| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09672481B1 |
System and method for automatically monitoring the overall health of a software project
A computer implemented method for monitoring an overall health of a software project. The method includes: providing a plurality of business process checkers; storing a plurality of criteria, wherein each of the plurality of criteria measures an aspect of the software project process; storing an upper bound parameter and a lower bound parameter for each business process checker; assimilating data from one or more data sources related to aspects of the software project process; calculating, by each business process checker, a score for each criterion responsive to said upper bound and lower bound parameters and said data from said one or more data sources; calculating an overall health score for the software project from each calculated score for each criterion; and displaying an indication of the overall health of the software project responsive to the calculated overall health score. |
| US09672478B2 |
Techniques for semantic business policy composition
Embodiments of the present invention relate to techniques for creating policies. A plurality of objects representative of semantic objects are provided to a user. An arrangement of a subset of the objects, the arrangement representative of a policy, is received. The arrangement is converted to instructions for implementation by an application configured to implement policies. One or more of the objects may include fields and/or controls for specifying criteria of semantic objects represented by the objects. |
| US09672475B2 |
Automated opinion prediction based on indirect information
Techniques are disclosed to determine an expected or predicted opinion of a target individual. To do so, a deep question answer system may build a corpus which includes a first collection of documents attributable to a first person and a second collection of documents identified from content in the first collection of documents and evaluate the corpus to build a model representing opinions of the first person relative to topics, concepts, or subjects discussed in the first and second collections of documents. The deep question answer system may also receive a request to predict an opinion of the first person regarding a topic and generate a predicted opinion of the first person regarding the topic from the model. |
| US09672474B2 |
Concurrent binning of machine learning data
Variables of observation records to be used to generate a machine learning model are identified as candidates for quantile binning transformations. In accordance with a particular concurrent binning plan generated for a particular variable, a plurality of quantile binning transformations are applied to the particular variable, including a first transformation with a first bin count and a second transformation with a different bin count. The first and second transformations result in the inclusion of respective parameters or weights for binned features in a parameter vector of the model. In a post-training phase run of the model, at least one parameter corresponding to a binned feature is used to generate a prediction. |
| US09672473B2 |
Apparatus and method for system profile learning in an information handling system
An information handling system includes a processing system including a first sensor, and a second sensor, and a management system including an anomaly table, a learned model table entry associated with the processing system and including a learned model and a first sensor data history, and a prediction module to implement a prediction algorithm. The management system is configured to: receive first sensor data and second sensor data, determine an estimate of a first value of the first sensor data using a second value of the second sensor data, determine a residual of the first value by a comparison of the estimate to the first value, determine a significance of the residual, where the significance having a significant value is associated with a predicted anomaly, determine that an anomaly table entry has a known anomaly class for the predicted anomaly, and perform a remediation plan to resolve the predicted anomaly. |
| US09672472B2 |
System and method for managing behavior change applications for mobile users
An example system and method for managing behavior change applications for mobile users is disclosed. In an embodiment of the system and method, data on a plurality of users in a behavioral change program is received from a plurality of devices operating in a communications network. The data is used to determine plurality of user segments. Each user of the plurality of users is classified into a one of the plurality of user segments. Then a plurality of behavioral models is determined, where each of the plurality of behavioral models comprises a statistical model of relations between behaviors of users within a corresponding one of the plurality of user segments. An intervention model is then determined for a user, where the intervention model is based on a behavior model of the user segment to which the user belongs. Interventions are then sent to a device of the user according to the intervention model. |
| US09672470B2 |
Network-probability recommendation system
A method/apparatus/system for generating a recommendation based on user interactions with nodes and associated tasks within a prerequisite graph. The recommendation is generated by identifying the user's current position within the prerequisite graph and identifying potential next nodes to which the user could move. Based on the user's past interactions with nodes and/or tasks within the prerequisite graph, the user's likelihood of successfully completing the potential next node is calculated, and a recommendation is made based on this calculated likelihood of the user successfully completing the potential next node. |
| US09672469B2 |
Apparatus and method to increase accuracy in individual attributes derived from anonymous aggregate data
An apparatus and method to increase accuracy in individual attributes derived from anonymous aggregate data uses aggregation keys in order to retrieve distribution sets and generate best-effort results for individual attributes. Multiple aggregation keys may be utilized to which individual attributes may be cross-mapped. The aggregation keys may be divided into location-based aggregation keys and name-based aggregation keys. The resulting data may be of varying granularity depending upon the granularity of the aggregation key used for the distribution and to generate the attributes. |
| US09672468B2 |
System and method for providing intelligent location information
A method and system that includes extracting event models from at least one personal planning source of a user, wherein a parameter of an event model includes event location; periodically receiving location information of at least one mobile device of the user; storing the location information in a location log; a pattern worker module maintaining user location patterns through the location log; generating a location prediction from the extracted event models and the user location patterns; a first content worker module checking if the location prediction meets a set of content requirements; if the set of content requirements is satisfied, initiating content retrieval from at least one service; and pushing the content to the mobile device. |
| US09672459B2 |
Chip card with integrated active components
In various embodiments, a chip card module is provided that can have: a chip card module support; a wiring structure that is arranged on the chip card module support; an integrated circuit that is arranged on the chip card module support and is electrically coupled to the wiring structure; a chip card module antenna that is arranged on the chip card module support and is electrically coupled to the wiring structure, and a lighting device that is arranged on the chip card module support and is electrically coupled to the wiring structure. |
| US09672456B2 |
Image processing device, printing device, and image processing method
An image processing device that changes the output format of the generated printout can dynamically change the output format of the printout using print data from an existing system. An image processing device that executes a process to change the output format of a printout has an output format selector that selects a template determining the format of the printout based on information contained in the print data for the printout, and a print data generator that changes the print data according to the selected template. |
| US09672445B2 |
Computerized method and system for automated determination of high quality digital content
Disclosed are systems and methods for improving interactions with and between computers in a content generating, hosting and/or providing system supported by or configured with personal computing devices, servers and/or platforms. The systems interact to identify and retrieve data across platforms, which can be used to improve the quality of data used in processing interactions between or among processors in such systems. The disclosed systems and methods provide systems and methods for automatic discovery of high quality digital content. According to embodiments, the present disclosure describes improved computer system and methods directed to analyzing raw image data, such as features and descriptors of images in order to identify a high quality image(s). Such images can be identified from a database of images, and such images can be identified in real-time, or near real-time during the capture of an image(s) by a camera. |
| US09672443B2 |
Dimension reduction apparatus, dimension reduction method, and computer program product
According to an embodiment, a dimension reduction apparatus includes an obtaining device to obtain a first vector made up of elements; a generator to generate first partial vectors each made up of one or more elements of the elements; a first mapping controller to transform each first partial vector into a second partial vector by reducing number of elements constituting the first partial vector using first mapping corresponding to the first partial vector, concatenate the second partial vectors, and generate a second vector by reducing number of dimensions of the first vector; and a second mapping controller to apply, to the second vector, second mapping which maps the second vector into a space having number of dimensions not larger than that of the second vector, and generate a third vector by reducing the number of dimensions of the second vector to not larger than that of the second vector. |
| US09672442B2 |
Method and a device for detecting differences between two digital images
A method for detecting differences between two digital images includes the steps of: transforming the images by resizing the images in order to get identical image sizes, by aligning pixels of the images and by normalizing colors of the images; determining plural binary masks from the pixels of the transformed images, each binary mask being composed of one element per couple of pixels of the transformed images having same coordinates; determining plural energy functions, each energy function being the sum of a first term representative of transformed images and of one binary mask and of a second term which is only dependent on said one binary mask; minimizing the energy function over other plural energy functions; and selecting the binary mask corresponding to the minimized energy function. |
| US09672441B2 |
Enhanced contrast for object detection and characterization by optical imaging based on differences between images
Enhanced contrast between an object of interest and background surfaces visible in an image is provided using controlled lighting directed at the object. Exploiting the falloff of light intensity with distance, a light source (or multiple light sources), such as an infrared light source, can be positioned near one or more cameras to shine light onto the object while the camera(s) capture images. The captured images can be analyzed to distinguish object pixels from background pixels. |
| US09672440B2 |
Damage recognition assist system
A damage recognition assist system of a vehicle, the system includes at least one vehicle camera adapted to provide a stream of camera frames including camera images of the vehicle's surrounding and of areas or parts of the vehicle's chassis; a monitoring unit adapted to detect an imminent interaction of the vehicle with an external object and to identify areas or parts of the vehicle's chassis possibly affected by the detected interaction; a comparison unit adapted to compare recent camera images of the possibly affected areas or parts of the vehicle's chassis with previous camera images of the same areas included in reference camera frames to determine the state and level of damage of the vehicle's chassis due to the detected interaction. |
| US09672439B2 |
Object detection apparatus object detection method and storage medium
An object detection apparatus first sets a first partial region having a preset size and a second partial region in a given point (pixel) in an input image. In addition, the object detection apparatus calculates a first information amount in the second partial region, and sets a third partial region based on the size of the first information amount. Furthermore, the object detection apparatus calculates a score based on a salience degree that is based on a difference in statistical feature amount distribution between the first partial region and the second partial region, and based on an information amount of feature amount in the third partial region. Lastly, the object detection apparatus detects a main object by calculating scores on the respective points in the image and applying a predetermined statistical process to the scores. |
| US09672438B2 |
Text parsing in complex graphical images
A method for parsing the text of a complex graphical image comprises obtaining a series of blocks of text from a complex graphical image. Those blocks of text are used to generate location scores, size scores and length scores. Each of the scores is weighted and linearly summed. The highest resulting sum is identified as the most likely to be a desired text block. |
| US09672432B2 |
Image generation device
An image generation device that enhances visual recognizability between a recognized 3D (three-dimensional) object and a substitute image synthesized in an area of a 3D object image which is a photographed image of the 3D object includes an image synthesis section that recognizes a 3D object present in the peripheral area of a vehicle and outputs 3D object attribute information indicative of attributes of this 3D object, determines a 3D object image area as an image area of the 3D object in the photographed image based on position information included in the 3D object attribute information, outputs at least one of a substitute image of the 3D object applied with a color based on the color information and a substitute image of the 3D object under a specified directional posture of the 3D object specified based on type information and directional posture information and generates a bird's-eye view image with a substitution image in which the substitution image outputted from a substitution image output section is synthesized at the position of the 3D object image area. |
| US09672423B2 |
Object tracking apparatus and method thereof
A method of tracking an object of an object tracking apparatus is provided. The method includes by performing probability propagation between a set of frames where tracking of a target object is completed and a set of frames where tracking of a target object is not completed among a plurality of frames of an image, calculating a probability map for a target object in each frame included the set of frames where tracking is completed, selecting a frame form the set of frames where tracking is not completed based on the calculated probability map, and determining a location of the target object in the selected frame. |
| US09672417B2 |
Scale independent tracking pattern
In one aspect, a computer implemented method of motion capture, the method includes tracking the motion of a dynamic object bearing a pattern configured such that a first portion of the patterns is tracked at a first resolution and a second portion of the pattern is tracked at a second resolution. The method further includes causing data representing the motion to be stored to a computer readable medium. |
| US09672416B2 |
Facial expression tracking
The description relates to facial tracking. One example can include an orientation structure configured to position the wearable device relative to a user's face. The example can also include a camera secured by the orientation structure parallel to or at a low angle to the user's face to capture images across the user's face. The example can further include a processor configured to receive the images and to map the images to parameters associated with an avatar model. |
| US09672410B2 |
Automatic recognition of entities in media-captured events
Architecture that enables the identification of entities such as people and content in live broadcasts (e.g., streaming content (e.g., video) of live events) and non-live presentations (e.g., movies), in realtime, using recognition processes. This can be accomplished by extracting live data related to a live event. With respect to people entities, filtering can be performed to identify the named (people) entities from the extracted live data, and trending topics discovered as relate to the named entities, as associated with the live event. Multiple images of the named entities that capture the named entities under different conditions are captured for the named entities. The images are then processed to extract and learn facial features (train one or more models), and facial recognition is then performed on faces in the video using the trained model(s). |
| US09672408B2 |
Hidden biometric setup
A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium having instructions to invoke a setup of a fingerprint identification service of the user device, wherein the setup automatically sets up the fingerprint identification service without receiving a request from a user to set up the fingerprint identification service, capture, via the fingerprint reader, a fingerprint sample of the user of the user device; store the fingerprint sample; determine whether to generate a fingerprint template; generate the fingerprint template based on a determination to generate the fingerprint template; store the fingerprint template; provide a notification to the user that indicates that the fingerprint identification service can be activated; receive a request to activate the fingerprint identification service from the user; and activate the fingerprint identification service based on the request to activate the fingerprint identification service. |
| US09672406B2 |
Touchless fingerprinting acquisition and processing application for mobile devices
This disclosure is of a biometric authentication system and method. The system includes a mobile device having a camera and a screen, and a database. The system is programmed to superimpose on the screen an overlay of a finger over a real-time image seen by the camera, capture an image of a fingerprint of a user with the camera, compare the captured image with an authenticated fingerprint image that is stored in the database, and return a positive result if the compared images match. |
| US09672405B2 |
Electronic device and fingerprint recognition method
An electronic device and fingerprint recognition method are provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a lens protection cover, a processing unit, an image capturing unit, a light-source sensor and a visible light source module. The lens protection cover is installed on the housing. The light-source sensor is configured to detect external light which comes into the electronic device through the lens protection cover. The processing unit determines whether the detected external light is less than a threshold. The visible light source module is configured to generate visible light. When the detected external light is less than the threshold, the processing unit activates the visible light source module to generate the visible light, and activates the image capturing unit to capture a fingerprint image of a user's finger which is put on the lens protection cover for fingerprint recognition. |
| US09672403B2 |
Method and fingerprint sensing system for authenticating a candidate fingerprint
The present invention generally relates to a method for authenticating a candidate fingerprint using a fingerprint authentication system, and specifically to the possibility of using personalized fingerprint sensor setting for a fingerprint sensor comprised with the fingerprint authentication system. The invention also relates to a corresponding electronic device and to a computer program product. Advantages with the invention include a minimized processing time for acquiring a good quality fingerprint image, thus increasing user convenience.The invention also relates to a corresponding fingerprint sensing system and to a computer program product. |
| US09672402B2 |
Fingerprint indentification apparatus and manufactureing metheod thereof
A fingerprint identification apparatus includes a fingerprint identification module and a signal transmitting module electrically connected to the fingerprint identification module. The signal transmitting module includes a loading substrate and a first sensing layer with a plurality of first sensing units. The first sensing units are located on the loading substrate in a matrix. Each corner of the first sensing units is a substantially arc shaped. |
| US09672398B2 |
Aiming imagers
A scanner system is operable for gathering graphic data from a scan target. The scanner system has a single illumination source component operable for generating light, for aiming the scanner system with a filtered beam of the generated light directed at the scan target, and for illuminating the scan target with the directed light. The scanner system also has a detector component operable for sensing a reflection from the scan target, the sensed reflection including a portion of the directed light with which the scan target is illuminated, and for detecting information in the sensed reflection, in which the information detected in sensed reflection corresponds to the graphic data gathered from the scan target. |
| US09672394B2 |
System and method for securing backscatter wireless communication
A system and method for securing backscatter communication. In one embodiment, a backscatter communication system includes a reader. The reader is configured to receive backscatter transmissions. The reader includes a transmitter configured to emit a radio frequency signal to induce backscatter communication. The transmitter includes a continuous wave (CW) carrier signal generator and a noise signal generator. The CW carrier signal generator produces a CW carrier signal. The noise signal generator generates a noise signal. The transmitter is configured to combine the CW carrier signal and the noise signal, and to transmit the combined signal to induce backscatter communication. |
| US09672391B2 |
Information medium reading apparatus and method for reading information medium
An information medium reading device may include a magnetic head to read magnetic datum and output an analog magnetic signal; an image sensor to take a photo of image datum and output an analog image signal; an analog switch unit to select one of the analog magnetic signal and the analog image signal and output the selected one; an analog front-end unit having an analog/digital (A/D) conversion function for converting an analog signal to a digital signal, while using a voltage according to a black reference voltage at the time of image reading, as a bottom voltage, within a predetermined converted voltage range; a level adjustment unit to make a level adjustment; and a timing control unit. The analog magnetic signal may be input into the analog front-end unit, and an A/D conversion may be carried out for converting an analog signal to a digital signal. |
| US09672389B1 |
Generic human machine interface for a graphical model
A computing device may receive a request to create a link between a control mechanism of a human machine interface and an attribute of a model. The model, when executed, may simulate behavior of a system. The human machine interface may correspond to a physical object. The request may include information identifying the attribute and information identifying the control mechanism. The computing device may create a link between the control mechanism and the attribute based on receiving the request. The computing device may further observe the control mechanism in a spatial environment and detect that the control mechanism has changed based on observing the control mechanism. The computing device may modify a value, associated with the attribute, based on detecting that the control mechanism has changed and based on the link. |
| US09672387B2 |
Operating a display of a user equipment
Operating a display of a user equipment. The present invention relates to a method for operating a display (2) of a user equipment (1). The display (2) is configured to display an object (50). A permission is assigned to the object (50), which defines an allowance for a person (11-13) to view the object (50). According to the method, a gaze position (63) of a person (12) looking at the display (2) is determined, which defines a position on the display (2) at which the person (12) is looking. A distance between the gaze position (63) and a position of the object (50) is determined and furthermore, it is determined, if the person (12) is allowed to view the object based on the permission assigned to the object (50). If the person (12) is not allowed to view the object (50), the object (50) is concealed depending on the determined distance between the gaze position (63) and the position of the object (50). |
| US09672384B2 |
Secure processor and a program for a secure processor
The instruction code including an instruction code stored in the area where the encrypted instruction code is stored in a non-rewritable format is authenticated using a specific key which is specific to the core where the instruction code is executed or an authenticated key by a specific key to perform an encryption processing for the input and output data between the core and the outside. |
| US09672380B2 |
Stack fusion architecture including distributed software clusters to enable software communication services
A stack fusion architecture enables a cloud provider to provide Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings to multiple organizations. Each organization operates a Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform and is associated with an organization domain. A cluster of software/communication services is deployed to each platform. Each IaaS platform is deployed to a data center and includes compute, storage, and network resources and an IaaS operating system. Users registered to an organization domain have access limited to the cluster uniquely associated with that domain. The architecture includes a globally accessible domain-to-cluster map used to map each cluster to the associated domain. A locally accessible user-to-cluster map is stored in each cluster to map that cluster to each user registered to the domain uniquely associated with that cluster. The architecture enables communication between users provisioned on different clusters and registered to different domains without exposing private information to the cloud provider. |
| US09672377B2 |
System and methods for secure collaborative communication
Systems and methods including are provided including computing devices operable to divide content into component parts of content data and/or editing parameters which may be individually attributed to their respective authors. Content and editing parameters may be sent and viewed separately and may have different privacy parameters set by their respective authors. Computing devices may be operable to synthesize and display edited content from separate components including content and privacy parameters. |
| US09672373B2 |
Photographic copy prevention of a screen image
A method for preventing photographic capture of a displayed image on an electronically controlled screen using a photographic capture device is provided. The method includes intercepting an image for display; generating a plurality of subset frames based on the intercepted image; dividing the intercepted image into a plurality of subsections; generating a pseudo random number on each of the subsections within the plurality of subsections using a pseudo random number generator; mapping, on each of the subset frames within the plurality of subset frames, a group of subsections within the plurality of subsections that share a common generated pseudo random number; determining a frame rate value for displaying the plurality of subset frames, which enables human visualization of the plurality of subset frames as a single perceived frame; and displaying each subset frame consecutively on the electronically controlled screen based on the determined frame rate. |
| US09672370B1 |
Sharing digital media within a space
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for sharing digital media with a space. One of the methods includes receiving a request from a first user to provide digital media for presentation in a first physical space, the request identifying the digital media and a group of authorized users allowed to view the digital media. Sensors in the first space identify the authorized users located in the first physical space. That only authorized users can view the digital media is determined from the sensors. The digital media is provided for presentation in the first physical space while determining that only authorized users can view the digital media. |
| US09672366B1 |
Techniques for clipboard monitoring
Techniques for clipboard monitoring are disclosed. In one embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method including identifying text that has been copied from an application to a clipboard; copying the identified text to a cache separate from the clipboard; replacing the identified text in the clipboard with a delayed clipboard object; in response to a reference call from the delayed clipboard object, analyzing the copied text for sensitive data; and in response to determining that the copied text includes sensitive data, providing a response to the reference call from the delayed clipboard object that does not include the copied text. |
| US09672363B2 |
Security method for engineering tools and industrial products, and security system
The invention includes a read-restriction setting step of setting read restriction on a program stored in hardware of an industrial product in response to a read restriction request, and a read requesting step of transmitting a read request for the program to the industrial product from an engineering tool that is a read request source. In the read-restriction setting step unique individual information retained in the hardware of the industrial product or unique individual information retained in hardware for executing an engineering tool that is a read-restriction request source is registered as registration individual information, and in the read requesting step, unique individual information retained in hardware for executing the engineering tool that is the read request source or unique individual information retained in the hardware of the industrial product is compared with the registration individual information. |
| US09672361B2 |
Self-service terminal (SST) secure boot
A Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of a device is modified to: obtain a first value from a medium interfaced to the device, produce a second value from boot data resident on the medium, compare the first value to the second value, and boot from the boot data of the medium when the first value is equal to the second value. |
| US09672359B2 |
Real-time network updates for malicious content
A global response network collects, analyzes, and distributes “cross-vector” threat-related information between security systems to allow for an intelligent, collaborative, and comprehensive real-time response. |
| US09672356B2 |
Determining malware status of file
Determining malware status of a file is disclosed. An apparatus obtains information about an unknown target file, obtains system context of the unknown target file, and determines the unknown target file as clean if the system context matches with one or more predetermined conditions indicative of cleanliness. The predetermined conditions of cleanliness include at least the target file being located in a directory which contains other clean files. |
| US09672355B2 |
Automated behavioral and static analysis using an instrumented sandbox and machine learning classification for mobile security
The present system includes a computer-networked system that allows mobile subscribers, and others, to submit mobile applications to be analyzed for anomalous and malicious behavior using data acquired during the execution of the application within a highly instrumented and controlled environment for which the analysis relies on per-execution as well as comparative aggregate data across many such executions from one or more subscribers. |
| US09672354B2 |
Systems and methods for exposing a result of a current processor instruction upon exiting a virtual machine
Described systems and methods enable a host system to efficiently perform computer security activities, when operating in a hardware virtualization configuration. A processor is configured to generate a VM suspend event (e.g., a VM exit or a virtualization exception) when a guest instruction executing within a guest VM performs a memory access violation. In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to delay generating the VM suspend event until the execution stage of the pipeline for the guest instruction is complete, and to save results of the execution stage to a specific location (e.g. a specific processor register readable by security software) before generating the event. |
| US09672352B2 |
Isolated program execution environment
Embodiments relate to an isolated program execution environment. An aspect includes receiving, by the isolated program execution environment on a computer comprising a processor and a memory, a request to run a program. Another aspect includes wrapping program code corresponding to the program as a function. Another aspect includes cloning a real global object of the isolated program execution environment to create a fake global object. Another aspect includes passing the fake global object to the function. Another aspect includes executing the function, such that the function executes the program. |
| US09672350B2 |
System and method of authorizing execution of software code based on at least one installed profile
Embodiments include systems and methods for authorizing software code to be executed or access capabilities in secure operating environments. Profiles may be issued by trusted entities to extend trust to other entities to allow those other entities to provide or control execution of applications in a secure operating environment such as on particular computing devices. The profiles allow entities to add software code to the device without reauthorizing each distribution by a trusted authority such as testing, quality assurance, or to limited groups of devices controlled or authorized by the other entities. |
| US09672338B1 |
Managing applications across multiple management domains
Techniques to manage applications, such as mobile apps, across multiple management domains are disclosed. In various embodiments, a set of one or more application management policies to be enforced with respect to a mobile device is received from a management entity to which a scope of authority to manage applications with respect to the mobile device has been delegated. A management agent on the mobile device is used to enforce the one or more application management policies with respect to applications and application data that are within the scope of authority delegated to the management entity. |
| US09672337B2 |
Dynamic authentication
A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium having instructions to randomly select a file that provides a mnemonic for a user input; present the file; receive a user input that is responsive to a presentment of the file; determine whether the user input is correct; and grant further access and use of a device based on a determination that the user input is correct, wherein when the user input is correct, the user is authenticated. |
| US09672334B1 |
License entitlement assignment ambiguity resolution
Various embodiments include a resource control system. The resource control system can receive consumption demand requests to access one or more electronic resources. The resource control system can assign license entitlements, each with varying quantity, to consumption demand requests to enable access to the electronic resources. An ambiguity resolution engine can make license entitlement assignments to consumption demand requests when a set of license entitlements can cover a target electronic resource specified by the consumption demand requests. The ambiguity resolution engine can rank license entitlements based on ratios of their resource costs and the consumption demand requests based on their electronic resource usage efficiency. The ambiguity resolution engine can assign the license entitlements by comparing the rankings of the license entitlements and the rankings of the consumption demand requests. |
| US09672331B2 |
Systems and methods for computer models of animal feed
The present application provides systems and methods for analyzing animal feeds and for adjusting animal feeds to improve the digestibility of animal feed components. Digestibility of animal feed can be determined by performing in vitro digestion of the feed and analyzing concentrations of residual components in the digested feed by NIR spectroscopy. Animal feed compositions can be adjusted to improve digestibility of components in the feed. The systems and methods of the present application can be used to determine the effect of an additive on the digestibility of feed. |
| US09672326B2 |
Determining disease state of a patient by mapping a topological module representing the disease, and using a weighted average of node data
A medical general intelligence computer system and computer-implemented methods analyze morpho-physiological numbers for determining a risk of an emergent disease state, determining an emergent disease state, predicting a pre-emergent disease state, determining a pre-emergent disease state, and/or predicting a risk of a pre-emergent disease state. |
| US09672322B2 |
Virtual positive slack in physical synthesis
A system and method of performing physical synthesis of a chip design are described. The method includes performing a baseline physical synthesis to determine a timing slack associated with each device, the timing slack indicating a margin by which timing requirements for the associated device are exceeded, determining that a threshold has been exceeded, the determining based on an analysis of a histogram of the timing slack, and executing a stage-by-stage physical synthesis based on determining that the threshold has been exceeded. The executing the stage-by-stage physical synthesis includes running a stage of the stage-by-stage physical synthesis to determine real timing slack, mapping the real timing slack to virtual timing slack, and running a next stage of the stage-by-stage physical synthesis using the virtual timing slack. |
| US09672321B2 |
Virtual positive slack in physical synthesis
A system and method of performing physical synthesis of a chip design are described. The method includes performing a baseline physical synthesis to determine a timing slack associated with each device, the timing slack indicating a margin by which timing requirements for the associated device are exceeded, determining that a threshold has been exceeded, the determining based on an analysis of a histogram of the timing slack, and executing a stage-by-stage physical synthesis based on determining that the threshold has been exceeded. The executing the stage-by-stage physical synthesis includes running a stage of the stage-by-stage physical synthesis to determine real timing slack, mapping the real timing slack to virtual timing slack, and running a next stage of the stage-by-stage physical synthesis using the virtual timing slack. |
| US09672313B2 |
Method for selective re-routing of selected areas in a target layer and in adjacent interconnecting layers of an IC device
Methods for identification and partial re-routing of selected areas (e.g., including critical areas) in a layout of an IC design and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include comparing design data of an IC device against criteria of manufacturing processes to manufacture the IC device; identifying in the design data a layout area based, at least in part, on proximity of metal segments, interconnecting segments, or a combination thereof in the layout area; performing partial re-routing in the layout area to substantially meet the criteria, wherein at least one interconnecting element is shifted or extended; and integrating the partial re-routing into the design data for use in the manufacturing processes. |
| US09672309B2 |
Method for generating layout pattern
A method for generating a layout pattern includes following steps. A basic layout pattern including a plurality of first stripe patterns in a first cluster region is provided. Each first stripe pattern extends in a first direction, and the first stripe patterns have equal pitches in a second direction. A plurality of anchor bar patterns are generated. Each anchor bar pattern extends in the first direction, and the anchor bar patterns have equal pitches in the second direction. Edges of at least one of the anchor bar patterns in the second direction are aligned with edges of two adjacent first stripe patterns respectively. At least one of the anchor bar patterns overlaps a first space between two adjacent first stripe patterns. At least one first mandrel pattern is generated at the first space overlapped by the anchor bar pattern, and the first mandrel pattern is outputted to a photomask. |
| US09672308B1 |
Methods, systems, and computer program product for implementing three-dimensional operations for electronic designs
Disclosed are mechanisms for implementing three-dimensional operations for electronic circuit designs. These mechanisms identify a cross-layer layout portion by identifying a first electronic design as an editable layout portion and a second electronic design as a selectable and non-editable layout portion in a single window, determine a ruler by identifying or generating the ruler for a three-dimensional operation across the first electronic design and the second electronic design on different layers, identify one or more starting targets and one or more end targets within an aperture at least by determining the one or more starting targets and one or more end targets based in part or in whole upon a location of the aperture and the one or more rulers, and perform the three-dimensional operation at least by manipulating a plurality of shapes in the cross-layer layout portion based in part or in whole upon the one or more rulers. |
| US09672304B2 |
Dynamic online energy forecasting
Examples of dynamic online energy forecasting are provided herein. An energy forecast request is received. An initial energy forecast is calculated in response to the request. One or more of a plurality of energy forecast model instances are selected as candidate forecast model instances. At least one of the candidate instances are transformed into an improved forecast model instance having greater accuracy than the candidate forecast model instance. The transformation is accomplished by determining alternative values for at least some parameters of an energy forecast model of the candidate forecast model instance. An improved energy forecast having a greater accuracy than the initial forecast can then be calculated using the improved forecast model instance. |
| US09672303B2 |
System and method of predicting initial cooling of superconducting magnet
The present invention provides a system and method of predicting the initial cooling of a superconducting magnet, which can predict the change in initial cooling temperature of a superconducting magnet when the superconducting magnet is cooled using an ultra-low refrigerator. In the system and method, the change in cooling temperature of a superconducting magnet can be accurately predicted by classifying influence factors related to the cooling of a superconducting magnet into a plurality of control volumes and inducing a governing equation with respect to each of the control volumes. Based on this system and method, the reliability of basic data required to design an apparatus for measuring a high magnetic field for forming an ultralow-temperature environment can be greatly improved. |
| US09672297B1 |
Predictive approach to URL determination
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, computer program products, and systems for suggesting uniform resource locators located at previously unknown hosts to users. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to record uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with web resources accessed by a user and usage details pertaining to the user's usage of the web resources. Responsive to receiving a request to access a hostname not stored in the recorded URLs, embodiments of the present invention can be used to receive URLs associated with web resources available at the hostname and assign weight values to the received URLs based, at least in part, on the usage details and a similarity between the received URLs and the recorded URLs. Embodiments of the present invention can then be used to generate a URL suggestion from the received URLs based, at least in part, on the assigned weight values. |
| US09672294B2 |
Partial data report generation with data costing notification
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for partial data report generation with data costing notification. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for partial data report generation with data costing notification is provided. The method includes registering a call back for an operation specified by a plug in to a diagnostic tool. The method also includes responding to invoking the plug in by generating markup with data provided by different operations of the plug in, and also with at least one hyperlink in lieu of data known to be temporally costly, the hyperlink comprising a textual indication of a temporal cost of retrieving the data known to be temporally costly and an address of an operation programmed to retrieve the data. |
| US09672293B2 |
Systems and methods for automatically identifying and linking names in digital resources
The present invention provides systems and methods for automatically identifying name-like-strings in digital resources, matching these name-like-string against a set of names held in an expertly curated database, and for those name-like-strings found in said database, enhancing the content by associating additional matter with the name, wherein said matter includes information about the names that is held within said database and pointers to other digital resources which include the same name and it synonyms. |
