| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09254809B2 |
Tear preventer on a side air cushion outlet seam of a vehicle seat covering and vehicle seat covering with a tear preventer
A tear preventer (2, 3) is provided on a side air cushion outlet seam (4) of a vehicle seat covering (5) for a vehicle seat (1). In each case a fabric tube (16) is arranged on an inner side of the vehicle seat covering(s) on the two seam ends of the side air cushion outlet seam (4) and is connected in a materially joined and/or frictionally locking fashion to the vehicle seat cover (5). Furthermore, a vehicle seat cover (5) is provided having a tear preventer (2, 3) on a side air cushion outlet seam (4). |
| US09254804B2 |
Impact-injury predicting system
A first-collision predicting part determines if a possibility of a first collision, which happens between a human and a vehicle, is higher than a predetermined threshold. A first-collision-situation determining part determines a position of a head of the human and a relative speed of the head relative to the vehicle at a time of the first collision, when the first-collision predicting part determines the possibility of the first collision is higher than the predetermined threshold. A second-collision-situation estimating part estimates a collision situation of the head in a second collision, based on a determining result of the first-collision-situation determining part. An injury-degree predicting part predicts a degree of injury of the head based on an estimation result of the second-collision-situation estimating part. |
| US09254801B2 |
Front vehicle-body structure of vehicle
A protecting member comprises a pair of right-and-left brackets extending obliquely downward and forward from front portions of a pair of right-and-left side frames and a stiffener extending in a vehicle width direction below a bumper beam and attached to front ends of the brackets. The stiffener has a closed cross section extending in the vehicle width direction, and an upper face of its central portion in the vehicle width direction has a concaved portion. A lower face of the stiffener extends horizontally substantially straightly. It is preferable that the closed cross section of the central portion of the stiffener be configured such that its vertical distance is relatively small and its longitudinal width is relatively large, compared with the other part of the stiffener. |
| US09254799B2 |
Power source control apparatus for vehicle
A battery, a regenerative generator, a capacitor capable of storing power generated by the regenerative generator, and a DC/DC convertor capable of allowing an output current to flow up to a specified permissible limit value are provided. The capacitor is connected to a first circuit portion connecting the regenerative generator and the DC/DC convertor. The battery is connected to a second circuit portion connecting the DC/DC convertor and electric loads. Thereby, power from the capacitor is supplied to electric loads by way of the DC/DC convertor until the output current of the DC/DC convertor reaches the specified permissible limit value, whereas power from the battery is supplied to the electric loads after the output current of the DC/DC convertor has reached the specified permissible limit value. A specified electric load is turned OFF when the power from the battery is supplied. |
| US09254797B2 |
System and method of controlling a plurality of energy loads and energy supplies in a coordinated manner
The operation and/or power of a plurality of energy loads and/or energy supplies configured to supply power to the energy loads are managed in a coordinated manner. The coordinated control over the energy loads and/or energy supplies may enable the execution of missions including a one or more objectives by energy loads with an enhanced efficiency, autonomy, and/or effectiveness. Aspects of the planning and/or management of execution of the missions may be automated according to predetermined rules and/or criteria. |
| US09254792B2 |
Equipment storage and retrieval system
An equipment storage and retrieval system retrieves equipment from the back of pick-up trucks and other cargo carrying vehicles. A guide rail and a frame with attached rollers and equipment hold-downs, platforms or carts allow for easy access, retrieval, and storage of equipment in the bed of a vehicle. A frame extends out the back of a pickup for access to equipment, and folds into a vertical position for improved use of the pickup bed. A brake system prevents locks the sliding frame in place until the brake is released by a brake lever. |
| US09254784B2 |
Head lamp apparatus of automobile and method of controlling the same
The present invention relates to a head lamp apparatus of an automobile and a method of controlling the same, and the head lamp apparatus of the automobile includes: left and right static bend lights (SBL) for lighting to a left or right side of a driving direction of the automobile; an automobile speed sensing sensor; a global positioning system (GPS); and a controller configured to turn on at least one of the left SBL and the right SBL when the driving speed of the automobile sensed by the automobile speed sensing sensor is equal to or smaller than a reference speed when the driving position of the automobile unit is a predetermined position to enter a crossroad so that a time at which the SBL is turned on is controlled by reflecting the reference speed when the automobile enters the crossroad, thereby improving visibility of a driver at the crossroad. |
| US09254782B2 |
Traffic signal lamp and car having same
A lamp for a moving vehicle which can function as a headlamp and as a lower-brightness running lamp includes a single light emitting device, a power regulator, a first lampshade, a light guiding element, a lifting device, and a number of first reflecting covers. The first lampshade is arranged facing the light emitting device. The light guiding element gathers light from the light source and emits the light from a lower part of the moving vehicle and the power regulator can supply full power or reduced power to the light source. The lifting device holds the light guiding element and can raise it up or down so that emitted light reaches either the first lampshade or reaches first reflecting covers depending on the lighting function required. |
| US09254781B2 |
Emergency vehicle warning device and system
An emergency vehicle warning device and a vehicle warning system method for notifying a person (and plural) in a moving vehicle (and plural), an approaching emergency vehicle (and plural), including a transmitter for transmitting an emergency signal from an emergency vehicle and a receiver embedded in a siren and light vehicle warning device located near or attached to a traffic signal, and the receiving vehicle warning devise emits lights and loud siren sounds, which alert driver(s) of moving vehicle(s) and pedestrian(s), that the emergency vehicle(s) are approaching a nearby intersection; and the Emergency vehicle warning system comprising a transmitting means located in an emergency vehicle for transmitting an emergency signal indicating that the emergency vehicle(s) are approaching the intersection that is activated or starts and continues signaling when emergency vehicle(s) are on the move nearby in emergency conditions, a receiving means located in a siren and light vehicle warning device, such device located near or attached to a traffic signaling device or light, such receiving means for receiving the emergency signal from the transmitting means, and an alert means triggered by the receiving means to alert the driver of the moving vehicle(s) that the emergency vehicle(s) are approaching. |
| US09254778B2 |
Adjustable cam buckle
An adjustable cam buckle assembly is described herein. The adjustable cam buckle assembly may include a cam buckle member, a retaining member and a clamp. The cam buckle member may include a hook section and a buckle section, wherein the buckle section may include a central opening and at least one slot. The retaining member may be engaged with the hook section, wherein the retaining member and the hook section may be capable of selectively securing a member within the hook section. The clamp may be pivotally engaged with the buckle section, wherein the clamp may be capable of engaging a strap within the buckle section. |
| US09254776B2 |
Roll-up tarp apparatus
A roll-up tarp apparatus for a truck box having an open top. The roll-up tarp apparatus includes a roll bar, a flexible tarp secured to the truck box and the roll bar, a converter unit, a motive source and an arm operatively connected to the converter unit, the motive source and the roll bar. The roll bar is operatively connected to the truck box and rotatably movable between the first and second longitudinal sides of the truck box. The tarp is secured to the roll bar so that the tarp can roll up on the roll bar to open the truck box and unroll from the roll bar to cover or close the open top. The roll bar is preferably biased in an unroll direction or toward a closed position. In preferred embodiments, at least one biasing member is operatively connected to the roll bar or the arm. |
| US09254775B2 |
System for controlling transport of heavy load, transport vehicle, and method of controlling transport of heavy load
Provided is an apparatus for controlling transport of a heavy load by which a transport vehicle smoothly transports a heavy load such as a rotor blade of a wind power generator, which has a high weight and a large length, without collisions or interferences by controlling movement of the heavy load according to a facility around a road or a peripheral environmental condition in a process of transporting the heavy load on the road with the transport vehicle, a transport vehicle, and a method of controlling transport of a heavy load. The apparatus includes: an adjusting unit configured to control rotation or movements of the heavy load so that collision or interference of the heavy load with a facility around a road or a peripheral environmental condition is prevented in a process of transporting the heavy load after the heavy load is fixedly mounted to the adjusting unit. |
| US09254760B2 |
Controlling torque of a vehicle traction motor
A hybrid electric automotive powertrain includes an electric machine operable in propulsive and regenerative modes. The machine has positive and negative torque limits for the propulsive and regenerative modes, respectively, to reduce potential thermal damage to the machine due to overheating. The negative and positive torque limits are reduced independently as a temperature of the machine increases. The negative torque limit may be reduced at a greater rate than the positive torque limit. |
| US09254758B2 |
Control apparatus, vehicle, and control method
A control apparatus for a vehicle having an idle stop function includes a measurement unit that measures the characteristic of a battery provided in the vehicle, an identification unit that identifies the type of the battery based on the measured characteristic, and a control unit that stops the idle stop function in a case where the identified type of the battery indicates that the battery is not for an idle-stop vehicle, and permits execution of the idle stop function in a case where the execution of the idle stop function is permitted by an input of a predetermined signal from an external terminal even when the identified type of the battery indicates that the battery is not for the idle-stop vehicle. |
| US09254747B2 |
Wheel clutch device of a rollator
A wheel clutch device has two hubs, a shaft module, an engagement base, a clutch base, a clutch unit, and an abutment unit. The shaft module is inserted through the hubs and has a shaft body. The engagement base is mounted on one of the hubs and has at least one engagement base groove. The clutch base is mounted in the engagement base engaged with the shaft body and has at least one alignment slit aligned with the at least one engagement base groove. The clutch unit is mounted around the clutch base and has at least one engagement lump selectively engaged with the at least one engagement base groove and the at least one alignment slit. The abutment unit is combined with the shaft body and abuts the clutch wilt. |
| US09254746B2 |
Driving force transmission device and vehicle having said driving force transmission device
In a 4WD vehicle that is basically an FF type, a propeller shaft 4 includes, on a front end and a rear end thereof, respective driving force transmission devices 3 and 5. The propeller shaft 4 includes an electric motor 41, and when the electric motor 41 is rotated in a backward direction of the vehicle during a 2WD state, a hypoid ring gear 36 of a transfer mechanism 32 of the driving force transmission device 3 is moved so as to engage a clutch mechanism 31. By such an engagement, engine torque is transmitted to the driving force transmission device 5 via the propeller shaft 4. Thus, a hypoid ring gear 56 of a transfer mechanism 52 of the driving force transmission device 5 is moved so as to engage a clutch mechanism 51. Accordingly, a drive state is switched to a 4WD state. |
| US09254738B2 |
Recuperative transmission down shifting multiple gears and engine decoupling
A hybrid electric drive system for a hybrid powered vehicle which includes a combustion engine, and a transmission. An electric machine and the combustion engine are coupled to the transmission in the hybrid electric drive system providing engine and/or electric machine drive power for the vehicle. A clutch is mechanically communicating with and positioned between the combustion engine and the transmission to decouple the combustion engine from the transmission. An energy storage system is configured to transfer and receive power with the electric machine, and is configured to recharge using power from the electric machine. A hybrid system controller is configured to respond to a regenerative braking mode of the vehicle. While the hybrid electric drive system is in the regenerative braking mode, the hybrid system controller is configured to initiate shifting of the transmission into one or more selected gears relating to one or more selected electric machine speeds. |
| US09254734B2 |
Multi-component roof for an open-air vehicle
A multi-component open-air vehicle roof structured to have a retractable enclosure storage compartment along a length of a driver's and passenger's side of the roof, and retractable enclosures to be supported and protected by the retractable enclosure storage compartments, and a rear-side retractable enclosure with a choice of having either rear-side roof supports shaped to act as a storage compartment or having a rear-side compartment as part of the rear-side edge area of the roof, either to act as a roof support storage compartment for the rear-side retractable enclosure when it is retracted. On each roof side there is a wing valence support for supporting a decorative valence and an optional lighting system. The retractable enclosures may be powered or manually controlled. The roof's ribbed, single-ply construction provides for a stronger roof with a plurality of storage compartments for a plurality of accessories within the ribs. |
| US09254731B2 |
Vehicle with a sliding door system
A vehicle having a sliding door arranged behind a body pillar, a frame around the door opening closeable by the sliding door, a rail system provided in the region of the sliding door connected fixedly to the vehicle and having upper and lower guide rails, sliding carriages provided on the sliding door connected to the sliding door via a respective supporting arm and guided displaceably on the guide rails, and side impact protection in the region of the sliding door. At least one of the sliding carriages or supporting arms is provided with a stop. In the event of a side impact, in which the outer vehicle wall is deformed in the direction of the vehicle interior, an abutment connected to the vehicle wall comes to bear against the stop of the sliding carriage or of the supporting arm, and the position of the sliding door is thereby blocked. |
| US09254729B2 |
Partial load combustion cycles
The part load method controls delivery of diluent fluid, fuel fluid, and oxidant fluid in thermodynamic cycles using diluent, to increase the Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT) and thermal efficiency in part load operation above that obtained by relevant art part load operation of Brayton cycles, fogged Brayton cycles, or cycles operating with some steam delivery, or with maximum steam delivery. The part load method may control the TIT at the design level by controlling one or both of liquid and/or gaseous fluid water over a range from full load to less than 45% load. This extends operation to lower operating loads while providing higher efficiencies and lower operating costs using water, steam and/or CO2 as diluents, than in simple cycle operation. |
| US09254726B2 |
Transverse leaf spring bearing unit and transverse leaf spring arrangement for a motor vehicle
A bearing component has a first structural component and a second structural component and supports a transverse leaf spring. The first structural component and the second structural component are connected with each other in a hinge-like fashion for rotation and surrounded by a sleeve. The first structural component has a hinge head which is positively held in a hinge head receptacle of the second structural component. The sleeve has a bellow section and protects the structural components of the bearing component from contamination. |
| US09254724B2 |
Vehicle front suspension
A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, a transverse link, a steering knuckle and a lower knuckle breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side, the inboard side being attached to the lower suspension support structure. The steering knuckle has an upper end, a lower end, and a wheel supporting section between the upper end and the lower end. The lower end is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. The lower knuckle breakaway structure is formed on the steering knuckle to release the steering knuckle from the transverse link upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the lower suspension support structure. |
| US09254718B2 |
Pneumatic radial tire
A pneumatic radial tire includes three or less steel belt layers, wherein a first block and a second block extending in an outer side than the first block are alternately provided in a tire circumferential direction on a ground edge region of a tread part. An annular region extending in a circumferential direction is provided on the outer surface of an outer side than a maximum width position in a side wall part, and plural projections are provided side by side on the annular region. An outer thin wall part continuing along an outer circumferential edge of the annular region and an inner thin wall part continuing along an inner circumferential edge of the annular region are provided, and the outer thin wall part is arranged adjacent to an inner radius height and inside of the inner radius height. |
| US09254715B2 |
Inner liner rubber composition and pneumatic tire
Inner liner rubber composition for a pneumatic tire, which enables improvements in handling stability, fuel economy, elongation at break, sheet processability, air barrier properties, and compounding cost in a balanced manner. Also, pneumatic tire including inner liner formed from the rubber composition. The rubber composition includes: reclaimed butyl rubber; halogenated butyl rubber other than the reclaimed butyl rubber; at least one semi-reinforcing filler selected from finely ground bituminous coal having a specified average particle size, talc, mica, and hard clay; and carbon black having a specific N2SA and/or silica having a specific N2SA. The rubber composition has a predetermined reclaimed butyl rubber content, a predetermined combined content of the reclaimed butyl rubber and the halogenated butyl rubber, a predetermined total semi-reinforcing filler content, and a predetermined combined content of the carbon black and the silica. |
| US09254712B2 |
Steer axle high-temperature warning system
A high temperature warning system for a vehicle steer axle an air pressure supply, a normally-closed valve in fluid communication with pressure supply, a heat sensitive control capable of opening the normally-closed valve upon a predetermined temperature, the heat sensitive control mounted adjacent to the wheel end assembly in a heat exchange relationship therewith, and a warning system connected to the air pressure supply for actuation upon opening of the normally-closed valve. |
| US09254710B2 |
Supporting device for a bicycle wheel
A supporting device is adapted to be mounted on a bicycle wheel and includes a central cap unit, a plurality of end seats, and a plurality of covering units. The bicycle wheel includes a hub and a wheel rim. The central cap unit is sleeved fixedly on the hub and has coupling portions. The end seats are connected fixedly on the wheel rim, and are formed respectively with coupling sections registered respectively with the coupling portions. Each of the covering units has an inner end portion connected to a respective one of the coupling portions of the central cap unit and an outer end portion connected to one of the coupling sections of the end seats that is registered with the respective one of the coupling portions, so as to enhance a structural strength of the bicycle wheel. |
| US09254703B2 |
File folder
A file folder includes a rotatable cover and a closure mechanism. The closure mechanism secures the rotatable cover against a front of the file folder to maintain the file folder in a closed position. The closure mechanism further secures the rotatable cover against a back of the file folder to maintain the file folder in an opened position. The closed position protects contents of the file folder, while the opened position allows access to the contents of the file folder. |
| US09254696B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes: a container; a conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium contained in the container; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium that has been conveyed through a conveying path by the conveying mechanism; a moving mechanism including a carriage and configured to move the carriage reciprocatingly together with the recording head; a first sensor installed in the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second sensor configured to detect a change of a state of the container; a storage unit configured to store width information of the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveying mechanism; and a controller configured to control the conveying mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the recording head. |
| US09254694B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes: a first transporting path which is a transporting path that transports a medium, passes along a recording portion that performs recording on the medium, and extends to an upstream side and a downstream side of the recording portion; a second transporting path which is a transporting path that is connected to the first transporting path, and switches back and transports the medium in a direction reverse to a feeding direction after the medium which passes along the recording portion is fed; and a third transporting path which is a transporting path that is connected to the second transporting path, makes the medium transported in the reverse direction detour an upper side of the recording portion, reverses the medium, and makes the medium merge at a position on the upstream side of the recording portion in the first transporting path. |
| US09254688B2 |
Liquid ejecting apparatus
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting head that ejects a light-curable UV ink onto a medium; an irradiator that irradiates the UV ink ejected onto the medium with UV light and cures the UV ink; a control device that controls intensity of the UV light applied from the irradiator to the medium; and a carriage motor that moves the irradiator in one direction, in which the control device changes the intensity of the UV light applied from the irradiator to the medium while the carriage motor moves the irradiator in one direction. |
| US09254687B2 |
Printing method and printing device
The invention is intended to produce a high-quality print image in a simple fashion. As a solution, there is provided a printing method for transferring an applied ink on a transfer medium 1 to a printing target 5. The method includes a first applying step of forming an image layer 2 on the transfer medium 1; a first curing step of curing the image layer 2; a second applying step of forming an adhesive layer 4 on the image layer 2; a second curing step of curing the adhesive layer 4 to such an extent as to maintain the adhesiveness of the adhesive layer 4; a transfer step of transferring the image layer 2 to the printing target 15; and a third curing step of further curing the adhesive layer 4. |
| US09254682B2 |
Imaging module with aligned imaging systems
An imaging module including a plurality of imaging systems for capturing images of a receiver medium. An illumination system illuminates the receiver medium with an illumination pattern. First and second imaging systems are positioned to capture images of the receiver medium, each including at least a portion of the illumination pattern. The first and second images are analyzed to determine a relative position of the illumination pattern in the first and second images. Imaging system alignment parameters for use in aligning images captured with the first and second imaging systems are determined responsive to the determined relative position. |
| US09254680B2 |
Tray, ink jet textile printing apparatus, storing method of tray, and manufacturing method of printed matter
A tray which is provided so as to be detachable from a support unit of an ink jet textile printing apparatus, and includes a main body having a setting surface on which a material to be printed is set; a positioning pin which is provided in a protruding manner on the mounting surface on the opposite side to the setting surface of the main body, and is used when mounting the main body on the support unit; and a leg portion which is provided in a protruding manner on the mounting surface of the main body, and has a protruding dimension which is longer than the positioning pin. |
