| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09684719B2 |
Object search by description
Systems and methods search video data for objects that satisfy a general object description. A database is populated with identified objects and object characteristics detected in video data with at least one identifier that specifies video image data. At least one search parameter is received that presents a general object description. The database is queried based upon the received at least one search parameter. At least one identifier is returned from the database based upon the at least one search parameter. |
| US09684718B2 |
System for searching for a web document
Provided is a system for searching for a web document. The system includes a receiver configured to receive a user's search request. A search engine is configured to search for a web document related to the search request based on a web document index, and to determine a move path for accessing the web document based on a move path index of the web document. A sender is configured to send the move path for accessing the web document to the user. |
| US09684716B2 |
Video display method
A method for video playback uses only resources universally supported by a browser (“inline playback”) operating in virtually all handheld media devices. In one case, the method first prepares a video sequence for display by a browser by (a) dividing the video sequence into a silent video stream and an audio stream; (b) extracting from the silent video stream a number of still images, the number of still images corresponding to at least one of a desired output frame rate and a desired output resolution; and (c) combining the still images into a composite image. In one embodiment, the composite image having a number of rows, with each row being formed by the still images created from a fixed duration of the silent video stream. Another method plays the still images of the composite image as a video sequence by (a) loading the composite image to be displayed through a viewport defined the size of one of the still images; (b) selecting one of the still images of the composite image; (c) setting the viewport to display the selected still image; and (d) setting a timer for a specified time period based on a frame rate, such that, upon expiration of the specified time period: (i) selecting a next one of the still images to be displayed in the viewport, unless all still images of the composite image have been selected; and (ii) return to step (c) if not all still images have been selected. |
| US09684713B2 |
Methods and systems for retrieval of experts based on user customizable search and ranking parameters
Methods and systems for finding experts based upon user customizable search and ranking criteria, and providing the search results at a person or expert level are disclosed. The methods generally entail cataloging data within one or more document databases, and includes the steps of (a) inputting disparate data sources which may include publications, awarded grants, clinical trials, and/or patents; (b) processing the data within each document in the document database(s); (c) creating a document profile for each document using relevant keywords; (d) assigning weighting factors to the relevant keywords based upon selected attributes; (e) assigning an identifier to each document and document author; (f) removing duplicate document data using a disambiguation algorithm; (g) extracting author level attributes from the retrieved documents; and (h) creating or updating each document profile. The method steps may be implemented using a system of computer servers communicatively linked to a plurality of clients via a global network. |
| US09684712B1 |
Analyzing tenant-specific data
A method for use in analyzing tenant-specific data is disclosed. First data for a first tenant and second data for a second tenant is stored in a multi-tenant data storage system. A first portion of the first data is selected. Based on the selection, the first portion of the first data is copied to a data store that is specific to the first tenant. Data analysis techniques are applied to the data store. |
| US09684710B2 |
Extending random number summation as an order-preserving encryption scheme
A method and system for cryptographically indexing, searching for, and retrieving documents is provided. In some embodiments, an encryption system is provided that generates a document index that allows users to retrieve documents by performing encrypted queries for keywords associated with the documents. In some embodiments, each keyword maps to the same number of encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an extractor graph is employed to map an indication of each keyword to a number of buckets storing encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an order-preserving encryption system is provided. The encryption system uses an ordered index that maps encrypted instances of ordered attribute values to documents that are associated with those values. The ordered index enables queries containing query operators that rely on order, such as less than (“<”) or greater than (“>”), to be successfully performed on encrypted attribute values. |
| US09684708B2 |
Representing a machine-to-machine device model based on ontological relationships
In an approach for creating a machine-to-machine device model based on ontological relationship, one or more computer processors determine a plurality of characteristics of one or more machine-to-machine devices within a machine-to-machine communication environment. The one or more computer processors determine one or more ontological relationships between the one or more machine-to-machine devices and the plurality of characteristics of the one or more machine-to-machine devices. The one or more computer processors create a semantic device model, based, at least in part, on the one or more ontological relationships between the one or more machine-to-machine devices and the plurality of characteristics of the one or more machine-to-machine devices. |
| US09684706B2 |
Method for mapping media components employing machine learning
The present document relates to cloud computing. In particular, the present document relates to methods and systems for cloud computing which enable the efficient and flexible placement of application components within a cloud. A computing device (101) is described. The computing device (101) is adapted to receive a plurality of component placement requests for one or more components (703) of a corresponding plurality of applications (700); determine a plurality of feature vectors (203) from the plurality of component placement requests, respectively; wherein each feature vector (203) comprises vector dimensions which describe different attributes of the respective component placement request: determine a plurality of placement decisions (205) regarding the plurality of component placement requests, respectively: wherein each placement decision (205) comprises an indication of one or more executing computing devices (101) onto which the one or more components (703) of the respective application (700) have been placed; cluster the plurality of feature vectors (203), thereby yielding one or more clusters (202); wherein each cluster (202) comprises a default feature vector (203) describing the different attributes of a default component placement request; determine a default placement decision (205) for each of the one or more clusters; and store the one or more default feature vectors and the respective one or more default placement decisions (205) in a database (204) of the computing device (101). |
| US09684704B2 |
Data extraction and sparseness discovery from multidimensional databases
Techniques for a method for efficiently extracting data from multidimensional databases are disclosed herein. When extracting data from a subset of a multidimensional database, the method first extracts data from high-level cells within the subset. If there are any empty high-level cells, the method removes lower-level cells that roll-up into the empty high-level cell, without extracting data from these lower-level cells. The method improves the data extraction efficiency by reducing the overhead of extracting data from empty cells of multidimensional databases. |
| US09684702B2 |
Database redistribution utilizing virtual partitions
In some embodiments, a partitioned database is stored in a plurality of logical or physical partitions on at least a logical or physical first data storage node, and a subset of a first partition among the plurality of logical partitions is configured as a virtual partition. An input indicating an allocation of a second physical data storage node to store the partitioned database is received. A second partition is configured on the second data storage node. In response to the input, the partitioned database is redistributed over the first and second data storage nodes by moving data within the virtual partition on the first partition to the second partition. |
| US09684698B1 |
Methods and systems for social awareness
The embodiments described herein relate to a method and system for social awareness which may be based on social networks for knowledge exchange. More specifically, the embodiments may refer to specific social networks with social elements in the user interface based on knowledge exchange, social theory of group memberships within an enterprise or organization context. In addition, the disclosed group memberships may be predicated upon many different types of relationships. Furthermore, the social network (through a program interface) may provide to users the required specific project resources (project team members), which may be need to develop a better project performance according to the experience and knowledge of the new members. The required project team members may match with the attributes and criteria established during the project planning. |
| US09684697B1 |
Ranking search results
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for receiving a search query from a client device; receiving search result data identifying a first plurality of search result resources and respective initial scores for each of the first plurality of search result resources; identifying a respective group of resources to which each of the search result resources belongs; determining a respective group-based modification factor for each group of resources; and adjusting the initial score for each of the search result resources based at least in part on the group-specific modification factor for the group of resources to which the search result resource belongs to generate a respective second score for each of the search result resources. |
| US09684695B2 |
Ranking test framework for search results on an online social network
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a first set of scored results from a first user, the scored results comprising one or more results generated by a first search algorithm in response to a query from the first user, wherein the one or more results correspond to one or more content objects, respectively, the one or more results being personalized for the first user; and one or more scores inputted by the first user corresponding to the one or more results, respectively, calculating a discounted cumulative gain for each result in the first set of scored results based on the score inputted by the first user corresponding to the result, and modifying the first search algorithm based on the calculated gain for each result, wherein the first search algorithm is modified to improve the ranking of results personalized for the first user. |
| US09684692B2 |
Data distributing method and management node
A data distributing method and a management node are provided, which include: according to a received request for cross join, acquiring the number of sub-tables, serial numbers of sub-tables, the number of nodes and serial numbers of nodes, wherein the sub-tables and the nodes are separately included in table A and table B which need to perform cross join; setting the serial numbers of the sub-tables included in the table A or the table B in abscissa or ordinate in sequence, to form length or width of a big rectangle separately to generate the big rectangle; dividing the big rectangle into two sub-rectangles according to a construction method, wherein the two sub-rectangles are respectively the first sub-rectangle and the second sub-rectangle; evenly dividing the first sub-rectangle and the second sub-rectangle separately to form several small rectangles, wherein each small rectangle corresponds to a serial number of a computing node and corresponds to a serial number of a sub-table; distributing the sub-table corresponding to each small rectangle to the computing node corresponding to each small rectangle. Thus, the amount of data transmitted can be decreased, and the network transmission load is lightened. |
| US09684689B2 |
Distributed parallel processing system having jobs processed by nodes based on authentication using unique identification of data
The system and method of the present disclosure relates to data stored in a common database of a network for parallel processing by multiple processors or processing centers. As consumers and business continue to generate more and more data, the amount of data being stored across networks and computing environments increases. To monitor and process increasingly large amounts of data, the system and method of the present disclosure utilizes the atomicity of certain databases and storage devices to efficiently identify and mark data for processing by a designated processor or processing center, such that the designated processor or processing center is responsible for processing the identified and marked data. Consequently, the system ensures that no two processors or processing centers are processing the same data at the same time without the use of schedulers, queues or other conventional techniques. |
| US09684688B2 |
System and methods for matching identifiable patterns and enabling associated actions
A system and method are provided, the method comprising: receiving, at a registry service, a request to register an identifiable pattern for matching patterns in text; registering, in a registry, the identifiable pattern and a corresponding handler for performing an action; and updating at least one client library accessible to a corresponding client process with the identifiable pattern. |
| US09684682B2 |
Sharding of in-memory objects across NUMA nodes
Techniques are provided for sharding objects across different compute nodes. In one embodiment, a database server instance generates, for an object, a plurality of in-memory chunks including a first in-memory chunk and a second in-memory chunk, where each in-memory chunk includes a different portion of the object. The database server instance assigns each in-memory chunk to one of a plurality of computer nodes including the first in-memory chunk to a first compute node and a second in-memory chunk to a second local memory of a second compute node. The database server instance stores an in-memory map that indicates a memory location for each in-memory chunk. The in-memory map indicates that the first in-memory chunk is located in the first local memory of the first compute node and that the second in-memory chunk is located in the second local memory of the second compute node. |
| US09684679B2 |
Conservative garbage collecting and tagged integers for memory management
Aspects for conservative garbage collecting are disclosed. In one aspect, root objects included in a call stack are identified, which comprise integers and pointers. Integer representations are tagged and distinguishable from untagged pointer representations. Root objects are traced to corresponding memory locations such that a subsequent tracing is performed on the pointer representations and skipped on the integer representations. Memory allocated to objects unreachable by the call stack is then freed. In another aspect, an object graph associated with a call stack is tagged, and a heap is generated comprising objects included in an executed portion of the call stack. Objects included in an unexecuted portion of the call stack are traced to corresponding memory locations on the heap such that a subsequent tracing is only performed on the untagged pointer representations. Memory locations corresponding to heap objects unreachable by the unexecuted portion of the call stack are then cleared. |
| US09684678B2 |
Methods and system for investigation of compositions of ontological subjects
Methods and systems are given for investigation of compositions of ontological subjects in accordance with various aspects of significance. Accordingly, the present invention provide a unified method and process of investigating the compositions of ontological subjects, modeling an unknown system, and obtaining as much worthwhile information and knowledge as possible about the system or the composition or the body of knowledge along with exemplary services utilizing such investigations. |
| US09684677B2 |
Method for reliable and efficient filesystem metadata conversion
A method for converting metadata in a hierarchical configuration within a filesystem from a first format to a second format includes reading metadata in the first format within the hierarchical configuration; writing the metadata from the hierarchical configuration into a flat file; and writing the metadata back into the hierarchical configuration, the metadata being in the second format. The method can also include increasing the size of each of a first inode and a second inode within a first inode chunk in the filesystem, assigning the first inode to the first inode chunk, and assigning the second inode to a second inode chunk. |
| US09684670B2 |
Moving shared files
A client device accesses a shared data system and begins moving data from one location to another. The client device generates a tombstone object that indicates that includes metadata indicating that the data has been moved. When another client accesses the data at the old location, it encounters the tombstone and begins accessing the data at the new location. If the data has not already been completely moved to the new location, the second client to access the data assists in transferring the data to the new location. |
| US09684660B2 |
File processing method and system
Various embodiments provide a file processing method and system. An exemplary file processing method can include receiving a request for opening a file, applying for a memory area corresponding to the file requested for opening and setting a property of the memory area as non-readable and non-writable. After receiving a request for reading the file, the memory area corresponding to the file requested for reading can be accessed. If the accessing fails for a failure reason that the property of the memory area is non-readable and non-writable, file data requested for reading can be obtained from a disk by calling a memory access exception handler function registered in an operating system. The obtained file data can be stored in the memory area. The property of the memory area can be set as readable and writable and the file data can be read from the memory area. |
| US09684658B2 |
SWAT command and API for atomic swap and trim of logical pages
Example embodiments provide access to an updated file performed by at least one processor, wherein responsive to receiving a first list of logical page numbers (LPNs) and a second list of LPNs for an update, wherein the first list of LPNs is mapped to a first list of physical page numbers (PPNs), and the second list of LPNs is mapped to a second list of PPNs, the method, comprising: atomically remapping the first list of LPNs so that the first list of LPNs is mapped to the second list of PPNs; and trimming a mapping of the first list of LPNs to the first list of PPNs. |
| US09684649B2 |
Method and system for discovering suspicious account groups
In one exemplary embodiment, a system for discovering suspicious account groups establishes a language model according to the post contents from each account of a first group of accounts during a first time interval, to describe the speech of the account, and compares the similarity among a plurality of language models of the first group of accounts to cluster the first group of accounts; and for a plurality of newly added data during a second time interval, discovers near-synonyms of at least a monitored vocabulary set, and updates the near-synonyms to a plurality of language models of a second group of accounts. The system further integrates the first and the second groups of accounts, and re-clusters an integrated group of accounts. |
| US09684642B2 |
Method and device for updating electronic document and associated document use records
A method for a device to update an electronic document includes obtaining data update information and use record information of the electronic document, the data update information including a first position in the electronic document where an updating is to be performed, the use record information including a second position; determining whether the first position in the data update information is before the second position in the use record information; adjusting the use record information according to the data update information, if it is determined that the first position in the data update information is before the second position in the use record information; and updating the electronic document according to the data update information and the adjusted use record information. |
| US09684637B1 |
Collaborative workflow through messaging conversations
A networked application and email application were described herein that provide for an intuitive system by which users can participate in collaborative workflow relating to a network document. In one implementation, a system includes a messaging server component to provide messaging services and an application server component to provide a networked application. The application server component interacts with the messaging server component in response to a user command to initiate collaboration on the network document. The interaction with the messaging server component includes providing a link that refers to a version of the network document as created or edited by the user. |
| US09684634B2 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating predictive model
In an approach for evaluating a predictive model, a computer identifies features of training samples in a set of training samples and selects at least one evaluation metric from a set of evaluation metrics as one or more available metrics based on the identified features. The computer applies a predictive model created based on the set of training samples to a set of test samples so as to calculate values of the one or more available metrics and evaluates the predictive model by using the one or more available metrics and the values of the available metrics. With the technical solutions described with respect to the embodiments of the present invention, one or more evaluation metrics that are applicable to specific training sample features may be determined from several evaluation metrics, so that users can precisely evaluate predictive models by using the determined evaluation metrics. |
| US09684632B2 |
Parallel processing and internal processors
Systems, internal processors, and methods of parallel data processing in an internal processor are provided. In one embodiment, an external controller sends instructions to a memory device, and the internal processor on the memory device executes the instructions on the data. The internal processor may include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs), and each ALU may perform an operation on an entire operand, such that one or more operands may be processed in parallel by one or more ALUs in the internal processor. The operations may be completed on each operand in one or more cycles through the circuitry of the ALU, and the path of the operands through the ALU may be based on the width of the ALU, the size of the operands, or the type of operation to be performed. |
| US09684629B2 |
Efficient calibration of a low power parallel data communications channel
A calibratable communications link includes multiple parallel lines. Calibration is performed at dynamically variable and/or interruptible intervals determined by an automated mechanism. Calibration is preferably initiated responsive to a command generated by an executable software process, which initiates calibration responsive to detection of a probable impending need as indicated by, e.g., temperature change, calibrated parameter drift, error rate, etc. Calibration is also preferably initiated according to probable minimal disruption of device function, as indicated by low activity level. Furthermore, in one aspect calibration may be temporarily suspended to transmit data and then resumed. |
| US09684628B2 |
Mechanism for inserting trustworthy parameters into AJAX via server-side proxy
A system for retrieving information from a remote server is disclosed. The system includes a browser having a webpage executing JavaScript adapted to communicate a request with client identifying information to a first server. The first server has a proxy adapted to dynamically insert information into the request received from the client and communicate the request with inserted information to a second server, whereby the request with inserted information is trusted by the second server. The second server and first server are each adapted to also provide a response to the request. A method of communicating in a networked environment is also disclosed. |
| US09684627B1 |
Determining a likelihood of completion of a task
Methods and apparatus related to determining a likelihood that a task is completed. One or more task completion entities with which the user can interact to complete the task may be determined. One or more activity data indicators may be determined for a given entity of the task completion entities. The activity data indictors are indicative of the user performing the action through interaction with the given entity. User activity data may be received and compared with the activity data indicators to determine one or more matching activity data indicators of the activity data indicators that match the user activity data. A likelihood that the task is completed may be determined based on the matching activity data indicators. |
| US09684621B2 |
CAN bus termination connector
A termination connector for use in a heavy machine environment operable to terminate an electronic signal of a communication network. The termination connector has a connector housing which can be mated with a separate receptacle to connect to the communication network. The termination connector has a plurality of pin receptacles within the connector housing which connect to a termination circuit. The termination circuit has at least two resistors in electric series with one another connected to a first pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles and connected to a second pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles. A capacitor is connected between the at least two resistors in electric series at a front capacitor end and the back capacitor end is connected to a third pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles within the connector housing. |
| US09684620B2 |
Signal adaptor, signal receiving circuit and associated methods
A signal relaying circuit includes an input interface arranged for receiving an input signal; a DisplayPort (DP) output interface arranged for outputting a DP-like signal, where the input interface and the DP output interface correspond to different interface standards; and a relaying circuit coupled between the input interface and the DP output interface, arranged for relaying the input signal to the DP output interface according to the characteristics of channels, so as to generate the DP-like signal. A signal receiving circuit, signal relaying method and signal receiving method are also disclosed. |
| US09684618B2 |
Peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) ping in a switch-based environment
A sideband PCI Express (PCIe) packet initiator in a distributed PCIe switch fabric verifies a PCIe connection between a host device and a PCIe endpoint device without having to power on the host device. The packet initiator assembles a PCIe test packet that acts as a ping for testing reachability of the endpoint device, from the perspective of the host device. The test packet may also verify configurations and settings of the path to the endpoint device. The distributed switch fabric is configured to compare completion data with expected results to verify the PCIe connection, without having to boot the host device. |
| US09684617B2 |
Bus relay device for relaying communication through bus of I/O apparatus and CPU wherein relay device has lower side transmission unit to transmit interrupt factor address
A relaying device, when having received an interrupt notification 151 from an I/O device, transmits an interrupt factor read request 159(1) for an interrupt factor to the I/O device, based on an address information memory table 1041, without waiting for a response from a CPU, and transmits the interrupt notification 151 received, to the CPU. When having received an interrupt factor 160(1), the relaying device transmits an intra-I/O-device data read request 159(2) to the I/O device, based on an intra-I/O-device data read address storing table 1081, without waiting for a response from the CPU. |
| US09684613B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing spurious interrupts in a data storage system
A storage controller of a data storage system maintains, for each interrupt vector, (1) a pending status that indicates whether one or more completions are pending in the completion queue (CQ) associated with the interrupt vector, and (2) an in-progress status that indicates whether or not the storage controller is currently in the process of composing an interrupt. The storage controller utilizes these two statuses to reduce or eliminate spurious interrupts by preventing an interrupt from being composed if there are no completions in the CQ, by preventing an interrupt from being composed if the corresponding interrupt mask has been set before composition of the interrupt begins, and by preventing an interrupt from being sent to the host system in cases where the interrupt mask was set after composition of the interrupt began, but before the interrupt has been sent to the host system. |
| US09684611B2 |
Synchronous input/output using a low latency storage controller connection
Aspects include transmitting a synchronous I/O command to a persistent storage control unit (SCU in response to a synchronous I/O request from an operating system (OS). A unit of work in the OS corresponding to the synchronous I/O request remains active at least until the synchronous I/O request is completed. Based on an operation code of the synchronous I/O command specifying a read operation and in response to detecting that the persistent SCU has stored one or more read data records in a memory located on the processor, the firmware indicates to the OS that the synchronous I/O request is completed. Based on the operation code specifying a write operation and in response to detecting an indication from the persistent SCU that write data has been written or indicating that an error has occurred, indicating to the OS that the synchronous I/O request is completed. |
| US09684608B2 |
Maintaining a secure processing environment across power cycles
Embodiments of an invention for maintaining a secure processing environment across power cycles are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes an instruction unit and an execution unit. The instruction unit is to receive an instruction to evict a root version array page entry from a secure cache. The execution unit is to execute the instruction. Execution of the instruction includes generating a blob to contain information to maintain a secure processing environment across a power cycle and storing the blob in a non-volatile memory. |
| US09684607B2 |
Automatic recovery of application cache warmth
The automated recovery of the warmth of cache of an application that has been subject to a running state change that degraded the warmth of the cache. To prepare for a loss in warmth, the state of a cache portion identifiers are captured. Such identifies the cache portions that are within the application cache at an instant in time. Thereafter, the application experiences a change in running state that diminishes the warmth of the application cache. For instance, the application might be stopped and restarted. After and despite this cache degradation, the application may continue to operate. However, in order to warm the application cache more quickly, while the application is operating, the application cache is automatically warmed. For instance, while the application is operating, cache portions identified by the captured cache portion identifiers are automatically accessed from a source that is external to the application cache. |
| US09684605B2 |
Translation lookaside buffer for guest physical addresses in a virtual machine
Embodiments of an invention for a guest-physical address translation lookaside buffer are disclosed. In an embodiment, a processor includes an instruction decoder, a control register, and memory address translation hardware. The instruction decoder is to receive an instruction to transfer control of the processor to guest software to execute on a virtual machine. The virtual machine is to have a plurality of resources to be controlled by a virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor is to execute on a host machine having a host-physical memory to be accessed using a plurality of host-physical addresses. The plurality of resources is to include a guest-physical memory. The guest software is to access the guest-physical memory using a plurality of guest-virtual addresses. The control register is to store a pointer to a plurality of virtual address page tables. The memory address translation hardware is to translate, without causing a virtual machine exit, guest-virtual addresses to host-physical addresses using the plurality of virtual address page tables and a plurality of extended page tables. The memory address translation hardware includes a virtual address translation lookaside buffer in which to store a plurality of virtual address entries corresponding to guest-virtual address to host-physical address translations. The memory address translation hardware also includes a guest-physical address translation lookaside buffer in which to store a plurality of guest-physical address entries corresponding to guest-physical address to host-physical address translations. |
| US09684603B2 |
Memory initialization using cache state
Techniques are generally described for cache management in a processor with a cache. In response to receiving a bulk memory modification instruction, data blocks of the cache associated with the bulk memory modification instruction may be identified. A cache coherence state of the identified data blocks may also be identified. The updated cache coherence state may be indicative of a zero value of the data blocks and the cache coherence state of the identified data blocks may be updated without modification to a cache data array. |
| US09684599B2 |
Hybrid tracking of transaction read and write sets
Embodiments of the invention relate to tracking processor transactional read and write sets, thereby eliminating speculative mis-predictions. Both non-speculative read set and write set indications are maintained for a transaction. The indications are stored in cache. In addition, load and write queues of addresses are maintained. The load queue of addresses relates to speculative members of a read set and the write queue of addresses relates to speculating member of a write set. For a received read request, a transaction resolution process takes place, and a resolution is performed if an address match in the write queue is detected. Similarly, for a receive write request the transaction interference additionally checks the load queue and the non-speculative read set for the pending address. |
| US09684597B1 |
Distributed cache coherent shared memory controller integrated with a protocol offload network interface card
Network interface circuitry forms a local node. At least one processor offloads from a host computer at least one stateful communication connection between the host computer and a peer, and also operates a cache coherence protocol to scale coherent memory to multiple nodes. The processor operates the communication protocol processing offload at least in part according to communication connection states maintained in the memory, including accessing each communication connection state in the memory using the access procedure, to access that communication connection state in the memory according to an identifier corresponding to that communication connection state. The processor further operates the cache coherence protocol at least in part according to coherence states maintained in the memory, including accessing each coherence state in the memory using the access procedure, to access that coherence state in the memory according to an identifier corresponding to that coherence state. |
| US09684591B2 |
Storage system and storage apparatus
A storage system comprises a first controller and a plurality of storage devices. The plurality of storage devices configure RAID, each of which includes one or more non-volatile memory chips providing storage space where data from a host computer is stored, and a second controller coupled to the non-volatile memory chips. In case where the first controller receives an update request to update first data to second data from the host computer, the second controller in a first storage device of the storage devices is configured to store the second data in an area different from an area where the first data has been stored, in the storage space of the first storage device; generate information that relates the first data and the second data; and generate an intermediate parity based on the first and the second data. |
| US09684584B2 |
Managing assertions while compiling and debugging source code
The present disclosure relates to maintaining assertions in an integrated development environment (IDE) tool. According to one embodiment, while the IDE tool is compiling the source code of a development project, the IDE tool generates at least a first compiler warning. The first compiler warning generally corresponds to at least one line of source code in a first source code component of the development project. A first set of assertions to add to the source code of the development project is determined based on the line of source code that resulted in the first compiler warning. The IDE tool adds the first set of assertions to the source code of the development project. The first set of assertions are compiled as part of the source code of the development project. |
| US09684583B2 |
Trace data export to remote memory using memory mapped write transactions
A method for easily tracing the execution of an application in a computer system having a plurality of computing nodes interconnected by high speed data links is disclosed. While executing the application on one or more of the computing nodes, trace data is collected into a separate temporary trace buffer coupled to each computing node. A trace transfer request event may be generated after collecting a portion of the trace data. The trace data is recorded on a designated recording and analysis computing node by transferring the trace data from each trace buffer to a recording buffer in the designated recording node in response to the transfer request by performing memory mapped write transfers initiated by each computing node that has collected trace data. The address of the recording buffer is memory mapped into an address space of each computing node that has collected trace data. |
| US09684580B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for efficient scrambling of data for line rate transmission in high speed communications networks
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for efficiently scrambling data in high speed communications networks. One exemplary method includes, in a network equipment test device, providing a scrambler for scrambling data to be transmitted to a device under test. Scrambling the data includes separating a scrambling algorithm into a scramble key portion and a data portion. Scrambling the data further includes pre computing and storing the scramble key portion. Scrambling the data further includes precomputing and storing the data portion. Scrambling the data further includes logically combining the precomputed scramble key portion with the precomputed data portion to produce a data bus width scrambled output data. The method further includes transmitting the scrambled output data over a network to the device under test. |
| US09684578B2 |
Embedded universal serial bus (USB) debug (EUD) for multi-interfaced debugging in electronic systems
Embedded Universal Serial Bus (USB) debug (EUD) for multi-interfaced debugging in electronic systems are disclosed. Electronic systems contain complex integrated circuits (ICs) that require extensive testing and debugging to ensure good quality and performance. In exemplary aspects, an EUD is provided in an electronic system. The EUD is configured to send control information to and/or collect debugging information from multiple internal debugging interfaces in the electronic system. The EUD is also configured to convert the debugging information into a USB format so that the debugging information can be externally accessed through a USB interface provided by the electronic system. The EUD can provide non-invasive monitoring of the electronic system. The electronic system is able to use a USB port for communications in a mission mode while EUD is enabled. Additionally, the electronic system can turn on or off all system clocks during power-saving mode while the EUD continues to function. |
| US09684575B2 |
Failover handling in modular switched fabric for data storage systems
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage system is provided that includes storage drives each comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface, and configured to store data and retrieve the data stored on associated storage media responsive to data transactions. The data storage system also includes processing modules each comprising one or more processors, where a first processor is configured to receive data transactions and transfer the data transactions for delivery to associated ones of the storage drives. A monitoring system is configured to identify when the first processor fails, and responsively instruct a second processor to handle further data transactions directed to storage drives associated with the first processor. |
| US09684573B2 |