| US09672288B2 |
Query suggestions
Briefly, embodiments of methods and/or systems for providing enhancements to search query processing are disclosed. |
| US09672281B1 |
Apparatuses, methods and systems for a call searcher
The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A CALL SEARCHER implement efficient and scalable monitoring, regulation, and allocation of communications resources within an enterprise. In one embodiment, a call searcher processor-implemented method is disclosed, comprising: obtaining an indication to perform call analytics on a communications session; recording the communications session upon obtaining the indication; analyzing via a processor the recording to determine call ratings; obtaining a call tagging rule; associating a call tag with the communications session based on the call ratings and the call tagging rule; obtaining a review request for the communications session; providing a notification of the call tag and the recording of the communications session for review upon obtaining the review request; obtaining an indication to modify the communications session in response to providing the notification; and modifying the communications session according to the obtained indication. |
| US09672277B2 |
Presenting real-time search results
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for presenting real-time search results. In one aspect, a method includes presenting real-time search results in response to a query; and automatically updating the real-time search results. |
| US09672276B2 |
Multi-act creation user interface element
A multi-act creation user interface element that is displayed when a user instructs a computing system to initiate creation of a resource that has multiple associated creation processing acts. For each of some or all of the creation processing acts, the multi-act creation user interface element causes a set of one or more controls to appear, which the user may then enter creation information into. The multi-step creation user interface element persists creation information so entered so that the creation information is available for further creation processing acts. |
| US09672274B1 |
Scalable message aggregation
Methods and systems for scalable message aggregation are described. A method may include receiving data to store in a message queue implemented on a partitioned distributed data store. The method may also include storing the data in one or more partitions of the message queue. The method may further include aggregating the stored data into a batch. |
| US09672269B2 |
Method and system for automatically identifying related content to an electronic text
The exemplary embodiments provide methods and systems for automatically identifying content related to an electronic text. Aspects of exemplary embodiments include linking topic categories, psychological states, demographic profiles, and additional content using one or more databases; in response to receiving content of an electronic text, analyzing by a software component executing on a computer the content and assigning one or more of topic categories to the content; automatically identifying at least one the psychological states of a user caused by the content and the demographic profiles whose members would be interested in the content that are linked to the one or more topic categories assigned to the content; and presenting a portion of the additional content that is linked to at least one of the identified demographic profiles and the psychological states. |
| US09672265B2 |
Systems and methods for generating an edit script
Described herein is a computer implemented method for simplifying a hierarchical edit script comprising nodes describing operations which can be applied to dataset A to generate dataset B. The method comprises identifying nodes in the hierarchical edit script that can potentially be simplified and forming one or more node groups, each node group comprising one or more sibling nodes from the hierarchical edit script that are of a same node type and that can potentially be simplified. For each node group the method further comprises identifying a node group type based on a type the node or nodes in the node group, based on the node group type, processing the node group to generate a single node, the single node capturing the operations described by the node or nodes in the node group, and replacing the node group in the hierarchical edit script with the single node. |
| US09672256B2 |
Creating data views
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for creating data views. Embodiments of the invention allow automatic creation of data views/projections on top of data sources. A view can be created on one data source (by looking at one or multiple data elements within the data source) or by looking at multiple data sources (of the same or different data types) and combining elements into a view. Data sources can be any kind of data source, including but not limited to: databases, files, and Web services. Views can be picked from a set of predefined views, picked from views of another tenant (either statically or using fuzzy logic), selected based on data element classifications and/or data element relationship classifications, selected based on data usage (e.g., by looking at logs), etc. |
| US09672254B2 |
Creating new documents based on global intent and local context
An approach is provided for creating a new document. Keywords specifying a subject matter of the new document are received. Metadata of documents is determined to match keyword(s) included in the received keywords and the documents are retrieved. Based on a section being created in the new document, a ranked list of the retrieved documents is generated. A selection of a document included in the ranked list is received. The selected document is added to the new document. The keywords are refined based on the added document. Based on the subject matter and the refined keywords, the new document is completed by repeating the steps of determining the metadata, retrieving the documents, generating the ranked list, receiving the selection, and adding the selected document. |
| US09672251B1 |
Extracting facts from documents
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for extracting facts from a collection of documents. One of the methods includes obtaining a plurality of seed facts; generating a plurality of patterns from the seed facts, wherein each of the plurality of patterns is a dependency pattern generated from a dependency parse; applying the patterns to documents in a collection of documents to extract a plurality of candidate additional facts from the collection of documents; and selecting one or more additional facts from the plurality of candidate additional facts. |
| US09672250B2 |
Database calculation engine
A select query or a data referencing a calculation scenario is received by a database server from a remote application server. The specified calculation scenario is one of a plurality of calculation scenarios and it defines a data flow model that includes one or more calculation nodes. Each calculation node defines one or more operations to execute on the database server. Thereafter, the database server instantiates the specified calculation scenario and executes the operations defined by the calculation nodes of the instantiated calculation scenario to result in a responsive data set. This data set is then provided by the database server to the application server. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described. |
| US09672249B2 |
Comparing join values in database systems
The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products for performing JOIN value comparisons. One computer-implemented method includes converting, by operation of a computer system, a first value of a first data type into a second value of a second data type, wherein the first value is a value of a first attribute of a first table; converting, by operation of a computer system, the second value of the second data type into a third value of a third data type; converting, by operation of a computer system, a fourth value of the third data type into a fifth value of the second data type, wherein the fourth value is a value of a second attribute of a second table; converting, by operation of a computer system, the fifth value of the second data type into a sixth value of the first data type; and performing JOIN operations of the first table and the second table in response to determining that the first value equals the sixth value, and the fourth value equals the third value. |
| US09672247B2 |
Translating queries into graph queries using primitives
In order to facilitate the requesting of desired information from a graph database that stores a graph, a system may translate an initial query into a query that can be executed against the graph database. In particular, using primitives, the system may translate a query associated with a type of database (such as a relational database) into the query. The graph may include nodes, edges between the nodes, and predicates to represent and store data with index-free adjacency. Moreover, the primitives may include: a rule based on edges in the graph that expresses a relational schema in the type of database, and information associated with a compound key that specifies a relationship between nodes, edges and predicates in the graph corresponding to a table in the type of database. Then, the system may execute the query against the graph database, and may receive a result that includes a subset of the graph. |
| US09672242B2 |
System for automatically detecting abnormalities statistical data on usage, method therefor, and apparatus applied to same
The present invention discloses a system for automatically detecting abnormalities in statistical data on usage, to a method for same, and to an apparatus applied to same. Namely, the present invention can increase the reliability and accuracy of statistical data on usage by: collecting statistical data on usage, the data relating to the usage of electronic information from a plurality of information-providing platform apparatuses each issuing separate electronic information; and, from among the collected statistical data on usage, determining, as data to be subjected to abnormality detection, only the statistical data on usage that corresponds to a reference data format, and detecting abnormalities for each type from the statistical data on usage determined as the data to be subjected to abnormality detection. |
| US09672239B1 |
Efficient content addressable memory (CAM) architecture
A TCAM database is partitioned into a plurality of sections. A set of rules to be stored in the TCAM database is analyzed to identify respective subsets of rules that match respective possible bit value combinations corresponding to a subset of bits in the rules, and to identify, in the subsets of rules, two or more subsets that share one or more rules. Then, it is determined whether two or more subsets that include shared rules can be written to a same section in the TCAM database, without exceeding a maximum number of rules that can be written to the same section, when one or more duplicates of one the the shared rules is omitted from the TCAM database. When it is determined that two or more subsets can be written to the same section, the two or more subsets are written to the same section in the TCAM database. |
| US09672237B2 |
System-wide checkpoint avoidance for distributed database systems
A database system may maintain a plurality of log records at a distributed storage system. Each of the plurality of log records may be associated with a respective change to a data page. Upon detection of a coalesce event for a particular data page, log records linked to the particular data page may be applied to generate the particular data page in its current state. Detecting the coalesce event may be a determination that the number of log records linked to the particular data page exceeds a threshold. |
| US09672234B2 |
Database and database processing methods
Databases and methods for storing, processing and searching data in database tree structures are provided. More particularly, a method for processing data stored in database tree structures for use in data packet routing applications, and a method of searching a database containing data stored in a tree structure, using a search key, are provided. The tree structure includes a plurality of nodes. Data relating to a first node and a second node is stored in the database. The data includes a first node key and a second node key which is prefixed by the first node key. The tree structure is searched using a search key by traversing the second node and determining if the first node key has a prefix which matches the search key. |
| US09672233B2 |
Integrated search for shared storage using index throttling to maintain quality of service
A method of searching shared files stored on a shared storage includes providing a search functionality in the shared storage having a set of search indexes to perform a search based on a search term; providing an event stream of update events associated with the shared files in the shared storage; processing the event stream to generate a processed event stream; and responding to update events in the processed event stream by indexing files referenced in the update events in the processed event stream where the indexing is performed to maintain a predetermined level of quality of service at the shared storage. |
| US09672232B1 |
Systems and methods for selectively storing event data
Methods and systems are provided for selectively storing event data. In one described method, an event associated with an article is captured. The captured event can comprise event data. The method further comprises evaluating the event for satisfaction of a criterion. If the event satisfies the criterion, it is indexed. |
| US09672230B1 |
Optimized placement of data
The disclosed embodiments included a system, apparatus, method, and computer program product for optimizing the placement of data utilizing cloud-based IT services. The apparatus comprises a processor that executes computer-readable program code embodied on a computer program product. By executing that computer-readable program code, the processor extracts content from data and determines the context in which that data was generated, modified, and/or accessed. The processor also classifies the data based on its content and context, determines the cost of storing the data at each a plurality of locations, and specifies which of those locations the data is to be stored based on the classification of that data and the cost of storing that data at each of the plurality of locations. |
| US09672226B2 |
Method to identify an object and a system for doing the same
Various embodiments relate to a method to identify an object comprising: receiving an image, the image having an object in front of a background; segmenting the image into a segmented image using a segmentation technique, the segmented image having a foreground component showing at least a part of the object and a background component showing at least a part of the background; determining at least one property of the foreground component of the segmented image; and matching the at least one property of the foreground component with a database of identified objects having the corresponding at least one property to identify the object. |
| US09672225B2 |
Management of thumbnail data associated with digital assets
According to example configurations, a digital asset manager receives a digital asset. The digital asset manager generates multiple sets of thumbnail data based on the digital asset. Each of the multiple sets of thumbnail data can be encoded to support display of a different thumbnail resolution of the digital asset. The digital asset manager initiates storage of the multiple sets of thumbnail data in a unit of storage of a repository. The unit of storage can be pre-allocated for storing the multiple sets of thumbnail data associated with the digital asset. Accordingly, in lieu of storing data for each thumbnail in a different file as in conventional methods, configurations herein can include storing thumbnail data in the same unit of storage or file. Thus, multiple sets of thumbnail data for a corresponding digital asset can be stored in a single file. |
| US09672224B2 |
Solution for highly customized interactive mobile maps
A map customization module builds a customized map for a user based on the user's interest and historical activities. A database stores processed map data including layer data, element data and/or tile data related to maps. The map customization module obtains the necessary processed map data from the database and combines the map data with the user's interests to generate a customized map. The map customization module recognizes the user's interests based on explicit user input and/or implicit user input. |
| US09672217B2 |
System and methods for generation of a concept based database
A system and method for generating a concept database based on at least two multimedia data elements (MMDEs). The method includes: generating at least two items from a received MMDE of the at least two MMDEs; determining the items that are of interest for signature generation; generating at least one signature responsive to at least one item of interest of the received MMDE; clustering at least two signatures received from the signature generator responsive of the plurality of MMDEs; reducing the number of signatures in each cluster to a create a signature reduced cluster (SRC) of the cluster; associating metadata with the SRC to a concept structure including at least two SRCs and their associated metadata; and generating at least one index for mapping the received MMDE to at least one concept structure, wherein the concept database includes concept structures and the generated indices for the at least two MMDEs. |
| US09672205B2 |
Methods and systems related to information extraction
The invention relates to information extraction systems having discriminative models which utilize hierarchical cluster trees and active learning to enhance training. |
| US09672202B2 |
Context-aware re-formating of an input
Various components provide options to re-format an input based on one or more contexts. The input is received that has been submitted to an application (e.g., messaging application, mobile application, word-processing application, web browser, search tool, etc.), and one or more outputs are identified that are possibilities to be provided as options for re-formatting. A respective score of each output is determined by applying a statistical model to a respective combination of the input and each output, the respective score comprising a plurality of context scores that quantify a plurality of contexts of the respective combination. Exemplary contexts include historical-user contexts, domain contexts, and general contexts. One or more suggested outputs are selected from among the one or more outputs based on the respective scores and are provided as options to re-format the input. |
| US09672196B2 |
Methods and systems for presenting specialized content using campaign metrics
A computer-implemented method of providing specialized media on a website is disclosed. The method includes producing campaign media which is delivered to a user through a third-party provider. After the user has received the campaign media, and upon indication of a request from the user to access a website controlled by a content provider, specialized media on a website controlled by the content provider may be provided. Providing the specialized media may be done based on the campaign media previously delivered to the user through the third-party provider. |
| US09672195B2 |
Method and system for page construct detection based on sequential regularities
Disclosed is a method and system that generates a page construct structure associated with a sequentially-ordered set of pages, each being characterized by a set of page construct features. N-grams, i.e., a sequence of n features, are computed from a set of page construct features for n contiguous pages, and n-grams which are repetitive are selected. Pages matching the most frequent repetitive n-ram are grouped together under a new node, and a new sequence is created. The method is iteratively applied to this new sequence. The output is an ordered set of trees. |
| US09672191B2 |
Geometric counting mechanisms
Disclosure for representing one or more numbers as a geometric counting mechanism that comprises an arrangement of geometric shapes and decoding the geometric counting mechanism into the represented number or numbers is provided. Decoding a geometric counting mechanism includes at least identifying a container geometry, determining a primary multiplier, a secondary multiplier, and an additive component value based on the geometric shapes identified in the geometric counting mechanism and their locations in the arrangement. The geometric counting mechanism can be decoded in a clockwise and/or counterclockwise manner, therefore one geometric counting mechanism can represent more than one number. |
| US09672186B2 |
Electronic monitoring device having wake-up for daisy chain
A monitoring device has an event monitor, an uplink interface to a chain controller device, and a downlink interface to a further monitoring device, and a daisy controller for coupling the uplink to the chain downlink. The event monitor, in response to detecting an event in sleep mode, generates a wake-up signal. The daisy controller sets the electronic monitoring device to a wake-up request mode and disables the bidirectional data communication via the downlink interface, and subsequently transmits a wake-up request to the chain controller device via the uplink interface. In response to receiving a wake-up command, the daisy controller re-enables the bidirectional data communication via the downlink interface and sets the electronic monitoring device to the operational mode. Thereby a wake-up sequence is performed while the wake-up request mode avoids bus conflicts. |
| US09672185B2 |
Method and system for enumerating digital circuits in a system-on-a-chip (SOC)
Methods and systems for enumerating digital circuits in a system-on-a-chip (SOC) are disclosed. The method includes incrementing an enumeration value received from a previous enumerable instance to uniquely identify an immediately adjacent enumerable instance of a plurality of enumerable instances in a daisy chain configuration. |
| US09672184B1 |
Methods and systems for rapid configuration, calibration, and deployment of a modular robot workcell
A method operable by a computing device is provided. The method may include receiving a request for a given task to be performed by a modular reconfigurable workcell. The method may also include determining one or more peripherals required to perform the given task. The method may also include determining an optimal placement of the one or more peripherals based on the given task, wherein the one or more peripherals are coupled to the workcell in a fixed geometric configuration based on the determined optimal placement. The method may also include determining a first calibration of the one or more peripherals based on the orientation of the one or more peripherals relative to the workcell, and determining a second calibration of the one or more peripherals based on the optimal placement of the one or more peripherals with respect to each other. |
| US09672173B2 |
Shared PCI interrupt line management
A method performed by a physical computing system includes, with the computing system, determining a set of devices that share a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interrupt line, with the computing system, disabling interrupt ability for each device within the set, with the computing system, selecting a first subset of devices within the set, with the computing system, enabling interrupt ability for each of the devices within the first subset, and with the computing system, in response to detecting an unhandled interrupt after enabling interrupt ability for the devices within the first subset, incrementing a counter for each device within the first subset. |
| US09672172B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method thereof, and computer-readable storage medium
A series of processing that includes a first control step for controlling an apparatus that executes predetermined processing and a second control step for controlling the apparatus based on a control result of the first control step is executed. An execution history of the first control step or the second control step is stored in a memory. The series of processing is interrupted in a case where a predetermined interruption factor occurs during execution of the series of processing. In a case where the interruption is executed, a start step for resuming the series of processing is set to the first control step or the second control step, based on the execution history stored in the memory. |
| US09672171B2 |
Access control to a jointly exclusively usable transmission medium
A computing system and a method are specified. The computing system has a plurality of components which are configured to use a resource exclusively jointly, an activity monitoring unit which records a number of activities of a component on the resource and an interrupting unit which is configured to interrupt access of the components for use of the resource when the number of activities of the component reaches an activity threshold, so that an assignment strategy can assign the exclusively jointly used resource to another component. |
| US09672170B2 |
Semiconductor memory
A semiconductor memory in accordance with an embodiment includes: a control unit configured to generate a plurality of second control signals in response to a page size signal and a plurality of first control signals; a plurality of input/output switches configured to be coupled to each of a plurality of unit memory blocks and activated in response to the plurality of second control signals; and a plurality of page change switches configured to couple data lines of the plurality of unit memory blocks in response to the page size signal. |
| US09672168B2 |
System interconnection of system-on-chip
Provided is a method of driving a system-on-chip (SOC). The method includes adding a first transaction to a list, allocating the first transaction to a first slot, determining whether a second transaction is redundant, and adding the second transaction to the list and allocating the second transaction to the first slot when it is determined that the second transaction is redundant. Accordingly, the SOC can increase outstanding capability and enhance performance of a system interconnection. |
| US09672167B2 |
Resource management for peripheral component interconnect-express domains
Embodiments of the present invention provide a solution for managing inter-domain resource allocation in a Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCIe) network. One processor among a plurality of link processors is elected as a management processor. The management processor obtains information about available resources of PCIe network. When a resource request from a request processor is received, the management processor allocates a resource of the available resources to the requesting processor. The management processor instructs one or more link processors to program one or more inter-domain NTBs through which the traffic between the allocated resource and the requesting processor is going to flow according to the memory address information of the allocated resource, to allow cross-domain resource access between the requesting processor and the allocated resource. |
| US09672165B1 |
Data management tier coupling primary storage and secondary storage
A method of storing data in a storage system is provided. The method includes writing data, from a virtual machine in a compute node, to a primary storage coupled to the virtual machine and sending a first copy of the data from the compute node to a data node. The method includes writing the first copy of the data from the compute node to an intermediate storage coupled as direct attached storage to the data node, and writing a second copy of data from the intermediate storage to a secondary storage, wherein at least one method operation is performed by a processor. A storage system is also provided. |
| US09672163B2 |
Field lockable memory
The present principles relate to a method of imprinting new identifying information to a flash memory device. The method includes receiving, at a flash memory, a new identifying information to be written to the flash memory, the flash memory having a plurality of sectors and a pointer associated therewith, the plurality of sectors including a locked first sector that includes previously written identifying information, the pointer including an address of the first sector; writing the new identifying information to a second sector of the plurality of sectors, the second sector being open and lockable; and locking the second sector. |
| US09672162B2 |
Data processing systems
A data processing system includes a host processor and a graphics processing unit operable to process data under the control of an operating system executing on the host processor. The graphics processing unit can be switched between a normal mode of operation in which the it has read and write access to data that is stored in non-protected memory regions 9 but no or write-only access to any protected memory regions 8, and a protected mode of operation in which it has read and write access to data that is stored in protected memory regions 8 but only has read-only access to any non-protected memory regions 9. The data processing system further comprises a mechanism for switching the graphics processing unit from its normal mode of operation to the protected mode of operation, and from its protected mode of operation to the normal mode of operation. |
| US09672161B2 |
Configuring a cache management mechanism based on future accesses in a cache
The described embodiments include a cache controller that configures a cache management mechanism. In the described embodiments, the cache controller is configured to monitor at least one structure associated with a cache to determine at least one cache block that may be accessed during a future access in the cache. Based on the determination of the at least one cache block that may be accessed during a future access in the cache, the cache controller configures the cache management mechanism. |
| US09672157B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device may include an active controller configured to count pulses of an active signal, and activate an active masking signal for masking an active operation when the counted number of the active signal is greater than predetermined activation times of the active signal during a predetermined bank active section. |
| US09672155B2 |
Method and device for storing data in a memory, corresponding apparatus and computer program product
A plurality of sensors provide respective output data rates, with a first sensor that has a highest output data rate, while one or more other sensors have output data rates that are submultiples of the aforesaid highest output data rate. The data signals coming from the sensors are stored in a memory, e.g., a FIFO memory, by storing the data signals of the first sensor at the aforesaid highest output data rate, accompanying storage of the data signals coming from said first sensor with storage of the data signals coming from the sensors as supplied by said other sensors at the aforesaid submultiple output data rates, so that the data signals are stored in the memory according to a repeated pattern that is common to the various sensors. |
| US09672153B2 |
Memory interface control
A memory interface apparatus 24 is provided with first interface circuitry 28, second interface circuitry 30 and transaction control circuitry 32. The first interface circuitry receives a first write request from a transaction master 20, 22 and issues a further transaction request associated with the memory address of the first write request via the second interface circuitry to a memory system. When an indication of the completion of the further transaction has been received at the second interface circuitry, then a second write request may be issued from the second interface circuitry to the memory system to write the target data associated with the first write request. After a write response signal in respect of the second write request is received at the second interface circuitry, then an acknowledge signal RACK indicating completion of the further transaction and that the write response signal has been received may be issued from the second interface circuitry. Between issue of the further transaction and issue of the acknowledge signal snoop requests to the memory addresses concerned that arise elsewhere within the memory system may be managed and blocked. |
| US09672140B1 |
Processing special requests at dedicated application containers
Various embodiments of systems and methods to provide processing of special requests at dedicated application containers are described herein. In one aspect, an application instance is downloaded and deployed in an application runtime, at a dedicated application container, to process service requests. In another aspect, the dedicated application container starts a proxy process, independently from the application runtime to intercept incoming service requests. The regular service requests are passed by the proxy process to the application runtime for processing by the executing application instance. In yet another aspect, the proxy process executes special service requests directly to access the dedicated container landscape. |
| US09672133B2 |
Systems and methods for debugging applications using dual code generation
Systems and methods provide a debugger that debugs code using two versions of code, an optimized and a debuggable version of object code for subroutines, methods or functions. The debugger causes the appropriate version of the code to be executed depending on whether debug commands have been applied with respect to particular subroutines, methods or functions. |
| US09672132B2 |
Methods and apparatus for measuring performance of a multi-thread processor
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for measuring performance of a multi-thread processor. The method and apparatus determine loading of a multi-thread processor through execution of an idle task in individual threads of the multi-thread processor during predetermined time periods. The idle task is configured to loop and run when no other task is running on the threads. Loop executions of the idle task on each thread are counted over each of the predetermined time periods. From these counts, loading of each of the threads of the multi-thread processor may then be determined. The loading may be used to develop a processor profile that may then be displayed in real-time. |
| US09672128B2 |
Multi-core device, test device, and method of diagnosing failure
Provided is a multi-core device. The multi-core device includes: a plurality of cores outputting a test response value by receiving a test pattern value; a majority analyzer outputting a value corresponding to a majority of the test response value by analyzing the test response value; and a determination unit determining a core outputting a test response value different from the value corresponding to the majority among the plurality of cores. |
| US09672122B1 |
Fault tolerant distributed tasks using distributed file systems
Data files in a distributed system sometimes becomes unavailable. A method for fault tolerance without data loss in a distributed file system includes allocating data nodes of the distributed file system among a plurality of compute groups, replicating a data file among a subset of the plurality of the compute groups such that the data file is located in at least two compute zones, wherein the first compute zone is isolated from the second compute zone, monitoring the accessibility of the data files, and causing a distributed task requiring data in the data file to be executed by a compute instance in the subset of the plurality of the compute groups. Upon detecting a failure in the accessibility of a data node with the data file, the task management node may redistribute the distributed task among other compute instances with access to any replica of the data file. |
| US09672118B2 |
Collision avoidance using dynamic target volume allocation
A collision is avoided between a new Flashcopy backup and an existing Flashcopy target volume containing an older Flashcopy backup being ingested during one of a mount operation, a restore operation, and a clone operation by dynamically allocating a new Flashcopy target volume for the new Flashcopy backup. |
| US09672117B1 |
Method and system for star replication using multiple replication technologies
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, a system, and a computer program product for performing data replication and backup. The method comprises performing a first data replication of a production site storage to a replication site storage and performing a first backup of the production site storage to a production site backup storage. A second data replication then may be performed from the production site backup storage to a backup site backup storage. |
| US09672115B2 |
Partition tolerance in cluster membership management
Techniques are disclosed for managing a cluster of computing nodes following a division of the cluster into at least a first and second partition, where the cluster aggregates local storage resources of the nodes to provide an object store, and objects stored in the object store are divided into data components stored across the nodes. In accordance with one method, it is determined that a majority of data components comprising a first object are stored within nodes in the first partition. It is determined that a majority of data components comprising a second object are stored within nodes in the second partition. Configuration objects are permitted to be performed on the first object in the first partition while denying access to the first object from the second partition, and on the second object in the second partition while denying access to the second object from the first partition. |
| US09672113B1 |
Data recovery from multiple data backup technologies
A backup system comprises a tape backup storage storing a set of tape backup data, a snapshot backup storage storing a nearest snapshot, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine the nearest snapshot, wherein a snapshot time of the nearest snapshot is nearest in time to a backup time, and determine the set of tape backup data, wherein the set of tape backup data and the nearest snapshot enable recovery of a backup data. |
| US09672107B1 |
Data protection for a data storage device
Managing data stored in a Data Storage Device (DSD) including a plurality of disk surfaces for storing data. Head mapping information is received from the DSD associating addresses for data with different disk surfaces of the plurality of disk surfaces, and data is stored on a first disk surface of the plurality of disk surfaces. Redundant data for the data stored on the first disk surface is stored on a second disk surface of the plurality of disk surfaces using the head mapping information. |
| US09672105B2 |
Device and method for processing data using logical information and physical information
A method of operating a data storage device includes generating at least one pseudo noise (PN) sequence using logical information and physical information for the data storage device. The method also includes converting first data into second data using the at least one PN sequence. The logical information may be a logical address for the data storage device, and the physical information may be a physical address for the data storage device. |
| US09672102B2 |
NAND memory devices systems, and methods using pre-read error recovery protocols of upper and lower pages
Technology for programming a page of memory in a NAND memory device is disclosed and described. In an example, a method includes applying initial programming pulses for lower page programming of the page and pre-reading data of the lower page. The method also includes determining whether to apply an error recovery operation to the data of the lower page. Data indicative of secondary programming pulses to be used for programming upper page data are stored and the upper page data is programmed based on the secondary programming pulses and the data of the lower page. |
| US09672092B2 |
Demystifying obfuscated information transfer for performing automated system administration
Techniques for automating the administration of computer systems. In one set of embodiments, information can be received specifying one or more commands and a list of target computer systems. Upon receiving this information, the one or more commands can be automatically executed in parallel against the target computer systems. In certain embodiments, executing the one or more commands in parallel can include forking a child process for each target computer system, and executing the one or more commands against that target computer system in the context of the child process. Output and error information that is collected by each child process as a result of executing the one or more commands can be aggregated and made available to a system administrator upon completion. Further, error information that is generated as a result of the automated administration process itself can be stored and made available to the system administrator for review. |
| US09672091B2 |
Storage device and debugging method thereof
Disclosed is a storage device which generates dump data at occurrence of an error. The storage device includes a buffer memory comprising a dump area for storing the dump data, a wireless module configured to transmit the dump data to a wireless channel, and a storage controller configured to monitor a generation of the dump data, to turn on the wireless module at the generation of the dump data, and to transmit the dump data to the wireless module. |
| US09672087B2 |
Error detecting apparatus for gate driver, display apparatus having the same and method of detecting error of gate driver
Exemplary embodiments of present invention relate to an error detecting apparatus for a gate driver improving a reliability of a display apparatus, a display apparatus having the error detecting apparatus, and a method of detecting an error of the gate driver using the error detecting apparatus. An exemplary embodiment discloses an error detecting apparatus including an error detecting part configured to receive a gate signal of a gate driver and determine whether a status of the gate driver is in a normal status or an error status based on the gate signal, a memory configured to store the status of the gate driver, and a signal outputting part configured to selectively output a clock signal and an error signal based on the status of the gate driver stored in the memory. |
| US09672085B2 |
Adaptive fault diagnosis
According to an example, an adaptive fault diagnosis system may include a memory storing machine readable instructions to receive metrics and events from an enterprise system, and use a substitution graph to determine if a received metric or a received event belongs to a cluster that includes one or more correlated metrics and/or events grouped based on similarity. If the received metric or the received event belongs to the cluster, the memory may further store machine readable instructions to use a detection graph to determine if the received metric or the received event is identifiable to form a fault pattern by traversing a fault path of the detection graph. Further, the memory may further store machine readable instructions to diagnose a fault based on the traversal of the fault path of the detection graph. The system may include a processor to implement the machine readable instructions. |
| US09672079B2 |
Compose application extension activation
Activating an extension includes opening a first compose application by a first computing device. A composed document is received, and an extension is activated in response to the document. The extension may be activated as the document is being composed. |
| US09672077B2 |
Reentrant read-write lock algorithm
Access to a shareable resource between threads is controlled by a lock having shared, optimistic and exclusive modes and maintaining a list of threads requesting ownership of said lock. A shared optimistic mode is provided. A lock state descriptor is provided for each desired change of mode comprising a current mode in which a thread has already acquired the lock. When a thread acquires the lock in shared optimistic mode, other threads are allowed to acquire the lock in shared or optimistic mode. When a thread which acquired the lock in shared optimistic mode wants to acquire the lock in exclusive mode, other threads which have acquired the lock in shared or optimistic mode are prevented from acquiring the lock in exclusive mode until the thread which acquired the lock in shared optimistic mode and requested to acquire the lock in exclusive mode releases the lock. |
| US09672073B2 |
Non-periodic check-pointing for fine granular retry of work in a distributed computing environment
Distributing work in a distributed computing environment that includes multiple nodes. An individual node can receive a work assignment, which can then be divided into a plurality of work units. A first work unit can then be distributed to a first worker node. At least a portion of the first work unit can be re-distributed to a second worker node in response to determining that the first worker node has experienced a failure condition with respect to the first work unit. |
| US09672069B2 |
Dynamic zone-based cloud management
A system may be configured to allow for the specification of parameters for a desired virtual machine. The parameters may be provided in an arbitrary fashion (e.g., as opposed to the selection of pre-configured parameters). The system may cause the virtual machine to be provisioned, as a zone, on a physical machine and/or on a logical domain (“LDOM”) of a cloud system. The arbitrary fashion of the specification of the virtual machine may allow for enhanced flexibility based on users' needs, and the use of zone-based virtualization may enhance the efficiency of cloud-based virtual machine provisioning. |
| US09672059B2 |
Virtualization system
A virtualization system includes: a virtualizing means for activating a virtual machine to which identification information identifying the virtual machine is assigned and which is capable of executing a predetermined function; a plurality of virtual machines activated by the virtualizing means; and a correspondence table creating means for creating a function correspondence table in which the identification information assigned to each of the virtual machines is associated with a function to be executed by the virtual machine among functions that can be executed by the virtual machines. The virtual machine specifies an associated function in the function correspondence table on the basis of the identification information assigned to the virtual machine, and executes the specified function. |