| US09254679B2 |
Recording device and workpeice-advancing/retracting method for recording device
A recording device includes a workpiece stage that holds by suction a recording region of an elongated workpiece fed in a first feed direction, a recording unit that carries out recording in the recording region, a workpiece-holding unit arranged on a downstream side of the workpiece stage in the feed direction, and immovably holds or releases a part of the workpiece, an advancing/retracting unit that causes the workpiece stage and the workpiece-holding unit to travel relatively apart in an extension direction of the workpiece, and a control unit that controls the individual configurations. The control unit performs a recording operation, a holding operation for immovably holding part of the workpiece, and an advancing/retracting operation for retracting from the workpiece stage the recording region where recording has been completed and advancing onto the workpiece stage the recording region where recording has yet to occur. |
| US09254678B2 |
Optical print head having first and second power lines and image forming apparatus
Optical print head includes: light-emitting elements connected one-to-one to current supply lines branching from first power line at different positions in longitudinal direction; holding elements; signal writing unit writing luminance signal into each holding element, the luminance signal being represented by voltage indicating light emission amount of corresponding light-emitting element; second power line supplying reference voltage to each holding element, the reference voltage being reference when signal writing unit writes luminance signal into holding element; and driving drivers corresponding one-to-one with current supply lines and controlling current supplied to corresponding current supply line from first power line, in accordance with voltage held in corresponding holding element when signal writing unit has written luminance signal into corresponding holding element, wherein power source supplying the reference voltage to second power line is common with power source supplying voltage to signal output subunit outputting luminance signal. |
| US09254674B2 |
Reservoir having particle trapping features
The techniques described are applied for trapping particles within a partially enclosed region of a reservoir of a printer head using thermal gradients and buoyant flows within the ink contained in the reservoir. One disclosed embodiment includes a reservoir for an ink jet printer that has a plurality of walls and a cavity. The plurality of walls include at least a first wall and a second wall. During operation, the first wall is provided with a temperature differential with respect to the second wall. The cavity is formed by the plurality of walls and operationally retains an ink of the ink jet printer. The cavity has a partially enclosed region that communicates with a remainder of the cavity. The partially enclosed region is adapted to retain particles that have separated from the ink. |
| US09254672B2 |
Vent through a printhead support structure
In one example, a structure for supporting a printhead includes: a substrate having a first side and a second side; an inlet tower through which liquid may be introduced into the structure; an opening through the substrate near the inlet tower; and an air channel along the substrate connecting the opening in the substrate to the atmosphere. |
| US09254665B2 |
Liquid ejecting apparatus
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion provided with a nozzle opening area in which a plurality of nozzles ejecting liquid onto a medium are open; and a wiping portion that wipes the nozzle opening area in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, in which the nozzle opening area includes a first wiping target area and a second wiping target area which are at different positions in a direction intersecting with the first direction, and the wiping portion wipes the first wiping target area in the first direction, and wipes the second wiping target area in the second direction. |
| US09254664B2 |
Droplet ejecting apparatus
A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a droplet ejecting unit provided with ejecting ports capable of ejecting a solution onto a medium as droplets; a cap portion which performs capping in which a region to which the ejecting ports are open is set to a closed space; a gas supply portion capable of supplying a humidified gas to the closed space; and a liquid supply portion capable of supplying a liquid for humidifying the closed space. |
| US09254662B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes a transportation mechanism that supports and transports a recording medium by a support surface; a recording head that is disposed in a region facing the support surface and is capable of ejecting an ink from a nozzle provided on an ink ejection surface to the recording medium; a suction unit that is capable of sucking the ink inside the nozzle; and a wiping unit that is provided as a separate body from the suction unit and is capable of wiping the ink ejection surface. The recording head is moved in a direction to be separated from the support surface when sucking the ink inside the nozzle. The suction unit is moved to a suction position facing the ink ejection surface of the recording head. The suction unit is moved below the recording head when wiping the ink ejection surface. |
| US09254661B2 |
Liquid ejecting head manufacturing method and liquid ejecting head
Precise positioning of a film used to seal an electrical connection on a liquid ejecting head is made possible. Specifically, positioning is conducted in a state in which part of the film is held to a finger by suction. Next, the finger is moved downward while in the positioned state, and part of the film is pressed against a wiring board. With part of the film fixed to the wiring board in this way, a sealing resin flows while being covered by the film. Consequently, shifting of the position of the film as the sealing resin flows may be prevented. As a result, it becomes possible to conduct covering with the film in a precisely positioned state. |
| US09254659B1 |
Liquid ejection apparatus and liquid ejection head
A liquid ejection apparatus including: a liquid ejection head including two-dimensionally arranged pressure chambers, and corresponding ejection ports. On a surface on which the ejection ports are arranged, when a relative movement direction of a recording material is x, the direction perpendicular to the relative movement is y, a pitch of pixels is d, and m and n are different odd numbers of 3 or greater, the ejection ports are arranged in a manner such that and and nd are repeated alternately as the distance between the ejection ports adjoining in the y direction, and such that the ejection port arrays extending substantially linearly in an oblique direction to the x and y directions on an xy plane are formed. The ejection port arrays are constituted by (m+n)/2 ejection ports, and the ejection ports adjoining in the ejection port arrays are displaced by 2d in the y direction. |
| US09254658B2 |
Liquid ejection head and liquid ejection apparatus
A liquid ejection head includes, a first support member including a flow path for supplying liquid and an opening communicating with the flow path; at least one second support member that includes an individual liquid chamber communicating with the opening and arranged on the first support member along the flow path; and a recording element substrate including an energy-generating element for generating energy for ejecting the liquid, and a supply port for supplying the liquid to the energy-generating element, the supply port communicating with the individual liquid chamber, the recording element substrate being supported by a back surface of the second support member with respect to an opposite surface thereof facing the first support member. When P (μJ/pL) represents energy to be input per ejection liquid droplet volume in the energy-generating element, thermal resistance R (K/W) of a shortest heat transfer path of the second support member between the recording element substrate and the first support member satisfies: R≧1.4/ln{0.525e1.004P−0.372}−1. |
| US09254655B2 |
Inkjet printer having laminated stack for receiving ink from ink distribution molding
An inkjet printer includes: a replaceable ink cassette adapted for use in the printer, the ink cassette having an ink reservoir containing a respective ink; and an ink distribution assembly in fluid communication with the ink cassette. The ink distribution assembly includes: an ink distribution assembly having an ink distribution molding, which includes a plurality of first ducts extending substantially along its length; a plurality of printhead chips in fluid communication with the ink distribution assembly; and a laminated stack for receiving ink from the ink distribution molding. An uppermost inlet layer of the laminated stack has a plurality of ink inlet holes in fluid communication with the first ducts via a plurality of second ducts defined in the ink distribution molding, wherein the second ducts are not parallel with the first ducts. |
| US09254652B2 |
Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus
A piezoelectric layer is integrally formed in such a way that opening portions of a plurality of pressure chambers in a flow channel forming member are covered. In a region that corresponds to a position between adjacent pressure chambers in the piezoelectric layer, a hollow that penetrates the piezoelectric layer or that has a relatively thin thickness in the piezoelectric layer is formed along the sides of the opening of each of the pressure chambers. The hollow is formed to avoid a region along a corner of the pressure chamber in the region. |
| US09254647B2 |
Liquid discharging apparatus and liquid discharge method
A liquid discharging apparatus includes: a liquid discharge head including plural nozzle rows each arrayed with plural nozzles and discharging liquid droplets onto a workpiece by a multi-pass method using n recording passes (n is an integer of 3 or more); and a head drive section that controls driving of n nozzle groups corresponding to the n recording passes in each of the nozzle rows with a discharge duty upper limit specific to each nozzle group, and for a pair of nozzle groups adjacent across the nozzle rows, when controlling driving of one of the nozzle groups with a discharge duty upper limit being the maximum discharge duty upper limit of one nozzle row containing the one nozzle group, controls driving of the other nozzle group with a discharge duty upper limit that is not the maximum discharge duty upper limit of another nozzle row containing the other nozzle group. |
| US09254641B2 |
Screen printer, and method of cleaning a stencil of a screen printer
An SMT screen printer 100 is disclosed herein. In a described embodiment, the screen printer 100 comprises: i) a stencil 110 with a plurality of apertures; ii) a paste dispenser arranged to dispense a paste material through the plurality of apertures of the stencil to form a print pattern of the stencil to form a print pattern of the paste material on an electronic device; iii) an image capturing device in the form of a fiducial camera 176 arranged to capture at least one image of the plurality of apertures 114 of the stencil 110; iv) a processor 180 arranged to select which of the apertures 114 require cleaning based on the at least one captured image; and v) a cleaning device 138 arranged to clean the selected apertures 114. A method of cleaning a stencil 110 of an SMT screen printer 100 is also disclosed. |
| US09254639B2 |
Cartridge for histological specimen slides
A cartridge for histological specimen slides includes a generally enclosed body and a slide holder. The body is configured for removable insertion into a specimen slide printer, and includes a slide holder receiving opening and a slide feed opening. The slide holder holds a plurality of specimen slides and is configured to be positioned within and removed from the body through the slide holder receiving opening. When loaded in the body the slide holder positions and presents the slides to the slide feed opening in the body. A memory chip for storing information relating to the slides can be mounted to the holder, and is located adjacent an access opening in the body when the holder is positioned in the body. |
| US09254636B2 |
Display module reworkability
Techniques are disclosed for a cutting apparatus that can be used to cut a target layer within a display module, e.g., a liquid crystal display that includes a protective cover glass. The cutting apparatus includes a platform that supports a track. The cutting apparatus also includes a linear slide that is configured to both hold the display module in place and travel along the track, where the movement of the linear slide along the track is driven by a mass that is in free fall. The cutting apparatus further includes a cutting wire, where the cutting wire is positioned relative to the target layer and oscillates to cut the target layer as the linear slide moves along the track. Additional techniques are disclosed and directed toward a method for operating the cutting apparatus described above. |
| US09254634B2 |
Process for making a laminated sheet
A process is provided for making stiff, lightweight laminate materials. At least one sheet of textured lamina having raised pointed structures is forced against a softer plain lamina so as to embed the structures therein. The pointed structures raised from grooves carved into the surface of the sheet material by means of a set of teeth carried on a knife element. The pointed structures may pierce through the softer lamina such that the protruding tips may be bent over or clinched to prevent their easy withdrawal. Two such texturized lamina may be used to sandwich and pierce through the softer lamina and are co-clinched by the other. In this way a light and stiff laminate is created. |
| US09254632B2 |
Method and apparatus for making sealed pouches
A method and apparatus for making pouches is disclosed. It includes using one or more of the following features: using two servo motors to drive a platen, providing a calibration routine is run at start-up and/or after the machine has been operating; controlling in response to feed back from the servo motor(s) such as feedback indicative of the distance the platen travels; the feedback is not of force exerted by the platen; and/or the platen is controlled to prevent unacceptable fracturing of the film laminate. |
| US09254631B2 |
Lamination apparatus
Disclosed herein is a lamination apparatus including: a mechanism configured to transport a belt-like flexible substrate including a transfer layer and a supporting layer layered on each other; a mechanism configured to transport a sheet-like rigid substrate; a mechanism configured to coat adhesive to the transfer layer while transporting the belt-like flexible substrate; a mechanism configured to cut the transfer layer having the adhesive coated thereon into a sheet while transporting the belt-like flexible substrate; and a mechanism configured to laminate the transfer layer cut out into the sheet to the rigid substrate through the adhesive while transporting the belt-like flexible substrate and the sheet-like rigid substrate. |
| US09254625B2 |
Polymer interlayers having improved optical properties
An interlayer comprised of a thermoplastic resin, at least one high refractive index plasticizer and, optionally, a conventional plasticizer. The use of a thermoplastic resin, a high refractive index plasticizer, and, optionally, a conventional plasticizer reduces or minimizes the optical defects caused by different refractive indices without sacrificing other characteristics of the interlayer. |
| US09254623B2 |
Quick assembling furniture
The invention is directed to furniture such as of floor independently standing or wall mounted furniture, cabinetry, containers, boxes that can be lightweight, modular, easily assembled and disassembled. |
| US09254621B2 |
Method for attaching crimping members, sheet binding device, and image forming apparatus
The present invention is concerning a method for attaching a pair of crimping members in a sheet binding device that binds a sheet bundle by engagement of the pair of crimping members, wherein at least one of the crimping members is attached to a member to which the one of the crimping members is to be attached in a state where the pair of crimping members is in engagement. |
| US09254616B2 |
Apparatus for removing an ophthalmic lens from a mold half
An apparatus (1;2) for removing an ophthalmic lens from a mold half (3;4), comprises a ring member (10;20) movable towards and away from the mold half (3;4), the ring member (10;20) comprising a central opening (103;203) and a plurality of nozzles (100;200) circumferentially distributed about the ring member (10;20), each nozzle (100;200) having an outlet opening directed towards the mold half (3,4) as the ring member (10;20) is placed on the mold half (3;4), and a gripper member (11;21) arranged to be movable towards and away from the mold half (3;4) through the central opening (103;203) of the ring member (10;20). |
| US09254606B2 |
Nanoscale fiber films, composites, and methods for alignment of nanoscale fibers by mechanical stretching
Methods for aligning nanoscale fibers are provided. One method comprises providing a network of nanoscale fibers and mechanically stretching the network of nanoscale fibers in a first direction. The network of nanoscale fibers is substantially devoid of a liquid. A network of aligned nanoscale fibers and a composite comprising a network of aligned nanoscale fibers are also provided. |
| US09254597B2 |
Adjustment mechanism for movable platen
An adjustment mechanism for a movable platen of an injection molding machine is provided with a push bolt, configured to apply a force to push up the movable platen against a gravitational force, and a pull bolt, configured to apply a force to draw in the movable platen in the direction of gravity. The movable platen is adjusted by regulating its height above a base of the molding machine in a plurality of positions at different distances from a fixed platen. |
| US09254596B2 |
Top gate mold with particle trap
A top-gate molding system for encapsulating semiconductor devices includes a plurality of mold cavities formed between a middle plate and a bottom plate, and a runner system formed between an upper plate and the middle plate. The runner system includes a runner with a plurality of reservoirs along its length, with a gate extending from each of the reservoirs to one of the cavities. A particle trap is positioned on the bottom of the runner between a sprue and a first one of the reservoirs, to capture contaminating particles in a flow of molding compound before the particles enter any of the reservoirs. The particle trap can be, for example, a notch or a channel extending transversely across the bottom of the runner, or a dummy reservoir upstream of the first of the plurality of reservoirs. |
| US09254590B2 |
Method for preparing fabric-integrated cross-linked foamed product
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fabric-integrated cross-linked foamed product, comprising the steps: preparing a mold having a cavity; filling the cavity of the mold with a molding material in an amount greater than the volume of the cavity of the mold; pressurizing and heating the mold; releasing pressure before the molding material of the mold begins to be cross-linked after having reached the softening point by the applied heat, and opening the mold; completely removing the molding material other than the molding material charged in the cavity of the mold, of the molten molding material in the opened mold; placing fabric on the upper surface of the mold the cavity of which is filled with the molding material; pressurizing and heating the mold to cross-link the molding material in contact with the fabric; and releasing pressure and rapidly opening the mold to foam the cross-linked molding material in contact with the fabric. |
| US09254588B1 |
Protective layering process for circuit boards
A polymer layering process that encapsulates and protects electronics components with complex and imprecise geometries. The protective layering process provides a combination of a flexible mold and/or a rigid mold that apply close-forming, encapsulating the polymer layers to the electronic components and precision assemblies. Polymer layer protective jackets are shaped to as-populated circuit boards and assemblies, providing tightly fit barriers with fine resolution accommodating imprecise geometries. The protective jackets can be formed in rigid, semi-rigid, or highly flexible polymer films, to protect the circuitry from the elements, CTE mismatches, shock and vibration loads and extreme g-forces. |
| US09254584B2 |
Process for adding a coupling agent to raw stock
The invention relates to a process for manufacturing composite material which contains fiber based and polymer based material, wherein the manufacture includes a preliminary treatment process to form a raw stock mixture. According to the invention, the preliminary treatment process includes a hot-cold mixing device which comprises at least a heating stage, and that raw stock, which contains lignin-free material, and a coupling agent are fed to the mixing device to form the raw stock mixture, and adhesion between fiber based and polymer based substances of the raw stock is ameliorated by the coupling agent. |
| US09254580B2 |
Guard system for a power saw
A modular guard system for a power saw includes a riving knife mounted to the saw rearwardly of the blade and having first and second notches with openings facing away from each other. A blade guard assembly is releasably mounted on the riving knife and configured to cover the blade. The blade guard assembly includes a mounting portion configured to receive a top portion of the riving knife having the first and second notches and a release mechanism provided in the mounting portion and having a spring member for engaging the first notch and a latch member connected to the spring member for engaging the second notch. The latch member exerts a force on the spring member to cooperatively hold the first and second notches between the spring member and the latch member to retain the riving knife in the mounting portion. |
| US09254577B2 |
Knife and sheath assembly with realeasable knife securing function
A knife and sheath assembly includes a sheath including a knife receptacle defining knife-receiving open chamber, a knife stopper located at the knife receptacle and a stretchable part operable to move said knife stopper, a knife including a blade insertable into the knife-receiving open chamber, a handle and a shoulder connected between the blade and the handle and stoppable by the knife stopper to keep the blade in the knife-receiving open chamber, and an operating member including a mounting part affixed to the sheath or the knife and an actuating part connected to the mounting part and operable to force the stretchable part of the sheath against the knife stopper in direction away from the shoulder of the knife. |
| US09254575B2 |
Attachment structure for drive cables of robot and robot apparatus provided therewith
An attachment structure for drive cables include a first fixing member and a second fixing member separate from the first fixing member, which are designed to fix the drive cables in a non-slidable manner. The first fixing member is disposed behind a pivot body of a robot so as to pivot together with the pivot body. The second fixing member is disposed so as to be spaced apart from the first fixing member in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of an arm of the robot. The drive cables are fixed so as to be convexly curved upward in a portion between the first fixing member and the second fixing member. |
| US09254574B2 |
Robot arm assembly
A robot arm assembly with tubes or pipes carrying fluids or electrical cables which do not get bent and are relatively straight, and are not disrupted by, the moving parts of the robot arm includes a first robot arm, a second robot arm, a third robot arm, and a flexible carrying tube. The second robot arm includes a first axle base, a first input shaft, a first bevel gear, and a second bevel gear. The flexible tube is inserted into the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear along a first axis, and fixed to the output shaft. |
| US09254572B2 |
Power control of a robotic tool changer
A robotic tool changer removably attaches a robotic tool to a robotic arm. The changer includes a tool module connected to the robotic tool, and a master module connected to the robotic arm. To attach and detach the robotic tool, the changer couples and uncouples the tool module and the master module. A master electrical signal module (ESM) affixes to the master module and a tool ESM affixes to the tool module. In accordance with design requirements, the changer applies the same power supply to both the master ESM and the tool ESM. The changer, however, selectively suppresses application of the power supply to the tool ESM, while maintaining application of the power supply to the master ESM, during the coupling or uncoupling of the master module and the tool module. In doing so, the changer enables such coupling and uncoupling, while also preventing the formation of transient electric arcs. |
| US09254568B2 |
Robot control methods
