming in a cell, a unit configured to confirm the intention of a user of a terminal concerned as to whether the call-up is continued regardless of addition of an extra to the user's telephone call charge when the call-up has been made from a radio communication terminal in the cell concerned in a specific jammed state, a unit configured to block the call-up concerned in accordance with the confirmed intention of the user of the terminal concerned and a unit configured to change charge setting so as to add an extra to the user's telephone call charge when the call-up has not been blocked in the specific jammed state. |
| US09258730B2 |
Wireless surveillance camera system and wireless surveillance camera device
To enable configuration and control of a camera at the same time while providing a certain band and low-delay communication for video and/or voice data, a wireless surveillance camera device includes: a signal processing unit that applies signal processing to the video and/or voice data; and a configuration unit that acquires configuration information data related to video parameters and/or wireless parameters in the device, wherein data communication of the video and/or voice data is performed for a wireless base station based on a polling system, and data communication of the configuration information data is performed for the wireless base station based on a carrier sense system. |
| US09258728B2 |
Communication scheme for channel quality information
The invention relates to a method for receiving and a method for reconstructing channel quality information in a communication system. Further, the invention also provides a transmitter and receiver performing these methods, respectively. The invention suggests a scheme for communicating channel quality measures that on the one hand allows for an accurate reconstruction of the channel quality measures at the receiver and on the other hand requires an acceptable transmission overhead. This is achieved by partitioning channel quality measures into at least two partitions and to compress the values partition-wise, for example, by means of a discrete cosine transform and the transmission of only a subset of the resulting coefficients. |
| US09258727B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating and reporting channel measurement information in wireless communication system
The present invention pertains to a method for efficiently determining the validity of terminal location information in a minimization of drive test (MDT) measurement report procedure in a 3GPP system. The method for reporting channel measurement information of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to the present invention comprises: a reception step of receiving setup information for wireless channel measurement from a base station; an acquisition step of acquiring wireless channel information, location information of the terminal, and time information when the location information is collected according to the setup information; a determination step of determining whether the location information of the terminal is valid; and a transmission step of generating and transmitting channel measurement information including the time information to the base station when valid. |
| US09258726B2 |
Methods and apparatus for spectral scanning within a network
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a spectral scanning controller configured to interrupt service at a wireless access point (WAP) such that the WAP performs spectral scanning during service interruption. The spectral scanning controller is configured to interrupt service at the WAP at a first scanning frequency when the spectral scanning controller is in a first configuration. The spectral scanning controller is configured to interrupt service at the WAP at a second scanning frequency different from the first scanning frequency when the spectral scanning controller is in a second configuration. The spectral scanning controller is configured to move from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to a change in at least one of a service demand, a service quality, a spectral scanning demand or a spectral scanning quality. |
| US09258724B2 |
Method and system for automatically identifying wireless signal quality of a region
A method for automatically identifying wireless signal quality of a region includes receiving signal quality information associated with wireless signals received by each of a plurality of mobile endpoints and receiving location information identifying locations of each of the plurality of mobile endpoints. The method also includes, based on the received signal quality information and the received location information, identifying a first region of an area, the first region having a first signal quality. |
| US09258723B2 |
Systems, methods, and devices with different radio link failure timers based on user equipment speed
Systems, methods, and device for adjusting an operation time of a radio link failure timer are disclosed herein. User equipment (UE) may be configured to communicatively couple to an evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN). The UE use different radio link failure timer parameters depending on the speed of the UE. The radio link failure timer may run for a longer time for rapidly moving UEs and run for a shorter time for slowly moving UEs. In an embodiment, the UE may scale the radio link failure timer by a scaling factor. In another embodiment, the UE may include multiple radio link failure timers for different speeds. The radio link failure timer parameters for each speed may be specified by the E-UTRAN in a one-to-one communication. The E-UTRAN may determine which parameters to use for each UE based on characteristics of the UE. |
| US09258717B2 |
Method and arrangement for detecting a malfunctioning terminal
A method and arrangement in a terminal evaluation unit for detecting a malfunctioning terminal in a cellular network is provided. Connection data is received from at least one network node in the cellular network, wherein the connection data is referring to connections of terminals when present in cells of the cellular network. A mean connection drop rate is calculated based on the connection data for the terminals when present at least in a first cell during a preset time period. An individual connection drop rate which is associated with the first terminal is determined from the connection data. Deciding, based on a ratio between the individual connection drop rate and the mean drop rate, whether or not the first terminal is malfunctioning and providing the result from the deciding action to a cellular network operator for further evaluation. |
| US09258716B2 |
Communications systems
A method of controlling spectrum use in a first wireless communications system which is operable to take part in a spectrum assignment process involving a plurality of wireless communications systems including the first wireless communications system, in which spectrum assignment process one of the said wireless communications systems assigns a portion of spectrum to at least one of the other said wireless communications systems. The method comprising effecting an instance of the spectrum assignment process in response to a trigger which is based on network conditions. |
| US09258715B2 |
Proactive security for mobile devices
Methods, program products, and systems for proactively securing mobile devices are described. A mobile device can proactively determine whether the mobile device is associated with a security risk and the level of the security risk. Upon determining a security risk, the mobile device can transmit coordinates of its current geographic location to a server. To protect privacy of authorized users, the transmission can be disabled by entering a password. If multiple failed password attempts are detected, the mobile device can proactively increase a security level of the device, and selectively protect files or other content stored on the mobile device. In some implementations, the mobile device can be transitioned into a surveillance mode where the mobile device records or captures information associated with one or more of user actions, ambient sound, images, a trajectory of the device, and transmits the recorded or captured information to the network resource. |
| US09258713B2 |
Rogue wireless beacon device detection
Techniques are presented for detecting rogue wireless beacon devices. Wireless transmissions from beacon devices are received at a plurality of receiver devices. The wireless transmissions of the beacon devices comprise packets that carry information used for location-based services for mobile wireless devices. Content of one or more fields of the packets transmitted by the beacon devices and received by one or more of the receiver devices is obtained. The content of one or more fields of the packets is analyzed to detect an unauthorized beacon device. The analyzing operation may involve comparing the content of the one or more fields of the packets against a list that contains one or more identifiers for authorized beacon devices. In another form, analyzing may involve analyzing the content of the one or more fields of the packets with pattern information related to advertising content or advertising source. |
| US09258712B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for sharing wireless network configurations
Example method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to improve user experience and security in sharing wireless network configurations. An embodiment comprises reading, by a guest wireless device, data from a machine readable medium, including accessing information, to enable the guest device to obtain credentials from an access rights server, to access an access point or network, based on the accessing information; transmitting by the guest device, a wireless message to the access rights server, requesting credentials to enable accessing the access point or network, the request including the accessing information addressing a storage partition in a database associated with the access rights server, the storage partition being accessible with the accessing information; and receiving by the guest device from the access rights server, the credentials to enable the guest device to gain access to the access point or network by using the credentials. |
| US09258709B2 |
Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal and controlling method therein are disclosed, by which a memo can be written and utilized conveniently in a state that an access to the mobile terminal is restricted in part. The present invention includes entering a lock screen for restricting at least one partial function of the mobile terminal, writing a memo on the lock screen in response to an input of a 1st command, and if user authentication is performed in response to an input of a 2nd command, coping with an event occurring until cancellation of the display of the lock screen using the memo. |
| US09258698B2 |
Automatic multimedia upload for publishing data and multimedia content
Disclosed herein is a method and system for utilizing a digital data capture device in conjunction with a Bluetooth (BT) enabled mobile device for publishing data and multimedia content on one or more websites automatically or with minimal user intervention. A client application is provided on the BT enabled mobile device. In the absence of inbuilt BT capability, a BT communication device is provided on the digital data capture device. The BT communication device is paired with the BT enabled mobile device to establish a connection. The client application detects capture of data and multimedia content on the digital data capture device and initiates transfer of the captured data, multimedia content, and associated files. The digital data capture device transfers the captured data, multimedia content, and the associated files to the client application. The client application automatically publishes the transferred data and multimedia content on one or more websites. |
| US09258695B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for service discovery in short-range communication environment
Embodiments enable discovery of services in a wireless communications medium. In example embodiments, a method comprises inserting, by an apparatus, an indication associated with a service requested by the apparatus to an apparatus address field of a wireless service discovery packet; and transmitting, by the apparatus, the wireless service discovery packet including the inserted indication associated with the requested service. The packet may be a Bluetooth Low Energy SCAN_REQ PDU packet. The apparatus's address field may be a non-resolvable private address format in a ScanA field of the Bluetooth Low Energy SCAN_REQ PDU packet. The apparatus may be functioning as a subscriber in a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) network. |
| US09258694B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless device discovery process
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enhance wireless communications device discovery processes. In an example embodiment, a method includes detecting a wireless device discovery message at an apparatus, and in response to detecting the wireless device discovery message, temporarily tuning, by the apparatus, device discovery parameters to increase a rate of detecting wireless device discovery messages. |
| US09258692B2 |
Relay assisted peer discovery
Techniques for enabling relay assisted peer discovery in a wireless communication network are disclosed. A relay may receive, from at least one user equipment (UE), at least one hashed expression to transmit. Further, a relay may compute a time dependent hash of the at least one hashed expression to transmit. The relay may broadcast, and the second UEs may receive, the time dependent hash of the at least one hashed expression. The UE may be, for example, an eNodeB. The hashed expression may be a time varied hashed expression. |
| US09258686B2 |
Media sharing community
The present invention enables a user to share his/her listening experience selectively with others without sharing headphones and without disturbing others who do not want to listen. In a preferred embodiment, a first listener can accomplish this by storing in a Portable Electronic Device or similar device a library of listening experiences, listening to one of the listening experiences, and while listening to that one listening experience streaming the one listening experience to at least one other Portable Electronic Device or similar device. A second listener at the other Portable Electronic Device can then listen to the same listening experience as the first listener at the same time. It is expected that the listening experiences will typically be songs or other music but the invention may be practiced with any type of audio content. The first listener may also create a playlist of the listening experiences in the library and make the playlist available to others. Others may use the playlist to access the library and listen to one or more listening experiences stored in the library. Also, utilizing the same interface and communication methodologies as described above, the technology platform detailed in this application can be used for commercial purposes to stream location based content, audio and otherwise, to a connected network of Portable Electronic Devices. Commercial uses of this functionality include providing commercial establishments with the ability to create synchronous (users come into a stream at the exact point that it is being streamed in real time) and or asynchronous (users can select and start a transmission from the beginning) featured channels (location based) where they can stream any self created or otherwise authorized content to other Portable Electronic Devices in their range. |