Dismounting a storage volume
In response to an instruction to dismount a storage volume, for example, an object in the storage volume is identified and a handle that references the object is closed. Once an exclusive lock on the storage volume is acquired, the storage volume can be dismounted. The storage volume can then remounted. |
| US09684571B2 |
Namespace mirroring in an expandable storage volume
Technology for maintaining a backup of namespace metadata of an expandable storage volume is disclosed. In various embodiments, the expandable storage volume backs up metadata of a namespace constituent volume of the expandable storage volume into a namespace mirror volume. The namespace constituent volume is responsible for storing the metadata for data objects stored in multiple data constituent volumes of the expandable storage volume. In response to a signal indicating that the namespace constituent volume is unavailable, the namespace mirror volume replaces the role of the namespace constituent volume. The new namespace constituent volume continues to provide metadata for a data object of the data objects in response to an operation request for the data object. |
| US09684566B2 |
Techniques for backup restore and recovery of a pluggable database
A container database stores redo records and logical timestamps for multiple pluggable databases. When it is detected that a first read-write instance of the pluggable database is opened and no other read-write instances of the pluggable database are open, offline range data associated with the pluggable database is updated. When it is detected that a second read-write instance of the pluggable database is closed, and the second read-write instance is the last open read-write instance, the offline range data associated with the pluggable database is updated. The pluggable database is restored to a logical timestamp associated with a restore request based on the offline range data. |
| US09684563B1 |
Techniques for backup management
Techniques for backup management are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for backup management comprising the steps of receiving power level information from a backup client, determining a factor, based at least in part on the power level information, affecting a backup time window for the backup client, identifying a portion of data of the backup client for backup based on the determination, and providing an instruction to the backup client communicating the identified portion of data. |
| US09684560B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method to increase data integrity in a redundant storage system
In various embodiments, an apparatus, system, and method may increase data integrity in a redundant storage system. In one embodiment, a request is received for data stored at a storage system having a plurality of storage elements, where one or more of the plurality of storage elements include parity information. A determination is made that one of the plurality of storage elements is unavailable, the unavailable storage element being a functional storage element and including at least a portion of the data. Responsive to the determination, the data is reconstructed based on at least a portion of the parity information and data from one or more of the plurality of storage elements other than the unavailable storage element; a response is provided to the request such that the response includes the reconstructed data. |
| US09684559B1 |
Methods and apparatus for storing error correction information on a memory controller circuit
A memory controller circuit is disclosed. The memory controller circuit is coupled to an external memory device. The memory controller circuit selectively generates error-correction information for a user input. The selection is based on whether the user input is one of predefined inputs. In order to facilitate that, the memory controller circuit includes a command processor circuit and a memory circuit. The error-correction information is stored within the memory circuit located within the memory controller circuit. Selectively generating the error-free correction information may significantly reduce the amount of memory storage that is required within the memory controller circuit. |
| US09684556B2 |
Method and apparatus for a self-adjusting calibrator
A self-adjusting calibrator is provided. The calibrator may include a calibrator datastore. The calibrator datastore may store assimilated performance data. The assimilated performance data may relate to a collection of configuration items. The calibrator datastore may also store performance metrics. The performance metrics may map historic error events in a system to a plurality of configuration items. The calibrator may also include an optimal value computation engine. The optimal value computation engine may be in communication with the calibrator datastore. The optimal value computation engine may determine an optimal threshold value for each configuration item in the collection of configuration items. The optimal threshold value may enable a receiver, which may be associated with calibrator datastore, to receive true error event information that occurred in the system. The optimal threshold value may also prevent the receiver from receiving false error event information that occurred in the system. |
| US09684554B2 |
System and method for using failure casting to manage failures in a computed system
A system and method for using failure casting to manage failures in computer system. In accordance with an embodiment, the system uses a failure casting hierarchy to cast failures of one type into failures of another type. In doing this, the system allows incidents, problems, or failures to be cast into a (typically smaller) set of failures, which the system knows how to handle. In accordance with a particular embodiment, failures can be cast into a category that is considered reboot-curable. If a failure is reboot-curable then rebooting the system will likely cure the problem. Examples include hardware failures, and reboot-specific methods that can be applied to disk failures and to failures within clusters of databases. The system can even be used to handle failures that were hitherto unforeseen—failures can be cast into known failures based on the failure symptoms, rather than any underlying cause. |
| US09684553B2 |
Generation of instructions for repairing an electromechanical system
The invention provides for an electromechanical system comprising a machine. The machine comprises at least one mechanical component and at least one electrical sensor for acquiring measurement data. The system further comprises a data logger computer system for logging the measurement data and error reports as historical data, wherein the error reports are descriptive of one or more failure modes of the at least one mechanical component, wherein the error reports are further descriptive of repair actions taken to repair the one or more failure modes. The system further comprises a machine monitor comprising a repair solution engine, wherein the machine monitor comprises a memory containing processor instructions that implement the repair solution engine, wherein the machine monitor comprises a processor for executing the processor instructions. The system further comprises a data transfer system for transferring the data from the machine to the machine monitor. The system further comprises a client computer system. Execution of the processor instructions cause the processor to: receive the measurement data from the data transfer system; receive the historical data from the data logger computer system; search the historical data to determine a current failure mode and a selected repair action, wherein the current failure mode is selected from the one or more failure modes of the historical data, wherein the selected repair action is selected from the repair actions; generate repair instructions using the selected repair action; and transfer the repair instructions of the selected repair entry to the client computer system. |
| US09684550B2 |
Robust and adaptable management of event counters
Embodiments include a method for verifying a counter design within a tolerance window within which a race condition occurs between a context event and a design event. The method includes receiving a plurality of events within the counter design, the plurality of events including the context event and the design event. The method also includes dynamically determining the tolerance window around the context event by setting a first portion of the tolerance window to precede an occurrence of the context event and by setting a second portion of the tolerance window to follow the context event. Additionally, the method includes performing a verification of whether the design event is within the first portion of the tolerance window or the second portion of the tolerance window. |
| US09684549B1 |
Event management architecture
Generally described, aspects of the present disclosure relate to the management of event data. In one aspect, an event management service obtains information related to one or more events and implements steps related to the collection of event data. In another aspect, based on the collected information, the event management service can implement one or more event data management protocols. For example, the event management service can track the progression of data analysis related to the event data, such as implementing various error analysis tools or methodologies. In another example, the event management service can implementing tracking methodologies that can determine when to implement various escalations or follow up actions based on the processing of event data. In still a further aspect, the event management service can implement various reporting or auditing related to the collection of the event data, the processing of the event data or both. |
| US09684547B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling security of an application and its extension
Techniques for handling security of an application and its extension are described. In one embodiment, an application manager of an operating system running within a data processing system launches an application in a first sandboxed environment based on a first security profile associated with the application. In response to receiving a request from the application for accessing a function of an application extension that is associated with the application, the application manager launches the application extension in a second sandboxed environment based on a second security profile associated with the application extension. The application manager is to individually enforce security and manage resources of the application and the application extension in the first and second sandboxed environments based on the first and second security profiles, respectively. The second security profile specifies resources fewer than the first security profile. |
| US09684546B2 |
Job scheduling and monitoring in a distributed computing environment
A view of data transformation jobs can be presented by way of a user interface. Related jobs can subsequently be identified automatically after a job is selected based on data dependencies between jobs. Execution status can also be determined and presented such that successful and failed execution of jobs, for example, can be differentiated. Furthermore, selection of a job run that failed to execute successfully can trigger identification of related jobs runs that failed or are predicted to fail to execute successfully. |
| US09684543B1 |
Distributed data set storage, retrieval and analysis
An apparatus includes a processor and a storage storing instructions causing the processor to: maintain a federated area; receive a request to perform a job flow with a data set from a remote device; retrieve a job flow definition specifying the tasks of the job flow from the federated area; determine whether there is an instance log in the federated area generated by a previous performance of the job flow with the data set; in response to there being such an instance log, compare the version specified in the instance log of each task routine for each task to the most recent version stored in the federated area; and in response to each version specified in the instance log matching the most recent version, provide the remote device with access to a result report generated by the previous performance in lieu of generating a new result report. |
| US09684540B2 |
Dynamically controlled workload execution by an application
Methods and systems for optimizing workloads on information handling systems involve determining, by an application, a computing task for execution by the application. The application may determine workload attributes for a computing task for execution at an information handling system. The workload attributes are used by the application to dynamically determine a workload policy for configuration of hardware resources at the information handling system. After dynamic configuration by the application of the hardware resources according to the workload policy, the computing task is executed at the information handling system by the application. |
| US09684537B2 |
Regulating hardware speculative processing around a transaction
A transaction is detected. The transaction has a begin-transaction indication and an end-transaction indication. If it is determined that the begin-transaction indication is not a no-speculation indication, then the transaction is processed. |
| US09684536B2 |
Scheduling method and scheduling system
A scheduling method includes determining whether priority of an application to be activated is of a given priority, the determining being performed by a first data processing apparatus that is included in a first group having at least one data processing apparatus; transferring to a second data processing apparatus that is included in any one among a second group and the first group, a predetermined function of the first data processing apparatus so as to execute the application by the first data processing apparatus, the transferring being performed when the priority of the application is of the given priority, and the first and the second groups being among a plurality of groups that each includes at least one data processing apparatus; and placing the application in an execution queue of the first data processing apparatus, when the priority of the application is not the given priority. |
| US09684533B2 |
Management of a virtual machine in a virtualized computing environment based on a concurrency limit
One or more concurrency limits may be checked in connection with the performance of a virtual machine management operation such as a virtual machine deploy, resize or migration operation to enable the virtual machine management operation to be scheduled on a host for which no concurrency limits have been met. |
| US09684531B2 |
Combining blade servers based on workload characteristics
To perform a workload, a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) may be assigned to a plurality of blade servers. To assign the VMs, a computing system uses the characteristics of the workloads that will be executed by the virtual machines such as the number of processors or the amount of memory, storage the workload is estimated to use, and the like. Based on these workload characteristics, the computing system determines an optimal solution for deploying the VMs onto the blade servers. In one embodiment, the computing system determines whether two or more of the blade servers should be stitched together. For example, the computing system compares the workload characteristics of one of the virtual machine to the combined available resources of at least two of the blade servers. If the combined available resources satisfy the workload characteristics, the computing system stitches the blade servers together. |
| US09684530B2 |
System and method for assigning virtual functions and management host thereof
A system and a method for assigning virtual functions, and a management host thereof are provided. The management host is connected with a computer host through a bridge and has at least one virtual function. A management processor of the management host updates a mapping table according to a virtual function establishing request to assign the at least one virtual function to the computer host according to the mapping table, wherein the management processor determines whether to establish the virtual function according to the mapping table. The management processor transmits a hot-plug event to the corresponding computer host via a switch according to an assignment result and connects the virtual function with the corresponding computer host to dynamically adjust an allocation of the virtual function. |
| US09684529B2 |
Firmware and metadata migration across hypervisors based on supported capabilities
A system and methods are disclosed for employing firmware metadata and migrating firmware in virtualized environments. In accordance with one example, a hypervisor that is executed by a computer system obtains an address of a firmware program stored in a non-volatile memory of the computer system. The hypervisor also obtains metadata that specifies a set of capabilities of the firmware program, where the metadata is not accessible to any virtual machine hosted by the computer system. |
| US09684527B1 |
Classification and validation system and method for an integrated computing system
An integrated computing system configuration system includes a computing system that executes an engine to receive component specifications for each of one or more components supplied by a plurality of suppliers, and receive user input for selecting a subset of the component specifications to be implemented in a customized integrated computing system by generating a base configuration that comprises the component specifications of the subset of the components. From the received component specifications and user input, the engine may generate a component classification for each component specification according to its functionality, validate each component classification according to one or more other component specifications in the subset of components, and display the validated components for each component on a display. |
| US09684526B2 |
Techniques for configuring a generic program using controls
According to some aspects, a method of operating a data processing system is provided wherein at least one computer program is configured, the data processing system comprising least a first control, a second control and a third control, the first, second and third controls comprising at least user interface portions and operational portions, the method comprising rendering a first user interface based on the user interface portion of the first control, receiving first user input through the first user interface, the first user input providing configuration information for the at least one program, identifying the second control based at least in part on the operational portion of the first control, rendering a second user interface based on the user interface portion of the identified second control, and receiving second user input through the second user interface, the second user input providing configuration information for the at least one program. |
| US09684524B1 |
Service-oriented system optimization using trace data
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for implementing optimization of a service-oriented system using trace data are disclosed. One or more call graphs are determined based on trace data for a plurality of service interactions between individual ones of a plurality of services. The trace data comprises performance data for the service interactions. The call graphs comprise one or more call paths, and the call paths represent individual ones of the service interactions between the services. An optimized configuration for the services is determined based on the performance data. The optimized configuration improves a total performance metric for one or more call paths in the one or more call graphs. A location of one or more of the services is modified based on the optimized configuration. |
| US09684521B2 |
Systems having discrete and continuous gesture recognizers
A software application includes a plurality of views and an application state. The method includes displaying one or more views, where a respective view includes a respective gesture recognizer having a corresponding delegate to the respective gesture recognizer. The method includes detecting one or more events and processing a respective event of the one or more events using the respective gesture recognizer. The processing of the respective event includes processing the respective event at the respective gesture recognizer in accordance with a respective gesture definition corresponding to the respective gesture recognizer, executing the corresponding delegate to determine one or more values, and conditionally sending information corresponding to the respective event to the software application in accordance with the one or more values determined by the delegate. The method includes executing the software application in accordance with information, received from the respective gesture recognizer. |
| US09684520B2 |
Computing system with non-disruptive fast memory restore mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method for operating a computing system includes: monitoring a central interface for a power event; accessing a high-speed memory for pre-shutdown data; accessing a non-volatile memory during the power event for the pre-shutdown data previously stored on the high-speed memory; selecting a multiplexer for allowing external access to the high-speed memory; and formatting the pre-shutdown data in the non-volatile memory for access through a non-disruptive interface. |
| US09684516B2 |
Register renamer that handles multiple register sizes aliased to the same storage locations
A processor may include a physical register file and a register renamer. The register renamer may be organized into even and odd banks of entries, where each entry stores an identifier of a physical register. The register renamer may be indexed by a register number of an architected register, such that the renamer maps a particular architected register to a corresponding physical register. Individual entries of the renamer may correspond to architected register aliases of a given size. Renaming aliases that are larger than the given size may involve accessing multiple entries of the renamer, while renaming aliases that are smaller than the given size may involve accessing a single renamer entry. |
| US09684514B2 |
Inference based condition code generation
A condition code can depend upon a numerical output of a floating point operation for a processing pipeline. A classification can be determined for the floating point operation of a received instruction. In response to the classification and using condition determination logic, a value can be calculated for the condition code by inferring from data that is available from the processing pipeline before the numerical output is available. The value for the condition code can be provided to branch decision logic of the processing pipeline. |
| US09684511B2 |
Using software having control transfer termination instructions with software not having control transfer termination instructions
In an embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having a decode unit, an execution unit, and a retirement unit. The decode unit is to decode control transfer instructions and the execution unit is to execute control transfer instructions. The retirement unit is to retire a first control transfer instruction, and to raise a fault if a next instruction to be retired after the first control transfer instruction is not a second control transfer instruction and a target instruction of the first control transfer instruction is in code using the control transfer instructions. |
| US09684510B2 |
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing a shuffle and operation (Shuffle-Op)
Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing in a computer processor a data element shuffle and an operation on the shuffled data elements in response to a single data element shuffle and an operation instruction that includes a destination vector register operand, a first and second source vector register operands, an immediate value, and an opcode are described. |
| US09684509B2 |
Vector processing engines (VPEs) employing merging circuitry in data flow paths between execution units and vector data memory to provide in-flight merging of output vector data stored to vector data memory, and related vector processing instructions, systems, and methods
Vector processing engines (VPEs) employing merging circuitry in data flow paths between execution units and vector data memory to provide in-flight merging of output vector data stored to vector data memory are disclosed. Related vector processing instructions, systems, and methods are also disclosed. Merging circuitry is provided in data flow paths between execution units and vector data memory in the VPE. The merging circuitry is configured to merge an output vector data sample set from execution units as a result of performing vector processing operations in-flight while the output vector data sample set is being provided over the output data flow paths from the execution units to the vector data memory to be stored. The merged output vector data sample set is stored in a merged form in the vector data memory without requiring additional post-processing steps, which may delay subsequent vector processing operations to be performed in execution units. |
| US09684503B2 |
Electronic device and method for saving power in the electronic device
A method for saving power of an electronic device includes establishing relationship between operational states and operations carried out by the electronic device. According to the relationship, an operation to the electronic device is executed after acquiring current operational states of the electronic device periodically. And the operational states of the electronic device is refreshed after executing the operation to the electronic device. |
| US09684502B2 |
Apparatus, systems, and methods for distributed application orchestration and deployment
Embodiments disclosed facilitate distributed orchestration and deployment of a cloud based distributed computing application. In some embodiments, the distributed orchestration may be based on a cloud agnostic representation of the application. In some embodiments, an ordered set of events may be obtained based on a starting sequence for the plurality of components, where each event in the ordered set is associated with a corresponding set of prerequisites for initiating execution of the event. Event identifiers corresponding to the ordered set of events may be placed on an event message bus with persistence that is shared between a plurality of distributed nodes associated with a cloud. Upon receiving an indication of completion of prerequisites for one or more events, a plurality of nodes of a distributed orchestration engine may select the one or more events corresponding to the one or more selected event identifiers for execution on the cloud. |
| US09684501B2 |
Associating a URL or link between two applications
Methods and systems for associating, in a secure manner, a link between web sites (or other network resources) and installed applications. In one embodiment, a signed list of one or more URLs is downloaded and validated to establish an association, which is stored in a data structure, between a first application and a second application. In response to receiving a selection of a URL in the second application, comparing the selected URL to URLs in the data structure and displaying, in the first application, content of the selected URL in response to determining that at least a prefix portion of the selected URL matches one of the URL associated with the first application in the data structure. |
| US09684499B2 |
Systems and methods for facilitating installation of software applications
In at least one embodiment, a system for facilitating installation of a software application is provided. The system includes a communications component configured to communicate with external devices, and a processor configured to detect an intent to install the software application to a computing device, cause the communications component to provide an installer of the software application for retrieval by the computing device, and direct the communications components to communicate with a mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a guide in installation of the software application to the computing device. |
| US09684498B2 |
File processing method and electronic apparatus
A file processing method applied to an operating system, includes: packaging a first package file which supports a plurality of language versions into a plurality of first single-language package files, wherein the plurality of first single-language package files correspond to the plurality of language versions, respectively; and adding the plurality of first single-language package files to a plurality of language packages, respectively. |
| US09684494B2 |
Efficient parallel computation of dependency problems
A computing method includes accepting a definition of a computing task, which includes multiple Processing Elements (PEs) having execution dependencies. The computing task is compiled for concurrent execution on a multiprocessor device, by arranging the PEs in a series of two or more invocations of the multiprocessor device, including assigning the PEs to the invocations depending on the execution dependencies. The multiprocessor device is invoked to run software code that executes the series of the invocations, so as to produce a result of the computing task. |
| US09684492B2 |
Automatic determination of compiler configuration
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for automatically determining configuration properties of a compiler. One of the methods includes determining that an executable of the newly created process is a compiler called by the build system to compile source code of a source code file. In response to the determining, a plurality of configuration properties of the compiler called by the build system are determined, the configuration properties including first properties of a plurality of built-in functions of the compiler, second properties of a plurality of built-in types of the compiler, or both. A compiler emulator is configured to emulate the behavior of the compiler called by the build system using the determined configuration properties. Access to the source code is provided to the compiler emulator configured using the determined configuration properties. |
| US09684491B2 |
Annotation-based item description
Example systems and methods that provide annotations of item descriptions are described. In one implementation, a method accesses data associated with an item and identifies multiple attributes associated with the item. The method further generates a Java class associated with the item and annotates the Java class to include the attributes associated with the item. |
| US09684490B2 |
Uniform interface specification for interacting with and executing models in a variety of runtime environments
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with the generation and execution of analytical models are described. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes identifying a selected runtime environment for executing an analytical model that includes analytical expressions. A user-script data structure is generated and provides mapping of the analytical expressions to executable expressions of the runtime environment. A computerized specification object is generated that includes a pre-script data structure, the user-script data structure with the analytical model, and a post-script data structure. The pre-script data structure specifies how the runtime environment is to access input data to be operated upon by the analytical model. The post-script data structure specifies how to output results data, produced by the analytical model, from the runtime environment. The computerized specification object is transmitted over a computer network to the runtime environment for execution of the analytical model in the runtime environment. |
| US09684487B2 |
Line-multiplexed UART
A line multiplexed UART interface is provided that multiplexes a UART transmit and CTS functions on a transmit pin and that multiplexes a UART receive and RTS functions on a receive pin. In this fashion, the conventional need for an additional RTS pin and an additional CTS pin is obviated such that the line multiplexed UART interface uses just the transmit pin and the receive pin. |
| US09684485B2 |
Fast-resume audio playback
A network device transmits to at least one playback device, audio information and playback timing information, wherein the audio information is associated with a first timestamp and a second timestamp; wherein the first timestamp and the second timestamp identify a time to playback the audio information; and wherein the playback timing information comprises the first timestamp. After transmitting the audio information and playback timing information, the network device receives while playback of the audio information is paused via the network interface, a command to resume playback of the audio information; wherein the audio information is paused prior to a time indicated by the first timestamp and second timestamp to play back the audio information. The network device instructs the at least one playback device to update the first timestamp, and updates the second timestamp to facilitate playback the audio information in synchrony. |
| US09684484B2 |
Playback zone silent connect
Embodiments provided herein involve connected states between a mobile device and one or more zones in a network media system and different interactions between the mobile device and the network media system involving the connected states. The connected states may be established between the mobile device and the one or more zones such that further actions taken on media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device may also be taken on corresponding media items in a playback queue associated with the one or more zones. The interface on the mobile device may display various graphical representations to indicate the different interactions involving the connected states, including when a connected state is established, when a connected state is lost, and when a reconnected state is reestablished. The interface may further provide selectable icons to allow a user to navigate among the different media playback options involving the connected states. |
| US09684483B2 |
Seamless illuminated panel
A device and method of providing a versatile illuminated panel for walls, product displays, and other surfaces is described. Panels are constructed from a variable number of rectangular illuminated tiles, where the tiles mate edge-to-edge so as to create a nearly seamless visual panel effect. Illumination within each tile is uniform to also create a nearly seamless visual panel effect. End-users may create panels of varying sizes and shapes by using different quantities of a standard tile. The software within the invention automatically determines the number and arrangement of tiles within each assembled panel. Each tile comprises a plurality of illuminators, an optical means to distribute light from the illuminators uniformly across the tile, and at least one communication interface. In one embodiment the tiles are linked into a communications tree-structure; and the location of each tile within the tree constitutes its logical address. |
| US09684478B2 |
Controlling distribution of a depletable resource on a network-enabled device
A network-enabled device can operate to permit user access to the depletable resource only if information stored on the device indicates that the replenishment for the depleted resource is being obtained from an appropriate or approved source. |
| US09684475B2 |
Multi-mode hybrid storage drive
Embodiments of systems and methods for managing a multi-mode hybrid storage device are described. In an embodiment, a method includes identifying an operational state of a system having a hybrid data storage device and an interfacing processor configured to interface with the hybrid data storage device. A method may also include interacting with the hybrid data storage device according to one of a plurality of interaction modes in response to the operational state of the system. |
| US09684473B2 |
Virtual machine disaster recovery
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for protecting data. In some embodiments, this includes creating a copy of a backup virtual machine on a deduplicated data storage device, registering the copy with a virtual environment manager, operating a virtual machine based on the copy and storing changes made during operation of the virtual machine to the copy. |
| US09684470B2 |
Rapid migration to managed clouds with multiple change windows
An image version of a source instance is prepared and is transferred to a destination environment. Two or more copies of the transferred image version of the source instance are created at the destination environment. The first copy of the transferred image version of the source instance is adjusted while the source instance is in use. The second copy of the transferred image version of the source instance is resynchronized with one or more changes made to the source instance. The adjustments made to the first copy of the source instance are applied to the resynchronized second copy of the source instance. |
| US09684469B1 |
System and method for cache replacement using access-ordering lookahead approach
Data objects of a file are cached in a cache memory of a storage system. An access sequence of the cached data objects is determined based on metadata of the file. In response to a request for cache space reclamation, a data object is evicted from the cache memory whose next access is a farthest amongst the cached data objects based on the access sequence of the data objects. |
| US09684467B2 |
Management of pinned storage in flash based on flash-to-disk capacity ratio
Methods, systems, and programs are presented for managing a storage device memory. One method includes an operation for receiving a request to pin a volume stored in the storage device. The device includes disk storage and a solid state drive (SSD) cache, where pinned volumes in the storage device have all active volume data in the SSD cache. Further, the method includes an operation for determining the maximum amount of pinnable space in the SSD cache, the maximum amount of pinnable space being calculated based on the sizes of the disk storage and the SSD cache. Further, the method includes operations for determining the available pinning space, which is the maximum amount of pinnable space minus the current amount of pinned data in the SSD cache, and for granting the request to pin the volume when the available pinning space is greater than or equal to a size of the volume. |
| US09684464B2 |
Semiconductor storage device and control method for same
A semiconductor storage device includes at least one memory from among a primary memory, a mirror memory storing data corresponding to data stored in the primary memory, and a buffer memory; and a controller that controls the at least one memory so as to store data in the at least one memory and read data from the at least one memory. |
| US09684457B2 |
Gathering sensed data from devices to manage host command transmission and cooling of the devices
Provided are a computer readable storage media, method, and system for gathering sensed data from devices to manage host command transmission and cooling of the device. Host commands are retrieved from a host memory in a host to perform Input/Output operations with respect to a device. The retrieved host commands are transmitted to the device to perform the I/O operations of the host command. A monitor command is transmitted to obtain sensed data from the device while processing the host commands. A rate of transmitting the host commands is adjusted in response to determining that the sensed data received from the device in response to the monitor command satisfies a condition. |
| US09684452B2 |
System and method for controlling automated page-based tier management in storage systems
The system includes host computers, file servers and a storage system having automated page-based management means. The storage system interface receives instructions to change the condition for decision for migration regarding particular parts or the whole volume. The host computer can control execution of the migration performed by the storage system by specifying areas or volumes with the condition via the interface. Highly optimized, appropriate data placement and data relocation in computer system can be achieved when the application, host computer or management computer can recognize or predict the usage of the data or files. The storage system having automated page-based management may include compression/decompression and a control method for the compression and decompression process. |
| US09684451B2 |
Mapping of logical volumes to host clusters
A method for data storage includes defining a host cluster within a group of host computers, which access a storage system that includes multiple logical volumes. The host cluster includes two or more of the host computers. A single mapping instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a set of one or more of the logical volumes, is accepted. Responsively to the single mapping instruction, each of the host computers in the host cluster is mapped to access the logical volumes in the set. In another disclosed method, a single control instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a configuration operation to be applied to the host computers in the host cluster, is accepted. Responsively to the single control instruction, the configuration operation is applied to each of the host computers in the host cluster. |
| US09684448B2 |
Device input system and method for visually impaired users
A device and user interface for visually impaired users for, and methods for manufacturing and using same. One aspect includes a method of providing a device user interface for visually impaired users and receiving touch-based user input via the interface, the method including: replacing automatically a default device user interface with the device user interface for visually impaired users; presenting via a touch screen of the user device a first menu item comprising menu text; and presenting via a speaker of the user device a first audio message corresponding to the first menu item text. Another aspect includes a user device for visually impaired users comprising a touch screen configured to receive touch input from a user and present a touch-input interface for Braille input comprising a plurality of input regions defined by and separated by input region boundaries. |