A robot control method of controlling a robot that has a flexible module including ‘n’ first nodes participating in pan motion and ‘n’ second nodes participating in tilt motion may include: measuring a translational motion distance, a pan motion angle, and a tilt motion angle of the flexible module; calculating state vectors of the ‘n’ first nodes and the ‘n’ second nodes using the measured translational motion distance; calculating operating angle distribution rates of the ‘n’ first nodes and operating angle distribution rates of the ‘n’ second nodes using the calculated state vectors of the ‘n’ first nodes and the calculated state vectors of the ‘n’ second nodes; and/or calculating operating angles of the ‘n’ first nodes and operating angles of the ‘n’ second nodes using the calculated operating angle distribution rates and the measured pan motion angle and tilt motion angle. |
| US09254566B2 |
Robot having end effector and method of operating the same
The present invention relates to an end effector including: blade members for holding substrates, each configured to hold the substrate, and configured such that each interval between the blade members can be changed; a blade support unit configured to support the blade members, the blade support unit being configured to be driven integrally with the blade members by the robot; and blade drive means configured to change the interval between the blade members by moving at least one of the blade members relative to another blade member. |
| US09254564B2 |
Support, holding, and/or carrying apparatus
A support, holding, and/or carrying apparatus, especially for a device that has an elongate and movable arm which serves as a support, holder, or carrier, wherein the arm includes a hose provided for receiving a gaseous or liquid medium, which hose, when it has received the medium under pressure, is elastically bendable, and provided at the ends of the hose are elements for connecting the element to another part of the carrying apparatus and/or to the device. The elements are flanges connected gas-tight to the ends of the hose; preferably at least one of the flanges is provided with a valve for filling the hose with the medium. |
| US09254563B2 |
Power tool
The present invention provides a power tool that can be used at a position away from the external power source. The power tool includes a housing, a motor, an end tool, a battery pack, and an inverter. The motor is supported by the housing and driven by alternate-current power. The end tool is supported by the housing and rotatably driven by the motor. The battery pack outputs direct-current voltage. The inverter is disposed outside the housing and is configured to convert the direct-current voltage outputted from the battery pack into alternate-current voltage and supplies the motor with alternate-current power. |
| US09254560B2 |
Auto emergency tool
An ergonomic auto emergency tool for alternatively functioning as a flashlight, an illuminating distress signal, a sonic alarm, a tire depth gauge, a tire air pressure gauge, a seat belt cutter and a motor vehicle window glass breaker. The auto emergency tool includes a main portion and a projecting portion extending from a joining portion and being integral with the main portion, and defining a seat belt-receiving notch therebetween. A knife blade extends across the notch proximate the joining portion. An inner main portion-facing upper surface of the projecting portion is configured to facilitate the movement of the tool towards and through a seat belt, and the bottom outer surface of the projecting portion is curved for both easy handling and for enabling a firm grip when the tool is used to break window glass. The window-breaking mechanism includes a depressible plunger cover for releasing a spring-loaded impact member. A projecting portion and a main housing portion cooperate to define a seat belt receptacle. A blade cover is insertable into the seat belt receptacle. A blade cover includes a tire tread-depth gauge. The auto emergency tool further has a tire pressure gauge with a digital display. An optional visor clip is also provided for storing the tool on the visor of a motor vehicle. The visor clip has an alternate blade cover for attaching the tool to the visor. |
| US09254559B2 |
Drill hammer and/or impact hammer having free convection cooling
The invention relates to a percussion tool having an internal combustion engine and a hammer mechanism that can be driven by the internal combustion engine by means of a transmission. A part of the engine housing, the transmission housing, or the impact hammer mechanism housing is enclosed by a cover. The cover is spaced at a distance from the remainder of the machine, so that a gap is present between the cover and the remainder of the machine. Cooling air can flow into the gap at the lower face of the cover and flow back out via a flue and an opening. The components beneath the cover are thereby effectively cooled, even without an additional cooling air blower. |
| US09254558B1 |
Reverse scissor tool for cleaning and filling resealable plastic bags
A reverse scissor tool can be used for cleaning and filling resealable plastic bags. The reverse scissor tool comprises a first handle mechanically coupled to a first body. The first handle is mechanically coupled to a second handle by a hinge. The second handle is further mechanically coupled to a second body. The first body is mechanically coupled to a first wing. The second body is mechanically coupled to a second wing. The reverse scissor tool can be inserted into a bag that has been turned inside out, and then gently expand the bag to expose all inside edges, corners, and seams for a thorough and complete cleaning. |
| US09254557B2 |
Ratchet wrench with dustproof structure
A ratchet wrench includes a driving device having first and second sides spaced along a rotating axis. A compartment extends from the first side through the second side. A drive member is received in the compartment and includes an end for driving a tool. A ledge is formed on an inner periphery of an end of the compartment at the second side. A pressing rod extends into the drive member via the end of the compartment at the second side. The pressing rod is movable relative to the drive member along the rotating axis to control engagement with or detachment from the tool. A dustproof ring is mounted between the ledge and the pressing rod. The dustproof ring includes an outer side and an inner side. The outer side presses against an abutment portion of the ledge. The inner side presses against the pressing rod. |
| US09254555B2 |
Clamping device with removable handles
A clamping device has a removable handle to move a clamp between an opened and clamped position. A receiving member is on the clamp to receive the handle. The handle has a latching member to couple with the receiving member. An actuating member is coupled with the handle to move the clamp from an opened to clamped position. A release mechanism is coupled with the clamp or handle to move the clamp from a clamped to an opened position. |
| US09254550B2 |
Surface coating processes and uses of same
The present application relates to processes for coating surfaces and provides a method of forming a coating on a surface. The method involves bombarding a surface with particles having sufficient energy to remove surface material. At the same time an aerosol is delivered to the surface. The cooperative action of the particles impinging on the surface and the presence of the aerosol contribute to the formation of a coating on the surface. |
| US09254549B2 |
Grinding machine
A grinding machine includes: a grinding wheel of which movement in an X direction and a Z direction is controlled and that grinds a workpiece; and a truing unit that is installed at a predetermined position and that trues a machining surface of the grinding wheel. The truing unit includes: a movable table that is installed to be movable in the X direction relative to a support member; a truer that is rotatably installed in the movable table and that trues the machining surface of the grinding wheel; and an X-direction pressing mechanism that presses the truer in the X direction along with the movable table. |
| US09254541B2 |
Machine tool having rotary table
A machine tool includes a rotary table on which a workpiece is mounted, a clamping mechanism for clamping the rotary table against rotation, and a sensor for detecting completion of a clamping operation of the clamping mechanism. A numerical controller for controlling the machine tool calculates the time required for actual operations of the clamping mechanism, taking into account beforehand the processing time for processing a feedback signal from a sensor and the time until the next operation of the machine tool. By controlling the clamping mechanism based on the calculated required time, the cycle time of clamping or unclamping operations is shortened. |
| US09254540B2 |
Mounting structure of movable manufacturing device, fixing structure and movable manufacturing device
Mounting structure to allow a production line made up of movable manufacturing devices to be rearranged quickly, safely, and reliably. The mounting structure according to the present invention includes a fixing structure installed on a floor and a leg portion installed on a bottom plate of the movable manufacturing device. The fixing structure comprises a floor side positioning member and a floor side coupling member while the leg portion comprises a leg side positioning member and a leg side coupling member. The floor side positioning member and the leg side positioning member positions the movable manufacturing device accurately by fitting each other when the device is placed at the specified location of the fixing structure. The floor side coupling member and the leg side coupling member fixes the movable manufacturing device located on the fixing structure by coupling each other. |
| US09254538B2 |
Method of minimizing stacking element distortions in optical assemblies
A compound optical assembly is constructed from a plurality of stacking elements for spacing, aligning, and retaining optical elements within the assembly. Stacking faces of the stacking elements are measured and low-order surface errors are extracted, represented by mathematical approximations having a primary angular frequency. The stacking elements including the optic holders are relatively oriented to promote complementarity between the low-order surface errors of mating stacking faces. |
| US09254521B2 |
Methods of melting and introducing amorphous alloy feedstock for casting or processing
Various embodiments provide apparatus and methods for melting and introducing alloy feedstock for molding by using a hollow branch having a constraint mechanism therein. In one embodiment, a hollow branch can extend upward from a cold chamber that is substantially horizontally configured. The hollow branch including a constraint mechanism can be capable of containing an alloy feedstock for melting into the molten alloy in the hollow branch and introducing the molten alloy to the cold chamber for molding. |
| US09254518B2 |
Method of eliminating the heat-affected zone in a welded article
A method of manufacturing a crankshaft comprising providing two parts, each part comprising two webs, a portion of a crank journal and a portion of a main journal, welding the two portions of the crank journal together, heating the crank journal, inserting a shim between the webs, and upset forging to reduce the length of the crank journal to form a forged segment. Alternatively, the portions of the main journal may be welded, heated, shimmed, and forged to form a forged segment. The crankshaft may be lengthened by adding additional parts or forged segments using the same steps. A production line for carrying out this method when producing a crankshaft with n number of crank journals, where n is an even integer. |
| US09254517B2 |
Upper die and temporary clamping method thereof
An upper die is removable in an up-down direction with respect to an upper die mounting groove that is arranged in a left-right direction at a lower part of an upper table of a press brake. The upper die includes a stop piece having a stop projection that is engageable with a stop groove that is formed in the left-right direction in each of upper die contact faces which face each other in a front-rear direction, the stop piece being movable out of and into a surface of the upper die and pushed in a direction to project out of the surface of the upper die. A bottom face of the stop projection for engaging with the stop groove is an inclined face that rises toward a front end of the stop projection. |
| US09254516B2 |
Method of forming anchors
The inventive method of forming anchors comprises following steps. A rod-shaped workpiece is roll-formed by penetrating the rod-shaped workpiece with two wedge-shaped tools at two points. The two points are arranged on opposite sides and axially separated of a plane perpendicular to an axis of the rod-shaped workpiece. The two wedge-shaped tools are axially approaching to the plane while the rod-shaped workpiece is revolved around the axis. The roll-formed workpiece is separated along the plane for forming two bolts. A sleeve is applied around the anchor bolts. |
| US09254513B2 |
Method and device for lubricating rollers and a rolled strip of a rolling stand
A method for lubricating rolls, especially work rolls (2, 3) of a rolling stand, and rolling stock (6) passed between the rolls during the rolling operation, in which a lubricant-gas mixture, a lubricant-water-gas mixture, a lubricant-water mixture and/or a grease-medium mixture is applied to the rolls (2, 3) or the rolling stock (6) on the run-in side of the rolling stand, is characterized by the fact that the mixture is prepared with at least one mixing device (14, 17, 27, 29, 31, 35) in the area upstream of the rolling stand. |
| US09254512B2 |
Rolling system for rolling strip-shaped rolling stock
The invention relates to a rolling system for rolling strip-shaped rolling stock, comprising at least one first (1, 5) and one second reel (20), and at least one reversing frame (8, 13) between the two reels (1, 5, 20) and comprising associated coil transport means (22, 23, 28) for feeding or removing coils of the rolling stock to and from the respective coil transfer stations (24, 29), if present, and comprising transverse transport means (27) for the coil transport between the coil transfer stations (24, 29, 30). The invention is characterized in that a single common coil transport means (25), by which the coils can be transported from or to the transverse transport means (27), is disposed downstream of the coil transfer stations (24, 29). |
| US09254501B2 |
Method of supplying paint to a paint cartridge
A paint supply method supplies a paint into a paint cartridge by using a filling valve that has: a paint supply channel that is linkable in communication with a supply portion provided for supplying the paint into the paint cartridge; a branch channel that branches from the paint supply channel near a site of linkage in communication between the supply portion and the paint supply channel; and a trigger valve as an open-close valve of the paint supply channel which is disposed in the paint supply channel upstream of the site of linkage in communication. After a filling liquid is filled into the branch channel, the trigger valve (open-close valve) is opened, and the paint is supplied into the paint cartridge via the paint supply channel. |
| US09254499B2 |
Apparatus for displaying shower or bath water parameters
The present invention is a display apparatus for affixation to a shower or bath water supply piping or incorporated within a shower, or bath or faucet head, in an aesthetically pleasing format and comprised of fabrication materials e.g., a polymeric or metallic bases with chrome, brass white or colored finishes or combination of these finishes and materials of construction. The display apparatus includes a power generation, CPU or microprocessor, temperature sensor and/or water flow sensors, timing circuits and a display means. The display means can be an analog or digital display or combination of display means. Ergonomically placed buttons can be incorporated into the display means to change parameter units (e.g. metric to US), set alarm conditions (e.g. temperature over set point, time past a set point, flow rate set points). The display means must be able to provide sufficient lighting in shower conditions. In addition, the display means must be able to sustain capability in moist wet conditions. In the embodiment defined by the attached shower display apparatus, know piping joint technology will be used for installation into both new and presently installed shower systems. In the embodiment defined by the display means incorporate into the shower head the shower head/display assembly can also be installed in both new and presently installed shower systems. |
| US09254496B2 |
Articles for manipulating impinging liquids and methods of manufacturing same
This invention relates generally to an article that includes a non-wetting surface having a dynamic contact angle of at least about 90°. The surface is patterned with macro-scale features configured to induce controlled asymmetry in a liquid film produced by impingement of a droplet onto the surface, thereby reducing time of contact between the droplet and the surface. |
| US09254491B2 |
File shredder having a metal detector
The invention relates to a file shredder with a device for detecting metallic objects introduced into the paper feed of the file shredder, a cutting unit with rotating cutting tools, a motor for driving the cutting tools and a transmission device for connecting the motor to the rotating cutting tools. According to the invention, substantially all of the metallic components of the cutting unit of the file shredder surrounding the rotating cutting tools, the motor and the transmission device are connected with one another in an electrically conducting manner such that they lie on a common defined electric potential. |
| US09254490B2 |
Process for treating fly ash and a rotary mill therefor
A process for treating fly ash to activate the fly ash so that it may be used as a substitute for Portland cement, with the process including the use of a specialized rotary mill having variably sized and shaped media to increase the surface area of one fly ash component by grinding, avoiding milling a second fly ash component, while roughing up the surface of the second component to increase its surface area. |
| US09254485B2 |
Systems and methods for an integrated bio-entity manipulation and processing device
An integrated semiconductor device for manipulating and processing bio-entity samples is disclosed. The device includes a microfluidic channel formed between a first substrate and a second substrate and a microfluidic grid formed over the first substrate and coupled to the microfluidic channel to manipulate a droplet within the microfluidic channel. The device further includes a magnetic field generation device included in the microfluidic grid and fluidic control circuitry coupled to the magnetic device to facilitate control of the magnetic field generation device to manipulate the droplet, when the droplet contains at least one magnetic bead, within the microfluidic channel. |
| US09254484B2 |
Methods and systems for processing samples on porous substrates
Methods and systems for processing samples fixed to a porous substrate generally comprising, a compressor defining one or more fluid isolation areas, a support, for the porous substrate, having an opening corresponding to one or more of the fluid isolation areas of the compressor, an actuator that causes at least a portion of the compressor to press against the porous substrate, a fluid inlet having access to the fluid isolation area at least when the compressor is pressed against the porous substrate, and a fluid outlet to receive fluid, through the opening in the support corresponding to the fluid isolation area of the compressor, at least when the compressor is pressed against the porous substrate. |
| US09254481B2 |
Low phosphorus chabazites
A catalyst composition is provided having a CHA crystal structure; about 0.5 to about 5.0 mol % phosphorus; and SiO2 and Al2O3 in a mole ratio of about 5 to about 40. The catalyst composition is capable of NOx conversion at elevated temperatures. A catalytically active washcoat includes such catalyst compositions and one or more promoters or stabilizers, and may be applied to a monolith substrate to produce a catalytically active article. Methods of reducing NOx employing the catalyst compositions are also provided. |
| US09254478B2 |
Solutions and catalysts comprising group VI metal, group VIII metal, phosphorus and an additive
This invention provides a process for forming a solution composition, which process comprises forming a primary solution by bringing together, in an aqueous medium, i) at least one phosphorus compound, ii) at least one Group VI metal compound, iii) at least one Group VIII metal compound, and iv) an additive which is a) tetraethylene glycol, b) polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight in the range of about 200 to about 400, c) a mixture of tetraethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight in the range of about 200 to about 400, or d) a mixture of (1) tetraethylene glycol and/or polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight in the range of about 200 to about 400 and (2) one or more of monoethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and triethylene glycol. The molar ratio of additive to the total moles of Group VI metal and Group VIII metal is above 0.30:1, and the atomic ratio of phosphorus to Group VI metal is at least about 0.33:1. Optionally, the primary solution is heated at a temperature above about 40° C. to form a heated solution. The heated solution is optionally cooled to form a cooled solution. Also provided are compositions formed by such processes, processes for forming catalyst compositions from these compositions, and catalyst compositions formed by these processes. |
| US09254476B2 |
Chromia alumina catalysts for alkane dehydrogenation
Provided are methods of making dehydrogenation catalyst supports containing bayerite and silica. Silica-stabilized alumina powder, prepared by spray drying of bayerite powder, precipitating silica in a bayerite slurry with an acid, or impregnation or co-extrusion of bayerite with sodium silicate solution was found to be a superior catalyst support precursor. Catalysts prepared with these silica containing support materials have higher hydrothermal stability than current CATOFIN® catalysts. Also provided is a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising Cr2O3, an alkali metal oxide, SiO2 and Al2O3, and methods of using said catalyst to make an olefin and/or dehydrogenate a dehydrogenatable hydrocarbon. |
| US09254474B2 |
Method for selectively isolating hydrogen or helium using a natrolite-based zeolite, and novel natrolite-based zeolite
The present invention relates to selectively isolating gases using a natrolite-based zeolite, and more particularly, to a novel natrolite-based zeolite and to selectively isolating hydrogen and/or helium gas using a natrolite-based zeolite. The present invention is characterized in that gas containing hydrogen is brought into contact with a natrolite-based zeolite to selectively isolate the hydrogen. The present invention provides a sorbent which can selectively isolate hydrogen and/or helium, and provides a method for isolating the hydrogen and/or helium at room temperature or at a high temperature. |
| US09254473B2 |
Spunbond web for adsorption of petrochemical substances from liquids gases
An adsorption web for adsorption of petrochemical substances from liquid phases or for adsorption of odorous substances has at least one face coated with a polymer. At least one adsorption substance present is in the polymer as a filler and has micropores or mesopores or macropores. |
| US09254470B1 |
Segmented liner and transition support ring for use in a fluidized bed reactor
Transition support rings for joining tubular segments of different inner cross-sectional dimensions to make segmented liners for use in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) for making polysilicon-coated granulate material are disclosed. Segmented liners comprising the transition support rings and fluidized bed reactors including segmented liners are also disclosed. |
| US09254468B2 |
Stable formulated systems with chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene
The present invention relates to formulated refrigerant systems of 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (R-1233zd) that are sufficiently thermally and chemically stable such that they can be effectively used sans additional stabilizers. The formulations of the present invention are particularly useful compositions for refrigeration, heat transfer and foam blowing. |
| US09254463B2 |
Hollow fiber membrane mats with fluid impermeable segments and related methods
In at least one embodiment, the invention preferably relates to a hollow fiber membrane mat having hollow fiber membranes arranged parallel to one another and adjacent to one another, the membranes having a wall and a continuous lumen, wherein the hollow fiber membranes are connected to one another by means of a plurality of linear connecting elements which are arranged spaced apart from one another and parallel to one another and the membranes are kept apart from one another by the linear connecting elements and wherein the hollow fiber membranes are composed of a thermoplastic polymer and wherein the walls of the hollow fiber membranes arranged adjacent to one another are fluid-tight in at least one stripe extending parallel to the linear connecting elements, inside of which stripe the hollow fiber membranes are fluid-tight, preferably have a superheated steam shrinkage of at most 5%. Other embodiments of the invention preferably relate to a method for producing and/or using such hollow fiber membrane mats. |
| US09254462B2 |
Reclaiming apparatus and reclaiming method
In a reclaiming apparatus (106) that includes an airtight container (106a) as an absorbent storing unit that stores a part of an absorbent that absorbs CO2 included in an exhaust gas and a heating unit that heats the absorbent stored in the airtight container (106a), a part of the absorbent stored in the airtight container (106a) is distributed, and a gaseous body is brought into counterflow contact with the absorbent that is distributed. As a result, since the gaseous body is brought into counterflow contact with a part of the absorbent stored in the absorbent storing unit, an absorbent component volatilizes and is separated from a degraded material, and the absorbent component can be extracted from the degraded material, whereby a loss of the absorbent can be reduced. |