| US09258684B2 |
Media processing methods and arrangements
The disclosure relates, e.g., to media processing methods and arrangements. One method includes: obtaining first optical data in a first user's cell phone, the first optical data corresponding to a first face of a product's packaging, the product also including a second face of the packaging, the first face comprises first digital watermarking conveying first data and the second face comprises second digital watermarking convey second data; analyzing the first optical data to obtain the first data therefrom; responsive to providing the first data to a remotely located computer resource, the first user's cell phone receiving a first response; obtaining second optical data in a first user's cell phone, the second optical data corresponding the second face of the packaging; analyzing the second optical data to obtain the second data therefrom; responsive to providing the second data to a remotely located computer resource, the first user's cell phone receiving a second response, the second response being different from the first service; and storing in the cell phone an association between: i) the first data and the first response, and ii) the second data and the second response. Of course other methods, combinations and systems are disclosed as well. |
| US09258680B2 |
Location-transmitting device for determining location of a wireless communication device
A location-transmitting device autonomously transmits a signal containing location data for the location-transmitting device to any nearby wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may then transmit said location data to a third party, such as an E-911 dispatch center or a provider of a commercial location-based service. |
| US09258678B2 |
Closed loop athlete training system
An athletic training system includes a personal electronic device having a processor, a memory, and a GPS sensor. The processor runs an application that calculates at least one of distance traveled, elevation change, and speed, of the user carrying the personal electronic device, and based upon location information obtained from the GPS sensor provides a training-related message to the user based upon at least one of the calculated distance traveled, elevation change, and speed. |
| US09258677B2 |
Improving scalability and reliability of hardware geo-fencing with failover support
Systems and methods disclosed herein may include tracking one or more geo-fences using a GNSS hardware processor within a computing device. The tracking may use at least one GNSS signal. State changes of the one or more geo-fences during the tracking may be saved in a shared state database. The shared state database may be shared between the GNSS hardware processor and an application processor within the computing device. Upon detecting a deterioration of the at least one GNSS signal, tracking the one or more geo-fences may be switched from using the GNSS hardware processor to using the application processor. After the switching, an initial state of each of the one or more geo-fences may be set by using states currently stored in the shared state database prior to the switching. |
| US09258672B2 |
Short-range wireless communication device
A short-range wireless communication device, utilized with a communication partner terminal that executes a cooperative application while switching between foreground and background operations when a predetermined protocol is established between the communication partner terminal and the short-range wireless communication device, and disconnects a protocol by changing the cooperative application from the foreground operation to the background operation, includes: a control device that determines whether a condition of returning the cooperative application from the background operation to the foreground operation is satisfied, determines whether the cooperative application returns to the foreground operation according to an operating status of an application in the communication partner terminal when the condition is satisfied, and transmits a request for establishment of the protocol to the communication partner terminal when the cooperative application returns to the foreground operation. When the cooperative application does not return to the foreground operation, the control device repeatedly acquires the operating status. |
| US09258668B2 |
Mobile application framework extensibiilty
In an example embodiment, extending an application distributed to a plurality of devices may be accomplied by receiving one or more configuration files. Then the configuration files on a platform server. Then the application may be distributed to the plurality of devices, the application containing code performing one or more calls to the one or more configuration files. Then an update to the one or more configuration files may be received. Then the update to the one or more configuration files may be stored on the platform, thereby altering the application distributed to the plurality of devices without recompiling the application. |
| US09258666B2 |
State migration of edge-of-network applications
A system and method that externalizes mobile device state migration (i.e., checkpointing) without being dependent upon any particular Edge Application (EdgeApp) proxy server or cellular network base station. In this manner, the Edge Application (EdgeApp) proxy server does not have to be aware of a migration process, yet will enable state information to be provided to other EdgeApp proxy/server nodes at the edge of the network (cell tower). |
| US09258660B2 |
Reset circuit for MEMS capacitive microphones
A method of initiating a reset sequence for a MEMS capacitive microphone. The method includes monitoring an output of a microphone and detecting a mute condition in the output of the microphone indicative of a fault condition. The method also includes activating a timing circuit. The timing circuit is configured to indicate when a certain time period since the initiation of the timing circuit has elapsed. Upon expiration of the time period indicated by the timing circuit, a microphone reset sequence is initiated. |
| US09258659B2 |
Method of detecting enclosure leakage of enclosure mounted loudspeakers
A method of detecting enclosure leakage of an electrodynamic loudspeaker mounted in an enclosure or box may include applying an audio signal to a voice coil of the electrodynamic loudspeaker through an output amplifier and detecting a voice coil current flowing into the voice coil. A voltage across the voice coil may be detected and an impedance or admittance of the loudspeaker across a predetermined audio frequency range may be detected based on the detected voice coil current and voice coil voltage. A fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker may be determined based on the detected impedance or admittance and compared with a nominal fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker representing a sealed state of the enclosure. Acoustic leakage of the enclosure may be detected based on a deviation between the determined the fundamental resonance frequency and the nominal fundamental resonance frequency of the electrodynamic loudspeaker. |
| US09258658B2 |
Test device for a speaker module for a listening device
The application relates to a test device for a speaker module of a listening device, the speaker module comprising a speaker unit for converting an electric output signal to an output sound. The application further relates to a test system and to a data update device. An object of the present application is to provide an alternative scheme for identifying a receiver (speaker) in a listening device, e.g. a hearing aid. The problem is solved in that the test device being a separate device adapted for being electrically connected to the speaker module in a test situation, but not during normal operation of the listening device. An advantage of the invention is that it provides a flexible alternative to a receiver identification solution that is integrated into the listening device. |
| US09258657B2 |
Method of manufacturing a soft custom ear mold and a soft custom ear mold
A soft custom ear mold (300) comprising: an inner ear mold part (100) consisting of a first bushing (101), a sound tube (102) and an ear wax guard bushing (103), and an outer ear mold part (200) that is adapted to fit an individual ear canal and comprises a sound conduit having holding means adapted to engage said inner part (100). The holding means defines the correct positioning of said inner part (100) in the sound conduit of said outer part (200) whereby a precise and stable positioning of the ear wax guard bushing (103) in the soft custom ear mold (300) is provided. The invention also relates to a hearing aid comprising such an ear mold (300, 900), a method for manufacturing such an ear mold and a tool for carrying out a part of said manufacturing method. |
| US09258656B2 |
Sound acquisition and analysis systems, devices and components for magnetic hearing aids
Disclosed are various embodiments of components and devices in a sound acquisition system for a magnetic hearing aid that include a sound acquisition device. In one embodiment, the sound acquisition device is configured to be positioned between a magnetic spacer and a magnetic implant, and to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, such that sound signals generated by an EM transducer in the hearing aid may be acquired by a sound sensor forming a portion of the sound acquisition device as the sound signals pass through the sound acquisition device into the patient's skull or a test fixture. |
| US09258655B2 |
Method and device for frequency compression with harmonic correction
Artifacts occurring during frequency compression, in particular in the case of hearing aids, are avoided or reduced. The method compresses the frequency of an audio signal having a fundamental frequency and at least one harmonic. The audio signal is provided in a plurality of frequency channels. The harmonic of the audio signal is shifted or mapped from a first frequency channel of the plurality of frequency channels into a second frequency channel. In addition a frequency which is likewise harmonic with respect to the fundamental frequency is estimated in the second frequency channel, the harmonic being shifted or mapped onto the estimated frequency. As a result the harmonic pattern is preserved in the compressed signal and the artifacts are reduced. |
| US09258651B2 |
Transparent parametric transducer and related methods
A transparent ultrasonic audio speaker includes an emitter and a driver. The emitter can include first and second transparent conductive sheets. The conductive sheets can comprise a base layer and a conductive layer, and can be transparent. The transparent ultrasonic audio speaker can be configured to be positioned on or in place of the display screen of a content device. |
| US09258644B2 |
Method and apparatus for microphone beamforming
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a camera system and an optimization system. The optimization system is configured to communicate with the camera system. At least one microphone is connected to the optimization system. The optimization system is configured to adjust a beamform of the at least one microphone based, at least in part, on camera focus information of the camera system. |
| US09258642B2 |
Audio-optical arrangement, accessory, earpiece unit and audio device
There is provided an arrangement, an accessory, an audio device, and at least one earpiece unit. The accessory is suitable for an audio device capable of providing an electrical audio signal. The accessory comprises first and second signal conveyers for conveying electrical audio signal driving audio transducers and electrical optic signal driving optical radiation sources, respectively. The audio transducers and the optical radiation sources are located in the earpiece unit. |
| US09258636B2 |
Headphone set
In a conventional headphone set, there is a possibility that a headband cannot be put in a suitable position when an ear pad is snugly mounted on an ear. A headphone set of this disclosure includes speaker units which output a sound. The headphone set also includes: speaker housings which are brought into contact with a user; connecting portions which are connected to the speaker housings in a state where the speaker housings are movable in a forward and rearward direction of the user; and a headband which has connecting portions on end portions thereof and is mounted on a head of the user in directions toward a crown of the head of the user. Due to such a constitution, the headphone set can be used in a more stable manner. |
| US09258635B2 |
Control cord for headsets and auxiliary devices
A cord-based controller for an auxiliary device, such as a headset, is provided for use with a portable electronic device. A pressure-sensitive, and preferably bendable, material such as a piezoelectric pressure sensor is placed within or on an or cord of a headphone lead, such as by wrapping it within the outer shielding of the cord. A self-powered controlling sensor is arranged to control the electronic device using a generated control signal. The controlling sensor comprises a sensor material. The control signal is generated by deformation of the sensor material independent of power supplied to the headset and independent of power supplied to the portable electronic device. This is achieved without requiring a separate housing for the controller, which typically protrudes from the cord. A plurality of control sensor elements can be provided, each producing a different control signal voltage transmitted along a single control signal electrical. |
| US09258634B2 |
Microphone system with offset apertures
A microphone system has a base forming a base aperture, and a lid coupled to the base to form a package having an interior chamber. The system also has a member coupled with the base within the interior chamber, and a microphone die coupled to the member within the interior chamber. The member is positioned between the base and the microphone die and has a member aperture that is laterally offset from the base aperture. The member aperture, member, and base together form an acoustic path between the base aperture and the microphone die. |
| US09258632B2 |
Speaker box
A speaker box includes an upper case defining at least a first hole, a lower case connected with the upper case for forming an inner cavity and defining at least a second hole, at least an electroacoustic transducer received in the inner cavity, and at least a screw passing through the first hole and the second hole for fixing the speaker box to an external electronic device. |
| US09258631B1 |
Micro-speaker