| US09672057B2 |
Notification of target before all guest data is copied to target in live migration
The sending of an early notification when a guest migrates in a virtual machine system is described. A guest hosted by a computer system is migrating from a source hypervisor to a target hypervisor. During the migration, the source hypervisor stops transmission of outbound packets from the guest. A signal is sent to the target hypervisor after stopping the transmission and before completing migration of the guest. The signal requests that a notification containing network addresses of the guest be sent to network devices associated with the target hypervisor. |
| US09672054B1 |
Managing virtual machine migration
Systems and methods for the management of migrations of virtual machine instances are provided. In response to a request to migrate a virtual machine instance, a migration manager may provide estimates regarding the requested migration before initiating the migration. During the migration process, the migration manager may report status or request instructions regarding the migration based on various determined migration events, thereby facilitating external control of the migration process. |
| US09672051B2 |
Application programming interface for a sharing service
A computing device executes an application that is configured to call a sharing service application programming interface (“API”) to create a sharing session via a sharing service. The application can call the sharing service API to utilize one or more methods exposed by the sharing service API to connect to the sharing service and initiated the creation of the sharing session. The computing device can join the sharing session with one or more other computing devices. The computing device can receive data via the sharing session from one or more of the other computing devices. The data can include screen data and/or application data. |
| US09672045B2 |
Checkpoints for a simultaneous multithreading processor
According to an aspect, a system for checkpoint acceleration in a simultaneous multithreading (SMT) processor includes circuitry of a processor core of the SMT processor to execute one or more threads in a processing pipeline. The processing pipeline includes a completion stage followed by a checkpoint stage. The system also includes a checkpoint accelerator disposed between the completion stage and the checkpoint stage. The checkpoint accelerator includes a backlog queue that stores a list of next-to-complete groups of instructions from the one or more threads anticipated to complete in an upcoming cycle. The checkpoint accelerator also includes a selection control that drives one or more of the next-to-complete groups of instructions from the backlog queue to the checkpoint stage based on one or more completion indicators that identify which of the next-to-complete groups of instructions actually completed. |
| US09672043B2 |
Processing of multiple instruction streams in a parallel slice processor
Techniques for managing instruction execution for multiple instruction streams using a processor core having multiple parallel instruction execution slices provide flexibility in execution of program instructions by a processor core. An event is detected indicating that either resource requirement or resource availability will not be met by the execution slice currently executing the instruction stream. In response to detecting the event, dispatch of at least a portion of the subsequent instruction is made to another instruction execution slice. The event may be a compiler-inserted directive, may be an event detected by logic in the processor core, or may be determined by a thread sequencer. The instruction execution slices may be dynamically reconfigured as between single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) instruction execution, ordinary instruction execution, wide instruction execution. When an instruction execution slice is busy processing a current instruction for one of the streams, another slice can be selected to proceed with execution. |
| US09672041B2 |
Method for compressing variable-length instructions including PC-relative instructions and processor for executing compressed instructions using an instruction table
A method for compressing instruction is provided, which includes the following steps. Analyze a program code to be executed by a processor to find one or more instruction groups in the program code according to a preset condition. Each of the instruction groups includes one or more instructions in sequential order. Sort the one or more instruction groups according to a cost function of each of the one or more instruction groups. Put the first X of the sorted one or more instruction groups into an instruction table. X is a value determined according to the cost function. Replace each of the one or more instruction groups in the program code that are put into the instruction table with a corresponding execution-on-instruction-table (EIT) instruction. The EIT instruction has a parameter referring to the corresponding instruction group in the instruction table. |
| US09672040B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining a cumulative size of trace messages generated by a plurality of instructions
An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform static code analysis of a plurality of instructions comprising, for each instruction: determining whether a trace message is generated by the instruction; determining whether a size of the trace message generated by the instruction is dependent on a context; determining a size of the trace message generated by the instruction; and updating the context; and to perform determining a cumulative size of trace messages generated by the plurality of instructions. |
| US09672034B2 |
Vector shuffle instructions operating on multiple lanes each having a plurality of data elements using a same set of per-lane control bits
In-lane vector shuffle operations are described. In one embodiment a shuffle instruction specifies a field of per-lane control bits, a source operand and a destination operand, these operands having corresponding lanes, each lane divided into corresponding portions of multiple data elements. Sets of data elements are selected from corresponding portions of every lane of the source operand according to per-lane control bits. Elements of these sets are copied to specified fields in corresponding portions of every lane of the destination operand. Another embodiment of the shuffle instruction also specifies a second source operand, all operands having corresponding lanes divided into multiple data elements. A set selected according to per-lane control bits contains data elements from every lane portion of a first source operand and data elements from every corresponding lane portion of the second source operand. Set elements are copied to specified fields in every lane of the destination operand. |
| US09672031B2 |
Controlling repetitive check-in of intermediate versions of source code from a developer's computer to a source code repository
A repository control computer checks-out source code from a source code repository to a local memory of a developer's computer responsive to receiving a developer initiated check-out message. The control computer repetitively checks-in intermediate versions of the source code from the local memory of the developer's computer to the source code repository responsive to corresponding occurrences of a condition defined by a rule being satisfied. The control computer checks-in a final version of the source code from the local memory of the developer's computer to the source code repository responsive to receiving a developer initiated check-in message. |
| US09672027B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing system
An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit that stores combination information relevant to combinations of different types of first programs that can be installed in a device, the combination information including memory consumption amounts of the combinations; a receiving unit that receives an install target first program and device information relevant to the device; and a determining unit that determines validity of installing the install target first program in the device by determining, by referring to the combination information, a predicted memory consumption amount corresponding to a first combination including the install target first program and an existing first program that is installed in the device and indicated in the device information, and by comparing the predicted memory consumption amount with a device memory consumption amount of the device indicated in the device information. |
| US09672026B2 |
Light app offline updating method, device and terminal
A light app offline updating method and a device and a terminal device are provided. When a terminal device obtains from a server, in case of detecting start-up operation of the light app, an offline configuration item corresponding to the light app, it processes, according to the offline configuration item, offline data in an offline partition of the light app, thus reaching the object of controlling elimination of offline data of the light app by a cloud server and providing users with web browsing under weak network signal or even no network signal, thereby improving user experience. |
| US09672019B2 |
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for a hardware and software system to automatically decompose a program to multiple parallel threads
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for a hardware and software system to automatically decompose a program into multiple parallel threads are described. In some embodiments, the systems and apparatuses execute a method of original code decomposition and/or generated thread execution. |
| US09672013B2 |
Customized ready-to-go componentized application definitions
A request to invoke a text-list definition of a componentized application is received. The text-list definition of the componentized application identifies a collection of different listed independent application sub-components specified by a user to be executed as a set. A componentized user interface is created with a different user interface component associated with each of the different listed independent application sub-components within the text-list definition of the componentized application. The different listed independent application sub-components are independently accessed based upon user inputs received in association with the respective different user interface component associated with each of the different listed independent application components within the text-list definition of the componentized application. |
| US09672012B2 |
Code validation using content assist
A process and associated system for code validation using content assist. A first list of items is presented to a code developer who is writing software code during operation of a content assist in an integrated development environment (IDE). Each item of the first list of items is enabled for validation and is a function or code method which generates a result upon being executed. An item selected by the developer from the first list of items is received during the operation of the content assist. A result for the selected item is generated by (i) executing the selected item using at least one value received as input from the developer during the operation of the content assist and (ii) ascertaining whether executing the selected item requires prior initialization of a value of a variable. During the operation of the content assist, the result is displayed to the developer. |
| US09672011B2 |
System and method for composing a telecommunication application by orchestrating application components
In accordance with various embodiments, systems and methods are provided which facilitate composing a telecommunication application by orchestrating application components. Embodiments of the invention enhance the use of simplified programming constructs for user activities in a telecommunications network providing an invocation manager which invokes event functions in an order identified by an orchestrator. The orchestrator holds all specified event functions each with trigger chance and priority value. The event functions can be defined in Communication Beans with annotations and may be updated and selected by an XML file. |
| US09672009B2 |
Method and system of improved galois multiplication
Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus for performing Galois multiplication using an enhanced Galois table. Galois multiplication may include converting a first and second multiplicand to exponential forms using a Galois table, adding the exponential forms of the first and second multiplicands, and converting the added exponential forms of the first and second multiplicands to a decimal equivalent binary form using the Galois table to decimal equivalent binary result of the Galois multiplication. |
| US09672008B2 |
Pausible bisynchronous FIFO
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for a pausible bisynchronous FIFO. Data is written synchronously with a first clock signal of a first clock domain to an entry of a dual-port memory array and an increment signal is generated in the first clock domain. The increment signal is determined to transition near an edge of a second dock signal, where the second clock signal is a pausible clock signal. A next edge of the second clock signal of the second clock domain is delayed and the increment signal to the second clock domain and is transmitted. |
| US09672000B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating an audio notification file
A method and apparatus for generating an audio notification file for a computing device are provided. A first audio file associated with a first mental state is selected as a first section of the audio notification file. The audio notification file enabled for storage in a memory. The audio notification file is further enabled for processing by a processing unit to control a speaker. A final state of the audio notification file is determined, the final state designated as a final section of the audio notification file, the final state associated with a second mental state. At least one intermediate section of the audio notification file is generated, between the first section and the second section, by morphing the first audio file to the final state by processing the first audio file using a digital signal processor. |
| US09671999B2 |
Methods and apparatus for improving understandability of audio corresponding to dictation
According to some aspects, a method for improving understandability of audio corresponding to dictation to assist a transcriptionist in transcribing the dictation is provided. The method comprises presenting a user interface to the transcriptionist, the user interface including at least one control that can be selectively set to one of a plurality of settings, receiving a selection of one of the plurality of settings via the at least one control, and compressing a dynamic range of at least a portion of the audio using at least one parameter value associated with the selected setting. |
| US09671997B2 |
Zone grouping
An example method involves causing a control device to display a graphical user interface that comprises an indication of a first zone of a media playback system, wherein the media playback system comprises the first zone and a second zone, and wherein the graphical user interface does not comprise an indication of the second zone. The example method further involves detecting, by the control device, an input that indicates a command to cause the first zone to form a zone group with the second zone and play back a target media in synchrony with the second zone. The method further comprises, based on the detected input, causing the first zone to form a zone group with the second zone and play back the target media in synchrony with the second zone. |
| US09671995B2 |
NFC-enabled digital apparatus and method of NFC-based information transmission
An NFC-enabled digital apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a touch screen display and a near field communication (NFC) module comprising an NFC antenna and an NFC controller. In response to tagging between the NFC-enabled digital apparatus and the external NFC terminal, an NFC communication channel is established between the NFC enabled-digital apparatus and the external NFC terminal for data communication therebetween. |
| US09671989B2 |
Print workflow management
A method for managing print workflow performed by a physical computing system includes, with an add-on application executed by the physical computing system, interfacing with a printing-capable application executed by the physical computing system; with the add-on application, interfacing with hardware components of a printing device; and with the add-on application, providing additional printing related functionality to the printing-capable application. |
| US09671987B2 |
Compatibility of configuration between variable and fixed print job data
A printing processor receives print job instructions to combine variable printing information and fixed data to build a print job to be printed using a printing engine. The variable printing information is unrasterized-type data. The printing processor evaluates the print job instructions to determine whether the configuration of the variable printing information is compatible with configurations of different fixed data forms (the fixed data forms are rasterized-type data). The graphic user interface displays menu selections of only the fixed data forms determined to be compatible with the configuration of the variable printing information. |
| US09671982B2 |
Method of performing cloud printing and mobile device, image forming apparatus, and cloud printing system for performing using the same
A method of performing cloud printing is provided. The method may include generating a virtual apparatus corresponding to an image forming apparatus in a mobile device, receiving, by the mobile device, a job request for the virtual apparatus, and when the mobile device is connected to the image forming apparatus, transmitting the received job request to the image forming apparatus. |
| US09671977B2 |
Handling data block migration to efficiently utilize higher performance tiers in a multi-tier storage environment
In one embodiment, a method for managing data includes receiving migration information that describes movement of data stored to a direct access storage device (DASD) during a data migration operation that causes at least one portion of the data to be moved from a first location in a first tier of a multi-tier file system to a second location in a second tier of the multi-tier file system, determining whether to swap data usage statistics for the second location with data usage statistics for the first location, and swapping the data usage statistics for the second location with the data usage statistics for the first location when the determination is to swap the data usage statistics. Other systems, methods, and computer program products for managing data in a multi-tier file system are described according to more embodiments. |
| US09671971B2 |
Managing prior versions of data for logical addresses in a storage device
Provided are a method, system, and computer readable storage medium for managing access to a storage device. A logical-to-physical mapping indicates for each logical address a physical address in the storage device having current data for the logical address and version information indicating whether there is a prior version of data for the logical address. In response to the logical-to-physical mapping indicating that there is no prior version of the data for a target logical address of a write, including information on the target physical address and the physical address indicated in the logical-to-physical mapping in checkpoint information. The version information for the target logical address is updated to indicate that there is a prior version of data. Data for the write is written to a target physical address. The logical-to-physical mapping for the target logical address is updated to indicate the target physical address. |
| US09671967B2 |
Method and system for implementing a distributed operations log
Disclosed is an improved approach for implementing a storage system having an operation log where data writes are initially performed to a fast operation log, rather than to its permanent storage location. A distributed operation log can be employed to replicate the data to multiple locations in the storage system. |
| US09671966B2 |
Management computer and computer system
The management computer includes a memory and a processor. The processor recognizes a state of a storage system that provides a first volume as a logical volume that stores a first image of an object. The processor generates a second volume as a virtual logical volume that stores a second image of the object. The processor selects, based on the state, one generation processing from a plurality of generation processing including: first generation processing of associating the second volume with the first image and differential data from the first image to provide the second volume; and second generation processing of generating the second volume as a logical volume and copying the first image to the second volume to provide the second volume. The processor transmits an instruction to execute the selected generation processing to the storage system. |
| US09671965B2 |
Data protection with multiple site replication
Systems and methods for replicating data from a first site to a second site remote from said first site are described. An embodiment includes storing compressed data on a hard disk appliance, reading said data without decompressing said data, sending said data over a wide-area-network (WAN) in a compressed state, and storing said data on a second hard disk appliance remote from said first hard disk appliance in its compressed state without performing an additional compression operation. |
| US09671964B2 |
Method of securely erasing a non-volatile semiconductor mass memory, computer system, and computer program product
A method of securely erasing a non-volatile semiconductor mass memory has a plurality of physical memory units assigned either to a first memory area which can be addressed via an interface of the semiconductor mass memory or to a second memory area which cannot be addressed via the interface, and a controller that changes assignment of the memory units to the first memory area and to the second memory area according to an algorithm that produces wear leveling upon receiving a command to overwrite memory units assigned to the first memory area via the interface. |
| US09671963B2 |
Data storage device
The object of the invention is to provide a data storage device which is extremely effective, scalable, and with fast access to the data. At least two front components (1-1′) participate therein, wherebetween a plurality of nodes (2-2′-2″ . . . 2n) are connected in parallel by means of an Infiniband (IB) network (3), so that each front component incorporates a series of internal (4) being and external (5) channels, with the internal channels responsible for providing access to the nodes (2-2′-2″ . . . 2n), which will all of them be of Infiniband (IB)-type at different speeds 40/56/100 Gbits/s, and the external channels (5) provide the connectivity with the clients may be materialized in Ethernet channels at different speeds 1/10/40 Gbits/s, Fiber Channel (FC) channels or Infiniband channels at different speeds 40/56/100 Gbits/s. The nodes (2) are materialized in a grouping of data storage disks (6) interconnected by an Infiniband (IB)-type network. |
| US09671958B2 |
Data set management
A method of and system for managing a data set stored on units of storage space in a storage facility is disclosed. The method and system may include identifying prospect extents of the data set. The prospect extents may include a first prospect extent stored on a first unit of storage space and a second prospect extent stored on a second unit of storage space. The method and system may include congregating the first prospect extent and the second prospect extent on a destination unit of storage space in the storage facility. |
| US09671957B2 |
Preserving data availability and I/O performance when creating virtual raid volumes
A method for preserving data availability and I/O performance when creating a virtual RAID volume includes exposing a set of backend virtual volumes. The backend virtual volumes are implemented on a set of physical storage devices (e.g., physical disks or solid state drives) residing on a storage system. The method further enables selection of the set of backend virtual volumes to create a virtual RAID volume having a selected RAID level. The method further provides verification that the backend virtual volumes will be implemented on the physical storage devices in a way that preserves the data availability and I/O performance associated with the selected RAID level. |
| US09671956B2 |
Presenting search term suggestions on graphical user interfaces
A method, system, and computer program product for presenting search term suggestions on a graphical user interface (GUI) are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A first keyword is extracted from a first suggested search term, the first suggested search term being a member of a subset of a set of suggested search terms. On the GUI a first graphical artifact is identified, wherein the first graphical artifact relates to the first keyword. The first graphical artifact is modified such that a modified first graphical artifact presents a default function of the first graphical artifact, and a first function of the modified first graphical artifact on the GUI. The modified first graphical artifact is presented on the GUI to receive one of a default input and a first input. |
| US09671955B2 |
Virtual smart phone
In embodiments of the present invention, a virtual phone is provided which includes a touch screen mounted on an enclosure that includes a processor, memory, wireless communication port, and a power port. The virtual phone further includes a software application executing on the processor to control image display on the touch screen and emulate features of a handheld device presented in the image in response to a user touching a presented feature. The virtual phone further includes a configuration of a user-specific handheld device that is derived from the user-specific handheld device is stored in a memory that is accessible to the processor; wherein the virtual phone presents a visual representation of the user-specific handheld device on the touch screen based on the configuration. |
| US09671953B2 |
Systems and methods using drawings which incorporate biometric data as security information
Systems and methods using drawings as security information are disclosed. According to an aspect, a computing device may include a touchscreen display configured to receive information for drawing a security picture. Further, the computing device may include a security manager configured to determine one or more characteristics associated with input of the gesture information. The security manager may also be configured to authenticate a user based on the drawn security picture and the one or more characteristics associated with input of the gesture information. |
| US09671952B2 |
Function execution program, terminal device, function execution method, recording medium and information processing system
There are provided a function execution program, a terminal device, a function execution method, a recording medium and an information processing system capable of providing a more convenient touch panel operation method to a user. A computer is caused to function as a time measure means that detects a contact on an input means integral with a display means and measures contact duration at the contact point, a distance measure means that detects a continuous movement of the contact point and measures a moving distance, and an execution means that when the contact duration is a predetermined time or more and the moving distance is a predetermined distance or more, executes a preset function. |
| US09671950B2 |
Sample data computation for rendering of graph elements
In a method of computing sample data to render a graph element, first sample data is computed to render a first graph element type. A second indicator is received that indicates a second graph element type to present overlaid with the first graph element type. Second sample data is computed to render the second graph element type. Third sample data is computed to render a second instance of the first graph element type. The second instance of the first graph element type is rendered overlaid with the second graph element type using the computed second and third sample data. A first number of points computed for the second sample data is the same as a second number of points computed for the third sample data. A common axis is used, and the first number of points is determined based on a data type of the common axis. |
| US09671946B2 |
Changing settings for multiple display attributes using the same gesture
Content is displayed on a touchscreen display of a computing system such as an electronic book reader. The content is displayed according to a setting for a first attribute (e.g., level of brightness) and a setting for a second attribute (e.g., day mode or night mode). In response to sensing a motion proximate to the touchscreen, the setting for the first attribute is changed to a different value. In response to a value for the setting for the first attribute crossing a threshold value (e.g., while the motion is being performed), the setting for the second attribute is changed. |
| US09671941B1 |
Graphical behaviors for recognition interfaces
A computing device can utilize a recognition mode wherein an interface utilizes graphical elements, such as virtual fireflies, to indicate recognized or identified objects. Fireflies can be displayed near an input element to indicate that a recognition mode is available. When a user selects the input element, the fireflies can appear to emanate from the input element and disperse across the display screen. As objects are recognized, fireflies can create bounding boxes around those objects, or otherwise appear proximate those objects, to indicate recognition. The fireflies can again disperse as the objects fall out of view, and can begin moving towards new objects as features of those objects are identified as potential object features. A subsequent selection of the input element to exit recognition mode can cause the fireflies to appear to retreat to their original location in, or near, the input element. |
| US09671939B2 |
Systems and methods for automatic generation and consumption of hypermeetings
Provided a computer-implemented method for a meeting playback, the method being performed in connection with a computerized system incorporating a central processing unit, a display device and a memory, the computer-implemented method involving: generating a first user interface portion on the display device, the first user interface portion for displaying a first meeting; generating a second user interface portion on the display device, the second user interface portion for displaying a second meeting, wherein the first meeting is prior to the second meeting and wherein the first meeting and second meeting are linked together using at least one link; performing a playback of the second meeting in the second user interface portion; and during the playback of the second meeting, using the at least one link to perform a playback of at least a portion of the first meeting. |
| US09671938B2 |
Navigating visual data associated with a point of interest
Systems and methods for navigating an imagery graph are provided. In some aspects, a first image is provided for display, where the first image corresponds to a first image node within an imagery graph, where the imagery graph comprises image nodes corresponding to images from a plurality of different imagery types, and where each image node in the imagery graph is associated with geospatial data. An indication of a selection of a predetermined region within the first image is received, where the predetermined region is associated with a position in the first image that corresponds to geospatial data associated a second image node within the imagery graph. A second image corresponding to the second image node is provided for display in response to the indication of the selection of the predetermined region. |
| US09671936B2 |
System and methods for interacting with a control environment
A system and methods for facilitation of user interactions with an electronic device. A number of user interface methods are described and may be used alone or in combination with one another to present an enhanced interface to a user. A method of providing user interaction using a compact status indicator is described. A method for providing a virtual scroll wheel to a user for interaction with content sets is described. A method for allowing a user to dynamically modify a scalable user interface is described. A method for providing gesture based input to a user via a virtual gesture pad is described. A method of providing an interactive graphic search query interface is described. A method for indicating and selecting available content type is described. |
| US09671933B2 |
Providing electronic distribution of filtered calendars
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing electronic distribution of filtered calendars. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving control data. The control data may be configured to indicate a portion of master calendar data a user designates to transmit. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include filtering the master calendar data based on the control data to create filtered calendar data and transmitting the filtered calendar data. |
| US09671930B2 |
Cross-application information display device, information display method for harmonizing display positions of menu items
An information display device is provided. The information display device includes a controller for being able to execute a plurality of applications, a user interface for allowing a user to instruct the controller, and a display unit for simultaneously displaying an application selection menu item for allowing the user to select one of the applications and a common menu item that is used in common between different applications, and an information image created by execution of the selected application. The display unit is configured to display the information image, the application selection menu item, and the common menu item at substantially the same positions on a display screen of the display unit, regardless of which application is selected. |
| US09671921B2 |
Utility object for specialized data entry
An object is associated with one or more controls in a software application. An object associated with a control determines the operation of the data entry user interface when the data entry user interface is being employed to enter data into the control. More particularly, the object may communicate interface e characteristics to a component that is responsible for providing the user interface to the user. Such a component may be, for example, a shared software module that renders the user interface on a display, receives input data from the user through the user interface, and routes the entered data to a designated destination. Alternately, the object itself may create a user interface having the specified characteristics. |
| US09671919B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a plurality of pixel electrodes each of which is provided in each of a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in a display region; a driving electrode provided so as to overlap the plurality of pixel electrodes when seen in a plan view; a plurality of detecting electrodes provided so as to overlap the driving electrode when seen in a plan view; and a dummy electrode provided apart from the detecting electrodes. The detecting electrodes and the dummy electrode include a metal layer or an alloy layer. A ratio of total sum of areas of portions of the plurality sub-pixels which overlap any of the detecting electrodes and the dummy electrode when seen in a plan view to total sum of areas of the plurality of sub-pixels is 1 to 22%. |
| US09671913B2 |
Capacitive display device
A device is described. In an example, a device comprises a capacitance sensor layer and a conductive grounded layer. The conductive grounded layer is placed under the capacitance sensor layer in a direction opposite to a targeted sensing direction of the device. The distance between the capacitance sensor layer and the conductive grounded layer is configured to remain within a threshold over a range of deformation. In other examples, a method for manufacturing a device and a module are discussed along with the features of the device. |
| US09671911B2 |
Touch input control method and device
A method for use in a device having a touch screen, includes: identifying touch information at a fringe area of the touch screen as fringe touch information; determining, according to a touch shape corresponding to the fringe touch information, whether the fringe touch information includes palm touch information generated from a palm touch by any part of a user's palm; and blocking the palm touch information if it is determined that the fringe touch information includes the palm touch information. |
| US09671901B2 |
Electrode sheet for capacitance-type touch panel
A first electrode pattern 25a and a second electrode pattern 25b, each composed of an opaque conductive fine line and a blank part 17 partitioned by the conductive fine line, have line segments 16a of the conductive fine lines 16, that face each other across a substrate 12, and the conductive fine line 16 in one of the first electrode pattern 25a and the second electrode pattern 25b is formed narrower in line width than that in the other of the first electrode pattern 25a and the second electrode pattern 25b only at the facing line segment 16a, thereby designed to have a non-uniform width. |
| US09671899B2 |
Display device and method of driving the same
In touch panel display device, a first touch electrode group has a first plurality of touch electrodes and a second touch electrode group has a second plurality of touch electrodes. A first current supplier circuit supplies a first current during a first current supply period to the first touch electrode group, and the second current supplier circuit supplies a second current during a second current supply period to the second touch electrode group. The sensing signal receiver circuit holds a first touch voltage for the first touch electrode group following the first current supply period, and holds the second touch voltage for the second touch electrode group following the second current supply period. The sensing signal receiver determines based on the first held touch voltage and the second held touch voltage, whether a touch occurred in each of the first touch electrode group and the second touch electrode group. |
| US09671898B2 |
Input device with force sensing
Devices and methods are provided that facilitate improved input device performance. The devices and methods utilize a first substrate with proximity sensor electrodes and at least a first force sensor electrode disposed on the first substrate. A second substrate is physically coupled to the first substrate, where the second substrate comprises a spring feature and an electrode component. The electrode component at least partially overlaps the first force sensor electrode to define a variable capacitance between the first force sensor electrode and the electrode component. The spring feature is configured to facilitate deflection of the electrode component relative to the first force sensor electrode to change the variable capacitance. A measure of the variable capacitance may be calculated and used to determine force information regarding the force biasing the input device. |
| US09671894B2 |
Glove detection/adjustment of sensitivity for capacitive sensing button and slider elements
An input device for a control system of a vehicle includes at least one capacitive-sensing button, an actuation detection electrical circuit, a proximity sensor, a proximity temperature sensor, and a processor. In use, the capacitive-sensing button receives an actuation from a user. The actuation alters a capacitance value of the button. The detection electrical circuit comprises a threshold value and it outputs a button actuation signal when the capacitance value exceeds the threshold value. The proximity sensor generates a proximity signal when an object is provided near the capacitive-sensing button. The proximity temperature sensor provides a temperature measurement of the nearby area. The processor adjusts the threshold value to an adjustment value that is derived from the comparison signal. |
| US09671888B2 |
Display device having touch sensor and driving method thereof
A method for driving a display device including a display panel including a first and a second display area each of which is divided into a plurality of display blocks and n touch blocks comprises a first and a second step. The first step drives the respective display blocks of the first display area sequentially, drives at least one touch block after driving the display blocks, and generates a first touch report after driving all of the n touch blocks. The second step drives the respective display blocks of the second display area sequentially, drives at least one touch block after driving the display blocks, and generates a second touch report after driving the n touch blocks again. The first and the second step are processed within one frame period, and the one frame period includes a vertical blanking interval void of input image data. |
| US09671887B2 |
Sensor-equipped display device
According to one embodiment, a sensor-equipped display device includes a display panel, a first driver, and a second driver. The display panel includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a detection electrode. The first driver delivers a common driving signal to the first electrode and the second electrode at a time of display driving, and selectively writes a write signal to one of the first electrode and the second electrode at a time of sensing driving. The second driver reads, from the detection electrode, a read signal indicative of a variation of a sensor signal occurring between the one of the first electrode and the second electrode, on one hand, and the detection electrode, on the other hand, at the time of the sensing driving. |
| US09671886B2 |
Touch-sensitive display device
Disclosed herein is a touch-sensitive display device comprising: a first set of metal electrodes including a first metal electrode; a second set of metal electrodes including a second metal electrode and a third metal electrode, the first metal electrode located between the second metal electrode and the third metal electrode such that the second metal electrode is physically separated from the third metal electrode; a first set of touch electrodes including a first touch electrode that is connected to the first metal electrode; a second set of touch electrodes including a second touch electrode and a third touch electrode, the second touch electrode connected to the second metal electrode and the third touch electrode connected to the third metal electrode; an insulation film having a plurality of contact holes; and a connection electrode electrically connecting the second metal electrode to the third metal electrode through the plurality of contact holes. |
| US09671879B2 |
Search controller and search manipulation system
A controller is applied to a search manipulation system that allows a user to manipulate a dial and thereby specify a search direction and a search speed when sequentially searching several display objects for a targeted display object. The controller determines that a sudden reverse manipulation occurs when the dial is reversely manipulated to reverse the search direction at a reverse manipulation speed higher than or equal to a specified speed. When determining that the sudden reverse manipulation occurs, the controller performs a search at a search speed lower than a speed used for a search during which no sudden reverse manipulation occurs. |
| US09671874B2 |
Systems and methods for extensions to alternative control of touch-based devices
Systems and methods configured to facilitate multi-modal user inputs in lieu of physical input for a processing device configured to execute an application include obtaining non-physical input for processing device and the application, wherein the physical input comprises one or more of touch-based input and tilt input; processing the non-physical input to convert into appropriate physical input commands for the application; and providing the physical input commands to the processing device. |
| US09671872B2 |
Gesture recognition method, gesture recognition system, terminal device and wearable device
The present disclosure provides a gesture recognition method, a gesture recognition system, a terminal device and a wearable device. The gesture recognition method includes: collecting action information about a user; recognizing the action information; inquiring an action instruction corresponding to the recognized action information from a personal action database of the user, a correspondence between the action information about the user and the action instruction being stored in the personal action database of the user; and executing an operation corresponding to the inquired action instruction. |
| US09671869B2 |
Systems and methods of direct pointing detection for interaction with a digital device
Systems and methods for recognizing an aimed point on a plane are provided. Images captured by one or more image sensor are processed for obtaining data obtaining data indicative of location of at least one pointing element in the viewing space and data indicative of at least one predefined user's body part in the viewing space; using the obtained data an aimed point on the plane is identified. In case it is determined that a predefined condition is met a predefined command and/or message is executed. |
| US09671866B2 |
System and method for providing complex haptic stimulation during input of control gestures, and relating to control of virtual equipment
A system is configured to provide haptic stimulation to a user. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with the performance of one or more control gestures through which the user controls, for example, a game, a real world component or piece of equipment, and/or other entity. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with control of virtual equipment by the user. |
| US09671865B2 |
Haptic feedback using composite piezoelectric actuator
A haptic tape includes a composite piezoelectric layer connected between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. The composite piezoelectric layer has a plurality of piezoelectric rods arranged in a polymer matrix. The haptic tape is configured to be used as a sealant. |
| US09671864B2 |
System and methods for providing information