| US09254461B2 |
Methods, systems, and devices for liquid hydrocarbon fuel production, hydrocarbon chemical production, and aerosol capture
Methods, systems, and devices for liquid hydrocarbon fuel production, hydrocarbon chemical production, and aerosol capture are provided. For example, a carbon-oxygen-hydrogen (C—O—H) compound may be heated to a temperature of at least 800 degrees Celsius such that the C—O—H compound reacts through a non-oxidation reaction to generate at least a hydrocarbon compound that may be at least a component of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel or a hydrocarbon chemical. The liquid hydrocarbon fuel may be a liquid when at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. The C—O—H compound may include biomass. In some cases, the hydrocarbon compound produced through the non-oxidation reaction includes a hydrocarbon aerosol form as the hydrocarbon compound at least as it is produced or cools. Some embodiments include aerosol capture methods, systems, and devices, which may include passing a hydrocarbon aerosol form through a material in a liquid phase in order to gather the aerosol material. |
| US09254458B2 |
Filter inlet
A filter including a filter housing with a horizontal partition wall dividing the filter housing into a dean-gas chamber and a dust chamber. The filter has an inlet part in open communication with the dust chamber. The inlet part is configured for supplying a dust-containing flow of gas to the dust chamber. The gas flow is conveyed through the filter elements and upwards into the dean-gas chamber where the filtered gas is discharged through a clean-gas outlet. In the filter housing, a cylindrical inner portion is arranged that encircles the filter elements. A round-going inlet part is opposed to the cylindrical inner part. The round-going inlet part has a larger diameter than at least a portion of the filter housing that adjoins the inlet part. Gas flow is divided into an upwardly and downwardly oriented gas flow controlled by arrangement of the cylindrical inner part. |
| US09254457B2 |
Air filter system, air filter element and method for exchanging an air filter element
An air filter system, in particular for the intake air of internal combustion engines, is provided. It comprises a housing with a housing upper part and a round air filter element for filtering air, the housing comprising a clean air connection for discharging clean air from the housing and an annular sealing groove axially opened towards the interior area of the housing surrounding the clean air connection for the engagement of an annular sealing web axially extending away from the filter element, the sealing groove featuring a cylindrical contact area to which a sealing surface of the sealing web can be applied in particular radially sealingly, wherein the sealing groove features a cylindrical support area facing the contact area and the support area features at least one extension protruding from the support area in the direction of the sealing surface, wherein the sealing web features a second surface opposite to the sealing surface that features several annularly surrounding indentations in radial direction, wherein the at least one extension engages respectively one of the indentations. |
| US09254456B2 |
Liquid filter with an eccentric liquid discharge channel
A liquid filter with a replaceable filter insert and a housing having a raw liquid inlet, a central clean liquid outlet, and an eccentric liquid discharge channel. A standpipe extends above the liquid outlet and receives the insert. The insert has an eccentric closing pin. A first positioning arrangement is arranged on the clean liquid outlet and a lower end region of the standpipe so that, when the standpipe is plugged into the clean liquid outlet, the standpipe is guided into a particular position relative to the filter housing. A second positioning arrangement is arranged on the standpipe and the insert so that, when the insert is plugged onto the standpipe, it is guided into a particular position relative to the standpipe. The positioning arrangements are matched to one another so that the closing pin on the insert enters into engagement with the discharge channel in the filter housing. |
| US09254455B2 |
Method for filtering
Embodiments of the disclosure provide a filter structure. A second porous film having a plurality of second holes is disposed on a first porous film having a plurality of first holes. The second holes are smaller than the first holes. The filter structure is dried by an easy and power-saving method such as compression. |
| US09254446B2 |
Suspended play structure
A suspended play structure includes a floor, a sidewall, and a roof that defines an inner space. The structure includes top and bottom ring structures that provide additional support to the play structure. The play structure can be suspended from a tree, a stand, a ceiling, or similar structure. The structure is collapsible for easy storage and can also include a removable cushion that can fit within an internal pocket. The structure can also include a removable string of LED lights within the inner space. |
| US09254443B1 |
Custom game boards
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing custom features in a game is provided. A themed game board associated with a first set of rules of a computer-implemented game is generated. The first set of rules relates to a theme of the themed game board and is different than a second set of rules associated with a game board without a theme. Game board display data is provided to a first client device of a first player to display the themed game board. A move on the themed game board is received from the first client device, and a score associated with the move is generated. The score is based on the first set of rules relating to the theme, where the score is different than a score associated with the move on the game board without a theme. |
| US09254436B2 |
Regular visitor to friend board in viral game
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for presenting Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) in an online game. In one method, a player becomes a “regular” visitor of a friend when the player visits the friend a predetermined amount of times within a certain period (e.g., three times within the last seven days). When a player becomes a regular visitor, the player may obtain items (e.g., pepper) that are not obtainable in any other way. As long as a player is a regular visitor, the player may continue visiting the friend to continue obtaining the special items. However, if the player falls below the threshold of visits required within the period, the status of regular visitor is lost by the player, and the player may regain the regular status by meeting the requirement again. |
| US09254429B1 |
Apparatus for football training
The present disclosure provides a training apparatus for developing fundamental skill for the game of football which comprises a base pad having at least one of a hand grip and a shoulder pad, and an outer pad mounted and securely stitched to a front of the base pad. The outer pad includes a torso region and a shoulder region shaped to mimic shoulder pads of a football player. In some embodiments, the outer pad is covered with a grippable mesh material adapted to mimic a texture and form of a football jersey. The outer pad may be smaller than and fit within a perimeter of the front of the base pad, and during training, the outer pad is adapted to draw attention to the center of the training apparatus to draw hands of a training player inside the perimeter of the base pad. |
| US09254427B2 |
Active golf tee
Disclosed are systems and methods associated with a golf tee configured to reduce or eliminate spin imparted on a golf ball due to friction between a contact surface of the golf tee and the golf ball. In one embodiment, the golf tee includes a retracting mechanism to retract the support member of the golf tee prior to impact between the golf club face and the golf ball, at least one swing sensor to measure motion parameters of an approaching golf club, and a processing unit to control the retracting mechanism based on the measured motion parameters. In another embodiment, the golf tee includes a contactless support mechanism to support the golf ball, a position sensor to detect a position of the golf ball, and a processing unit to control the support mechanism, based on data from the position sensor, to manipulate the position of the golf ball. |
| US09254425B2 |
Golf ball with single thermoplastic cover layer of heterogeneous composition
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a golf ball having a single cover layer of heterogeneous composition. One embodiment of the invention describes a method wherein a core, comprising one or more layers, has pre-molded hemispherical cover cups placed about the core and each cover cup has at least two layers of distinct resinous materials, and the cover cups are heated and compressed such that the resinous materials in the cover cups intermingle with each other to form a single heterogeneous cover layer. |
| US09254411B1 |
Treadmill with adjustable shock-absorbing structure
A treadmill includes a frame, a support plate mounted on the frame, and a shock-absorbing structure mounted on two opposite sides of the frame. The shock-absorbing structure includes an elastic bar mounted between the frame and the support plate to support the support plate and to provide a shock-absorbing function. The elastic bar is above the frame and under the support plate and has two opposite ends each pivotally mounted between the frame and the support plate. Thus, the elastic bar is movable in a horizontal direction and is elastically bendable toward an inner side or an outer side of the support plate to increase or decrease a contact area of the elastic bar and the support plate and to change the position of the elastic bar relative to the support plate. |
| US09254408B1 |
Exercise bar
An exercise bar having a frame and a pair of rails positioned interiorly of the ends of a frame. A pair of moveable handles engaged with and mounted upon the rails. The moveable handles have a user grip. A pair of spring assemblies is located at each end of the frame and attached therein between and to the frame and one end of each respective moveable handle. During exercise, a user place weights on the outer ends of the frame and may then move the exercise bar in a general vertical swinging motion up or down, similar to existing barbells, and add additional stress via a compound movement by moving the handles in towards the center of the load and concurrently handle towards the center of the exercise bar to produce a transverse stress upon the user and user's musculature. |
| US09254402B2 |
Movement facilitative device
The present invention discloses a movement facilitative device, basically comprising a first fixing module, a second fixing module, an energy storing module and a switching module, wherein the first fixing module and the second fixing module are fixed on the first extremity and the second extremity of the animal respectively. The first fixing module is connected with the second fixing module. The present invention has the advantages of decreasing the force required by the muscles during the exercise as well as retarding the impact enforced thereon while the user is jogging or exercising. Furthermore, the switching module of the present invention minimizes the limitations to the movement of the user so as to let the user exercise more effortlessly. |
| US09254392B2 |
Anodal capture detection
Systems and methods are described herein for determining whether anodal capture of the right ventricle is occurring when delivering left ventricular pacing with a cross-chamber pacing vector. The systems and methods may be measure cross-chamber sense times from left ventricular pacing and right ventricular pacing and compare the cross-chamber sense times to determine whether anodal capture of the right ventricle is occurring. |
| US09254387B2 |
VOA generation system and method using a fiber specific analysis
A system and method for generating an estimated volume of activation (VOA) corresponding to settings applied to a stimulation leadwire includes a processor performing the following: determining, for each of a plurality of neural elements, one or more respective parameters characterizing an electrical distribution along the neural element, looking up the one or more parameters for each of the neural elements in a look-up table (LUT), obtaining threshold values for each of the neural elements recorded in the LUT in association with the looked-up parameters, comparing, for each of the neural elements, a value of the leadwire settings to each of the respective threshold value, estimating based on the comparisons which of the neural elements would be activated by the settings, and generating a structure corresponding to a region including the neural elements estimated to be activated. |
| US09254381B1 |
Device, method and application software for curing of body ailments using low-level electrical current waveforms
A method for changing clusterization pattern of water molecules in the human body in order to speed up the healing process. A mobile device has an application, which generates different audio streams based on a type of illness needed to be cured. A user selects the illness type on the mobile device screen and a special connector placed into an audio output port of the module device provides the electric carrier wave signal to a surface of a human body. A mobile device needs to be plugged into a power source in order to have enough power to generate the signal of required intensity. The electric signal penetrates into the human body upon contact with the connector and gradually changes the pattern of clusterization of the water molecules of a person to a normal (healthy) pattern. |
| US09254378B2 |
Nerve interface electrode with fibers for insertion between nerve fascicles
A nerve interface electrode has a plurality of conductive fibers. The fibers have a nonconductive sheath (108) surrounding a conducting wire. A conducting region (105) of the wire is exposed to the interior of the nerve (200). The fibers are configured for insertion between fascicles (204) of the nerve. In other teachings, a layer of polymer material configured to switch from a high strength/tensile modulus state to a low strength/tensile modulus state upon introduction of the fibers into the nerve is disposed on the fibers. |
| US09254377B2 |
Multilayer helical wave filter for medical therapeutic or diagnostic applications
A multilayer helical wave filter having a primary resonance at a selected RF diagnostic or therapeutic frequency or frequency range, includes an elongated conductor forming at least a portion of an implantable medical lead. The elongated conductor includes a first helically wound segment having at least one planar surface, a first end and a second end, which forms a first inductive component, and a second helically wound segment having at least one planar surface, a first end and a second end, which forms a second inductive element. The first and second helically wound segments are wound in the same longitudinal direction and share a common longitudinal axis. Planar surfaces of the helically wound segments face one another, and a dielectric material is disposed between the facing planar surfaces of the helically wound segments and between adjacent coils of the helically wound segments, thereby forming a capacitance. |
| US09254375B2 |
Dispensing applicator for fluids
A hand-held dispensing applicator comprising a source of fluid a frangible applicator tip attached to the fluid source, and an absorbent member attached to the frangible applicator tip. When the frangible applicator tip is broken, fluid flows from the source to the absorbent member, whereby the fluid is applied and spread on a surface. Preferably the frangible applicator tip comprises a support element permanently connected to the fluid source, a relatively rigid tongue element extending outwardly of the support element, and a frangible region therebetween. Preferably, the tongue element comprises ribs for reinforcing the tongue element to resist unintentional breaking of the frangible region, and the applicator tip comprises a semi-permeable or non-permeable cover disposed around the frangible region to control the speed and direction of the dispersion of the fluid in the absorbent member. Adaptive embodiments allow the generation of designs applicable to a particular medical purpose. |
| US09254373B2 |
Medical device comprising adhesive pad
The invention relates to an adhesive pad and a surface plate which in combination can provide a medical device which is to be placed on the skin of a patient. The combined medical device is provided with a subcutaneous part which necessitates that the device is securely and comfortably attached to the patient's skin. Often such devices are used to transfer medication such as insulin to a patient from a reservoir. An embodiment according to the invention relates to a medical device comprising—a cannula (22) or another part to be positioned subcutaneously when in use,—a surface plate (1) provided with a contact surface and with an opening (12B) through which the cannula (22) or another subcutaneously positioned part passes when the medical device is in use, and—an adhesive pad (2) secured to the contact surface of the surface plate (1) providing adhesion of the surface plate (1) to a skin surface which adhesive pad (2) comprises—a first surface facing the contact surface and having areas unreleasably secured to the contact surface by welding, and—a second surface facing the skin of a patient during use and having areas provided with a skin compatible adhesive which can be releasably secured to the skin of a patient wherein an adhesive part (30) has been placed between the contact surface of the surface plate (1) and the first surface of the adhesive pad (2) in an area where the two surfaces have not been welded together thereby securing these unwelded areas of the contact surface to the first surface. |
| US09254368B2 |
Oxygen regulation with at least two SPO2 monitors and automatic recognition of a signal having a higher rating
A process and a device for oxygen regulation of a patient having at least two SPO2 monitors and a control for automatic recognition of which measurements are more reliable. The measurement from one or more of the two SPO2 is used to control the oxygen concentration delivered to a patient based on a comparison of the measurements from the at least two SPO2 monitors. |
| US09254365B2 |
Clinical syringe with replaceable retractable needle
A replaceable needle assembly is provided for a retractable syringe comprising a barrel and a plunger, whereby the retractable needle can be replaced by a user without affecting the retraction mechanism. A mounting member is removably mountable to the barrel by way of a screw-thread connection and a needle mount is removably coupled to the mounting member. A needle is mounted to the needle mount. The barrel comprises a needle mount retainer that comprises a plurality of fingers that engage the retractable needle mount to prevent inadvertent retraction. The plunger comprises a collapsible seal which maximizes the efficiency of fluid delivery prior to the plunger engaging the retractable needle mount for retraction. An initially compressed spring decompresses to drive retraction of the plunger and the engaged needle mount. A lock formed between the plunger and barrel prevents further use of the plunger after retraction. |
| US09254364B2 |
Assembly for a drug delivery device
An assembly for a drug delivery device (1), comprises a housing (2), a dose member (22), a guide track (42) and a spring member (26). The dose member (22) is adapted to be rotated in a dose setting direction with respect to the housing (2) for setting a dose of a drug (5) and to be rotated in a dose delivery direction with respect to the housing (2) for delivering the set dose. The dose member (22) comprises a guide feature (46). The guide track (42) is configured to mechanically cooperate with the guide feature (46). The guide track (42) comprises a first section (43A) and a second section (43B) which are connected to each other via a connection region (55). The first section (43A) defines an angular start position (54) for the guide feature (46) and the second section (43B) defines an axial stop position (56) for the guide feature (46). When the dose member (22) is rotated in the dose setting direction, the guide feature (46) is angularly displaced from the angular start position (54) towards the connection region (55), the spring member (26) is torsionally biased, the biased spring member (26) tending to angularly displace the guide feature (46) towards the angular start position (54). When the guide feature (46) has passed the connection region (55), the guide feature (46) enters the second section (43B) and is axially displaced in a proximal direction with respect to the housing (2) towards the axial stop position (56). In the axial stop position, reduction of the torsional bias is prevented by mechanical cooperation of the guide feature (46) and the second section (43B). |
| US09254363B2 |
Unmanned device interaction methods and systems
Structures and protocols are presented for configuring an unmanned aerial device to participate in the performance of tasks, for using data resulting from such a configuration or performance, or for facilitating other interactions with such devices. |
| US09254362B2 |
Activity sensing techniques for an infusion pump system
Some embodiments of a wearable infusion pump system can include a pump device having a drive system to dispense a medicine to a user, an activity sensor that detects a possible change in an activity level of the user, and a controller to activate the drive system to dispense the medicine to the user. The controller device can query the user to indicate whether a detected activity level of the user represents an actual change in the activity level of the user. The controller device can alter the medicine dispensing schedule based on the user indicated changes in activity level. |
| US09254361B2 |
Drip chamber for an infusion device
The application relates to a drip chamber for an infusion device, to an infusion device with a drip chamber, and to an arrangement composed of an infusion container and of such an infusion device. The drip chamber has a securing part for securing the drip chamber releasably to the infusion container. The securing part of the drip chamber has securing elements which are arranged along the circumference of a circle and which, on the inner sides facing each other, have grooves extending along the circumference of a circle. The securing elements can be spread from a position in which they engage firmly around the connector part of the infusion container to a position in which they release the connector part of the infusion device. The securing elements secure the piercing spike of the drip chamber against slipping out of the piercing part of the connector part of the infusion container. |
| US09254358B2 |
RO system and method for disinfecting lines of the RO system
A circulation pump and an electrochemical ozone generator are integrated into the permeate return line of an RO system, and the permeate return line is connected in flow direction behind the circulation pump and the ozone generator by a recirculation line to the permeate supply line, which can form a closed circuit where the ozonized permeate circulates until all organic contaminants have been killed or decomposed by the ozone in that part of the line system. Valves are integrated, respectively, into the recirculation line and the permeate return line downstream of the branch of the recirculation line. During normal operation of the RO system, the recirculation line valve is connected for feeding connected dialysis devices while the permeate return line valve is open, so excessive permeate that was not taken by the dialysis devices can flow into the supply tank. Alternatively, the permeate can be discharged into an outlet. |
| US09254355B2 |
Sorbent and chemical regeneration of dialysate
The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the regeneration of spent dialysis solutions. The present invention further relates to systems and methods for continuously regenerating spent dialysis solution during dialysis. The present invention further relates to systems and methods for conducting dialysis that further include using chemical and physical separators in conjunction with ion exchange cartridges and/or adsorption cartridges. |
| US09254349B2 |
Enhancing biocompatibility of a medical device
The present invention relates to a medical device comprising both pyrolytic carbon and an NO generator, methods of making same, and methods of using same. |
| US09254347B2 |
Tissue adhesive with accelerated curing
The present invention relates to a polyurea system encompassing as component A) isocyanate-functional prepolymers obtainable by reaction of aliphatic isocyanates A1) with polyols A2), which can in particular have a number average molecular weight of ≧400 g/mol and an average OH functionality of 2 to 6, as component B) amino-functional compounds of general formula (I) in which X is an organic residue comprising a tertiary amino function, having no Zerewitinoff active hydrogen, R1 is a CH2—COOR3 residue, in which R3 is an organic residue having no Zerewitinoff active hydrogen, a linear or branched C1 to C4 alkyl residue, a cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl residue or H, R2 is an organic residue having no Zerewitinoff active hydrogen, n is an integer ≧2 or ≦3, in particular for closing, binding, bonding or covering cell tissue, and to a metering system for the polyurea system according to the invention. |
| US09254345B2 |
Moisture-absorbing and deodorizing fiber, method for manufacturing the same, and fiber structure containing the same