| US09684446B2 |
Text suggestion output using past interaction data
In one example, a device includes at least one processor and at least one module operable by the at least one processor to output, for display, a graphical user interface including a graphical keyboard and one or more text suggestion regions, and select, based at least in part on an indication of gesture input, at least one key of the graphical keyboard. The at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine a plurality of candidate character strings, determine past interaction data that comprises a representation of a past user input corresponding to at least one candidate character string while the at least one candidate character string was previously displayed in at least one of the one or more text suggestion regions, and output the at least one candidate character string for display in one of the one or more text suggestion regions. |
| US09684444B2 |
Portable electronic device and method therefor
An electronic device is provided including a display, a processor and a memory. The processor is coupled to the display and the memory to carry out a method of facilitating user interface navigation in the electronic device. In a first view shown on the display, a first application interface provides a visual representation of a first application. In response to receiving a navigational command to access a second application visually represented by a second application interface, a transitional view is displayed including a transition between the first application interface and the second application interface. The displayed transition can be dependent on a property of the received navigational command. The first and second application interfaces can be displayed to appear in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, and can have sheet-like properties or behaviors. |
| US09684438B2 |
Computer-implemented systems and methods for providing consistent application generation
Systems and methods are provided for generating a plurality of applications of disparate types. A graphical user interface is provided for designing an interactive user experience, where a designed user experience includes an arrangement of experience elements, where the experience elements include a plurality interactive elements and decorative elements, and where each of the experience elements are configured for display according to one or more attributes. An identification of the experience elements and the attributes of the experience elements is received via the graphical user interface. An identification of a plurality of disparate types of applications to be generated based on the designed experience is received. The experience is translated for each of the disparate types of applications to generate the plurality of applications of disparate types. |
| US09684435B2 |
Camera selection interface for producing a media presentation
To generate a media presentation of a live event, a user interface is coupled to at least three cameras that share substantially the same vantage point. One of the cameras (e.g., a context camera) provides a context view of the event that is displayed on a screen of the user interface. The views of the other two cameras are superimposed onto the context view to define sub-portions that are visually demarcated within the context view. Based on user interaction, the user interface can switch between the cameras views and control the cameras to capture different portions of the context view. Based the image data captured by the views of the cameras within the context view, the user interface generates a media presentation that may be broadcast to multiple viewers. |
| US09684433B2 |
Trusted device identification and event monitoring
A method includes identifying individuals that are affiliated with a user. The method includes incorporating trusted devices associated with the identified individuals into an event monitor network that is configured to monitor for an occurrence of a monitored event. The method includes identifying a particular input that suggests the occurrence of the monitored event. The method includes communicating to the trusted devices, an input sample that is used for recognition of the particular input from general input that is measured by sensors of the trusted devices. The method includes receiving from at least one of the trusted devices, an event message that indicates the particular input is observed by at least one of the sensors. In response to the event message, the method includes communicating to a user interface of a user device associated with the user, an alarm message that indicates the occurrence of the monitored event. |
| US09684432B2 |
Web-based system for collaborative generation of interactive videos
Systems and methods are provided for adding and displaying interactive annotations for existing online hosted videos. A graphical annotation interface allows the creation of annotations and association of the annotations with a video. Annotations may be of different types and have different functionality, such as altering the appearance and/or behavior of an existing video, e.g. by supplementing it with text, allowing linking to other videos or web pages, or pausing playback of the video. Authentication of a user desiring to perform annotation of a video may be performed in various manners, such as by checking a uniform resource locator (URL) against an existing list, checking a user identifier against an access list, and the like. As a result of authentication, a user is accorded the appropriate annotation abilities, such as full annotation, no annotation, or annotation restricted to a particular temporal or spatial portion of the video. |
| US09684431B2 |
Sharing media content
Among other things, a method includes receiving, from a user of a user interface of a media authoring application, first settings specifying a destination for media content authored in the media authoring application, the destination selected from a set of destinations supported by the media authoring application, and second settings specifying a set of media characteristics of media content authored in the media authoring application, and generating data representing a user interface element usable to provide media content authored in the media authoring application to the destination specified in the first settings at the set of media characteristics specified in the second settings. |
| US09684428B2 |
Method of starting applications installed on a mobile operating system in a multi-window mode and device using the same
A method and a device of starting applications installed on a mobile operating system (OS) is performed by a mobile device for the mobile OS to flag any application installed on the mobile OS as a windowed application and display the application under a multi-window mode when the application is started. When multiple applications are simultaneously started, the mobile OS sequentially determines if each application is a windowed application. If positive, the application is displayed under the multi-window mode, and the size and location of the displayed window frame with the application running thereon are adjustable, rendering higher operational efficiency and convenience of software applications installed on a mobile OS. |
| US09684426B2 |
Non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a 3D graphical user interface program and a computing device for operating the same
A user interface for a computing device, the interface comprising means for defining a coordinate system of a 3D frame (1), the 3D frame (1) being rotatable within a 3D environment of the user interface; and a plurality of 3D elements (2), each 3D element (2) being locatable at a position relative to the coordinate system for rotation with the 3D frame (1) and comprising a graphical indicator for identifying the 3D element (2). |
| US09684420B2 |
Touch substrate, its manufacturing method and display device
A self-capacitive touch panel includes a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of driving signal transmission lines corresponding to the touch electrodes. A plurality of via-holes is arranged at an identical amount and in an identical manner at a region where each touch electrode is located, and each driving signal transmission line is connected to the corresponding touch electrode through the via-hole. Projections of the via-holes at the regions where the touch electrodes other than the corresponding touch electrode are located in a direction perpendicular to the substrate are not located on the driving signal transmission line. |
| US09684418B1 |
Self and mutual capacitance measurement in a touch screen
A water-resistant capacitance sensing apparatus comprising a plurality of capacitive sense elements and a capacitance sensing circuit configured to measure both the mutual capacitance and self-capacitance on the plurality of capacitive sense elements.A method for water-resistant capacitance sensing, the method comprising performing a self-capacitance scan and a mutual capacitance scan, and detecting, by a processing device, a presence of an object with the plurality of sense elements. The method further determines whether the detected presence of the object is legitimate. |
| US09684416B2 |
Image sensor
Disclosed is an image sensor comprising: an image sensing unit array, for sensing an object and comprising a plurality of image sensing units arranged in a sensing matrix with M rows and N columns; an image data reading circuit, for reading and outputting image data caught by at least part of the image sensing units; and a control unit for controlling the image data reading circuit to read image data for a reading region in the sensing matrix. The image sensor further comprises a buffer for storing the image data. A number for the buffer rows of the buffer can be smaller than a number for the buffer columns of the buffer to reduce the buffer size. |
| US09684415B2 |
Optical touch-control system utilizing retro-reflective touch-control device
An optical touch-control system is provided. The optical touch-control system includes: a display unit; a light source; a retro-reflective touch-control device; at least two image capturing units, and a processor. The image capturing units are configured to capture a plurality of images in front of the display unit, which are generated by the retro-reflective touch-control device reflecting the light emitted from the light source. The processor determines whether at least one first cluster is in the images from the image capturing units based on a first threshold. The processor further calculates a touch position of the retro-reflective touch-control device on the display unit based on the at least one first cluster. |
| US09684412B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating a three-dimensional user interface
A method for providing a three-dimensional user interface includes generating an image of a three-dimensional scene according to a set of camera parameters. The three-dimensional scene includes a plurality of three-dimensional graphical elements. The three-dimensional graphical elements are associated with a plurality of applications stored on a computing device. The method further includes receiving a user input; adjusting the camera parameters according to the user input; and updating the image of the three-dimensional scene according to the adjusted camera parameters. |
| US09684410B2 |
Touch sensitive surface with recessed surface feature for an electronic device
An electronic device (300) includes a housing (301). A touch sensitive surface (100) can be disposed along the housing. The touch sensitive surface can include a recessed surface feature (106) on a portion of the touch sensitive surface. A control circuit (315), operable with the touch sensitive surface, can detect a predetermined gesture sequence (501, 502, 503) when a touch actuation along the touch sensitive surface interacts with the recessed surface feature. |
| US09684409B2 |
Hover position calculation in a touchscreen device
A method calculates the position of a conductive object hovering above a plurality of mutual capacitance sensors, where each mutual capacitance sensor is represented as a unit cell in an array of unit cells. The method measures the capacitance of each sensor. The method identifies a peak unit cell based on the measured capacitances and calculates an edge cutoff value. A plurality of unit cells with measured capacitances within a range defined by the edge cutoff value are selected and the position of the hovering object is calculated. In some embodiments, the array comprises a first plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes disposed along a first axis and a second plurality of capacitance sensing electrodes disposed along a second axis. In some embodiments, the array and a controller form a user interface device, and the controller is configured to calculate the position of the conductive object using the method described above. |
| US09684406B2 |
Electronic device suites, protective covers and methods for operating user interface
A method for operating a user interface, adapted to an electronic device. The steps include: receiving a wake-up signal; enabling a proximity sensing unit; determining whether the sensing value is greater than a predetermined value or not; displaying an application program in a first display area of a display unit by a processing unit and detecting a touch event corresponding to one of a plurality of sensing objects only by a second touching sensing area of a touch-sensing unit when the sensing value is greater than the predetermined value; obtaining a touch position corresponding to the touch event; and enabling an operation of the application program by the processing unit according to the touch position. A first touch-sensing area of the touch-sensing unit corresponds to the first display area, and the second touch-sensing area corresponds to a second display area. |
| US09684404B2 |
Display device
A display device includes: a display panel including a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed on one side of the display panel; a first flexible pritned circuit board (FPCB) configured to connect the first substrate to the PCB; a second FPCB configured to connect the second substrate to the PCB; and an insulating member disposed between the first and second FPCBs. |
| US09684396B2 |
Method and apparatus for configuring and selectively sensing use of a device
A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for subdividing a touch-sensitive interface of a mouse accessory into a first plurality of sectors for defining a first plurality of mouse buttons, where each sector of the first plurality of sectors corresponds to a distinct mouse button. The method can further include receiving a first signal from the touch-sensitive interface of the mouse accessory, detecting, from the first signal a selection of a sector of the first plurality of sectors, and generating a second signal indicating the selection of the sector. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09684394B2 |
Button functionality
Button functionalities for user interfaces, e.g., for use with a portable multifunction device, are disclosed. Exemplary button functionalities are described for an electronic device with a display, a rotatable and depressible input mechanism, and/or a button. Different device features may be accessed, depending on whether the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button is activated, and further depending on whether the activation represents a single press, a double press, or an extended press on the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button. |
| US09684391B1 |
Telescopic mechanism and touch tool for writing instrument or the like
An exemplary embodiment of a touch tool mechanism includes a touch tool, including a stylus and an elongated bar connected with the stylus. The mechanism is carried on a pen holder. A rotating sleeve assembly is rotatable by the user, which extends the stylus above a retracted position for use in operating on an intelligent device. Further rotation of the sleeve assembly retracts the stylus into a storage position. |
| US09684390B2 |
Image display device, projector, and control method for image display device
As a start operation for an auxiliary line mode is accepted, the projector displays an auxiliary line. When an auxiliary line mode end operation is accepted or a non-drawing state exceeds a certain time, the projector erases the auxiliary line and ends the auxiliary line mode. |
| US09684389B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining an operation to be executed and associating the operation with a tangible object
An apparatus, method, and computer program product are described that can receive a signal from a tangible object, where the signal includes an indication of an operation to be executed upon receipt of a user input applied by the tangible object, and that can determine the operation based on the indication. In this way, the user is not required to provide additional user input to define the particular operation that is desired. The apparatus may determine at least one recipient with whom data selected via a user input applied by the tangible object may be shared. The apparatus may further provide for the determination of an operation to be executed based on an identification of a selection of content and may provide for the association of the operation with the tangible object, such that subsequent user input applied via the tangible object causes execution of the operation. |
| US09684387B2 |
Adjustable pointing device
Methods and apparatus provide for an adjustable pointing device. The adjustable pointing device includes a base and an adjustable arm connecting a portion of the base with an input control portion. The input control portion includes at least one input control. A first end of the adjustable arm, which is distal from the base, allows for and independently maintains changes to various orientations of the input control portion. In other words, after the user adjusts the input control portion to be set at a new orientation, the first end of the adjustable arm maintains the input control portion at the new orientation as the user interacts with the adjustable pointing device. In addition, a second end of the adjustable arm, proximal to the base, also allows for and independently maintains changes in a distance between the input control portion and the base itself. |
| US09684385B2 |
Display device, display system, and data supply method for display device
A display device can make it possible to easily recognize a plurality of indication bodies as a plurality of pointing devices. The display device is provided with a function device having a first interface and a second interface, and stores configuration information assigning the same class to the first interface and the second interface in a storage section. The display device detects a first position indicated by a first indication body to a display surface and a second position indicated by a second indication body to the display surface, assigns first coordinate data representing the first position to the first interface, assigns second coordinate data representing the second position to the second interface, and supplies a host device with the first coordinate data and the second coordinate data. |
| US09684384B2 |
System and method for eliminating spurious motion of mouse
A method for minimizing spurious motion of a mouse includes: determining whether the mouse enters a specific mode; and when the mouse is determined to enter the specific mode, generating a large correlation matrix by generating a standard size correlation matrix multiple times. The multiple standard size correlation matrices are offset with respect to each other so that an edge of each standard size correlation matrix touches at least an edge of another standard size correlation matrix to form the large correlation matrix. The specific mode is a skating mode wherein the mouse will move at high speed over a large area. |
| US09684382B2 |
Input device configuration having capacitive and pressure sensors
Input device configurations are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a sensor substrate having one or more conductors and a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate. The flexible contact layer is configured to flex to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input of a computing device. The flexible contact layer includes a force concentrator pad that is configured to cause pressure to be channeled through the force concentrator pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a capacitive sensor assembly arranged in an array that is configured to detect a location of an object that is proximal to a respective capacitive sensor of the capacitive sensor assembly and a pressure sensitive sensor assembly including a plurality of pressure sensitive sensor nodes that are configured to detect an amount of pressure applied by the object against a respective pressure sensitive sensor node of the pressure sensitive sensor assembly. |
| US09684380B2 |
Operating environment with gestural control and multiple client devices, displays, and users
Embodiments described herein includes a system comprising a processor coupled to display devices, sensors, remote client devices, and computer applications. The computer applications orchestrate content of the remote client devices simultaneously across the display devices and the remote client devices, and allow simultaneous control of the display devices. The simultaneous control includes automatically detecting a gesture of at least one object from gesture data received via the sensors. The detecting comprises identifying the gesture using only the gesture data. The computer applications translate the gesture to a gesture signal, and control the display devices in response to the gesture signal. |
| US09684377B2 |
Drive apparatus, electronic device, drive control program, and drive signal generating method
A drive apparatus includes a memory to store waveform data representing a sinusoidal drive signal satisfying a frequency f1=(m/n)×q(t) (m and n: natural numbers, m≠n), to vibrate a vibration-generating device m times, where q(t) is a time characteristic of a resonance frequency of the vibration-generating device, or ((m/2)×r) times (r: natural number≠0, m and n: positive odd, m≠n), the vibration-generating device having the resonance frequency varying depending on an acceleration amplitude in a range between first and second resonance frequencies including the rated value f0; and a drive-processor to output the drive signal to the vibration-generating device. The q(t) is obtained when driving the vibration-generating device by a sinusoidal drive signal satisfying f1=(m/n)×f2, to vibrate the vibration-generating device m times if m≠n, or ((m/2)×r) times. |
| US09684374B2 |
Eye reflection image analysis
Example methods and devices are disclosed for generating life-logs with point-of-view images. An example method may involve: receiving image-related data based on electromagnetic radiation reflected from a human eye, generating an eye reflection image based on the image-related data, generating a point-of-view image by filtering the eye reflection image, and storing the point-of-view image. The electromagnetic radiation reflected from a human eye can be captured using one or more video or still cameras associated with a suitably-configured computing device, such as a wearable computing device. |
| US09684366B2 |
Distributed power management system with plurality of power management controllers controlling zone and component power caps of respective zones by determining priority of other zones
A zone power cap for a power management zone that defines a limit of power consumption for the power management zone is determined. The power management zone comprises a plurality of components, wherein the power management zone is associated with a controller. A set of one or more characteristics of a workload associated with the power management zone is determined. A component power cap for one or more of the plurality of components is set based, at least in part, on the set of one or more characteristics of the workload and the zone power cap. |
| US09684365B2 |
Responding device and responding method
A responding device has operating modes including a first mode and a second mode. The responding device includes a first responding unit and a second responding unit. The first responding unit operates during the first mode and outputs, when receiving a request, a response including information in accordance with the type of the request. The second responding unit outputs the response in place of the first responding unit during the second mode. The second responding unit includes a storage section, an information accumulation section, and a mode transition control section. The information accumulation section stores in the storage section the information included in the response output from the first responding unit during the first mode. The mode transition control section causes the responding device to transition to the second mode when a first condition and a second condition in terms of the information stored in the storage section are satisfied. |
| US09684357B2 |
Predictive electrical appliance device power management mode based on presence detection of mobile device
Approaches are provided for a predictive electrical appliance power-saving management mode. An approach includes ascertaining a location and pace of a mobile device. The approach further includes calculating an amount of time that it will take to enable or start programs and services upon a computing device waking from a sleep mode or hybrid sleep mode. The approach further includes determining a distance threshold to the computing device that allows for the calculated amount of time to pass such that the programs and services are enabled or started prior to a user of the mobile device arriving at the computing device when the user is returning to the computing device at the ascertained pace. The approach further includes sending a signal to awaken the computing device from the sleep mode or hybrid sleep mode when the mobile device is within the distance threshold. |
| US09684352B2 |
Memory system and operating method thereof
A memory system and an operating method thereof stably supplies power, so that it is possible to improve performance of a memory system by omitting an operation, which has been performed in order to prevent an error due to the blocking of a power supply, in a condition in which an error due to the blocking of the power supply may not be generated. |
| US09684349B2 |
System and method for configuring UPS outlets
A system for configuring outlet groups on an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is provided. The system includes a computer system connected via a communication link to the UPS. The computer system includes a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to receive data pertaining to at least one device, receive data pertaining to a plurality of outlet groups associated with the UPS, determine one configuration profile for the at least one device, the one configuration profile being included in a plurality of configuration profiles, determine one outlet group of the plurality of outlet groups, the one outlet group being configured for the one configuration profile, associate the one configuration profile with the one outlet group and provide an instruction for a user to connect the at least one device in an outlet included in the one outlet group. |
| US09684347B2 |
Systems and methods for automated display of permissive logic in control systems associated with a power generation unit
Certain embodiments herein relate to automated display of permissive logic in control systems associated with a power generation unit. A control device may be configured to provide automated updates of system data, such as signals received from power generation equipment, to a human machine interface (HMI) or a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) display, as non-limiting examples. A logic builder block may receive permissive logic configurations, including one or more combinational logic blocks. A logic builder block may be associated with power generation equipment to facilitate the identification of related system data and the subsequent association of the system data to corresponding input pins for the combinational logic blocks. The permissive logic configurations may be compiled into object code and downloaded to the control device, where it may be executed to perform the above described functions, among other functions. |
| US09684344B2 |
Exterior case and electronic device
An exterior case includes a first member to which a hinge bracket is attached, a fastener portion being a portion of the first member surrounding a hole in the first member, and being thickened in a thickness direction of the first member, a second member that is fixed to the first member and surrounds the fastener portion of the first member, and at least one fastener screw screwed into the hole to fasten the first member and the second member together and to fasten the hinge bracket to the first member. |
| US09684343B2 |
Radius hinge
The description relates to devices, such as computing devices that have hinged portions. One example can include a display portion that includes a display screen and an input portion that includes an input device. This example can also include a radius hinge assembly rotatably securing the first and second portions. The radius hinge assembly can be configured to provide a curvilinear articulation that allows 360 degrees of relative rotation between the first and second portions. |
| US09684333B2 |
Electronic device and case member
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first flexible member, a rigid member positioned on one surface of the first flexible member, and a second flexible member positioned on the one surface of the first flexible member in at least a part of a periphery of the rigid member. The first flexible member is attached to a case member of the electronic device with the rigid member and the second flexible member being interposed therebetween. |
| US09684329B2 |
Automatic locking knob assemblies and methods of use
Embodiments of the present technology relate to safety knobs. An example automatic locking knob assembly includes a knob, a base, an adapter, and a locking sub-assembly. The locking sub-assembly is configured to automatically lock the knob into place when a valve stem of a stove is in an off position. The locking sub-assembly also allows for controlled rotation of the valve stem of the stove by actuation of buttons associated with the knob. |
| US09684326B2 |
Method and circuit for detecting short circuit in an asynchronous DC-DC boost converter
A simple, cost-effective and efficient short circuit protection with simple routing of the ground on the PCB is achieved in an asynchronous DC-DC boost converter wherein a voltage sensing controller selectively isolates an input power supply to a load in the event of a short circuit. The controller alleviates need for additional components by utilizing the circuit for under voltage lockout protection and the circuit for overvoltage protection to generate signals for detecting short circuit. A predetermined offset voltage is added to a sensed output voltage to generate a reference voltage that is compared to a sensed input voltage and an output signal having a high state is generated in the event that the reference voltage is less than the sensed input voltage for selectively disabling the source of input power when the output signal is in the high state. |
| US09684321B2 |
On-chip regulator with variable load compensation
An integrated circuit includes a voltage regulator to supply a regulated voltage and a data output that couples to an unterminated transmission line. The circuit draws a variable amount of power from the voltage regulator according to the data. The voltage regulator includes a first current generation circuit to provide a data transition-dependent current. |
| US09684320B2 |
DC-DC converter and method for controlling the same and power supply of energy storage system including the same DC-DC converter
A DC/DC converter includes n converters connected in parallel to each other and configured to adjust a level of an input voltage according to a duty ratio of a first pulse signal applied to a first switch device to output an output voltage, wherein the n is an integer of 2 or more; and a control unit configured to compare an average of n sensing currents with the n sensing currents sensed from the converters, respectively, to adjust the duty ratio of the first pulse signal. |
| US09684319B2 |
Heating circuit, electronic apparatus, and method for entering operation mode in low-temperature environment
A method for entering an operation mode in a low-temperature environment is applicable in a situation that plural electronic devices in an electronic apparatus are not activated. Through performing the method, the electronic apparatus obtains a temperature of each electronic device after receiving a request of a user. Then the electronic apparatus determines whether the temperatures of all the electronic devices reach a threshold value. If the temperatures of at least two electronic devices do not reach the threshold value, the electronic apparatus generates a plurality of corresponding enable signals for the electronic devices having the temperatures lower than the threshold value. The waveforms of the enable signals vary alternately. The electronic apparatus transfers the enable signals to a plurality of corresponding heaters. Being activated by the received enable signal, each of the heaters heats the corresponding electronic device. |
| US09684312B1 |
Resource consumption measurement system and method
An HVAC controller, in one embodiment, may include a gas valve interface and an AC unit switch interface, and a controller that may communicate with at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch. An identification module may identify one or more time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal, and a calibration module may open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch according to calibration schedule data. A computational module may calculate a computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on a calibration open time, a calibration close time, and the actual energy usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time. The computed flow rate may be utilized to identify anomalies and provide notifications thereof. |
| US09684308B2 |
Transport mode conversion
A self-propelled paving machine includes a plurality of swing legs, each swing leg being supported from a ground surface by an associated crawler track steerably connected to an outer end of its associated swing leg. The machine may be re-oriented from a paving mode to a transport mode by driving the ground engaging units to rotate the frame substantially in place on the ground through a re-orientation angle of the frame relative to the ground, and as the frame is rotating, pivoting one or more of the swing legs from a paving position relative to the frame, to a transport position relative to the frame. |
| US09684305B2 |
System and method for mobile robot teleoperation
Example implementations include a system and method for remotely controlling the motion of a robot. In example implementations, the user is presented with a display having video from a camera on the robot augmented with abstract sensor data, and facilitates the user to draw motion path commands directly on the camera view. Analysis of the scene for obstacles is performed, so that the drawing of commands is interactive, preventing the user from drawing impossible paths. The path sketch is then transformed into the coordinate system of the robot and used to generate commands that will move the robot to the desired location. Sensor data is also used to augment the camera view, in particular for highlighting dangers and obstacles. |
| US09684300B2 |
Semiconductor device, motor control device, lens unit for imaging apparatus, and imaging apparatus
In a motor control device, a matrix circuit and logic circuits are arranged between PWM signal generation circuits and output terminals. It is possible to output PWM signals to the output terminals as they are and to synchronize the PWM signals and output a synchronized signal to a desired output terminal/terminals in the output terminals by changing a coupled state of the matrix circuit. Therefore, it is possible to change the kind of the motor to be controlled, the number of motors to be controlled and so forth without changing the motor control device. |
| US09684298B2 |
Numeric control machine tool
A numeric control machine tool of the type comprising: a basement; a substantially rectilinear main supporting crossmember which extends above the basement and has two axial ends structured so as to rest stably and in an axially sliding manner on two reciprocally parallel rectilinear guides present on the basement; a movable slide which is fixed protruding onto a side of the main supporting crossmember, with the possibility of moving along the body of the main supporting crossmember; a substantially rectilinear vertical movable tower, which is fixed on the movable slide in a substantially vertical position and with the possibility of translating with respect to the movable slide in a vertical direction; and a tool-hold head which is fixed on the lower end of said vertical movable tower; the main supporting crossmember being structured so as stably to support the weight of the movable slide, the vertical movable tower and the tool-holder head, and the numeric control machine tool also comprising a substantially rectilinear auxiliary supporting crossmember, which extends beside the main supporting crossmember so as to be locally facing and distanced from the side of the crossmember which supports the movable slide; and on which the movable slide rests by means of interposition of a reaction member which is structured so as to vary its height, simultaneously exercising an upward thrust on the projecting arm. |
| US09684295B2 |
Molding system and method for operating the same
A method for operating a molding machine includes specifying a simulating domain corresponding to a genuine domain in a mold disposed on the molding machine. The method proceeds to perform a virtual molding by using a setting packing pressure profile to generate a simulated state waveform, generating a designed state waveform including an isobaric phase and an isochoric phase while taking into consideration the simulated state waveform, and obtaining an updated packing pressure profile for applying a molding pressure to a portion of the genuine domain while taking into consideration a difference between the simulated state waveform and the designed state waveform. Subsequently, the method proceeds to set the molding machine while taking into consideration the updated packing pressure profile to perform an actual molding by applying an actual molding pressure to the at least a portion of the genuine domain to prepare the molding product. |
| US09684292B1 |
Conditional switch rate low pass filter
A conditional switched rate filter system having a two stage digital filter to remove noise from the input signal. The first stage of the filter effectively removes the random noise from the input signal higher in frequency (cut-off frequency) than outside the characteristic response of the closed loop system. The second stage of the filter is used to filter out noise that is at same frequency response as the closed loop system. |
| US09684289B2 |
Power control device, system, and method using switches for fast stabilization of a power source
A power control device includes a control circuit configured to control a power source as a control target; and a control calculation unit configured to calculate a manipulation amount by which the control circuit controls the power source, wherein when a disturbance occurs in the power source, the control calculation unit adjusts the manipulation amount based on a predetermined parameter in the manipulation amount during a disturbance occurrence period. |
| US09684287B2 |
Controlling device and controlling method
A controlling device includes an upper limit elapsed time measuring portion measuring an elapsed time TH after updating of a manipulated variable upper limit value OH1 through communication, a lower limit elapsed time measuring portion measuring an elapsed time TL after updating of a manipulated variable lower limit value OL1 through communication, an upper limit automatic reset portion storing, as a new manipulated variable upper limit value OH1, a manipulated variable upper limit value OH2 when the elapsed time TH has arrived at a specified time TR, and a lower limit automatic reset portion storing, as a new manipulated variable lower limit value OL1, a manipulated variable lower limit value OL2 when the elapsed time TL has arrived at the specified time TR. |
| US09684280B2 |
Cooling device including air blower, and image forming apparatus including cooling device
A cooling device includes an air blower, a first support frame, and a second support frame. The first support frame supports the air blower and has a first groove portion extending from a blowing port of the air blower to a predetermined discharge port. The second support frame supports a driving portion for transmitting a driving force to a portion to be driven of an image forming apparatus, and is configured such that the first support frame is connectable thereto. The second support frame has a second groove portion. The second groove portion is engaged with the first groove portion, in a state where the first support frame is connected to the second support frame, to form an air duct configured to guide air blown from the air blower, to the discharge port. |
| US09684274B2 |
Transmission device for photosensitive drum and drum device having same
The invention relates to a transmission device for engagement with a photosensitive drum having a drum axis, comprising a shell detachably attached to the photosensitive drum coaxially to the drum axis; a sleeve coupled with the shell coaxially to the drum axis, such that the shell and the sleeve define at least one guiding groove therebetween; and a transmission unit comprising a shaft disposed to the sleeve coaxially to the drum axis, such that the shaft is rotatable about the drum axis relative to the sleeve and movable along the drum axis relative to the sleeve, wherein ranges of the rotation and motion of the shaft relative to the sleeve are subjected to the at least one guiding groove. Accordingly, the transmission device can be connected with and separated from the drive member smoothly. |