Systems, methods and apparatus for presenting information using idle time slot. In an aspect, when a standby or idle device detects that a user gazes at it, it starts showing scheduled contents on its display automatically. In another aspect, when a standby or idle device detects that a user taps on it, it starts gaze sensing. If the user gazes at the device, it begins to show scheduled contents automatically. The contents may include advertisements. |
| US09671861B2 |
Electronic device for measuring angle of face and rotating screen thereof and method thereof
An electronic device is configured to measure an angle of a user's face and rotate a screen thereof. In a method, the electronic device verifies that a face of a user is included in photographed image information, recognizes the face of the user included in the image information, and rotates a screen of the electronic device according to an angle of the recognized face. |
| US09671856B2 |
Apparatus and method for activating and shutting down enhanced pipeline stages and enhanced modules based on priority and performance requirements
A pipeline-based processor and method. The method includes partitioning a particular pipeline into one or more base pipeline stages and a plurality of enhanced pipeline stages, each enhanced pipeline stage configured to be either a shutdown enhanced pipeline stage or an activated enhanced pipeline stage. Each enhanced pipeline stage has an enhanced stage priority level. The method also includes configuring each enhanced pipeline stage to be activated or shut down based at least on the enhanced stage priority level. The method additionally includes partitioning a particular pipeline stage into at least one base module and a plurality of enhanced modules, each enhanced pipeline stage configured to be either a shutdown enhanced pipeline stage or an activated enhanced pipeline stage. Each enhanced module has a particular priority level. The method further includes configuring each enhanced module to be activated or shut down based at least on the particular priority level. |
| US09671854B2 |
Controlling configurable peak performance limits of a processor
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having a plurality of cores each to execute instructions, a non-volatile storage to store maximum peak operating frequency values each a function of a given number of active cores, a configuration storage to store frequency limits each corresponding to one of the maximum peak operating frequency values or a configurable clip frequency value less than the maximum peak operating frequency value. In turn, a power controller is configured to limit operating frequency of the cores to a corresponding frequency limit obtained from the configuration storage. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09671853B2 |
Processor operating by selecting smaller of requested frequency and an energy performance gain (EPG) frequency
In an embodiment, a processor includes at least one core and energy performance gain (EPG) logic to determine an EPG frequency based on a first value of an EPG. The EPG is based upon energy consumed by the processor and upon performance of the processor. The processor also includes a clock generator to generate a frequency of operation of the at least one core based on the EPG frequency. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09671852B2 |
Managing power consumption state of electronic devices responsive to predicting future demand
A system and process that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, transitioning a processor from a high-power consumption state to a low-power consumption state, wherefrom return to the high-power consumption state includes a boot process. Future demand for operation of the processor in the high-power consumption state is predicted, while the processor is in the low-power consumption state. The processor is transitioned from the low-power consumption state to the high-power consumption state in response to predicting future demand for operation of the processor in the high-power consumption state. Such transition of the processor from the low-power consumption state to the high-power consumption state sufficiently precedes actual demand for operation of the processor in the high-power consumption state so as to avoid perceptible user delay. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09671850B2 |
Leakage current variability based power management
Technologies are generally described to provide a leakage current variability based power management of a processor. According to some examples, instruction counters and aggregated power consumption of the processor may be used to process power measurements of the processor into linear equations. The linear equations may be processed to produce a set of leakage values for the processor. In an example scenario, computation data from a power controller and processor instruction counters (PICs) of a core of the processor may be used to determine the leakage current variability of the core. A table of linear combination samples may be generated from the computation data. A micro-architectural leakage map of the core may be generated from the linear combination samples within the table. |
| US09671840B2 |
Multiple level computer system for temperature management for cooling fan control
In a method for designating cooling fan control management in a computing system, a processor causes one or more cooling fans to be managed by a first process, wherein the first process utilizes a first set of temperature sensors of a plurality of temperature sensors. A processor receives temperature data from a first set of temperature sensors. A processor determines a second process to manage the one or more cooling fans, based on the received temperature data from the first set of temperature sensors, wherein the second process utilizes a second set of temperature sensors of the plurality of temperature sensors. |
| US09671838B2 |
Composite chassis for lowering surface temperature
An IHS chassis defines an IHS housing that houses a plurality of IHS components. The IHS chassis includes an outer surface located opposite the IHS chassis from the IHS housing. A first layer of the IHS chassis provides the outer surface of the IHS chassis. The first layer includes a first layer oxidized surface located opposite the first layer from the outer surface of the chassis base. A second layer of the chassis base is located immediately adjacent the IHS housing. The second layer includes a carbide-based composite material that provides a thermal conductivity of less than 1 watt per meter-kelvin in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the outer surface of the IHS chassis, while providing a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mK in directions that are generally parallel to the outer surface of the IHS chassis. |
| US09671830B2 |
Electronic device having stand module
An electronic device including a main body and a stand module is provided. The stand module includes a supporting component and a sliding component. The supporting component is pivoted to the main body. The sliding component is slidably disposed to the main body and has an end. The sliding component is adapted to slide to a first position such that the end protrudes out of the main body. The end is adapted to receive an external force to move inside the main body, such that the sliding component slides to a second position and drives the supporting component to expand from the main body. |
| US09671828B2 |
Mobile terminal with dual touch sensors located on different sides of terminal body and method of controlling the same
A mobile terminal includes a terminal body; a display located on a first side of the terminal body, the display including a plurality of areas; a first touch sensor located at the display; a second touch sensor located on a second side of the terminal body, the second side being an opposite side of the first side; and a controller configured to cause the display to display screen information in response to preset touches including a first touch applied to a first touch region of the first touch sensor and a second touch applied to a second touch region of the second touch sensor, wherein the screen information and an area of the display on which the screen information is displayed are determined based on which one of the plurality of areas the first touch region corresponds to. |
| US09671821B2 |
Synchronization apparatus and method between AVN system and digital clock of vehicle
A synchronization apparatus between an AVN system and a digital clock of a vehicle may include: a clock driving unit configured to transmit a clock information signal; a microcomputer configured to analyze the clock information signal when the clock information signal is received from the clock driving unit, update clock information according to the analysis result, and transmit the updated clock information to an external clock module; and the external clock module configured to display the clock information transmitted from the microcomputer. |
| US09671819B2 |
Digital filter with a pipeline structure, and a corresponding device
A digital filter with a pipeline structure includes processing structures timed by respective clock signals. Each processing structure in turn is formed by a number of processing modules for processing input samples. A phase generator aligns the processing modules with the input samples so that each input sample is processed by a respective one of the processing modules. An up-sampling buffer and a down-sampling buffer are used when the processing structures operate at different clock frequencies (thus implementing different clock domains) so as to convert signal samples between the clock domains for processing in the processing structures. |
| US09671818B2 |
Memory device
According to one embodiment, a memory controller sends a periodic control signal from a first terminal on a non-volatile memory side to the non-volatile memory, and the control signal includes a data strobe signal, a write enable signal, and a read enable signal. |
| US09671817B1 |
Accumulator-based phase memory
Embodiments relate to an accumulator-based phase memory. An aspect includes a phase correction calculator configured to, based on receipt of a new frequency tuning word on a frequency tuning word input, determine a phase difference between the new frequency tuning word and a current frequency tuning word, and determine a product of the phase difference and a value of a counter. Another aspect includes wherein the accumulator-based phase memory determines a phase offset value based on the product of the phase difference and the value of the counter. Another aspect includes the accumulator-based phase memory further comprising a waveform generator configured to generate a waveform based on the new frequency tuning word and the phase offset value. |
| US09671814B2 |
Lever device
A lever device in which a lid is mounted to an opening portion of a lever member without dropping down therefrom and with a good visual quality is disclosed. The lever device comprises a lever member swingably supported in a fixed system, an opening portion provided in the lever member to open in a radial direction, and a lid that is engaged to the opening portion to cover the opening portion therewith, wherein the lid is provided with a thin portion. Deflections are generated in such a manner as to concentrate on the thin portion of the lid. |
| US09671813B2 |
Trigger switch
A trigger switch has a case member, a cover member, and an operation member configured to be used to carry out an operation. The case member and the cover member are combined with each other to form a waterproof case. When the operation member is operated, the operation member is displaced inward of the waterproof case. An internal pressure of the waterproof case changes in accordance with displacement of the operation member. The case member has a case base that is made from an inelastic body. The case base does not deform in accordance with a change in internal pressure of the waterproof case. The case base has at least one hole part. The case member has at least one deformation section that seals the at least one hole part. The deformation section is made from an elastic body. |
| US09671812B2 |
Apparatus and methods for temperature compensation of variable capacitors
Apparatus and methods for temperature compensation of variable capacitors are provided herein. In certain configurations, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a variable capacitor array, an array biasing circuit that biases cells of the variable capacitor array to control the array's capacitance, and a bias voltage level control circuit that generates one or more temperature dependent bias voltages used by the array biasing circuit to bias the variable capacitor array's cells. The bias voltage level control circuit controls the one or more temperature dependent bias voltages to change with temperature so as to compensate the variable capacitor array for changes to capacitance arising from temperature variation. |
| US09671811B2 |
Low-power bandgap reference voltage generator using leakage current
A low-power bandgap reference voltage generator using a leakage current may include: a medium voltage generation unit configured to generate a medium voltage based on the absolute temperature, using a leakage current; a low power amplifier configured to amplify the medium voltage and outputting an operational amplification voltage; and a reference voltage output unit configured to output a reference voltage based on the operational amplification voltage at a target level. |
| US09671808B2 |
Circuit and method for controlling standyby power consumption
A circuit for controlling standby power consumption is disclosed. The circuit includes a main power supply, a transformer, a first switch transistor, a load, a low frequency divider circuit, and a signal generation unit. The transformer connects to one end of the signal generation unit and an input end of the low frequency divider circuit. The signal generation unit transmits the level signals to the low frequency divider circuit according to the operating mode and obtains the power supply voltage of the transformer. The second frequency of the low level signals is greater than the first frequency of the high level signals. The source of the first switch transistor connects to a load to obtain the frequency of the output signals to be operating frequency so as to control the turn-on duration of the transformer. So the power supply voltage in the standby mode and the power consumption are reduced. |
| US09671806B2 |
Method, a system, a server, a control element, a computer program and a computer program product for operating a power grid having decentralized control elements
An exemplary method and apparatus are provided for operating a power grid that has decentralized control elements. The decentralized control elements are adapted to interact with each other, in particular by communication. At least a part of the power grid, a control element or the interaction between control elements, in particular the communication between control elements, is monitored. When a problem in at least a part of the power grid, the control element or the interaction between control elements, in particular a communication breakdown, is detected, a control element affected by the problem is triggered to work autonomously. |
| US09671805B2 |
Linear voltage regulator utilizing a large range of bypass-capacitance
Amplifiers, notably multi-stage amplifiers, such as linear regulators (e.g. low-dropout regulators) configured to provide a constant output voltage subject to load transients are presented. An amplifier is described, which comprises a first amplification stage configured to provide an intermediate voltage, based on an outer feedback voltage and based on a reference voltage. Furthermore, the amplifier comprises an output stage configured to provide a load current at an output voltage based on the intermediate voltage. In addition, the amplifier comprises an outer feedback circuit configured to derive the outer feedback voltage from the output voltage. The output stage comprises a buffer configured to provide a drive voltage based on the intermediate voltage and based on an inner feedback voltage derived from the output voltage. The buffer comprises a pass device which is configured to provide the load current at the output voltage based on the drive voltage. |
| US09671804B2 |
Leakage reduction technique for low voltage LDOs
The present document relates to multi-stage amplifiers, such as linear regulators (e.g. low-dropout regulators). A method and a circuit for reducing leakage current of such multi-stage amplifiers is presented. A voltage regulator is described. The voltage regulator comprises a pass device configured to provide a load current at a regulated output voltage to an output node of the voltage regulator. A source of the pass device is coupled to a first potential of the voltage regulator. Furthermore, the voltage regulator comprises drive circuitry configured to control the pass device via a gate of the pass device, based on a reference voltage and based on a feedback voltage derived from the output voltage. In addition, the voltage regulator comprises leakage reduction circuitry configured to pull-up the gate of the pass device using a second potential; wherein the second potential is higher than the first potential. |
| US09671801B2 |
Apparatus and method for a voltage regulator with improved power supply reduction ratio (PSRR) with reduced parasitic capacitance on bias signal lines
An apparatus and method for a system with improved power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) over a wide frequency range. The improved PSRR is achieved by negating the influence of the parasitic capacitance associated with the bias lines and the introduction of a regulated power supply with embodiments associated with providing a ripple free and regulated supply. With reduction of parasitic capacitance, and providing an ENABLE switch by a pre-regulated supply, the degradation of the PSRR is achieved. The embodiments include both n-channel and p-channel MOSFETs implementations, and a positive and negative regulated power supply voltage. With the combined influence of the utilization of the VREG supply, and the lowering of battery-to-bias line capacitance using design layout and improved floor planning an improved PSRR over a wide frequency distribution is achieved. |
| US09671800B2 |
Bandgap circuit with temperature correction
A temperature corrected voltage bandgap circuit is provided. The circuit includes first and second diode connected transistors. A first switched compare circuit is coupled to the one transistor to inject or remove a first current into or from the transistor. The first current is selected to correct for curvature in the output voltage of the bandgap circuit at one of hotter or colder temperatures. |
| US09671793B2 |
Multi-phase metering of fluid flows
A multi-phase flow meter includes a flow conduit leading from an inlet to an outlet and including a variable inlet restriction, a variable outlet restriction, a pressure sensor and a volumetric flow meter, located between the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction. The flow meter further includes a controller adapted to receive data from the pressure sensor and the volumetric flow meter, and to adjust the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction in accordance with at least one program. The program causes the controller to adjust one of the variable inlet restriction and the variable outlet restriction. |
| US09671788B2 |
Vertical path control augmentation using lateral control surfaces
In one embodiment of a method for reducing vertical position errors of an aircraft, the displacement of the aircraft from a commanded vertical path may be determined. A determination may be made as to whether a magnitude of a vertical path error meets criteria. No more steps of the method may be followed if the vertical path error does not meet the criteria, while the vertical path error may be converted into a delta lift command if the vertical path error meets the criteria. The delta lift command may be limited. The delta lift command may be converted into lateral surface position commands for control surfaces. The lateral surface position commands may be communicated to lateral control surface actuators to move the control surfaces according to the lateral surface position commands. |
| US09671787B2 |
Method of dynamic control of a rotary- wing drone in throw start
A new method of dynamic control of a rotary-wing drone in throw start includes the steps of: a) initializing a predictive-filter altitude estimator; b) the user throwing the drone in the air with the motors turned off; c) detecting the free fall state; d) upon detecting the free fall state, fast start with turn-on of the motors, open-loop activation of the altitude control means, and closed-loop activation of the attitude control means; e) after a motor response time, stabilizing the drone by closed-loop activation of the altitude control means, and closed-loop activation of the attitude control means; f) detecting a stabilization state such that the total angular speed of the drone is lower than a predetermined threshold; and g) upon detecting the stabilization state, switching to a final state in which the drone is in a stable lift condition and pilotable by the user. |
| US09671786B2 |
Method and system for robot generation
A method is provided for the automatic generation of a robotic devices, where the method comprises the steps of receiving user input to determine a task specification for one or more tasks for the robotic device, determining a task list comprising one or more tasks based on the provided task specification, determining based on the task list provided, one or more mechanical components, one or more processing components, and logic components required to execute one or more tasks; and generating the logic components required to execute one or more tasks, and embedding the logic components onto a recordable medium associated with the robotic device. |
| US09671784B1 |
Detecting and responding to tailgaters
An autonomous vehicle detects a tailgating vehicle and uses various response mechanisms. A vehicle is identified as a tailgater based on whether its characteristics meet a variable threshold. When the autonomous vehicle is traveling at slower speeds, the threshold is defined in distance. When the autonomous vehicle is traveling at faster speeds, the threshold is defined in time. The autonomous vehicle responds to the tailgater by modifying its driving behavior. In one example, the autonomous vehicle adjusts a headway buffer (defined in time) from another vehicle in front of the autonomous vehicle. In this regard, if the tailgater is T seconds too close to the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle increases the headway buffer to the vehicle in front of it by some amount relative to T. |
| US09671782B2 |
Autonomous driving device
There is provided an autonomous driving device that improves the convenience for a driver in the switching between autonomous driving and manual driving. When the driver discovers an obstacle which cannot be detected by an autonomous driving device, and performs a driving operation which causes a manual driving switching threshold value to be exceeded for an operation time less than or equal to an operation threshold value so as to avoid the obstacle, a control unit of the autonomous driving device switches autonomous driving to manual driving, and then the control unit switches manual driving to autonomous driving even if the driver does not perform an autonomous driving switching operation. For this reason, it is possible to improve the convenience for the driver in the switching between autonomous driving and manual driving. |
| US09671781B1 |
Responsive navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle to a remedial facility
The present disclosure relates to a deployment system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In one aspect, an illustrative deployment system includes a communication system configured for receiving diagnostic data corresponding to an object included in a UAV, wherein the UAV has an expiration condition; and a logic module configured for (i) determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied based, at least in part, on the received diagnostic data, and (ii) responsive to determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied, initiating an action that includes sending to the UAV both (a) navigation data relating to a remedial facility, and (b) instructions to navigate to the remedial facility based, at least in part, on the navigation data. |
| US09671779B2 |
Method and system for filtering lot schedules using a previous schedule
Methods and systems are provided for filtering lot schedules of a manufacturing facility. A first schedule is identified, in which the first schedule is a previously executed schedule. A processing device generates a pool of lots to be scheduled using information from the first schedule, in which the pool of lots is a subset of a plurality of lots associated with the first schedule. The processing device generates a second schedule using the pool of lots. |
| US09671771B2 |
Timer module and method for checking an output signal
A method for checking an output signal of a timer module is provided, the timer module having at least one output module, at least one input module, and at least one logic module. The output signal to be checked is read in into the timer module via an input module in addition to its output via an output module, and in the input module, signal characteristics to be checked are determined for the output signal to be checked. Furthermore, the signal characteristics to be checked are read by the logic module from the input module and the signal characteristics to be checked are compared in the logic module to the predefined values for the signal characteristics. |
| US09671769B2 |
ECU monitoring system and monitoring method
An ECU monitoring system includes: an ECU that includes an input interface unit, a computer unit, and an output interface unit; a storage unit that stores a normal input signal and a normal output signal; a comparing unit that calculates a compared difference by comparing the current input signal with a previous input signal stored in the storage unit, and outputs an alarming signal showing the current input signal is abnormal, when the compared difference is out of a predetermined range; and a circulator that receives the output signal, provides the output signal when the output signal is a normal output signal, and provides a normal output signal to the output interface unit, instead of the output signal outputted from the computer in response to the abnormal input signal, when receiving the alarming signal from the comparing unit. |
| US09671764B2 |
Control system capable of periodically driving a corresponding device based on trigger policy and method thereof
The present invention is to provide a control system including a sensing device capable of periodically driving a corresponding operation device based on a trigger policy, wherein the sensing device and the operation device have the same trigger policy stored therein. The control system is characterized in that the trigger policy at least includes a trigger code, a time data (such as “after 15 minutes”) and an operation data (such as “turn on a lamp”). When the sensing device detects a sensing signal, the sensing device generates and transmits a trigger instruction to the operation device. When the operation device determines that a trigger code carried in the trigger instruction matches with a second identification code stored therein, the operation device calculates an expiration time of the time data based on the current time, and then executes an action corresponding to the operation data at the expiration time. |
| US09671762B2 |
Solar smart watch
A solar smart watch is provided. The solar smart watch includes: a case; a first display component, provided on a surface of the case, the first display component comprising at least a first touch sensing device and a first display device; two bands, respectively connected to opposite ends of the case, each of the two bands including a second display component, the second display component including at least a flexible second display device and a flexible second solar device, and the second solar device being laminated on an upper surface of the second display device; and a control module, connected to the first display device and the second display device. |
| US09671758B2 |
Quartz watch movement
A quartz watch movement includes a minute wheel connected to a handsetting wheel by an intermediate wheel, a shaft of a third wheel placed in a shaft hole in a main plate, elastic connection structures being rotated by a third-wheel shaft gear and a minute wheel piece gear which are engaged together and are arranged between a minute wheel tube and the minute wheel piece gear when a stem is pulled or the minute hand is adjusted through the handsetting wheel, the intermediate wheel and a minute wheel shaft gear, and a second-hand stop lever detachably connected to a second-hand stop electrode. The elastic connection structures are arranged between the minute wheel tube and the minute wheel piece gear, so that the quartz watch is accurate in travel time and has the function of efficiently adjusting the hour hand and the minute hand when omitting a handsetting middle wheel. |
| US09671757B1 |
Smartwatch assemblies having analog dials and related methods
A smartwatch assembly may include a dial portion having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough and a circuit board having a plurality of LED modules disposed thereon. The plurality of LED modules may be oriented to emit light toward the plurality of apertures of the dial portion. The circuit board may include a control module configured to illuminate the plurality of LED modules in response to an alert and a communication module configured to interface with an electronic device wirelessly and to receive the alert. Methods of making a smartwatch assembly may include disposing a dial portion having a face plate and a plurality of hour-mark apertures extending through the face plate in a watch casing and disposing a circuit board having a plurality of LED modules disposed thereon in a watch casing, the plurality of LED modules corresponding to the plurality of hour-mark apertures. |
| US09671754B2 |
Barrel with substantially constant torque
A barrel for a timepiece. The barrel has a device for limiting the number of running rotations of the barrel, wherein this device still allows any number of winding rotations of the barrel. |
| US09671753B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of cooling internal devices, cooling device for cooling internal devices of image forming apparatus
In an image forming apparatus, a duct portion provided on a side surface of a partition wall member on a first space side includes first and second internal passages. The first internal passage allows air that has flowed in from a first air passage to flow and guides the air to a second air passage. The second internal passage allows air that has flowed in from a second air passage to flow and guides the air to a second space via a communication port formed in a partition wall member. A first blower provided in the first space sucks air from the first air passage and blows out the air to the first internal passage. A second blower provided in the second space sucks air from the second air passage and blows out the air to the second space through the second internal passage and the communication port. |
| US09671752B2 |
Optical writing device equipped with light emitting elements
An optical writing device adopting a low cost and simple structure can obtain temperatures of light emitting elements. The device comprises a plurality of light emitting elements arranged linearly in a main scanning direction. The amount of light emitting of the light emitting elements changes by self-generated heat. The light emitting elements are divided into a plurality of groups. Each of the groups includes a prescribed number of light emitting elements. The device comprises a control unit for calculating the amount of heat generation of the light emitting elements for each of groups from clock time t0 to clock time t0+Δt. The control unit calculates the temperature for each of the groups at the clock time t0+Δt, based on the amount of heat generation from the clock time t0 to the clock time t0+Δt and the temperature at the clock time t0. |
| US09671745B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that includes a first opening/closing member arranged to be openable and closable with respect to a main body of the image forming apparatus, a second opening/closing member, a unit detachably attachable to the main body, and a crank mechanism configured to convert reciprocating motion caused by an opening and closing operation of the first opening/closing member into rotating motion of the second opening/closing member. A first distance from a moving area of the unit is configured to be greater than a second distance from the moving area to thereby suppress an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus. |
| US09671742B2 |
Process cartridge having a control mechanism for a driving mechanism
The invention relates to a process cartridge, which comprises a process cartridge housing, a photosensitive member, a driving force receiving opening, a retractable mechanism and a control mechanism, wherein the photosensitive member is arranged inside the process cartridge housing; the driving force receiving opening is connected with the photosensitive member and provides a driving force for the photosensitive member; the retractable mechanism allows the driving force receiving opening to extend or retract in the axial direction of the photosensitive member; and the control mechanism controls the extension and retraction of the retractable mechanism. |
| US09671739B2 |
Sheet-conveying device that conveys sheets, and image-forming apparatus using the same
A sheet-conveying device has a guide member that constitutes a sheet-conveying route, a plurality of rollers and a control portion that performs a sheet-position correction operation. The plurality of rollers is provided at plural portions of the guide member. Each roller projects from the guide member, contacts a sheet and rotates together with the conveyance of the sheet. The control portion searches the roller(s) 6 arranged at positions that may contact the end surface of the sheet along the width direction thereof in the register fluctuation operation to produce positional information of the roller(s) to be escaped. The control portion escapes the roller(s) specified by the positional information of the roller(s) to be escaped before a register fluctuation operation starts. |
| US09671738B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having a first opening on a first side, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt arranged to have a surface thereof facing the photosensitive members, primary-transfer members, a secondary-transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is removably installed in the chassis through the first opening and settled in a position opposite from the photosensitive members across the intermediate transfer belt, a connector, a first feeding path extending in a range between the first feed roller and the secondary-transfer roller, and a second feeding path being formed in clearance between the intermediate transfer belt and the waste toner container to convey a recording sheet being inserted through a sheet inlet and merging into the first feeding path in the vicinity of the first feed roller. |
| US09671737B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a conveyance unit, an intermediate roller unit, and a guide section. The intermediate roller unit includes an intermediate roller at a facing surface thereof that faces a sheet conveyance path. The conveyance unit includes a conveyance roller at a facing surface thereof that faces the sheet conveyance path. The guide section guides movement of the intermediate roller unit relative to the casing such that the conveyance roller pushes the intermediate roller in association with closing movement of the conveyance unit relative to the casing to close the intermediate roller unit relative to the casing. |
| US09671736B2 |
Unit moving apparatus and image forming apparatus
A unit moving apparatus includes a unit provided to a main body in such a manner so as to be attached to and pulled out from the main body, a main-body guide portion provided to the main body and configured to guide the unit while restricting rotation of the unit at a time of attaching and pulling out the unit, a pull-in unit configured to apply a pulling force to the unit to pull the unit into the main body, and a unit restriction portion configured to restrict rotation of the unit in such a manner that the units rotates within an angle smaller than an angle to which the main-body guide portion restricts the unit's rotation when a rotation moment is generated by the pulling force of the pull-in unit applied to the unit and a load applied to the unit in a direction opposite to an attachment direction. |
| US09671728B2 |
Image processing apparatus for forming and decoloring an image on a sheet
An image processing apparatus comprises an image decoloring unit, an image forming unit, a heater and a control unit. The image decoloring unit decolors an image formed on a sheet with a decolorable color material by heating the sheet. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet with a decolorable color material. The heater thermally fixes the image formed by the image forming unit on the sheet. The control unit carries out a control processing so that the formation of an image with a decolorable color material is different before and after a specified time elapses from the moment the image decoloring unit completes a decoloring processing. |
| US09671726B2 |
Fixing device
A fixing device for thermally fixing a developer image transferred onto a recording sheet, includes: a flexible fusing member which is flexibly deformable; a heating element; a nip member disposed in such a manner as to contact with a surface of the flexible fusing member and to allow the flexible fusing member to slide along the nip member; a reflecting plate configured to reflect radiant heat from the heating element in a direction toward the nip member; a backup member configured to nip the flexible fusing member with the nip member to thereby form a nip portion for the recording sheet between the flexible fusing member and the backup member; and a stay configured to support both end portions of the nip member. The reflecting plate has at least one flange portion, and the flange portion is held and supported between the nip member and the stay. |
| US09671724B2 |
Image forming apparatus
In a constitution of primary-transfer-high-voltage-less in which a power source dedicated to primary-transfer, in the case where voltage applications for determining primary-transfer and secondary-transfer voltages are carried out concurrently, there is a possibility of improper primary-transfer. The possibility is decreased by controlling a power source so that a voltage drop of a Zener diode maintains a Zener breakdown voltage. |
| US09671723B2 |
Image forming apparatus with cleaning blade and rubbing rotatable member
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an intermediary transfer belt rotatable in a predetermined direction, a rubbing rotatable member provided between the secondary transfer portion and a cleaning blade with respect to the predetermined direction and configured to rub the belt; and a controller for controlling the belt such that after start of a both-side-printing mode operation in which the toner images are formed on respective sides of the recording material, the rotation of the belt is stopped at an end or interruption of the both-side-printing mode operation, and the belt is rotated in a direction opposite from the predetermined direction at least until a portion of the belt contacting the cleaning blade at the time of the stop of the rotation of the belt reaches a position opposing the rubbing rotatable member. |
| US09671720B2 |
Image forming apparatus with developing device for supplying toner
When an image forming apparatus detects that an amount of toner returns to a first reference amount or more without replacement of a container after determining that a toner low state has occurred, the image forming apparatus controls a container memory unit to store predetermined information. When performing toner supply, if the predetermined information is stored, the image forming apparatus performs at least one of a first process for changing a time ratio so that a rotation period ratio of a supply screw is increased and a second process for changing the first reference amount to be increased. |
| US09671719B2 |
Layer thickness restriction member, development device, process cartridge, and method for manufacturing layer thickness restriction member
A layer thickness restriction portion and a developer rectifying portion are formed integrally by injecting a resin material into a mold, in which a gate portion is offset to one side with respect to a center position of the layer thickness restriction portion, through the gate portion. |
| US09671717B2 |
Optical scanning device, image forming apparatus, aperture fixing method
An optical scanning device includes a scanning member, a plurality of light sources, a first reflection mirror, and a second reflection mirror. The scanning member scans incident laser beams in a predetermined main scanning direction. The plurality of light sources emit the laser beams from positions that are different along a sub scanning direction that is perpendicular to an optical axis direction of the laser beams and the main scanning direction. The first reflection mirror is inclined around the main scanning direction as a rotation axis, is inclined around the sub scanning direction as another rotation axis, and reflects the laser beams emitted from the light sources. The second reflection mirror is inclined around the main scanning direction as a rotation axis, is inclined around the sub scanning direction as another rotation axis, and reflects the laser beams reflected by the first reflection mirror toward the scanning member. |
| US09671715B2 |
Optical writing device and image forming device
An optical writing device performing optical writing onto a photoreceptor, including: a light-emitting unit including a plurality of light-emitting elements that form a plurality of element rows spaced from one another in a sub scanning direction, each of the light-emitting elements having a main scanning direction position differing from a main scanning direction position of any other one of the light-emitting elements; a plurality of signal output units, one for each element row, each outputting a light amount signal for each light-emitting element in a corresponding element row, each light amount signal indicating an amount of light to be emitted by a corresponding light-emitting element; and a plurality of drive units, one for each light-emitting element, each, when receiving a light amount signal for a corresponding light-emitting element, supplying a drive current in accordance with the light amount signal to the corresponding light-emitting element. |
| US09671712B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: a power source applying voltage to a charging roller to charge a photosensitive drum; a toner-image forming unit forming a toner image on the photosensitive drum; a detecting member which detects a DC current to be flowed from the charging roller to the photosensitive drum; a driving source driving the photosensitive drum at a predetermined speed; and an execution unit executing a detection mode to detect the DC current with the detecting member when the voltage is applied in a state in which the photosensitive drum is rotated, in a period except a period during which the toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum, the execution unit setting a speed of the driving source when the detection mode is executed at a second speed faster than a first speed that is fastest in the period during which the toner image is formed. |
| US09671706B2 |
Electrophotographic photoconductor, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge
An electrophotographic photoconductor including a support, an undercoat layer overlying the support, and a photosensitive layer overlying the undercoat layer is provided. The undercoat layer includes zinc oxide particles and a binder resin. The undercoat layer has a voltage (V)-current (I) characteristics such that, when S1 is a value obtained by integrating current (I [A]) in terms of voltage (V [V]) from 0 to a distribution voltage VUL [V] distributed to the undercoat layer, and S2 is a value obtained by integrating a line connecting two points at a voltage (V [V]) of 0 and the distribution voltage VUL [V] in terms of voltage (V [V]) from 0 to the distribution voltage VUL [V], S1 is within a range of from 1.0×10−4 to 1.0×10−2 and a ratio (S1/S2) of S1 to S2 is 0.50 or less. |
| US09671704B2 |
Vibration reduction apparatus, lithography apparatus and method of manufacturing article
The present invention provides a vibration reduction apparatus which reduces vibration of a first object supported on a base, the apparatus comprising a driving unit arranged between the base and the first object and configured to drive the first object, a reference system including a second object, and a control system including a detector configured to detect a relative distance between the first object and the second object, a compensator configured to control the driving unit such that the relative distance comes close to a target distance, and a high-pass filter configured to attenuate a signal in a predetermined frequency band in a path extending from the detector to the driving unit. |
| US09671703B2 |
Optical arrangement, EUV lithography apparatus and method for configuring an optical arrangement
The invention relates to an optical arrangement comprising: at least one optical element comprising an optical surface and a substrate, wherein the substrate is formed from a material whose temperature-dependent coefficient of thermal expansion at a zero crossing temperature ΔTZC=TZC−Tref related to a reference temperature Tref is equal to zero, wherein the optical surface has, during the operation of the optical arrangement, a location-dependent temperature distribution ΔT(x, y) that is dependent on a local irradiance (5a), is related to the reference temperature Tref and has an average temperature ΔTav, a minimum temperature ΔTmin and a maximum temperature ΔTmax, wherein the average temperature ΔTav is less than the average value 1/2 (ΔTmax+ΔTmin) formed from the minimum temperature ΔTmin and the maximum temperature ΔTmax, and wherein the zero crossing temperature ΔTZC is greater than the average temperature ΔTav. |
| US09671702B2 |
Positioning system, a lithographic apparatus and a method for positional control
A positioning system for controlling a relative position between a first component and a second component of a lithographic apparatus, wherein a position of each component is defined by a set of orthogonal coordinates, the positioning system including: a measuring device configured to determine an error in the momentary position of one of the components with respect to a setpoint position in a measurement coordinate; and a controller configured to control movement of the other component in a control coordinate based on the determined error; wherein the measurement coordinate is different from the control coordinate. |