In the prior art, there has not been provided a fiber that can quickly and persistently deodorize and absorb the smell and the damp feeling due to body fluid generated from the body. The present invention provides a fiber having such property, and specifically provides a moisture-absorbing and deodorizing fiber, characterized in that, a basic polymer is ionically-bonded in an amount of 0.2 to 4 mmol/g as an amount of amino group onto the surface of a moisture-absorbing fiber having a crosslinked structure and also having 3 to 8 mmol/g of carboxyl group. |
| US09254339B2 |
Protein-polymer-drug conjugates
Auristatin compounds and conjugates thereof are provided herein. The conjugate comprises a protein based recognition-molecule (PBRM) and a polymeric carrier substituted with one or more -LD-D, the protein based recognition-molecule being connected to the polymeric carrier by LP. Each occurrence of D is independently an Auristatin compound. LD and LP are linkers connecting the therapeutic agent and PBRM to the polymeric carrier respectively. Also disclosed are polymeric scaffolds useful for conjugating with a PBRM to form a polymer-drug-PBRM conjugate described herein, compositions comprising the conjugates, methods of their preparation, and methods of treating various disorders with the conjugates or their compositions. |
| US09254337B2 |
Activation of polysaccharides via the cyanylating agent, 2-cyanopyridazine-3(2H)-one (2-CPO), in the preparation of polysaccharide/protein conjugate vaccines
This invention provides novel reagents for cyanating polysaccharides in aqueous or part aqueous solutions so that they may be covalently linked to proteins either directly or through a spacer. These reagents include 1-cyano-4-pyrrolidinopyridinium tetrafluoroborate (CPPT), 1-cyano-imidazole (1-CI), 1-cyanobenzotriazole (1-CBT), or 2-cyanopyridazine-3(2H)one (2-CPO), or a functional derivative or modification thereof. The examples illustrate the use of these reagents with a variety of polysaccharides and proteins showing that the methods are generally applicable. |
| US09254335B2 |
Multi-arm polyethylene glycol derivatives, conjugates and gels of pharmaceuticals and the same
A multi-arm polyethylene glycol (I) having different kinds of reactive groups and the uses thereof are disclosed, which is formed by polymerizing ethylene oxide with oligo-pentaerythritol as an initiator, wherein, PEG is same or different and is —(CH2CH2O)m-, the average value of m is an integer of 2-250; l is an integer of 1 or more. The method for producing the multi-arm polyethylene glycol having different kinds of reactive groups, the multi-arm polyethylene glycol active derivatives comprising linking groups X attached to PEG and terminal reactive groups F attached to X, the gels formed by the multi-arm polyethylene glycol active derivatives, the drug conjugates formed by the multi-arm polyethylene glycol active derivatives and drug molecules, and the uses thereof in preparing drugs are also disclosed. |
| US09254332B2 |
Stable aqueous formulations of adenovirus vectors
The present invention is based on the surprising discovery that the inclusion of an anionic polymer in the adenovirus formulation enhances long-term stability of the vector composition. An aqueous formulation comprising an adenovirus vector and at least one anionic polymer is provided, together with methods of the preparation of a storage stable adenovirus aqueous formulation. |
| US09254330B2 |
Biotherapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases
An occlusive dressing made with an elastomeric gel and one or more active agents is described. The elastomeric gel contains a plasticizing oil phase and a block copolymer agent. Methods of preventing, treating, curing or mitigating an infectious disease and methods of making the dressings are also disclosed. |
| US09254327B2 |
Methods and compositions for delivery of active agents
A lipid particle can include a cationic lipid. Synthesis of the cationic lipid can include a ylide-based reaction, such as a Wittig reaction or sulfur ylide reaction. In some cases, the synthesis can also include a Michael addition or a related addition reaction. |
| US09254317B2 |
Group A Streptococcus multivalent vaccine
Immunogenic compositions are provided herein that are useful for inducing an immune response specific against group A streptococcus (GAS). Immunogenic compositions provided herein are multivalent and comprise a plurality of immunogenic peptides or fusion polypeptides comprising the immunogenic peptides that induce an immune response against GAS. The immunogenic compositions provided herein induce an immune response against the GAS serotypes represented by an immunogenic peptide (derived from an M protein or Spa protein) comprised within the immunogenic composition and also induce an immune response against serotypes that are unrepresented by any immunogenic peptide included in the immunogenic composition. Methods for using the compositions for inducing an immune response against GAS and for treating or reducing the likelihood of occurrence of a GAS infection are also provided. |
| US09254316B2 |
Adenoviral vector-based malaria vaccines
The invention provides a method of inducing an immune response against malaria in a mammal. The method comprises intramuscularly administering to a mammal a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and either or both of (a) a first adenoviral vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP) operably linked to a human CMV promoter, and/or (b) a second adenoviral vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a P. falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA-1) antigen operably linked to a human CMV promoter. |
| US09254312B2 |
Method for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of multiple sclerosis, and use of erythropoietin for the manufacture of a medicament for the intermittent treatment and/or intermittent prophylaxis of multiple sclerosis
The present invention relates to a method for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of multiple sclerosis, and to the use of erythropoietin for this purpose and for the manufacture of a medicament for the intermittent treatment and/or intermittent prophylaxis of multiple sclerosis. |
| US09254311B2 |
Modified polynucleotides for the production of proteins
The invention relates to compositions and methods for the preparation, manufacture and therapeutic use of polynucleotides, primary transcripts and mmRNA molecules. |
| US09254308B2 |
Kits and methods for the treatment of cancer using gliadin peptides
Kits and methods for treating cancer comprising administration of a gliadin peptide to a patient are disclosed herein. A kit according to the invention comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a gliadin peptide and instructions for administering the peptide to a patient. The kit may further comprise a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one chemotherapeutic agent such as a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor and instructions for co-administering the compounds. A method of treating cancer according to the invention comprises administering a gliadin peptide to a patient and may further comprise co-administering at least one chemotherapeutic agent such as a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Co-administration of a gliadin peptide and receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor to a patient with cancer is effective to decrease or prevent resistance of the cancer to the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. |
| US09254306B2 |
Eye drops
An eye drop containing (i) a peptide having an amino acid sequence which is represented by Ser-Ser-Ser-Arg (“SSSR”), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and (ii) a peptide having an amino acid sequence represented by Phe-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2 (“FGLM”), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The concentration ratio of the SSSR or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and the FGLM or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is 1/15 and 1/50. The concentration of the SSSR or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is 0.001% to 0.3% (w/v), and the concentration of the FGLM or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is 0.015% to 1.5% (w/v). The pH of the eye drop is 2.5 to 6.5. The eye drop serves to minimize the occurrence of side effects and serves to improve its storage stability. |
| US09254304B2 |
Supplement composition and methods of use
The present invention relates to a dietary supplement composition made of: linolenic expeller pressed soybean oil in the range of 65%-85%, Omega 3 (18/12) fish oil 15%-35%, 1%-20% alpha-tocopherol, and 7.5%-15% acai berry powder and a method to use this composition to supplement the diet of a domestic animal, such as a canine or an equine. |
| US09254302B2 |
Angiogenesis using placental stem cells
Provided herein are methods of treating individuals having diseases or disorders of the circulatory system, using placental cells, e.g., the placental stem cells and placental multipotent cells (PDACs) described herein, and populations of such placental cells. The invention also provides methods of angiogenesis using such cells or populations of cells comprising such cells. |
| US09254301B2 |
Compositions and methods for forming and strengthening bone
Compositions are provided which stimulate bone growth. Also provided are methods for utilizing the compositions for filling in bone defects, promoting rapid fusion of bone fractures, grafts, and bone-prostheses, and promoting strengthening of osteoporotic bones. |
| US09254291B2 |
Modulators of ATP-binding cassette transporters
Compounds of the present invention and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions thereof, are useful as modulators of ATP-Binding Cassette (“ABC”) transporters or fragments thereof, including Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (“CFTR”). The present invention also relates to methods of treating ABC transporter mediated diseases using compounds of the present invention. |
| US09254288B2 |
Susceptibility of tumors to tyrosine kinase inhibitors and treatment thereof
This disclosure provides tyrosine kinase protein and nucleic acid variants, particularly FGFR2 variants, which are linked to drug resistance. The disclosure further provides methods of diagnosis and theranosis, using these molecules and fragments thereof, and kits for employing these methods and compositions. |
| US09254286B2 |
Ophthalmic formulations of cetirizine and methods of use
The present invention provides stable topical formulations of cetirizine that provide a comfortable formulation when instilled in the eye and is effective in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis. The invention further provides methods of treating allergic conjunctivitis and/or allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in a subject in need of such treatment by topical application of the cetirizine formulations of the invention directly to the eye. |
| US09254273B2 |
Compositions and methods for treating Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and promoting a healthy nervous system
The present invention relates generally to methods of inhibiting the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and related neurodegenerative disorders involving amyloidosis. The methods involve administering a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of D-pinitol to individuals who are at risk of developing the disease or have one or more symptoms of the disease. The invention also relates to methods of treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease or MCI that involve the use of such compositions. The invention further provides methods to promote the general health of the nervous system through administration of active ingredient compositions. The invention further relates to animal and cellular systems for the study of AD, MCI, and related disorders, and the identification of reagents useful in treating amyloidosis. The invention further provides methods to inhibit AD or MCI in an individual based on reducing caloric intake by the individual. The invention further relates to a method of treating or inhibiting an amyloidogenic disorder by caloric restriction. |
| US09254270B2 |
Enteric soft capsules
A gel mass is provided that is useful in manufacturing enteric soft or hard capsules, or enteric tablets without coating. |
| US09254265B2 |
Small liposomes for delivery of immunogen encoding RNA
Nucleic acid immunization is achieved by delivering RNA encapsulated within a liposome. The RNA encodes an immunogen of interest, and the liposome has a diameter in the range of 60-180 nm, and ideally in the range 80-160 nm. Thus the invention provides a liposome having a lipid bilayer encapsulating an aqueous core, wherein: (i) the lipid bilayer has a diameter in the range of 60-180 nm; and (ii) the aqueous core includes a RNA which encodes an immunogen. These liposomes are suitable for in vivo delivery of the RNA to a vertebrate cell and so they are useful as components in pharmaceutical compositions for immunizing subjects against various diseases. |
| US09254264B2 |
Compositions and uses thereof
The present invention provides structured surfactant systems comprising water and from 0 to saturation of sugar, together with sufficient surfactant to form a structure capable of suspending solids, wherein the surfactant comprises a mixture of: (i) a major portion of at least one sugar ester and/or a triterpenoid glycoside (saponin) having an HLB greater than 10; and (ii) a minor portion of at least one fatty acid and/or lecithin. The invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a structured surfactant system of the invention and a pharmaceutical or veterinary active ingredient. |
| US09254263B2 |
Thermogelling anaesthetic compositions
The present invention relates to a thermogelling pharmaceutical composition comprising local anaesthetics in base form and which is suitable for topical administration. The compositions further comprise a polyoxyethylene castor oil and one or more surfactants to obtain thermogelling characteristics. |
| US09254261B2 |
Stable quick dissolving dosage form comprising amoxicillin and clavulanic acid
A quick dissolving pharmaceutical formulation is disclosed. In one embodiment, the formulation includes at least the following components: (1) from about 35 to about 50 weight percent amoxicillin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; (2) from about 2.0 to about 12 weight percent clavulanic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; (3) from about 30 to about 40 weight percent mannitol; (4) from about 2 to about 7 weight percent crospovidone; (5) from about 0.5 to about 2.0 weight percent colloidal silicon dioxide; and (6) from about 2.0 to about 5.0 weight percent sodium stearyl fumarate. A method for making a quick dissolving pharmaceutical tablet is also disclosed. |
| US09254260B2 |
Methods of enhancing wound healing using magnesium and bromide
The present invention relates to ionic compositions for enhancing wound healing, particularly in the sinonasal cavity. The ionic components of the composition can include potassium, calcium, rubidium, zinc, bromide, and magnesium in an isotonic solution. In other embodiments, the ionic components of the composition can include magnesium, bromide, sulfate, sodium, and chloride. Methods of enhancing wound healing, enhancing sinonasal mucosal healing, promoting mucosal reciliation, and debriding tissue by administering the compositions of the present invention are also presented. |
| US09254252B2 |
Compounds
The present invention relates to topical compositions comprising resveratrol in a liquid crystal gel network formed by a phosphate ester surfactant and a co-emulsifier. The present invention also relates to the process to make such compositions. |
| US09254245B2 |
Optically guided medical tube and control unit assembly and methods of use
An optical medical tube and control unit assembly and methods of using the same are provided. The optical medical tube may include a steering mechanism and an imaging device which provides the user a visual aid when placing a tube in the body of a patient. The optical medical tube may be coupled to a coupling adaptor to enable quick and easy connecting of the imaging device and steering mechanism of the tube with a control unit such that a single control unit may be used to place multiple feeding tubes or confirm that a feeding tube remains in its proper position without the need for lengthy sterilization procedures between uses. |
| US09254239B2 |
System and method for eyelid stimulation
A system and method of treating hyperactivity of an eyelid closing muscle in a subject includes providing a stimulation system in the subject with the hyperactivity of the eyelid closing muscle, sensing an activity of the eyelid closing muscle, and selectively stimulating eyelid opening muscle(s) or innervating nerves, eyelid opening reflexes, or eyelid opening reflexes in non-muscular tissue, using the stimulation system, without substantially activating the eyelid closing muscle. The system and method evokes eyelid movement in the subject. |
| US09254238B2 |
Massage device having serial vibrators
A mechanized dildo having a body with a plurality of vibrator assemblies, each vibrator assembly comprising a motor and a housing; a processor electrically coupled to each of the plurality of vibrator assemblies; a battery electrically coupled to the processor; at least one mode control switch electrically coupled to the processor; a phallic sleeve comprising an elastic material covers the plurality of vibrator assemblies; and a housing containing the processor, the battery and the at least one control switch; wherein the processor is configured to operate separate vibrator assemblies in different combination modes, such modes being selected using the at least one mode control switch. |
| US09254237B2 |
Shock absorber insert for a walking aid
The present invention relates to shock absorber insert for retro fitment into the body of an existing walking aid, such as a crutch, to dampen the impact force between the walking aid and a ground surface. Known shock absorbing walking aids can be relatively expensive to manufacture, heavy to use and do not provide for adjustment of the shock absorber. The shock absorber insert (1) of the present invention comprises a piston cylinder (11) with an end wall (11A); a piston (5) which moves axially within the piston cylinder (11) and a damper (10) located on a piston rod (9) and abut the end wall (11A) to reduce the speed of movement of the piston rod (9) within the piston cylinder (11). The shock absorber insert is either mid mounted between an upper (2) and lower (3) shaft or bottom mounted into a lower end of the lower (3) shaft. |
| US09254235B2 |
Medical head restraint and medical bed system using the same
According to one embodiment, a head restraint attached to a top of a bed of one of a medical image diagnosis apparatus and a medical treatment apparatus, the head restraint comprises a headrest portion configured to allow a head of an object to be placed thereon, with the object being placed on the top, and an arm up holder configured to be detachable from the headrest portion and place an arm of the object near one of a vertex of the head of the object and a temple of the head when the head of the object is placed on the headrest portion. |
| US09254232B2 |
Apparatus and method for assisting impaired or disabled persons
An apparatus and procedure for disabled, impaired or handicapped persons in reaching or maintaining a standing or partially standing position. The apparatus includes a knee support and a movable torso support that is operatively connected to an actuator arrangement. The actuator arrangement moves the torso support in a vertical range of positions independently of the horizontal position of the torso support and in a horizontal range of positions independently of the vertical position of the torso support. The user engages the torso support during the raising movement during which the torso support moves simultaneously forward and upward until the person has reached a position in which he is substantially standing whilst leaning forward over the torso support (and vice versa for the lowering procedure). The torso support can also be rotated during the movement. The apparatus is provided with an identification system for identifying the person to be assisted. |
| US09254230B2 |
Gripping tires for a wheelchair
The gripping tire for a wheelchair as per the invention has a profile cross-section that is asymmetric and divided up in the radial and axial directions. Axial and radial refer here to the wheel of the wheelchair onto which the gripping tire is coaxially attached. A divided profile cross-section means that one of the sides of the axial division and the (inner) side of the radial division turned towards the axis of the gripping tire are designed to be bulbous, and the other side of the axial division and the (outer) side of the radial division turned away from the axis of the gripping tire are flattened. Furthermore, there is a process as per the invention for determining the value of at least one parameter of the cross-sectional profile of the gripping tire. |
| US09254226B2 |
Automatic welding filter with tunable spectral transmission
The present invention relates to an automatic welding filter that changes from a light transmission state to a dark transmission state in response to incident welding light and includes a color-tunable filter whose spectral transmittance can be varied to optimize the visual appearance of a welding task. The color-tunable filter comprises at least one low twist liquid crystal cell disposed between polarization filters having substantially parallel polarization directions. The user is able to adjust the color of the automatic welding filter in the dark transmission state, independently of the shade, in response to a user selected color signal which alters the birefringence properties of the low twist liquid crystal cell. |
| US09254221B2 |
Heart-type circulation device
A heart-type circulation device comprises a power system, a cover plate (16), an elastic plate (5), a pressing contact ring (6), a water inlet (13), a check valve A (9), a self-pressing liquid storage tank (12), a check valve B (10), a water outlet (11), and a pipeline (17). The elastic plate (5) is disposed above the power system, the pressing contact ring (6) is disposed on the periphery of a bottom surface of the elastic plate (5), and the pressing contact ring (6), the elastic plate (5), and the cover plate (16) are fixedly connected in sequence from bottom to top. The water inlet (13) and the water outlet (11) are in communication with each other between the cover plate (16) and the elastic plate (5) via the cover plate (16) respectively. The water inlet (13), the check valve A (9), the self-pressing liquid storage tank (12), the check valve B (10), and the water outlet (11) are connected in sequence via the pipeline (17), wherein the direction of the check valve A (9) is the direction of a fluid flowing to the cover plate (16), and the direction of the check valve B (10) is the direction of the fluid flowing out of the cover plate (16). The space where the whole pipeline (17) is in communication with the self-pressing liquid storage tank (12) is filled up with a liquid. The heart-type circulation device has a simple structure, makes no noise, and has no leakage and a low maintenance rate, and is energy-saving, environment-friendly, green and efficient. |
| US09254216B2 |
Method and apparatus for limiting range of motion of the body of the user
An apparatus and method are disclosed for limiting the range of motion of a first portion of the body of a user relative to a second portion of the user's body. A body attachable device is secured to the first and second portion of the user's body. At least one elongated member extends between the first and second portions of the user's body for moving longitudinally as the user's body moves. A range of motion limiter restrains further longitudinal movement of the elongated member at the desired terminal end of the range of motion by receiving an adjustable stop secured to the elongated member. A stop adjustment enables the stop to be moved positionally to an adjusted position, whereby the terminal end of a range of motion can be adjusted by the user. |
| US09254215B2 |
Knee brace
A knee brace for use by athletes or others requiring protection and support of the knee. The knee brace includes a base and a spider member. The base is comprised of elastic material and configured to closely fit around portions of the knee and adjacent leg portions. A spider member having upper and lower pairs of tensioning straps is fastened to the interior surface of the base, with the tensioning straps extending through upper and lower apertures in the base for detachable attachment to the exterior surface of the base. |
| US09254213B2 |
Stent delivery device
A stent delivery device comprises a guide member having a proximal end and a distal end, and a stent mounted to the guide member. A restraining member positioned about the stent comprises two or more portions that are held together by one or more actuating members. The one or more actuating members can be positioned by a user in a proximal direction, since the one or more actuating members extend to the proximal end, or handle, of the guide member. When a user moves the one or more actuating members in a proximal direction, the one or more actuating members slide away from the two or more portions, allowing the stent to expand. The stent delivery device can further be configured to include an embolic protection component. |
| US09254202B2 |
Method and apparatus for loading a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device