| US09684272B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an exposure device, and a developing device. A sensor detects a toner image formed by the developing device to output density information, and a supply device supplies developer to the developing device. In addition, a controller controls the supply device on the basis of a detection result of a supply control toner image formed by the exposure device, a storing portion stores the detection result, and an exchange detecting portion detects information for discriminating exchange of the photosensitive member and the developing device. When the developing device is not exchanged but the photosensitive member is exchanged, the controller executes an operation in a mode in which the controller adjusts an exposure condition for forming the supply control toner image by the exposure device after exchange of the photosensitive member. |
| US09684268B2 |
Image forming apparatus including controller which controls primary transfer bias and secondary transfer bias
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, a plurality of primary transfer members, a secondary transfer member, a first guide member, and a controller. The first guide member guides a recording medium along a conveying direction. The controller controls a primary transfer bias and a secondary transfer bias. A plurality of the primary transfer members include an upstream side primary transfer member and a downstream side primary transfer member. The controller makes an absolute value of the primary transfer bias applied to the downstream side primary transfer member larger than an absolute value of the primary transfer bias applied to the upstream side primary transfer member. The controller lowers an absolute value of the secondary transfer bias when the recording medium separates from the first guide member. |
| US09684267B2 |
Roller coating
A method of preparing the surface of a roller comprising adding a coating comprising isocyanate to a ground surface of the roller. A roller comprising a ground surface, the ground surface having unreacted hydroxyl (—OH) groups on the surface of the roller and a layer of isocyanate layered over the unreacted hydroxyl (—OH) groups on the surface of the roller, the isocyanate forming a urethane bond on the surface of the roller. |
| US09684266B1 |
Developer transport device and image forming apparatus
A developer transport device includes a cylinder member including first and second cylinders in which a transport path, through which a developer is transported, is formed, a transport member disposed in the transport path so as to transport the developer by rotating, a to-be-fastened member that is formed on one of the first and second cylinders and that has a first surface formed in a downstream end portion thereof in a direction in which the second cylinder is fastened to the first cylinder and a second surface extending in the direction, and a fastening member that is formed on another one of the first and second cylinders and is to be fastened to the to-be-fastened member, the fastening member having first and a second fastening surfaces that respectively face the first and second surfaces when the fastening member is fastened to the to-be-fastened member. |
| US09684260B2 |
Image forming apparatus with control of transfer bias and charging bias
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, a charging voltage source, an exposure device, a developing device, a developing voltage source, a transfer member, a transfer voltage source, a detecting member, a setting portion for setting, a transfer voltage applied to the transfer member on the basis of a detection result of the detecting member, and an adjusting portion for increasing a potential difference between the potential of the photosensitive member charged and the developing voltage so as to be large when an absolute value of the transfer voltage set by the setting portion is a first threshold or more and an absolute value of the current flowing at the time of application of the transfer voltage to the transfer member is a second threshold or less. |
| US09684258B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of switching operation mode
An image forming apparatus includes: first and second photosensitive drums; first and second developing rollers each defining an axis in an axial direction; first and second driving-force inputting sections; first and second couplings; and a connecting mechanism. A driving force inputted to each coupling is transmitted to each developing roller via each driving-force inputting section when each coupling is connected to the corresponding driving-force inputting section. The connecting mechanism is movable between a first position and a second position to cause the first and second couplings to move in the axial direction such that the first and second couplings are connected or disconnected relative to the first and second driving-force inputting sections. |
| US09684255B2 |
Coating agent and method for producing electrophotographic member
Provided is a coating agent having a polymerizable compound containing a hydroxyl group in the molecule, conductive inorganic particles whose surface is treated with a dispersing agent having a nitrogen atom in the molecule, and a solvent, in which when the interatomic distance between an oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group and the atom farthest away from the oxygen atom in the molecule of the polymerizable compound is represented by D1 and the interatomic distance between the nitrogen atom and the atom farthest away from the nitrogen atom in the molecule of the dispersing agent is represented by D2, D1 and D2 satisfy the relationship represented by the following formula (1). [(|D1−D2|)/D2]≦0.30 Formula (1) |
| US09684252B2 |
Optical element with an antireflection coating, projection objective, and exposure apparatus comprising such an element
An optical element (14) transparent for radiation with a wavelength λ in the ultraviolet wavelength range below 250 nm, in particular at 193 nm, comprises a substrate (17) with a refractive index ns larger than 1.6, and an antireflection coating (16) formed on at least part of the surface of the substrate (17) between the substrate (17) and an ambient medium with a refractive index nA, preferably with nA=1.0. The antireflection coating (16) consists of a single layer of a material with a refractive index nL of about nL=√{square root over (nAnS)}, in particular nL>1.3, and the optical thickness dL of the single layer is about λ/4. The optical element (14) is preferably part of a projection objective (5) in a microlithography projection exposure apparatus (1) and located adjacent to a light-sensitive substrate (10). |
| US09684251B2 |
Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and method of correcting optical wavefront deformations in such an apparatus
A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a correction device configured to correct optical wavefront deformations. The correction device includes first and second optical elements and a drive mechanism configured to move the first and second optical elements between a first arrangement and a second arrangement. In the first arrangement the first optical element is an inner optical element having at least a portion that is arranged in a projection light path, and the second optical element is an outer optical element that is arranged completely outside the projection light path. In the second arrangement the second optical element is the inner optical element, and the first optical element is the outer optical element. The correction device further includes a temperature control device configured to modify a temperature distribution in the outer optical element. |
| US09684249B2 |
Lithographic apparatus with a metrology system for measuring a position of a substrate table
A lithographic apparatus comprises a substrate table for accommodating a substrate; a projection system for imaging a pattern onto the substrate, and a metrology system for measuring a position of the substrate table with respect to the projection system. The metrology system comprises a metrology frame connected to the projection system, a grid positioned stationary with respect to the metrology frame, and an encoder connected to the substrate table and facing the grid for measuring the position of the substrate table relative to the grid. The metrology frame has a surface oriented towards the substrate table, and the surface has been configured, e.g., by writing or etching, so as to form the grid. |
| US09684247B2 |
Polarization-modulating element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method
There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile. |
| US09684237B2 |
Circuit board formation using organic substrates
A method of forming a circuit board includes forming a conductive pattern on a substrate; forming a first negative resist on the substrate after formation of the conductive pattern; partially exposing the first negative resist on the surface of the conductive pattern to form a first via exposure portion; forming a second negative resist on the substrate after formation of the first via exposure portion; partially exposing the second negative resist on the first via exposure portion to form a second via exposure portion larger than the first via exposure portion; developing the first negative resist and the second negative resist after formation of the second via exposure portion to form a via opening reaching the conductive pattern; and filling the via opening with a conductive material. |
| US09684236B1 |
Method of patterning a film layer
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a first patterned hard mask over a material layer. The first patterned hard mask defines an opening. The method also includes forming a direct-self-assembly (DSA) layer having a first portion and a second portion within the opening, removing the first portion of the DSA layer, forming spacers along sidewalls of the second portion of the DSA layer and removing the second portion of the DSA layer. The spacers form a second patterned hard mask over the material layer. |
| US09684235B2 |
Directed self-assembling composition for pattern formation, and pattern-forming method
A directed self-assembling composition for pattern formation includes a block copolymer. The block copolymer includes a polystyrene block having a styrene unit, and a polyalkyl (meth)acrylate block having an alkyl (meth)acrylate unit. The block copolymer has a group that is bound to at least one end of a main chain of the block copolymer and that includes a hetero atom. |
| US09684232B2 |
Glass substrate for mask blank, and method for producing the same
A glass substrate for a mask blank has a rectangular planar shape. In four square regions each positioned at each corner of a first region (quality assurance region) and having one side of 8 mm, an angle between a least square plane in each the square region and that in the first region is 3.0 μad or less, and a PV value relative to the least square plane is 30 nm or less. In four strip regions each positioned in an area between one side of the first region and 8 mm inside the side and excluding the square regions, an angle between a least square plane in each the strip region and that in the first region is 1.5 μad or less, and a PV value relative to the least square plane is 15 nm or less. |
| US09684228B2 |
Dynamic rotation monopod
The handheld telescopic dynamic rotation monopod is an essential tool for photography and videography enthusiasts, comprised of an easy to use control member positioned in the handle, whose rotation will engender a corresponding horizontal rotation from a camera mount positioned at the opposite end of the handle. A lockable vertical rotation of said camera mount is achieved by means of an input and output section, one able to pivot relative to the other due to guide pins restrictedly able to move within guide tracks and studs to restrictedly move within elongated channels. |
| US09684226B2 |
Illumination device for a camera
An illumination device for illuminating a camera's field of view, including a light source, and a reflector unit having reflecting sections is provided. Each reflecting section is associated with a light distribution, wherein the light distributions for different reflecting sections are different. The reflector unit is arranged such that light emitted by the light source is deflected by one of said reflecting sections being selected based on the camera's field of view. A method for illuminating a camera's field of view is also provided. |
| US09684222B2 |
Optical waveguide and optical device based on the same
Disclosed is a technology related to an optical waveguide which is insensitive to an ambient temperature and is capable of adjusting a wavelength error due to a manufacturing processing deviation. The optical waveguide includes: a clad layer positioned on a substrate; a core layer positioned between the substrate and the clad layer, and including patterns positioned in a first region and a second region; and a wavelength adjusting unit positioned in the first region between the substrate and the clad layer, and configured to adjust a wavelength of an optical signal propagated through patterns passing through the first region based on received electric energy, in which the clad layer includes a material having a Thermo-Optic Coefficient (TOC) with an opposite sign to that of a material included in the core layer. |
| US09684221B2 |
Broadband terahertz generation of metamaterials
Provided are systems and methods to generate single-cycle THz pulses from a few tens of nanometers thin layer of split ring resonators (SRRs) via optical rectification of femtosecond laser pulses. The emitted THz radiation, with a spectrum ranging from about 0.1 to 4 THz, arises exclusively from pumping the magnetic-dipole resonance of SRRs around 200 THz. This resonant enhancement, together with pump polarization dependence and power scaling of the THz emission, underpins the nonlinearity from optically induced circulating currents in SRRs, with a huge effective nonlinear susceptibility of 0.8×10−16 m2/V that far exceeds surface nonlinearities of both thin films and bulk organic/inorganic crystals and sheet nonlinearities of non-centrosymmetric materials such as ZnTe. |
| US09684219B2 |
Electrochromic device containing color-tunable nanostructures
An electrochromic device and method, the device including: a first transparent conductor layer; a working electrode disposed on the first transparent conductor layer and including nanostructures; a counter electrode; a solid state electrolyte layer disposed between the counter electrode and the working electrode; and a second transparent conductor layer disposed on the counter electrode. The nanostructures may include transition metal oxide nanoparticles and/or nanocrystals configured to tune the color of the device by selectively modulating the transmittance of near-infrared (NIR) and visible radiation as a function of an applied voltage to the device. |
| US09684215B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor are provided. In the first transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to a first wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to a gate terminal of the second transistor; a gate terminal is electrically connected to a fifth wiring. In the second transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to a third wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to a sixth wiring. In the third transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to a second wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to the gate terminal of the second transistor; a gate terminal is electrically connected to a fourth wiring. In the fourth transistor, a first terminal is electrically connected to the second wiring; a second terminal is electrically connected to the sixth wiring; a gate terminal is connected to the fourth wiring. |
| US09684214B2 |
Display device
The present invention relates to a display device, comprising: a substrate comprising a display region and a non-display region surrounding the display region; a first conductive layer disposed on the substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and partially covering the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer disposed on a top surface of the semiconductor layer; and there is a spacing between a first side of the semiconductor layer and a second side of the second conductive layer from a top view, wherein the first side of the semiconductor layer is adjacent to the second side of the second conductive layer; wherein the spacing in the display region is a first distance, the spacing in the non-display region is a second distance, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance. |
| US09684211B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device having a second substrate and a first substrate that is placed so as to face the above-described second substrate with pixel regions aligned in a matrix is provided with: protrusions that are formed on pixel boarders and protrude from the second substrate on the liquid crystal side; first electrodes made of sidewall electrodes formed on sidewalls of protrusions and a lower end side electrode extending from the sidewall electrodes on the bottom side; and second electrodes made of a first linear electrode formed within a pixel region and a second linear electrode that is formed on the second substrate and faces the first linear electrode. |
| US09684210B2 |
Curved liquid crystal display panel and manufacturing method thereof
A curved liquid crystal display panel and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The method includes a step of using a mask having a light-shielding portion to expose a color-filter photoresist layer, wherein the light-shielding portion is arranged in a position corresponding to an edge of the display panel; a step of developing the exposed color-filter photoresist layer, so that a concave portion corresponding to the position of the light-shielding portion is formed on the color-filter photoresist layer; and a step of forming photo spacers at a position corresponding to the concave portion of the color-filter photoresist layer on a substrate of the display panel. |
| US09684209B2 |
Curved liquid crystal display
A curved liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present system and method includes: a first substrate; a first thin film display layer disposed at an upper surface of the first substrate; a second substrate; a second thin film display layer disposed at a lower surface of the second substrate; a sealant disposed at an edge of the first substrate and the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and sealed by the sealant, wherein the first thin film display layer and the second thin film display layer face each other, the first substrate and the second substrate are curved to have the same degree of curvature, and a thickness of a side surface of the second substrate is thinner than a thickness of a center portion of the second substrate. |
| US09684208B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus
To improve the display quality of a vertical alignment liquid crystal display apparatus. The apparatus comprises two substrates, a first electrode extending in a first direction, a second electrode extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a crystal layer provided between the substrates, a pixel is configured where the two electrodes intersect, an electrode edge of the second electrode is of a shape that includes line segments obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back, the pixel edges of the pixel are demarcated, including the line segments that are obliquely crossed, and the liquid crystal layer is disposed so that the angle of the alignment direction of the crystal molecules at the center and the direction perpendicular to the second direction is greater than 0°, and the alignment direction of the crystal molecules and the direction of obliquely crossed line segments don't become perpendicular. |
| US09684206B2 |
Copolymer, and liquid crystal alignment layer including cured product thereof
Provided is a liquid crystal alignment layer of which a constituent member is a polymer represented by the general formula (I). |
| US09684192B2 |
Optical closed loop microresonator and thyristor memory device
A semiconductor device that includes an optical resonator spaced from a waveguide structure to provide for evanescent-wave optical coupling therebetween. The optical resonator includes a closed loop waveguide defined by a vertical thyristor structure. In one embodiment, the vertical thyristor structure is formed by an epitaxial layer structure including complementary (both an n-type and a p-type) modulation doped quantum well interfaces formed between an N+ region and a P+ region. |
| US09684190B1 |
Athermal optical filter with active tuning and simplified control
Embodiments of the invention describe systems, apparatuses and methods for providing athermicity and a tunable spectral response for optical filters. Finite impulse response (FIR) filters are commonly implemented in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) to make devices such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) devices, asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers (AMZIs) and array waveguide gratings (AWGs). Athermicity of an FIR filter describes maintaining a consistent frequency transmission spectrum as the ambient temperature changes. A tunable spectral response for an FIR filter describes changing the spectrum of an FIR filter based on its application, as well as potentially correcting for fabrication deviations from the design. In addition, embodiments of the invention reduce energy dissipation requirements and control complexity compared to prior art solutions. |
| US09684186B1 |
Glasses with changeable lens
A pair of glasses with changeable lenses is revealed. A right frame and a left frame are communicated by a channel disposed on a bridge of an eyeglass frame. The eyeglass frame is divided into an upper part and a lower part by the channel, each of which is arranged with a magnetic part. The lenses are positioned by the magnetic parts attracted each other to close the channel. Or the two magnetic parts are pulled and separated to open the channel so that the lenses are able to be replaced. Therefore the lenses can be disassembled and assembled easily. |
| US09684183B2 |
Control of an SMA actuation apparatus
SMA actuator wires in an SMA actuation apparatus are connected in tension between a movable element and a support structure, applying forces to the movable element in opposed directions. Measures of the resistances of the SMA actuator wires are detected. A feedback difference measure is derived being the sum of the measures of resistance of the SMA actuator wires, relatively scaled by factors, in respect of the SMA actuator wires, the magnitude of which represents a component along the predetermined axis of a force applied by the SMA actuator wire and the sign of which represents a direction along the predetermined axis. The ratio has opposite signs for respective ones of said opposed directions. The powers of drive signals supplied to the SMA actuator wires are controlled in response to the feedback difference measure to reduce the difference between the feedback difference measure and a target difference measure. |
| US09684181B2 |
Optical device and projection video display device
The optical device includes a diffuser which diffuses light, a holder which holds the diffuser, a driver which vibrates the holder, and a supporter whose one end elastically supports the holder at one point and whose other end is fixed to an installation plane. |
| US09684180B2 |
Color separating/combining system and image display apparatus using the same
A color separating and/or combining system configured to guide blue (or first) light in a light beam from a light source to a blue-light (or first-light) liquid crystal panel and to guide red (or second) light to a red-light (or second-light) liquid crystal panel includes a PBS configured to guide one of the blue (or first) light and the red (or second) light in a direction different from a direction of the other color light, a quarter-wave plate, and a color separation element configured to guide the blue (or first) light to the blue-light (or first-light) liquid crystal panel and to suppress the red (or second) light from being guided to the blue-light (first-light) liquid crystal panel. The quarter-wave plate and the color separation element are provided between the blue-light (first-light) liquid crystal panel and the PBS. The color separation element is provided between the PBS and the quarter-wave plate. |
| US09684172B2 |
Head worn computer display systems
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to mounting electronics and optical systems in head-worn see-through computer displays. In embodiments, a head worn computer includes an optical chassis with a rigid open box structure configured to provide a stable optical mounting reference plane and a plurality of image source reference planes. The head worn computer further includes a first image source mounted on one of the image source reference planes to project first image light through a first hole in the optical mounting reference plane and a second image source mounted on a second of the image source reference planes and configured to project second image light through a second hole in the optical mounting reference plane. An outer frame holds the optical chassis such that, when worn by a user, the first and second image light is aligned with the eyes of the user. |
| US09684171B2 |
See-through computer display systems
Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for the see-through computer display systems with a wide field of view. |
| US09684169B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method for viewpoint determination
While a first mode is set as the operation mode of an image processing apparatus, an image of a virtual space containing a virtual object seen from a first viewpoint having a position and orientation set by a user is generated and output. While a second mode is set as the operation mode of the image processing apparatus, an image of a virtual space seen from a second viewpoint determined based on information of the first viewpoint and the position of a head mounted display device is generated and output. |
| US09684167B2 |
Display device for vehicle
When a combiner is used, a cut part of a shift in an outer circumferential edge portion of the combiner is reduced, and a front scenery of a vehicle is more easily seen and recognized. A vehicular display device includes a displayer 4 configured to project display information; and a combiner 1 which enlarges and reflects the display information projected to the displayer 4, images the display information on a vehicle front side, and shows both a virtual image made by the imaging and the front scenery of the vehicle which is seen through. The thickness of an end portion of the combiner 1 gradually becomes thinner as being close to an edge of the combiner 1. |
| US09684165B2 |
Eye imaging in head worn computing
Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for imaging, recognizing, and tracking of a user's eye that is wearing a HWC. Aspects further relate to the processing of images reflected from the user's eye and controlling displayed content in accordance therewith. |
| US09684162B2 |
Optical sensors
An optical sensor includes an array of pixels configured to convert photons into electrons for forming an image. A tunable filter assembly is optically connected to the array of pixels for passing an adjustable bandwidth of photons to the array of pixels. The tunable filter assembly includes a first mirror defining an optical axis and a second mirror spaced apart from the first mirror along the optical axis. A first electrode is mechanically connected to the first mirror and a second electrode is fixed relative to the second mirror. The first and second electrodes are positioned relative to one another to adjust the position of the first mirror with respect to the second mirror when a voltage is applied across the first and second electrodes to tune the spectral bands being passed through the filter assembly to the array of pixels. |
| US09684161B1 |
Reflectance in electrowetting displays
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to improving luminance and reducing color shifts in electrowetting displays. The electrowetting display comprises a plurality of electrowetting elements separated by partition walls and spacers. The spacers and/or partition walls are reflective. When incident light that enters a pixel or subpixel is reflected and encounters a spacer and/or partition wall, the light is reflected such that the reflected light exits the pixel or subpixel into which the incident light entered. This improves luminance and reduces color shifts of the electrowetting display. |
| US09684157B2 |
Projection zoom lens and projection type display device
A projection zoom lens includes: a first lens group having a negative refractive power provided most toward the magnification side, which is fixed when changing magnification; and at least two movable lens groups that move to change the relative distance therebetween in the direction of an optical axis when changing magnification. The first lens group is constituted by, in order from the magnification side to the reduction side, a front group having a negative refractive power and a rear group having a negative refractive power. The front group is fixed and only the rear group moves in the direction of the optical axis during focusing operations. Conditional Formula (1) related to the focal length f1a of the front group and the focal length f1b of the rear group is satisfied: f1b/f1a<0.8 (1). |
| US09684152B2 |
Endoscope objective optical system
To off-axis and on-axis aberrations at low cost while having a wide angle of view, an endoscope objective optical system (1) has in order: a negative first lens (L1); a negative second lens (L2) and a third lens (L3) joined to each other; a brightness diaphragm (S); and a positive lens group (G2) having a cemented lens (CL2) including one positive lens and one negative lens joined to each other, and satisfies expressions (1) and (2): 1.0 |
| US09684145B2 |
Distributed split configuration for multi-dwelling unit
Installing a fiber distribution system in a building having multiple floors includes routing a feed fiber to a first enclosure located at one of the floors of the building; disposing pre-connectorized ends of distribution fibers within the first enclosure; routing optical ferrules, which terminate second ends of the distribution fibers without connector bodies, through the building via a sheath; accessing the optical ferrules of the distribution fibers at respective floors; attaching connector bodies around the optical ferrules; and disposing the connector bodies within fiber distribution terminals at the appropriate floors. |
| US09684143B2 |
Releasable connection interface for a fiber optic component holder
A fiber management tray is described including a releasable connection interface. The tray can include a base defining at least one component mounting location having a structure for mounting optical components. The structure may define a first side and an opposite second side. The structure may also define a first retention opening and a second retention opening that extend through the structure from the first side to the second side. The first retention opening can include a T-shaped slot having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the T-shaped slot may have a larger cross-dimension than a cross-dimension of the second portion of the T-shaped slot. The second retention opening may have a first portion in which a flexible cantilever is positioned and a second portion. The second portion of the second retention opening may have a smaller cross-dimension than a cross-dimension of the first portion of the second retention opening. The flexible cantilever can include a release member that projects outwardly in a first direction from the first side of the structure. |
| US09684140B2 |
Optical device and optic transceiver device
An optical device and an optic transceiver device are provided. The optical device includes a light splitting surface. The optical device further includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other and parallel to each other. The light splitting surface separately intersects the first surface and the second surface. An angle between the light splitting surface and the first surface is not equal to 90 degrees. A medium between the light splitting surface and the first surface and a medium between the light splitting surface and the second surface are the same. The medium is formed by a light transmissive material. |
| US09684137B2 |
Optical connector ferrule
Adhesive reservoirs having shapes of stepped grooves are provided at corners in outer edges of an opening of an insertion opening portion having a shape of a rectangular opening of a main body of the ferrule which is formed by consecutively installing the insertion opening portion provided on a rear end side such that a boot having substantially a shape of a square tube and having an optical fiber core wire at a distal end is inserted and supported, and optical fiber core wire insertion holes provided on a front end side such that a side of a distal end portion of the optical fiber core wire is inserted into a deep portion of the insertion opening portion and the distal end portion is exposed outwardly. In this way, an adhesive is prevented from leaking out from a gap between the boot and the insertion opening portion. |
| US09684132B2 |
Optical slip ring arrangement
A slip ring arrangement is simple to produce for contactless data transmission for high-frequency data signals, wherein two optical components are provided which are rotatable relative to one another about a common axis of rotation. The first optical component has a plurality of optical fibers which are disposed along at least one circular arc segment having a radius on a first end face. For this purpose the fibers are guided in a first carrier which has a coupling surface to which a first planar optical waveguide chip configured as a combiner is coupled. |
| US09684127B2 |
Passive optical diode on semiconductor substrate
An optical device includes a first optical cavity, a second optical cavity, a first light guide and a second light guide. Each of the first and second optical cavities is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and is configured to store light. The first light guide has an input, and is optically coupled to the first optical cavity by a first coupling strength. In addition, the first light guide is optically coupled to the second optical cavity by a second coupling strength. The second light guide has an output, and is coupled to the second optical cavity by a third coupling strength. The first coupling strength is greater than the second coupling strength, and the third coupling strength is greater than the second coupling strength. |
| US09684123B2 |
Display device and television receiver
The display device comprises a light guide plate arranged at the side of a surface, of a display panel which has a display surface on one surface, opposite to the display surface, a plurality of light source elements arranged to face an end surface of the light guide plate, an optical sheet arranged at the display panel side of the light guide plate, and the display panel arranged to face the optical sheet, and further comprises a first holding portion shielding the light from the plurality of the light source elements to the display panel and holding the optical sheet at the light guide plate side, and a second holding portion separating the optical sheet from the display panel and holding the optical sheet at the side opposite to the first holding portion. A space is formed between the optical sheet and the display panel by the second holding portion. |
| US09684119B2 |
Lightguide
Flexible unitary lightguide and a method of making the same are disclosed. The lightguide includes a structured input side that includes a first pattern having smaller features superimposed on a second pattern having larger features. The lightguide further includes a structured top surface that includes a first region and a different second region. The first region includes a plurality of discrete light extractors for extracting light that propagates within the flexible unitary lightguide by total internal reflection. The second region includes a taper portion for directing light from the structured input side to the first region. The light extractors form a periodic array that has a first period along the length of the flexible unitary lightguide. The first period is such that substantially no visible moire fringes occur when the flexible unitary lightguide is used as a backlight in a pixelated display. |
| US09684116B2 |
Light guide plate, and backlight unit and display device including the same
Provided are a light guide plate, and a backlight unit and a display device including the same. A light guide plate includes a light output surface configured to output light to the outside; a reflective surface positioned opposite the light output surface; a light incident surface provided on at least one side surface of side surfaces which connect the light output surface and the reflective surface, and configured to receive light projected from a light source; and a reflection pattern including an embossed portion having a circular shape and configured to protrude to the outside of the reflective surface when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reflective surface, and a concave portion having a ring shape which surrounds the embossed portion and recessed in the reflective surface when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reflective surface. Here, the center of the embossed portion is provided to be different from the center of the concave portion. |
| US09684114B2 |
Backlight source and display device
The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and provides a backlight source and a display device, which address the problem that the misalignment readily occurring between the LED strip and the light guide plate results in a light leakage in the light-emitting diodes and hence a reduced performance of the display device. A backlight source comprises a scattering substrate and a light-emitting diode strip, wherein the light-emitting diode strip comprises a circuit board and light-emitting diodes arranged at intervals on the circuit board, and the scattering substrate comprises recesses at a surface corresponding to the light-emitting diode strip, the recesses corresponding one-to-one with the light-emitting diodes, the light-emitting diodes embedded into the recesses. A display device comprises the backlight. |
| US09684112B2 |
Lighting device, display device and television device
A backlight device includes an LED, a light guide plate having one edge surface as a light entrance surface, one plate surface as a light exit surface and another plate surface as an opposite plate surface, further includes a chassis having a bottom plate portion that includes a light guide plate support portion supporting the light guide plate from a side of the opposite plate surface and a light guide plate non-support portion not supporting the light guide plate from the side of the opposite plate surface, and further includes a reflection sheet having an extended reflection portion that extends closer to the LED than the light entrance surface of the light guide plate and having a cutout portion that is formed by cutting out at least a part of a portion of the extended reflection portion overlapping with the light guide plate non-support portion. |
| US09684104B2 |
Thin film polarizer having superior optical properties, manufacturing method thereof, and polarizing plate and display device including the same
There are provided a thin film polarizer having superior optical properties and a method of manufacturing the same. The thin film polarizer includes: forming a film laminate by attaching a non-stretched polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based film to at least one surface of a thermoplastic polyurethane film, using attractive force therebetween or using an adhesive; stretching the film laminate at a temperature of 45° C. to 55° C.; and separating the PVA-based film from the thermoplastic polyurethane film. |
| US09684102B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a display, a rear frame disposed on a rear side of the display and comprising a rear frame-side engagement portion that protrudes toward the display in a front direction, and an optical sheet comprising an optical sheet-side engagement portion comprising a slit or a notch that engages with the rear frame-side engagement portion. The optical sheet-side engagement portion is snapped onto the rear frame-side engagement portion such that the optical sheet is suspended by the rear frame, and at least one of the rear frame-side engagement portion or the optical sheet-side engagement portion comprises a disengagement prevention portion that prevents the optical sheet-side engagement portion from disengaging in the front direction of the rear frame-side engagement portion. |
| US09684100B2 |
Anti-reflection nano-coating structure
Provided are an anti-reflection nano-coating structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The anti-reflection nano-coating structure has low dependency on incident light. The anti-reflection nano-coating structure has a normal-align nano-structure on the entire surface of the substrate regardless of curvature of the substrate by controlling a ratio of reactive gas during sputtering. |
| US09684098B2 |
Antiglare hard coat film
An antiglare hard coat film formed by providing an antiglare hard coat layer containing fine particles and a resin on a transparent film. When an average value of height in an evaluation region on a surface of the antiglare hard coat film is set at zero (0), a maximum cross sectional height represented by a difference between a height maximum value in the evaluation region and a height minimum value in the evaluation region is from 1.0 to 3.0 μm, and an average inclination angle of unevenness on the surface of the antiglare hard coat film is 1 degree or less. The total value of the transmissive clarity measured through four optical combs using a transmissive clarity measuring device according to JIS K 7105-1981 is 280% or more, and the value of the transmissive clarity measured through each optical comb is 70% or more, respectively. |
| US09684097B2 |
Scratch-resistant articles with retained optical properties