| US09671698B2 |
Fuel stream generator, source collector apparatus and lithographic apparatus
A fuel stream generator comprising a nozzle connected to a fuel reservoir, wherein the nozzle is provided with a gas inlet configured to provide a sheath of gas around fuel flowing along the nozzle is disclosed. Also disclosed are a method of generating fuel droplets and a lithography apparatus incorporating the fuel stream generator. |
| US09671686B2 |
Exposure methods using e-beams and methods of manufacturing masks and semiconductor devices therefrom
Disclosed are an exposure method and a method of manufacturing a mask and a semiconductor device using the same, which minimize time taken by mask data preparation (MDP) to optimize a total exposure process and enhance a quality of a pattern by using an inverse solution concept, based on a multi-beam mask writer. The exposure method includes receiving mask tape output (MTO) design data obtained through optical proximity correction (OPC), preparing mask data, including a job deck, for the MTO design data without a data format conversion, performing complex correction, including proximity effect correction (PEC) of an error caused by an e-beam proximity effect and mask process correction (MPC) of an error caused by an exposure process, on the mask data, generating pixel data, based on data for which the complex correction is performed, and performing e-beam writing on a substrate for a mask, based on the pixel data. |
| US09671682B2 |
Light source apparatus and projector using the same
An excitation light source is configured to emit excitation light. A fluorescent substance plate is configured to be excited by the excitation light and to emit fluorescent substance light having a wavelength different from a wavelength of the excitation light. A condensing optical system is configured to condense the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to an excitation light irradiation region that is smaller than the fluorescent substance plate, to apply the excitation light to the fluorescent substance plate, and to take in fluorescent substance emission light from the excitation light irradiation region. The excitation light is applied to the fluorescent substance plate such that the excitation light irradiation region is eccentric to the fluorescent substance plate. |
| US09671668B2 |
Color display device
The present invention is directed to a color display device in which each pixel can display at least six high-quality color states, and an electrophoretic fluid for such an electrophoretic display. The different types of particles exhibit different levels of attraction force to display different color states. |
| US09671661B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate on which a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines intersecting the gate lines are disposed, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, a linear electrode on the first substrate, a surface electrode on the first substrate, an insulating layer interposed between the linear electrode and the surface electrode, a thin film transistor electrically connected to the gate and data lines and electrically connected to the linear electrode, a black matrix disposed on any one of the first and second substrates and overlapping the gate and data lines, and a voltage storage electrode extending from one end portion of the linear electrode into the black matrix and overlapping the thin film transistor. |
| US09671657B2 |
Electronic device and arrangement of components thereof
Provided is a mobile terminal including: an LCD module arranged under a window; an LCD circuit board arranged to one side of the LCD module to electrically control the LCD module; a printed circuit board formed apart from the LCD circuit board, positioned under the LCD module and the LCD circuit board, and electrically connected to the LCD circuit board; and a connector electrically connecting the LCD circuit board and the printed circuit board, in which multiple conductive pads arranged at a predetermined distance are formed on the LCD circuit board and the printed circuit board, respectively, conductive regions and non-conductive regions are formed on the connector alternately, and the conductive regions are connected to the conductive pads formed on the LCD circuit board and the printed circuit board, respectively. |
| US09671655B2 |
Array substrate, manufacture method thereof, and liquid crystal display device
An array substrate, a manufacture method thereof, and a liquid crystal display device (LCD) are provided. The array substrate includes a substrate; and a plurality of sub-pixel units disposed on the substrate. The sub-pixel unit comprises a thin film transistor (TFT), a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a passivation layer. The thin film transistor comprises an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The drain electrode is electrically connected with the pixel electrode. The passivation layer covers the source electrode, the drain electrode and the pixel electrode. The sub-pixel unit further includes a test electrode which is electrically connected with the pixel electrode and is exposed at an external surface of the sub-pixel unit. With the test electrode, electrical characteristics of the TFT can be tested conveniently, and the quality level of the LCD device can also be improved. |
| US09671651B2 |
Display panel and display device
A display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed separately; a sealant disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and at least one color resist layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein, the at least one color resist layer and the sealant are disposed in an alternate arrangement, and are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate in order to support the first substrate and the second substrate. A display device is also disclosed. Through replacing the spacers in the sealant with the color resist layer to support the first substrate and the second substrate, a display uneven phenomenon near the sealant of a narrow frame display panel is solved. In addition, because the color resist layer replaces the spacer, the cost of the spacer is saved so as to reduce the design cost. |
| US09671649B2 |
Optical liquid-crystal phase modulator
A phase modulator for polarized light, comprising a first substrate with a first surface and a second substrate with a second surface, a liquid crystal layer between the two substrates and an electrode arrangement. The phase modulator is usable as a variable deflection grating, and liquid crystal materials which are currently conventional are usable for its production. A phase modulator has an out-of-plane angle of the liquid crystal molecules next to the two surfaces whose magnitude is greater than 0 but less than or equal to 45 degrees, and an electrode arrangement controllable such that an in-plane component of the liquid crystal molecule orientation is adjustable in an angle range of up to 180 degrees, and the rotation sense of the liquid crystal molecules next to the first surface is opposite to the rotation sense of the liquid crystal molecules next to the second surface. |
| US09671648B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method of manufacturing the same
A liquid crystal display includes a first alignment layer positioned in a first insulation substrate and a second alignment layer positioned in a second insulation substrate; and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first insulation substrate and the second insulation substrate, in which the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer include an additive, and the additive is a mixture of two or more reactive mesogens selected from the group consisting of Chemical Formulas 1-1 to 1-15: In Chemical Formulas 1-4 to 1-15, X's are each independently H, CH3, (CH2)nCH3, F, Br, I, OH, C3H7, NH2, or CN, R's are each independently any one of and n is 1 to 20. |
| US09671646B1 |
Method for manufacturing eye-protecting liquid crystal display device
A method for manufacturing an eye-protecting liquid crystal display device is disclosed, in which an ultraviolet light emitting material and a ultraviolet absorbent are added in a first planarization layer of an array substrate and a second planarization layer of a color filter substrate. The ultraviolet absorbent absorbs short-wavelength blue light having a wavelength less than 400 nm and ultraviolet light emitting from a backlight module. The short-wavelength blue light and the ultraviolet light so absorbed excite the ultraviolet light emitting material to give off long-wavelength visible blue light having a wavelength greater than 400 nm. The first and second planarization layers are thus useful in converting ultraviolet light and short-wavelength blue light having a wavelength less than 400 nm, which could damage human eyes, into long-wavelength visible blue light having a wavelength greater than 400 nm that does not damage human eyes. |
| US09671641B2 |
Color filter substrate used in a display and its manufacturing method
A color filter substrate used in a display and the method thereby, and the photo mask of the color filter substrate are disclosed. The color filter substrate comprises a main body and a plurality color resist patterns on the main body. The adjacent color resist patterns partially overlap wherein in the overlapping region, the thickness of bottom color resist pattern is gradually thinning in its edge direction. Through the above way, the horn section in the overlapping region of the adjacent RGB color resist patterns of the color filter substrate is reduced. The performance of the liquid crystals is improved. Moreover, the OC flat layer does not need to be built on RGB the color resist pattern. The production cost of the liquid crystal display device is reduced and the productivity is improved. |
| US09671639B2 |
Liquid crystal display device with a built-in touch panel
The presence or absence of touch is detected according to a difference of a capacitance caused by the presence or absence of a material that blocks the electric field formed between the detection electrode and the common electrode. The common electrode includes a plurality of divided electrode portions that is extended in a lateral direction and aligned with each other in a longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of common lines is electrically connected to at least one of the divided electrode portions. The plurality of common lines is arranged in an area next to the common electrode in the lateral direction of the common electrode, arranged next to each other in a width direction orthogonal to a length thereof, is different in width from each other, and the width of the common lines is wider as the length is longer. |
| US09671636B2 |
Liquid crystal display and method for manufacturing the same
Provided is a liquid crystal display. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a liquid crystal display including a first substrate, a thin film transistor located on the first substrate, a pixel electrode located on the thin film transistor, a first roof layer that faces the pixel electrode and is formed of a first color filter layer, a capping layer located on the first roof layer; and a second roof layer that is located on the capping layer and is formed of a second color filter layer, in which a plurality of first microcavities is formed between the pixel electrode and the first roof layer, and the plurality of first microcavities forms a first liquid crystal layer that includes a liquid crystal molecule, and a plurality of second microcavities is formed between the second roof layer and a second substrate that is located on the second roof layer. |
| US09671635B2 |
Electro-optic display backplane structures with drive components and pixel electrodes on opposed surfaces
This invention relates to an electro-optic display having a backplane with a front surface and a reverse surface on opposed sides of the backplane, a front surface having a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix of columns and rows with column and row lines, a reverse surface having at least one driver chip, and conductive vias electrically connecting the column and row lines on the front surface to the driver chip on the reverse surface, such that the entire front surface area may be optically active. |
| US09671632B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a display panel including a display area in which an image is displayed and a pad area in which an image is not displayed; an intermediate frame member on which the display panel is disposed; and an upper frame member which covers the pad area and is coupled to the intermediate frame member. The intermediate frame member may define: a first side wall portion thereof extended along a first side of the display panel; and a second side wall portion thereof extended along a second side of the display panel, the second sidewall portion connected to the first side wall portion in the pad area and a height of the second side wall portion being less than a height of the first side wall portion. The upper frame member which covers the pad area is coupled to the second side wall portion. |
| US09671630B2 |
Display device
Provided is a display device with a simplified configuration. The display device includes a display panel, a panel guide, a backlight unit, a front cover, and a back cover. The panel guide supports the display panel. The backlight unit emits light to the display panel. The front cover encloses an outer surface of the display panel. The backlight unit is stored in the back cover. The front cover includes a fixing portion formed thereon projecting toward the back cover, and the back cover includes a supporting portion projecting toward the backlight unit, to fix the front cover to the back cover. |
| US09671623B2 |
Foldable attachable front for eyeglasses
A removable attachment for eyeglasses. The attachment is held to the parent eyeglasses by magnets. The bridge of the attachment includes ball joints that allow the attachment to fold for storage while not in use, and also allow the lens units of the attachment to twist about a horizontal line with respect to the bridge thereby enabling the lens units to conform to misaligned parent lenses. |
| US09671620B2 |
Variable focus liquid filled lens apparatus
A variable focus optical apparatus including a rigid, curved, transparent optical component; two transparent, distensible membranes attached to a periphery of the rigid optical component to define two cavities, a first cavity between the rigid optical component and a first membrane and a second cavity between the first membrane and a second membrane; and a variable amount of fluid each of the cavities, and a reservoir containing additional fluid and in fluid communication with the cavity, wherein the reservoir is configured to provide injection of fluid into the cavity or withdrawal of fluid out of the cavity in response to a force or an impulse. |
| US09671618B2 |
Method of determining optical parameters of an ophthalmic lens
Method for determining the values of a set of n optical parameters (P1, P2, . . . , Pn) of an ophthalmic lens, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1, the method comprising: an nominal ophthalmic lens data providing step, an ophthalmic lens providing step, an optical surface measuring step, a surface errors determining step during which a set of m surface error parameters (α1, α2, . . . , αm) is determined, m being an integer greater than or equal to 1, an optical parameter determining step during which each optical parameter of the set of optical parameters is determined by: P i = P i , 0 + [ ∑ j = 1 m ( ∂ P i ∂ α j ) 0 × Δα j ] + A i with Pi the value of the ith optical parameter of the manufactured optical lens, Pi,0 the value of the ith optical parameter of the nominal optical lens, ( ∂ P i ∂ α j ) 0 the value of the derivative of Pi with respect to the jth surface error parameter αj on the nominal surface and Δαj the value of the jth surface error parameter, and Ai a combination of terms of order greater or equal to 2 for each Pi. |
| US09671616B2 |
Optics system with magnetic backlash reduction
An imaging system may include a movable component that travels along a rail, the movable component being coupled to the rail by a carriage that includes a bearing and a magnetic portion configured to bias the bearing toward the rail. The imaging system may be suitable for use in a gimbal assembly. |
| US09671615B1 |
Extended field of view in near-eye display using wide-spectrum imager
In a near-eye optical display system comprising a waveguide and diffractive optical elements (DOEs) configured for in-coupling, exit pupil expansion, and out-coupling, a wide-spectrum imager generates imaging light that is in-coupled to the system with an input pupil having an extended field of view (FOV). Wide-spectrum imaging light impinges on the in-coupling DOE over a range of incidence angles. As chromatic dispersion in the in-coupling DOE causes different wavelengths to propagate with different angles, for a given input pupil incidence angle, at least a portion of the imaging light spectrum meets a critical angle condition that enables propagation with total internal reflection (TIR) in the waveguide without leakage to the outside. Thus, different parts of the imaging light spectrum can be used for different regions of the FOV. |
| US09671609B2 |
Display device and method for reducing moiré effects using the same
A display device includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a plurality of light emitting members, an anti-moiré member spaced away from the plurality of light emitting members at about a first distance (d), and a frame member receiving the PCB such that the PCB is interposed between the anti-moiré and the frame member. The anti-moiré member includes a first layer disposed to face the PCB and having a first foil with a randomized pattern surface. The first distance (d) equals L/(2*tan (α)). The second distance (L) is a shortest distance between two adjacent light emitting members. Each of the array of light emitting members has a radiation angle α. |
| US09671606B2 |
Illumination optical system for endoscope
An illumination optical system for an endoscope includes two light guides disposed in an insertion tube in a first direction to sandwich a center of the insertion tube therebetween; an observation window on a tip end face of the insertion tube; two concave lens parts having negative powers sandwiching the observation window at positions facing end faces of two light guides on the tip end face of the insertion tube. The end face of each of the two light guides has a smaller width in the first direction than a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; each of the two concave lens parts has a larger negative power in the first direction than a negative power thereof in the second direction; and of illumination light which has propagated through each of the two concave lens parts after being emitted from each of the two light guides. |
| US09671604B2 |
Observation unit and microscope system equipped with observation unit
A microscope system (100) includes a microscope (10) and an observation unit (20) provided separately from the microscope. The microscope includes a microscope objective lens (3), an image pickup element (31) disposed at a position at which an image is formed through the microscope objective lens, and a first control apparatus (32) connected with the image pickup element. The observation unit includes a second control apparatus (21), a display device (22, 22a, 22b) connected with the second control apparatus, and a magnifier optical system (25a, 25b) arranged at a predetermined distance from the display device. The microscope system further includes a communication apparatus (21) for communication between the first control apparatus and the second control apparatus so that an image picked up by the image pickup apparatus is displayed on the display device. |
| US09671601B2 |
Microscope having an autofocusing device and autofocusing method for microscopes
A method for autofocusing in microscopic examination of a specimen located at the focus of a microscope objective uses an autofocus beam path, the autofocus beam path being directed, via a deflection device arranged on the side of the microscope objective facing away from the specimen, toward the microscope objective, and from there onto a reflective autofocus interface in the specimen region. The autofocus beam path is reflected at the autofocus interface and directed via the microscope objective and the deflection device toward an autofocus detector. The deflection device comprises two regions spaced apart from one another in a propagation direction of the autofocus beam path. Each region reflects the autofocus beam path. The autofocus detector is arranged in a plane conjugated with the microscope objective pupil to acquire an interference pattern. The focus of the microscope is adjusted as a function of the acquired interference pattern. |
| US09671591B2 |
Optical lens assembly, image capturing apparatus and electronic device
An optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element has refractive power. The fifth lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. The sixth lens element with refractive power has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. The seventh lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. |
| US09671587B2 |
Imaging lens composed of five optical elements
A low-profile, high-resolution, low-cost imaging lens comprises five optical elements arranged from an object side: a first positive optical element group including a first positive lens having a convex object-side surface as a first optical element and a second negative lens having a concave image-side surface as a second optical element; a second positive optical element group including a third positive lens having a convex image-side surface as a third optical element; and a third negative optical element group including a fourth negative double-sided aspheric lens having a concave image-side surface as a fourth optical element. The image-side surface of the fourth lens has at least one pole-change point off an optical axis. A double-sided aspheric aberration correction optical element with virtually no refractive power as a fifth optical element is located in an air gap nearer to the image plane than the first optical element group. |
| US09671585B2 |
Imaging lens assembly
An imaging lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power, a second lens element with negative refractive power, a third lens element with positive refractive power. The first lens element has a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region. The second lens element has a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region, and at least one of its surfaces is aspheric. The object-side surface of the third lens element is convex in a paraxial region and concave in a peripheral region. The image-side surface of the third lens element is concave in a paraxial region. The object-side surface and image-side surface of the third lens element are both aspheric. The imaging lens assembly satisfies 0.062 mm |
| US09671584B2 |
Method and cooling system for cooling an optical element for EUV applications
A method for cooling an optical element for EUV applications is disclosed. Heat is transferred from the optical element to a heat sink, and, via a first feed line, a first cooling medium is introduced into a cooling channel in the heat sink, in such a way that the first cooling medium effects laminar flow through the cooling channel and in the process absorbs heat from the heat sink. After flowing through the cooling channel, the first cooling medium is discharged into a discharge line leading away from the optical element. A second cooling medium is introduced into the discharge line via a second feed line, and the first cooling medium and the second cooling medium, downstream of the second feed line at a location that is further away from the optical element than the cooling channel, are subjected to a force field introduced into the discharge line externally. |
| US09671582B2 |
Pluggable optical transceiver module
A pluggable optical transceiver module for being plugged in a housing is provided. The housing has a cover and an elastic piece, and the cover has an accommodating space. One end of the elastic piece is connected to the cover while the other end has a first fastening portion. The first fastening portion is located on one side of the accommodating space. The pluggable optical transceiver module comprises a base and a sliding member. The base comprises a base body and a second fastening portion. The base body has a guide surface, and the second fastening portion is next to the guide surface. The base is for being plugged in the accommodating space, and the second fastening portion is fastened with the first fastening portion. The sliding member comprises a body section and a push section connected to each other. The body section is slidably disposed on the base. |
| US09671578B2 |
Structured substrate for optical fiber alignment
A structured substrate for optical fiber alignment is produced at least in part by forming a substrate with a plurality of buried conductive features and a plurality of top level conductive features. At least one of the plurality of top level conductive features defines a bond pad. A groove is then patterned in the substrate utilizing a portion of the plurality of top level conductive features as an etch mask and one of the plurality of buried conductive features as an etch stop. At least a portion of an optical fiber is placed into the groove. |
| US09671576B1 |
CWDM transceiver module
A CWDM transceiver module includes: a substrate; a plurality of light sources disposed on the substrate; a spacer layer disposed above the substrate, a cavity being defined in the space layer to accommodate the light sources; a cap layer transparent to light emitted from the light sources and disposed on the spacer layer, a notch for assembling a waveguide being formed in the cap layer; a plurality of lenses disposed on the cap layer facing the light sources; reflector coating and filter coating disposed on surfaces of the cap layer; an active alignment element disposed on the cap layer; and a reflector disposed at bottom of the notch. |
| US09671575B2 |
Optical waveguide device and method of manufacturing the same
An optical waveguide device includes a wiring board; an optical waveguide having a first cladding layer, a core layer and a second cladding layer formed in this order on the wiring board; an optical path conversion mirror formed in the core layer; and an optical element mounted on the second cladding layer, the optical element comprising a light emitting portion or a light receiving portion protruding from a lower side thereof. The second cladding layer has an opening formed above the optical path conversion mirror. The optical element is mounted on the second cladding layer so that at least one end thereof is positioned above the opening of the second cladding layer. The light emitting portion or light receiving portion of the optical element is arranged the opening of the second cladding layer. |
| US09671573B2 |
Light receptacle and light module
This light receptacle comprises: first optical surfaces on which light beams emitted from light emitting elements are respectively caused to be incident; second optical surfaces which emit the light beams incident on first optical surfaces respectively toward the end faces of light transmission bodies; a third optical surface which reflects the light beams incident on the first optical surfaces toward the second optical surfaces; and recesses which are formed in the surface on which second optical surfaces are arranged. The distance between the centers of two adjacent first optical surfaces before mold release and the distance between the centers of two adjacent second optical surfaces before mold release during injection molding are shorter than the distance between the optical axes of light beams emitted from two adjacent light emitting elements that are arranged so as to face each other. |
| US09671570B2 |
Wavelength division multiplexor module
An optical wavelength division multiplexor module (40) has a housing (44) having a front face (45) and a rear face (46). The wavelength division multiplexor module (40) comprises a short wavelength path terminal (41), a common optical terminal (42), and a long wavelength path terminal (43). The short wavelength path terminal (41) comprises a first fiber optic adapter (48), for engaging a fiber optic connector of a first patch cable (24), while the common optical terminal (42) comprises a second fiber optic adapter (48), for engaging a fiber optic connector of a second patch cable (26). The long wavelength path terminal (43) comprises a fiber optic connector (49) for directly engaging with a fiber optic adapter (48) carried on a modified optical test access switch (50). The short wavelength path terminal (41) and the common optical terminal (42) are both provided on the front face (45) of the housing (44), while the long wavelength path terminal (43) is provided on the rear face (46) of the housing (44). |
| US09671569B2 |
Cable sealing device, cable termination and attaching device
A cable sealing device including an attaching part securable to the cable; a fixation part adapted to be mountable on the attaching part; and a sealing part. The attaching part includes outer locking faces. The fixation part has inner abutment faces adapted to co-operate with the outer locking faces to axially and rotationally lock the fixation part relative to the attaching part. The sealing part includes an inner seal and an outer seal. The sealing part also includes a second securing arrangement that is configured to engage a first securing arrangement of the fixation part to axially and rotationally lock the sealing part to the fixation part. |
| US09671567B2 |
Plug part
A plug part which has at least one plug part housing having at least one elongate plug region for establishing a plug connection with another plug part in a plug-in direction, wherein the plug region has at least one electrical and/or optical plug contact for establishing at least an electrical and/or optical connection with the other plug part, and at least one step is arranged between the plug region and the rest of the plug part housing, wherein the plug part housing is of integral design and the plug region has an outer contour, wherein the outer contour, apart from the ends thereof which are at the end faces as seen in the plug-in direction, is designed to be free of recesses over the entire longitudinal extent thereof in the plug-in direction, or, with at least one recess. |
| US09671562B2 |
Monitoring power combiners
The disclosed embodiments show a fused fiber combiner with sensors that are strategically located at various locations, thereby permitting performance monitoring of the fused fiber combiner. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments show various processes for determining causes of any performance degradations. |
| US09671558B2 |
Chemically induced optical signals and DNA sequencing
Methods for sequencing nucleic acids are presented. Sequencing is accomplished through the chemical amplification of the products of DNA synthesis and the detection of the chemically amplified products. In embodiments of the invention, a substrate is provided having a plurality of molecules of DNA to be sequenced attached and a plurality of molecules capable of chelating pyrophosphate ions attached, the DNA molecules to be sequenced are primed, and a next complementary nucleotide is incorporated and excised a plurality of times leading to the buildup of pyrophosphate ions locally around the DNA molecule to be sequenced. Pyrophosphate ions are captured by the substrate-attached chelators and optically detected to determine the identity of the next complementary nucleic acid in the DNA molecule to be sequenced. |
| US09671555B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a display screen and a frame disposed around the display device, an infrared receiver and a light guide member, wherein the light guide member has a securing surface through which the light guide member is secured to the frame, the light guide member further including a receiving end and a light exiting surface, the receiving end formed at a display side of the display device, a width of the receiving end in a direction perpendicular to the frame to which the light guide member is secured is narrower than a width of the light exiting surface in the direction. Only a narrower portion of the light guide member can be seen when a human being looks at the display device, thus improving display effect of the narrow frame of the display device. |
| US09671553B2 |
Bend-resistant multimode optical fiber
A multimode optical fiber includes a central core surrounded by an outer cladding. The central core has a graded-index profile with respect to the outer cladding and an outer radius r1 of between about 30 microns and 50 microns (e.g., between about 35 microns and 45 microns). The optical fiber also includes an inner cladding positioned between the central core and the outer cladding, and a depressed trench positioned between the inner cladding and the outer cladding. The multimode optical fiber exhibits reduced bending losses. |
| US09671551B2 |
Visual tracer system for fiber optic cable
A fiber optic cable includes a first optical fiber, a jacket, and a second optical fiber. The first optical fiber includes a glass core and cladding. The glass core is configured to provide controlled transmission of light through the fiber optic cable for high-speed data communication. The jacket has an interior surface that defines a conduit through which the first optical fiber extends. The jacket further has an exterior surface that defines the outside of the fiber optic cable. The second optical fiber is integrated with the exterior surface of the jacket. |
| US09671544B2 |
Retardation film, and optical compensation layer, optical compensation polarizing plate, liquid crystal display device and organic EL display device each using said retardation film
The present invention achieves a phase difference film that is excellent in wavelength dispersion property, in-plane retardation, and film thickness, by using a polymeric material (i) which is composed of at least one type of cellulose derivative having a specific alkoxyl group substitution degree D1 and a specific 2-naphthoyl group substitution degree D2 and (ii) which has a specific total 2-naphthoyl group substitution degree D3. |
| US09671540B2 |
Polarization filter and sensor system
According to the present invention, there are provided a polarization filter and a sensor system. The polarization filter includes a circularly polarized light-separating layer having a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase fixed therein, in which the circularly polarized light-separating layer is a layer which selectively transmits one of the left-hand circularly polarized light and the right-hand circularly polarized light in the specific wavelength band, a λ/4 phase difference layer for light in the specific wavelength band is disposed on one of the surfaces of the circularly polarized light-separating layer, and the λ/4 phase difference layer includes a first phase difference region and a second phase difference region of which slow axis directions are orthogonal to each other. The sensor system includes the polarization filter, a light source which emits light having a wavelength in the specific wavelength band, and a light-receiving element which can detect light having a wavelength in the specific wavelength band. The polarization filter of the present invention can improve the sensitivity of a sensor system using polarized light, and the sensor system of the present invention has high sensitivity and is extremely cost effective. |
| US09671536B2 |
Electronic displays using optically pumped luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals
A multicolor electronic display is based on an array of luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals. Nanocrystals which emit tight of different colors are grouped into pixels. The nanocrystals are optically pumped to produce a multicolor display. Different sized nanocrystals are used to produce the different colors. A variety of pixel addressing systems can be used. |
| US09671532B1 |
Safety light reflector kit
The safety light reflector kit comprises a plurality of reflectors that can be configured in a number of shapes and reflective options depending on the needs of the assembler. The plurality of reflectors further comprises reflectors of one or more shapes and reflectors of a plurality of colors. |
| US09671530B2 |
Optical member supporter and curved display device including the same
A display device includes: a display panel curved in a direction; a lower frame in which the display panel is accommodated, the lower frame curved in the direction in which the display panel is curved; an optical member between the display panel and the lower frame, the optical member curved in the direction in which the display panel is curved; and an optical member supporter of which an upper end portion thereof is coupled to the optical member curved in the direction in which the display panel is curved and an opposing lower end portion thereof is coupled to the lower frame curved in the direction in which the display panel is curved. |
| US09671525B2 |
Determining continuous capillary pressure curves for subsurface earth formations using saturation and NMR log data
Continuous capillary pressure (Pc) curves of subsurface rock formations adjacent wells are determined based on translation relaxation time (T2) data from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and from wireline well logs, such as resistivity logs, to obtain water saturation (Sw) of the rock in the formations. The T2 data and the hydrocarbon density, water density, free water level, and paleo-water level of the formation are processed to obtain parameters of Thomeer hyperbolas that closely conform to water saturation values obtained from the other well logs. The Thomeer hyperbolas so determined are converted to capillary pressure curves. |
| US09671524B2 |
Real-time dynamic data validation methods for intelligent fields
Methods for managing an intelligent field, are provided. An exemplary method can include receiving real-time dynamic field data, analyzing validity of the dynamic field data, validating values of the field data, validating a state/condition of a well, and flagging well components, well conditions, and/or well state validation issues. |
| US09671520B2 |
Dielectric loaded particle accelerator
A dielectric loaded accelerator for accelerating charged particles, such as electrons, ions and/or protons, is described herein. The dielectric loaded accelerator accelerates charged particles along a longitudinal axis and towards an outlet of the accelerator. The dielectric loaded accelerator accelerates the charged particles using oscillating electromagnetic fields that propagate within the accelerator according to an electromagnetic mode. The dielectric loaded accelerator described herein includes an electromagnetic mode with a phase velocity that increases towards the outlet of the accelerator and matches a velocity of the charged particles being accelerated along the longitudinal axis of the accelerator. By matching the phase velocity of the oscillating electromagnetic fields to the velocity of the charged particles, the accelerator reduces phase slippage between the fields and the charged particles and, therefore, efficiently accelerates charged particle towards the outlet. |
| US09671516B2 |
Modified pulse sequence to estimate properties
Methods and related systems are described for estimating fluid or rock properties from NMR measurements. A modified pulse sequence is provided that can directly provide moments of relaxation-time or diffusion distributions. This pulse sequence can be adapted to the desired moment of relaxation-time or diffusion coefficient. The data from this pulse sequence provides direct estimates of fluid properties such as average chain length and viscosity of a hydrocarbon. In comparison to the uniformly-spaced pulse sequence, these pulse sequences are faster and have a lower error bar in computing the fluid properties. |
| US09671515B2 |
Valve box
This hydrant (2) comprises an electrically conductive body (3) having a generally tubular shape and intended for being fixed in the floor flush with a valve mounted on a pipe, for example a water distribution pipe. The hydrant comprises connection means suitable for connecting at least one electrically conductive wire (10) extending along the pipe, said connection means being connected to the body (3) such that electric continuity is maintained between the body (3) and each electrically conductive wire (10) during use. |
| US09671512B2 |
Inversion-based reflector dip estimation
Method for estimating reflector dips in a window of post stack image traces (51) of seismic data for use in velocity tomography (57). The method iteratively (56) flattens (55) the image traces against a specified reference trace through the application of conjugate-gradient least-squares inversion (53). Different from other dip estimation methods which emphasize on strong-amplitude reflectors, the inventive method automatically inverts for the reflector dip for every grid point in the image window. |
| US09671510B2 |
Three/four dimensional data management and imaging for big oilfield data
Oilfield and wellbore data may include geophone data (seismic) and airborne surveys such as microseep data, as well as fiber optic measurements collected utilizing a distributed sensing system. Continuous monitoring of various oilfield and wellbore properties, such as temperature, pressure, Bragg gradient, acoustic, and strain, and the like, may generate a large volume of data, possibly spanning into several terabytes. Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for visualizing a large volume of such measurements taken in an oilfield or wellbore without down-sampling measurement data. |
| US09671509B2 |
Method and device for determining frequency sweep for seismic source
Controller and method for generating a frequency sweep for a seismic survey that uses a seismic source. The method includes receiving specification data about the seismic source; receiving environmental data about an infrastructure affected by the seismic survey; receiving guideline data about the infrastructure; setting a target energy spectrum density to be emitted by the seismic source during the seismic survey; and calculating, in a processor, the frequency sweep based on the specification data, environmental data, guideline data and the target energy spectrum density. |
| US09671507B2 |
Solid-state neutron detector device
The structure and methods of fabricating a high efficiency compact solid state neutron detector based on III-Nitride semiconductor structures deposited on a substrate. The operation of the device is based on absorption of neutrons, which results in generation of free carriers. |
| US09671506B2 |
Radiographic image detection device, radiographic image detection method, and computer-readable storage medium
A radiographic image detection device includes: an image pickup unit with plural radiation detection portions arrayed in a two-dimensional form and detect radiation, and that captures a radiographic image; a radiographic image generating unit having plural analog signal generating units that generate analog signals corresponding to radiation doses; a conversion unit that converts the generated analog signals into digital signals; a judging unit that judges whether or not level fluctuations of the generated analog signals are within a predetermined threshold value; and a control unit that controls the conversion unit such that an analog signal, at which it is judged that the level fluctuation is within the predetermined threshold value, is converted into a digital signal, and that controls the conversion unit such that an analog signal, at which it is judged that the level fluctuation has exceeded the predetermined threshold value, is not converted into a digital signal. |
| US09671505B2 |
Radiation measuring device
In the present invention, a battery box is provided on the lower side of a survey meter body so as to protrude downwardly. Four primary batteries are accommodated inside the battery box with inclined postures. A stepped structure is formed between the front surface of the battery box and the lower surface of the body. The survey meter can be held by a hand while an index finger, or the like, is hooked on the stepped structure. It is also possible to remove the battery box and dispose a plate-like secondary battery in an accommodation space. |
| US09671504B2 |
Surgical probe apparatus and system
A system for detecting and locating sources of radiation emissions. A hand-held probe includes a detector configured to generate a low-level electrical signal relating to a radiation source proximate the detector, and a probe wireless link configured to transmit a message containing gamma data relating to the low-level electrical signal. An instrumentation console includes a housing, an integral console wireless link within the housing and configured to receive the message transmitted by the probe wireless link, a receiver electrically coupled to the console wireless link to convert the message to corresponding electrical display signals, and a visually perceivable display electrically coupled to the receiver to convert the electrical display signals to a visually perceivable display relating to the amount of radiation detected. |
| US09671494B2 |
Large resistive vee dipole antenna combined with vee dipole array
A radar array comprising a panel, the panel comprising a top side and a bottom side; a plurality of high-frequency antennas coupled into a high-frequency array coupled to the panel; at least one low-frequency resistive vee dipole transmitting antenna; and at least one low-frequency resistive vee dipole receiving antenna, wherein the at least one low-frequency resistive vee dipole transmitting antenna and the at least one low-frequency resistive vee dipole receiving antenna are coupled into a low-frequency array. |
| US09671493B1 |
Automated scheduling of radar-cued camera system for optimizing visual inspection (detection) of radar targets
Described is system for optimizing visual inspection of radar targets. The system detects radar hits with a radar system comprising radar and a radar-cued camera. The camera has a current state comprising a current slew position and a current zoom level. The radar hits are stored, and a set of metrics are determined for each radar hit. A track value (TV) metric is determined that combines the set of metrics for each zoom level of the camera. The camera sends a set of commands based on the TV metric, such that the camera slews from the current state to a new state. The new state is a position of a radar hit with the largest TV metric and a corresponding zoom level. Given the new state, an image is captured and processed to generate captured tracks. The current state of the camera is updated to reflect the new state. |