The present invention relates to method for loading a beneficial agent into an expandable medical device. The method includes the steps of sealing a plurality of openings extending through the medical device from a first side to a second side with a sealing member to substantially prevent a beneficial agent from passing through the openings, partially filling the openings with the beneficial agent delivered from an automated micro-jetting dispenser, substantially solidifying the beneficial agent, and removing the sealing member from the plurality of openings. |
| US09254200B2 |
Active prosthetic socket
An active prosthetic socket including a prosthetic socket shaped to fit a residual limb. An active adjustment system is integrated with the prosthetic socket and is configured to dynamically adjust the fit of the active prosthetic socket to the residual limb of a user during ambulation or motion. |
| US09254197B2 |
Moment induced total arthroplasty prosthetic
A prosthetic total knee replacement system comprises a distal femoral implant component, a tibial tray implant component and a mobile bearing tibial tray insert. The mobile bearing tibial tray insert is rotatably mountable on the tibial tray for articulation with the distal femoral implant component. The mobile bearing tibial tray insert rotates with respect to the tibial tray around a substantially vertical first rotational axis offset laterally from the medial-lateral centerline of the mobile bearing tibial tray insert and the distal femoral implant component rotates with respect to the tibial tray insert about a substantially vertical second rotational axis offset medially from the first rotational axis. |
| US09254194B2 |
Transdermal intraosseous device
A transdermal intraosseous device includes a transdermal adapter for an external prosthetic device for a bone of a patient and a bone fixator including a distal portion coupled to the transdermal adapter and a proximal portion for anchoring into the bone. The transdermal adapter includes a dome-shaped portion for transcutaneous implantation and an external shaft extending from the dome-shaped portion. A dermal transition structure is configured to include a controlled roughness gradient from the external shaft to the dome-shaped portion and configured for use in infection control at a dermis layer of the patient. |
| US09254193B2 |
Porous implant materials and related methods
Provided are porous, biocompatible implant bodies and materials. These materials suitably comprise a population of randomly arranged thermoplastic constituents, with at least some of the constituents being bonded to one another The implant bodies are capable of being manipulated at room temperature from a first shape to a second shape, and of maintaining the second shape at about internal body temperature. Also provided are related methods of fabricating such implants and installing the implants into a subject. |
| US09254190B2 |
Tools, systems, and methods for remodeling tissue
A tool for remodeling a tissue annulus includes an elongate handle and a reshaping element on a distal end of the handle. The reshaping element may be directable between a first configuration to facilitate direction through a tissue annulus, and a second curved configuration to remodel tissue adjacent the tissue annulus. The tool may be used for treating a tissue annulus within a patient's heart, e.g., by introducing the reshaping element through the tissue annulus, and manipulating the tool to reshape the tissue annulus substantially to a contour of the reshaping element. The reshaping element may support the tissue while a prosthesis is secured to the tissue annulus, or the reshaping element may itself be secured to the tissue annulus and released from the tool. |
| US09254188B2 |
Kits, components and methods for tissue reconstruction
Described are components, component combinations, kits and methods useful for creating reconstructed tissue structures such as reconstructed nipple structures. Novel combinations are described involving surgical marking templates, implants having features correlated to the templates, and/or post-surgical shields. |
| US09254177B2 |
Head clamp for imaging and neurosurgery
A head clamp for neurosurgery is described that includes a member for at least partially encircling the head of a subject. The first end and second end of the head clamp include first and second skull attachment portions for attaching the member to the head of a subject. A position setter, such as an indexing mechanism, is also provided that allows the member to be moved or indexed between at least two repeatable relative positions. |
| US09254176B2 |
Pouch for medical instruments and devices
A pouch is formed from one or more webs of material that provide at least one absorbent surface. The pouch further includes an integral flap, which may be folded over the opening, or entrance, of the pouch so as to maintain the contents of the pouch in place and to help retain moisture within the pouch. The interior of the pouch is defined, at least partially, by its absorbent faces. |
| US09254175B2 |
Expandable laser catheter
Expandable laser catheters for utilizing laser energy to remove obstructions from body passages are described. In one embodiment, the laser catheter includes a shaftway having a distal end including a flexible portion configured in a series of radial folds. Multiple optical fibers, configured to transmit laser energy, extend along the shaftway and are attached to the flexible portion. An inflatable, ring-shaped balloon is attached to the catheter within the flexible portion. In use, the catheter is inserted into a body passage such as an artery, and advanced until the distal end is adjacent to an obstruction. The balloon is inflated to expand the flexible portion and to bring the optical fibers nearer the inner wall of the body passage. Laser energy is directed by the optical fibers toward targeted regions of the obstruction. As the catheter is advanced and the process repeated, a core is formed from the obstruction and contained within the flexible portion. The flexible portion is then contracted to hold the core, and the core is removed from the body passage by withdrawing the catheter. |
| US09254174B2 |
Method for lightening or eradicating pigments in human skin
For lightening or eradicating pigments in human skin, a first conditioning laser optical energy having first optical parameters selected to obtain an ablative effect on the epidermal layer of human skin is provided. A target area of the human skin is conditioned by directing the first conditioning laser optical energy onto the target area and forming in an epidermal layer of the target area discrete pressure and gas release ducts across the target area. A second treatment laser optical energy is provided that has second optical parameters selected to obtain a lightening or eradicating effect on the pigments located within the human skin and to substantially avoid damaging the epidermal layer of the human skin. The second treatment laser optical energy is directed onto the target area subsequent to conditioning, and the pigments within the human skin are lightenmed or eradicated by the second treatment laser optical energy. |
| US09254173B2 |
Microwave applicator
A microwave applicator having a probe which comprises an elongate shaft (14), the shaft having an external tubular wall (18), a radiating portion (15) disposed at the distal end of the shaft (14), a transmission line (17) extending to the radiating portion internally of the tubular external wall (18), and an elongate flow dividing member (19) which co-extends with the transmission line (17) longitudinally of the shaft (14), the side wall of the transmission line (17) and the side wall of the flow dividing member (19) contacting each other and contacting the internal surface of the external tubular wall (18) at two-spatially separated discrete positions, thereby defining a pair of flow channels (20, 21) inside the shaft (14). In use, cooling fluid can pass down one channel (20) and return via the other channel (21). The structure of the probe is uncomplicated and the probe is straightforward to assemble. |
| US09254172B2 |
Shielding for an isolation apparatus used in a microwave generator
A system for reducing radiated emissions the system including a microwave generator that supplies microwave energy at a fundamental frequency, a coaxial transmission cable that transmits microwave energy between the microwave generator and a microwave energy delivery device and an isolation apparatus connected between the microwave generator and the coaxial transmission cable. The isolation apparatus is configured to electrically isolate the coaxial transmission cable from the microwave generator and capacitively couple the microwave generator ground to the coaxial transmission cable. |
| US09254171B2 |
Electrosurgical instrument with multi-stage actuator
An apparatus comprises an end effector, a shaft, and a handpiece. The end effector is operable to manipulate tissue. The shaft is in communication with the end effector. The shaft includes a firing beam operable to actuate a portion of the end effector. The handpiece comprises a pivoting trigger that is operable to distally advance a firing beam driver to advance the firing beam. The handpiece also comprises an activation button and lockout assembly. The lockout assembly is movable between a locked and unlocked state. In the locked state, the lockout assembly blocks a portion of the firing beam driver from advancing. In the unlocked state, the lockout assembly allows the firing beam driver to advance. The activation button switches is operable to unlock the lockout assembly. |
| US09254167B2 |
Electrosurgical system and method for sterilizing chronic wound tissue
An electrosurgical method for sterilizing chronic wound tissue, comprising: positioning an active electrode in proximity to the chronic wound tissue; delivering an electrically conductive fluid proximate the active electrode; and applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode in the presence of the electrically conductive liquid sufficient to generate an ionized vapor layer at the active electrode, wherein the ionized vapor layer sterilizes at least a portion of the chronic wound tissue. |
| US09254165B2 |
Multiple parameter fault detection in electrosurgical instrument shields
A system and method for detecting faults within an electrosurgical instrument having a shield and an active electrode uses multiple possible fault conditions. In one embodiment the monitoring system comprises an electrosurgical generator coupled to the electrosurgical instrument and adapted to deliver power to the active electrode of the electrosurgical instrument, monitoring circuitry coupled to the electrosurgical generator and the electrosurgical instrument. |
| US09254162B2 |
Dermal and transdermal cryogenic microprobe systems
Medical devices, systems, and methods optionally treat dermatological and/or cosmetic defects, and/or a wide range of additional target tissues. Embodiments apply cooling with at least one small, tissue-penetrating probe, the probe often comprising a needle having a size suitable for inserting through an exposed surface of the skin of a patient without leaving a visible scar. Treatment may be applied along most or all of the insertable length of an elongate needle, optionally by introducing cryogenic cooling fluid into the needle lumen through a small, tightly-toleranced lumen of a fused silica fluid supply tube, with the supply tube lumen often metering the cooling fluid. Treatment temperature and/or time control may be enhanced using a simple pressure relief valve coupled to the needle lumen via a limited total exhaust volume space. |
| US09254158B2 |
Orthognathic bending pliers
A bending tool can be configured to bend an orthopedic implant and includes a first jaw assembly and a second jaw assembly. The first jaw assembly includes a first base and a first adjustment member that is movably coupled to the first base. The second jaw assembly is movably coupled to the second jaw assembly. The second jaw assembly includes a second base and a second adjustment member that is movably coupled to the second base. |
| US09254157B2 |
Bone fracture reduction device and methods using same
A device and method for treating bone fractures/lesions using an inflatable body is provided. The inflatable body includes a balloon having a substantially flat horizontal surface for quick easy insertion into bone beneath the fracture so as to align misaligned fragments of the fracture and/or to collapsed bone. The body has a shape and size to compress at least a portion of the cancellous bone to form a cavity in the cancellous bone and/or to restore the original position of the outer cortical bone, if fractured or collapsed. The inflatable body has a stylet attached to it's distal end so that once the inflatable body is deflated it can be twisted about the stylet to have a smaller profile so as to be easily withdrawn from the bone. |
| US09254154B2 |
Anterior lesser tuberosity fixed angle fixation device and method of use associated therewith
A fixation device serves in facilitating reduction and repair of a fractured humerus. The fixation device includes a bone plate adapted to overlie and contact portions of a proximal humerus and a humeral shaft. The bone plate includes at least a body portion overlying the humeral shaft, and an end portion overlying a portion of the proximal humerus. The end portion can facilitate attachment of the bone plate to the lesser tuberosity of the proximal humerus. |
| US09254150B2 |
Bone anchoring device, tool and method for assembling the same and tool for use with the same
A bone anchoring device includes an anchoring element having a shaft for anchoring in the bone and a head, a receiving part formed in one piece, and a pressure element formed in one piece. The receiving part has a seat for receiving the head and an outer channel for receiving a rod to be connected to the anchoring element, which is pivotable with respect to the receiving part and can be fixed at an angle by exerting pressure via the pressure element onto the head. The pressure element is movable in the receiving part and includes an inner channel for receiving the rod and a spring element that engages a portion of the receiving part via a detent connection so that the pressure element can be held in a position that allows pivoting of the anchoring element. The spring element is formed by at least a first portion of one of two side walls forming the inner channel, the first portion being spaced apart from a second portion of the one side wall by a slot. At least a portion of the detent connection is located on the one side wall. |
| US09254148B2 |
Low-profile surgical universal access port
A surgical access device includes an elongate cannula having a side wall at the proximal end that is coaxial with and movable relative to a seal-housing. A seal assembly that includes at least one seal is disposed within the seal-housing. An inflation port is formed in on the seal housing and configured to align with an opening in the side wall at the proximal end of the cannula. The seal housing is movable relative to the side wall between an open and closed configuration. In an open configuration, the inflation port is aligned with the opening in the side wall permitting fluid to flow across the cannula side wall. In a closed configuration, the inflation fort is offset from the opening in the side wall preventing fluid flow across the cannula side wall. In one variation, a resilient retention member is disposed inside the seal housing to bias the seal. |
| US09254147B2 |
Trans-urethral sling delivery device
Technologies are generally provided for a trans-urethral sling delivery device for deploying a sub-urethral sling to support a urethra to treat urinary incontinence. A trocar and a delivery tube may be advanced through the urethra, and the trocar may puncture a hole in the urethral wall. The delivery tube may be configured to form a curved position such that a curved portion may extend from the hole in the urethral wall into an area surrounding the urethra near the bladder. A sub-urethral sling may be attached to a flexible delivery tool in a reduced delivery profile, and the flexible delivery tool with the attached sub-urethral sling may be advanced through the curved delivery tube. The delivery tube may be rotated to enable the delivery tool to anchor each end of the sub-urethral sling on each side of the urethra with a portion of the sling supporting the urethra from beneath. |
| US09254144B2 |
Methods and apparatus for thrombectomy system
In certain embodiments, the system is configured to remove from or fragment materials in a vessel by inserting a catheter into a vessel, wherein the distal tip of the catheter is placed at the surgical site and a liquid spray is applied to materials to remove or fragment (as defined herein) the materials. In certain embodiments, the system comprises a liquid spray emanating from a fragmentation lumen and across a fragmentation opening. |
| US09254143B2 |
Guidewire for crossing occlusions or stenoses having a shapeable distal end
A hollow guidewire with a shapeable distal end, for removing tissue from a body lumen, such as a coronary artery. The hollow guidewire comprises an elongate, tubular guidewire body that has an axial lumen. A tissue removal assembly, such as a rotating drive shaft, is positioned at or near a distal end of the tubular guidewire body and extends through the axial lumen. Actuation of the tissue removal assembly removes occlusive material in the body lumen. |
| US09254142B2 |
Tissue extraction devices and methods
A tissue cutting device has an outer sleeve with a distal window and an inner cutting sleeve which moves past the window to cut tissue. The inner cutting sleeve has a lumen which may have a larger proximal diameter than distal diameter. A perimeter of the window may comprise a dielectric material. A distal edge of the inner sleeve may be displaced inwardly. |
| US09254140B2 |
Single probe with disturber
A single probe percutaneous surgical instrument for de-bulking/removing thrombus/clog/calculi has an actuator assembly (4), a probe set (13), an operating switch (10, and a generator (12). The actuator assembly (4) has a proximal end (4a) and a distal end (4b), a cable connector (1), a suction connector (2), and actuator switch (3) mounted with the proximal end (4a) and a horn (5) mounted at the distal end (4b). The probe set (13) is mounted to the horn (5) and includes at least one disturber (6), a spring (7), a spring adjusting nut (8) and a fixed probe (9), the cable connector (1) connecting to the generator (12) through a cable, and the suction connector (2) connecting to a suction system. The actuator switch (3) controls a probe vibration mode through the generator (12), the actuator assembly (4) comprising at least two piezoelectric ceramic rings (18) assembled with a bolt (15), the horn (5) and a back plated (16). The horn (5) is mounted on the distal end (4b) of the actuator assembly (4), the horn (5) being coupled with the bolt (15) and the piezoelectric rings (18), the at least one disturber (6) and the spring (7) being mounted on the fixed probe (9) using the spring adjusting nut (8). The generator (12) includes a microprocessor and the microprocessor is programmed to control the actuator vibration mode, the fixed probe optimal vibration frequency and the disturbing strength of the disturbers. |
| US09254138B2 |
Tissue disruption device and corresponding methods
A tissue disruption device (10) for deployment via a rigid conduit (100) includes a rotary tissue disruptor (12) insertable along the conduit with its axis of rotation (14) parallel to the direction of conduit elongation (16). An angular displacement mechanism allows selective displacement of the rotary tissue disruptor (12) such that the axis of rotation (14) sweeps through a range of angular motion. A rotary drive is linked to the rotary tissue disruptor so as to drive the rotary tissue disruptor in rotary motion while the rotary tissue disruptor is at a range of angular positions within the range of angular motion. |
| US09254131B2 |
Surgical staple with augmented compression area
A multi-part surgical staple assembly is provided to provide uniform compression across stapled tissues. The staple assembly generally includes a U-shaped staple, a staple plate positionable against a backspan of the staple for engagement with one side of a stapled tissue section and a platen for receipt of tissue penetrating tips of the staple and engageable with an opposite side of a stapled tissue section. The staple plate and platen are provided with holes to receive the legs of the staple. In one embodiment, the staple plate is provided with a biasing member to bias the staple plate away from the backspan of the staple and toward the stapled tissue. |
| US09254124B2 |
Self-orientating suture wound closure device
A device is disclosed for providing an indication as to the relative position of a vessel or artery opening thereby facilitating the choice of which several closure techniques to use. A disclosed device includes an outer tube and a collapsible foot slidably disposed within a distal end of the outer tube. The device may further include one or more threaded suture needles, a biodegradable plug or other wound closing device that is connected to another shaft. The collapsed or folded foot is pushed distally out of the tube and through the opening in the vessel whereupon the foot expands. Pulling the expanded foot in the proximal direction provides an indication as to the orientation of the opening in the vessel, which assists in determining the type of closing procedure to be carried out. |
| US09254123B2 |
Flexible and steerable elongate instruments with shape control and support elements
An instrument having a flexible and elongated body includes at least a lumen and a flex member disposed within the lumen. The flex member may be capable of providing steering control to a first portion of the elongate body while providing load bearing support to a second portion of the elongate body. A pull wire may be disposed within the flex member, and at least a distal portion of the pull wire may be coupled to the elongate body and a proximal portion of the pull wire may be operatively coupled to a control unit. The control unit may be coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body. In addition, a control member may be operatively coupled to the control unit such that a distal portion of the control member may be positioned near a proximal portion of the flex member. The control member may be configured to support the flex member and control the movement or displacement of the flex member. Furthermore, the flex member may be configured to selectively decouple articulation or steering forces of a first portion of the elongate body away from a second portion of the elongate body; thereby, preventing compression of the second portion of the elongate body while maintaining elasticity or flexibility of the second portion of the elongate body. |
| US09254121B2 |
Systems and methods related to collection of biological fluids
Collection of biological fluids. At least some of the example embodiments are polymeric sleeves including: an elongate body that defines a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a longitudinal central axis; a main passageway through the elongate body along the central axis, the main passageway extends from the first end to the second end, and the main passageway having a first aperture on the first end and a second aperture on the second end; a first member suspended over the first aperture on the first end, the first member having a first initial passageway substantially aligned with the main passageway; and a first plurality of stanchion portions that extend between the first member and the first end. |
| US09254117B2 |
Ultrasonic endoscopic probe
Provided is an ultrasonic endoscopic probe capable of obtaining an ultrasonic observation image having high spatial resolution. A part of a substantially tubular catheter is sealed with seal plates to provide a cavity housing: a motor including a motor casing, a rotor magnet, a bearing, and a rotating shaft; an ultrasonic transducer mounted to the rotating shaft; and a signal transmission means. The bearing includes an inner peripheral surface provided with a plurality of dynamic pressure generating grooves. An acoustic coupling fluid is sealed in the cavity and is allowed to penetrate a gap between the bearing and the rotating shaft at all times. When the ultrasonic transducer and the motor are rotated in the acoustic coupling fluid, the acoustic coupling fluid is suctioned in a preferable manner into the bearing gap having the dynamic pressure generating grooves for lubrication. Thus, a lack of an oil film on the bearing can be prevented, allowing for high accuracy rotation. Operational failure due to the development of foam in the acoustic coupling fluid can be prevented, enabling the acquisition of a high resolution ultrasonic observation image. |
| US09254115B2 |
Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for cardiac wall movement measurements by re-tracking the cardiac wall
In the case where a tracking process of a moving tissue performing a contraction movement and an expansion movement and represented by a cardiac wall is performed for one heartbeat from the ED1 to the ED2, a contour position (tracking point) initially set at the ES (End-Systole) is tracked until ED1 in accordance with movement information, the tracking point is rearranged and a position of a middle layer is set at the ED (End-Diastole), the rearranged tracking point including the position of the middle layer is tracked in accordance with the movement information already obtained, and then the tracking point is further tracked in the normal direction until the ED2. Alternatively, an initial reverse tracking process is performed from the ES to the ED1 by using plural middle layer path candidates, and a path passing through the tracking point existing on the middle layer or contours of inner and outer layers and rearranged at the ED1 is searched, thereby accurately creating and evaluating movement information of each of an endocardium and an epicardium of a cardiac wall. |
| US09254114B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing X-ray exposure