A micro-speaker is disclosed. The micro-speaker includes a frame, a magnetic circuit unit in the frame, a diaphragm, and a voice coil connected to the diaphragm. The frame includes a plurality of blocks for positioning the magnetic circuit unit. The voice coil includes a pair of lead wires. The block has an upper surface, a side surface and a bottom surface treated by laser direct structuring process for electrically connecting to the lead wires of the voice coil. |
| US09258626B2 |
Annotating an object in a video with virtual information on a mobile terminal
Embodiments of the present invention provide a visual interlock system for providing product information by displaying video content annotated with virtual information (stored as metadata) such as advertisement information or a social network service (SNS) message from a friend. Specifically, among other things, embodiments of the present invention provide a system that allows a video playing on a television to be simultaneously played on a mobile device. The system searches for virtual information related to a visual object in the video. The virtual information is stored as metadata. The virtual object in the video is annotated with the virtual information. The annotated video is displayed on the user terminal. |
| US09258617B2 |
System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program
A system and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. |
| US09258616B2 |
Apparatus, systems and methods for facilitating shopping for items shown in media content events
Techniques for facilitating shopping for items shown in media content events are described. Some embodiments provide a shopping facilitator as part of a media device, such as a set-top box. As the media device presents a media content event showing multiple items, the shopping facilitator is configured to receive an indication that a viewer is interested in purchasing one of the multiple items. The shopping facilitator then identifies the item of interest, and at a later time provides a shopping facility that can be can be used by the viewer or some other user to purchase the item. In some embodiments, the media content event is presented without any indication that items shown in the media content event are for sale. Furthermore, the shopping facilitator may perform its functions without interrupting or otherwise disrupting the viewing of the media content event. |
| US09258613B2 |
Method and apparatus for manipulating video content
An apparatus and method for manipulating video content that includes accessing, from a server, a list of one or more Internet Protocol television (IPTV) devices and selecting an IPTV device from the list. The server provides a content list of content that may be played on the selected IPTV device. The secondary device provides a control function and reachability (availability to communicate) of the selected IPTV device is determined by the server. The execution of the control function provided by the secondary device is independent of whether the selected IPTV device is reachable or not. |
| US09258611B2 |
Multi-source assisted content delivering system
While receiving content from a source via a first connection, a receiver determines the connection is interrupted, selects an alternative source, and continues to receive the content from the alternative source via a second connection. In some implementations, the alternative source may be a server. In implementations, the alternative source may be additional receivers configured in a peer-to-peer arrangement. In various implementations, after the receiver determines that the first connection is interrupted, the receiver may utilize the second connection until finished receiving the content, continue receiving the content utilizing the first connection once no longer interrupted, or determine that the second connection is interrupted and select an additional alternative source to continue receiving the content from via a third connection. In one or more implementations, various components of the broadcast system may assist the receiver in continuing to receive the content from the alternative source via the second connection. |
| US09258610B2 |
Correlation of media metadata gathered from diverse sources
A DVR, server, or other agent correlates media metadata from diverse sources, like an EPG data provider and multiple video-on-demand (VOD) service providers. Metadata sets from different sources are compared in order to attempt to identify identical programs to which the metadata sets pertain. From at least one metadata set, information about the program that the other metadata set lacks is selected. A “canonical” data structure instance for the program is created. The information that is lacking from at least one of the metadata sources is inserted into that instance. For each source from which a program is available, the DVR stores the identity of that source on the DVR's persistent storage device in association with the canonical data structure instance for that program. The DVR receives search criteria from a user and then searches the stored canonical data structure instance for programs that satisfy the criteria. |
| US09258608B2 |
System and method for managing entitlements to data over a network
A system and method for determining entitlement to content residing on a server. A subscriber account with a multi-channel video program distributor (MVPD) includes subscription information indicative of the services provided by the MVPD to the subscriber. A computing device operated by the subscriber sends a request for access to content controlled by the MVPD. The request is received by the MVPD and forwarded to an entitlements server. The entitlement server sends an access granted message to the MVPD when the subscriber is entitled to receive the requested content. The IP address of the subscriber computing device is used to determine whether the computing device is connected to the network via a network access device authorized by the MVPD. The “on-net” or “off-net” status of the computing device may be used to determine whether the subscriber receives the requested content and/or a quality of service level applied to the content. |
| US09258607B2 |
Methods and apparatus to determine locations of audience members
A disclosed example method involves determining, using a neural network at a stationary unit, a first distance of a first portable audio detector from the stationary unit, the first portable audio detector associated with a first panelist, the stationary unit located in proximity to the media presentation device. The example method also involves determining, using the neural network, a second distance of a second portable audio detector from the stationary unit, the second portable audio detector associated with a second panelist. In response to the first distance being less than a threshold distance, the media is credited as exposed to the first panelist. In response to the second distance being more than the threshold distance, the media is not credited as exposed to the second panelist. |
| US09258604B1 |
Commercial detection based on audio fingerprinting
A commercial detection system generates a probe audio fingerprint of an audio signal associated with a media stream on a broadcast channel and determines whether the media stream has commercial content based on analysis of the probe audio fingerprint. The commercial detection system determines whether a same match between the probe audio fingerprint and a reference audio fingerprint is observed across multiple broadcast channels. Responsive to the number of same matches exceeding a predetermined threshold, the commercial detection system determines that the media stream has commercial content. The commercial detection system may also apply a trained feature analysis model to extracted acoustic features of the audio signal. The commercial detection system determines whether the media stream has commercial content based on a confidence score assigned to the probe audio fingerprint. The commercial detection system reduces false positive detection using program guide information of the media stream. |
| US09258602B2 |
System and method for transmitting a video signal from a transmitter to a receiver and reading and writing EDID
The present invention relates to system and method of reading and rewriting EDID in a video transmission system includes a transmitter transmitting a video signal and a receiver receiving the video signal that the transmitter transmitted which are connected to each other through digital interface, the method includes a reading step where the transmitter reads the EDID of the receiver through the digital interface; a first transmitting step where the transmitter transmit the video signal to the receiver on the basis of the EDID which the transmitter read; a second transmitting step where the receiver transmits a first message related to the EDID of the receiver; and a third transmitting step where the receiver transmits a second message related to the EDID of the receiver; wherein the transmitter, which received the first message from the receiver, does not read the EDID of the receiver until the second message is received. |
| US09258599B2 |
Systems and methods for interrupted program recording
Program recording systems and methods are operable to adjust recording times of a program of interest in response to an occurrence of an interrupting program that alters the scheduled recording times of the program of interest. An exemplary embodiment receives an unscheduled program flag (UPF) corresponding to an occurrence of an unscheduled program; adjusts at least one of a scheduled recording start time associated with the program of interest to an updated record start time and a scheduled recording end time associated with the program of interest to an updated record end time in response to receiving the UPF; and records the program of interest based upon at least one of the updated record start time and the updated record end time. |
| US09258598B2 |
Video display system, information processing apparatus and video display apparatus
An information processing apparatus generating and outputting video signals, a video display apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus and displaying a video based on the video signals received from the information processing apparatus, and a video display system including the information processing apparatus and the video display apparatus, in which a display stop instruction signal is output from the information processing apparatus toward the video display apparatus via a signal line for transmitting, to the information processing apparatus, a connection signal indicating that the video display apparatus is connected to the information processing apparatus to stop and resume the display of the video without delay while preventing a malfunction, during which a pseudo connection signal is generated so that the video display apparatus is not deemed to be removed from the information processing apparatus. |
| US09258595B2 |
Device for processing and method for transmission of encoded data for a first domain in a network pertaining to a second domain
The processing device is intended to be connected to a network of the second domain so as to receive data encrypted according to an encryption method specific to the first domain. It comprises: a memory for containing a first secret specific to the first domain; means of decryption of the data encrypted with the aid of the first secret so as to obtain decrypted data; means of encryption of the data decrypted according to an encryption method specific to the second domain, so that the data encrypted by said means of encryption cannot be decrypted other than with the aid of a second secret specific to the second domain. The invention also relates to the method for transmitting data encrypted with the aid of the secret specific to the first domain in the network of the second domain. |
| US09258594B1 |
Wireless entertainment center
An entertainment delivery system including a delivery station configured for receiving an order for entertainment content from a telephone, the telephone being configured to receive entertainment content over a wireless network, the telephone also having a display device adapted to display said entertainment content, a database coupled to the delivery station, wherein the delivery station is configured for retrieving the entertainment content from the database when the order is received, the entertainment content including video content for display, and a billing database coupled to the delivery station, wherein the delivery station is configured for sending a billing record corresponding to a user account associated with the telephone to the billing database when the order is received. |
| US09258591B2 |
Video transmitting system for monitoring simultaneous geographically distributed events
A video transmitting system including a plurality of video cameras, a plurality of video monitoring apparatuses, a plurality of local storage devices, a data transmission subsystem, at least one video data collecting and transmitting apparatus, at least one collecting storage device, and at least one interface apparatus is presented. Video data from the video cameras are stored in the local storage devices and transmitted through the data transmission subsystem to be stored in the collecting storage device and to be transmitted to users. |
| US09258588B2 |
Current device location advertisement distribution
In embodiments of current device location advertisement distribution, a mobile network operator receives media content from a content service and can then communicate the media content to a client device via a wireless distribution point. A device location service determines that a current location of the client device is not within a geographic region associated with the client device, and updates the current location of the client device from location data that identifies the current location of the client device. The media content can then be updated for distribution to the client device along with advertisements that correspond to an advertising locale, which includes the current location of the client device. |
| US09258586B2 |
Periodically increasing pay-per-use credit associated with room as long as user remains utilizing room
A hospitality establishment includes guest rooms having media devices installed therein. Each guest room has one or more in-room media devices for providing a pay-per-use media function. A media system controller dynamically associates a credit corresponding to a monetary value with a particular guest room in response to an occurrence of a first event, configures an in-room media device of the particular guest room to indicate the credit associated with the particular guest room and allow a guest of the particular guest room to utilize at least an amount of the credit toward an order of the pay-per-use media function, activates the pay-per-use media function on at least one of the in-room media devices of the particular guest room in response to a received order, and decreases the credit associated with the particular guest room according to the amount of the credit utilized toward the received order. |
| US09258585B1 |
Subscription and channel management technology