| US09671490B2 |
Reduced stray radiation optoelectronic device
An optoelectronic device includes an optoelectronic component that generates or receives radiation, a frame and an optical element, wherein the frame extends in a vertical direction between a radiation passage side and a rear side; an opening, in which the component is arranged, is formed in the frame; the optical element covers the component in a plan view of the radiation passage side; and the optical element is a Fresnel lens or a Fresnel zone plate. |
| US09671489B1 |
Electromagnetic sensor and optical detection system for detecting angle of arrival of optical signals and a range of a source of the optical signals
An optical detection system for detecting an incident optical signal is described. The system includes an optical package adapted to collect the incident optical signal and directed it to a detector array that is coupled thereto. The array outputs electrical signals to be analyzed by a processor. The processor is adapted to iterate algorithms using the signals to calculate an incident angle of arrival for the incident optical signal and a range of the source of the optical signal to the system based on the angle of arrival calculation. The processor is further configured to discriminate the optical signal spectrally to calculate wavelengths thereof for false alarm rejection. |
| US09671488B2 |
Radar level gauge with signal division
A method for providing narrow-band interference unaffected measurement of a distance to a surface of a product kept in a tank, comprising mixing a return signal with a transmit signal to provide an intermediate frequency signal, and determining the distance, based on the intermediate frequency signal. The step of determining the distance further comprises dividing the intermediate frequency signal into a plurality of frequency portions, wherein each frequency portion corresponds to a frequency interval of the transmit signal, identifying disturbed frequency portions as frequency portions affected by narrow-band interference, and determining the distance based on frequency portions being unaffected by narrow-band interference. By dividing the IF-signal into frequency portions corresponding to frequency intervals of the transmit signal, frequency intervals where narrow-band interferences are present may be detected. |
| US09671486B2 |
Sensors, systems and methods for compensating for thermal EMF
Embodiments relate to sensor systems and methods that can compensate for thermal EMF effects that can cause residual offset and other errors in sensor systems. In one embodiment, a sensor system comprises at least one temperature sensor arranged proximate a primary sensor element, e.g., a Hall plate in an embodiment in which the sensor system comprises a Hall-effect magnetic field sensing system, though other types of magnetic field and sensors more generally can be used in other embodiments. In another embodiment, a plurality of temperature sensors can be used, with each one arranged proximate a different sensor contact or element. In an example in which the Hall plate is operated according to a spinning operation scheme, the at least one temperature sensor can be configured to sense a temperature in each operating phase, and the individual sensed temperatures can be combined and used to provide a temperature-dependent compensation signal. |
| US09671475B2 |
Device, method and system for controlling imaging methods and systems
In a computer-implemented method, device and system for controlling an imaging system, a specific absorption rate is calculated with a computation unit and an RF transmission signal of the imaging system is controlled with a control device. The process of controlling of the RF transmission signal includes disconnecting the RF transmission signal when a remaining period during which the RF transmission signal is harmless for the patient has been reduced to zero. |
| US09671470B2 |
Method and device for monitoring energy efficiency performance of equipment
The present invention discloses a method for monitoring energy efficiency performance of a device, which comprises: connecting the monitored device, obtaining input energy and output energy of the monitored device in a period of time, and calculating an energy efficiency index of the monitored device; and obtaining an energy efficiency deviation based on a standard energy efficiency index of the monitored device, and determining a state of the monitored device based on the energy efficiency deviation. The present invention further discloses a apparatus for monitoring energy efficiency performance of a device. Using the method and apparatus described above, the fine assessment for the device performance can be implemented in a simple way. |
| US09671468B2 |
Battery with computing, sensing and communication capabilities
Electrical battery apparatus embodiments are presented that generally involve incorporating sensing, computing, and communication capabilities into the one common component that a vast number of electronic devices employ—namely batteries. By integrating these capabilities into disposable and/or rechargeable batteries, new functionality and intelligence can be provided to otherwise stand-alone devices. |
| US09671459B2 |
Maintenance carriage for wafer inspection apparatus and maintenance method for wafer inspection apparatus
A maintenance carriage of a wafer inspection apparatus can easily unload a test head. A wafer inspection apparatus 10 includes a cell tower 12 in which cells 11 are arranged at four levels, and each of the cells 11 accommodates a test head 15. At an outside of the cell tower 12, a maintenance carriage 27 is arranged. The maintenance carriage 27 includes a carriage base 29 configured to be moved through rollers 28; a test head case 31 configured to accommodate the test head 15; a lift device 30 provided uprightly from the carriage base 29 and configured to move up and down the test head case 31; and a horizontal position adjusting stage 35 provided between a lifter 34 of the lift device 30 and the test head case 31 and configured to move the test head case 31 horizontally with respect to the lifter 34. |
| US09671452B2 |
Substrate inspection apparatus and probe card transferring method
A wafer inspection apparatus 10 includes a middle plate 22 that mounts a probe card 18 in which multiple contact probes 20 are provided; a drawer type table 21 in which the middle plate 22 is provided; a tester 15 to which the probe card 18 is mounted; and a transfer robot 17 that transfers the middle plate 22. The middle plate 22 includes a base 23 and multiple supports 24 protruding toward the probe card 18 to be mounted. A protruding height of each support 24 is equal to or higher than a protruding length of the contact probe 20 from the probe card 18. The probe card 18 is fastened to a probe card cover 29 when the probe card 18 is mounted on the middle plate 22, and the transfer robot 17 transfers the middle plate 22 from the table 21 to the tester 15. |
| US09671451B2 |
System and method for performing transformer diagnostics
A method for performing diagnostics on a transformer includes generating, by a voltage generator, an AC voltage and applying the AC voltage to a winding or phase of the transformer. Current flowing from the generator to the winding or phase is decomposed into a plurality of harmonic components. Respective magnitudes of the plurality of harmonic components are compared with corresponding magnitudes of harmonic components associated with one or more benchmark transformers of a known condition to determine whether the condition of the transformer matches the condition of one or more benchmark transformers. |
| US09671450B2 |
Array substrate, display panel and method for detecting the array substrate
The disclosure is related to an array substrate, a display panel and a method for detecting the array substrate. The array substrate comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in an array. Each of the pixels comprises a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in sequence. Each of the sub-pixels is arranged opposite to a capacitor at an interval. Each sub-pixel comprises a sub-pixel electrode. At least one sub-pixel electrode comprises an extension portion. At least one extension portion of the sub-pixel electrode of the sub-pixel is arranged corresponding to the space between the adjacent sub-pixel and the capacitor corresponding to the adjacent sub-pixel. |
| US09671447B2 |
Method of analyzing error rate in system-on-chip
In order to improve reliability of a system-on-chip (SoC) through fault tolerance verification, there is provided a method of analyzing an error rate in a system-on-chip (SoC) having at least one internal block obtained by interconnecting two or more gates, comprising: applying an input signal to an input terminal of a certain internal block; defining an input error rate of each gate of the internal block; and defining an output error rate of the internal block based on the input error rate of each gate and an error rate propagating to an output terminal. As a result, there is proposed a method of analyzing a change of the output error rate depending on the input error rate in a gate level in error model development necessary to design and verify a fault-tolerant SoC. Therefore, it is possible to analyze errors in each gate and formularize error rate information modeling including an input/output relationship between each gate of a digital circuit in a library form. |
| US09671442B2 |
System and method for detecting a grid event
A method for detecting a grid event is provided. The method includes sampling grid voltage and grid current over a fixed period of time; determining grid impedance at one or more frequencies using the sampled grid voltage and the sampled grid current; comparing the grid impedance at the one or more frequencies to a known expected grid impedance at the one or more frequencies; and detecting a grid event based on the comparison. |
| US09671438B2 |
High-current sensing scheme using drain-source voltage
In one embodiment, a method for measuring current is described herein. The method comprises shorting first and second inputs of an amplifying circuit to generate a first output signal, and converting the first output signal into an offset cancelation value. The method also comprises passing a current through a power switch, wherein the current generates a voltage drop across the power switch, applying the voltage drop across the first and second inputs of the amplifying circuit to generate a second output signal, and converting the second output signal into a current value. The method further comprises subtracting the offset cancelation value from the current value to generate an offset-compensated current value. |
| US09671435B2 |
Differential voltage measurement circuit
A voltage measurement circuit including a current mirror having an input branch in series with a first resistive element between first and second nodes of application of said voltage, and having an output branch providing a current representative of said voltage. |
| US09671434B2 |
Sensor devices and methods for use in sensing current through a conductor
A sensor device for use in detecting current in a conductor is provided. The sensor includes a non-magnetic substrate defining an aperture structured to receive a conductor therein, a coil comprising a plurality of turns wound about at least a portion of the substrate, and a housing for enclosing the substrate and coil. The housing includes a dielectric material having a dielectric constant and positioned adjacent to the coil and at least partially within the aperture such that the dielectric material is disposed between the coil and the conductor when the conductor is received through the aperture and at least one spacer coupled to the aperture to facilitate maintaining a position of the coil relative to the conductor, wherein each of the spacers is positioned offset from the dielectric material such that each of the spacers does not radially extend between the coil and the conductor. |
| US09671432B2 |
Nanowire electrode sensor
The invention provides a sensor device comprising a nanowire electrode and a faradic shield, said faradic shield is adapted to prevent unwanted capacitive charging current in said sensor. The nanoelectrode device design with a metallic Faradic Shield layer significantly reduces the noise levels, increase the sensitivity of the sensors and allow measurements to be undertaken in less than 1 second. |
| US09671427B2 |
Dual output high voltage active probe with output clamping and associated methods
A high-voltage active measurement probe is for a measurement instrument such as an oscilloscope. The high voltage active measurement probe includes an input terminal configured to receive an input signal from a device under test (DUT), a first output terminal configured to transmit a first output signal to the measurement instrument for measurement and display of peak voltages, and a second output terminal configured to transmit a second output signal to the measurement instrument for high sensitivity measurement and display of low level voltages. A first probe signal path is between the input terminal and the first output terminal, and a second probe signal path between the input terminal and the second output terminal. A first amplifier is in the first probe signal path between the input terminal and the first output terminal, and a second amplifier is in the second probe signal path between the input terminal and the second output terminal. A first attenuator is in the first probe signal path between the input terminal and the first amplifier, and a second attenuator in the second probe signal path between the input terminal and the second amplifier. A clamping circuit is in the second signal path between the second amplifier and the second output terminal and configured to clamp an internal probe signal, e.g. between an upper clamping threshold and a lower clamping threshold, to produce the second output signal. |
| US09671424B2 |
Methods and systems for optimizing frequency modulation atomic force microscopy
Energy dissipation measurements in Frequency Modulation-Atomic Force Microscopy (FM-AFM) should provide additional information for dynamic force measurements as well as energy dissipation maps for robust material properties imaging as they should not be dependent directly upon the cantilever surface interaction regime. However, unexplained variabilities in experimental data have prevented progress in utilizing such energy dissipation studies. The inventors have demonstrated that the frequency response of the piezoacoustic cantilever excitation system, traditionally assumed flat, can actually lead to surprisingly large apparent damping by the coupling of the frequency shift to the drive-amplitude signal. Accordingly, means for correcting this source of apparent damping are presented allowing dissipation measurements to be reliably obtained and quantitatively compared to theoretical models. The methods are non-destructive and can be both easily and routinely integrated into FM-AFM measurements within vacuum environments where measurements exploiting prior art solutions cannot be performed. |
| US09671423B2 |
Electronic device having a cover in which a penetration hole is provided and manufacturing method of electronic device
An electronic device includes a substrate, a lid which is bonded to the substrate, and a functional element which is provided between the substrate and the lid, in which the lid includes a penetration hole which penetrates a portion between an inner surface and an outer surface, the penetration hole includes a first hole portion and a second hole portion, a flat area of the second hole portion is set to be smaller than a flat area of the first hole portion, at least a part of an inner wall surface of the second hole portion substantially forms a right angle with respect to a bottom surface of the first hole portion, and the penetration hole is sealed with a sealing member. |
| US09671417B2 |
Analyzer and analyzing method
There is provided an analyzer capable of stably supplying the cuvettes even if a great number of cuvettes is input to the storage section without thinking. The analyzer includes a storage section configured to store the plurality of input cuvettes, a take-out section configured to take out the cuvettes in the storage section from the storage section, and a vibration unit configured to vibrate the storage section to stimulate movement of the cuvettes in the storage section. |
| US09671411B2 |
Monocyte activation test better able to detect non-endotoxin pyrogenic contaminants in medical products
An improved monocyte activation test is described that is better able to detect non-endotoxin pyrogens in medical products, in which a sample is incubated with a monocyte-containing reagent in an assay system comprising at least one surface comprising polypropylene. The invention also concerns assay systems for use in these tests that include at least one microtiter well having at least one interior surface comprising polypropylene and having a shape such that monocyte-containing reagent is concentrated in the well to provide greater cell to cell contact. The invention also relates to a diagnostic kit that can be used to test for the presence of non-endotoxin pyrogens in a sample. |
| US09671406B2 |
SPARC and methods of use thereof
The invention provides methods for predicting or determining the response of a mammalian tumor to a chemotherapeutic agent and for treating a mammalian tumor comprising detecting and quantifying the SPARC protein or RNA in a sample isolated from the mammal. The invention further provides kit for predicting the response of a mammalian tumor to a chemotherapeutic agent, comprising a means for the isolation of protein or RNA from the tumor, a SPARC protein or RNA detection and quantification means, control RNAs, and rules for predicting the response of the tumor based on the level of SPARC protein or RNA in tumor. |
| US09671400B2 |
Conjugate molecules
The present invention relates to compounds which are conjugates of two or more moieties capable of serving as substrates of an enzyme with peroxidase activity and one or more labels. The conjugate molecules of the invention are useful for detection of molecular targets, e.g. biological or chemical molecules, molecular structures, etc, in samples using a host of experimental schemes for detecting and visualizing such targets, e.g. immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization (ISH), ELISA, Southern, Northern, and Western blotting, etc. The invention also relates to compositions comprising the conjugate molecules. |
| US09671396B2 |
Solid substrate comprising array of dendrons and methods for using the same
The present invention provides solid supports comprising a surface bound array of dendrons and methods for using the same. |
| US09671394B2 |
Method for the detection of free binding partner of a multispecific binder
Herein is reported a method for the detection of free antigen of a multispecific antibody in a sample, whereby the antigen to be detected can be specifically bound by a first binding site of the multispecific antibody, comprising the step of incubating a sample comprising free antigen and multispecific antibody with an anti-idiotypic antibody that specifically binds to a second binding site of the multispecific antibody, which is different from the first binding site, and thereby depleting the multispecific antibody from the sample. |
| US09671392B2 |
Multisensor array for detection of analytes or mixtures thereof in gas or liquid phase
The present invention relates to a multisensor array for detection of analytes in the gas phase or in the liquid phase, comprising at least two different chemo-selective compounds represented by the general formula (I) wherein the hetero atoms X1-X4 and the substituents R1-R4 are defined in the specification and the dashed bonds represent independently of each other either a single bond or a double bond. Said chemo-selective compounds are capable of individually changing physicochemical properties when exposed to analytes or analyte mixtures and these changes can be detected by a transducer or an array of transducers. The present invention does also relate to the use of at least two different chemo-selective compounds in a sensor array, a method for preparation of such sensor arrays and the use of said sensor arrays. Furthermore the present invention relates to methods for detecting and identifying analytes or mixtures thereof in the gas phase or in the liquid phase. |
| US09671387B2 |
Test system
The invention concerns a test system for carrying out blood sugar tests with a diagnostic tape cassette which comprises a windable analytical test tape for detecting an analyte and a cassette housing accommodating the test tape, and a test device which has a device housing for inserting and removing the tape cassette and a measuring unit for detecting the analyte on the test tape. According to the invention it is proposed that the tape cassette can be detachably fastened by positioning elements on a platform mounted in the device housing and that the measuring unit is rigidly attached on the platform or can be engaged therewith. |
| US09671382B2 |
Methylbenzene gas sensor using chrome-doped nickel oxide nanostructures and method for producing same
Provided is a gas sensor comprising a gas-sensitive layer consisting of nickel oxide (NiO) doped with chrome (Cr) so as to selectively detect methylbenzene gas. The gas sensor, according to the present invention, has a gas-sensitive layer consisting of Cr-doped NiO. The gas sensor exhibits superior selectivity for methylbenzene gas when compared to other gases. The gas sensor can be easily and mass produced according to the production method of the present invention and is not affected by the microstructures of the material forming the gas-sensitive layer. The present invention relates to a gas sensor exhibits a negligible sensitivity of benzene, formaldehyde, and alcohol and exhibits significantly high selectivity and sensitivity of methylbenzene gas such as xylene and toluene when the NiO sensor material with a hierarchical structure favorable to gas dispersion and response is doped with Cr. |
| US09671378B2 |
Sensing device for spectroscopic detection of hydrogen peroxide
A sensing device for determining the presence of hydrogen peroxide is disclosed. The sensing device comprises a light guide having a distal portion terminating at a light guide tip and a proximal portion, wherein the light guide tip is proximal to a layer of Prussian blue (PB), which is pure (or essentially free of contaminants). The sensing device produces a fast linear response and is durable, due to the robustness and purity of the PB. The PB is chemically deposited proximal to, or on, the light guide tip using a single-source precursor technique. Methods of making and using the device also are disclosed herein. |
| US09671374B2 |
Ultrasound probe assembly, system, and method that reduce air entrapment
An ultrasound probe assembly includes a transducer configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals in relation to a structure, and a delay line coupled to the transducer. The delay line is configured to change shapes between an uncompressed state and a compressed state. In at least one embodiment, the changing shape of the delay line changes a shape of the ultrasound signals. |
| US09671373B2 |
System and method for testing shell and tube heat exchangers for defects
A magnetostrictive transducer assembly for generating a longitudinal elastic guided wave of a selected frequency and mode and for guiding the wave into an open end of a heat exchanger tube for testing the tube. The transducer assembly comprises a current-carrying coil of wire, a magnetostrictive material wrapped around the coil of wire, a mechanism for pressing the magnetostrictive material against an inner surface of the tube, and one or more biasing magnets placed in the vicinity of the current-carrying coil of wire and the magnetostrictive material. |
| US09671369B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining a mobility of ions
A method and an apparatus for determining a mobility of ions. The method includes the steps of modulating an ion beam with an ion gate which is controlled by a modulation function for generating a modulated ion beam, of guiding the modulated ion beam through a drifting region, of measuring a signal of the modulated ion beam after the modulated ion beam has passed the drifting region and of calculating a correlation of the modulation function and the signal in order to determine the mobility of the ions. The apparatus includes the ion gate, the drifting region through which the modulated ion beam is guidable, a detector by which the signal of the modulated ion beam is measurable after the modulated ion beam has passed the drifting region and a calculation unit by which the correlation of the modulation function and the signal is calculable in order to determine the mobility of the ions. An autocorrelation of the modulation function is a two-valued function. |
| US09671366B2 |
Pipettes, methods of use, and methods of stimulating an object of interest
One embodiment of the invention provides a system adapted and configured to generate a localized flow circulation zone. The system includes: a free-standing microfluidic pipette comprising three or more channels with exits separated from each other by an outer surface of the pipette; and a controller programmed to control fluid flows through each of the three or more channels to generate a localized recirculating fluid flow path outside the pipette. Liquid leaving the microfluidic pipette through at least one outlet channel exit is withdrawn through at least two inlet channel exits. |
| US09671356B2 |
Method and device for measuring energy of electrons excited by sunlight
A technique of measuring energy of electrons excited by exposing a semiconductor material to solar ray is proposed. A surface layer having a negative electron affinity is formed on the surface of a semiconductor material. The semiconductor material is placed in a vacuum environment and exposed to solar ray. Photoelectrons emitted from the surface layer having the negative electron affinity are guided to an energy analyzer, and the energy of electrons excited by the solar ray is measured. Since the surface layer having the negative electron affinity is used, the photoelectrons are obtained from the electrons excited by the solar ray, and thereby energy measurement becomes possible. |
| US09671352B2 |
Reel-to-reel inspection apparatus and inspection method using the same
Provided are a reel-to-reel inspection apparatus and method. The reel-to-reel inspection apparatus includes: an unwinding unit configured to unwind a roll-shaped object; a first inspection unit configured to photograph a surface of the object discharged from the unwinding unit; a second inspection unit configured to photograph another surface of the object which has passed through the first inspection unit; a marking unit configured to indicate a mark on the object which has passed through the second inspection unit; and a winding unit configured to wind in a roll shape the object which has passed through the marking unit. |
| US09671351B2 |
Multi-sensor optical device for detecting chemical species and manufacturing method thereof
An optical device for detecting a first chemical species and a second chemical species contained in a specimen, which includes: a first optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to an optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a first range of wavelengths; and a second optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to the optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a second range of wavelengths, different from the first range of wavelengths. |
| US09671350B2 |
Test mass compensation of mass measurement drift in a microcantilever resonator
The present disclosure provides methods and mechanisms for measuring small masses attached to a substrate within a microcantilever. Specifically, the disclosure describes the measurement of small particles accumulated at a substrate that cannot be flowed through a microchannel within a microcantilever. A resonance measurement is acquired at a first time. A pair resonance measurements is then acquired at a second point in time—one with the test mass at a first position off or along the microcantilever, the second with the test mass at a second position along the microcantilever. Comparing the resonance frequencies determined for the two test mass positions allows for disambiguation of changes in the mass of the particles from changes in the resonant behavior of the microcantilever itself. |
| US09671347B2 |
Method of diagnosing malaria infection in a patient by surface enhanced resonance raman spectroscopy
Present disclosure relates to a method of diagnosing malaria infection in a patient by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). The method includes obtaining a sample from said patient, mixing the sample with a suspension of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein said magnetic nanoparticles adsorb hemozoin present in the sample onto their surface, obtaining the SERS spectra of the sample, and correlating the obtained SERS spectra to the presence or amount of hemozoin in the sample, wherein the presence of hemozoin is indicative of malaria infection. |
| US09671340B2 |
Measurement method for determining an organ function
The invention relates to a method for acquiring data in order to determine organ function, in particular the liver or kidney function, comprising one or more polymethine fluorescent dyes having a fluorescence emission maximum, measured in ethanol, of less than or equal to 820 nm, and to the use of dyes as markers for acquiring data in order to determine the organ function. The invention further relates to a kit for determining an organ function with a marker dye, and to a device for acquiring data in the method. |
| US09671337B2 |
High numerical aperture objective lens system
An objective lens system having a high numerical aperture, a large working distance, and low optical aberrations over a wide spectral band of wavelengths is disclosed. The objective lens system includes a first lens group, a second lens group, and a third lens group. The first lens group includes first and second positive meniscus lenses that are positioned at a distance from each other along an optical axis of the objective lens system. The distance may be dependent on a focal length of the objective lens system. The second lens group includes first and second meniscus lenses and a bi-convex lens. The third lens group includes a bi-concave lens and a doublet lens. |
| US09671332B2 |
Miniature tunable laser spectrometer for detection of a trace gas
An open-path laser spectrometer (OPLS) for measuring a concentration of a trace gas, the OPLS including an open-path multi-pass analysis region including a first mirror, a second mirror at a distance and orientation from the first mirror, and a support structure for locating the mirrors, a laser coupled to the analysis region and configured to emit light of a wavelength range and to enable a plurality of reflections of the emitted light between the mirrors, a detector coupled to the analysis region and configured to detect a portion of the emitted light impinging on the detector and to generate a corresponding signal, and an electronic system coupled to the laser and the detector, and configured to adjust the wavelength range of the emitted light from the laser based on the generated signal, and to measure the concentration of the trace gas based on the generated signal. |
| US09671327B2 |
Ultrasensitive biochemical sensing device and method of sensing analytes
Systems and methods biochemically sense a concentration of a ligand using a sensor having a substrate having a metallic nanoparticle array formed onto a surface of the substrate. A light source is incident on the surface. A matrix is deposited over the nanoparticle array and contains a protein adapted to binding the ligand. A detector detects s-polarized and p-polarized light from the reflective surface. Spacing of nanoparticles in the array and wavelength of light are selected such that plasmon resonance occurs with an isotropic point such that −s and −p polarizations of the incident light result in substantially identical surface Plasmon resonance, wherein binding of the ligand to the protein shifts the resonance such that differences between the −S and −P polarizations give in a signal indicative of presence of the ligand. |
| US09671326B2 |
Flow cytometry apparatus and methods
A particle analyzer, comprising a source of a substantially nondiffracting light beam; a flow path configured to produce in a flowcell a ribbon-like core stream having a specific cross-sectional aspect ratio; the flowcell being configured to expose a segment of the core stream to the light beam; a detector configured to receive a signal resulting from an interaction of a particle in the core stream with the light beam; a first sorting actuator connected with the flowcell, downstream of the exposed segment of core stream; a plurality of sorting channels in fluid connection with the flow path and downstream of the first actuator; the actuator having multiple actuation states, each state configured to direct at least one part of the core stream to a corresponding channel; a second sorting actuator connected with the flowcell, opposite the first actuator, and operable in coordination with the first actuator. |
| US09671320B2 |
Semi-dry type electrostatic cyclone sampler and method for sampling gas and/or water sample
A semi-dry type electrostatic cyclone sampler includes a cyclone body, an insulate element, a discharge electrode, an air tube, an air introducing means, a discharging means and a flushing means. The insulate element is disposed at a top of the cyclone body and co-defines a cyclone chamber with the cyclone body. The discharging electrode is disposed on the insulate element. The air tube is disposed at a bottom of the cyclone body. The air introducing means is for introducing a particulate-containing air stream into the cyclone chamber. The discharging means is for charging the particulates so that the particulates can attach to an inside of the cyclone body. The flushing means is for flushing the inside of the cyclone body and collecting part of the particulates. When the discharging means activates, the air introducing means activates simultaneously. When the flushing means activates, the discharging means is deactivated. |
| US09671318B1 |
Specimen collector
A specimen collector includes a sleeve with one or more interior walls defining a substantially hollow interior cavity. The sleeve further includes an inlet port in fluid communication with the interior cavity and an outlet port in fluid communication with the interior cavity. The sleeve further includes a first side aperture and a second side aperture. The specimen collector also includes a tray slidable within the interior cavity of the sleeve. The tray includes a first specimen well and a second specimen well that alternately may be placed into fluidic communication with the inlet and outlet ports. |
| US09671317B2 |
Automatic injection device for microarray chip and automatic injection hybridization microarray chip
An automatic injection device comprises at least an injection unit (1). The said injection unit (1) is formed by sealing a cover plate layer (3) with hydrophilic surfaces and a microfluid layer (4). The said cover plate layer (3) is provided with at least two through holes (5). The said microfluid layer (4) is provided with a hollow-out hybridization chamber (7) and at least two hollow-out microfluid channels (6). One end of each channel (6) is connected with the hybridization chamber (7), and the other end is connected with a through hole (5) of the cover plate layer (3) respectively. Taking advantage of the hydrophilicity of the cover plate, the automatic injection device makes a solution automatically enter and fill the hybridization chamber (7) and the microfluid channels (6) by the driving force of liquid surface tension. The flow uniformity of sample solution in microarray chip is achieved by the structural design of the hybridization chamber (7) and the microfluid channels (6). The automatic injection device has advantages of simple manufacture, easy operation, high hybridization efficiency, low sample cost, and automatic quantificational injection. |
| US09671315B2 |
System and method for nut swaging verification
An apparatus comprises an outer shell, a gauge ring, and a spring. The gauge ring is configured to rotate to a first position as a nut passes through an opening of the outer shell and contacts a bottom surface of the gauge ring, the first position permitting the nut to pass through the gauge ring and into a socket by aligning one or more gauge ring lobe slits with one or more outer shell lobe slits and one or more deformable lobes of the nut. The spring is configured to rotate the gauge ring to the second position after the nut passes through the gauge ring and into the socket, the second position preventing the nut from exiting the socket by preventing alignment of the one or more gauge ring lobe slits with the one or more outer shell lobe slits. |
| US09671313B2 |
Tire testing apparatus and method for testing a tire
A tire testing apparatus for testing a tire comprises a loading means for the tire (17), a measuring head (20, 22, 24) which is movable relative to the tire (17), and lower bearing elements (7) on which the tire (17) can be positioned in vertical position. To improve such tire testing apparatus, the tire testing apparatus comprises upper bearing elements (8) which are movable relative to the lower bearing elements (7) and which together with the lower bearing elements (7) form a holder for the tire (17). (FIG. 8c) |
| US09671309B2 |
Drainage apparatus
A drainage apparatus for a filter device may include a housing and a solenoid valve arranged in the housing. A non-return valve may be arranged downstream the solenoid valve. A pressure sensor may be arranged between the solenoid valve and the non-return valve. The pressure sensor may be configured for pressure sensing in a chamber disposed between the solenoid valve and the non-return valve. |
| US09671308B2 |
Method for helium mass spectrometric fine-leak test based on quantitative determination of maximum test-waiting time
A method for helium mass spectrometric fine-leak test is based on quantitative determination of maximum test-waiting time, which gives a method for quantitative determination of the maximum test-waiting time for fine-leak test during a helium mass spectrometric test process of the sealability, and gives a method for determining the criterion for measured leak rate by taking the minimum helium gas exchange time constant, i.e., a rigour grade τHemin, of an acceptable sealed electronic component as a basic criterion for helium mass spectrometric fine-leak test. Based on the inventive method for quantitative determination of the maximum test-waiting time, for most of the cavity volume ranges, the maximum test-waiting time that is determined accurately may be much longer than 1 hour or 0.5 hour as determined qualitatively by the existing related standards. |
| US09671307B2 |
Leak location detection system
The present application pertains to a method of detecting and locating leaks in pipes having a secondary containment vessel. More particularly, the present application pertains to a method of leak detection whereby a tracer gas is introduced into a secondary containment vessel and detected in the primary pipe to determine the location of a leak in the primary pipe. |
| US09671305B2 |
Tyre balancing compositions
The invention relates to tire balancing compositions having improved balancing properties comprise a visco-plastic gel and solid bodies having an average smallest dimension in the range of 0.5-5 mm; preferably 1-4 mm, more preferably around 3 mm. When applied in a layer to the inside of a motor vehicle tire, the compositions act by allowing the solid bodies move through the gel and to concentrate in areas to counteract imbalances. The solid bodies preferably have an average ratio α between their smallest and their largest dimension of α≦2, more preferably α≦1.5, especially around 1. The visco-plastic gel preferably has a storage modulus (G′) between 1000 Pa and 25000 Pa at 22° C., a loss modulus (G″) smaller than the storage modulus, and a critical yield stress above 3 Pa at 22° C. The bodies may be shaped as prolate or oblate ellipsoids, cylinders, rectangular paralleipipeds, or spheres, or mixtures of such bodies; they may have an apparent specific gravity in the range of 500-3000 kg/m3, preferably 600-2000 kg/m3, in particular 700-1000 kg/m3, especially 800-900 kg/m3; they may be made from polyolefins, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, rubber or glass. The weight ratio between the solid bodies and the gel is from 10:1 to 1:10, preferably from 5:1 to 1:5, in particular from 2:1 to 3:1, such as from 1:1 to 1:2. The invention further concerns a tire balancing kit and a method for balancing automobile wheel assemblies. |
| US09671304B2 |
Methods and systems for the manufacture and initiation of a pressure detection mat
A method for manufacture of a pressure sensing mat comprising the steps of: (a) preparing two conductive layers, each conductive layer comprising an array of conducting strips mounted upon a substrate arranged in a parallel fashion, wherein the conducting strips of the first conductive layer are oriented perpendicularly in relation to the conducting strips of the second conductive layer; (b) for each conductive layer, connecting each of the conducting strips to a communication line; (c) sandwiching a compressible layer between the two conductive layers; and (d) performing a pressure reading standardization test to the mat. |
| US09671300B2 |
Electronic devices with low-noise pressure sensors
An electronic device may include one or more low-noise pressure sensors for measuring air pressure. The electronic device may include wireless communications circuitry for communicating with external devices also having pressure sensors. Pressure data gathered by an external device may be used as reference pressure data for the electronic device. For example, if both devices are located in the same building, both pressure sensors will detect similar pressure fluctuations due to doors opening and closing and temperature-control systems turning on and off. By subtracting the reference pressure data from the pressure data gathered by the electronic device, calibrated pressure data may be obtained and may be used to reliably detect vertical displacement changes of the electronic device. In other scenarios, the pressure data may be compared with the reference pressure data to determine whether the two devices are in the same room. |
| US09671299B2 |
Fluid regulator having a retractable sense tube
A fluid regulating device includes a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a valve port, a control element adapted to be displaced relative to the valve port to control the flow of a fluid between the inlet and the outlet, a control assembly operatively coupled to the control element and including a diaphragm disposed adjacent a diaphragm chamber, and a sense tube. The sense tube has a first end, a second end, and a sense hole formed adjacent the second end. The first end is positioned to communicate with the diaphragm chamber, and the second end is disposed adjacent the outlet, with the second end being movable, relative to the first end, between a first position within the valve body and a second position extending outside of the valve body, the movement being in response to fluid flowing between the inlet and the outlet. |
| US09671298B2 |
Force sensor and robot having force sensor
A force sensor according to embodiments includes a light-emitting unit, a pair of first light detectors, a reflector, and a first frame. The light-emitting unit emits diffuse light. The first light detectors are arranged in a first direction with the light-emitting unit interposed therebetween. The reflector is arranged to face the light-emitting unit on an optical axis of the light-emitting unit and reflects the diffuse light emitted from the light-emitting unit toward the first light detectors. The first frame is deformed in the first direction so that a reflection range of the diffuse light reflected by the reflector is displaced in the first direction. |
| US09671297B2 |
Pliable pressure-sensing fabric
A pliable pressure sensitive sensor device and method of making the same is provided. The sensor includes first and second pliable protective layers, which cover sets of conductive fibers that spatially separated by an electrically conductive pliable layer, which deforms in response to a pressure event. The fiber sets form a grid pattern and are in electrical communication with sets of electrical contacts located in predetermined locations along the fibers. In response to a pressure event in proximity to the contact, the pliable layer deforms and increases the amount of surface area in contact with an electrical contact whereby an electrical resistance at an individual electrical contact decreases in response to the pressure event. |
| US09671293B2 |
Temperature detection circuit and temperature measurement circuit
A temperature detection circuit and a temperature measurement circuit capable of detecting and measuring temperatures precisely are disclosed. The temperature detection circuit includes n temperature detectors (n is an integer of 2 or more), each of the temperature detectors being configured to output a detection signal of high level when a temperature of an object reaches a first value, and a temperature determination part configured to determine whether or not the temperature of the object has reached a second value based on a count of high-level detection signals. |
| US09671291B2 |
Non-contact temperature measurement in molten metal applications
A device to measure a temperature of molten metal may include an infrared sensor effective to measure the temperature of the molten metal, a sheath having an open end, a sealed end, and a channel extending from the open end to the sealed end, and an infrared-transparent window disposed between the infrared sensor and the channel of the sheath. The open end of the sheath is disposed near the infrared sensor and the sealed end of the sheath extends into the molten metal. The infrared-transparent window or rod is disposed between the infrared sensor and the channel of the sheath such that the infrared sensor can measure the temperature through the infrared-transparent window or rod, the channel, and the sealed end. The infrared-transparent window or rod seals the infrared sensor from the channel in the sheath. |
| US09671290B2 |
Temperature measurement method for ultraviolet light transmittance member, temperature measurement device for ultraviolet light transmittance member, and light source device
There is provided a temperature measurement method for measuring a temperature of an ultraviolet light transmittance member transmitting ultraviolet light. The method includes: detecting ultraviolet light transmitted through the ultraviolet light transmittance member using a spectroscopic measurement unit, and obtaining an absorption edge wavelength of the ultraviolet light transmittance member; and deriving a temperature of the ultraviolet light transmittance member on the basis of the obtained absorption edge wavelength. |