One or more aspects of the disclosure pertain to an article including an optical film structure disposed on a substrate, which may include a strengthened or non-strengthened substrate that may be amorphous or crystalline, such that the article exhibits scratch resistance and retains the same or improved optical properties as the substrate, without the optical film structure disposed thereon. In one or more embodiments, the article exhibits an average transmittance of 85% or more, over the visible spectrum (e.g., 380 nm-780 nm). Embodiments of the optical film structure include aluminum-containing oxides, aluminum-containing oxy-nitrides, aluminum-containing nitrides (e.g., AlN) and combinations thereof. The optical film structures disclosed herein also include a transparent dielectric including oxides such as silicon oxide, germanium oxide, aluminum oxide and a combination thereof. Methods of forming such articles are also provided. |
| US09684096B2 |
Unit for image display device having adhesive layer, and image display device using the unit
This invention provides a unit for an image display device in which an optical film laminate and a panel for an image display device are laminated with an adhesive layer therebetween. The optical film laminate contains a polarizer and a polarizer protection functional layer laminated to only one surface of the polarizer. The adhesive layer is laminated to the surface of the polarizer that is opposite to the surface that contacts the polarizer protection functional layer. The panel for an image display device is laminated to the surface of the adhesive layer that is opposite to the surface that contacts the polarizer. A glass transition temperature of the adhesive layer is in a range of from 50° C. to 90° C. |
| US09684094B2 |
Photonic crystal supporting high frequency sensitivity self-collimation phenomenon and design method and use thereof
A photonic crystal supporting highly frequency-sensitive self-collimation phenomenon, which is formed by at least two kinds of materials, and has a periodic distribution of refractive index, the photonic crystal has straight equi-frequency contours or flat equi-frequency surfaces in a certain band in the first Brillouin zone of wave-vector space, and the frequency-sensitivity of self-collimation is at least 50 times higher than the change rate of curvatures of the equi-frequency contours or the equi-frequency surfaces with frequencies in a vacuum. |
| US09684087B2 |
Dynamic threshold methods for filtering noise and restoring attenuated high-frequency components of acoustic signals
Methods of providing for filtering noise and/or restoring attenuated spectral components in acoustic signals, are provided. An exemplary embodiment of a method includes dynamically filtering each of a plurality of raw FFT data samples of a record to remove or attenuate background noise contained therein to thereby produce a corresponding plurality of cleaned FFT data samples. The sample-specific background noise is removed or attenuated by a record-specific dynamic filter to produce the corresponding cleaned FFT data samples. The method can also include restoring the attenuated high-frequency components of the cleaned data samples through application of a record-specific Restoring Processor at least partially defined by a portion of the cleaned data samples and a Gain Function to thereby produce cleaned and restored data samples, and applying an inverse transformation to convert the cleaned and restored data samples into cleaned and restored data samples in time domain data. |
| US09684086B2 |
Method for acquiring and processing marine seismic data to extract and constructively use the up-going and down-going wave-fields emitted by the source
A method for marine seismic surveying includes separating up-going and down-going wavefields from seismic energy emitted by at least one marine seismic energy source. The separated up-going and down-going wavefields are propagated from the at least one marine seismic energy source to at least one of a water surface and a common reference depth. One of the up-going and down-going wavefields is phase shifted 180 degrees. The propagated, phase shifted up-going and down-going wavefields are summed. |
| US09684078B2 |
Method for optically scanning and measuring an environment
A method, system and computer program product are provided for displaying three-dimensional measurement points on a two-dimensional plane of a display screen having a plurality of pixels. The method includes projecting the measurement points onto the plane. Each of the measurement points is assigned to one of the pixels. A depth value is assigned to each of the pixels. A first pixel is selected having a first measurement point and a first depth value. A first side is searched for a second pixel having a second measurement point and a second depth value. A second side is searched for a third pixel having a third measurement point and a third depth value. It is determined whether the second and third measurement points are on a same plane. The first depth value of the first pixel is changed when the second and third measurement points are on the same plane. |
| US09684075B2 |
Scanning laser time of flight 3D imaging
Laser light pulses are reflected off a scanning mirror. A time-of-flight distance measurement device receives reflected light pulses and determines distances. The light pulses have abrupt changes in amplitude. Reflected pulses are differentiated to reduce sensitivity to amplitude variations. Differentiated pulses may be compressed to keep the receiver from saturating. Distance measurements are combined with location information to produce a 3D image of a surface. |
| US09684074B2 |
Optical sensor arrangement and method of producing an optical sensor arrangement
An optical sensor arrangement, in particular an optical proximity sensor arrangement comprises a three-dimensional integrated circuit further comprising a first layer comprising a light-emitting device, a second layer comprising a light-detector and a driver circuit. The driver circuit is electrically connected to the light-emitting device and to the light-detector to control the operation of the light-emitting device and the light-detector. A mold layer comprising a first light-barrier between the light-emitting device and the light-detector configured to block light from being transmitted directly from the light-emitting device to the light-detector. |
| US09684072B2 |
Range determination apparatus and method
Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus (100) for detecting an erroneous measurement of a range of a target object 20 from a subject object 5. A transmitter transmits a signal (111S) having a first frequency from the subject object (5) to the target object (20). A detector (113) detects a portion of the signal (113S) reflected from the target object (20) back to the subject object (5); a controller is configured to determine the range (202) of the target object (20) from the subject object (5) by reference to a time of flight of the portion of the signal (111S), (113S) from the transmitter (111) to the detector (113); determine the rate of change of the range (203) by reference to a difference between the first frequency and an apparent frequency of the reflected portion of the signal (113S) detected by the detector; and provide an indication (206) that an erroneous measurement of range has been made if the range (202) increases while the rate of change of range (203) is negative. |
| US09684071B2 |
SAR data processing
An apparatus is disclosed for a spaceborne or aerial platform having a frequency demultiplexer for frequency demultiplexing a signal corresponding to a range line or an azimuth line of SAR data, and including information about a plurality of target points, into a plurality of frequency channels, and a compression device for performing compression on each frequency channel, each frequency channel signal having information about the same target points. The frequency demultiplexer and the compression device can be implemented in hardware. The apparatus may be used for either or both of the range compression and the azimuth compression of a SAR arrangement on board a spaceborne or aerial platform and the SAR arrangement may generate a plurality of sub-images corresponding to the frequency channels from the SAR raw data. The sub-images may be combined by averaging in order to reduce the volume of memory required to store the SAR data. |
| US09684068B2 |
Methods for detecting sensor degradation in distance sensors
A method for detecting a sensor degradation in distance sensors, having the following: a) sending out at least one transmit pulse; b) acquisition of a sensor signal at least in a decay interval; and c) determination of a degree of degradation based on a frequency response of the acquired sensor signal. Also described is a computer program product, a distance sensor unit, and a driver assistance system for carrying out such methods. |
| US09684053B2 |
Wafer for testing and a test system
To test a probe card with an examination apparatus that tests a device under test, provided is a test system that tests a device under test and includes a test section that includes a plurality of test units that input or output a signal; a probe card that includes a plurality of probe terminals connected to a terminal of the device under test, and transmits signals between the device under test and the test section; and a wafer for testing that is connected to the probe card, instead of the device under test, when testing the probe card, and includes a connection wire that electrically connects two of the probe terminals to each other. The test section measures output of at least one of two test units connected to the two probe terminals, and judges pass/fail of the two probe terminals. |
| US09684052B2 |
Method of measuring and assessing a probe card with an inspection device
A method of assessing functionality of a probe card includes providing a probe card analyzer without a probe card interface, removably coupling a probe card having probes to a support plate of the probe card analyzer, aligning a sensor head of the probe card analyzer with the probe card, and measuring a component of the probes with the sensor head. |
| US09684051B2 |
System and method for prepolarizing magnetic resonance- or relaxation-based measurements
The invention relates to a prepolarizing magnetic resonance- or relaxation-based measurement system, comprising a prepolarizing coil for producing a prepolarizing field at the target zone, means for pulsing the prepolarizing field according to a first pulsing scheme, and means for measuring magnetization of a target placed in the target zone. According to the invention, the system further comprises a shielding coil for producing a shielding field and means for pulsing the shielding field according to a second pulsing scheme, whereby the shielding coil and the second pulsing scheme are arranged to reduce the formation of unwanted transient fields caused by the coupling of the prepolarizing coil to conducting or magnetic structures in the surroundings of the system. The invention also relates to a corresponding method of measurement and a process of designing the pulsing schemes for the system or process. By means of the invention, the formation of unwanted eddy currents, for example, in the surroundings of the measurement system, can be reduced. |
| US09684049B2 |
Magnetic resonance method and apparatus for correction of magnetic resonance data
In a method and apparatus to acquire correction data in connection with pulse sequences to acquire measurement data whose echo times—the duration between excitation and measurement data acquisition of the pulse sequences—are less than 500 microseconds, the pulse sequences acquire measurement data by repetition of a pulse sequence scheme, wherein different gradients for spatial coding are switched in each repetition, and correction data are acquired every n repetitions in a time window in which no gradients are switched, wherein n is a predetermined natural number. The method and apparatus enable correction of measurement data with which solid substances can be depicted without the hardware being used needing to be adapted and without external sensors being necessary. |
| US09684046B2 |
Magnetic resonance coil apparatus
A magnetic resonance coil apparatus includes a receiving region for receiving a subregion of a patient to be examined, a housing shell unit enclosing the receiving region, and an antenna unit for picking up magnetic resonance signals. The magnetic resonance coil apparatus includes a camera unit with at least one light field camera element. |
| US09684045B2 |
Imaging the teeth by means of magnetic resonance technology with non-unique gradients
A gradient system according to the invention generates three superimposed gradient fields of which at least one of the three gradient fields is not unique in space (i.e. not bijective) and at least one of the three gradient has areas of the same field strength, which extend in parallel or orthogonally to a approximately U-shaped center plane of the teeth of one jaw of a patient. |
| US09684043B2 |
Mounting for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device
A mounting device for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device is provided. The mounting device includes a suspension device that has at least one suspension element. The at least one suspension element is mechanically connectable to a counterpart piece of the body coil. The suspension device is configured for suspension and coarse adjustment of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device during an adjustment process of the body coil. The mounting device also includes an adjustment device that has an adjuster for changing a position of the body coil, and adjustment indicators for displaying the position of the body coil. The adjustment device is provided for fine adjustment of the body coil during the adjustment process. The mounting device includes an attachment device differing from the suspension device. The attachment device includes at least one attachment element for mechanical interaction with the body coil. |
| US09684041B2 |
Production method of gas cell, and gas cell
A production method of a gas cell includes: forming a coating layer on a surface of a plate material; assembling a plurality of the plate materials having the coating layer formed thereon so as to form a cell surrounded by the surface having the coating layer formed thereon; and filling the formed cell with an alkali metal gas. |
| US09684038B2 |
Magnetic field sensor system
A magnetic field sensor system has a plurality of magnetic field sensor elements, which each are configured to provide an individual sensor value, and of which a first portion is arranged in a first contiguous area and a second portion is arranged in a second contiguous area, and a coil wire arrangement with a first coil portion and at least a second coil portion being connected to the first coil portion, wherein the first coil portion is arranged close to the sensor elements of the first area and the second coil portion is arranged close to the sensor elements of the second area such that, if a predetermined current is applied to the coil wire arrangement, a first magnetic field component is generated at the first area and a second magnetic field component is generated at the second area being opposite to the first magnetic field component. The magnetic field sensor system is configured to produce a total sensor value that is based on a difference between the individual sensor values provided within the areas. |
| US09684035B1 |
Magnetic tunnel junction loaded ring oscillators for MRAM characterization
Circuits are provided for modeling and characterizing the switching of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) elements. More specifically, ring oscillators loaded with MTJ elements are used to characterize magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element performance. The circuits can include a ring oscillator (RO) having an odd number of inverters connected in series with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element inserted between each inverter. In some embodiments, the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) elements are arranged to act as a load to the inverters. The circuits optionally include one or more of a time to amplitude converter, a pulse distribution analyzer and/or PFET(s) and NFET(s). Methods of characterizing the switching characteristics of MTJ elements are also provided herein. Such MTJ elements can be suitable for use in magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) devices. Methods of making the ring oscillator are further provided herein. |
| US09684034B2 |
Efficient method of retesting integrated circuits
Efficient production testing of integrated circuits (ICs). A first production test is implemented on a group of ICs and failures among the test group are assessed. Specifically, the results of the first test are analyzed such that ICs having a recoverable fail and ICs having a non-recoverable fail are differentiated. The ICs are integrated based on the analyzed results and a second production test is implemented. The second production test tests the ICs responsive to the segregation, such that the second production test is limited only to ICs with a recoverable fail. The next succeeding production test will then use the new test program in the second production test with the handler bin designated as having ICs not to be re-tested. |
| US09684033B2 |
Low power scan path cells with hold state multiplexer circuitry
Scan architectures are commonly used to test digital circuitry in integrated circuits. The present disclosure describes a method of adapting conventional scan architectures into a low power scan architecture. The low power scan architecture maintains the test time of conventional scan architectures, while requiring significantly less operational power than conventional scan architectures. The low power scan architecture is advantageous to IC/die manufacturers since it allows a larger number of circuits (such as DSP or CPU core circuits) embedded in an IC/die to be tested in parallel without consuming too much power within the IC/die. Since the low power scan architecture reduces test power consumption, it is possible to simultaneously test more die on a wafer than previously possible using conventional scan architectures. This allows wafer test times to be reduced which reduces the manufacturing cost of each die on the wafer. |
| US09684031B2 |
Contact probe and semiconductor element socket provided with same
The invention provides a contact probe and a semiconductor element socket provided with the same, the contact probe capable of smooth inspection of a device while securing good conductivity. A contact probe has an upper plunger having a contact stem portion, a lower plunger having an insertion hole with which the contact stem portion is capable of coming into contact, and a coil spring connected to the upper plunger and the lower plunger in such a way as to cover the contact stem portion. The coil spring is configured by helically winding a wiring, and includes a guide portion wound tight in the axial direction of the coil spring by the wire, the guide portion located on the lower plunger side of the coil spring and also includes the upper plunger side portion than an upper end portion of the insertion hole. |
| US09684026B2 |
Apparatus and method for automatic ground fault location determination in high resistance grounded motor drive system
A PLC or other industrial controller programmed to locate ground faults in a networked high resistance grounded multi-drive system through network communications messaging to automatically place networked motor drives in various operational states to isolate individual drives for ground fault identification testing and selectively identify individual drives as suspected ground fault locations. |
| US09684023B2 |
RF measurement device and system
A EUT (equipment under test) positioning device is disclosed. The device comprises a holder element configured to hold EUT, a sliding element configured to move the holder element horizontally, a rotating element attached to the sliding element and configured to rotate the holder element, at least three telescopic elements attached to the rotating element and configured to independently move the holder element vertically, at least five actuators individually attached to the sliding element, the rotating element and the telescopic elements, wherein the actuators are configured to activate movement of the sliding element, the rotating element and the telescopic elements, and a position monitoring element configured to monitor the position of EUT. The holder element, the sliding element, the rotating element, and the telescopic elements comprise radio frequency transparent material. |
| US09684022B2 |
Sensor device and sensing method using the same
Provided are a sensor device and a sensing method using the same. The sensor device according to the present invention includes: a sensing voltage generating unit outputting different voltage values depending on an external environment; a pulse generating unit generating a pulse having a period which is proportional to an input voltage; a divider dividing an output of the pulse generating unit; and a counter unit measuring a length of an output pulse of the divider in a clock unit. As a result, the sensor device including an analog-digital converter (ADC) using a pulse width modulation technology is a miniature device and has high resolution. |
| US09684021B2 |
Resistance measurement
This disclosure describes techniques for measuring the resistance of a component with measurement circuitry that is electrically coupled to the component via one or more electrical conductors (e.g., one or more bond wires). The resistance measurement techniques of this disclosure may measure a resistance of an electrical conductor, and generate a value indicative of a resistance of a component other than the electrical conductor based on the measured resistance of the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor for which the resistance is measured may be the same as or different than one or more of the electrical conductors that the couple the measurement circuitry to the component to be measured. Using an electrical conductor resistance measurement to determine the resistance of a component may improve the accuracy of the resistance measurement for the component. |
| US09684017B2 |
Current measurement device and method using a Rogowski type current transducer
A current measurement device for measuring a current through a primary conductor is provided. The current measurement device comprises a current transducer of the Rogowski type, the current transducer comprising a conductor winding connected to a pair of transducer terminals and adapted to induce there between a measurement voltage indicative of a current through the primary conductor; a pair of calibration terminals adapted for providing a calibration current to a calibration current path conforming to the primary conductor, so that the calibration current induces a calibration response voltage component between the pair of transducer terminals; and a control circuit. The control circuit comprises a calibration current generator for generating the calibration current and connected to the pair of calibration terminals for providing the calibration current via the pair of calibration terminals to the calibration current path, and a voltage analyzer connected to the pair of transducer terminals for receiving the calibration response voltage component induced between the pair of transducer terminals. |
| US09684016B2 |
Sensors
A current sensor comprises a first component comprising plural coils. Each coil comprises one or more turns printed on at least one planar surface of a respective substrate, and the planes of the coils are parallel to one another and are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first component. A second component comprises soft magnetic material and has first and second planar faces that are at opposite ends of the first component and are arranged perpendicularly to and are intersected by the longitudinal axis of the first component. |
| US09684010B2 |
Screen-less ballistic chronograph
An apparatus and method for detecting a moving object as it passes through a light curtain generated by one or more emitters, by the means for detecting the light of the light curtain reflected by the passing object onto a photoelectric detector. The object sensing area is not constrained by mechanical means and is limited only by the light curtain shape. Velocity of the object is determined primarily by dividing the known distance between two or more parallel light curtains by the time of passage between the light curtains. Additional velocity measurement obtained from the known object length divided by the time of its passage through the light curtain allows verification of the primary velocity measurement. Direction of the object motion across the sensitive area is determined by implementing two or more uniquely identifiable, closely spaced parallel light curtains, and corresponding uniquely identifiable detectors. |
| US09683999B2 |
Diagnostic blood test for sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease characterized by granulomatous inflammation in affected organs. We have developed a blood test using mycobacterial catalase-peroxidase that has a high positive predictive value for confirming a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. |
| US09683997B2 |
Monoclonal antibody recognizing human papillomavirus (HPV) L2 protein and method for measuring HPV-neutralizing antibody titer using the same
The present invention relates to the development of a monoclonal antibody which has binding activity to many high-risk types of HPV, etc. The present invention also provides a simple and high-throughput method for measuring cross-neutralizing antibody titers, which is used for assay of cross-neutralizing antibody against HPV in serum samples from subjects, etc. The method of the present invention for measuring cross-neutralizing antibody titers comprises the steps of: preparing a monoclonal antibody against a peptide having a specific amino acid sequence common to high-risk types of HPV; and assaying cross-neutralizing antibody using this monoclonal antibody. |
| US09683996B2 |
Assessment of solid tumor burden
The present disclosure is directed toward measurement of expression of one or both of an activating Natural Killer (NK) cell receptor and its ligand(s) on peripheral blood cells as a means to assess solid tumor burden. In particular, the present disclosure provides tools for assessing cancer recurrence or risk thereof following reduction of a solid tumor, and for developing a treatment regime for a cancer patient. |
| US09683995B2 |
Method of treatment of SETDB1 expressing cancer
Provided herein are methods for diagnosing cancer by determining the level of expression of SETDB1 in a biological sample. Also provided herein are methods for treating cancer by administering an inhibitor of SETDB1 to a subject in need thereof. |
| US09683992B2 |
Ligand passivated gold nanoparticles
The invention provides novel gold nanoclusters of the formula Au20(SR)15(weak ligand), wherein each R is independently an organic group, and the weak ligand is a weakly associating gold ligand of Formula I as described herein. The nanocluster can have an approximate molecular weight of 6 kDa. Corresponding dimers of the nanocluster can have an approximate molecular weight of 10 kDa (by SEC). The invention also provides methods of making and using the gold nanoclusters. |
| US09683990B2 |
Composition comprising an angiopoietin-4 fragment
The present invention relates to Angiopoietin-3 (Ang-3) and Angiopoietin-4 (Ang-4). The present invention also relates to methods of modulating an activity of Ang-3 or Ang-4. The present invention further relates to methods of treating cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. |
| US09683988B2 |
Cell model and method for screening c-Fms kinase inhibitors
The present invention provides a cell model and a method for screening c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Specifically, the present invention provides a cell that expresses macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor and STAT1 protein simultaneously. The present invention further provides a method for screening c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors, a method for evaluating the inhibiting activity of a compound or a composition against c-Fms tyrosine kinase, and use of the cell in screening c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The cell model established in the present invention is sensitive, highly effective and reliable, and can be used in high-throughput screening and/or high-content screening of c-Fms tyrosine kinase inhibitors. |
| US09683980B1 |
Method for detecting Hg2+ in an aqueous solution
A method of detecting Hg2+ in an aqueous solution. The method includes contacting the aqueous solution with a composition containing a plant extract and biosynthesized silver nanoparticles. The composition has an average particle size of 30-50 nm. A color change following the contacting indicates the presence of Hg2+ in the aqueous solution. The composition is preferably synthesized by reduction of a silver salt with an extract of Ocimum basilicum. |
| US09683976B2 |
Containers and systems for the measurement of radioactive gases and related methods
Containers for a fluid sample containing a radionuclide for measurement of radiation from the radionuclide include an outer shell having one or more ports between an interior and an exterior of the outer shell, and an inner shell secured to the outer shell. The inner shell includes a detector receptacle sized for at least partial insertion into the outer shell. The inner shell and outer shell together at least partially define a fluid sample space. The outer shell and inner shell are configured for maintaining an operating pressure within the fluid sample space of at least about 1000 psi. Systems for measuring radioactivity in a fluid include such a container and a radiation detector received at least partially within the detector receptacle. Methods of measuring radioactivity in a fluid sample include maintaining a pressure of a fluid sample within a Marinelli-type container at least at about 1000 psi. |
| US09683975B2 |
Volumetric flow regulation in multi-dimensional liquid analysis systems
A multi-dimensional liquid analysis system includes a first dimension system and a second dimension system, wherein outflow from the first dimension system is separated at a flow splitter under controlled conditions. The flow splitter separates the first dimension outflow into first and second split outlet flows, with one of the split outlet flows being metered to a designated flow rate with a flow metering device disposed downstream from the flow splitter. The flow metering device selectively closes or opens an outlet flow path to define a volumetric flow rate along that outlet flow path, so that the other split outlet flow is correspondingly controlled. |
| US09683974B2 |
Cascaded gas chromatographs (CGCs) with individual temperature control and gas analysis systems using same
The disclosure describes a cascaded gas chromatograph including a first gas chromatograph having a first temperature control and a second gas chromatograph coupled to the first gas chromatograph. The first and second chromatographs have individual temperature controls that can be controlled independently of each other. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed. |
| US09683971B2 |
Object information acquiring apparatus and control method thereof
Adopted is an object information acquiring apparatus that includes: a probe including multiple conversion elements that transmit acoustic waves to an object, and convert the reflected waves into time-series received signals; and a processor that performs frequency domain interferometry, through application of adaptive signal processing, by using the multiple received signals output from the multiple conversion elements and a reference signal, and obtains acoustic properties of multiple positions. The probe is configured such that, when a direction in which the multiple conversion elements are arranged is a first direction and a second direction, end portions in the second direction have a lower transmission sound pressure of the acoustic waves than a midportion in the second direction. |
| US09683970B2 |
Object information acquiring apparatus and control method for the object information acquiring apparatus
An object information acquiring apparatus that transmits an acoustic wave to an object, and receives and analyzes the reflected acoustic wave to acquire internal information of the object, comprises a probe that transmits and receives the acoustic wave; a holding member disposed between the object and the probe to hold the object; and an air bubble detection unit that detects an air bubble present between the object and the holding member on the basis of an intensity of the acoustic wave received after a first time from the transmission by the probe, the first time being calculated on the basis of a time when the acoustic wave reaches a predetermined distance. |
| US09683968B2 |
Combination sensor
One example discloses a combination sensor, comprising: a pressure sensor having an actuator which has a first resonant frequency; a cavity, coupled to the pressure sensor and able to receive a substance; wherein the cavity, in an absence of the substance, has a second resonant frequency in response to excitation by the actuator; wherein the cavity, in a presence of the substance, has a third resonant frequency in response to excitation by the actuator; wherein the first resonant frequency differs from the second and third resonant frequencies; and a sensor circuit which outputs a substance detected signal in response to the third resonant frequency in the cavity. |
| US09683967B2 |
Integrated circuits based biosensors
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for implementing molecular sensors. In one aspect, an ion-gas sensor device includes a pre-concentration module to collect and concentrate a gas-phase chemical for analysis; a piezoelectric fan to produce an air-flow through acoustic streaming to drive the gas-phase chemical released by the pre-concentration module to one or more downstream modules; an ionizer downstream from the piezoelectric fan to ionize the gas-phase chemical; and a gas sensor downstream from the piezoelectric fan and the ionizer to detect the ionized gas-phase chemical driven by the piezoelectric fan. The piezoelectric fan can include a stack of thin-film layers that includes a thin-film piezoelectric layer. The ion-gas sensor device is made into an ultra-portable package capable of integration with mobile communication devices, such as PDA devices or smart phones. |
| US09683965B2 |
Hybrid ion mobility spectrometer
A hybrid ion mobility spectrometer includes a single-pass drift tube having an ion inlet at one end and an ion outlet at an opposite end, a multiple-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet each coupled to the single pass drift tube between the ion inlet and the ion outlet thereof, and a set of ion gates each controllable between an open position to pass ions therethrough and a closed position to block ions from passing therethrough. The set of ion gates may be controlled to pass at least some ions traveling through the single-pass drift tube into the multiple-pass drift tube via the ion inlet of the multiple-pass drift tube and to pass at least some ions traveling through the multiple-pass drift tube into the single-pass drift tube via the ion outlet of the multiple-pass drift tube. |
| US09683963B2 |
Ion mobility spectrometer with high throughput
A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving ion mobility spectrometry by using a fast and spatially wide ion gate based on local RF field barrier opposed to a switching DC field. Alternatively, the speed and charge throughput of ion mobility separator are improved by arranging coaxial mobility cell followed by conical coaxial ion channel. The improvement accelerates the ion mobility analysis and improves charge throughput and dynamic range of the IMS. The invention is particularly suited for rapid dual gas chromatography, fast CE. Preferably, the accelerated and wide bore IMS is coupled to a multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a fast encoded orthogonal acceleration. Speed and sensitivity of IMS with fast pulsing MR-TOF make it practical to arrange analytical methods of comprehensive and orthogonal separation in multiple analytical dimensions. |
| US09683962B2 |
Apparatus for monitoring particles in an aerosol
The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for monitoring particles in a channel (11) or a space comprising aerosol and to an ion trap arrangement in the apparatus. The apparatus (1) comprises an ejector (24), gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) arranged to feed an essentially particle free ionized gas flow (C) to the ejector (24), a sample-inlet arrangement (2) arranged to provide a sample aerosol flow (A) from the channel (11) into the ejector (24) by means of suction provided by the gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) and the ejector (24) for charging at least a fraction of the particles of the sample aerosol flow (A), and an ion trap (12) extending at least partly into ejector (24) for removing ions not attached to the particles. According to the invention the ion trap (12) is a provided as a metal trap wire. |
| US09683956B2 |
Method of manufacturing nano gap sensor using residual stress and nano gap sensor manufactured thereby
Provided are a method of manufacturing a nano gap sensor and a nano gap sensor manufactured by the method. According to the method of manufacturing the nano gap sensor, fine cracks are formed in a substrate including a silicon wafer, etc. in order to form the nano gap with simplified processes and low manufacturing costs, and after that, a metal catalyst layer is stacked on the nano gap to manufacture a sensor capable of selectively detecting a certain material or a gas such as hydrogen. In particular, when palladium or a palladium alloy is used as the metal catalyst layer, highly sensitive hydrogen sensors capable of responding various concentrations of hydrogen may be produced in large quantities. |
| US09683952B2 |
Test stand for XRF instrument enabling multi-way operation
Disclosed is a test stand that supports and stabilizes a handheld XRF analyzer, and holds a body of sample to be tested. The test stand allows both horizontal and vertical analysis positions of the analyzer. The preferred embodiment of the test stand comprises a shielded X-ray chamber in which samples are tested and which affixes to the XRF analyzer's window via a spring loaded handle, a stabilizing base to which the analyzer's handle is situated, and a stanchion for horizontal mounting of the XRF analyzer. In the horizontal orientation, the chamber contains an adjustable platform and soil sample retainer to facilitate the positioning of the sample to be tested. The stanchion can be stored under the base. |
| US09683940B2 |
Particle detecting and discriminating device and method
A particle detecting device includes: a light measuring instrument that measures measured values for intensities of first, second, and third lights of mutually differing wavelengths, produced by particles to be measured; a boundary information storing portion that stores a non-linear discriminating boundary for separating a class of a first classification of particles and a class of a second classification of particles; and a particle classifying portion that classifies the particle being measured into either of the classifications for the first and second classifications of particles, based on measured values for the intensities of the first through third lights and on the discriminating boundary. |
| US09683932B2 |
Variable ICE and methods for measuring sample properties with the same
A system and method for measuring properties of a sample utilizing a variable integrated computation element (ICE) formed of one or more layers of film that is physically sensitive to an electrical field or a magnetic field applied through the material. The thickness of a layer, and hence the optical properties of the ICE, can be electrically or magnetically altered to adjust the ICE for a analysis of a particular property of the sample, or to calibrate the ICE or to adjust the ICE to compensate for alterations to the ICE resulting from environmental conditions. The film may be formed of electrostrictive materials, piezoelectric materials, magnetorestrictive materials, and/or piezomagnetic materials. |
| US09683931B2 |
Apparatus for detecting a component in a sample
An apparatus for detecting a first component in a sample, the first component being responsive to at least radiation of a first wavelength, the sample comprising the first component and a second component responsive to at least radiation of a second wavelength. |
| US09683930B2 |
Polarization properties imaging systems
This disclosure is generally directed to systems for imaging polarization properties of optical-material samples. As one example, there is provided a system for precise, simultaneous imaging of both the in-plane and out-of-plane birefringence properties of sample material over a wide range of incidence angles. An example spatially resolved imaging approach described herein is amenable to determination of a wide range of polarimetric properties, in addition to the in-plane and out-of-plane birefringence measure discussed as a preferred embodiment. |
| US09683927B2 |
Device for receiving small volume liquid samples
Improvements in and relating to devices for receiving liquid samples A device for receiving a liquid sample may form part of a micro sampling head for an instrument such as a spectrophotometer. The device receives a liquid sample to be analyzed by a process involving the passing of electromagnetic radiation through the sample, and comprises a light inlet guide (20) for directing electromagnetic radiation into the sample, a light receiving element (23) situated in an opposed relationship to the guide and spaced from the guide by a fixed distance to define a fixed path length gap (21), which is, in use, filled with the sample. In use, radiation is passed from the light inlet guide to the light receiving element (23), and the path length of radiation through the sample is defined by the gap (23). The device is open or openable to allow a droplet of sample to be deposited directly in the gap. |
| US09683925B1 |
Tactile sensor system and method for inspecting the condition of a structure
In a computer-implemented method and system for capturing the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner. The 3D contact scanner includes a tactile sensor system having at least one tactile sensor for generating 3D data points based on tactile feedback resulting from physical contact with at least part of the structure. A 3D model is constructed from the 3D data and is then analyzed to determine the condition of the structure. |