The present invention pertains to an apparatus and method for adaptive exposure in imaging systems. An x-ray source for producing x-ray radiation and an x-ray detector for measuring amount of x-ray radiation passing through the human patient and striking the detector can be used. A tomographic image of the human patient or a tomosynthetic image of the human patient can be generated. Region of interest filtering and equalization filtering can be utilized. Filtering can be accomplished with a mechanical shield or shutter or with electronic control of the x-ray source. |
| US09254113B2 |
X-ray imaging apparatus and method of controlling the same
The X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray generator to generate and emit X-rays, an X-ray detector to detect the emitted X-rays and acquire X-ray data, and a controller to convert the X-ray data into X-ray characteristic coordinates and estimate a response characteristic function of the X-ray detector from a relationship between measurement data and reference data, the measurement data and the reference data being converted into the X-ray characteristic coordinates. |
| US09254107B2 |
X-ray CT apparatus and tube current determination method
In order to provide a technique of obtaining an image having high diagnosability without degrading the operability in an X-ray CT apparatus that suppresses the amount of exposure of an object by controlling the amount of radiation by setting a target image SD and determining the imaging conditions (tube current) satisfying the target image SD, there is provided an X-ray CT apparatus that controls the amount of radiation according to the size of an object in consideration of the contrast by simply inputting one image quality level as a reference of the image quality level that the operator desires. The input image quality level is set as a target image SD when scanning an object having a standard size with a standard tube voltage. |
| US09254106B2 |
Method for completing a medical image data set
The present invention relates to a method for generating a complete medical image data set from an incomplete image data set, comprising the method steps of: providing a first image data set which represents an image of a first region of a body, including at least a part of the surface of the body, at a first point in time; providing a second, incomplete image data set which represents an image of a second region of the body at a second point in time, wherein the first region and the second region overlap; providing a third data set which represents the contour of the body in the form of points on the surface of the body, substantially at the second point in time; adapting the first image data set to the second image data set by taking into account the third data set; and accepting the adapted first image data set as a complete image data set. |
| US09254105B2 |
X-ray image diagnosis apparatus and control method
An X-ray image diagnosis apparatus which can accept operations from a plurality of operation panels can ensure convenience for operators while avoiding the risk of excessively exposing an object to X-rays. This invention is a control method in an X-ray image diagnosis apparatus which irradiates an object with X-rays and processes a captured image obtained by imaging the object. This method includes the steps of receiving information associated with an imaging condition at the time of X-ray irradiation which is input via an operation panel, discriminating, when the information associated with the imaging condition is received, an operation panel from which the information associated with the imaging condition has been input, and restricting, when the information associated with the imaging condition is received, the reception of a specific instruction input via an operation panel other than the discriminated operation panel. |
| US09254103B2 |
Operative microscope having diffuse optical imaging system with tomographic image reconstruction and superposition in field of view
An imaging system has a microscope having an objective lens and a projection device configured to project spatially modulated light in one of several preselected predetermined pattern through the objective lens and onto tissue. The system camera configured to record an image of the tissue through the microscope and objective lens as illuminated by the spatially modulated light, and an image processor having a memory with a routine for performing spatial Fourier analysis on the image of the tissue to recover spatial frequencies. The image processor also constructs a three dimensional model of the tissue, and performs fitting of at least absorbance and scattering parameters of voxels of the model to match the recovered spatial frequencies. The processor then displays tomographic slices of the three dimensional model. |
| US09254096B2 |
Method and device for evaluating an intensive EEG or an EEG during anaesthesia
A computer implemented method and system is used for evaluating an intensive EEG or an EEG during anaesthesia. Time domain and/or frequency range parameters are determined from the EEG graphs. The determined parameters are used in multivariate classification functions and the intensive EEG or EEG during anaesthesia are automatically divided into stages. The EEG graphs are also analysed for interfering signal components from the quantity of biosignals of graphs characteristic of intensive EEGs or EEGs which are not performed during anaesthesia. If interfering signal components are identified, the existence of biosignals of graphs characteristic of intensive EEGs or EEGs which are not performed during anaesthesia is verified by artifact analysis in the absence of artifacts, and is not verified if artifacts are identified. |
| US09254095B2 |
Electrocardiogram signal detection
Apparatuses and methods for extracting, de-noising, and analyzing electrocardiogram signals. Any of the apparatuses described herein may be implemented as a (or as part of a) computerized system. For example, described herein are apparatuses and methods of using them or performing the methods, for extracting and/or de-noising ECG signals from a starting signal. Also described herein are apparatuses and methods for analyzing an ECG signal, for example, to generate one or more indicators or markers of cardiac fitness, including in particular indicators of atrial fibrillation. Described herein are apparatuses and method for determining if a patient is experiencing a cardiac event, such as an arrhythmia. |
| US09254094B2 |
Detection and monitoring using high frequency electrogram analysis
An implantable device for analyzing a high frequency (HF) electrogram signal including an implantable electrode, a signal pickup configured to pick up an electrogram signal including a HF component, a signal filter connected to the signal pickup and configured to measure a HF component from the signal only during a specific portion of a cardiac cycle, and an analyzer for analyzing the HF component, wherein the signal pickup, the signal filter and the analyzer are included within an implantable container, and the analyzer is configured to analyze at least one time-varying parameter of the HF component, and the signal filter is configured to measure the signal by using a signal picked up from at least one electrode selected from a group consisting of (a) intracardiac, (b) subcutaneous, (c) a can of the implanted device, (d) a combination of two of the above. Related apparatus and methods are also described. |
| US09254092B2 |
Systems and methods for processing and analyzing medical data
Described herein are apparatuses (e.g., systems, devices) and methods for processing, distributing, and analyzing medical data. In particular, apparatuses and methods for processing and distributing tasks or jobs for completion by a qualified worker or specialist are described. Crowdsourcing data to specialists for interpretation can be accomplished using an auction system to match the specialists with discrete portions of the data. The data can be bundled based on one or more categories or characteristics, and then placed on an auction where the specialists can bid for each bundle by submitting a payment price. The data can be medical data, such as ECG data, imaging data and test data. |
| US09254091B2 |
Measurement of cardiac cycle length and pressure metrics from pulmonary arterial pressure
Various techniques for measuring cardiac cycle length and pressure metrics based on pulmonary artery pressures are described. One example method described includes identifying a point within a derivative signal of a cardiovascular pressure signal without reference to electrical activity of a heart, initiating a time window from the identified point in the derivative signal, identifying a point within the cardiovascular signal within the time window, and determining at least one of a systolic pressure or diastolic pressure based on the identified point. |
| US09254090B2 |
Tissue contrast imaging systems
Tissue contrast imaging systems are described which detect differences in tissue contrasts to obtain images of the tissue region. The systems may be used to obtain images of the cardiac tissues particularly in a blood-filled environment. |
| US09254081B2 |
Fitting glasses frames to a user
A system for fitting glasses frames to a user is disclosed. The system includes an interface for receiving images of a user's head at different angles. A processor compares user head measurements determined from the images with a database of glasses frame information that includes glasses frame measurements. One or more glasses frames are selected based on the comparison and the selected glasses frames are output. |
| US09254079B2 |
Illumination source and method for use with imaging device
A system includes a first element configured to receive a plurality of color components that are spatially separated, wherein each of the plurality of color components comprises light of a respective wavelength, and to focus the plurality of spatially separated color components onto a first surface of a second element. The system also includes a second element having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second element is configured to receive the plurality of color components via the first surface, to transmit to the second surface uniform light comprising the plurality of color components in a blended state, and to emit the uniform light via the second surface. The system also includes a slit lamp configured to receive the uniform light. |
| US09254076B2 |
Feature differentiation image capture unit and method 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. |
| US09254070B2 |
Inlet for vacuum cleaning apparatus
An inlet for a vacuum cleaning system which can be mounted in a wall of a structure or in a cabinet. The inlet includes a main frame, a front plate, a door, and an electrical switch that operates the motor of the vacuum cleaning system. The inlet is mounted adjacent a floor so that an individual can clean a room by sweeping up the dirt and debris towards the present invention. The door of the inlet is then opened and the dirt and debris is swept into the present invention. When the door opens the motor of the vacuum cleaning system is turned on so that the dirt and debris is sucked into a collection container. When the door is closed, the motor is turned off. A magnet helps to keep the door in the open position and a retainer helps to keep the door in the closed position. |
| US09254069B2 |
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner that includes an upright main body, an upright fan motor generating a suction force, and a wheel assembly that is mounted on the upright main body and guides movement and rotation of the upright main body. The upright main body includes a first housing that is installed on the wheel assembly so as to be rotatable in a leftward/rightward direction, and a second housing that is installed in the first housing so as to be rotatable in a forward/backward direction. The vacuum cleaner can be moved and rotated by freely moving an extension frame extending upward from the second housing in forward, backward, leftward, and rightward directions. |
| US09254066B2 |
Accessible bathtub and drain
A bathtub system, including a tub with a bather access opening in one sidewall and a door mounted on that sidewall. In the closed position, the door is adjacent the access opening, and in the open position the door is substantially clear of the access opening. The system includes a gray water reservoir under the tub of approximately the capacity of the tub and which can be connected to a sewer system. A high capacity toroidal tub drain conducts water from the tub into the reservoir by gravity alone very quickly. |
| US09254064B2 |
Apparatus for processing a food stuff
The present application relates to an apparatus for processing a food stuff. The apparatus has a housing (2) and a cutting tool (5) for cutting a food stuff which is rotatably mounted in the housing. The cutting tool (5) rotates in the housing (2) about a rotational axis and has a radially extending cutting element (44). One end of the cutting tool (5) slides in a circumferentially extending slot in the housing as the cutting tool (5) is rotated in the housing (2). Therefore, the cutting tool (5) is supported in an axial direction by the housing (2). The present application also relates to a food processor. |
| US09254058B2 |
Dispensing assembly for a refrigerator appliance
A dispensing assembly for a refrigerator appliance is provided. The dispensing assembly includes a tank that defines a fluid chamber and a heating element for heating fluid within the fluid chamber. An inlet conduit directs liquid into the fluid chamber, a first outlet conduit directs liquid out of the fluid chamber, and a second outlet conduit directs gas out of the fluid chamber. The dispensing assembly also includes valves for regulating fluid flow through the inlet conduit and the first and second outlet conduits. |
| US09254054B1 |
Garment dust protector
A garment protection system operational with a horizontally disposed clothes rod, including a pair of stands, each stand including an arched surface portion coupled to a notch portion, the arched surface portion having a curve profile and the notch portion including a pair wall segments joined together defining an angle with the curve profile substantially symmetric about an axis bisecting the angle; and a semi-rigid panel configured to both substantially match the curve profile along a panel length from a first end to a second end when a panel center portion is laterally supported by the arched surface portions at the ends and to non-drapingly support lateral edges of the panel to define a span from one lateral edge to an opposing lateral edge with the rod disposed in between the lateral edges. |
| US09254053B2 |
Promotional coaster
A three-dimensional coaster apparatus for use with a vessel or container, wherein the coaster apparatus includes a substantially square base, and a substantially circular element container within the square base, wherein a plurality of side flaps extend outwardly from the square base and are hingedly attached at a point tangential to the square base. |
| US09254052B2 |
System and method for flavoring food
A system and method of flavoring food, for example, snack food, is provided. The system may include a metering tray coupled to a frame. The metering tray may be configured to hold a food flavoring. A metering roller also may be coupled to the frame. An exterior axial surface of the metering roller may define a plurality of indentations, which may be configured to capture the food flavoring as the metering roller rotates. The system may also include a metering blade configured to level the food flavoring as the food flavoring is dispensed by the plurality of indentations of the metering roller as the metering roller rotates. The system also may include a displacement blade having a plurality of teeth that are configured to correspond to the plurality of indentations. The teeth may be configured to positively displace the food flavoring as the metering roller rotates. |
| US09254049B2 |
Anti-sweeping tray
A merchandise pusher tray is provided. The merchandise pusher tray includes a base structure. The base structure is configurable for bar or shelf mounting. The base structure includes a pair of load bearing members for supporting a floor of the base structure. The merchandise pusher tray also includes at least one divider mounted to and adjustable in a first direction relative to the base structure. The merchandise pusher tray includes an anti-sweeping security structure mounted to the base structure. The anti-sweeping security structure extends along a portion or the entirety of the merchandise channel and is adjustable in at least one of vertical and horizontal and is fixed rotationally over the merchandise channel. The merchandise pusher tray with the anti-sweeping structure includes a locking member pivotally attached to the reinforcement bar for securing the tray to the retail merchandise bar. |
| US09254046B1 |
Device and method for securing a bed sheet
A device for securing bed sheets that includes: a top plate, where the top plate includes an opening at each end of the top plate; a bottom plate, where the bottom plate includes an opening at each end of the top plate; at least two straps, where the straps extend through the openings in the top plate and bottom plate and provide a means to secure the top plate and bottom plate to a corner of a mattress; a plurality of magnets within the top plate; and a securing plate. Preferably, a buckle may be provided for each strap, where the buckle provides a means to tighten each respective strap. In one particular embodiment, the plurality of magnets includes three evenly spaced magnets. Further, the top plate may include three snap components with openings to allow the insert of the plurality of magnets. Preferably, the plurality of magnets includes rare earth neodymium magnets. |
| US09254045B2 |
Transformable furniture unit
This invention relates to a transformable furniture unit, and in particular to a changing table with shelving that transforms into two sitting benches, and into a bed. The infant's changing table with shelving comprises four posts that support two tiers of shelving, with the capacity to support additional tiers in another aspect of the invention. The tiers of shelving are supported by wooden beams that connect perpendicularly to the four posts. The changing table with shelving transforms into two sitting benches when one tier of shelving is detached from the other. The furniture can be transformed into a bed when the sitting bench with the high back support is used as a headboard, the second sitting bench with no back support is used as the foot of the bed, and a supplementary support panel is attached in between, holding together the headboard and the foot of the bed. |
| US09254043B1 |
Lighted cup holder for seating arrangements
A method and apparatus include attaching a lighted cup holder to a seating arrangement. The lighted cup holder includes a cup holder body and a light-producing light source, with the cup holder body being attached to the seating arrangement and having a cup receptacle therein, the light-producing source being disposed within the cup receptacle for illuminating the receptacle. A light-sensitive element operatively connected to the light source selectively controls production of light by the light source in such a manner that illumination of the cup holder is provided only under conditions where visibility is reduced to the point that it becomes difficult to locate the cup holder. The light-sensitive element is mounted on a master lighted cup holder and controls illumination of the master lighted cup holder and one or more slave lighted cup holders operatively connected to the master lighted cup holder. |
| US09254042B2 |
Backrest member including an adjustable platform for use with a chair
A backrest member (e.g., a portable insert) for use with a seat member of a chair. The backrest member may include an adjustable platform attached to a substrate (e.g., frame) of the backrest member, and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the adjustable platform along one or more locations of the platform to provide a desired contour for supporting the back of a user seated in the chair. The adjustable platform may comprise an elongate band attached to the substrate of the backrest member that is disposed along a central longitudinal axis of the backrest member. One end of the elongate band may be attached to the substrate, while an opposite end may be slidably attached to the substrate. In an embodiment, both ends may be slidably attached relative to the substrate. The device allows selection of a height and depth of a lumbar curve provided by the device. |
| US09254041B2 |
Furniture frame, particularly a chair or a table frame, and chair or table furniture containing such a furniture frame
A furniture frame contains a support column, a furniture leg to support the support column, a foot ring, and a fastening device affixing the foot ring to the support column. The fastening device contains a first threaded bushing being non-rotatably connected to the support column and has an external thread, and a second threaded bushing being non-rotatably connected to the foot ring and has an internal thread. The internal thread engages with the external thread. The second threaded bushing is rotatable about the first threaded bushing by at least one revolution such that the second threaded bushing can be axially moved relative to the first threaded bushing. The fastening device has as a locking element which prevents a relative movement between the first and the second threaded bushing in a first operating position and enables relative movement between the first and the second threaded bushing in a second operating position. |
| US09254038B2 |
Extractable drawer device and furniture item comprising said drawer device
Extractable drawer device (1), comprising: a drawer (10) having a front end (15) and a rear end (14) with respect to an extraction direction of the drawer in a sliding direction (S-S); a guide and support system of the drawer (10) connectable to a piece of furniture and configured to permit a displacement of the drawer (10) between a retracted drawer position and an extracted drawer position, wherein, in the extracted drawer position, the drawer (10) is completely outside and distant from the space occupied in the retracted position. Piece of furniture with a top (100) having a visible edge (101), comprising said extractable drawer device (1), wherein said drawer device (1) is mounted at a lower face of said top (100), in a hidden and retracted position with respect to the visible edge (101) and at a distance from the visible edge (101) substantially equal to the distance between the drawer in the extracted position and the space occupied by the drawer (10) in the retracted position. |
| US09254036B2 |
Expandable frame structure
An expandable frame structure includes at least one set of a transverse plate assembly and at least two vertical frames. Each set of the transverse plate assembly includes at least two transverse plate parts. Each transverse plate part includes a quarter circular arc edge and two side edges spaced and spreading out from each other with 90 degrees in angles. Two lower hook fixing parts extend downward from two side edges, respectively. Each of the vertical frames includes a pair of vertical frame parts and at least two horizontal frame parts. So, each of the transverse plate parts is placed and installed onto the horizontal frame parts of the two vertical frames. The lower hook fixing part is inserted into and engages with the horizontal frame part to form the expandable frame structure. The advantages and effects are easy to assemble and flexible for structural assembling styles, and so on. |
| US09254033B1 |
Toothbrush head
The invention is related to a toothbrush head which comprises a head base, a head frame, and bristles. The head base comprises a front end, a back end, multiple strip-substrates, and multiple junctions. The multiple strip-substrates are aligned between the front end and the back end and each two adjacent strip-substrates link with each other with each of the multiple junctions, and each of the multiple strip-substrates comprises multiple sockets for inserting the bristles. The head frame comprises a bottom surface and multiple accommodating spaces for accommodating the head base. The toothbrush head allows the bristles to be bent into the arc shape when touching the teeth, so as to increase touching areas between the brushes and the teeth for enhancing cleaning effect and decreasing risks of causing caries. |
| US09254032B2 |
Drop-prevention pouch for cordless power tools
A drop-prevention pouch for a cordless power tool has a battery pack that defines a battery pack perimeter. The drop-prevention pouch includes a pouch floor and a pouch sidewall extending transversely from the pouch floor and having a sidewall rim portion defining a pouch opening. The pouch floor and the pouch sidewall define a chamber sized to receive the battery pack when the battery back is attached to the cordless power tool. A flexible conduit extends along the sidewall rim portion. A drawstring extends through the flexible conduit and is capable of restricting the pouch opening to be smaller than the battery pack perimeter, thereby preventing the drop-prevention pouch from being removed from the battery pack when the battery pack is attached to the cordless power tool. |
| US09254019B2 |
Shoelace tying devices and methods
A device for tying a shoelace includes a planar-shaped body member including a first opening, a second opening, a third opening, and a fourth opening. Each of the openings is configured to allow the shoelace to be inserted there through. The first, second, third and fourth openings may be arranged in a two-by-two array, wherein the first and second openings form a first row of the array, and wherein the third and fourth openings form a second row of the array. The first and fourth openings may be coupled to one another by a first slit, and the second and third openings may be coupled to one another by a second slit. |
| US09254018B2 |
Shoe with automatic closure mechanism