| US09671289B2 |
Color measurement device and color measurement method
In this color measurement device and method, an entire image and a partial image of a color chart are acquired, respectively, during conveyance of the color chart by a conveyance unit and during re-conveyance of the color chart by the conveyance unit, and an amount of positional deviation of the color chart occurring between the conveyance and the re-conveyance is derived based on the acquired entire and partial images. Then, a color of each of a plurality of patches of the color chart is measured by a color measuring unit, while a measurement position of the color measuring unit is corrected according to the derived positional deviation amount. |
| US09671287B2 |
Hyperspectral imaging
Described herein is a hyperspectral imaging system in which a polarizing beam splitter, a Wollaston prism, an optical system, and a plane mirror are arranged on an optical axis of the imaging system. An imaging detector is provided on which radiation is focused by an imaging lens. The Wollaston prism is imaged on itself by the optical system and the plane mirror so that translation of the Wollaston prism in a direction parallel to a virtual split plane of the prism effectively provides an optical path length difference that is the same for all points in the object field. |
| US09671283B1 |
Apparatus and method for modulating a laser beam and sensing the optical power thereof
A method and apparatus for modulating a beam from a laser with an electro-absorption modulator, and determining the optical power of the beam by measuring a back current produced by the electro-absorption modulator. The apparatus comprises an electro-absorption modulator and a back current detector. The electro-absorption modulator receives an electronic digital signal from an electro-absorption driver. The electro-absorption modulator modulates the beam of the laser according to the electronic digital signal. While modulating the beam, the electro-absorption modulator produces a back current. This back current is proportional to the optical power of the beam. The back current detector measures the back current to determine the optical power of the beam. |
| US09671281B2 |
Imaging systems with digital micromirror devices (DMD)
An imaging system includes an imager housing having a primary aperture defining an optical axis. A primary lens is disposed over the primary aperture. A first focal plane array (FPA) is within the imager housing. A second FPA is within the imager housing. A digital micro-mirror device (DMD) is angled with respect to the optical axis and optically coupled to the primary lens to selectively reflect light entering the primary aperture to at least one of the first FPA or the second FPA. |
| US09671275B2 |
Minibar scale to weigh a minibar
A minibar weighing machine for weighing a minibar refrigerator includes a receiving portion for receiving an underside of a minibar which is directed towards the minibar weighing machine where at least part of the minibar weighing machine and at least part of the minibar are arranged in a common, horizontal plane when the minibar is positioned in a weighing position. |
| US09671273B2 |
Grain measurement apparatus
A measurement apparatus may include a holding hopper configured to receive a sample of granular material. The measurement apparatus may include a top barrier assembly coupled between the holding hopper and a sub-sample measurement chamber. The top barrier assembly may include a movable top barrier configured to be moved from a closed position to an open position to direct a sub-sample of granular material to flow from the holding hopper to the sub-sample measurement chamber. The measurement apparatus may include the sub-sample measurement chamber configured to couple to the holding hopper at a docked position to receive the sub-sample of granular material from the holding hopper. The measurement apparatus may include a separator actuator configured to separate the sub-sample measurement chamber from the holding hopper. The measurement apparatus may include one or more measurement sensors configured to measure one or more attributes of the sub-sample of granular material. |
| US09671272B1 |
Dipstick adapter assembly
A dipstick adapter assembly for use with an oil pan includes a front fixture having an inner face, and a backing plate coupled to the front fixture opposite the inner face. A first fastener is applied through the front fixture and fixed to the backing plate with a bond to prevent rotation of the backing plate with respect to the first fastener. A second fastener is applied to the front fixture for application to the backing plate so as to engage the backing plate and move the backing plate toward and away from the front fixture. |
| US09671269B2 |
Gas meter and particle trap
Particle traps and meters fitted with particle traps are described for removing particles from a gas flowing through a gas meter, for example, removing particles from a gas flowing through an ultrasonic gas meter serving a domestic property. In one example, the particle trap has a body which defines a space defined by first and second portions of the body and housing a filter, an inlet through which gas can enter the space, and an outlet through which the gas can exit the space. The inlet and outlet are defined in the first portion and second portion is spaced away from the outlet. |
| US09671265B2 |
Thermal dispersion mass flow rate, material interface, and liquid level sensing transducer
A thermal mass dispersion flow rate sensing transducer and transducer assembly or instrument for improved functional life of the transducer without degradation in sensing accuracy. Several aspects of the transducer components and structure reduce thermal leakage within the transducer so the sensor (RTD) output signal is accurately transmitted to the signal processor, resulting in precise ΔT determinations and consequent precise determinations of mass flow rate of the fluid flowing in the conduit. Additionally, the same components and structure also have long life without appreciable degradation, thereby delaying any basis for the need for recalibration of the instrument. |
| US09671263B2 |
Ultrasonic flow switch
Provided is an ultrasonic flow switch which can be stably mounted on pipe. A clamp part is mounted on an outer surface of the pipe. A casing part which integrally or independently holds the first and second ultrasonic wave elements is fixed to the clamp part by a sensor fixing screw. The clamp part is configured to restrict displacement of the casing part in an axial direction of the pipe and in a circumferential direction of the pipe and to allow displacement of the casing part in a radial direction of the pipe in a state where the casing part is not fixed. |
| US09671262B2 |
Systems and methods for analyzing flowback compositions in real time
An example system includes a separator that accepts and separates a multiphase flowback effluent stream into a plurality of secondary streams. A first sensor assembly monitors the multiphase flowback effluent stream and generates a first signal corresponding to at least one characteristic of the multiphase flowback effluent stream. A second sensor assembly monitors one of the plurality of secondary streams and generates a second signal corresponding to at least one characteristic of the one of the plurality of secondary streams. A signal processor receives the first and second signals and determines a mass flow rate of a substance present in both the multiphase flowback effluent stream and the one of the plurality of secondary streams. |
| US09671259B2 |
Conduit
Disclosed is a conduit (4) comprising a conduit wall defining a flow channel through which a fluid may flow and a plurality of further channels (24) through at least part of the conduit wall. Each further channel (24) comprises a first end (20) and a second end (22). The first ends (20) of the further channels (24) are spaced apart along a length of the conduit (4) and comprise openings in fluid communication with the flow channel of the conduit (4). The second ends (22) of the further channels (24) are located proximate to one another (e.g. substantially collocated) such that the distance between the second ends (22) of any two further channels (24) is smaller than the distance between the first ends (20) of those two further channels (24). Pressure sensors (26) may be coupled to the second ends (22) of the further channels, which may be closed. |
| US09671249B2 |
System and method for incremental encoder loss detection
A system may include broken wire detector circuitry that may include an optocoupler, encoder isolator circuitry that may include input voltage protection circuitry, an optocoupler, and output filtering circuitry, and compensator circuitry that may include signal conditioning circuitry. The broken wire detector circuitry and the encoder isolator circuitry may be configured to accept inputs signals (A, B) and an index signal (Z) for a single-ended and differential type incremental encoder. The broken wire detector circuitry may be configured to convert an input AC pulse train signal to an analog DC signal. The encoder isolator may be configured to protect from high input voltages. And, the compensator may be configured to accept outputs of the broken wire detector circuitry and the encoder isolator circuitry and to integrate and dampen the analog DC signal that has a value representative of an operating state of the incremental encoder. |
| US09671244B2 |
Electronic device and method for providing travel information
An electronic device and a method are described, The electronic device is adapted to be installed on a handlebar of a vehicle, the electronic device comprising: a processor; a communication module; a display comprising a halo-shaped display; a memory for storing therein executable instructions, the instructions upon being processed by the processor, causing the electronic device to: receive, via the communication module, navigational data from a mobile device, the navigational data being associated with a circular visual signal indication, the circular visual signal indication being indicative of at least one of (i) an upcoming directional instruction and (ii) a distance between a current location and an upcoming location associated with the upcoming directional instruction; and, cause the display, on the halo-shaped display, of the circular visual signal indication on a portion of the halo-shaped display. |
| US09671243B2 |
Vision augmented navigation
A navigation system may include at least one processing device configured to determine, based on an output of one or more position sensors associated with the navigation system, a current location of at least one component associated with the navigation system and determine a destination location different from the current location. The navigation system may also acquire, from one or more image acquisition devices, a plurality of images representative of an environment of a user of the navigation system and derive, from the plurality of images, visual information associated with at least one object in the environment. The system may also determine one or more instructions for navigating from the current location to the destination location, wherein the one or more instructions include at least one reference to the visual information derived from the plurality of images. The system may also deliver to the user the one or more instructions. |
| US09671240B2 |
Route searching method of navigation system and apparatus therefor
A route searching method of a navigation system is provided and includes calculating, by a processor, a turning cost from an i-th node to an (i+1)-th node and a turning cost from the (i+1)-th node to an (i+2)-th node. The processor determines whether the turning costs are different between the sets of nodes. In addition, the processor calculates a driving risk degree from the i-th node to the (i+1)-th node when the turning direction from the i-th node to the (i+1)-th node is different from the turning direction from the (i+1)-th node to the (i+2)-th node. |
| US09671239B2 |
System and methods for facilitating real-time carpooling
Computationally implemented methods and systems that are designed for receiving a request for transport of a first end user; selecting, in response to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user for transporting the first end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit being based, at least in part, on ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user; and transmitting one or more directives that direct the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text. |
| US09671226B2 |
Magnetic sensor calibration for aircraft
A method of magnetic sensor calibration for aircraft comprises obtaining attitude data, heading angle data, position data, and date information; inputting the position data and date into an earth magnetic field (EMF) model and into an EMF model correction map; inputting the attitude and heading angle data into a NOLL to body frame transformation module; outputting an EMF model vector from the EMF model; outputting an EMF correction vector from the EMF model correction map; compensating the EMF model vector with the EMF correction vector to produce a corrected EMF model vector; inputting the corrected EMF model vector into the transformation module; inputting magnetic field measurements data into a calibration processing unit; inputting true earth magnetic field data from the transformation module into the processing unit; computing compensation coefficients in the processing unit based on the magnetic field measurements and the true earth magnetic field; and storing the compensation coefficients. |
| US09671223B2 |
Pattern dimension measurement method using electron microscope, pattern dimension measurement system, and method for monitoring changes in electron microscope equipment over time
Beforehand, the device characteristic patterns of each critical dimension SEM are measured, a sectional shape of an object to undergo dimension measurement is presumed by a model base library (MBL) matching system, dimension measurements are carried out by generating signal waveforms through SEM simulation by inputting the presumed sectional shapes and the device characteristic parameters, and differences in the dimension measurement results are registered as machine differences. In actual measurements, from the dimension measurement results in each critical dimension SEM, machine differences are corrected by subtracting the registered machine differences. Furthermore, changes in critical dimension SEM's over time are monitored by periodically measuring the above-mentioned device characteristic parameters and predicting the above-mentioned dimension measurement results. According to the present invention, actual measurements of machine differences, which require considerable time and effort, are unnecessary. In addition, the influence of changes in samples over time, which is problematic in monitoring changes in devices over time, can be eliminated. |
| US09671222B2 |
Method and device for determining thickness of rolling stock
Measurement accuracy during determination of the thickness of rolling stock, in particular a rolling strip or a metal plate, is remotely measured using a base measurement value for the thickness obtained by a radiation measurement system having a radiation source and a radiation detector, both carried by a holding mechanism. A reference measurement value for the thickness is measured by an ultrasonic measurement head that is likewise arranged on the holding mechanism. The reference measurement value is used to eliminate the influence of errors on the base measurement value. |
| US09671220B2 |
Device for determining the 3D coordinates of an object, in particular of a tooth
A scanner is used for scanning an object, in particular one or more teeth (13, 14, 15) or a dental cast. An improved scanner comprises a carrier (2) on which a plurality of projectors (4) for projecting a pattern onto the object and a plurality of cameras (5) for recording the object are provided one beside the other in an array. |
| US09671218B2 |
Device and method of quick subpixel absolute positioning
A quick subpixel absolute positioning device and method are introduced. The method includes the steps of (A) capturing a real-time speckle pattern of a target surface; (B) providing a coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern and a plurality of fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns, wherein the coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern and the fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns include a coordinate value; (C) comparing the real-time speckle coordinate pattern with the coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern by an algorithm and then comparing the real-time speckle coordinate pattern with the fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns to obtain a coordinate value, wherein each said coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern corresponds to a set of fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns, and the fine-precision speckle coordinate patterns are obtained when the coarse-precision speckle coordinate pattern is captured again and then captured repeatedly according to a fixed fine-precision displacement distance. Accordingly, the subpixel positioning is attained by quick comparison and manifests high precision. |
| US09671216B1 |
Modulated laser for atom interferometers
The present invention is directed to a modulated which includes a semiconductor laser being driven by direct current for frequency tuning, and an AC current with two radio frequencies that can generate repump and Raman frequencies, such that only one laser is needed to produce all the frequencies required to operate an atom interferometer. The present invention is also directed to a method of double modulating a laser to produce all required frequencies for an atom interferometer. |
| US09671213B2 |
Wearable input device
Methods and systems are disclosed for integrating LC circuits into a user's jewelry for controlling systems such as computer games. The resonant frequency of the circuit at each of multiple rings worn by the user may be adjustable. A secondary coil within each ring may be moved in relation to the magnetic field generated by a primary coil that may be part of another piece of jewelry, such as a watch or a bracelet, to generate control signals. The magnetic field may inductively couple and power the rings, which may each contain an LC tank circuit. If powered, each of these circuits may oscillate at its resonant frequency. A receiver system may comprise an antenna and a tuning circuit to detect a resonant frequency as an input to control moves of a character within a game, for example for use with heads-up displays (HUDs) for augmented reality applications. |
| US09671212B2 |
Position sensor
A position sensor that detects operation positions of an operation member includes an element array having three stages, each including one or more detection elements. A detected subject is detected by each detection element in two adjacent upstream and downstream stages to determine an operation position of the operation member. Whenever the operation member is shifted by one operation position, the detected subject is moved relative to the element array by one stage. Each detection element outputs a detection result of the detected subject. The element array includes at least three detection elements of which the detection results change whenever the operation member is shifted by one operation position. A detection element in the upstream side stage detects the detected subject before the operation position shifting, and a detection element in the downstream side stage detects the detected subject after the operation position shifting. |
| US09671208B2 |
Supply of pillows, and a device for use therein
An improvement in the process of pillow selection is described, allowing customers to select a pillow that is appropriate for them in a less random manner. First, a method of selecting a pillow for a user is disclosed, comprising the steps of locating the user with a shoulder thereof adjacent a flat rigid surface, orienting the user substantially transverse to the surface, measuring a spacing between the surface and a proximate side of the user's head, and selecting at least one pillow from a group of pillows, based on the measured spacing. The rigid surface is ideally upright, such as a wall. The group of pillows can be divided into a plurality of sub-groups, each sub-group containing a plurality of pillows with substantially like thickness. Thus, based on the reading, the user can be invited to choose any pillow from a specific group or range of pillows. Second, an apparatus for assisting in the selection of a pillow is disclosed, comprising an extending center section located between a pair of opposing end plates, the center section having a visible indicia indicative of a distance between the end plates. The center section is ideally telescopic, and can comprise an inner and an outer telescopic sleeve, the visible indicia then being provided on the inner telescopic sleeve. A series of colored bands as the visible indicia allows the relevant group of pillows to be identified easily, quickly and unambiguously. |
| US09671206B2 |
Two wire daisy chain
A detonator which, in response to a command, uses a first modulation process to generate a first signal and, in response to an event, uses a second modulation process to generate a second signal. |
| US09671205B1 |
Portable bullet receiving device
A portable bullet receiving device is for receiving a plurality of bullet sets (50). The portable bullet receiving device includes a base (110), an assembly pillar (120) and a retaining member (170). The assembly pillar (120) is vertically connected to the base (110). The assembly pillar (120) includes two holes (122) opposite to each other and an opening (124). The retaining member (170) is movably installed at the opening (124) of the assembly pillar (120). The retaining member (170) includes a support portion (172), two arms (180) connected to one side of the support portion (172), and a flexible element (200) in contact with the other side of the support portion (172). Two end portions of the two arms (180) movably protrude out of the two holes (122) and restrict the bullet set (50) from being removed from the assembly pillar (120), thereby achieving rapid loading of bullets (10). |
| US09671193B2 |
Firearm stock and recoil system
A firearm stock connection system that includes a grip with a first hole, a stock system with a second hole, and a button positioned within the first hole and extending through the second hole in an extended position. The stock system may include a frame member, a plate, an extender tube, and a lock. The extender tube may be threaded onto a threaded projection of the plate. The lock may prevent rotation of the extender tube with respect to the threaded projection. The extender tube may include structures that engage a portion of the lock. The structures may be a plurality of slots. The stock system may include a recoil device. The recoil device may be filled with gas. The grip may include a first end, a second end, a gap positioned between the first and second ends, and a bolt aperture extending from the first end to the gap. |
| US09671189B2 |
High let-off crossbow
In at least one embodiment, a crossbow comprises a stock, a first limb, a first rotatable member, a second limb and a second rotatable member. A bowstring, a first power cable and a second power cable each extend between the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member. The first rotatable member and the second rotatable member are constructed and arranged to provide a left-off during draw of said bowstring in an amount of approximately 70%, 80%, 90% or 95% or more. The drawstring let-off reducing load on a latch assembly and/or a trigger assembly. |
| US09671188B2 |
Rifle accuracy and noise suppression systems
A noise suppressor for mounting on a distal end of a rifle barrel. The suppressor is made up of an inner core component and an outer sleeve component which is received about the inner core component, creating a gas-receiving chamber between the two. The inner core component an internally threaded, barrel receiving end which receives and engages the exteriorly threaded end of the rifle barrel in overlapping fashion, an oppositely arranged exteriorly threaded end, and a central bore between the two ends which allows the passage of a bullet when the bullet is fired, firing of the bullet also setting off hot exhaust gases in the central bore. The inner core component has window openings for exhausting hot gases from the inner chamber into the surrounding outer chamber and also has an exterior longitudinal region forward of the central chamber, the exterior region having a series of longitudinally aligned, upwardly extending teeth formed therein for diverting the hot, high speed gases contacting the upwardly extending teeth. |
| US09671186B1 |
Soft pull trigger mechanism
A trigger mechanism that gives a shooter a durable, adjustable, soft and gentle pull. In this design, the sear block remains, but the trigger mechanism is replaced with a new, softer action mechanism. This mechanism uses a tripper that attaches to a trip. The trip is a formed body that has a lower frame and a top bearing that sits against the bottom of the seer. When the trigger is pulled, it rotates the tripper forward, which causes the trip to rotate backwards. The backward movement of the trip causes the top bearing to roll off the bottom of the seer, causing the gun to fire. The rotation of the trip is smooth compared to the snapping action of the seer in the prior art designs. This smooth movement does not jar the action, making for a better shot. |
| US09671185B2 |
Minigun with improved access door
An improved door assembly for a delinking feeder of a minigun includes an access door mounted to a delinking feeder housing and movable between a closed position and an open position. The access door has an enclosed recess for receiving a tongue that is rotationally coupled to the access door and is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position. When the access door is in the open position, the tongue is in the deployed position and a tongue first contact surface can contact and secure a linked cartridge positioned in the delinking feeder. When the access door is in the closed position, the tongue is in the retracted position and a tongue second contact surface can contact and guide a cartridge positioned in the delinking feeder. |
| US09671184B1 |
Gas flow control member for firearm impingement block
A firearm impingement apparatus that includes a gas flow control member that is operable to provide incremental adjustment of gas flow within the gas block of the firearm impingement apparatus wherein the gas flow control member is configured to provide calibrated rotational movement thereof. The gas flow control member further includes a first portion, second portion and third portion contiguously formed. The first portion includes a plurality of longitudinal indentations circumferentially disposed thereon. The second portion has a diameter that is less than that of said first portion and said second portion. A mounting member is present adjacent an opening of a channel and includes a control pin biasly mounted therein that is operable to engage the gas flow control member. The control pin engages the longitudinal indentations to provide calibrated rotational movement of the gas flow control member. |
| US09671173B2 |
Re-direction of vapor flow across tubular condensers
Vapor flow-diverting devices that re-direct upwardly flowing vapor, for example, in a downward direction across condenser tubes disposed in the upper or top section of a vapor-liquid contacting apparatus, are described. These devices are particularly beneficial in tubular condensers within distillation columns and may be used in combination with other associated equipment (e.g., a deflector plate and divider plate) as well as in combination with the tube surface enhancements to improve the heat transfer coefficient. |
| US09671166B2 |
Acoustic-assisted heat and mass transfer device
An acoustic energy-transfer apparatus including: an acoustic chest, the acoustic chest defining an inner chamber sized to receive a material to be processed; and an acoustic device positioned within the acoustic chest and oriented to direct acoustic energy towards the material to be processed. A method for drying a material, the method including: positioning a material in an acoustic chest including an acoustic device; and directing acoustically energized air from the acoustic device at the material within the acoustic chest. |
| US09671165B1 |
Weighted towel with handles
A weighted towel with handles manufactured from an absorbent material having weights near or at one end which allows a person with limited mobility, dexterity or range of motion to have the ability to dry himself; the end having hook and loop fasteners which attach and allow the end to wrap around a body extremity to dry areas of a limb which are difficult to reach or touch, where the weights are heavy material enclosed in a tough, flexible bag that allows the weight to conform to the limb, or the foot and toes when pressed against. |
| US09671164B2 |
Seed dryer and method
A system and method for at least partially drying seeds treated with a liquid. A supply of heated air is continuously fed to a drying chamber. Treated seeds enter one opening of the drying chamber and are forced around at least a portion of the internal perimeter of the drying chamber before exiting out a second opening. Another embodiment can treat the seeds during and/or after the seeds entering the drying chamber. |
| US09671162B2 |
Integration methods of gas processing plant and nitrogen rejection unit for high nitrogen feed gases
Gas processing plants and methods are contemplated in CO2 is effectively removed to very low levels from a feed gas to an NRU unit by adding a physical solvent unit that uses waste nitrogen produced by the NRU as stripping gas to produce an ultra-lean solvent, which is then used to treat the feed gas to the NRU unit. Most preferably, the physical solvent unit includes a flash unit and stripper column to produce the ultra-lean solvent. |
| US09671161B2 |
Controlling liquefaction of natural gas
A gas liquefaction process, especially for producing LNG, maintains product flow rate and temperature by controlling the refrigeration so that variation to reduce any difference between actual and required product temperatures is initiated before variation of the product flow rate to reduce any difference between actual and required flow rates. |
| US09671159B2 |
Liquefier with pressure-controlled liquefaction chamber
A liquefier includes a Dewar having a storage portion and a neck portion extending therefrom. A hermetically isolated liquefaction chamber is disposed within the neck of the Dewar. One or more control components including a temperature and pressure sensor are coupled to a CPU and disposed within the liquefaction chamber for dynamic control of liquefaction conditions. A gas flow control is coupled to the CPU for regulating an input gas flow into the liquefaction chamber. A volume surrounding the liquefaction chamber may be adapted to provide a counter-flow heat exchange. These and other features provide improved liquefaction efficiency among other benefits. |
| US09671151B1 |
Method of deciding when to terminate a defrosting cycle within a refrigerated container
The present invention relates to a method, device and computer program for terminating a defrosting cycle within a refrigerated transport container. The container may include: a transport volume, a cooling unit comprising an evaporator arranged in a cooling space, a return air grid arranged to separate said cooling space from said transport volume, means for sensing temperature indicative of the return air temperature of air returning to said cooling space from said transport volume or the temperature of the return air grid, means for actively heating said evaporator during defrosting cycles, and a processor configured for controlling the duration of said defrosting cycles. The method includes: establishing an indicator(s) indicative of frost and/or ice build-up on said return air grid, and terminating a defrosting cycle when an indicator(s) of frost and/or ice build-up on said return air grid indicates that said return air grid is free of frost and/or ice. |
| US09671150B2 |
Cooling apparatus and control method thereof
Disclosed herein are a cooling apparatus and a control method thereof. The cooling apparatus using latent heat of a refrigerant includes evaporators evaporating the refrigerant, a compressor compressing the evaporated refrigerant to a high pressure, defrosting heaters removing frost accumulated on the evaporators, a driving unit providing driving current selectively to the compressor or the defrosting heaters, and a control unit controlling the driving unit to provide driving current to the compressor in a cooling operation mode and controlling the driving unit to provide driving current to the defrosting heaters in a defrosting operation mode. The cooling apparatus controls the defrosting heaters using a driving circuit controlling the compressor, and thus lowers the manufacturing costs of a refrigerator operated at DC power. |
| US09671148B2 |
Apparatus and method for cooling a containerized fluid
An apparatus for cooling a containerized fluid apparatus has a refrigerant-delivery assembly axially depending from a handle assembly. The handle assembly forms a receptacle for receiving a canister of refrigerant such as pressurized liquid carbon dioxide (CO2). The refrigerant-delivery assembly comprises a supply tube through which refrigerant is fed from the canister in the handle assembly to a refrigerant-containment compartment enclosing an exit port of the supply tube and entry ports of one or more expansion tubes. The refrigerant-containment compartment places the supply tube in fluid-flow communication with the expansion tubes. The expansion tubes are rotatable about the axis of the supply tube. The expansion tubes are made to rotate by either a nozzle-turbine feature or a motor-and-gear subassembly. As refrigerant expands in the expansion tubes it takes on heat in accordance with thermodynamic properties thereby cooling the containerized fluid. |
| US09671147B2 |
Refrigerator
A refrigerator includes a body, a storage compartment provided in the body, a door to open and close the storage compartment, an icemaker provided to one side of the storage compartment, an ice bucket provided under the icemaker, and a crusher provided to the rear surface of the door and having an inlet disposed under the outlet of the ice bucket when the door is closed. The crusher may be provided separately from the ice bucket and may independently mounted and detached to and from the rear surface of the door. The ice bucket may have a slimmer design. The space utilization and usability of the storage compartments and the rear surface of the doors may be enhanced. |
| US09671140B2 |
Heterogeneous electrocaloric effect heat transfer
Technologies are generally described herein for electrocaloric effect heat transfer devices, methods, and systems that may be effective to efficiently transfer and distribute thermal energy from a heat source utilizing coordinated application of out of phase electric signals to adjacent heat transfer stacks coupled with a thermal distribution layer. Some electrocaloric effect heat transfer stacks may include alternating layers of electrocaloric effect material and thermal rectifier material. The out of phase electric signals produce electric fields that bias the electrocaloric effect material of one heat transfer stack to a hot phase, emitting thermal energy, while biasing the electrocaloric effect material of an adjacent heat transfer stack to a cold phase, absorbing thermal energy. The thermal distribution layer allows for thermal energy from the material in the hot phase to be distributed to the material of the adjacent stack in the cold phase rather than back to the heat source. |
| US09671139B2 |
Centrifugal refrigerant vapour compressors
A centrifugal compressor for compressing a refrigerant vapor in a refrigeration cycle. The compressor comprises an impeller drive shaft (28) supported by first and second radial bearings (32) for rotation within the compressor housing and an impeller assembly including at least one centrifugal impeller wheel mounted on the impeller drive shaft to rotate with the impeller drive shaft. The first and second radial bearings are hydrodynamic fluid bearings in which the bearing fluid is the refrigerant vapor. The compressor further comprising a conduit (36) for supplying a portion of the refrigerant vapor from the impeller assembly to the first and second fluid bearings. |
| US09671133B2 |
Heating device
This invention provides a heating device ensuring sufficient adhesive force, even when it is removed from clothing and then reattached to different clothing. The heating device of the present invention comprises a bag unit 2 containing an exothermic composition A including an oxidizable metal that can generate heat by contact with air, one surface of the bag unit 2 being air-permeable; an adhesive layer 3 formed on the other surface of the bag unit 2; a first release sheet 4 provided on the adhesive layer 3 to cover the adhesive layer 3; and a second release sheet 5 provided on the first release sheet 4 to cover the first release sheet 4, wherein the first release sheet 4 has a release portion 41 and a residual portion 42; when the second release sheet 5 is removed from the first release sheet 4, the release portion 41 is removed together with the second release sheet 5 and the residual portion 42 remains on the adhesive layer 3. |
| US09671122B2 |
Controller employing feedback data for a multi-strike method of operating an HVAC system and monitoring components thereof and an HVAC system employing the controller
A controller for an HVAC system, a compute-usable medium and an ERV are disclosed. In one embodiment, the controller includes: (1) an input terminal configured to receive feedback data from a first operating unit of the HVAC system, (2) an operation monitor configured to determine if the feedback data corresponds to a predetermined condition for the first operating unit and (3) a system director configured to operate a second operating unit of the HVAC system at a predetermined operating value corresponding to the predetermined condition and a number of occurrences of predetermined conditions associated with the first operating unit. |
| US09671116B2 |
Hot water supply system
A hot water supply system includes a hot water storage tank configured to store hot water, a plurality of temperature sensors that are installed in the height direction of the water storage tank and that detect temperatures at their installed positions, a main-unit-side hot water supply device that heats hot water in the hot water storage tank, a sub-unit-side hot water supply device, a main-unit-side control board equipped with control means that controls the corresponding hot water supply device, and a sub-unit-side control board. Signals sent from the temperature sensors are input in a distributed manner among the main-unit-side control board and the sub-unit-side control board, and each of the control boards are communicably connected to each other by a transmission line. |
| US09671115B2 |
Home appliance with a telescopic rack
A home appliance with a telescopic rack including a cavity with walls having an opposing set of ribs, a rack with opposing side edges, a slide coupled to an opposing side edge, and a brace coupled to the slide and capturing the opposing set of ribs. |
| US09671102B2 |
LED flashlight with improved heat sink
One electrical lead from an LED package is soldered to an inner electrically conductive member positioned and electrically isolated from an outer electrically conductive member by electrically insulating material while a second electrical lead and a neutral lead from the LED are soldered to the outer electrically conductive member so that heat is transferred from an LED die within the LED package to the outer electrically conductive member and then to a thermally conductive outer casing with a thermal path that minimizes thermal resistance. |
| US09671101B2 |
Lighting device and luminaire
Disclosed is a lighting device (1) comprising a housing (80), an air inlet (22) and an air outlet (24); a support structure (30) in said housing extending in between said air inlet and said air outlet, said support structure including a section (32) carrying at least one solid state lighting element (10); a conduit (20) from said air inlet to said air outlet such that the conduit extends over the support structure; and a fan (40) mounted in said conduit, wherein the fan is located closer to the air inlet than to the air outlet. A luminaire including such a lighting device is also disclosed. |
| US09671099B2 |
Package for light emitting device and method for packaging the same
There are provided a light emitting device package and a method for manufacturing the same. The light emitting device includes: a plurality of barriers provided above a metal circuit board; a plurality of light emitting devices placed in a space between the barriers; and a lens unit provided at an upper side of the barrier. Accordingly, the plurality of light emitting devices can be conveniently seated as a module format, and a luminance can be increased. Also, an efficiency of heat sink can be increase. |
| US09671097B2 |
Decorative lighting with reinforced wiring
A reinforced wire for decorative lighting, the wire defining a central longitudinal wire axis and including: a longitudinally-extending reinforcing strand, the reinforcing strand comprising one or more fibers comprising a polymer material and defining a reinforcing-strand axis; a plurality of conductor strands wound about the reinforcing strand, each of the plurality of conductor strands defining a conductor strand axis; and an outer insulating layer adjacent to, and covering, one or more of the conductor strands. The reinforcing strand in cross section normal to the wire axis defines an asymmetrical shape. |
| US09671096B2 |
TV remote control lighting
A system for focused lighting on a remote control including: a bracket, where the bracket includes a cradle and a release clip, where the release clip enables the placement of the bracket onto the remote control; a first set of clamps extending from a first side of the cradle, where the first set of clamps extend around a first side of the remote control; a second set of clamps extending from a second side of the cradle, where the second set of clamps extend around a second side of the remote control; a stem extending from the cradle; and a LED light at a distal end of the stem, where the LED light illuminates a control panel of the remote control. Preferably, the cradle and release clip abut an underside of the remote control. Also preferably, the stem extends from the underside of the remote control to the control panel side and the direction of the LED light is adjustable. |
| US09671094B2 |
Laser scanning apparatus and method of use
A laser system includes a housing and a laser. The laser can be positioned in the housing such that its laser beam is transmitted at an angle and its path forms a cone as the housing rotates. The laser device may also contain two or more lasers, the angle of each laser may be the same or different, and the angular position of each laser may be fixed or variable. The laser system may be stationary or mobile and used in a variety of methods to detect an object or topography and produce a three dimensional image. That information can be further used to provide maps, terrain data, volumetric measurements, landing guidance, obstacle avoidance warnings, mining profiles and other useful material. |
| US09671093B2 |
Holder for holding a carrier, a lighting module, a luminaire and a method of manufacturing a holder for a lighting module
A holder (210) for holding a carrier (240) comprising solid state light emitters (242), a lighting module, a luminaire and a method of manufacturing a holder for a lighting module are provided. The holder (210) comprises a light exit window (214), a fastening element (212), a contact surface (226) and at least two hooks (220). The contact surface provides a stop position with which the carrier is in contact when the carrier is assembled in the holder. The at least two hooks are moveable between a clamping position and a sidewards position. When the holder is assembled to the carrier, i) and when said hooks are in the clamping position, said hooks are arranged for clamping the carrier between said hooks and the contact surface, and ii) when the holder is fastened to the mounting surface of the another object, said hooks are in the sidewards position, the sidewards positions is a position away from the carrier. |
| US09671091B2 |
Low profile lighting fixture with movable heat sink and lighting element assembly
A low-profile, recessed light fixture with a housing, a lighting element enclosure with a heat sink, and a junction box containing a lighting driver. The base of the housing has an illumination aperture disposed therein. The heat sink acts as the top of the lighting element enclosure and is movable between an operation position and a service position. In the operation position, the heat sink is vertically aligned with the illumination aperture. In the service position, the heat sink is horizontally displaced from vertical alignment with the illumination aperture. When the heat sink is in the service position, the interior of the junction box is accessible through the illumination aperture, allowing the user to remove the lighting driver and other electrical components from the junction box for maintenance. |
| US09671090B2 |
Lighting device for obtaining a predetermined light distribution at a target area
The invention relates to a lighting device (100) comprising a light source (110) and an optical component (120) adapted for obtaining a predetermined light distribution (300) at a target area (400). The optical component has a substrate (122) comprising a material that is capable of controllably changing shape when an activating force is applied thereto, and one or more optical elements (121). The substrate further comprises a material capable of being switched from a first state comprising a first static modulus to a second state comprising a second static modulus by means of an external stimulus (140), the first static modulus being smaller than the second static modulus, the static modulus being calculated as the ratio of strain to stress of the substrate under static conditions. This material is capable of controllably changing shape in the first state and being dimensionally stable in the second state, when no activating force is applied thereto. |
| US09671089B2 |
Conversion element and illuminant