| US09683924B2 |
Infrastructure corrosion analysis
The disclosure relates to systems, methods and apparatus for analyzing an infrastructure system including measurement of a parameter associated with the infrastructure system, electronically recording the measured parameter as a data, transferring the data to an infrastructure unit which may be remote from the infrastructure system, analyzing the data to generate a risk model, and predicting a characteristic of the infrastructure system according to the risk. An implementation plan may be generated, and/or maintenance services may be performed as per the characteristic that is predicted. |
| US09683922B2 |
Use of vibrational spectroscopy for DNA content inspection
This disclosure concerns a cytometry system including a handling system that enables presentation of single cells to at least one laser source. The laser source is configured to deliver light to a cell within the cells in order to induce bond vibrations in the cellular DNA. The system further includes a detection facility that detects the signature of the bond vibrations, wherein the bond vibration signature is used to determine the folding or packing of the DNA. |
| US09683917B2 |
Method of determining sidewall aggression performance parameters
A powered massaging assembly includes a handle and a massage head each having an enclosure that presents a chamber. The massage head includes a drive shaft that extends into and out of the chamber. The massage head also includes a driven massage element drivingly attached to the drive shaft and mounted outside the chamber to manipulate tissue. The enclosures include connectors rotatably attached to each other to provide a swivel joint that rotatably interconnects the handle and head. |
| US09683916B2 |
Rough road simulation
A system includes a platform for receiving a test device programmed to output a data signal. A shaft is spaced from the platform. A plurality of impact objects are disposed on the shaft and are configured to strike the platform. A motor is coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate the shaft. A processor is programmed to identify an anomaly in the data signal as a result of the plurality of impact objects striking the platform. |
| US09683913B2 |
System and method for evaluating remaining life of an operative sub-system of a vehicle
A vehicle may include an operative sub-system positioned within a body of the vehicle, and a sensor assembly secured to the operative sub-system. The sensor assembly may include at least one sensor configured to detect vibration or shock energy, directed into the operative sub-system; and a processing unit configured to determine damage to the operative sub-system as damage data that is based on one or both of a magnitude and duration of the vibration or shock energy detected by the sensor(s). The sensor assembly may be self-powered. |
| US09683910B2 |
Turbine leak detection system
Various embodiments include a leak detection system for a turbine compartment. In some embodiments, the leak detection system includes: a tracer fluid system fluidly connected with the turbine compartment, the tracer fluid system configured to provide an optically detectable fluid to a fluid supply of the turbine compartment; an optical detection system operably connected to the turbine compartment, the optical detection system configured to detect the presence of the optically detectable fluid in at least one location of the turbine compartment; and a control system operably connected to the tracer fluid system and the optical detection system, the control system configured to obtain data about the presence of the optically detectable fluid in the at least one location, and provide an indicator indicating a potential leak location based upon the data about the presence of the optically detectable fluid in the at least one location. |
| US09683908B2 |
Method and system for monitoring gas pressure for reference cavity of capacitance diaphragm gauge
A system and method detect the presence of an unacceptable quantity of gas molecules in the reference vacuum cavity of a capacitance diaphragm gauge (CDG). An independent pressure transducer has an active portion exposed to the reference vacuum cavity. The transducer includes a ring anode, a cylindrical inner wall surface that forms at least one cathode, and a magnet positioned with respect to the ring anode such that the magnetic flux of the magnet is generally aligned with the central axis of the ring anode. A high voltage source applies a voltage between the ring anode and the cathode. A current sensor senses a magnitude of any current flowing between the ring anode and the cathode via ionized gas molecules. A monitoring unit monitors the magnitude of the current sensed by the current sensor and activates an alarm when the magnitude of the current exceeds an acceptable magnitude. |
| US09683897B2 |
Temperature indicator for electrical equipment
A system for determining when an electrical contact or other component reaches a predetermined temperature. In operation, a trace material is dispersed into a surrounding environment (e.g., head space within a compartment above insulating oil), where the trace material is detected. A barrier may be ruptured or broken by temperature-induced gas pressure, or pierced by a spring-loaded member that is located within the same section that contains the trace material, and devices may be provided for moving the trace material through the foil barrier as the barrier is ruptured. The barrier may be opened solely by internal gas pressure. According to another embodiment, improved fail-safe operation may be achieved by providing a spring-loaded member and configuring the barrier to be ruptured by the pressure of the detectable gas material before the barrier is ruptured by the spring-loaded member. |
| US09683893B2 |
System for detection and imaging by spectral analysis in several wavelength bands
The invention relates to a system for detection and infrared imaging by spectral analysis in several wavelength bands comprising: —an imaging sensor comprising a plurality of elementary sensors together forming a matrix sensitive surface; —an imaging optic adapted for forming on the sensitive surface of the imaging sensor, a first image of the scene to be analyzed in a first wavelength band, and at least one second image of the scene to be analyzed in a second wavelength band, characterized in that said detection and imaging system furthermore comprises an optical device consisting of a fixed optical plate adapted for shifting the first image with respect to the second image in the plane of the sensitive surface, the shift between the images being along a direction defined by a row, a column or a diagonal of elementary sensors, the shift distance being equal to the spacing of the elementary sensors of the matrix sensitive surface along this direction or to a multiple of this spacing. |
| US09683890B2 |
Image sensor pixels with conductive bias grids
An image sensor with an array of pixels is provided. In order to achieve high image quality, it may be desirable to improve well capacity of individual pixels within the array by forming deep photodiodes in a thick substrate. When forming the array of pixels, conductive contacts may be formed in a back surface of the substrate opposing ground contacts located on a front side of the substrate. A conductive grid layer may be formed over the conductive contacts. A color filter layer may be formed over the conductive grid layer that may include a barrier grid in which color filter material is deposited. The conductive grid layer and conductive contacts may be biased to a voltage to improve the strength of electric fields in the substrate. Conductive contacts will thereby improve charge collection and electrical isolation and prevent electrical crosstalk and blooming. |
| US09683888B2 |
Measurement of the light radiation of light-emitting diodes
The invention relates to a method for measuring a light radiation (300) emitted by a light-emitting diode (210). In the method, an end (121) of an optical fiber (120) which is connected to a measuring device (130) is irradiated with the light radiation (300), which is emitted by the light-emitting diode (210), through an optical device (140), so that a portion of the light radiation (300) is coupled into the optical fiber (120) and is guided to the measuring device (130). The optical device (140) causes the light radiation (300) passing through the optical device (140) to be emitted in diffuse form in the direction of the end (121) of the optical fiber (120). The invention also relates to an apparatus (100) for measuring a light radiation (300) emitted by a light-emitting diode (210). |
| US09683887B2 |
Photoelectric conversion device with improved alignment precision and optical fiber coupling connector having the same
A photoelectric conversion device includes a circuit board, a light emitting module, a light receiving module, and an optical coupling lens. The circuit board includes two positioning portions apart from each other. The light emitting module and the light receiving module are mounted on the circuit board, and are spaced apart from each other. The optical coupling lens includes a bottom surface facing the light emitting module and the light receiving module, two first converging portions formed on the bottom surface, and two locating portions. Centers of the positioning portions are aligned with centers of the locating portions to ensure perfect alignment of the light emitting module and the light receiving module with the first converging portions. |
| US09683883B2 |
Weighing module for measuring wheel contact forces
The present invention relates to a weighing module for measuring wheel contact forces of rail-bound vehicles, comprising a measuring rail and a number of strain gauges, wherein the strain gauges are applied directly on the measuring rail. The measuring rail comprises a load introduction region, made of at least one load introduction part, and at least two deformation bodies, which are connected fixedly in each case to a load output plate and, via a hinge, to the load introduction region. The strain gauges are arranged on the deformation bodies and capture the shear strain acting between the hinges and load output plates. |
| US09683878B2 |
Electromagnetic flowmeter
An electromagnetic flowmeter applies a magnetic field, which is generated by excitation current, to a fluid to be measured flowing in a measurement tube, and measures a flow rate of the fluid to be measured on the basis of a detection signal to be generated from an electrode provided in the measurement tube. The electromagnetic flowmeter includes an excitation circuit configured to generate the excitation current having a positive excitation period, a negative excitation period and a non-excitation period, and a diagnosis unit configured to detect an abnormality based on characteristics of the fluid to be measured, on the basis of a level of the detection signal in a non-excitation stable period, which is a period in which a differential noise of detection signal to be generated in the non-excitation period converges. |
| US09683872B2 |
Water-ingress label using a double coating capsule structure
A water-ingress label using a double coating capsule structure includes a water absorbent layer which is formed from any one of paper, synthetic paper, non-woven fabric, synthetic non-woven fabric, Korean paper or an absorbent coating for absorbing water; an ink layer which is formed on the back surface of the water absorbent layer as an ink having a double coating capsule structure including a colorant selected from any one or a plurality of water-soluble dyes, pigments, metallic silica, metallic oxides and mica together with a hydrophilic/water-absorbing halogen-free resin; and an ink barrier layer having a damp-proofing and water-proofing function, which is formed on the back surface of the ink layer and prevents leaking, into the back surface of the ink layer, of the colorant selected from any one or more of water-soluble dyes, pigments, metallic silica, metallic oxides and mica. |
| US09683867B2 |
Electrical power switch control with usage data display
A device to be connected to first electrical power wiring and for displaying electrical power usage information of at least one first electrical load connected to the first electrical power wiring, the device including terminals to electrically connect to the first electrical power wiring of a building, a controller to receive information representing at least a current to the at least one first electrical load, determine first electrical power usage information of the at least one first electrical load using the received information, a user interface to display the determined first electrical power usage information of the at least one first electrical load, and a communications interface to transmit the determined first electrical power usage information to at least one second electrical device for display, and receive determined second electrical power usage information of at least one second electrical load from the at least one second electrical device for display. |
| US09683851B2 |
Indoor magnetic field based location discovery
There is provided an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is caused to acquire a location estimate of a positioning device that is to determine its location inside a building, wherein the location estimate is acquired on the basis of an indoor non-magnetic field based location discovery system; access an indoor Earth's magnetic field, EMF, map of plurality of buildings, wherein the indoor EMF map represents at least one of magnitude and direction of the Earth's magnetic field affected by the local structures of a corresponding building; and select a part of the indoor EMF map on the basis of the location estimate of the positioning device, wherein the selected part of the indoor magnetic field map includes the indoor EMF map for the area in which the positioning device currently is. |
| US09683845B2 |
Virtual gyroscope using dual magnetometers for electronic devices
A magnetometer unit which may be incorporated in an electronic device receives first magnetic response data from a first magnetic sensor and second magnetic response data from a second magnetic sensor displaced from the first magnetic sensor. The magnetometer unit generates a composite response surface representation from the first magnetic response data and the second magnetic response data, and stores the composite response surface representation in a non-transitory memory. |
| US09683841B2 |
Imaging range finder fabrication
Fabrication of an imaging range finder is disclosed. The range finder can be formed of an imaging lens and an array of emitters and photodetectors in optical communication with the lens. The emitters in the array can be formed to emit light that is directed by the lens toward a target object. The photodetectors in the array can be formed to detect light received from the object through the lens and onto the photodetectors. The lens, the array, or both can be movable to adjust the light emitted by the range finder. The range finder can be formed to find the object's range based on characteristics of the emitted light and/or the detected light. |
| US09683838B2 |
Ultrasonic measurement method and ultrasonic measurement apparatus
An ultrasonic measurement method includes: a measuring point setting step of setting an arbitrary measuring point near a weld portion inside of steel material and assuming a virtual reflecting surface that includes the measuring point and is parallel to a weld line direction; a focused beam setting step of transmitting ultrasonic waves of a shear wave mode and focusing onto the measuring point via a coupling medium at a predetermined incident angle with respect to the virtual reflecting surface; a detecting step of detecting reflected waves of the transmitted ultrasonic waves at a boundary between a base metal portion and the weld portion; and an evaluating step of evaluating a shape of the weld portion based on the reflected waves. |
| US09683835B2 |
System and method for scanning an intraoral cavity
According to the invention, a method and system are provided for scanning, and for facilitating scanning of, an intraoral cavity. The target parts of the intraoral cavity that it is desired to have scanned are identified, and the spatial relationships between a scanning device and the target parts of the intraoral cavity suitable for enabling said target parts to be scanned by said scanning device, are also identified or otherwise determined. These relationships are then displayed, and the displayed relationships are used as a guide for scanning the intraoral cavity. |
| US09683833B2 |
Surveying apparatus having a range camera
Embodiments described herein include a surveying apparatus for surveying a measurement scenery. The surveying apparatus may include a base defining a vertical axis; a support tiltable around the vertical axis; a telescope unit tiltable around the vertical axis and around a horizontal axis that is orthogonal to the vertical axis and comprises means for distance measurement; motor means for rotational driving of the support and the telescope unit; and angle determination means for detecting an orientation of the telescope unit with respect to the base. In some embodiments, the telescope unit comprises a first camera capable to take a visible image of the measurement scenery and/or means for capturing coordinates of 3D-points of the measurement scenery. In some embodiments, the surveying apparatus comprises a display capable to display at least a portion of the visible image taken by the first camera and/or at least a portion of the 3D-points. |
| US09683832B2 |
Method and apparatus for image-based positioning
Method and apparatus are provided for image based positioning comprising capturing a first image with an image capturing device. Wherein said first image includes at least one object. Moving the platform and capturing a second image with the image capturing device. The second image including the at least one object. Capturing in the first image an image of a surface; capturing in the second image a second image of the surface. Processing the plurality of images of the object and the surface using a combined feature based process and surface tracking process to track the location of the surface. Finally, determining the location of the platform by processing the combined feature based process and surface based process. |
| US09683830B2 |
Compensated broadband fiber light source with stable mean wavelength
A fiber light source comprises a laser pump configured to generate a pump laser beam at a predetermined wavelength; a first segment of rare earth doped fiber; a second segment of rare earth doped fiber; and an optical coupler coupled to a first end of the first segment and a first end of the second segment. The optical coupler is configured to split the pump laser beam based on a power coupling ratio. The first segment generates a first stimulated emission having a first mean wavelength sensitivity to pump laser power fluctuations and the second segment generates a second stimulated emission having a second mean wavelength sensitivity to pump laser power fluctuations such that a combined stimulated emission is approximately insensitive to pump laser power fluctuations. |
| US09683828B2 |
Measuring machine and method for automated measurement of an object
The invention relates to a measuring machine and a method for automated measurement of an object and detection of differences between a feature of the object and CAD data of the object. The measuring machine comprises a probe head, a probe system comprising a probe and measurement functionality for determining three-dimensional coordinates of a feature of the object, a local computer terminal, an assigned memory unit, and an assigned set of measurement software programs for controlling the measuring machine. The stored CAD data of the object comprise typical dimensions and tolerances of the features, and the assigned set of measurement software programs comprises an optimization algorithm for the measurement of each feature which algorithm is designed to automatically select measuring parameters of the measuring machine and/or a measurement software program from the set of measurement software programs. |
| US09683826B2 |
Measurement device with multiple fixed distances
Disclosed is a measurement device including a first measurement element including a base surface and an upper surface, the upper surface of the first measurement element spaced apart from the base surface of the first measurement element by a first height; and a second measurement element including a base surface and an upper surface, the upper surface of the second measurement element spaced apart from the base surface of the second measurement element by a second height, the second height greater than the first height and the second measurement element attached to the first measurement element. The measurement device can function as a spacer to gauge short distances such as when installing trim around a window or door casement or when installing cabinetry, tile, or siding. |
| US09683825B2 |
Projectile
A rock-fracturing mining explosive element; said explosive element subjected to an initial spreading against a target surface on impact of said explosive element with said target surface; said explosive element so constructed as to control the rate of spreading and compression against said surface prior to detonation. |
| US09683823B2 |
Bullet comparator
The present invention provides a device and method for improved, repeatable, consistent, rapid, and accurate measurements of a bullet using a dial indicator. The bullet comparator of the present invention consists of a fixture block having a V-shaped groove running along a long axis of the block and a dial indicator coupled to one end of the fixture, configured so its probe operably moves toward the center of the fixture. A stop block adjustably positions in the V-shaped grove of the fixture. And, at least one floating chamber selectively positions in the V-shaped grove of the fixture. The floating chamber is a cylindrical body defining an interior chamber; the interior chamber has a first ring-contact and at least a second ring-contact on an interior portion of the chamber. |
| US09683820B1 |
Aircraft, missile, projectile or underwater vehicle with reconfigurable control surfaces and method of reconfiguring
The present invention relates to an aircraft, missile, projectile, or underwater vehicle with an improved control system and a method for increasing the maneuverability or stability of an aircraft, missile, projectile, or underwater vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for increasing the maneuverability or stability of an aircraft, missile, underwater vehicle or projectile through the use of removable control surfaces. The technical advantage of the removable control surface system (or “removable control surface”) over other systems is that the removable control surface system enables the aircraft, missile, underwater vehicle or projectile to have two or more design configurations, each configuration being tailored to the aircraft, missile, projectile, or underwater vehicle's specific stability or maneuverability requirements during a specific portion of the flight. |
| US09683819B2 |
Arrowhead
A broadhead arrowhead having fully retractable blades wherein a plunger of the tip of the arrowhead causes the blades to shear a shear pin and deploy when the arrowhead strikes a target. In an alternative embodiment, the blades are retained in the arrowhead by a friction fit that is overcome to deploy the blades when the arrowhead strikes a target. |
| US09683814B2 |
Multi-function radio frequency (MFRF) module and gun-launched munition with active and semi-active terminal guidance and fuzing sensors
A multi-function radio frequency (MFRF) module integrates command guidance, active and semi-active terminal guidance (and possibly passive) and fuzing sensors for gun-launched munitions into a single assembly. The MFRF module can be incorporated into a variety of different gun-launched munitions to execute missions currently performed by guided missiles. The MFRF module is programmable during munition activation to select the guidance mode, active or semi-active, and a primary fuze mode, proximity or height of burst. |
| US09683810B2 |
Shooter's gun case, table combo
A shooter's case and table combo configured to convert from a gun carrying case into a shooter's table, using no tools, is presently disclosed. The shooter's case and table combo has two identical rectangular panels attached in the center with a hinge. Each panel has a slot proximate each end, each slot formed by a respective end of the panel and a respective leg mount. Four identical length legs are configured to be constrained inside the panels and each of the legs having a top end configured to be placed in one of the slots in one of the panels. A pair of retaining pins are provided for each leg, each of the pair of retaining pins being configured to be received by a pair of apertures in the leg mount and a pair of apertures in the legs and hold the leg to the panel. |
| US09683809B2 |
Long gun holster system for MOLLE/PALS-compliant garments
A holster apparatus securely holds a long gun on a MOLLE/PALS-compliant garment in a hands-free secure position, but so that the gun is quickly and easily accessible. The apparatus includes a holster with openings configured to slidingly engage an ammunition magazine attached to a long gun, with a bottom surface of the long gun supported on the holster. A mount securely holds the holster on a MOLLE/PALS-compliant garment in a selected balanced position with the long gun oriented generally horizontally, so that a professional can use their hands for tasks while having confidence in the security and safe-carrying of the long gun. The holster can be located anywhere on the garment, and can be oriented as desired by the professional user. Related methods are also described and claimed. |
| US09683808B2 |
System for attaching a handguard to a firearm
A firearm handguard includes a hollow interior cavity extending from a receiving end to an exit end of the handguard, and forms a receiving end portion. An attachment mechanism is screwed to the usual receiver head on the firearm receiver which secures the attachment mechanism to the firearm receiver. The attachment mechanism is received in the receiving end portion of the handguard. A projection extends from either the attachment mechanism or the handguard and a mating recess is provided in the other of the attachment mechanism or the handguard to receive and hold the projection. The inside diameter of the receiving end portion of the handguard can be enlarged or reduced so that the attachment mechanism can be received in the receiving end portion and the projection then received and held by the mating recess to thereby attach it to the attachment mechanism and hold it against relative longitudinal movement. |
| US09683806B1 |
Compound archery bow with adjustable transverse position of pulley assembly
A compound archery bow includes a pulley member that is rotatable on a transverse axle and that takes up a power cable as the bow is drawn. The pulley member is arranged so as to be fixed at any one of multiple transverse positions along its rotation axis relative to the bow limb by one or both of: (i) the transverse axle being retained on the bow limb at any one of multiple axle positions along the rotation axis by engagement of the transverse axle with the bow limb, or (ii) the pulley member being retained on the transverse axle at any one of multiple pulley positions along the transverse axle by engagement of the pulley member with the transverse axle. Performance characteristics of the bow can be optimized with respect to the transverse position of the pulley member along its rotation axis. |
| US09683802B2 |
Muzzle brake
A muzzle brake for reducing the recoil associated with firing a weapon comprising a plurality of gas vents, a plurality of projections extending outward from the muzzle brake, and an interiorly depressed annular nose surrounding the projectile's exit point, for capturing, redirecting, and/or creating turbulence in propellant gases generated from firing the weapon. |
| US09683796B2 |
Systems for aiding the insertion of detachable firearm magazines and methods thereof
The present invention relates to systems and methods for aiding the insertion of detachable magazines in AK rifle variants. The magazine well attachment includes a well attachment body having a slit configured to slide over a trigger guard of a firearm during the assembly process. The attachment may include a front retainer for securing the magazine well attachment to a front portion of the magazine opening of the firearm. A magazine release latch shield may be added as a modification to the magazine well attachment. |
| US09683795B1 |
Charging handle
A charging handle for a firearm includes a primary handle and secondary handle in communication with a latch for engaging to or releasing from a firearm's bolt carrier, allowing for ambidextrous operation of the charging handle, allowing for operation that overcomes interference from optical sights on a firearm, and allowing for operation in various firing positions. |
| US09683792B2 |
Floating thermal contact enabled PCR
The present invention generally pertains to a system which utilizes floating thermal contact to enable PCR, in a thermal management device. Comprised of multiple thermal zones attached to a framework, each zone an individually actuated, isolated sub-assembly. The actuation of each zone ensures physical contact with an uneven, yet flat microfluidic chip to achieve effective, conductive heat transfer. The isolation of each zone serves to insulate the thermal zones from each other and minimize undesired heat transfer between adjacent zones, so that each zone is at a proper, uniform temperature. |
| US09683791B2 |
Condensation enhancement heat transfer pipe
A condensation enhancement heat transfer pipe that includes an optical pipe section, a fin section, and a transition section connecting the optical pipe section and the fin section. The outer surface of the fin section includes a plurality of individual fins, each having an acute shape of zigzag and forms an angle relative to the axial direction, an axial fin channel forms between the two adjacent ones of said individual fins along the axial direction, a peripheral fin channel forms between the two adjacent ones of said individual fins along the peripheral direction, an end, which is distributed along said axial direction, of each of said individual fins includes platforms, the fin side walls are connected with the platform by an arc, and the platforms are parallel to each other along the peripheral direction. |
| US09683784B2 |
Evaporator and liquid distributor
A liquid distributor delivers a falling flow of the liquid to be distributed substantially uniformly along a longitudinal extent of the liquid distributor. The liquid distributor has a bottom wall including a longitudinally extending distribution plate having a plurality of laterally spaced and longitudinally extending channels. A shell and tube evaporator for chilling a working fluid incorporates the liquid distributor as a distributor of liquid onto the heat exchange tubes of a tube bundle disposed within an interior volume of the shell. Each channel is aligned with a respective column of the plurality of vertical columns of heat exchange tubes and is configured to deliver a falling flow of liquid refrigerant onto the respective tube column substantially uniformly along the longitudinal extent of the respective tube column. |
| US09683782B2 |
Methods for producing silicon carbide whisker-reinforced refractory composition
Methods for forming monolithic refractory compositions may include providing a particulate refractory composition including 2 to 90 mass-% alumina, aluminosilicate, or mixtures thereof; 2 to 70 mass-% silicon carbide; 2 to 10 mass-% carbon; 1 to 10 mass-% Si powder; 1 to 3 mass-% microsilica; and up to 5 mass-% ferrosilicon. The methods may further include adding an amount of water to the particulate refractory composition to form a uniform mixture, installing the uniform mixture and allowing it to set, such that the monolithic refractory composition is required, and heat-treating the set mixture at a temperature no higher than 1200° C. under atmospheric conditions to form a monolithic refractory composition. The methods may optionally include heat-treating the obtained monolithic refractory composition to form silicon carbide whiskers within the monolithic refractory composition. |
| US09683780B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for drying electronic devices
Methods and apparatuses for drying electronic devices are disclosed. Embodiments include methods and apparatuses that heat and decrease pressure within the electronic device. Some embodiments increase and decrease pressure while adding heat. Other embodiments include a desiccator for removing moisture from the air being evacuated from the electronic device prior to the air reaching an evacuation pump. Further embodiments detect humidity within the low-pressure chamber and determine when to increase and/or decrease pressure based on the humidity. Still further embodiments determine that the device is sufficiently dry to restore proper function based on the detected humidity, and in some embodiments based on the changes in humidity while pressure is being increased and/or decreased. Still further alternate embodiments automatically control some or all aspects of the drying of the electronic device. Additional embodiment disinfect the electronic device. |
| US09683778B2 |
Solvent scavenger for a desolventizer toaster using a vapor recovery system
An improved desolventizer-toaster (DT) unit is used for removing traces of a hydrocarbon solvent from a mass of vegetable particles of oil. A conventional DT unit has within a housing, a set of solvent removal trays and a main ejector transporting solvent vapor and steam from below the tray set to between a pair of the trays in the set. The improved DT unit has a further scavenger tray between an inlet of the main ejector and the housing floor. A scavenger ejector transports solvent vapor from between the scavenger tray and the housing floor before it exits from the unit, to the space between the tray set and the scavenger tray. |
| US09683777B2 |
Separating carbon dioxide from natural gas liquids
Embodiments described herein provide a method and systems for separating carbon dioxide from heavy hydrocarbons. The method includes cooling a first liquid stream including carbon dioxide and heavy hydrocarbons within an oscillatory crystallization unit to generate carbon dioxide solids and a second liquid stream including the heavy hydrocarbons. The method also includes separating the carbon dioxide solids from the second liquid stream via a solid-liquid separation system. |
| US09683776B2 |
Systems and methods for separating hydrocarbons using one or more dividing wall columns
Methods and systems for separating hydrocarbons using one or more dividing wall columns are provided. The method can include introducing a hydrocarbon fluid to a first dividing wall column. A first overhead comprising methane, ethane, or a combination thereof, a first intermediate comprising ethane, a second intermediate comprising ethane, and a first bottoms comprising one or more hydrocarbons having three or more carbon atoms per molecule can be recovered from the first dividing wall column. The first overhead can be introduced to a process for producing a liquefied natural gas. The first bottoms can be introduced to a second dividing wall column. A second overhead comprising propane, a third intermediate comprising butane, and a second bottoms comprising one or more hydrocarbons having five or more carbon atoms per molecule can be recovered from the second dividing wall column. The second overhead can be introduced to the process for producing a liquefied natural gas. |
| US09683771B2 |
In the door ice maker
A refrigerator that has a refrigerating compartment and a freezer compartment. A refrigerating compartment door covers at least a portion of the refrigerating compartment. An ice compartment located in the refrigerating compartment is located on the refrigerating compartment door. An air delivery system is connected to the ice compartment and a source of below 0 decree C air when the refrigerating compartment door is dosed. An ice maker is located in the ice compartment and a dispenser is located on the refrigerating compartment door. |
| US09683765B2 |
Electric valve and refrigerating system comprising the same
Electric valve and a refrigerating system. An inlet, a pressure relief port and a plurality of outlets are set on a valve seat of the electric valve; a valve cap is covered above the valve seat; an electric motor is fixedly set on the valve cap, a stator of the electric motor is set on the outer surface of the valve cap, and a rotor is set in the intracavity of the valve cap; the lower end of a mandrel is fixedly provided with a valve core that is opened with a pressure-relief diversion slot and a through slot, wherein the pressure-relief diversion slot is opened on the lower surface of the valve core, the through slot penetrates through the valve core along the thickness direction of the valve core. Refrigerant bifurcation, cutoff, pressure relief, etc., in refrigerating system is realized by rotating the valve core to different positions. |
| US09683763B2 |
Compressor and cooling system
A compressor includes: a heat exchanger configured to discharge heat generated during compression outside the compressor; a cooling liquid inlet port through which cooling liquid flowing from outside the compressor into the compressor passes; and a cooling liquid outlet port through which the cooling liquid flowing out of the compressor from inside the compressor passes. The compressor is configured such that an operation mode is switchable between a first mode in which the cooling liquid passing through the cooling liquid inlet port flows in the heat exchanger in a predetermined first direction and passes through the cooling liquid outlet port, and a second mode in which the cooling liquid passing through the cooling liquid inlet port flows in the heat exchanger in a second direction opposite to the first direction and passes through the cooling liquid outlet port. |
| US09683762B2 |
Heat exchanging device and heat pump
A heat exchange apparatus (300) includes a first heat exchanger (14), an ejector (11), a first extractor (12), a first pump (13), and a liquid path (15). The ejector (11) produces a merged refrigerant flow using a refrigerant vapor and a refrigerant liquid flowing from the first heat exchanger (14). The first extractor (12) receives the merged refrigerant flow from the ejector (11), and extracts the refrigerant liquid from the merged refrigerant flow. The first pump (13) is provided in the liquid path (15). The refrigerant liquid is pumped by the first pump (13) from the first extractor (12) to the ejector (11). |
| US09683761B2 |
Integration valve and heat pump cycle
In an integration valve, a body, in which a vapor-liquid separating space is provided, includes a fixed throttle decompressing liquid-phase refrigerant, a liquid-phase refrigerant side valve body member opening or closing a liquid-phase refrigerant passage, and a vapor-phase refrigerant side valve body member opening or closing a vapor-phase refrigerant passage. Further, the vapor-phase refrigerant side valve body member is configured by a differential pressure regulating valve operated based on a pressure difference between a refrigerant pressure at a side of the vapor-phase refrigerant passage and a refrigerant pressure at a side of the liquid-phase refrigerant passage. The vapor-phase refrigerant side valve body member is movable when the liquid-phase refrigerant side valve body member is moved by a solenoid. Therefore, a cycle configuration of a heat pump cycle configuring a gas injection cycle can be simplified. |
| US09683759B2 |
Very efficient heat exchanger for cryogen free MRI magnet
A heat exchanger (5) includes a thermally conductive cylindrical container (40), at least one thermally conductive tube (30), a cooling column (90), and a cryogen coldhead (100). The cooling column and coldhead condense gaseous helium to liquid helium to maintain a reservoir of liquid helium in the thermally conductive cylindrical container (40). The at least one thermally conductive tube (30) coils circumferentially around the container (40), and extends to at least one superconducting magnet coil heat exchanger (20), and back. The tube forms a selected loop which holds gaseous helium at pressure up about 104 bar (1500 PSI) or room temperature to about 0.75 bar at cryogenic temperatures. |
| US09683758B2 |
Coaxial economizer assembly and method
A coaxial economizer for use in a chiller system comprising an inner housing and an outer housing having a common longitudinal axis. The outer housing has an inlet for receiving a fluid from a upstream compressor stage of a multistage compressor and an outlet for conveying a fluid to a downstream compressor stage of a multistage compressor. A flow chamber forms a fluid flow path about the inner housing. A flash chamber is coterminous with the flow chamber and flashes fluid in a liquid state to a gas state. A flow passage between said flash chamber and the flow chamber for conveying a flashed gas from the flash chamber to the flow chamber; wherein the flashed gas conveyed from the flash chamber and the fluid received from the inlet of the outer housing mix along the fluid flow path toward the outlet of the outer housing. |
| US09683755B2 |
Support tray for air conditioner cleaning
The present invention is a support tray for use in the cleaning of an air conditioner unit that has a floor portion with a raised, generally centrally disposed support member, with a sloped upper surface, for supporting the air conditioner unit. |
| US09683754B2 |
Air-conditioning apparatus with vibration-damper
An air-conditioning apparatus, for treating air in enclosed environments, endowed with a constructive arrangement capable of absorbing vibrations of its inner components. The air-conditioning apparatus includes at least a cabinet, arranged to accommodate internal components of the apparatus, endowed with at least an outer face. The apparatus includes at least an absorber capable of absorbing vibrations from internal components of the apparatus. The absorber means is disposed tangentially to at least an outer face of the cabinet. |
| US09683753B2 |
Facilitating installation of a controller and/or maintenance of a climate control system