Subscription and channel management technology, in which a system allows a user to subscribe to a subset of the available channels on a content delivery network and personalize at least one channel. The system identifies a user identity of the user and stores, in a user database, channel subscription information for the user identity based on the subset of channels to which the user subscribed and the user personalization. The system identifies a downloader device associated with the user identity and controls the downloader device based on the channel subscription information stored in the user database. |
| US09258582B2 |
Secure combined interoperable multiplexing
Systems and methods for combining a plurality of transport streams into a single transport stream for transmission to, e.g., a single frequency network via a satellite. Embodiments provide receiving a plurality of original, e.g., MPEG-compliant, data streams, where each original data stream has its own timing information, combining the plurality of original data streams into a single combined data stream which is also, e.g., MPEG compliant, modulating the single combined data stream for uplink to a satellite, receiving a downlink transmission from the satellite, where the downlink transmission includes the single combined data stream, de-combining the single combined data stream into the plurality of original data streams, and passing respective original data steams to, e.g., one or more DVB-T modulators for broadcast into a single frequency network. |
| US09258580B1 |
Dissemination of video files to mobile computing devices over a communications network
A server for disseminating a video file to mobile subscriber over a mobile communications network is disclosed. The server comprises a processor programmed for storing a record for each mobile subscriber, defining a criteria for selecting mobile subscribers for videos, wherein said criteria is based on data from a record for a mobile subscriber, selecting a group of mobile subscribers by identifying the records that match said criteria, generating, for each mobile subscriber of the group, a video message in a format that corresponds to the operating system indicator and the video format indicator for said mobile subscriber, and transmitting a video message to the mobile phone number in the record, wherein the video message is transmitted according to the method of access indicator for said mobile subscriber. |
| US09258577B2 |
Meta channel media system control and advertisement technology
Media system control technology, in which an advertisement on a selected content channel being experienced by a user using a media system is detected, advertisement preferences of the user are accessed from electronic storage, and secondary content is selected based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user. The secondary content is substituted for the advertisement on the selected content channel, and the media system is controlled to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement. |
| US09258576B2 |
Multimedia program information
A disclosed system and method relate to presenting a program guide that includes information associated with an instance of programming, including audio information and visual information. A request for the information associated with the instance of programming is received, and a determination is made whether delivery of the first audio information could be completed within a threshold time after receiving the request. The audio information is provided to a user in connection with the visual information when the delivery of the first audio information could be completed within the threshold time. Alternatively, when the delivery of the first audio information could not be completed within the first threshold time, other audio information associated with the instance of the programming is obtained and provided to the user in connection with the visual information. |
| US09258575B2 |
Cloud based location shifting service
A method and system for enabling users to access video capture services from a home market while temporarily located in outside of it, i.e., roaming. The user temporarily located outside of their home market uses a regional system as a proxy in a home market in which the user is able to receive regional content. The regional system then transfers the regional content to the roaming user. |
| US09258573B2 |
Pixel adaptive intra smoothing
The present invention relates to spatial prediction of pixels of a block, the block being a block of a digital image. In particular, for a block pixel at least one reference pixel(s) is selected and out of the selected reference pixel(s), the block pixel is predicted. In particular, the prediction of the block pixel is performed depending on the distance of this pixel to the reference pixel(s) from which it is to be predicted. |
| US09258572B2 |
Video processing system and transcoder for use with layered video coding and methods for use therewith
A video processing system includes a video transcoder that receives a independent video layer stream and a first dependent video layer stream that requires the independent video layer for decoding, the video transcoder generating a transcoded video signal based at least one of the independent video stream and the dependent video layer stream. |
| US09258570B2 |
Video coding / decoding with re-oriented transforms and sub-block transform sizes
Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with sub-block transform coding/decoding and re-oriented transforms are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding. The video encoder may determine the transform sizes as well as switching levels (e.g., frame, macroblock, or block) in a closed loop evaluation of the different transform sizes and switching levels. When a video encoder or decoder uses spatial extrapolation from pixel values in a causal neighborhood to predict pixel values of a block of pixels, the encoder/decoder can use a re-oriented transform to address non-stationarity of prediction residual values. |
| US09258568B2 |
Quantization method and apparatus in encoding/decoding
A method and apparatus is provided for implementing quantization in encoding/decoding. Firstly, the quantization on the picture transformed coefficient matrix is performed using a quantization parameter model, that is, the coefficient matrix is modeled as a parameter model represented by only several parameters, in which the parameter model includes two sorts of parameters, frequency band distribution parameters and frequency band weighting parameters. Thus, a quantization matrix conforming to the human vision system can be obtained by controlling the model parameters and the subjective quality of the encoded picture can be easily controlled. Secondly, the method does not need to store or transfer the quantization matrix in the bitstream which help to improve the encoding efficiency. Finally, the quantization on picture transformed coefficients using the method is well adapted to the content information of the picture to be encoded. Therefore, the present invention can improve the subjective quality of the encoded picture. |
| US09258557B2 |
Rate optimization for scalable video transmission
The disclosure concerns encoding of information, such as content information for streaming, in a scalable manner. That is, a base layer of encoded content can be supplemented by one or more enhancement layers as channel capacity allows. Definition of bounds for the base layer and the one or more enhancement layers is governed by long-term channel information, while selection of layers for transmission at a particular time is governed by short-term, or instantaneous, channel state considerations. |
| US09258552B2 |
Playback device, compound-eye image pickup device, playback method and non-transitory computer readable medium
There is provided: a CPU that, in at least one case among a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the acquired parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, and a case in which the parallax amount reaches a predetermined allowed limit value, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, judges that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, and that, in a case that is none of these, judges that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, and that, when it is judged that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, carries out first parallax adjustment, and that, when it is judged that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, switches to control of a second parallax adjustment and carries out parallax adjustment. |
| US09258549B2 |
Single-chip sensor multi-function imaging
Mixed mode imaging is implemented using a single-chip image capture sensor with a color filter array. The single-chip image capture sensor captures a frame including a first set of pixel data and a second set of pixel data. The first set of pixel data includes a first combined scene, and the second set of pixel data includes a second combined scene. The first combined scene is a first weighted combination of a fluorescence scene component and a visible scene component due to the leakage of a color filter array. The second combined scene includes a second weighted combination of the fluorescence scene component and the visible scene component. Two display scene components are extracted from the captured pixel data in the frame and presented on a display unit. |
| US09258547B2 |
Intelligent device with both recording and playing back 3D movies and the relevant apparatus and methods
Present invention relates to apparatus and methods for integrating both 3D video recording and 3D movies playing back together on intelligent devices or smart devices, wherein the method of the 3D movies recording can increase the view depth beyond human eye capability and the method and apparatus of 3D movies playing back provide large tolerance to eye motion and viewer is able to avoid the suffers from side effects of vertigo, headache, and eye fatigue; wherein intelligent devices is any one of cell-phone, PDA, iPhone / smartPhone, iPad, Google Glass, pocket/tablet PC, GPS, or eBook, laptop or notebook, computer, TV or iTV, etc. |
| US09258546B2 |
Three-dimensional imaging system and image reproducing method thereof
A three dimensional (3D)imaging system capable of effectively displaying a 3D image suitable for a user by use of different cameras, and an image reproducing method thereof, the 3D imaging system configured to have different cameras freely selected without restriction while enabling the placement of the cameras thereof to be changeable according to the disposition of eyes of the user, so that a 3D image is generated and displayed from a stereo image adapted to the user, and by using the by-user generated 3D image, various contents services including a real time broadcasting, a Contents on Demand (COD), games, and a video communication are provided to a user, so that the fatigue or dizziness of a user is reduced, and the optimum perception of 3D sense is provided. |
| US09258541B2 |
Apparatus and method for receiving digital broadcasting signal
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for receiving a digital broadcasting signal including a three-dimensional image and displaying a two-dimensional image. The apparatus for receiving the digital broadcasting signal according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a tuner for receiving the digital broadcasting signal including a video stream for forming the three-dimensional image and signaling data; a signaling data processor for decoding the digital broadcasting signal including a 2D display window table, which includes information for a partial area of a video image according to the video stream; and a display unit for displaying the video image of the video stream as the two-dimensional image using the information for the partial area. |
| US09258533B2 |
Method for configuring a monitoring system and configurable monitoring system
The invention relates to a method for configuring a monitoring system which is based on a recording of altitude maps, comprising the following steps:—an altitude map of a monitored area is recorded with the monitoring system in a state in which no objects or persons to be detected are located in the monitored area,—determination of destruction points, caused by obstacles, in the altitude map which is recorded in this way,—definition of a detection area as a component area of the altitude map in such a way that all the disruption points, or at least some of said disruption points, lie outside the detection area,—setting of an evaluation unit of the monitoring system such that it only evaluates movements within the detection area. The invention also relates to a correspondingly configurable monitoring system. |
| US09258522B2 |
Privacy setting for medical communications systems
A communication arrangement including a room having at least one communication device therein, the at least one communication device receiving in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio within the room. The communication arrangement also includes a communication system for transmitting the in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio from within the room to a location remote from the room. The communication system has a privacy setting that, when activated, prevents viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the location remote from the room and communicates to the location remote from the room that the privacy setting is activated. |
| US09258520B2 |
Video communication terminal and method of displaying images
A mobile terminal includes a communication unit, a display, a camera for obtaining images, and a processor for causing an image to be displayed on the display and for causing images to be communicated via the communication unit. The processor may be further configured to obtain a first image from the camera, obtain a substantial mirror image of the first image to form a second image, display the second image on the display, and communicate the first image to a receiving device via a wireless communication link. |
| US09258512B2 |
Digital video recorder broadcast overlays
A secondary media stream is displayed within a primary media stream. In response to receiving a first user selection of two media streams for simultaneous viewing on a display device, a second user selection of a primary media stream and a secondary media stream from the two media streams selected for simultaneous viewing is received. A set of inset definitions is extracted from metadata in the secondary media stream. A third user selection of an inset definition from the set of inset definitions is received. A user input is received to display the primary media stream to accommodate a size of the inset definition selected. The primary media stream is displayed to create an inset area for displaying the secondary media stream within the primary media stream based on the user input. The secondary media stream is displayed within the inset area of the displayed primary media stream for user viewing. |
| US09258510B2 |
Method of optical tracking a frame of an object and related optical tracking system