Provided is an automated shoe closure including a sole and a plurality of motors disposed in the sole. The motors are configured to expand or contract one or more shoe panels. The shoe panels each include one or more connectors configured to connect the shoe panels to each other when the shoe panels are in an expanded state. A plurality of slits are disposed in the sole. Each of the slits is configured to expand and contract a corresponding shoe panel therethrough. An expansion button is disposed in the sole. A retraction button is disposed in a side of the sole, and a charging port is disposed in the sole. |
| US09254016B2 |
Device for adapting a shoe to attach a cycling cleat
A kit and a method which is used to convert a non-cycling shoe into a cycling shoe which is capable of attaching a cycling cleat. The kit includes a device, fasteners, a template and instructions. The device is a contoured plate which has the appropriate geometry and holes to attach an SPD type cycling cleat. The device may possess ground contact preventing members on the bottom surface to prevent the cycling cleat from contacting the ground while the shoe is used for walking. The template is used to confirm and mark the ideal location for the holes that must be cut thru the shoe sole to accommodate the cleat attachment area and fasteners for the device. |
| US09254012B2 |
Method of bonding false eyelashes
Improvements in a method to enhance eyelashes are disclosed. The method uses placement of multiple clusters along an eyelid. Because multiple flare lashes are used an installer can weave an alternating thread on opposing sides of the real lash and the false flair lashes. The thread is preferably thin and simulates the appearance of the human or false lash. The thread or hair is woven into the eyelash with a natural needle formed from horse, animal or human hair with a naturally tapering end and a slot cut or formed in the opposing end of the hair to accept thread. Glue is utilized to cement the real eyelashes to the false eyelashes and the thread or hair. |
| US09254009B2 |
Upper and lower torso garments having an improved band
A circularly knitted upper or lower torso garment, such as a brassiere or brief, and method of forming a circularly knitted brassiere are provided, the garment having a circularly knitted body formed of inner and outer layers, the circularly knitted body having at least one torso or waist band, the inner and outer layers overlapping along a fold line, and an elastomeric band positioned between the inner and outer layers proximate the fold line. |
| US09254007B2 |
Electronic cigarette and its sucking rod
An electronic cigarette sucking rod comprises a nozzle cover and a connecting module respectively inserted into opposite ends of the sucking cylinder, a conduit in the sucking cylinder, a liquid guiding component and an atomizing device between the liquid guiding component and the connecting module; the nozzle cover and the liquid guiding component respectively seal opposite ends of the liquid smoke compartment, opposite ends of the conduit are inserted into the through holes of the nozzle cover and the liquid guiding component, and a smoke passage extends through the liquid guiding component and the conduit. The liquid guiding component comprises a liquid separation seat and a liquid reservoir; the liquid separation seat comprises a seat body and a vent pipe; the vent pipe has its one end engaged with the conduit, and another end sleeved with the liquid reservoir and lead to the atomizing device; the liquid separation seat defines a liquid guiding hole. |
| US09254003B2 |
Enclosed smoking device
An enclosed smoking device including a dome sealingly engageable with a base member, and a solid bowl sealingly engageable with a socket extending through the base member, the bowl being heatable from the exterior of the device. The assembly of dome, base member, and bowl define an enclosed interior space to prevent the escape of smoke or vapor produced by the heating of a smokable material in the bowl. The dome further includes a choke and a non-projecting integrated mouthpiece. A method of using an enclosed smoking device wherein no smoke or vapor is permitted to escape from the device during the smoking operation. |
| US09254002B2 |
Tobacco solution for vaporized inhalation
A tobacco solution containing water; a polysorbate compound; and an effective serving of tobacco constituents for vaporizing the tobacco solution for inhalation. The tobacco constituents may include nicotine, monoamine oxidase inhibitor, tobacco flavor, and tobacco aroma derived from tobacco. |
| US09254001B2 |
Tobacco-derived components and materials
The invention provides a method of extracting and isolating certain compounds from tobacco. The resulting isolate can include more than 90% by weight of a given compound and can be used as a flavor component for tobacco material used in smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions. Exemplary compounds that may be present in the isolate according to the invention include, but are not limited to, solanone, neophytadiene, megastigmatrienone, β-damascenone, norsolanadione, cis-abienol, α-cembratrienediol, β-cembratrienediol, sucrose esters, and lutein. |
| US09254000B1 |
Food item coater
An apparatus for coating a food item with a coating material. A food item receiving platform stages the food item for transport into the apparatus. A food item off-loading platform stages the food item for transport out of the apparatus. A coating hopper holds the coating material. A skewer supply holds food item skewers. A multi-axis robotic arm grasps one of the skewers from the skewer supply, skewers the food item on the receiving platform, transports the food item to the coating hopper, dips the food item in the coating material in the coating hopper, transports the food item to the off-loading platform, and releases the coated food item and the skewer onto the off-loading platform. A processor controls the desired operation of the multi-axis robotic arm. A user interface is used to selectively program the processor for the desired operation of the apparatus. |
| US09253999B2 |
UHT system and method for heat treating temperature-sensitive food products
The invention relates to a UHT system for heat treating temperature-sensitive food products, in particular desserts or dessert-like products, comprising a pre-heating zone and a subsequent high-heating zone. The aim of the invention is to achieve accurate and fast temperature adjustment of the food product leaving the pre-heating zone to the temperature conditions at the inlet of the high-heating zone in a UHT system of the generic type, and at the same time, with an equal dwell time for all partial amounts of the food product, to ensure that the food product is treated in a particularly thermally gentle manner and to keep the mechanical loading of the food product as low as possible. |
| US09253998B2 |
Material container for ultra-high pressure food processing
The material container disclosed in present application, comprises a cylindrical body with end covers attached to its ends. Multiple holes are distributed across the end covers. A movable sliding rack is located inside the cylindrical body. The axial direction of movable sliding rack coincides with the axial direction of the cylindrical body. The movable sliding rack has at least two hollow columns which axis is in the same direction of the axis of movable sliding rack. Any two neighboring hollow columns are isolated by their walls. Water can be timely added into the cylindrical body through the holes, without damaging material container due to water pressure. Turning around one end cover allows the cylindrical body to be opened for food materials conveniently loading or unloading. It provides quicker loading and unloading for cup or bottle packed materials with the movable sliding rack, utilizing the space inside the cylindrical body efficiently. |
| US09253995B2 |
Juicer with soymilk grinding function
The present provides a soymilk machine/juicer with grinding function, comprising a pair of concentric rotator (13) and stator (14) that are vertically arranged in a house. There are at least two thread convex ribs (16) on said rotator (14), and the thread convex ribs (16) are evenly distributed on the outer surface of a rotator body (15). Rotary clearance is defined between the thread convex ribs (16) of the rotator (13) and the inner wall of the stator (14). The middle upper part of said rotator body (15) is a revolved portion with small upside and large downside. The clearance of the upside of the rotator body (15) corresponding to an upper filter net (17) on the stator (14) is largest, which is the smashing section for dealing with stuff after stuff is fed. The clearance of the middle part of the rotator body (15) corresponding to the middle upper part of an abrasive disc of the stator (14) is medium-size, which is for smashing stuff further. The clearance of the middle lower part of the rotator body (15) corresponding to the lower part of the abrasive disc of the stator (14) is gradually shortened to less than 1 mm, which is the grinding section for stuff. The part of the rotator (13) under the grinding section corresponding to a lower filter net (18) on the stator (14) is the separating section for the soymilk from residue. The rotator of said soymilk machine/juicer can rotate stably and have less noise, and stuff can be grinded to be finer. |
| US09253993B2 |
Frozen confectionery products
The present invention relates to a method for producing frozen confectionery products comprising a coagulated protein system which contributes to the improvement of textural and sensorial attributes of the confections, in particular of products based on lower fat formulations. Such a protein system is used according to the invention in frozen confection prepared by conventional freezing alone or combined with low temperature freezing wherein it improves the microstructure and stability on frozen products. |
| US09253992B2 |
Cover sleeve and apparatus for loading material into a stent strut
An apparatus for loading material into a stent strut can comprise a cover sleeve. The cover sleeve is elastic so that it can reduce in diameter so as to press against the stent strut, and expand in diameter so as to be spaced apart from the stent strut. The stent strut can include a lumen into which material is injected. When pressed against the stent strut, the cover sleeve seals side openings to the lumen and prevents injected material from leaking out of the side openings during the injection process. |
| US09253991B2 |
Chewing gum with B vitamins
A chewing gum with a liquid-fill composition and a surrounding gum region, with one or both containing active ingredients, such as herbal, medicinal and/or mineral elements or combinations thereof, present in an amount of at least about 0.05 mg. |
| US09253990B1 |
Applicator device for food products
A food product applicator device has a frame on which a slidable die plate is mounted for reciprocating movement created by a pneumatic cylinder. A food hopper mounted on the frame above the die plate has a bottom opening through which food is pressed into apertures in the die plate. Tracks on the frame constrain the die plate to horizontal motion. The frame is about 1.6 times as long as the die plate. The lengths of the frame and die plate are such that when the die plate moves neither the leading edge nor the trailing edge of the die plate extends beyond the ends of the frame. A driver plate laterally spaced from the food hopper has fingers that can be lowered to eject food pieces from the apertures onto a substrate located on a shelf below the die plate. |
| US09253989B2 |
Combined used of lipo-chitooligosaccharides and chitinous compounds for enhanced plant growth and yield
Compositions and methods for enhancing plant growth and crop yield in legumes and non-legumes are described. The compositions include lipo-chitooligosaccharides in combination with chitins/chitosans or in combination with flavonoid compounds or in combination with a herbicide. The method includes applying the compositions to seeds and/or plants either concomitantly or sequentially. |
| US09253984B2 |
Herbicidal compositions comprising pyroxasulfone VII
The present invention relates to herbicidally active compositions, which comprise 3-[5-(difluoromethoxy)-1-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazol-4-ylmethylsulfonyl]-4,5-dihydro-5,5-dimethyl-1,2-oxazole [common name pyroxasulfone] and at least one herbicide B and at least one herbicide B which is selected from group consisting of synthetic auxins and auxin transport inhibitors.The invention furthermore relates to a method for controlling undesirable vegetation, which comprises applying an herbicidal composition according to the present invention to the undesirable plants. Application can be done before, during and/or after, preferably during and/or after, the emergence of the undesirable plants. The herbicide A and the at least one herbicide B can be applied simultaneously or in succession. |
| US09253977B2 |
Encapsulated wood preservatives
A method of incorporating biocides into wood or a wood product, the method including the steps of synthesizing a plurality of capsules each having an outer shell of polymer and incorporating within each said capsule an additive which includes an organic biocide, and then applying the said capsules to the wood or wood product in a manner whereby the capsules penetrate the wood or wood product. |
| US09253976B2 |
Methods and devices for preserving tissues
Methods and apparatus for preserving detached tissues, especially digits and limbs, which are detached as a result of traumatic amputation. By using the methods and apparatus, detached tissues can be preserved for greater lengths of time and are ultimately in a better condition for replantation surgery. |
| US09253973B2 |
Crawling arthropod intercepting device and method
An intercepting device (e.g. a furniture coaster device) is placed under furniture (bed, sofa, chair. etc.), other climbable object, or the floor adjacent an object to intercept crawling arthropods and other crawling pests. The intercepting device can be used to monitor the presence of crawling arthropods and other crawling pests (such as bed bugs, ants, cockroaches, beetles, spiders, etc.), reduce pest numbers, and monitor efficacy of pest control procedures. The intercepting device includes pitfall trap surfaces that form multiple pitfall traps. |
| US09253971B2 |
Nestable disposable container for pest electrocution
A method and apparatus for electrocution and disposal of pests, the apparatus including a reusable power source and a low cost disposable container. The reusable power source includes batteries and a circuit to provide a high voltage and low current signal to the disposable container, to electrocute small pests without presenting a risk to humans or pets. The disposable container is constructed from low cost material, for example, cardboard or plastic, and in one embodiment may be nested for efficient retail packaging. The nesting may be accomplished using tapered disposable containers or a series of decreasing size containers. A container floor includes conducting surfaces formed or glued on the floor. Internal leads and connector surfaces are similarly formed on sides and a rear of the container. The connector surfaces are configured to connect to the power source. |
| US09253969B2 |
Dual-bearing reel spool braking device and dual-bearing reel
A dual-bearing reel spool braking device is configured to brake a spool that is rotatably mounted on a reel body by centrifugal force. The dual-bearing reel spool includes at least one brake shoe, a rotating member and a brake drum. The brake shoe is arranged to apply a braking force to the spool. The rotating member is configured to rotate in conjunction with the spool. The rotating member includes a pivot shaft portion and a fixing portion. The pivot shaft portion pivotally supports the brake shoe and that movably supports the brake shoe in an axial direction of the pivot shaft portion. The fixing portion engages the brake shoe and non-pivotally fixes the brake shoe. The brake drum is arranged to selectively contact the brake shoe. |
| US09253968B2 |
Multi-functional rod foundation system and method
A fishing rod foundation and methods for constructing and adjusting a fishing rig. The fishing rod foundation may include a cylindrical element inserted in a tubular, the tubular having at least three portions. The first portion and second portions may be configured to receive a rod blank. The third portion may be configured to provide a stop for fishing rod parts to be added to the fishing rod foundation exterior. The third portion may include a threaded section that engages a locking nut for locking and unlocking the position of the cylindrical element relative to the tubular. The method may include construction of a fishing rod by adding a rod blank and other parts to the fishing rod foundation. Another method may include adjusting the fishing rig using the locking/unlocking feature of the fishing rod foundation. |
| US09253964B2 |
Mutant alpha-synuclein, and methods using same
The present invention relates to a mutant human alpha-synuclein with increased toxicity compared to wild-type alpha-synuclein, or a homologue thereof, wherein the mutant alpha-synuclein or homologue thereof comprises at least one amino acid substitution selected from the group consisting of a substitution at the alanine at position 56 (A56), at the alanine at position 76 (A76), at the methionine at position 127 (M127) and/or at the valine at position 118 (V118), as defined in the claims. Further, the invention relates to a polynucleotide encoding the mutant alpha-synuclein or homologue thereof, or an expression vector comprising said polynucleotide, a cell comprising the polynucleotide or expression vector, as defined in the claims. Also, a non-human animal comprising the cell of the invention is provided, as defined in the claims. Finally, the invention provides methods for identifying a substance that prevents or reduces toxicity of alpha-synuclein, as defined in the claims. |
| US09253962B2 |
Pocket bed pad with padded inserts for customized plushness
A pet pocket bed/pad comprising of a hollow flexible shell, top wall, bottom wall, surrounding walls which interconnect the top and bottom wall, fill material is disposed inside, to create a pet bed/pad. Additional compartment is added underneath comprising of three side walls, bottom wall, interconnecting the bottom wall of the upper pet bed, to create a pocket compartment, which is equal or greater, with an opening on one end or side, to allow a solid planar flat surface to be inserted inside, working in combination with the bed/pad, secured with closure to keep the flat surface inside the pocket, which prevents bunching up. Padded inserts comprising of a top and bottom wall, surrounding walls interconnected, will create a pillow of similar size and perimeter, to be inserted inside the interior underneath pocket of the bed/pad, to customize the plushness for additional comfort. |
| US09253961B2 |
Composite absorbent particles
Composite particles and methods for making the same. An absorbent material is formed into a particle. An optional performance-enhancing active is coupled to the absorbent material before, during, or after the particle-forming process, homogeneously and/or in layers. Additionally, the composite absorbent particle may include a core material. Preferred methods for creating the absorbent particles include a pan agglomeration process, a high shear agglomeration process, a low shear agglomeration process, a high pressure agglomeration process, a low pressure agglomeration process, a rotary drum agglomeration process, a mix muller process, a roll press compaction process, a pin mixer process, a batch tumble blending mixer process, an extrusion process, and a fluid bed process. |
| US09253960B2 |
Milking unit for milking an animal
A milking unit is proposed, comprising at least one milk hose, having a first end section and a second end section, and a milk collecting component, which is connected to the first end section of the milk hose. The milk collecting component has at least one coupling element, which cooperates with the first end section of the milk hose. A clamping element is provided, which cooperates with the coupling element so that an essentially fluid-tight connection is generated between the milk hose and the milk collecting component. |
| US09253956B2 |
Maize inbred PH1V69
A novel maize variety designated PH1V69 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1V69 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1V69 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 PH1V69 or a locus conversion of PH1V69 with another maize variety. |
| US09253954B1 |
Maize inbred PH1DCW
A novel maize variety designated PH1DCW and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1DCW with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1DCW 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 PH1DCW or a locus conversion of PH1DCW with another maize variety. |
| US09253953B2 |
Fruit formation in the absence of fertilisation
The present invention relates to a pepper plant showing the trait fruit formation in the absence of fertilization wherein said trait is obtainable by introgression from a plant grown from seed that was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41678, NCIMB 41680, or NCIMB 41684. The invention further relates to progeny of the plant, propagation material for producing the plant, to fruits of the plant and to a food product comprising the fruit or parts thereof. |
| US09253951B2 |
Emitter tubing clip
An embodiment provides a device for assisting fluid distribution that includes a ring having an inner surface disposed over an emitter tube and an engagement portion to secure the ring to the emitter tube. Another embodiment provides a flow-control system that includes an emitter tube having spaced orifices therein, emitters positioned within the emitter tube adjacent the spaced orifices, and spaced clips positioned on the emitter tube, the clips having an inner surface disposed over the emitter tube and an engagement portion to secure the ring to the emitter tube. Another embodiment provides a method for assisting fluid distribution that includes the following steps: selecting an emitter tube; installing emitters within the emitter tube; and mounting, to the emitter tube, rings, each having an inner surface disposed over the emitter tube and an engagement portion to secure each ring to the emitter tube. |
| US09253950B1 |
Low flow emitter with exit port closure mechanism for subsurface irrigation
A drip emitter for subsurface irrigation includes a valve chamber defining a hollow interior, an entry port and at least one exit port. A flexible diaphragm is mounted in the hollow interior of the valve chamber for movement in response to pressurized water being supplied to the hollow interior through the entry port. The drip emitter further includes a tortuous path water flow channel that limits the flow of water from the hollow interior of the valve chamber to the at least one exit port. A closure member is moved by the flexible diaphragm to open the at least one exit port when pressurized water enters the hollow interior to allow water to be discharged through the at least one exit port. A spring moves the closure member to close the at least one exit port when the supply of pressurized water is shut OFF. |
| US09253947B2 |
Combination cotton transport cart and module builder
An easily transportable cotton module builder includes a side mounted dump basket for receiving a load of cotton bolls from a cotton picker or stripper. The module builder is sized to form a module of half standard size, which enables the unit to be readily transportable on fields and roads. The basket expands outwardly, is lightweight and is sized to receive a full load dump from a cotton picker or stripper, then the basket swings up and over a module builder compression chamber. A compression bridge extends across the top of the compression chamber and supports a tamper bar assembly which compresses the cotton dumped in the chamber. The module builder compression chamber takes two to three loads from a cotton picker or stripper before it reaches capacity. |
| US09253946B2 |
Bale accumulator system
A bale accumulator system that includes a bale accumulator that has a platform with a plurality of centrally located rollers that extend from a first end of the platform to a second end of the platform. First and second pivot racks are provided that have L-shaped support members that are used so that once the plurality of rollers are full of bales the first or second pivot racks can be pivoted in order to place the bales at a different storage location on the platform. |
| US09253944B2 |
Snout height and tension adjustment
Adjustment of snout height and tension is provided for a combine harvester. The combine harvester includes a header having a plurality of row unit divider assemblies. The row unit divider assemblies include a bonnet portion, a snout portion, and a height and tension adjustment device. The height and tension adjustment device is coupled between the bonnet portion and the snout portion and is operable to adjust an angle and tension of the snout portion with respect to the bonnet portion. |
| US09253940B2 |
Air entrainment device for seed delivery
A seed delivery device including a frame defining at least one seed chamber. The frame includes a sidewall and an air permeable floor. Seed can be received and deposited on the air permeable floor through an input port. An air input channel is utilized to introduce an air stream into the seed chamber and direct it through the air permeable floor such that seed is lifted from the air permeable floor to an outlet port. An air bypass channel is configured to separate the air stream into a first stream that is directed through the air permeable floor and a second stream that is directed through the bypass channel and recombined with the first stream, at a point prior to the output port, to prevent excess accumulation of seed in the seed chamber. |
| 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. |