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of apparatus and methods for facilitating installation and/or connection of controllers such as thermostats. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for facilitating installation and/or connection of a controller in a climate control system generally includes a communication device configured to execute software instructions to receive user input describing a wire arrangement where the controller is to be installed for use in the climate control system. Based on the user input, the communication device identifies a configuration of the climate control system and specifies wiring connections between the wire arrangement and controller. |
| US09683752B2 |
Hybrid fan assembly and active heating pumping system
Embodiments of a hybrid fan and active heat pumping system are disclosed. In some embodiments, the hybrid fan and active heat pumping system comprises a fan assembly and an active heat pumping system comprises a heat pump. The active heat pumping system is integrated with the fan assembly and is operable to actively cool or heat air as the air passes through the fan assembly. In some embodiments, the heat pump comprised in the active heat pumping system is a solid-state heat pump, a vapor compression heat pump, or a Stirling Cycle heat pump. |
| US09683748B2 |
Rooftop hydronic heating unit
A rooftop air conditioning unit to provide conditioned air to a conditioned space within a building is provided and includes a housing, disposed on a roof of the building roof, defining a pathway from an inlet fed by exterior and/or interior air to an outlet leading to the conditioned space and a hydronic heating system disposed within the housing to heat the air traveling along the pathway. |
| US09683745B2 |
Small, high efficient wood stove
A wood stove that includes a hollow cylindrical outer skin with an coaxially aligned, insulated inner fire box. Located below the fire box is a fresh air inlet and an air control valve that controls the flow of fresh air into the stove's primary and secondary chambers. Surrounding the fire box are three longitudinally aligned air conduits that extend from the air inlet to an upper ledge located below a secondary combustion chamber. During use, the fresh air inside the air conduits is heated. Disposed transversely inside the outer jacket and above the primary chamber is a combustor assembly that includes a lower fin plate, a perforated intermediate plate and a perforated upper plate. During use, fuel is added to the fire box which undergoes initial combustion and produces hot gases and fumes that travel upward towards the chamber assembly. The air control valve controls flow of fresh air into the primary chamber only, both chambers, or into only the secondary chamber. |
| US09683744B2 |
Combustion system for a gas turbine engine and method of operating same
A gas turbine engine comprises a combustion system comprising a secondary annular combustor and a primary combustor in fluid communication with the secondary combustor, a secondary fuel injector associated with the secondary combustor, a primary fuel injector associated with the primary combustor, and a ECU controlling fuel delivery to the secondary and primary fuel injectors. The primary fuel injector delivers fuel to the primary combustor. The ECU allows fuel to be delivered to the secondary fuel injector in addition to the primary fuel injector only when a fuel amount higher is requested delivered by the primary fuel injector. A method of operating a gas turbine engine is also presented. |
| US09683743B2 |
Combustion chamber tile of a gas turbine
A combustion chamber tile of a gas turbine includes a bolt for mounting the combustion chamber tile on a combustion chamber wall, with the combustion chamber tile being designed substantially plate-like and having on one side at least one mounting element, on which the bolt, which is provided as a separate component, is positively anchored. |
| US09683738B2 |
System for co-firing coal and beneficiated organic-carbon-containing feedstock in a coal combustion apparatus
A co-firing process is described using coal and processed biomass to reduce adverse by-products in a coal combusting apparatus. The coal feedstock is selected from coal, a coal substitute processed biomass, or an aggregate blend of coal and processed biomass. The biomass feedstock comprises processed biomass pellets. The total energy density is predetermined and can be similar to the coal component or higher than the coal component. The intracellular salt in the processed biomass is at least 60 wt % less for the processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock used to make the processed biomass pellets than that of the starting un-processed processed organic-carbon-containing feedstock. |
| US09683731B2 |
Home appliance having display unit
Disclosed herein is a home appliance having a front surface panel provided with penetrating holes formed thereto as to have light penetrated therethrough, a door having a rear surface panel, and a display unit provided inside the door and configured to display operation information through the penetrating holes of the front surface panel. The display unit includes a printed circuit board provided with at least one light emitting element, a guide member configured to guide light radiated from the at least one light emitting element, a display film having penetration portions corresponding with the penetrating holes of the front surface panel, and attached to the guide member, and a cover member provided at the guide member so as to prevent moisture from penetrating at the printed circuit board, and thus the exterior appearance of the door may be improved. |
| US09683730B1 |
System and method of optimizing white light
The apparatus is designed to modify the quality of a beam of light while maximizing the amount of light directed along a desired trajectory. The light optimization device contains an aperture, a diffuser, a modifying substrate, and a mirror. The aperture enables light to travel through the mirror. The diffuser splits a single beam of light traveling towards the modifying substrate into multiple beams of light, which are traveling towards the modifying substrate. The modifying substrate becomes excited when struck by light, and then produces light with desired characteristics. The mirror reflects light that is generated by, or reflected off of, the modifying substrate, and traveling along suboptimal trajectories. As such, the reflected light is redirected towards the modifying substrate. |
| US09683727B2 |
Landscape light
A landscape light incorporating two or more lasers or LEDs of different colors (e.g., red, green, white, blue) in the same housing, each laser or LED preferably having a separate lens. The apparatus projects any of a variety of colors including red, green, white, blue, or other colors, or combinations of any colors, as well as providing an optional flash/pulse setting for the lights. The apparatus preferably includes an RF remote which enables the user to control the apparatus from anywhere in and around the house, and may also include a built-in timer which runs the lights for selected periods such as 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours. |
| US09683725B2 |
Light fixture with tool-less interchangeable lenses
A light fixture includes a housing with a channel configured to contain a driver for driving one or more light emitting diodes located outside the channel. The housing includes slots configured to receive and secure a lens. The light fixture further includes a removable channel cover, tabs located along the length of the channel and adjacent to the channel on the housing, and a lens bar having a first flange configured to secure the lens and a second flange configured to be inserted underneath the tabs. The lens bar is secured in place with the second flange underneath the tabs by the channel cover which prevents the lens bar from moving laterally with respect to the tabs. The slots, the first flange, and a flange running the length of the light fixture perpendicular to the slots are configured to cover the edges of the lens when installed. |
| US09683723B2 |
Lighting arrangement for lighting the interiors of towers and tunnels
A lighting arrangement for illuminating a passage, such as a wind tower or tunnel, includes at least one lighting unit having a generally rectangular base with bottom, side and end walls cooperating to define an open-topped chamber, a pair of light energy sources arranged partially in the housing chamber for directing light beams toward opposite ends of the housing, respectively, and a cover member formed of light-transmitting material, which cover member is connected with the base to extend over the light energy sources and to close the housing chamber. The cover member includes a concave dome portion containing a cavity within which the light sources are mounted. Opposite areas of the cover dome portion define collimating devices for concentrating the light beams in opposite directions longitudinally of the passage that is to be illuminated. A plurality of lighting units are longitudinally-arranged in the passage, and are electrically connected in series. |
| US09683720B2 |
Reflecting structure for lamp
A reflecting structure includes at least one light source; and a reflector, in which the light source is disposed to emit light, including at least one light intercepting plate and a main body, wherein the light intercepting plate includes an inner surface which is a plane serving as a light intercepting surface intercepting the light from the light source, at least one reflecting surface extending from the light intercepting surface and perpendicularly toward an outer surface of the light intercepting plate and at least one positioning structure; the main body is joined to the light intercepting surface and includes at least two convex curved surfaces disposed on two opposite sides of a vertical line extending through the light source to reflect light from the light source directly and the light reflected by the light intercepting surface. |
| US09683719B2 |
Luminous flux control member, light-emitting device, surface light source device, and display device
This luminous flux control member has: an incidence surface through which light emitted from a light-emitting element enters; an emission surface through which the light entering from the incidence surface is emitted to the outside; and multiple ridges that are formed on the back side so as to surround the central axis (CA) and that have a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape. Each of the multiple ridges has a first reflecting surface, a second reflecting surface, and a ridge line which is the line of intersection of the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface. An imaginary line containing the ridge lines intersects the central axis (CA) at a position closer to the front side than the ridge lines. |
| US09683717B1 |
Asymmetric area lens for low-profile lighting system
A low-profile lighting system includes an asymmetric area lens having a “batwing” configuration that receives light from at least one light-emitting diode (LED) that emits light having a Lambertian light distribution pattern. The asymmetric lens refracts the light to generate a modified light distribution pattern having light distributed in a selected range of angles. A first portion of the output surface of the asymmetric lens refracts light angularly away from a reference plane. A second portion of the output surface of the symmetric lens refracts light angularly toward the reference plane. The refracted light from the asymmetric lens is provided to a dispersion lens. The dispersion lens produces a dispersed light distribution pattern that illuminates an illumination area. In certain embodiments, the lens has a profile formed by an outer curve having the general shape of an Archimedean spiral or an involute curve. |
| US09683715B2 |
Light emitting apparatus
Disclosed is a light emitting apparatus. The light emitting apparatus includes a package body; first and second electrodes; a light emitting device electrically connected to the first and second electrodes and including a first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer, and an active layer between the first and second conductive semiconductor layers; and a lens supported on the package body and at least apart of the lens including a reflective structure. The package body includes a first cavity, one ends of the first and second electrodes are exposed in the first cavity and other ends of the first and second electrodes are exposed at lateral sides of the package body, and a second cavity is formed at a predetermined portion of the first electrode exposed in the first cavity. |
| US09683712B2 |
Candle lantern with spare candle storage chamber
A collapsible candle lantern having a spare candle storage compartment. The candle storage compartment can be defined by a base and a cap. A candle bracket can be attached to the cap. The base can have partial annular walls and an interior annular wall. |
| US09683710B2 |
Illumination device with multi-color light-emitting elements
A variety of illumination devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, an illumination device can include multiple light sources that are disposed on a substrate, where at least some of the light sources include a light-emitting diode (LED) and a corresponding inelastic scattering element surrounding, at least in part, the LED. The inelastic scattering elements can have different light emission spectra. The illumination device can further include a light-mixing element adapted to receive light that is output by the light sources, where, during operation of the illumination device, each inelastic scattering element inelastically scatters light emitted from its corresponding LED, and the light-mixing element mixes the light received from the inelastic scattering elements to provide the output light. |
| US09683708B2 |
LED light bulb
An LED lightbulb is disclosed. The LED lightbulb includes an LED array mounted to a circuit board having at least two different sets of LEDs that emit correspondingly different spectra when energized. The LED lightbulb also include a interior reflective surfaces and a dome shaped diffuser lens that eclipses a portion of the LED array. The LED array, the interior reflective surfaces and the dome shaped diffuser lens are position within a cavity formed by a housing with cooling fins and an outside diffuser lens. The LED lightbulb also include a base portion for electrically coupling to a power source of a light fixture that is either an incandescent light fixture or a fluorescent light fixture. In accordance with the embodiments of the invention the LED lightbulb include a driver circuit for providing output power to the LED array from a power source having a ballast or a power source without a ballast. |
| US09683707B2 |
Ultraclean autosampler with syringe delivery for mass spectrometry
A system can include a valve assembly including a first valve and a second valve in fluid communication with the first valve. The valve assembly can be configured to deliver one or more of a sample, a chemical (e.g., an acid, a base, an organic chemical, etc.), and a standard via flow of a working fluid facilitated by one or more syringe pumps. Further, the one or more of the sample, the chemical, and the standard can maintain a physical separation from the one or more syringe pumps during delivery of the one or more of the sample, the chemical, and the standard. |
| US09683702B2 |
Apparatus for pressurizing delivery of low-temperature liquefied material
The present invention relates to an apparatus for pressurizing delivery of a low-temperature liquefied material, and more particularly, to an apparatus for pressurizing delivery of a low-temperature liquefied material, which can convert the low-temperature liquefied material into a high-pressure gas and easily deliver the gas without causing changes in a composition and flashing phenomenon. |
| US09683700B2 |
Metallic liner pressure vessel comprising polar boss
The present invention provides a Type 3 pressure vessel comprising a polar boss that is attached to a metallic liner and provides reinforced static strength, fatigue strength, endurance, chemical resistance and/or corrosion resistance of the liner orifice or neck region. In particular, the material of the polar boss has higher static strength, fatigue strength, endurance, chemical resistance and/or corrosion resistance relative to that of the liner material. |
| US09683695B2 |
Mounting bracket for electric fence monitor
An electric fence monitoring system includes an electric fence monitor and an electric fence monitor mounting bracket. The electric fence monitor is operable to provide an audible and/or visual indicator of an operating condition (i.e., fault or no-fault) of an electric fence and electric fence box. The electric fence monitor is operable to remain continuously connected between the electric fence and earth ground during normal operation of the fence. The mounting bracket affixes to a standard safety post or T-post and supports the electric fence monitor. The mounting bracket connects the electric fence monitor to earth ground via the T-post. The mounting bracket slips over a top of the T-post at a first angle relative to the T-post and locks onto the T-post at a second angle relative to the T-post. |
| US09683694B2 |
Stand structure for article
A stand structure for an article includes: a pin engaging groove formed in an article body; a pivot portion formed below the pin engaging groove and supporting a first arm of a stand; and an engaging portion disposed in a second arm of the stand and engaged with the pin engaging groove. A switching position exists within a range of the pin engaging groove. When, in a state where the bottom portion and the coupling portion are butted against the placement surface, the engaging portion is engaged with a portion of the pin engaging groove which is located at a position lower than the switching position, the article body is supported in a backward inclined state by the stand. |
| US09683693B2 |
Self-opening supporting device
A self-opening supporting device for a display is provided. The self-opening supporting device comprises a securing element, a first moving element, a stand and an elastic element. The securing element is formed with a first slide extending along an inclined direction. When an external force is applied to the first moving element, the first moving element uses a first sliding block to slide along the first slide so as to drive the stand to swing out from the display. When the stand is swung out exceeding an angle, the elastic element is actuated. |
| US09683689B2 |
Flange fixing structure
A flange fixing structure is provided that fixes flange parts respectively provided to two pipe conduits by means of a fixture in a butting manner via a gasket. In this flange fixing structure, when an effective length of the fixture is denoted by L0, a linear expansion coefficient of the fixture is denoted by α0, thicknesses of n (where n is an integer of 1 or more) members held by the fixture are respectively denoted by t1 to tn, and linear expansion coefficients of the n members are respectively denoted by α1 to αn, a product L0α0 of the effective length L0 of the fixture and the linear expansion coefficient α0 of the fixture is substantially equal to a sum Σtiαi (i=1 to n) of products of the respective thicknesses t1 to tn and the respective linear expansion coefficients α1 to αn. |
| US09683685B2 |
Plumbing fitting assemblies
Plumbing fitting assemblies are described. The plumbing fitting assemblies use a male and female fitting combination that enables a user or installer to make a sealed connection on an internal diameter of a female part or receiving end by way of an o-ringed shank on a male part or insert end. A connecting device is rotatably attached to the male end. The connecting device also engages to an outer surface of the female part such that the sealed fitting assemblies will not disconnect under normal pressure of a fluid or air working through the assemblies. |
| US09683684B1 |
Tubular coupling
A tubular connection, method for connecting tubulars, and a coupler for connecting together tubulars, of which the tubular connection includes an inner body including a bore, external threads, a tapered torque nose, and a radially-facing sealing surface. The connection also includes an outer body including a bore in communication with the bore of the inner body, internal threads configured to engage the external threads of the inner body, a tapered torque-stop surface that engages the tapered torque nose, and a radially-facing sealing surface that forms a seal with the radially-facing sealing surface of the inner body. The external threads, the internal threads, or both include at least one kick-out feature including at least one rounded or chamfered corner thereof. |
| US09683677B2 |
Bypass valve and hydraulic unit including such a valve
A bypass valve is described comprising a delivery duct, a return duct and a central duct connecting the delivery and return ducts for the circulation of a heat-exchange fluid. A first ball valve is placed along the delivery duct and a second ball valve is placed along the return duct, at the intersection between the central duct and the delivery and return ducts. The rotation axes of the balls of the ball valves are perpendicular to each other. |
| US09683676B2 |
Valve with proof of closure
A valve with proof of closure includes a valve body with a first port and a second port separated by a valve member that is biased toward a closed position. A piston is mounted within a pressure chamber with a pressure fluid port for connecting to a source of pressurized fluid. Piston is biased toward a retracted position and is moved to an extended position in response to pressurized fluid entering through pressurized fluid port. A control member is attached to valve member and is engaged by piston as it is moved a first distance from retracted position toward extended position. A valve position indicator with a closed state and as open state is biased toward the closed state and is actuated by piston as piston moves a second distance from retracted position toward extended position to move valve position indicator from closed state toward open state. |
| US09683675B2 |
Pressure modulator
An apparatus, for controlling signal passage, includes a first passageway for a first fluid, a second passageway for a second fluid, and an interposed chamber. A first, movable diaphragm at a first chamber junction and a second, movable diaphragm at a second chamber junction, with a third fluid bound there between and interposed between the first and second passageways. A device varies a volume of the third fluid bound between the diaphragms and thus moves the diaphragms. The diaphragms each have at least one position that permits passage of a pressure signal between the first fluid in the first passageway and the second fluid in the second passageway through the third fluid bound between the diaphragms. The diaphragms each have at least one position that prohibits passage of a pressure signal. |
| US09683661B2 |
Controller and shift-by-wire system using the controller
A shift-by-wire system, including a controller that includes a motor driver, and a microcomputer connected to the motor driver to control a motor that drives a control object. The control object has a park lock mechanism having a lock state and an unlock state. The lock state and the unlock state are switched according to an operation position of the control object. The controller is configured to estimate a tilt of a vehicle, detect whether the lock mechanism is in the lock state or in the unlock state, and adjust a target rotation speed of the motor according to the estimated tilt when the operation position of the control object is changed for switching the lock state to the unlock state. |
| US09683659B2 |
Control apparatus for vehicular automatic transmission
When an alternator load torque Talt is larger than a threshold α, a lockup clutch is released. Thus, a deceleration G can be restrained from becoming too large due to the alternator load torque Talt. Besides, the threshold α is changed in accordance with a speed ratio γ of a continuously variable transmission. Thus, the deceleration G can be favorably controlled within a predetermined range. For example, in a vehicle state where a deceleration is unlikely to be achieved due to the smallness of the speed ratio γ, the threshold α is large. Therefore, the lockup clutch is unlikely to be released, and the deceleration G is likely to be secured. |
| US09683656B2 |
Diagnostics for clutch torque estimation
A transmission for a vehicle includes a plurality of clutches that are individually selectively engaged to establish particular power flow paths. The amount of torque flowing through any clutch can be estimated while the clutch is being engaged, being disengaged, or being held locked. The estimated magnitude of clutch torque aids in proper control of the transmission, including how and when to shift between gears. A method and system for determining the uncertainty of estimated clutch torque is provided. Based on the magnitude of uncertainty of estimated clutch torque, the shift schedule can alter to specifically avoid actions that would increase the uncertainty, or the time between shifting gears can increase to reduce the effects of the uncertainty. |
| US09683655B2 |
Shift device for vehicle
A shift device for a vehicle has a D-switch operation unit corresponding to a drive range, an N-switch operation unit corresponding to a neutral range, an R-switch operation unit corresponding to a reverse range, and a P-switch operation unit corresponding to a parking range. The R-switch operation unit is operated toward the back in the front-back direction of the vehicle to select the reverse range, and the switch operation units other than the R-switch operation unit are pressed downward from above to select respective ranges. The direction of operation of the R-switch operation unit is set to differ from the directions of operation of the other switch operation units when selecting a range other than the reverse range. |
| US09683653B2 |
Combined transmission shaft and rotating device having combined transmission shaft
A rotating device includes a rotating disc and a combined transmission shaft. The rotating disc includes a turret and multiple driven rollers. The combined transmission shaft includes a first roller gear cam and a second roller gear cam. The first roller gear cam includes a first shaft, a combined shaft and a first helical tooth. The combined shaft protrudes outward from a side of the first shaft. The first shaft is surrounded by the first helical tooth and has a first outer surface and a first inner surface. The second roller gear cam includes a second shaft and a second helical tooth. The second shaft has a combination hole. The second shaft is surrounded by the second helical tooth and has a second outer surface and a second inner surface. The combined shaft passes through the combination hole. |
| US09683652B2 |
Method for the delivery of lubricant to a rotorcraft gearbox
A rotorcraft includes a body, a rotor blade, and a power train coupled to the body and operable to rotate the rotor blade. The power train includes an engine, a gearbox in mechanical communication with the engine, and a driveshaft in mechanical communication with the gearbox. The rotorcraft also includes a sensor operable to detect a rotorcraft parameter, and a lubrication flow calculation unit operable to receive the rotorcraft parameter, generate the flow rate based on the rotorcraft parameter, and transmit the flow rate to a lubrication system configured to deliver lubricant to the gearbox at the transmitted flow rate. |
| US09683650B2 |
Lubrication structure for reduction gear
A lubricating structure for a reduction gear includes a catch tank for holding a part of lubricating oil which is held on the bottom part of a transaxle case and which is supplied, by being scooped up, to each portion to be lubricated, a first oil passage provided within the transaxle case and guiding lubricating oil, which has been scooped up by a first driven gear, to the catch tank and a second oil passage provided within the transaxle case so as to be displaced from the first oil passage in an axial direction relative to the case and guiding lubricating oil, which has been scooped up by a second driven gear, to the catch tank. |
| US09683647B2 |
Method for making a pinion for being assembled on a turbine axis of an internal combustion engine
Assembling method of a pinion on a turbine axis of an internal combustion engine, wherein said pinion is made in a single piece having axial symmetry and equipped with an annular toothed part and with an axial part coaxial with said annular part and provided with a coaxial hole with a thread to screw the pinion on said axis of the turbine, wherein said thread has localized pitch variations. |
| US09683646B2 |
Differential device and method of manufacturing the differential device
In a differential device which includes: a cross-shaped shaft body integrally including a first shaft and a second shaft orthogonal to each other, and configured to rotate integrally with an input member around an axis of the second shaft; a pinion pivotally supported on the first shaft; and a pair of side gears meshing with the pinion, the side gears respectively include small-diameter holes supporting the second shaft such that the second shaft passes through the small-diameter holes, and large-diameter holes continuous to outer ends of the small-diameter holes via step surfaces. The large-diameter holes respectively house fixing members connected to both end portions of the second shaft so as to block the side gears from coming off the second shaft, and output shafts are relatively unrotatably fitted in inner peripheral surfaces of the large-diameter holes outside the fixing members in an axial direction. |
| US09683645B2 |
Differential of lightweight construction for motor vehicles
The invention relates to a differential of lightweight construction for motor vehicles having a differential housing made of two sheet metal shells, in which differential bevel gears are supported on carrier studs fixed to the housing and mesh with axle bevel gears, and wherein a carrier shell having a drive gear attached to the exterior circumference thereof and a cover shell are joined along a common joining plane to form the differential housing, one or more carrier each having at least one end mounted in and attached to holes in the housing, which are each formed half in the carrier shell and the cover shell. Both sheet metal shells are encompassed by one or more circumferential rings adjacent to the connecting plane thereof for reinforcement. |
| US09683643B2 |
Linear actuator assembly having a magnetic sensor
A linear actuator assembly (30) having an inner sleeve (100) which moves in a first direction or in an opposite second direction relative to a fixed outer sleeve (90) between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position. The linear actuator assembly (30) also has an emitter (180) and a sensor (184) positioned near the emitter (180) that detect changes in an emitted signal resulting from the movement of the inner sleeve (100) relative to the outer sleeve (90) along a longitudinal axis and a controller (101) electrically coupled to the sensor (184) to determine the axial position of the inner sleeve (100) relative to the outer sleeve (90) along the longitudinal axis. |
| US09683642B2 |
Mechanism for converting motion
A mechanism 21 for converting rotating motion to rotating and reciprocating motion and/or vice versa. The mechanism has a housing or support 22, a first member 23 rotatable about a first axis and reciprocable along the first axis, and a second member 2 rotatable about a second axis spaced from the first axis. Rotation of the first member 23 or the second member 25 causes rotation of the other member. A guide 29a, 29b is configured to contact a cam surface 27a, 27b. The cam surface or the guide is provided on the first member 23. The cam and guide are configured to cause the first member 23 to rotate upon movement of the first member along the first axis, or to move along the first axis upon rotation of the first member 23. |
| US09683638B2 |
Continuously variable gear transmission
A continuously variable gear can include an input shaft, a plurality of traction balls distributed radially around the axis, each traction ball is mounted on an axle passing there through, the axles are tiltable in the radial grooves in the housing and support plate. To control the position of the traction balls, the axles are guided in curved slots of a turnable iris plate. To control the axial placement of the traction balls, there is a rotatable input disc positioned adjacent to the traction balls, a rotatable output disc positioned adjacent to the traction balls opposite the input disc, and a pre-spanning ring around the traction balls such that each of the traction balls is making three-point contact with the input disc, the output disc and the pre-spanning ring, the contact surface of the pre-spanning ring having a specific curvature larger than the radius of the traction balls. |
| US09683627B2 |
Mechanism for filtering torque fluctuations of secondary member
A filtering mechanism for torque fluctuations is interposed between a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine and a transmission. This mechanism comprises a rotating member to be damped, an oscillating inertial flywheel rotating around the axis of revolution, and pivot-mounted modules allowing angular deflection of the oscillating inertial flywheel with respect to the member to be damped. The modules each have at least one oscillating arm pivoting radially with respect to the member to be damped and a kinematic connecting member between the oscillating arm and the oscillating inertial flywheel. When the mechanism rotates centrifugal forces on the oscillating arm produce a counteracting torque that tends to return the oscillating inertial flywheel and the member to be damped toward the equilibrium position. The counteracting torque increases with the rotation speed of the filtering mechanism and with the amplitude of the angular deflection. |
| US09683625B2 |
Shock absorber
A shock absorber includes a piston joined to a piston rod that proceeds into and recedes from a cylinder, an extension-side chamber and a compression-side chamber that are separated from each other by the piston and have a working fluid reserved therein, first and second extension-side discharge passages in which the working fluid discharged from the extension-side chamber flows, an extension-side supply passage in which the working fluid to be supplied to the compression-side chamber flows, first and second compression-side discharge passages in which the working fluid discharged from the compression-side chamber flows, and a compression-side supply passage in which the working fluid to be supplied to the extension-side chamber flows. An extension-side damping valve and a compression-side damping valve are respectively provided in the first extension-side discharge passage and the first compression-side discharge passage. An extension-side electromagnetic pressure control valve and a compression-side electromagnetic pressure control valve, which are respectively provided in the second extension-side discharge passage and the second compression-side discharge passage, are set such that the openings thereof are maximized before the piston speed reaches a high-speed range. |
| US09683624B2 |
Closure package for closing a damper tube for a vibration damper
A closure package for closing a damper tube of a vibration damper includes a main body configured to be sealingly disposed the damper tube and through which a piston rod of the vibration damper can be sealingly guided. The main body has an opening into which a guide bushing for guiding the piston rod is inserted. At least one sealing unit is disposed in the main body and configured to seal against the piston rod. The guide bushing has a circumferential collar extending radially outwards at one end face that abuts against the sealing unit. |
| US09683623B2 |
Pressure valve for gas spring
A pneumatic spring strut assembly comprises a cylinder comprising a working end and a boosting chamber. The working end includes a first volume of gas and the boosting chamber includes a second volume of gas. A temperature control valve assembly is disposed in the interior volume separating the working end from the boosting chamber and includes an over-pressure valve configured to release the second volume of gas into the working end when the pressure within the boosting chamber increases above the normal pressure range of operation. A valve is disposed in the wall of the cylinder, in the working end thereof, and is configured to yield, to thereby vent the first volume of gas to atmosphere, when the pressure within the interior volume of the working end increases above the normal pressure range of operation. |
| US09683615B2 |
Input clutch assembly
The present invention in one or more embodiments provides an input clutch assembly which includes a cylinder housing, a cross-section thereof including along an axial direction first and second spaced apart cylinder-portions, and an input sleeve, a cross-section thereof including along the axial direction first and second sleeve-portions defining there-between a first sleeve-channel with a pair of edges spaced apart along the axial direction, the first sleeve-portion defining thereupon a recess, where at a first engagement position the recess is at least partially exposed while the pair of edges both contact the first cylinder-portion. |
| US09683611B2 |
Reduced drag front axle shift mechanism
A front axle shift mechanism configured to be operably associated with a front axle housing having a front differential and a first lubricant is provided. The front axle shift mechanism includes a disconnect feature housing defining an inner cavity to house a shifting mechanism configured to selectively provide power to front wheels of the vehicle, the shifting mechanism configured to rotatably couple to the front differential. The inner cavity is configured to receive a second lubricant to facilitate providing lubrication to the first clutch gear and the second clutch gear. The second lubricant is fluidly separate from the first lubricant. |
| US09683610B2 |
Drive force transmission device
In a drive force transmission device, a shock-absorbable rubber is placed between a driving-side rotatable body and a driven-side rotatable body. A bridge portion is placed at a deep side of a holding recess of the shock-absorbable rubber and connects between a primary damper portion and a secondary damper portion. At least one cut part penetrates through the bridge portion in an axial direction of the shock-absorbable body and extends in a radial direction of the shock-absorbable body. |
| US09683609B1 |
Flexible couplings with improved torque transmitting insert
A flexible coupling and flexible belt or insert therefor, the belt or insert comprising a plurality of equally spaced circumferentially disposed identically shaped lobes centrally joined together by radial segments of a constant width. |
| US09683607B1 |
Interlocking drive disc with rolling pin assembly
An interlocking drive plate for an anilox roll which incorporates a dowel pin with a bushing that is able to move slightly and rotate. The interlocking drive disc is similar in structure to the current structure of a drive disc for the Mark Andy P-Series printing presses. However, the stationary dowel pin has been replaced with a modified dowel pin which includes a bushing providing slight movement and rotation. The modified dowel pin, with slight movement and rotation, reduces the shear forces on the pin which in turn reduces the wear on the pin when rotated by a servomotor. This reduction in wear will cause the interlocking drive disc to last longer than traditional drive discs without the need for repair or replacement. |
| US09683605B2 |
Tapered roller bearing
An inner ring has a rib face as a concave surface that is formed on the larger diameter side of an inner ring and that contacts large end faces of tapered rollers. A tapered roller bearing satisfies Ri>R≧Rr, where Rr represents a curvature radius of the large end face, Ri represents a curvature radius of the rib face 8 in a longitudinal section of the inner ring 2, R represents a distance from a cone center to a reference point. The distance R is the distance from the cone center to the reference point, where the reference point is the intersection of the rib face and an imaginary line extending from the cone center and along an inner ring raceway surface in the longitudinal section of the inner ring 2. Surface roughness of the rib face is greater than that of the large end face. |
| US09683603B2 |
Method for producing sliding member, sliding member, and substrate material of sliding member
In a method, in which a plain bearing alloy layer is bonded to a surface of a backing steel sheet, and, a Bi-based overlay layer is then deposited on the plain bearing alloy layer by electroplating, replacement of Bi with the backing steel sheet and deposition of Bi on the backing steel sheet are prevented. Prior to the step of electroplating of the Bi-based overlay layer, the following metals and the like are formed on at least the back surface of the backing steel sheet. An electrochemically more noble metal than Bi, an electrochemically more base metal than Bi and capable of forming a passivation state, or resin. |
| US09683600B2 |
Sleeve bearing for turbocharging device
A ball bearing sleeve is used in a turbocharging device. The ball bearing sleeve has one or more ball bearings that are designed to control loads that are applied to the sleeve in the x, y and z-directions. The ball bearing sleeve is designed to replace the “thrust bearing” that is typically the “weak link” in a turbocharging device, as well as the journal bearings. The sleeve is designed to include a cylindrical portion that includes one or more grooves for directing the flow of oil around the sleeve for cooling. An oil duct having access holes directs the flow of oil into the ball bearings. Sleeve device may be retro-fitted into an existing turbocharger, which originally had journal and thrust bearings. |
| US09683599B2 |
Tapered roller bearing
A tapered roller bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of tapered rollers provided between the inner ring and the outer ring, and an annular cage. The cage has a small-diameter annular portion on a first side in an axial direction, a large-diameter annular portion on a second side in an axial direction, and a plurality of cage bar portions. The cage has pockets that are spaces each formed between the large-diameter annular portion and the small-diameter annular portion and between the adjacent cage bar portions in a circumferential direction and in which the tapered rollers are held. The cage further has a roller retaining portion that inhibits the tapered rollers housed in the pockets from falling outward in a radial direction. A recessed portion is formed in the small-diameter annular portion to reduce rigidity of the small-diameter annular portion. |