An optical tracking method disclosed in the present invention includes obtaining a continuous image set containing a reference light source during a period, and identifying an image characteristic variation of the continuous image set. The reference light source is set at a constant illuminated mode, and generates a known illumination variation during the period. The optical tracking method further includes comparing the image characteristic variation with the known illumination variation to determine whether a predetermined function is actuated. The predetermined function calculates position information of the reference light source on an image of the continuous image set. |
| US09258508B2 |
IR pairing for RF4CE remote controls
Systems, apparatus, and methods for pairing information appliance devices, such as set-top boxes and/or set-back boxes (the “set-top/back boxes”), to wireless remote control devices. The systems, apparatus, and methods allow the pairing between a set-top/back box and a remote control device to be made to be stateless, thereby facilitating the arbitration of subsequent pairings of the remote control device with one or more set-top/back boxes on a communications network, by a server computer communicably coupled to the respective set-top/back boxes over the communications network. |
| US09258506B2 |
Counter circuit, analog-to-digital converter, and image sensor including the same and method of correlated double sampling
A counter circuit includes a first counter and a second counter. The first counter is configured to count a first counter clock signal which toggles with a first frequency to generate upper (N−M)-bit signals of N-bit counter output signals, in response to a first counting enable signal based on a first comparison signal during a coarse counting interval. N and M are natural numbers, N is greater than M, and M is greater than or equal to 3. The second counter is configured to count a second counter clock signal which toggles with a second frequency which is higher than the first frequency to generate lower M-bit signals of the N-bit counter output signals, in response to a second counting enable signal based on the first comparison signal and a second comparison signal during a fine counting interval which follows the coarse counting interval. |
| US09258504B2 |
Semiconductor device, method of controlling the same, and camera based on reference comparison
A semiconductor device comprises a plurality of units, each including a sensor unit which accumulates charges upon photoelectric conversion and a storage unit which stores information, and a control unit which controls each of the plurality of units, wherein the control unit sequentially performs, for each of the plurality of units, first operation of comparing a reference voltage with an output signal from the sensor unit based on the amount of accumulated charges and second operation of storing information based on the comparison result in the storage unit corresponding to the sensor unit if an output signal from the sensor unit reaches the reference voltage in the first operation, and the control unit is configured to be able to start the first operation for a next unit upon skipping the second operation and skips the second operation in a predetermined period. |
| US09258503B2 |
A/D converter, image sensor, and digital camera
An A/D converter includes: an A/D converter circuit that causes a dissipation current (Idis) having dependence on an input voltage (Vin); and a counteracting current generation circuit controlled based on an output digital value (Dout) provided from the A/D converter circuit to generate a counteracting current (Icnt) that is a dissipation current for reducing the dependence of the dissipation current (Idis) on the input voltage. |
| US09258500B2 |
Backside illumination image sensor, manufacturing method thereof and image-capturing device
An image sensor includes a first pixel that is capable of outputting a focus detection signal and a second pixel that includes a semiconductor layer and a wiring layer. The semiconductor layer includes a first surface on which light enters, a second surface opposite from the first surface, and a photoelectric conversion unit that converts light to an electric charge and is disposed between the first surface and the second surface. The wiring layer is formed on a side of the second surface of the semiconductor layer and includes a signal output line through which the focus detection signal read out from the first pixel and an image-capturing signal generated according to the electric charge converted at the photoelectric conversion unit are output. |
| US09258496B2 |
Digital photographing apparatus and method of controlling the same
A digital photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the same. A continuous shooting speed of the digital photographing apparatus may be improved by simultaneously performing a shutter operation and a read out operation of image data. A disclosed method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus includes displaying an image signal input through an image pickup device as a live view image, performing a first operation by driving a shutter, reading data from the image pickup device, and performing a second operation by driving the shutter during a time period overlapping the reading of the data. |
| US09258491B2 |
Imaging method and imaging device
Disclosed herein is an imaging method including: by an imaging device, detecting a user that can be present in a predetermined area; calculating three-dimensional coordinates of an eye and a hand of the detected the user; determining an imaging range on a basis of the calculated the three-dimensional coordinates of the eye and the hand of the user; and imaging the determined the imaging range. |
| US09258486B2 |
Optical anti-shake apparatus with switchable light path
An optical anti-shake apparatus with a switchable light path is furnished in an optical system having two light paths of different directions. The optical system also comprises a lens module, an image capturing module, an anti-shake device and a switching device. The lens module corresponds to the image capturing module in position. The switching device comprises a fixing member, a rotary member and a driving module. The rotary member is pivotal about the fixing member. The driving module is located between the rotary member and the fixing member. The anti-shake device is located on the rotary member such that the driving module can drive and rotate the rotary member together with the anti-shake device in order to perform switching operations, and thereby the light of either of the two light paths can be directed toward the lens module so as to focus at the image capturing module. |
| US09258484B2 |
Image pickup apparatus and control method for same
An image pickup apparatus performs image shake correction by driving a correction member which is movable for image shake correction. An image sensing device receives light focused by an imaging optical system and then photoelectrically converts the optical image into an image signal so as to output the image signal. An attitude sensor unit detects the attitude of the image pickup apparatus, and a drive control unit performs drive control of the correction member and position detection. A geometric deformation amount calculating unit decomposes distortion of an image into a first distortion component which varies due to the driving of the correction member and a second distortion component which does not vary due to the driving of the correction member so as to calculate correction values for the first and second distortion components. An image processing unit corrects the first and second distortion components by image processing based on the calculated correction values. |
| US09258482B2 |
Facial expression recognition apparatus, image sensing apparatus, facial expression recognition method, and computer-readable storage medium
A facial expression recognition apparatus (10) detects a face image of a person from an input image, calculates a facial expression evaluation value corresponding to each facial expression from the detected face image, updates, based on the face image, the relationship between the calculated facial expression evaluation value and a threshold for determining a facial expression set for the facial expression evaluation value, and determines the facial expression of the face image based on the updated relationship between the facial expression evaluation value and the threshold for determining a facial expression. |
| US09258481B2 |
Object area tracking apparatus, control method, and program of the same
An object area tracking apparatus has: a face detection unit for detecting a face area on the basis of a feature amount of a face from a supplied image; a person's body detection unit for detecting an area of a person's body on the basis of a feature amount of the person's body; and a main object determination unit for obtaining a priority for each of the objects by using detection results by the face detection unit and the person's body detection unit and determining a main object of a high priority, wherein for the object detected only by the person's body detection unit, the priority is changed in accordance with a past detection result of the object in the face detection unit. |
| US09258480B2 |
Techniques to selectively capture visual media using a single interface element
Techniques to selectively capture media using a single user interface element are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a touch controller, a visual media capture component, and a storage component. The touch controller may be operative to receive a haptic engagement signal. The visual media capture component may be operative to be configured in a capture mode based on whether a haptic disengagement signal is received by the touch controller before expiration of a first timer, the capture mode one of a photo capture mode or video capture mode, the first timer started in response to receiving the haptic engagement signal, the first timer configured to expire after a first preset duration. The storage component may be operative to store visual media captured by the visual media capture component in the configured capture mode. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09258478B2 |
Imaging apparatus, imaging method thereof, and computer readable recording medium
An imaging apparatus has a display control unit that causes a display unit to display target information indicating a direction to a target position with an optical axis of the imaging apparatus being a reference, based on an azimuth angle of the imaging apparatus detected by an azimuth detecting unit and an elevation angle detected by a tilt angle detecting unit. |
| US09258476B2 |
Automatic image-capturing system
An automatic image-capturing system is used for capturing an image and transmitting the image to a remote device. The automatic image-capturing system includes a photography module for capturing the image; a storage module for storing the image captured by the photography module; a transmission module for receiving a control instruction sent by the remote device; a master core module for making the photography module to capture the image based on the control instruction, and segmenting the image into a plurality of files and segmenting the files into a plurality of packets to be transmitted to the remote device by the transmission module, and a slave core module for monitoring the operations of the master core module to turn off and restart the master core module when there is an abnormal operation in the master core module. |
| US09258472B2 |
Control apparatus, control system, command transmission method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
A control apparatus that is connected to at least one image capturing apparatus by wireless communication transmits, by multicast or broadcast via the wireless communication, a command for instructing to start a prescribed operation to each image capturing apparatus, in response to detection of an operation for instructing to start the prescribed operation, and transmits, by unicast via the wireless communication, a command for instructing to end the prescribed operation to each image capturing apparatus, in response to detection of the operation for instructing to end the prescribed operation. Then, the control apparatus confirms a response to transmission of the command for instructing to end the prescribed operation, and retransmits, by unicast, the command to end the prescribed operation to each image capturing apparatus whose response is not confirmed. |
| US09258471B2 |
Image pickup apparatus, information distributing apparatus, information transmission method, information distribution method, and computer-readable storage medium storing control program therefor
An image pickup apparatus capable of preventing a user who uses another device from knowing the current location of a photographer based on shooting information about an image when an external apparatus distributes the image to the other device. A calculation unit calculates a distance from the shooting location of the image file to the current location of the image pickup apparatus. A distance determination unit determines whether the calculated distance is larger than a predetermined lower limit. A transmission control unit controls to transmit the image file to the external apparatus when the distance determination unit determines that the distance is larger than the lower limit, and not to transmit the image file to the external apparatus when the distance determination unit determines that the distance is not larger than the lower limit. |
| US09258470B1 |
Multi-aperture imaging systems
An example composite imaging system includes a first imaging system further comprising a first image sensor and a first aperture anterior to the first image sensor. The first aperture (i) is defined by an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter and (ii) defines, at least in part, a field of view of the first imaging system. The first imaging system further includes a plurality of reflectors posterior to the first aperture that are configured to redirect light that crosses the first aperture to the first image sensor. The first image sensor, the first aperture, and the plurality of reflectors are arranged around a common optical axis. The composite imaging system further includes a second imaging system arranged substantially anterior to the first imaging system. The second imaging system is arranged such that the second imaging system is outside a field of view of the first imaging system. |
| US09258469B2 |
Optical device and stabilizing method for optical elements thereof
An optical device includes a base; an image sensor disposed on the base; an outer frame connected to the base and having a flat surface; an inner frame having a protrusion and movable between a first position and a second position with respect to the base; and a lens group disposed on the inner frame and having an optical axis, wherein the protrusion abuts the flat surface and the optical axis extends through the image sensor when the inner frame moves to the first position, and the inner frame is accommodated in a space when the inner frame moves to the second position. |
| US09258467B2 |
Camera module