A conversion element (10) is specified, comprising a scattering layer (12), a reflection layer (14), and a conversion layer (16) arranged between the scattering layer (12) and the reflection layer (14). The scattering layer (12) is designed to transmit a first portion (20) of a primary radiation (18) impinging on it from a side facing away from the conversion layer (16) into the conversion layer (16), and to scatter a second portion (22) of the primary radiation (18) impinging on it towards that side of the scattering layer (12) which faces away from the conversion layer (16). The conversion layer (16) comprises at least one conversion means (25) which is designed to convert at least part of the first portion of the primary radiation (18) into a second radiation (19) having a higher wavelength different from the primary radiation (18). The reflection layer (14) has a reflective effect at least with regard to the second radiation (19). |
| US09671088B2 |
Lens and illumination device including the lens
Various embodiments may relate to a lens for an illumination device, including an incident surface, an emergent surface, and a reflective surface connected between the incident surface and the emergent surface. The lens includes a first axis as an optical axis of the lens, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and extending in a longitudinal direction of the lens, the first axis and the second axis defining a symmetrical surface of the lens, and a third axis perpendicular to the symmetrical surface, a first portion of light from a light source is incident upon the incident surface, refracted by the emergent surface, and then emerges to form a first light beam, and a second portion of light from the light source is incident upon the incident surface, reflected by the reflective surface, refracted by the emergent surface, and then emerges to form a second light beam. |
| US09671086B2 |
Oxynitride orange-red fluorescent substance and light-emitting film or sheet and light-emitting device comprising the same
An oxynitride orange-red fluorescent substance and a light-emitting film or sheet and a light-emitting device comprising the same are disclosed. The chemical formula of the oxynitride orange-red fluorescent substance is MmAaSixNyOz:dR in which the element M is one or more of the elements selected from Ca, Sr and Ba, the element A is Al or a mixture of Al with one or more of the elements selected from Ga, La, Sc and Y, the element R is one or more of the elements selected from Ce, Eu and Mn, 0.8≦m≦1.2, 1 |
| US09671084B2 |
Display device
A plurality of LED light sources that are mounted on a front face of a mounting plate are separated from each other respectively being disposed in cells of a partitioning wall. Inner faces of the respective cells are made of a material of low reflectivity. With respect to a normal line direction of the mounting plate, light of the LED light source is viewed, as light being brighter the closer to a back side and darker the closer to a near side on the inner face, in a state of being given gradations by the inner face. |
| US09671079B2 |
Vehicular headlamp
A vehicular headlamp has a projection lens, a first light source disposed rearward of a rear focal point of the projection lens, a first reflector that reflects emitted light from the first light source above the first light source and toward the projection lens, a shield disposed such that a front end edge of the shield passes through a vicinity of the rear focal point to block a portion of reflected light from the first reflector, a second reflector that is disposed forward of the first reflector, and that reflects the emitted light from the first light source toward a position between the first light source and the shield, and a third reflector that is disposed between the first light source and the shield, and that reflects reflected light from the second reflector toward the projection lens by passing the reflected light below the shield. |
| US09671078B2 |
Lighting unit for a motor vehicle
A lighting unit including devices for emitting a luminous flux in the direction of a reflector featuring devices for optical deflection of the flux toward the outlet of the unit, the reflector including a support wall that is fastened to the optical deflection devices and is disposed across the optical deflection devices so as to be disposed between the optical deflection devices and the emission devices.The support wall includes a masking portion that is disposed facing the emission devices and a so-called cut-off edge of which is cut away so as to form a mask integral with the support wall adapted to allow to pass only a portion of the rays emitted by the emission devices. The invention also concerns a motor vehicle headlamp, notably in that it includes two lighting units disposed transversely side by side. |
| US09671065B2 |
Pump having wear and wear rate detection
Apparatus and method for supplying lubricant to a plurality of lubrication sites. The apparatus includes a controller that diagnoses piston wear by driving the pump to achieve a predetermined pressure, stopping the pump with the piston in a home position, and measuring pressure at a preselected time interval after the step of stopping the pump. The amount of piston wear is approximated based on a difference between the predetermined pressure and the measured pressure at the predetermined time interval. |
| US09671063B2 |
Header support system
A header support system for supporting a product display header on a pegboard panel includes a pegboard bracket, a support arm, an extension arm and a front plate. The pegboard bracket includes a backplate member having an upper portion, a lower portion and a front face, a spacer member, a plurality of spaced apart upper prongs for engaging the pegboard panel, a plurality of spaced apart lower prongs for engaging the pegboard panel and a plurality of first connection elements. The support arm includes substantially perpendicular first and second elongated members with connection elements for securing the support arm to the pegboard bracket. The extension arm slidably engages the second elongated member and the front plate is disposed at a proximate end of the extension arm for receiving the product display header. |
| US09671061B2 |
Anti-spin mounting pole and method of forming
An anti-spin mounting pole for holding a communications device mounted thereon generally stable relative to a desired position when the lower end portion of the resultant pole is installed in a concrete base, such anti-spin mounting pole formed from an elongated pole having a generally uniform cross-sectional configuration defining a nominal outer perimeter and having one or more compressed areas formed along the lower end portion of the pole to alter thereat the initial generally uniform cross-sectional configuration and effect an enhanced out-of-round condition defining an anti-spin portion that includes a pair of oppositely directed ears extending outwardly beyond the nominal outer perimeter of the elongated pole. |
| US09671058B2 |
Rotating mechanism used for rotating a screen and display device therewith
A rotating mechanism used for rotating a screen includes a supporting stand and a base. An end of the supporting stand is connected to the screen. The supporting stand is for supporting the screen. The base is placed on a supporting surface, so as to support the supporting stand and the screen on the supporting surface. The other end of the supporting stand is fixed on the base. The base includes a first cover and a second cover. The other end of the supporting stand is connected with the first cover. The second cover is detachably installed on the first cover and contacts with the supporting surface. At least one of the first cover and the second cover is rotatable relative to the supporting surface. |
| US09671057B2 |
Support plate
A support plate is used for supporting an electronic device. The support plate includes a first plate member, a foldable portion, and a second plate member. The foldable portion is connected to the first plate member and the second plate member. The first plate member includes a combining portion far away from the foldable portion and a contact portion adjacent to the foldable portion. The second plate member includes at least one combined portion and a non-slip element attached on a side surface of the second plate member. The combining portion is foldable to combinedly position the combined portion, wherein the contact portion supports the second plate member and forms an included angle with the second plate member. Accordingly, the support plate can stably support the electronic device and can be expanded or received quickly. |
| US09671056B2 |
Insulation
Insulation (10) for vehicle components, for example, exhaust systems such as particle filters and SCR systems. The insulation has a plate-like component (12). The insulation can be fasted in an especially cost-effective manner by welding. The insulation (10) has at least one separate support (16). |
| US09671055B2 |
Vacuum heat insulating material
To provide a vacuum heat insulating material having good heat insulating characteristics and capable of forming a corner part with high reliability. The vacuum heat insulating material includes a core material including an inorganic fiber assembly, and an outer covering member covering at least one surface of the core material, the inside of which is decompressed and sealed, in which the outer covering member includes an outermost resin layer and radiation prevention layers positioned inside the resin layer, in which the radiation prevention layers have an overlapping part where at least two or more radiation prevention layers are stacked at apart thereof. |
| US09671052B2 |
Collet securing device for joining two fluid lines and providing lateral support at the connection of the two fluid lines
A fluid line support system includes a fluid line and a collet having an insertion end and a thickened portion having a biased end. A fluid valve has a valve aperture that receives the insertion end of the collet. A collet securing device has a fluid line portion that engages the wall of the fluid line, wherein at least the fluid line portion encircles the wall and is slidably engaged with the wall to define a loose position and a securing position. A collet portion of the collet securing device engages the retaining portion of the fluid valve when in the securing position. When in the securing position, the fluid line portion engages the biased end of the collet, wherein the fluid line and collet portions bias the retaining portion and biased end toward one another such that the insertion end is positioned at a final insertion depth. |
| US09671049B1 |
Hybrid push-to-connect fitting device and assembly
A fitting device includes a fitting body having an interior surface defining an interior, a packing assembly maintained within the fitting body interior, a retaining nut, and a shoe member maintained between the retaining nut and the axially outer rim of the fitting body, whereupon inserted tubes or pipes can be securely inserted into the fitting interior and maintained therein. |
| US09671045B1 |
Air hose supporting apparatus
An air hose supporting apparatus comprising a housing having a pair of sidewalls, a first end, a second end, a top surface and an air hose workstation surface engaging base located distal the top surface of the housing, an elongated air hose receptacle extending through the housing with the elongated air hose receptacle having an open end, a closed end, and an air hose supporting sidewall tapering from the open end to the closed end, and a means for maintaining the base to the air hose workstation surface. |
| US09671044B2 |
Linear pipe recovery/lay tensioners and method of using same
Linear pipe recovery/lay tensioners can include one or more pivot assemblies for rotatably moving an upper track away from a lower track to facilitate placement of a pipe segment between the two tracks. In addition, or alternatively, the tensioners can include one or more hydraulic cylinders that provide flexible suspension to the upper and lower tracks so the tracks can move and rotate as necessary due to differing pipe segment shapes. In addition, or alternatively, the upper and lower tracks include one or more gripping pads having one or more gripping members that can be sheathed by a compliant member until such time as the pipe segment compresses the compliant member causing the gripping member(s) to protrude from the compliant member and engage the pipe segment. Rotation of the tracks is controlled by a hydraulic pump capable of rotating the tracks at the same rate or at different rates. |
| US09671037B2 |
Fuel cutoff valve
A fuel cutoff valve includes: a casing main body having a valve chamber and a connecting hole to connect the valve chamber to the exterior of the fuel tank; a cover which has a pipe passageway which communicates with the exterior and which is connected to the connecting hole; a bottom member which has an induction chamber which has an opening portion through which liquid fuel and fuel vapor are allowed to flow and a distribution hole which communicates with the valve chamber; and a float configured to ascend and descend according to a fuel level in the fuel tank to close and open the connecting hole, wherein the bottom member has a guiding plate in the induction chamber, the guiding plate being formed into a shape of a recess portion which is oriented towards the opening portion in an axial section. |
| US09671036B2 |
Actuator for a valve and a valve comprising such actuator
Actuator for a valve, comprising a first piston, a first piston rod and a first fluid chamber for enabling movement of the first piston and the first piston rod. The actuator has a second piston, a second piston rod, the second piston rod being coaxially arranged with the first piston rod and radially enclosing at least a part of the first piston rod. A second fluid chamber is arranged for the second piston, for enabling movement of the second piston and the second piston rod. A first fluid channel is arranged in communication with each of the first and the second fluid chambers, for effecting, when fluid is introduced into the first fluid channel, movement of the first piston and the second piston. Also, a valve comprising such actuator is disclosed. |
| US09671035B2 |
Flow regulator
The present disclosure provides a flow regulator capable of regulating flow resistance of a fluid by adjusting helical pitch of the flow regulator. The flow regulator comprises: a channel, a rod, and a helical coil. The channel has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet for a fluid flowing in and out of the flow regulator, respectively. The rod has a fore end and a rear end opposite to each other. The fore end is inside the channel, and the rear end is closer to the fluid outlet than the fluid inlet. The helical coil winds around the rod, and the helical pitch of the helical coil is adjustable for regulating flow resistance of the fluid. The channel further has a narrowed section where part of the helical coil located therein substantially occupies an annular space between the rod and an inner wall of the channel. |
| US09671031B2 |
Wireless electric valve for automatic closing and opening of main fluid pipe
An automatic, wireless electric valve designed to be installed on a main fluid pipe that receives wireless, remote open and close commands, and which comprises an external casing, an electric motor, an internal power supply, an inner pipe with an inlet, an outlet, and a disc, an inner clamp, a primary cogwheel that is attached to the electric motor by means of an axle, a secondary cogwheel that is attached to the rotation shaft, and an electronic control mechanism. |
| US09671027B2 |
Axially preloaded sealing element
A valve arrangement including a sealing element is provided. The valve arrangement includes a housing having a port. A rotary valve body includes an opening, and the rotary valve body is arranged within the housing. The port of the housing and the opening of the rotary valve body are alignable with each other via rotation of the rotary valve body in the housing. A sealing element is arranged within the port. The sealing element includes a seal body having a first axial end engaged against the rotary valve body and a second axial end including a resilient axially compressible portion that engages against a seat in the housing. The resilient axially compressible portion of the sealing element preloads the sealing element axially against the rotary valve body. |
| US09671026B2 |
Grid flap
The invention relates to a grid flap (1) for use in a filling device or scale, especially in food processing, wherein the grid flap (1) comprises a metal frame (2) and a metal grid (4), and wherein the grid (4) comprises a plurality of braces (4h, 4v), which are connected to the frame (2) on their respective final sections. |
| US09671022B2 |
Housing seal of two housing parts lying against each other
The invention relates to known housing seals of two housing parts lying against each other, a first housing part (1) having a first sealing surface (6) and a second housing part (2) having a second sealing surface (7), which housing seals are equipped with a seal (15), which is inserted into a groove (10) in the first sealing surface (6) of the first housing part (1), wherein the groove (10) is covered by the second sealing surface (7) of the second housing part (2). According to the invention, in order to prevent crevice corrosion, the groove (10) has an opening (11) between the sealing surfaces (6, 7), which is used to ventilate the groove (10) having the inserted seal. The invention is intended for water pumps, in particular for auxiliary water pumps of motor vehicles. |
| US09671020B2 |
Concentric slave cylinder for a hydraulic clutch actuator
A central release unit for a hydraulic clutch actuator has a plastic cylinder housing which is produced by injection molding and which has at least one cylinder wall provided, on an outer circumference, with a reinforcement sleeve. The reinforcement sleeve can be fastened to the cylinder wall after the injection molding of the cylinder housing, for which purpose a snap-action connection is provided on a forward end, which faces away from the pressure connection piece, of the reinforcement sleeve. The connection is formed by a radially inwardly bent detent portion of the reinforcement sleeve and by a rib integrally formed on the outer circumference of the cylinder wall. The reinforcement sleeve has a main portion which adjoins the detent portion and which is of conical shape complementary to an outer circumferential surface, which is of conical form in the reinforcement region, of the cylinder wall. |
| US09671017B2 |
Shift control device for continuously variable transmission
A transmission control device includes a converter that converts continuous accelerator positions detected by an accelerator pedal sensor into a stepped step position, and a controller that controls the gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission based on the converted step position. The converter creates a hysteresis regarding the converted step position, when the accelerator depression amount increases, and when the accelerator depression amount decreases. In the case where the step position reaches a predetermined position or greater, the controller executes kick-down control where the gear ratio is controlled to a low side. |
| US09671012B2 |
Vehicle shift lever apparatus
A vehicle shift lever apparatus may include a support bracket configured to be coupled to a vehicle body, an actuating bar disposed at the support bracket so as to elastically move axially and rotate axially, a shift lever coupled to the actuating bar to move the actuating bar axially or rotate the actuating bar axially depending on an operation thereof, and a cable interlocked with the actuating bar to longitudinally guide the axial movement or the axial rotation of the actuating bar. |
| US09671010B2 |
Hybrid driveline for a motor vehicle
A hybrid drive assembly for a motor vehicle, with a main transmission (4) and an electric machine (10) arranged in a hybrid module (6). The electric machine has a rotor (14) that rotates within a rotational space (38). The hybrid module (6) and the main transmission (4) share a common oil system, whose oil temperature is measured. A device (62, 64) is provided which, if a limit value of the oil temperature is exceeded, controls the oil level (58) in the oil sump in the rotation space (38) of the electric machine (10) in such a manner that the rotor (14) becomes immersed in the oil, within the oil sump (58), and can take up oil and throw the oil off again off onto components of the electric machine (10) located within the rotational space. |
| US09671009B2 |
Pressure and flow compensated hydraulic system
A vehicle hydraulic system includes a transmission lube circuit, a variable displacement main pump having an inlet, and a variable displacement charge pump having an outlet and a pressure responsive displacement control unit. The system also includes a charge line communicating the charge pump outlet with the main pump inlet, a sensing line communicating the charge line with the displacement control unit, and a lube line communicating the charge pump outlet with the lube circuit. The lube line includes a fluid restriction. A hydraulic oil filter and a filter bypass valve are connected in parallel between the outlet of the charge pump and the charge line. |
| US09671008B2 |
Oil suction device for vehicle
An oil suction device including a primary suction port installed at an inflow end of a thin pipe for sucking oil in an oil storing section, and a third suction port formed in a gap between a first tapered surface and a second papered surface due to a relative movement of the thin pipe to the thick pipe. At a suction pressure of the oil pump less than a predetermined pressure, the oil suction device sucks only oil from the primary suction port, and at a suction pressure of the oil pump equal to or more than the predetermined pressure, air is sucked from the third suction port formed in a gap between the first tapered surface and a second tapered surface due to the relative movement of the thin pipe to the thick pipe. |
| US09671007B2 |
Low noise pulley
Low-noise pulleys and methods of constructing low-noise pulleys are disclosed. In a first aspect, first and second pluralities of arms extending radially outward from the outer hub to the outer rim are angularly offset from each other about the axis of rotation to eliminate symmetry across the lateral midline of the pulley. In a second aspect, the radially outermost ends of a plurality of arms are arcuately spaced apart according to a pitch sequence describing a pseudo-random pattern of relative spacings so as to reduce or eliminate rotational symmetry of the pulley. In a third aspect, features of the first and second aspects are combined, and in one embodiment, first and second pluralities of arms are, respectively, approximately oppositely canted so as to vary the arcuate spacings of the laterally outermost ends of the arms. |
| US09670999B2 |
Low friction travel limiting stop module for a rotational drive system
A stop module halts rotation of a shaft of a rotational drive system when an axial stroke limit is reached without the use of frictional brake plates. The module has a fixed nut and a pawl carrier coaxially mounted on the shaft for axial travel along the shaft and rotation with the shaft. The pawl carrier includes a screw portion mated with the nut such that rotation of the pawl carrier with the shaft causes the pawl carrier to travel axially along the shaft. A pawl member is pivotally coupled to the pawl carrier, and a stop element is fixed at an axial limit location. The pawl carrier is axially displaceable from a non-limit position wherein the pawl member is clear of the stop element during rotation to a limit position wherein the pawl member is interfered with by the stop element during rotation to stop rotation of the shaft. |
| US09670998B2 |
Oscillation tool
An oscillation tool includes a grip-portion housing and a front-side housing which are fitted to each other so as to freely slide on each other. In the case that a driving unit and an oscillating unit are distanced from each other, the oscillating shaft is oscillated at a narrow amplitude. On the other hand, in a case that the driving unit and the oscillating unit are approached by each other, the oscillating shaft is oscillated at a wide amplitude. |
| US09670989B2 |
Driven hatch arrangement for a motor vehicle
A driven hatch arrangement is provided, particularly a rear hatch arrangement, for a motor vehicle with a hatch and with a hatch drive for opening and/or closing the hatch, with the hatch drive comprising a motor with a motor shaft and a motor pinion and at least one planetary gear with a sun gear, planetary carriers with planetary rolling elements arranged on bearing pins, and an annulus, with the sun wheel of the planetary gear being formed by the motor pinion and a driven shaft being driven via the planetary gear, in which the motor pinion is slid onto the motor shaft. |
| US09670985B2 |
Toothed belt and belt reduction gear including the same
A toothed belt includes: a back portion; and a plurality of helical teeth provided on an inner periphery of the back portion and disposed at a fixed pitch in a belt longitudinal direction. An angle θ between a tooth trace direction of the helical teeth and a belt lateral direction is in a range of 7 degrees to 10 degrees, both inclusive. A ratio A of a thickness tb of the back portion to a tooth height hb of the helical teeth, which is given by A=100×tb/hb, is in a range of 120% to 240%, both inclusive. |
| US09670979B1 |
Resilient expandable pressure vessel
A resilient expandable pressure vessel configured to function like a spring. The resilient expandable pressure vessel includes a body portion, a cavity defined within the body portion, and at least one port in communication with the cavity defined in the body portion. The at least one port is configured to receive a fluid into the cavity and discharge the fluid from the cavity. The resilient expandable pressure vessel has a predetermined expansibility across a range of operating pressures of the fluid in the cavity. The range is at least 200 psi. |
| US09670976B2 |
Composite disc brake backing plate
A brake backing plate is provided in which a non-compressible core material is sandwiched between two sheet metal stampings to make a lightweight, composite brake backing plate. Each of the stampings has a textured face with a plurality of integrally formed piercing members. By rolling or pressing, the piercing members of the textured faces are fully embedded in the core material, and thus lock the stampings and the core material together. |
| US09670969B2 |
Drive assembly for a motor vehicle drive train including a dynamically compensated clutch control assembly
A drive assembly for a motor vehicle drive train is provided. The drive assembly includes a clutch pack, a hub, a main piston axially movable with respect to the hub to engage the clutch pack and a clutch control assembly nonrotatably fixed to the hub. The clutch control assembly forms a pressure chamber with the main piston. Rotation of the hub causes the clutch control assembly to close an engagement gap of the clutch pack. Pressure in the pressure chamber moves the main piston to engage the clutch pack after the engagement gap is closed. |
| US09670966B2 |
Tube yoke for a driveshaft assembly
A tube yoke has a tube seat, lugs and stiffening ribs. The tube seat has a base, a wall and the stiffening ribs. The lugs project outwardly from the tube seat. Various designs of the tube yoke may be used to achieve different performance characteristics. |
| US09670964B1 |
Damper on constant velocity joint tube seat
A vehicle shaft assembly having a damper integrally connected to the constant velocity joint end of the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly includes a constant velocity joint stub shaft having a constant velocity joint stub shaft tube seat that is integrally connected to a shaft. Integrally connected to the outer surface of a constant velocity joint stub shaft tube seat is a damper. The damper may include a damper rubber first ring rotatively connected to a second damper ring acting as a rotational mass. Additionally, the damper may include an innermost steel ring and a damper rubber first ring rotatively connected to a second damper ring acting as a rotational mass. |
| US09670963B2 |
Constant velocity joint
A constant velocity joint has an inner race and a sleeve. The sleeve connects with the inner race. In addition, the sleeve connects with a pinion shaft via splines. A nut attaches to the sleeve and also the shaft. The nut/shaft attachment is through threads. |
| US09670959B2 |
Bearing with improved resistance to micropitting
A bearing comprising a plurality of rolling elements arranged between an inner and outer raceway thereof. A rolling contact interface is between a first rolling contact surface on at least one rolling element and a second rolling contact surface formed by one of the inner and outer raceways. The first rolling contact surface has a first RMS roughness Rq1 and a first roughness pattern γ1, expressed in terms of the Peklenik number γ. The second rolling contact surface has a second RMS roughness Rq2 and a second roughness pattern γ2. To minimize micropitting in the bearing, the rolling contact interface has a surface topography wherein (a) the roughness pattern of the first and second rolling contact surfaces are oriented in the direction of rolling, whereby γ1≧3.0 and γ2≧10.0; and (b) the first and of the second rolling contact surfaces have substantially equal roughness heights, whereby 0.8≦Rq1/Rq2≦1.25. |
| US09670958B2 |
Rolling bearing
A rolling bearing includes an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of balls disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring and allowed to roll, and a snap cage that is made of resin and holds the balls. The snap cage includes an annular main portion and a plurality of cage bars. The cage bars each protrude from a right side surface of the main portion. Pockets are formed between the cage bars to house the respective balls. An inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of each of the cage bars in a radial direction have respective tilted surfaces that form a tapered shape in an axial direction. This allows lubricant oil to flow well in the rolling bearing in both directions. |
| US09670950B2 |
Elevator handrail attachment mechanism
The present invention relates to a mechanism and method for rigidly mounting a handrail to the interior of an elevator cab. The mechanism includes a threaded rod having a pivoting member at one end for passing through an existing or new opening in an elevator cab wall. Upon passing through the wall, the pivoting member can rotate to provide a brace against the exterior of the elevator cab wall. A base portion having a number of grooves on its exterior surface and threads on its interior surface threads onto the rod to create a solid connection to the cab's wall. The handrail, having a base portion receiver, is then securely attached to the cab by sliding over it the sleeve and having set screw(s) inserted through the handrail's receiver at points adjacent to the corresponding grooves in the sleeve. |
| US09670949B1 |
Keyhole weld-down fastener base
A weld-down base conforms to a surface to support other objects, such as cables, motors, water tanks, etc. The base has at least one keyhole shaped hole, with a first portion and a second portion. On the top side of the base, the first portion of each hole is large enough to pass the head of a bolt; the second portion is only large enough to pass the shaft of the bolt but not the head. However, the second portion is stepped near the exit side to be wider so that the bolt head can be inserted into the wider first portion and then slid laterally to the second portion where the step will hold the bolt in place with its threaded shaft extending from the base. The exposed bolt allows objects such as clamps, brackets, signs, lighting, fire extinguishers, hoses, instruments, and so on, to the supporting surface. |
| US09670947B2 |
Trim retainer-stab clip
A trim retainer assembly having a clip portion with a base and a molded housing having a keyhole and an opening. The keyhole in the doghouse is smooth for improved molding and elimination of tuning since there are no detents in the bore to tune or maintain. The base is provided with a pair of arms that are flexible and each arm having a self detent feature that passes through the opening in the housing to provide clip retention and, at the same time, float for tolerance variations is provided. The pair of arms also include nominal centering detents. The keyhole bore, opening, and clip portion provides clip detent, consistent retention effort, float, centering and anti-rotation. |
| US09670946B2 |
Screwed assembly
A screwed assembly consists of at least one pre-punched, upper and an unpunched, lower component, an intermediate layer arranged in between, and a plurality of self-drilling fastening screws which are introduced via a pre-punch hole in the upper component and screwed to the unpunched component with the interposition of the intermediate layer. In order to effectively prevent in a simple manner any still uncured intermediate layer material from flowing out of the upper component surface when the fastening screws are screwed in, the pre-punches in the upper component are designed as blind holes which are closed by a thin-walled web. |
| US09670942B2 |
Separate hydraulic unit with cooling of oil
A separate hydraulic power pack for providing at least one user with an oil flow. The hydraulic unit includes a motor, a hydraulic pump driven by the motor, a tank, an oil inlet, an oil outlet, a heat exchanger, and a first conduit system for oil. The first conduit system connects at least the oil inlet, the heat exchanger, the oil tank, the hydraulic pump and the oil outlet. The heat exchanger is provided for liquid cooling of the oil. A cooling liquid inlet for connection to a cooling liquid source, a first cooling liquid outlet and a second conduit system for a cooling liquid. |
| US09670940B2 |
Pressure-balance valve for balancing fluid feed to actuator cylinders of a servo-control for controlling rotor blades of a rotorcraft
A pressure-balance valve for balancing the pressures of fluids admitted into the pressure-balance valve via respective second ducts. The pressure-balance valve has both a chamber for guiding movement in translation of a piston, and also fluid flow paths, each comprising a said second duct and a first duct for admitting a fluid coming from the same fluid source as the fluid flowing in its second duct. Each of the first ducts is provided with a shutter co-operating with a ramp arranged on the piston. Movement of the piston in translation as a result of a pressure difference between the fluids respectively admitted into the second ducts causes one of the shutters to slide along the corresponding ramp and consequently allows additional fluid to be delivered from a first duct to the second duct of the same fluid flow path. |
| US09670937B2 |
Centrifugal compressor having cooling system
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a centrifugal compressor, a heat exchanger integral with the centrifugal compressor and configured to transfer heat from a fluid pressurized by the centrifugal compressor to a cooling fluid flow, and a cooling fluid supply head of the heat exchanger comprising an integral flow control valve configured to regulate a cooling fluid flow rate through the heat exchanger. |
| US09670936B2 |
Turbomachine stator internal shell with abradable material
The present application relates to a compression stage of a low-pressure compressor of an axial turbomachine, such as a turboprop. The stage includes a rotor with, on its outer surface, two lip seals, each forming a radial annular rib; and a stator which includes an annular row of stator blades extending substantially radially; and an inner shell whose radial cross section includes a central part connected to the inner tips of the blades, a lateral part extending from each side of the central part to one of the two lip seals, respectively, thus forming a rotor with the annular cavity. The shell and the rotor are configured so that the radial section of the annular cavity has a length L1 and a height H, the length L1 being greater than the height H, which initiates rotational movement of the air contained therein. The speed of the air reduces its pressure, which limits downstream to upstream leaks. |
| US09670934B2 |
Magnetic drive pump
A sealless magnetic drive pump features in improving the stiffness of a stationary shaft. More particularly, the metal magnetic drive pump has an anti-corrosion casing liner. The magnetic drive pump is used in manufacture processes related to corrosive fluid. The pump is especially used in a highly corrosive and high-temperature (up to 200° C.) condition to improve the stiffness of a front support. The stationary shaft includes a metal front support integrated with the pump casing at a pump inlet and encapsulated with a resin enclosure made of a fluoropolymer; a rear shaft seat positioned on a sealed bottom side of a containment shell for offering auxiliary support for the stationary shaft; an impeller including a channel for reducing an inlet flow velocity to offer a low NPSHr. |
| US09670931B2 |
Rotary vacuum pump
A rotary vacuum pump includes a first set of pumping stages having rotor discs with a first diameter and a second set of pumping stages having rotor discs with a second different diameter and further comprising an intermediate pumping stage that is particularly adapted for matching the change in the diameter of the pump rotor discs. According to the invention, the intermediate pumping stage comprises a rotor disc having an outer portion in the radial direction that is axially tapered from its inner diameter to its outer diameter and a corresponding stator stage including a spacer ring that is axially tapered from its periphery toward its center. |
| US09670928B2 |
Vacuum pump for a motor vehicle engine
A vacuum pump for a motor vehicle engine which has a stator and a chamber, has a side wall, and the side wall has a transversal section with a predetermined shape. The rotor mounted in the chamber is capable of rotating around a rotation axis parallel to the side wall. The vane mounted on the rotor is free to slide in a direction at right angles with respect to the rotation axis of the rotor, and the vane has a predetermined length and two opposite end portions that substantially slide along the side wall of the chamber. At least one of the end portions of the vane has at least one part that has a bend radius substantially equal to that of a part of the side wall, when the one vane is at a reference operating position. |
| US09670923B2 |
Wiper seal assemblies for a reciprocating pump and methods relating thereto
A wiper seal assembly for a reciprocating pump, the pump including a power section configured to be powered by a motor, a fluid section having an inlet and an outlet, and a plunger having a longitudinal plunger axis, a first end coupled to the power section, and a second end opposite the first end and disposed within the fluid section. The wiper seal assembly includes a cover mounted to the power section. In addition, the wiper seal assembly includes a first wiper seal radially disposed between the cover and the plunger. Further, the wiper seal assembly includes a splash guard disposed about the plunger and axially spaced from the cover. Still further, the wiper seal assembly includes a biasing member axially biasing the splash guard away from the first wiper seal. |
| US09670921B2 |
Reciprocating drive mechanism with a spool vent
A reciprocating drive mechanism. The reciprocating drive mechanism may comprise: a spool assembly and a spool housing. The spool assembly may be reciprocally movable within a spool chamber of the spool housing. The spool housing may comprise a first seal, a second seal, and a third seal. When the spool assembly is within the spool chamber, the first seal, the second seal, and the third seal may divide the spool chamber into a distal chamber, an intermediate chamber, a supply chamber, and a proximal chamber, respectively. The spool assembly may comprise a first spool vent that is in fluid communication with the distal chamber. The spool housing may comprise a first housing vent that is in fluid communication with the intermediate chamber. The first spool vent may be in fluid communication with the first housing vent when an outlet of the first spool vent is aligned within the intermediate chamber. |
| US09670920B2 |
Tank dampening device
A compressor assembly having a compressed gas tank having a tank dampening device in the form of a vibration absorption member. The vibration absorption member can provide a pressure to a portion of the compressed gas tank. A method of controlling sound emitted from a compressor assembly, by using a vibration absorber which exerts a force upon the compressed gas tank. A means for controlling the sound level of a compressed gas tank by using a means for absorbing vibration from the compressed gas tank which exerts a pressure on a portion of the compressed gas tank. |
| US09670919B2 |
Plural component pumping system
A plural component pump system is provided for delivering plural liquid components at a selected ratio. The pump system includes a first brushless DC motor configured to drive a first pump that pumps a first liquid component to an output and a second brushless DC motor configured to drive a second pump that pumps a second liquid component to the output. The pump system includes a first controller configured to control the first motor and a second controller configured to control the second motor. The pump system also includes a communication interface between the first controller and the second controller. The first controller is configured to send a signal to the second controller using the communication interface and the second controller is configured to control the second motor based on the signal to deliver the first and second liquid components to the output at the selected ratio. |
| US09670913B2 |
Plasma actuating propulsion system for aerial vehicles
A plasma propulsion nozzle incorporates a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers is cascaded in an array to be concentrically expanding from the inlet through an interior chamber to the outlet for a nozzle. A voltage source applies aperiodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity to the electrodes with differential phase applied to adjacent electrodes in the array creating and expelling plasma clusters at each dielectric spacer inducing flow from the nozzle outlet to produce thrust. |
| US09670912B2 |
Electric power generation system for roadway use
A hydraulic electric power generation system for roadway installation has a plurality of fluid-filled compressible pump channels positioned for compression by a vehicle to drive the fluid in a channel outwardly through outlet sides of the channels. The channels are contained in a mat adapted for positioning of a roadway surface in a manner such that the channels are compressed by the tires of vehicles travelling on the roadway. An outlet manifold collected the fluid driven out through the outlet sides of the channels and directs it to through piping to a hydraulic motor and coupled electric generator. The fluid exiting from the motor passes to a sump, from which it can be returned to a mat manifold at inlet sides of the channels. The channels are provided with one-way valves to prevent backflow. |
| US09670911B2 |
Manifolding arrangement for a modular heat-exchange apparatus
A heat-exchanger module that conveys a fluid through one or more heat exchangers with little or no pressure drop is presented. The heat-exchanger module comprises a first manifold that smoothly channels the fluid from a fluid source to each of the heat exchangers. The heat-exchanger module further comprises a second manifold that smoothly channels the fluid from the heat exchangers to a fluid sink. The manifolds are dimensioned and arranged to mitigate development of pressure drops in the fluid flow. |
| US09670909B2 |
Wind turbine foundation and wind turbine
A wind energy plant foundation is provided with a plurality of ready-made concrete foundation segments. The foundation segments have a plurality of first and second sheaths which serve to receive tension wires for bracing the foundation segments. |
| US09670908B2 |
Installation and method for exploiting wind energy
The invention relates to the field of methods and floating platforms for exploiting wind energy offshore. In particular, the invention provides a floating platform (1) anchored to at least one anchor point (7, 7′), including a wind turbine (2), and a shift device for shifting the wind turbine (2), which device is configured to shift the wind turbine (2) as a function of a set of parameters, including wind direction (V), in order to minimize the aerodynamic wake effects, and the invention also provides a method of exploiting wind energy by means of a set of floating platforms (1), each of which includes at least one wind turbine (2) and is anchored to at least one anchor point (7,7′). In this method, at least one wind turbine (2) of said set of floating platforms is shifted as a function of a set of parameters, including wind direction (V) in order to minimize the aerodynamic wake effects and in order to maximize the power generation of the set of wind turbines. |
| US09670906B2 |
Bearing arrangement for a wind turbine
A bearing arrangement to avoid a static charge in a bearing is provided.A bearing arrangement for a wind turbine comprises a first bearing shell that is prepared to be coupled to a first part of the wind turbine. The bearing arrangement comprises a second bearing shell that is prepared to be coupled to a second part of the wind turbine. The first and the second bearing shell are arranged in a way that the first and the second bearing shell are rotatable with respect to each other and have a first isolation ring for electrical isolation, so that the first part of the wind turbine can be rotated with respect to the second part of the wind turbine and avoid static discharge. |
| US09670905B2 |
Platform for collecting marine energy sources
The invention relates to a platform for collecting marine energy sources, which comprises solar energy collecting devices, wind energy generating devices and tidal generating devices. The platform also comprises electric energy gathering devices for gathering and outputting electric energy output by the collecting devices or the generating devices. The devices are arranged on the platform on the sea surface. The platform comprises a support partially submerged under the sea surface, a table arranged on the support, and a mounting bracket arranged on the table and used for placing the solar energy collecting devices and the wind energy generating devices. |
| US09670899B2 |
Low-profile power-generating wind turbine
A wind turbine is disclosed which uses energy in air moving relatively toward the turbine to focus and increase the velocity of air entering a turbine inlet air flow passage. The inlet flow passage discharges focused and accelerated air to blades of a rotor where the blades interact with that air to turn the rotor. Rotor motion can be used to operate an electrical generator. The plane of rotation of the rotor can be at substantially right angles to the plane of the passage inlet opening. Baffles in the flow passage and stator vanes adjacent the rotor blades cause the mass flow of the accelerated air to be substantially uniform, and desirably directed, throughout the rotor's blade area. The turbine is compact and operates quietly. |