One or more embodiments are directed to optical module assemblies, such as a camera module assembly, and methods of forming same. One embodiment is directed to an optical module assembly that includes a substrate having a first surface. An optical device is secured to the first surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the substrate. A molded body is located on the first surface of the substrate outward of the optical device. The molded body includes a first recess. A lens assembly is secured to the molded body over the first recess by an adhesive material located in the first recess. In some embodiments, the molded body of the optical module assembly further includes a second recess spaced apart from the first recess. A transparent material is secured to the molded body over the second recess by an adhesive material located in the second recess. |
| US09258464B2 |
Radiation video processing device, radiation video capturing device, radiation video capturing system, radiation video processing method and program storage medium
A radiographic video processing device includes: an acquisition section that acquires gradation signals expressing charges; and a control section that, if capture of a video image formed from plural frames is being performed with a radiation detector, and a number of the pixels, from which charges are combined and read by switching elements included in adjacent pixels of the radiation detector, has been increased, effects control such that, from a frame at a time of the increase up until a predetermined frame, the gradation signals distributed in a higher density range than that for frames subsequent to the predetermined frame are used as image data. |
| US09258463B2 |
Photoelectric conversion element and imaging device
The solid-state imaging device includes lower electrodes acting as pixel electrodes, an organic photoelectric conversion film formed on the lower electrodes and generating electric charge in response to received light, and a transparent upper electrode that are formed on a substrate having signal readout circuits. The organic photoelectric conversion film, a transition area having at least one of its film thickness and film quality undergone transition from a film thickness and film quality of an area corresponding to a pixel electrode area in which the lower electrodes have been formed is an area that starts from an outer edge of the organic photoelectric conversion film and ends at a point away from the outer edge by a distance of 200 μm or less. |
| US09258462B2 |
Camera guided web browsing based on passive object detection
Systems and methods for performing camera-guided browsing, such as web browsing, are described herein. A method for operating a camera-guided web browser as provided herein includes displaying a web page on a display associated with a portable device; passively detecting a first object within a field of view of a camera associated with the portable device; and altering at least part of the web page with first content associated with the first object in response to passively detecting the first object within the field of view of the camera. |
| US09258460B2 |
Image processing method and apparatus for correcting an image
The present disclosure relates to method and apparatus for image recovery and image correction. In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to recovering images that are occluded due to some material in the optical path while capturing the images. The detection of noisy region is performed by taking the residual image between the images yielded by large sized and small sized Gaussian window smoothening filters on red, green and blue channels. The recovery of the image that alleviates the noise is obtained by point-wise multiplication of the above said residue image with a suitably synthesized Gaussian distributed co-efficient of same size. |
| US09258459B2 |
System and method for compiling and playing a multi-channel video
A system and method for compiling video segments including defining an event; providing a multi-user video aggregation interface; receiving a plurality of video segments through the aggregation interface; determining event-synchronized alignment of the plurality of videos; and assembling a multi-channel video of event, the multi-channel video file configured with at least two video segments that have at least partially overlapping event-synchronized alignment. |
| US09258453B2 |
Image capturing apparatus for enabling generation of data of panoramic image with wide dynamic range
An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing section, an image capturing control section, an image clipping section, an HDR composing section and a panoramic image composing section. The image capturing control section causes the image capturing section to repeatedly capture an image of different luminance to provide plural images of different luminance. The image clipping section clips respective data of substantially overlapping image regions of the plural images of different luminance. The HDR composing section composes the image regions each clipped by the image clipping section to generate data of plural composite images having a wider dynamic range than the image captured by the image capturing section. The panoramic image composing section joins data of the plural composite images generated by the HDR composing section to generate an image whose range is wider than that of the image captured by the image capturing section. |
| US09258448B2 |
Overhead scanner, image obtaining method, and computer-readable recording medium
An overhead scanner successively obtains a plurality of images by controlling an area sensor, calculates a movement pattern by image difference extraction by using the obtained images, detects a page turning movement on the basis of the movement pattern, and determines that a read operation be started when the page turning movement is detected. |
| US09258447B2 |
Imaging forming apparatus, control method of image forming apparatus, and recording medium
An image forming apparatus capable of receiving a raster image from an image processing controller includes: a transmitting unit transmitting device information of the image forming apparatus to an external device via the image processing controller; a determining unit determining whether the image processing controller is in a first power condition or in a second power condition consuming lower power than the first power condition; and a control unit allowing the transmitting unit to transmit the device information to the external device in a case where the determining unit determines that the image processing controller is in the first power condition, and in a case where the determining unit determines that the image processing controller is in the second power condition, restrict the transmitting unit to transmit the device information to the external device until the image processing controller returns to the first power condition from the second power condition. |
| US09258445B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming system and display control method for displaying content based on a required amount of time for printing
An image forming apparatus, which executes printing according to a print request based on an instruction by a user of a client terminal, includes a print time calculation unit that calculates a required time for printing according to the print request; and a display unit that displays a plurality of contents on a display device during an execution of printing in accordance with a content list including the plurality of contents for the user, the content list being generated based on the calculated required time for printing. |
| US09258444B2 |
Displaying device having touch panel type displaying unit
An image forming apparatus, as a displaying device, displays the 2nd printing page out of a plurality of printing pages on an operation panel when the 1st to 10th images were allocated to each of the printing pages. The image forming apparatus maintains an allocation state of the 1st printing page anterior to the 2nd printing page and changes an allocation state of at least one of images corresponds to the contact points with the operation panel, when the image forming apparatus receives a gesture operation moves the contact points. The starting points of the contact points are in the 2nd printing page displayed on the operation panel. |
| US09258438B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing terminal, and information processing system
An information processing apparatus includes: a first receiving unit that receives pieces of user information on a plurality of users from a plurality of information processing terminals used by the users; an authentication processing unit that performs authentication processing of the users based on the pieces of user information; a first generating unit that generates screen information on a screen used to operate the information processing apparatus for each of the authenticated users; and a first transmitting unit that transmits the screen information to the information processing terminals used by the users corresponding thereto. |
| US09258435B2 |
Method and apparatus for a sharing capture mode
One or more embodiments may provide an apparatus, a computer readable medium, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a method for operating in a non-sharing capture mode, receiving an indication associated with joining a capture share group, the capture share group comprising at least one other apparatus, transitioning from the non-sharing capture mode to a sharing capture mode associated with the capture share group, based, at least in part, on the indication, causing capturing of a captured image, and sending a representational image indicative of the captured image to the at least one other apparatus. |
| US09258433B1 |
Usage monitoring control for mobile networks
In general, techniques are described for facilitating usage monitoring control in mobile networks. A mobile gateway comprising one or more processors and a memory may be configured to perform the techniques. The one or more processors may be configured to establish a session by which a mobile device is to access a service of a mobile access network, and in response to receiving an incomplete indication to activate usage monitoring with respect to the service provided via the session, configuring the usage monitoring without activating the usage monitoring. The memory may be configured to store the usage monitoring configuration. |
| US09258429B2 |
Encoder adaption in teleconferencing system
The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for encoding of signals in teleconferencing. The method involves receiving (502) signals from a plurality of nodes participating in a teleconference and analyzing (504) said signals. The method further involves appointing (506) one of the received signals as being a dominant signal and adapting (508) an encoder based on information related to the dominant signal. At least two of the received signals are mixed and then encoded (512), using the adapted encoder. The encoded mixed signal is then provided (514) to at least one of the nodes participating in the teleconference. |
| US09258406B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling mobile device by conversation recognition, and apparatus for providing information by conversation recognition during meeting
An apparatus for controlling a mobile device according to the present invention includes: a conversation recognition unit configured to recognize a conversation between users through mobile devices; a user intent verification unit configured to verify an intent of at least one user among the users based on the recognition result; and an additional function control unit configured to execute an additional function corresponding to the verified user's intent in a mobile device of the user. According to the present invention, great contribution may be made to improve communication between users by recognizing the conversation between the users, thereby directly providing information associated with the conversation or providing a service. |
| US09258404B2 |
Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same. A result, which will be displayed at a destination when a message created on a message creation screen is sent to the destination, is provided in advance. Messages having various formats can be generated on one message creation screen. Various functions relating to the message creation are provided. |
| US09258403B2 |
Mobile terminal, report control method, and report system
The mobile terminal adequately reports when the mobile terminal receives an impact due to an accident of a vehicle. When it is determined in step S1 that the mobile terminal is set on a charge pad and it is determined in step S2 that the mobile terminal is set to a normal mode, the mobile terminal is set to an automatic report mode in step S3. Meanwhile, when it is determined in step S1 that the mobile terminal is not set on the charge pad and it is determined in step S6 that the mobile terminal is set to the automatic report mode, and when a timeout time is set in step S7 and it is determined in step S10 that the timeout time passes, the mobile terminal is set to the normal mode in step S11. |
| US09258400B2 |
Mobile communication terminal for receiving voice calls while navigation service is running, and method therefor
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal for receiving a voice call while navigation service is running, and to a method therefor. According to the present invention, the mobile communication terminal for receiving a voice call while navigation service is running includes: a navigation unit supporting a navigation service; a controller providing, when an incoming call is received while the navigation service is being provided, call connection state information on the incoming call; and a display unit displaying a route guidance image corresponding to the navigation service and displaying a call reception window which provides the call connection state information to a preset area in the route guidance image. |
| US09258398B2 |
Terminal holding stand including speech function
Provided is a terminal holding stand (10), which is capable of holding a portable terminal (40, 50) and includes a first speech control section (31). The terminal holding stand (10) comprises: a terminal communication section (34); a first transmission/reception section (60); a voice path control section (32) configured to establish a voice path one of between the first speech control section (31) and the first transmission/reception section (60) or between the terminal communication section (34) and the first transmission/reception section (60); and a switching request input section (26). When a switching request to switch a voice path, which is made by a user through depression of a speech switch button (26), is received under a state in which a speech to the portable terminal (40, 50) is established and the voice path to the portable terminal (40, 50) is formed, the voice path control section (32) disconnects the voice path between the portable terminal (40, 50) and the first transmission/reception section (60) while the speech established by the portable terminal (40, 50) is maintained. In this manner, the voice path in the portable terminal (40, 50) is established. |
| US09258397B2 |
Protective case with speaker sound amplification path
A protective case having a speaker sound amplification path and an electronic device including at least one speaker device are disclosed. The protective case includes a base surface placed adjacent to at least one side of the electronic device to protect the electronic device, at least one speaker sound amplification path formed in the base surface and having a specific depth including a first location corresponding to a speaker hole of the electronic device to output a speaker sound of the speaker device, and a speaker sound output hole at a second location extended from the speaker sound amplification path and formed to an outer side of the protective case in an open manner, wherein the speaker sound output from the speaker hole is amplified within the speaker sound amplification path and is then output through the speaker sound output hole. |
| US09258394B2 |
Apparatus and method for integrating computing devices
Methods, systems, and apparatus are provided for physically and/or logically combining two or more smart devices to enhance user experience and help efficiently design, create, implement, or execute desired applications. According to one embodiment, system of the present disclosure provides a smart device apparatus having one or more processors, a communication interface device, and one or more internal data storage devices that are operatively coupled to the one or more processors. The smart device or a sleeve thereof further includes a housing, also interchangeably referred to as a slot or a docking basin, where the housing is configured to physically receive a second smart device and couple the smart device with the second smart device. |
| US09258389B2 |
Encoder and method
An encoder includes data processing hardware which is operable: to divide input data into a plurality of blocks or packets; to apply a plurality of transformations to content of the blocks or packets to generate corresponding transformed data; to check a quality of representation of the transformed data prior to application of the transformations to determine whether or not the quality of representation of the transformed data satisfies one or more quality criteria; if the quality of representation of the transformed data does not satisfy the one or more quality criteria, to sub-divide and/or to combine the one or more blocks or packets further and repeating the transformation step; and if the quality of representation of the transformed data satisfies the one or more quality criteria, to output the transformed data to provide encoded output data representative of the input data to be encoded. |
| US09258380B2 |
Cross-platform multimedia interaction system with multiple displays and dynamically-configured hierarchical servers and related method, electronic device and computer program product
A cross-platform multimedia interaction system with dynamically-configured hierarchical servers is disclosed, including: a central relay server (CRS); multiple electronic devices; and multiple displays respectively arranged in the multiple electronic devices. The CRS dynamically assigns one of the multiple electronic devices as a local relay server (LRS) and instructs the LRS to active a websocket server, and the CRS notifies the other electronic devices of a network address of the LRS. When the LRS actives the websocket server, other electronic devices establish one or more network sockets with the LRS. The multiple electronic devices communicate control parameters via the websocket server, generate corresponding images according to received control parameters, and respectively display the resulting images on the multiple displays. |
| US09258378B2 |
Method and device for pushing information
A method and device for sending information are disclosed in the present disclosure. The method comprises the steps of: receiving the current updated message of an information source; deriving the message which satisfies a preset condition from the current updated message; when the message satisfying the preset condition is non-subject message, deriving the user information and subject message correlated to the non-subject message from a server; and sending the information context, identification or link address corresponding to the non-subject message, the correlated user information and subject message to a third party. By sending the non-subject message satisfying a preset condition, and the user information and the subject message correlated to the non-subject message satisfying the preset condition derived from a server to a third party, the third party can know in time the correlated users, the correlated information issued by the users, and so on. |
| US09258375B2 |
System for analyzing user activity in a collaborative environment
A system is described for analyzing user activity in a collaborative environment. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a plurality of data items. Each data item may be related to at least one other data item. The processor may receive a request to alert the user when an action is performed on a selected data item. The processor may also receive a relation threshold identifying at least one other data item related to the selected data item. The processor may detect the action being performed on the data item identified by the relation threshold. The processor may transform data describing the action into an alert. The alert may include the data describing the action, the data item, and a description of the relationship between the data items. The processor may provide the alert to the user via the device. |
| US09258368B2 |
Methods, apparatuses, and related computer program product for network element recovery
It is disclosed a method (and related apparatus) comprising establishing a control session by transmitting and receiving control session-related messages, transmitting restart information indicating a restart of a network element, receiving at least one protocol-related message of a first control session including session-related detail information, transmitting a restoration request message based on the session-related detail information, receiving at least one session parameter necessary for restoring the at least one first session, and restoring the at least one first session based on the received session-related detail information and the at least one session parameter. It is further disclosed a method (and related apparatus) comprising receiving restart information indicating a restart of a network element, processing at least one protocol-related message of a first control session to include session-related detail information, and transmitting at least one session parameter necessary for restoring the at least one first session, and the at least one protocol related message. |
| US09258364B2 |
Virtualization engine and method, system, and computer program product for managing the storage of data
A storage management method for use in a storage area network is provided. The storage area network comprises a plurality of host data processors coupled to a virtualization engine, which is coupled to a plurality of physical storage media. Each physical storage media is assigned a tier level. The method comprises storing a threshold storage access value associated with each tier level, presenting virtual disk(s) to a host data processor and receiving I/O requests to the virtual disk from the host data processor. Additionally, metadata is stored which identifies the tier level of the physical storage to which the block corresponds, mappings between the block and blocks of a virtual disk, and an access rate to the data. The access value is periodically compared to at least one threshold rate associated with its tier level. Depending on the result, storage block(s) may be marked for migration to another tier level. |
| US09258359B2 |
Wide area aggregated communications
Methods, systems, and techniques for federating operations, in an optimized way using wide area networks are provided. Example systems provide an API for generating and handling federated requests as an aggregation. In one example Wide Area Network Aggregation System, WANAS provides an API, a connection manager, and connection iterators to manage inter-site connections and requests, and inter-pod requests and messaging. These components cooperate to distribute a task across multiple physically disparate sites using a representative connection to the site and fan out of requests to other pods within the site. |
| US09258355B2 |
Decentralized cloud workflows
Technologies related to decentralized cloud workflows are generally described. In some examples, client applications may generate workflow packages. The workflow packages may be used to access multiple network services, such that client applications need not communicate with intermediate network services in a network service workflow. A client application may send a workflow package to a first network service in the network service workflow. The first network service may process instructions in the workflow package, store transaction results, and forward the workflow package to a next network service. Each intermediate network service may similarly process instructions, store transaction results, and forward the workflow package. Ultimately a last network service in the network service workflow may send workflow completion information to the client application. |
| US09258348B2 |
Applying a variable encoding/decoding scheme in a communication network
Various systems, devices and methods for providing variable encoder/decoder mechanisms are disclosed. As one example, a coder/decoder device including a plurality of coder/decoder mechanisms, a coder/decoder selection engine, and a computer readable medium is disclosed. The computer readable medium includes a network statistic. The coder/decoder selection engine is operable to select at least one of the plurality of coder/decoder mechanisms based at least in part on the network statistic. Further, the coder/decoder selection engine is operable to offer the at least one of the plurality of coder/decoder mechanisms. |
| US09258347B2 |
Encoding of a video frame for transmission to a plurality of clients
In a method of encoding a video frame to be transmitted to a plurality of clients over a plurality of network connections, a set of parameters is associated with each connection. The method comprises: for each connection, determining a frame size that can be transported over the connection considering the associated set of parameters; and compressing the video frame to a target frame size based on the minimum of the plurality of determined frame sizes. This method advantageously provides an easy and straightforward way for selecting the appropriate parameters that need to be taken into account for controlling the rate of the generated bitstream, particularly when multiple parameters are associated with each connection. |
| US09258344B2 |
Multi-hop single sign-on (SSO) for identity provider (IdP) roaming/proxy
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, and systems related to using an identity provider (IdP) as a proxy for another IdP. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09258342B2 |
Method and apparatus for interactive mobile offer system using time and location for out-of-home display screens
Content which is related to content being displayed on an out-of-home display screen is synchronized with being shown on an out-of-home display screen. A mobile device operates to receive content which is related to the content being displayed on the out-of-home display screen. The system operates based on mobile device location, out-of-home display screen location and the time of day. Based on the time and locations, a server can determine what content is on the display screen and can therefore serve related content based on that to the mobile device. It works passively with periodic regular updates of the mobile device location or actively through the use of a button (touch screen, keyboard, etc.) on the mobile device to signal the server to check its location and therefore identifying which display screen the mobile device is near. |
| US09258338B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing private moderator codes for conference calls
A method, mobile device, and conferencing system are provided for automatically establishing a conference event having a plurality of invitees. In one implementation, a method is provided for determining whether an invitee of a conference event is a moderator of the conference event. The method also automatically establishes the conference event using a moderator code responsive to determining that the invitee is the moderator of the conference event. |
| US09258336B2 |
Dynamic modification of a subscriber connection
A database server stores in a subscriber record one or more attributes of an active subscriber connection coupling a computing device associated with the subscriber, including a data rate attribute. The database server receives a request to modify one or more of the attributes of the active subscriber connection including at least to modify the data rate attribute. The database server modifies the at least one of the attributes including modifying at least the data rate attribute and transmits the at least one modified attribute including at least the modified data rate attribute for the active subscriber connection to the network element to cause the network element to modify a corresponding attribute without disconnecting the subscriber connection from the network element. |
| US09258333B2 |
Method for recovering content streamed into chunk
The present invention concerns an adaptive streaming method, at a client device, for receiving content split into chunks corresponding to a content duration, the chunks being encoded at a server into at least a first and a second formats, the first format corresponding to a better content rendering quality level than the second format, a chunk being received during a chunk reception period. According to the invention, the method comprises the steps of measuring the available bandwidth between the client and the server for the next chunk reception period, requesting the server to send a chunk encoded at a format so that the chunk can be received during the next chunk reception period, and if some bandwidth is available for the next chunk reception period, requesting the server to send a part of a chunk encoded at a second format, the chunk having been received encoded at the first format. |
| US09258327B2 |
Multi-network virus immunization
An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and system are described that determine a virus associated with a communications network, and distribute an anti-viral agent onto the communications network using a bypass network, the bypass network configured to provide transmission of the anti-viral agent with at least one of a higher transmission speed, a higher transmission reliability, a higher transmission security, and/or a physically-separate transmission path, relative to transmission of the virus on the communications network. |
| US09258326B2 |
API for auxiliary interface
Embodiments of the present invention include a primary access interface where messages are in an auxiliary interface area, where a user can see/hear the message without having to log in (that is, when they normally would have to have logged in to access the message). Included in various embodiments are types of messages output, emergency messages, advertising messages and conditions for outputting messages. Also provided is allowing for user input through an auxiliary interface triggering services or features normally requiring login (before they can be used). What is further provided is an application programming interface for independent or third party applications. What is also provided is an advertising server system integrated with a front-end interface. |
| US09258318B2 |
Systems and methods for informing users about applications available for download
A computer-implemented method for informing users about applications available for download may include (1) identifying, through sharing functionality provided by an operating system, shared content that identifies an application hosted by an application distribution platform, (2) in response to identifying the shared content, obtaining security information about the identified by the shared content, and (3) informing, prior to a user downloading the application, the user of the obtained security information about the application to enable the user to make an informed decision about whether to download the application. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US09258317B2 |
Device and method for data matching and device and method for network intrusion detection
The present invention discloses a device and method for data matching and a device and method for network intrusion detection. The method for data matching includes: searching in a regular expression set one or more complex regular expressions causing a sharp increase in number of states generated based on a regular expression during interaction; constructing a corresponding simplified expression for each complex regular expression; compiling a simplified state machine; compiling one or more substate machines, wherein each of the one or more substate machines is compiled based on a corresponding one of the one or more complex regular expressions; and matching data based on the simplified state machine and the one or more substate machines. The present invention further discloses a device for data matching employing the method for data matching and a device and method for intrusion detection employing the device and method for data matching. |
| US09258308B1 |
Point to multi-point connections
Communicating with a plurality of networks is disclosed. One or more credentials is provided to a first gatekeeper of a first network. One or more credentials is provided to a second gatekeeper of a second network. A session is maintained with the first gatekeeper. A second session is simultaneously maintained with the second gatekeeper. |
| US09258307B2 |
Decentralized electronic transfer system
An exemplary technique is provided for use in a decentralized electronic transfer system. A first digital code that represents a first transaction is generated from a first user's secure repository to the first user's unsecure repository. The first digital code is sent to a secure storage memory related to the unsecure repository to be stored in an area of the memory. A processor related to the unsecure repository generates a second digital code that represents a second transaction from the unsecure repository to the second user's repository. The processor retrieves the first digital code stored in the secure storage memory and publishes the retrieved digital code to validate the first transaction. In addition, the processor publishes the second digital code to validate the second transaction. |
| US09258300B2 |
ECG measuring device and method thereof
The present invention discloses at least two electrodes disposed at the body of the ECG measuring device of the present invention. When a user normally uses the ECG measuring device, the two electrodes are just adhered to the hands and the face of the user. The ECG measuring method of the present invention is to measure a first ECG signal from the left hand to the left side of face of the user and a second ECG signal from the right hand to the right side of face of the user. Then a plurality of ECG features are obtained from the first ECG signal, the second ECG signal and the result, as related coefficients, of the interactive computing, as a method of plus and subtract, of the first ECG signal and the second ECG signal. Hence, a biometric authorization process is engaged according to the plurality of ECG features. |
| US09258296B2 |
System and method for generating a strong multi factor personalized server key from a simple user password
The present invention relates to a method of generating a multi-factor encryption key using a simple password in order to access control over information stored at a second entity from a first entity via at least one communication network. In one embodiment this is accomplished by, requesting to receive an application at the first entity from the second entity via the communication network, activating the first entity to generate a shared secret key, wherein the shared secret key is computed from a first entity specific ID and a random number generated at the first and second entity and allowing the user to register with the application of the second entity by the first entity, wherein the registration include entry of a personal PIN (personal identification number), a personal message etc. |
| US09258295B1 |
Secure over-the-air provisioning for handheld and desktop devices and services
In one embodiment, a device and a services provisioning system establish an over-the-air connection with each other, and perform device posture validation to obtain a unique identification (ID) of the device at the provisioning system. The device and provisioning system then participate in device and user authentication in response to a confirmed unique ID by a backend access control system, where the device generates a secure key pair after successful user authentication. In response to the device being approved for services (e.g., checked by the provisioning system via a registration system), the provisioning system provides a root certificate to the device, and the device sends a certificate enrollment request back to the provisioning system. In response to a certificate authority signing the certificate request, the provisioning system returns a valid certificate to the device, and the valid certificate is installed on the device. |
| US09258293B1 |
Safe and secure access to dynamic domain name systems
A method and apparatus for safe and secure access to dynamic domain name systems. In one embodiment a method comprises transmitting a DNS query to a dynamic DNS server. The DNS query comprises a domain name. A DNS answer is received from the dynamic DNS server in response to transmitting the DNS query. The DNS answer comprises an IP address. A request is transmitted to a host at the IP address in response to receiving the DNS answer. A digital certificate is received in response to transmitting the request. The received digital certificate is then compared with each of a plurality of digital certificates stored in memory. The IP address is transmitted to a client computer system if the received digital certificate compares equally with one of the plurality of digital certificates. |
| US09258288B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing enhanced service authorization
An approach is provided for authorizing one or more services from service providers in a communications network. The approach includes receiving a request from a first service provider, the request having an associated primary token and a secondary token identifier, the secondary token identifier relating to resources of a second service provider. Based, at least in part, on the secondary token identifier, a secondary token is identified; and then the secondary token is sent to the first service provider, wherein the first service provider and the second service provider belong to different trust domains and the first service provider can use the secondary token to access resources of the second service provider. |
| US09258281B2 |
Secured method for controlling the opening of lock devices from messages implementing a symmetrical encryption
A management site (10) generates an encrypted message by a public-key symmetrical encryption algorithm, the algorithm and the key being selected by the management site among a memorized list. The message (DKE), which includes an identifier of the encryption algorithm and key used, is transmitted to a portable device (16), which stores it. For the use, the message is transmitted to a secured module (20) that decrypts it, checks its compliance with an internal reference, and generates a digital accreditation controlling the unlocking of a lock device (18). The decryption is operated with the algorithm and the key recognized based on the identifiers of the message, selected among a list memorized by the secured module. |
| US09258279B1 |
Bookmarking content for users associated with multiple devices
Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. The method includes anonymously linking at least two different identifiers associated with two different requesting sources. The linking uses an identifier that does not include any personally identifiable information. A request is received from a user to create a bookmark for a resource that was presented on a first device having an associated first identifier. The bookmark or a reference to the bookmark is stored. Bookmarks associated with the user are synched across multiple requesting sources using the anonymous linking. After synching, a request to access saved bookmarks is received from a user when accessing a second different device. Based at least in part on the synched bookmarks, the bookmark is provided, or a link to the bookmark is provided, enabling presentation of a resource associated with the bookmark. |
| US09258274B2 |
Using individualized APIs to block automated attacks on native apps and/or purposely exposed APIs
An API call filtering system filters responses to API call requests received, via a network, from user devices. The API call filtering system is configured to require personalized API call requests wherein each API call (except for some minor exceptions) includes a unique endpoint identifier (“UEID”) of the user device making the request. Using the UEID, the web service or other service protected by the API call filtering system can be secured against excessive request iterations from a set of rogue user devices while allowing for ordinary volumes of requests of requests the user devices, wherein one or more boundaries between what is deemed to be an ordinary volume of requests and what is deemed to be excessive request iterations are determined by predetermined criteria. |
| US09258271B1 |
Network address translation for virtual machines
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a packet from a client, the packet having header information including a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address, a destination port, a source IP address, and a source port, and wherein the source IP address and source port are associated with the client; selecting a destination virtual machine based on the destination port; modifying the packet by replacing the destination IP address in the header information with an IP address of the selected destination virtual machine; and sending the modified packet to the destination virtual machine. |
| US09258266B2 |
Host detection by top of rack switch devices in data center environments
Techniques are provided for detecting and identifying host devices in a network. At a switch device, a packet is received from a server that is interfaced with a switch device and is configured to host a virtual machine that is a source of the packet. A Media Access Control (MAC) address or an Internet Protocol (IP) address is identified. The MAC address and IP address are associated with the virtual machine. In response to identifying the MAC or IP addresses, the switch device determines whether a binding between the IP and MAC addresses of the virtual machine is present in a database of addresses accessible by the switch device. If the association is not present, based on the fields obtained from the packet header, a request message is sent to the virtual machine to resolve the association between the IP address and the MAC address of the virtual machine. |
| US09258264B1 |
Processing socially networked entities
Implementations are directed to accessing social network data of a user, including relationship data representative of relationships between the user and a plurality of entities associated with the user by at least one social network service, the social network data including profile data descriptive of the plurality of entities, the profile data including a profile for each of the plurality of entities and one or more attributes within each profile, the profile data including a plurality of values for the attribute, wherein the one or more attributes represent at least one of an intensity of interaction with the user, the plurality of values representing intensities of interaction with the user, and a social distance from the user, the plurality of values further representing social distances from the user, determining a subset of the plurality of entities, and determining being based on at least one of the one or more attributes. |
| US09258250B2 |
Dynamic data channel scheduling
Data channels are sorted into an order in terms of an exponent E, where E is defined in the equation: segment interval=C*2E, in which segment interval is a number of the slots between instances of a given data channel, and the data channels are assigned to ones of the slots in terms of the order. Subsequent to the assigning data channels, the control channel is assigned to ones of the slots on the data line. Optionally assigning the data channels assigns all data channels to ones of the slots on the data line to reduce the number of unassigned slots. |
| US09258246B2 |
Integrated circuit device and methods for performing cut-through forwarding
An integrated circuit device comprising at least one cut-through forwarding module. The cut-through forwarding module comprises at least one receiver component arranged to receive data to be forwarded, and to generate a request for transmission of a block of data upon receipt thereof, and at least one controller unit arranged to execute at least one thread for processing requests generated by the at least one receiver component. The at least one controller unit is arranged to set a priority context for the at least one thread, and to schedule an execution of the at least one thread based at least partly on the priority context therefor. |
| US09258244B1 |
Protocol for communications in potentially noisy environments
A communications protocol that is designed for transmission of data in networks that are subjected to harsh conditions is described herein. A network includes a plurality of devices, where the devices comprise respective nodes. The nodes are in communication with one another by way of a central network hub. The protocol causes the nodes to transmit data over a network bus at different data rates depending upon whether the nodes are operating normally or an arbitration procedure has been invoked. |