| US09683598B2 |
Device for reducing pressure in hollow bodies in media at higher temperatures
The invention relates to the field of materials science and to a device for reducing pressure in cavities in media at higher temperatures, such as those devices which can be used for devices for hot-dip coating metal materials in the metal processing industry for example. The aim of the invention is to provide a device by means of which pressure can be reduced in the cavity of the hollow bodies in a reliable and controlled manner and simultaneously the penetration of the media can be delayed or completely prevented at the higher temperatures. This is achieved by a device for reducing pressure in hollow bodies in media at higher temperatures, wherein at least one opening to the cavity of the hollow body is provided in hollow body regions which are not used for the intended application, said opening being closed from the medium surrounding the hollow body by at least one component made of a gas-permeable metal or ceramic material. |
| US09683595B2 |
Rough metallic locking washer
A metallic locking washer is configured to be mounted in a screw/nut system to engage between a nut and a bearing element. The metallic locking washer has a contact face suitable for coming into contact with one or the other of the nut and the bearing element. The contact face has a surface that is suitable for being brought along in friction against one or the other of the nut and the bearing element when the nut loosens. The contact face is coated, by thermal projection of an additive material, with a rough coating forming a rough surface, which increases the friction forces between the contact face of the metallic washer and one or the other of the nut and the bearing element. |
| US09683592B2 |
Wooden screw
A wooden screw may include a shank, a threaded segment, a screw head, a tapered portion and a stem portion. The shank diameter is smaller than the horizontal distance defined as a distance between two opposite ends of the tapered edges, while the width defined as a distance between two symmetric rear portions of blades is between the shank diameter and the horizontal distance, so a drill hole on the wooden material is not contacted with the shank during the screwing process, and the wooden screw also can reduce the friction and provide a complete mechanism for wood chips in accommodation and expulsion. Also, because the diameter of the drill hole is smaller than the horizontal distance, the tapered edges on the threaded segment are much easier to be screwed into wooden material. Therefore, the bonding strength between the wooden screw and the wooden material is increased. |
| US09683579B2 |
Circulator
A circulator includes a main body forming an air passage, an impeller, and a motor. The main body is cylindrical, in which a discharge port is formed at one end thereof, a suction port is formed at the other end thereof, and the air passage extending from the suction port to the discharge port is formed in the inside thereof. An orifice is provided annularly along an inner periphery of the air passage to locally narrow the air passage. An impeller is disposed in a part of the air passage having been narrowed by the orifice. A motor is connected to the impeller to rotate the impeller so that the air having been sucked from the suction port is blown from the discharge port. |
| US09683574B2 |
Debris resistant thrust bearing assembly for high speed hydraulic centrifugal turbines and pumps
A rotating assembly adapted for use in turbines and pumps is provided. The rotating assembly includes a shroud that rotates around a central axis and a disk seated in a recess in the shroud so that the disk rotates with the shroud, the disk being oriented perpendicular to the central axis. The rotating assembly also includes a stationary element in which at least one surface of the disk contacts a fluid so that when the fluid flows under pressure, the surface of the disk resists the generation of drag between the surface and the stationary element of the rotating assembly. A shroud is provided that includes a circular recess with a cavity on an outer perimeter extending away from the fixed assembly. A method of manufacturing a rotating assembly is provided. |
| US09683572B2 |
Drainage pump device for washing machine and washing machine therewith
A draining pump for a washing machine and the washing machine thereof are disclosed. The washing machine includes an inlet system, and a draining system containing the draining pump device. The draining pump has a draining motor, a pump shell, a spinning blade and a filter, wherein, an inlet nozzle and an outlet nozzle are also arranged on the pump shell, and the pump shell is internally arranged with a front pump chamber and a rear pump chamber which are communicated according to the water draining sequence; the spinning blade is arranged in the rear pump chamber and installed coaxially with a revolving shaft of the drain motor, the filter is arranged in the front pump chamber, and a pressure relief plate with pressure relief holes is arranged at one side of the outlet of the filter corresponding to the water spinning blade. |
| US09683570B2 |
Vacuum pump
The present invention relates to an automotive vacuum pump 10. The vacuum pump 10 has a casing 12 defining a cavity having an inlet 14 and an outlet 16, wherein the cavity contains a rotor 18 and a vane slidably mounted to the rotor 18. The rotor 18 extends through a side 21 of the casing 12 to the exterior thereof and is provided with a coupling arrangement 26 to couple the rotor 18 to a drive member. The vacuum pump 10 is provided with a lubrication conduit 50, 56, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74 for the supply of lubricating fluid to the coupling arrangement 26, the conduit 50, 56, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74 including a portion 70, 72, 74 which extends through the rotor 18 and the coupling arrangement 26. |
| US09683568B2 |
Scroll compressor having an area of bypass holes formed at a compression chamber with a larger volume reduction gradient larger than an area of bypass holes at the other compression chamber
A scroll compressor is provided. The scroll compressor may include a fixed scroll including a fixed wrap, and an orbiting scroll including an orbiting wrap coupled to the fixed wrap to form a pair of compression chambers. An entire cross-sectional area of bypass holes formed at a compression chamber with a larger volume reduction gradient between the compression chambers may be formed to be larger than an entire cross-sectional area of bypass holes formed at the other compression chamber to prevent over-compression at the compression chamber with the larger volume reduction gradient, thereby enhancing an entire efficiency of the compressor. |
| US09683566B2 |
Self-fixing stator housing
A stator casing of an eccentric screw pump with an elastomer stator inner part including a plurality of shell-like casing segments and a production method for such a stator casing, with which the outlay for maintenance work can be reduced. According to the invention, casing segments adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the stator casing are disposed offset with respect to one another around the longitudinal axis of the stator casing, wherein each casing segment includes connection means and at least four casing segments engage with one another and form a composite. For the production of the stator casing, the casing segments are acted upon by an axial force component as a result of clamping, wherein the casing segments engage with one another, as a result of which a radial force component is generated and the composite is formed. |
| US09683554B2 |
Acoustic noise monitoring system for a wind turbine
The present invention relates to an acoustic noise monitoring system for a wind turbine, comprising: a microphone for monitoring acoustic noise, the microphone adapted to be mounted to the exterior of a wind turbine nacelle; an input, the input adapted to receive operating conditions data from a wind turbine; a processor, the processor adapted to receive data from the microphone and the input; and storage memory, adapted to store the acoustic noise data and the operating conditions data. The processor is adapted to apply a transfer function to said acoustic noise data to correlate said data with a set of acoustic noise data measured at a remote location from the wind turbine. The system may comprise a controller adapted to generate a control signal, for outputting to a wind turbine controller, for adjusting the operating parameters of the wind turbine in dependence on said correlated data. |
| US09683550B2 |
Method for operating a wind turbine
A method for operating a wind turbine is provided. At least one temperature information indicating the temperature of at least one component of the wind turbine is generated. The temperature information is used for determining at least one material property information indicating at least one component specific, temperature dependent mechanical property of the respective component. At least one operational parameter of the wind turbine is adjusted in consideration of the at least one material property information. |
| US09683549B2 |
Turbine with dynamically adaptable savonius blades
An apparatus may include a cage that rotates around a cage axis and a turbine located at an end of the cage and rotating around a turbine axis. A turbine blade may have an adaptable shape. A frame of the turbine blade may have a first frame portion that pivots relative to the second frame portion. The curvature of the turbine blade may be controlled by shortening a connection while concurrently lengthening another connection. Controllers may control the rotation of the cage(s) and/or turbine(s) based on a speed, a direction, a velocity, an acceleration of wind, and/or a load carried by the apparatus. The apparatus may be a Savonius machine. Rotation of the cage(s) and/or turbine(s) may induce a Magnus effect. A seat and user controls near the seat may be included. The user controls may control the rotation of the cage(s) and/or turbine(s). |
| US09683547B2 |
Wind turbine having nacelle fence
Provided is a wind turbine for generating electric energy using wind power, and more specifically, a wind turbine having a nacelle fence for improving aerodynamic performance by mounting a fence structure on the nacelle of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The wind turbine having a nacelle fence decreases the vortex that is generated at the downstream ends of rotating blades so as to improve the aerodynamic performance of the blades, and increases the power coefficient of the wind turbine. |
| US09683546B1 |
Modular systems and methods for transporting tower assembly of wind turbine
A system and method are used for transporting a plurality of tower sections of a wind turbine on beds of transport devices, such as flat railcars. Supports affix at support locations on beds to accommodate at least one of the tower sections on each of the transport devices. The supports can include bed supports, such as tabs, extending from the beds, and can include cradle supports with slots that engage on the tabs. A circumferential dimension of a cradle is adjusted on each of the supports against which the tower section rests. Each of the tower sections is then supported with at least two of the supports by loading the tower sections on the transport devices. An end of each of the tower sections is then affixed to a flange on at least one of the supports on each of the transport devices. |
| US09683545B2 |
Manufacture of wind turbine blades
A structural shell for a wind turbine blade is formed from one or more elongate reinforcing members, each in the form of a stack (3) of pultruded fibrous composite strips positioned between two layers of structural foam (4). The foam layers (4) have a thickness which is greater than that of the stack (3). The edges of the foam layers (4) are formed with a void (11). With the stack (3) and foam layers (4) positioned in a mould, a strip of pre-cured glass fibre (5) is placed on the stack (3) and the edges of the foam layers (4). A vacuum is applied to the stack (3) and the foam layers (4), causing the glass fibre strip (5) to press on the stack (3) and foam layers (4) and to conform to the underlying surfaces. As a result, the void (11) is reduced in size and the step-shaped transition between the surfaces of the stack (2) and the foam layers (4) transformed into a smooth transition, so as to reduce the stresses within the glass fibre strip (5) in the region of the abutment of the stack (3) and the foam layers (4). In other embodiments, the stepped transition is smoothened by replacing the upper-edge region of each foam layer (4) with a strip of low-stiffness foam. |
| US09683539B2 |
Multisource renewable energy generation
A multisource generator system and associated processes generate electricity using one or more of wind power, hydropower, mechanical power, and solar power. The power sources may be selectively attached and activated to generate the electricity. A rotor may be actuated in response to both the wind power and the hydropower. The mechanical power may further actuate the rotor. |
| US09683538B2 |
Fluid energy generator
A device for recovering energy from a flow of fluid including a support, a flexible membrane, an attachment system for attaching at least a first area of the membrane connecting this first area of the membrane to the support; force transmission means connected to a second area of the membrane remote from the first membrane area, this second area of the membrane being movable with respect to the support. The device includes separation limiting means, adapted to limit the separation of the first area of the membrane from at least a first point of the attachment system and to limit the separation of the second area of the membrane from a second point of the attachment system, these separation limiting means being such that the first and second areas are spaced apart from each other by a minimum distance (Dmin) smaller than the shortest length (Lmin) separating these first and second areas measured along a face of the membrane. |
| US09683533B2 |
Fuel injector rail assembly for direct injection of fuel
A fuel injector rail assembly for direct injection of fuel includes an elongate fuel distribution tube, a plurality of fuel injector sockets each formed to contain therein a fuel injection valve and being integrally secured to the fuel distribution tube, and a plurality of brackets each integrally secured to the distribution tube. The brackets each are made of pressed sheet metal and includes a mounting plate portion formed with a bolt hole for mounting the fuel distribution tube on an engine head and an opening for permitting each lower portion of the fuel injector sockets inserting therethrough, a pair of stationary arm portions extended in parallel from one side edge of the mounting plate portion at opposite sides of the respective fuel injector sockets and secured to the distribution tube. An outward flange formed at each lower end of the injector sockets is secured to an underside surface of the periphery of the opening for each injector socket. A central axis of the bolt hole is offset from a central axis of each of the fuel injector sockets in a longitudinal direction of the fuel distribution tube. |
| US09683530B2 |
Air intake apparatus and manufacturing method of air intake apparatus
An air intake apparatus includes an air intake apparatus body including a surge tank, a valve body rotatably attached to the surge tank and configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position to open and close a fluid passage formed at a partition wall dividing an inside of the surge tank into two parts, the valve body being out of contact with the partition wall at the open position and being in contact with the partition wall at the closed position, the air intake apparatus body being formed by a first member to which the valve body is attached and a second member joined to each other, and the first member including a jig-receiving portion arranged in a vicinity of the fluid passage and configured to receive a jig holding the first member when the first member and the second member are being joined to each other. |
| US09683529B2 |
Method for manufacturing intake manifold and intake manifold
A method for manufacturing an intake manifold is provided that is capable of suppressing deterioration in the dimensional accuracy by correcting warping and deformation caused during molding. When an intake manifold that is made of plastic and has a surge tank and intake pipes extending from the surge tank is manufactured, distal members, which form the distal ends of the intake pipes, are positioned on a jig. In this state, the distal members and the main bodies of the intake pipes are fixed to each other by vibration-welding. |
| US09683526B2 |
Canister
A canister includes: a casing provided with a cylindrical case member having one end closed as a bottom portion and another end opened as an opened portion, and a cylindrical bottom case member closing the opened portion of the cylindrical case member, the casing being formed with a fuel vapor introducing port, a purge port and an air communication port; an adsorbent material disposed within the cylindrical case member; a pad member disposed between the adsorbent material and the cylindrical bottom case member; a grid member disposed between the adsorbent material and the cylindrical bottom case member, the pad member and the grid member being laminated as a lamination layer; and an air ventilation path formed to the grid member so as to extend in axial and radial directions of the casing in a meandering manner. |
| US09683517B2 |
Apparatus and method for supplying fuel to engine of ship
Disclosed herein are an apparatus and a method for supplying a fuel to an engine of a ship. The apparatus for supplying a fuel to an engine of a ship includes: a high pressure pump pressurizing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) and supplying the pressurized LNG to the engine; a hydraulic motor driving the high pressure pump; and a lubricating pump supplying lubricating oil to the high pressure pump. |
| US09683515B2 |
Waste heat recovery system including a mechanism for collection, detection and removal of non-condensable gas
The disclosure describes a non-condensable gas collection, detection, and removal system for a WHR system that helps to maintain cycle efficiency of the WHR system across the life of an engine system associated with the WHR system. A storage volume is configured to collect non-condensable gas received from the working fluid circuit, and a release valve is configured to selectively release non-condensable gas contained within the storage volume. |
| US09683512B2 |
Pressure device to reduce ticking noise during engine idling
Systems and methods are provided for a high-pressure fuel pump to mitigate audible ticking noise associated with opening and closing of a digital inlet valve of the high-pressure pump. To reduce the ticking noise associated with the high-pressure pump when the engine is idling, a solution is needed that is simple and does not involve retrofitting the fuel system with noise, vibration, and harshness countermeasures to mask the noise. Pressure devices and associated operation methods are provided that involve adding a combination of several check valves, an accumulator, and a flow control valve with weep channels to allow the digital inlet valve to be deactivated during engine idling as defined by a threshold engine speed. |
| US09683511B2 |
Method and system for supplying fuel to an engine
An engine system and method for adjusting pressure of fuel supplied to an engine responsive to compressibility of fuel supplied to the engine is disclosed. In one example, the engine is operated with a fuel pump in an off state to determine compressibility of fuel supplied to the engine. Fuel pressure supplied to the engine is adjusted responsive to the fuel compressibility. |
| US09683510B2 |
System and method for improving fuel delivery accuracy by learning and compensating for fuel injector characteristics
A fuel control system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a parameter determination module, a parameter learning module, and an injector driver module. The parameter determination module determines a parameter of a fuel injector in an engine at an operating condition of the engine. The parameter learning module identifies index values in a table based on the engine operating condition and adjusts learned values of the fuel injector parameter corresponding to the index values based on the determined value of the fuel injector parameter. The injector driver module selectively applies power to the fuel injector based on the learned values. |
| US09683501B2 |
Internal combustion engine control device
A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes: a first fuel injection valve that injects fuel into each cylinder; a second fuel injection valve that injects fuel into an intake passage; and an exhaust recirculation device that causes some of exhaust flowing in an exhaust passage to recirculate into the intake passage. A control device is used in the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The control device limits recirculation of exhaust into the intake passage by the exhaust recirculation device when imbalance determination is conducted during engine operation by fuel injection from the first fuel injection valve only, compared to when imbalance determination is conducted during engine operation involving fuel injection from the second fuel injection valve. |
| US09683500B2 |
Method and system for control of an EGR valve during lean operation in a boosted engine system
Methods and systems are provided for reducing EGR estimation errors during lean engine operating conditions. During lean engine operation, EGR is disabled if the estimated exhaust air-fuel ratio becomes leaner than a lean threshold. The lean threshold is adjusted based on an upper limit of EGR errors that may be tolerated by the engine at a given engine speed and load. |
| US09683497B2 |
Methods and systems for adjusting engine airflow based on output from an oxygen sensor
Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a throttle based on an intake oxygen sensor output. In one example, a method may include adjusting a position of a throttle based on a dilution threshold and a total aircharge dilution level, the total dilution aircharge level based on an output of an intake oxygen sensor. Additionally, spark timing may be adjusted based on the total aircharge dilution level. |
| US09683495B2 |
Method of operating an internal combustion engine coupled to a generator
A method of operating an internal combustion engine coupled to a generator in the event of a grid fault of a power supply grid connected to the generator, in particular in the event of a dynamic grid voltage drop, wherein the internal combustion engine includes a turbocharger having a compressor in an air feed duct of the internal combustion engine and an exhaust gas turbine coupled to the compressor in an exhaust gas duct of the internal combustion engine, wherein there is provided at least one bypass valve for bypass of the compressor and/or for bypass of the exhaust gas turbine, wherein upon or after detection of the grid fault the at least one bypass valve is at least temporarily actuated. |
| US09683494B2 |
Method and device for operating a motor vehicle
A method is provided for carrying out a diagnosis of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle wherein, during the diagnosis, at least partially an additional drive machine, particularly an electric motor, generates a torque, and thereby changes an operating point of the internal combustion engine. |
| US09683493B2 |
Method and system for adjusting a compression ratio
Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a compression ratio of a combustion chamber. In one example, a method may include altering an axial position and rotational orientation of a control element comprising a spark plug and a fuel injector in response to an engine operation. The method further includes changing a distance between intake and exhaust valves of a cylinder to the control element, the spark plug, and the fuel injector. |
| US09683492B2 |
Vehicle operation system and method
A method of operating a vehicle having an engine, an engine control unit (ECU), a throttle operator, and a throttle body fluidly communicating with the engine. A throttle valve disposed in the throttle body regulates fluid flow to the engine. A throttle valve actuator is connected thereto for controlling a throttle valve position. A key receiver is configured to link to a key. The method includes linking a key to the key receiver and initiating engine operation. If the key is linked to the key receiver and engine operation has been initiated, an identification code of the key is read and an authorization status of the key is thereby determined. If the key is determined to be authorized, the throttle valve position is controlled based in part on a throttle operator position. If the key is determined to be unauthorized, the throttle valve position is limited to a security limit. |
| US09683491B2 |
Power plant and method for generating electrical power
The present invention relates to a power plant to generate electrical power, having a reformer unit, in which an energy carrier can be converted, with the supply of heat, into combustion fluid, wherein the reformer unit has a reformer burning device to provide a heat supply, with which reformer burning device an energy carrier can be burnt, a burner unit, in which thermal energy can be produced by burning the combustion fluid, a turbine unit, in which a rotational movement can be produced with the thermal energy, and a generator unit which can be driven by the rotational movement to generate electrical power. The power plant is characterized according to the invention in that, in order to provide a heat supply, in addition to the reformer burning device, an electric heating unit is provided, through which electrical energy can be converted into heat energy. |
| US09683489B2 |
System and method for preventing ice crystal accretion in gas turbine engines
A system and method of operating an engine anti-ice system includes supplying heat from one or more heat sources to one or more components on or within a gas turbine engine, sensing data representative of one or more parameters related to ice crystal accretion, and based on the data, at least selectively inhibiting at least selected ones of the one or more heat sources from supplying heat to at least selected ones of the one or more components on or within the gas turbine engine. |
| US09683486B2 |
Belt drive arrangement
A belt drive arrangement for an internal combustion engine, includes a drive pulley which is driven by a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, a first output pulley with which a first auxiliary unit can be driven, a second output pulley with which a second auxiliary unit can be driven, and a belt which has an inner face and an outer face opposite the inner face and which loops at least some portions of the drive pulley and the output pulleys as a belt transmission. The inner face of the belt loops the drive pulley and the first output pulley while physically contacting same, and the outer face loops the second output pulley while physically contacting same. An internal combustion engine is provided with such a belt drive arrangement. |
| US09683485B2 |
Exhaust-gas turbocharger with acoustically active imperfections
An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a turbine housing (2), which has a bypass duct (10) with a bypass opening (9); and having a control flap (3), which is mounted pivotably between a closed position and an open position in the turbine housing (2), the control flap (3), when in its closed position, resting on a bearing region (8) of a housing wall (11) which conducts exhaust gas and contains the bypass opening (9), wherein at least one flow imperfection (12A, 12B; 23A, 23B) is arranged in the turbine housing wall (11) in the bearing region (8) of the control flap (3) and/or in the control flap (3). |
| US09683483B1 |
Exhaust leakage management
Methods and systems are provided for exhaust leak management in an engine. The exhaust leakage management system may include a port disposed to capture leaked exhaust along a movable portion associated with a turbine. The exhaust leakage management system may also include a three-way valve at a bifurcation of the port, directing leaked exhaust either to a first passage fluidically connected to a crankcase of the engine or to a second passage fluidically connected to a downstream portion of an exhaust pipe, depending on engine operating conditions. |
| US09683476B2 |
Exhaust gas purification device
An exhaust gas purification device comprises a catalyst disposed to the exhaust-gas flow path, and an inhibiting member that is disposed downstream of the catalyst in the exhaust-gas flow path, and diminishes a bias in flow-rate distribution of exhaust gases that flow into the catalyst by inhibiting a partial flow of the exhaust gases that flowed out of the catalyst, wherein the inhibiting member comprises a concave part comprising a concave shape facing the catalyst, and inhibits, by the concave part, a partial flow of the exhaust gases that flowed out of the catalyst. |
| US09683473B2 |
Exhaust gas control apparatus
An exhaust gas control apparatus includes an exhaust passage, a urea water tank, a urea adding valve, a urea pump, a pipe, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to drive the urea pump to perform a filling control when a condition requiring an execution of urea water addition to the exhaust gas in the exhaust passage by the urea adding valve is satisfied so that the pipe is filled with the urea water. The electronic control unit is configured to execute the filling control when an exhaust pressure of the exhaust passage is equal to or less than a specified value. The electronic control unit is configured to stop the filling control when the exhaust pressure of the exhaust passage exceeds the specified value during the execution of the filling control. |
| US09683471B2 |
Exhaust emission control device
An exhaust emission control device including a selective reduction catalyst; urea water as reducing agent being added in the pipe upstream of the reduction catalyst depurate NOx through reduction; an oxidation catalyst arranged in the pipe upstream of an added position of the urea water, the oxidation catalyst physically adsorbing NOx in the exhaust gas at a temperature lower than a lower active limit temperature of the reduction catalyst and discharging the adsorbed NOx at a temperature higher than a lower active limit temperature of the oxidation catalyst; and a fuel injection device for adding fuel into the exhaust gas upstream of the oxidation catalyst is disclosed. The start of the fuel addition by the fuel injection device is refrained until exhaust temperature on an inlet side of the reduction catalyst is increased to a preset temperature comparable with the lower active limit temperature of the oxidation catalyst. |
| US09683467B2 |
System and method of cooling valve with material in cavity
A system includes a reciprocating engine, the reciprocating engine includes a poppet valve having a first valve end and a second valve end. The poppet valve includes a valve head having the first valve end. The valve head may open and close a fluid passageway within the reciprocating engine. The poppet valve also includes a stem extending from the valve head and having a first length. The stem has the second valve end and the second valve end is substantially opposite the first valve end. The poppet valve also includes a cavity aligned with a centerline axis of the poppet valve. The cavity includes a first region disposed within the valve head and a second region disposed within the stem, and the second region has a second length that is shorter than the first length. The poppet valve further includes a metal alloy disposed within the cavity. The metal alloy is in a liquid-phase during operation of the reciprocating engine and may transfer heat from the valve head to the stem. |
| US09683466B2 |
Valve for internal combustion engines and method for obtaining a valve
A valve for an internal combustion engine may include a ferrous body having a neck. At least one area of the neck may include a surface layer with a thickness of up to 300 μm. The valve may also be provided with at least 17% solubilized metallic chromium, which may be obtained by an application of a surface melting treatment. |
| US09683460B2 |
System and method for inspecting turbomachines
A method for inspecting a turbomachine is provided. The method includes the steps of, attaching a gimbal mount to the turbomachine, inserting a probe into the turbomachine through the gimbal mount, and adjusting a position of the probe via the gimbal mount. A removing step removes the probe from the turbomachine. An attaching step attaches a traverse actuator system to the gimbal mount. The traverse actuator system is connected to the gimbal mount through a pressure isolation system. A reinserting step is used to reinsert the probe back into the turbomachine. An inspecting step is used to inspect or test the turbomachine. |
| US09683459B2 |
Securing part structure of turbine nozzle and turbine using same
A securing part structure of a turbine nozzle provided with a plurality of turbine nozzle segments, each having a plurality of stator vanes, arranged annularly around an axis of a jet engine and secured between a turbine case and a shroud of the jet engine, wherein in the turbine nozzle segment, an arc-shaped outer band coupling distal ends of the plurality of stator vanes to each other is provided, a hook of the outer band is engaged with a nozzle support groove of the turbine case from behind, a recessed portion of the outer band is fitted with an anti-rotation tab from behind, and an anti-rotation slot formed in the shroud is fitted with a protruding portion from behind so that the turbine nozzle segment is secured between the turbine case and the shroud. Reduction of performance loss and extension of a life of the turbine case can be realized. |
| US09683455B2 |
Component for use in releasing a flow of material into an environment subject to periodic fluctuations in pressure
A component for releasing a flow of material into an environment subject to periodic fluctuations in pressure, which has: a first surface that includes an inlet; a second surface that includes an outlet; a duct formed in the component and extending from the inlet to the outlet so, when the component is in use, a flow of material received at the inlet can flow along the duct to be released at the outlet into an environment subject to periodic fluctuations in pressure. The duct includes a constriction at which it decreases in cross-sectional area as it progresses from the inlet to the outlet. This can help reduce the variation in flow rate of material released at the outlet caused by the periodic fluctuations in pressure, and may help to avoid/reduce ingestion, when the component is in use. Preferably, the component is configured to form part of a gas turbine engine. |
| US09683453B2 |
Turbine casing clearance management system
Systems and devices configured to reduce thermal design clearances (e.g., between stationary nozzles connected to the inner casing and rotor buckets connected to the rotor) in turbines by actively controlling casing movements and/or locations during turbine operation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a clearance management system includes: a first inner casing support arm shaped to connect to an inner casing of a turbine and extend through an outer casing of the turbine; a seal system disposed about the first inner casing support arm and configured to connect to the outer casing; and a set of actuators disposed on a turbine foundation of the turbine and connected to the first inner casing support arm, the set of actuators located external to the outer casing and configured to adjust a position of the inner casing relative to the outer casing via manipulation of the first inner casing support arm. |
| US09683452B2 |
Labyrinth seal for gas turbine engine turbine
A turbine for a gas turbine engine comprising at least one turbine stator and one turbine rotor, said turbine stator comprising at least one inner annular platform, said inner platform comprising a radial wall delimiting at least one cavity between the turbine stator and the turbine rotor, wherein the turbine rotor comprises at least one elongate element positioned substantially axially and defining a sealing baffle in said cavity, and in that the turbine stator comprises at least one element made of abradable material designed to engage with said elongate element of the turbine rotor so as to form a labyrinth seal. |
| US09683451B2 |
Seal assembly for arranging between a stator and a rotor
A seal assembly is provided that extends along an axial centerline. The seal assembly includes a seal support, a seal housing, a plurality of torque pins and a plurality of stopper collars. The seal housing includes a plurality of slots arranged circumferentially around the centerline. The slots extend axially through the seal housing, and one or more of the slots has a lateral slot width. The torque pins are connected to the seal support. Each of the torque pins respectively extends axially through a uniquely associated one of the slots to a distal pin end. Each of the stopper collars is uniquely associated with and connected to a respective one of the torque pins at the pin end. One or more of the stopper collars has a lateral collar width that is less than the slot width. |
| US09683450B2 |
Turbine casing inlet assembly construction
A steam turbine inlet assembly and method of constructing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an annular ring is provided, along with a body affixed to a distal face of the annular ring and extending distally therefrom. The body portion has a curved entrance geometry at the proximal end adjacent the annular ring, and transitions to a substantially polygonal exit geometry at a distal end. |
| US09683443B2 |
Method for making gas turbine engine ceramic matrix composite airfoil
A method for making a gas turbine engine ceramic matrix composite airfoil is disclosed. The method includes fabricating an airfoil preform that has a slotted forward end and a continuous trailing end. The slotted forward end of the airfoil preform is coupled to an airfoil core insert. A ceramic matrix composite covering is applied to cover the slots of the airfoil perform. The continuous trailing end of the airfoil preform is removed to expose the slots. A gas turbine engine airfoil is also disclosed. |
| US09683442B2 |
Turbocharger shroud with cross-wise grooves and turbocharger incorporating the same
A turbocharger (5) comprising a housing (10) including a compressor shroud (14) and a turbine shroud (12). A compressor wheel (18) is disposed in the compressor shroud (14) and includes a plurality of compressor blades (45, 46). Each compressor blade (45, 46) includes a leading edge (50, 51) and a compressor shroud contour edge (54, 55), wherein each compressor shroud contour edge (54, 55) is in close confronting relation to the compressor shroud (14). A turbine wheel (16) is disposed in the turbine shroud (12) and includes a plurality of turbine blades (26). Each turbine blade (26) includes a leading edge (30) and a turbine shroud contour edge (34), wherein each turbine shroud contour edge (34) is in close confronting relation to the turbine shroud (12). At least one of the compressor shroud (14) and turbine shroud (12) includes a plurality of grooves (70, 72) extending cross-wise with respect to the corresponding compressor or turbine shroud contour edges (34, 54, 55). |
| US09683441B2 |
Power supply for wired pipe with rechargeable energy storage
A power supply for a wired pipe system is provided. The power supply includes energy storage capabilities, and provides for operation in high temperature environments. |
| US09683440B2 |
Downhole method and assembly for obtaining real-time data
A method for obtaining real-time data relating to a well construction activity includes locating wellbore-lining tubing comprising at least one non-magnetic tubing section in a wellbore of a well. At least one downhole parameter is measured at a location external of the wellbore-lining tubing using at least one sensor associated with the non-magnetic tubing section. A magnetic field generating device is positioned within the non-magnetic tubing section and the device is activated to inductively couple the device to the at least one sensor. Data relating to the at least measured parameter is then transmitted through the non-magnetic tubing section to the magnetic field generating device by means of the inductive coupling. The data retrieved from the at least one sensor may then be transmitted to surface using a fluid pressure pulse generating device associated with the magnetic field generating device. |
| US09683437B2 |
Method of signaling passage of objects using tattle-tale apparatus
An electro-mechanical indicator system for signaling when a droppable object (such as, for example, a dart, plug or ball) is released during well cementing operations. A body section has first and second chambers divided by a fluid and pressure sealing barrier. A mechanical trigger mechanism is situated in the first chamber, which is exposed to elevated pressures and harsh wellbore fluids. Less robust components, such as sensor(s), power source(s), and signal device(s) located in the second chamber, remain isolated from the wellbore environment and elevated pressures. |
| US09683434B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling a downhole device
Apparatus for controlling a downhole device in a well has a body with a control slot and pin movable in the slot. The slot has a first inactive loop in which the pin can cycle between different idling configurations, and a second active loop in which the pin can move between different configurations which correspond to active and inactive configurations of the downhole device. The pin can be switched between the first and second loops, and can cycle between the different configurations within without switching between the different loops. The slot can be provided on a piston, and the axial movement of the piston in the bore can drive the relative movement of the pin and the slot. |
| US09683433B2 |
Method for the use of nitrates and nitrate reducing bacteria in hydraulic fracturing
A slick water fracturing fluid including a brine, an inorganic nitrate, a nitrogen reducing bacteria, a scale inhibitor selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylate polymer, a polyacrylate copolymer, a polyacrylate terpolymer, and mixtures thereof, and a friction reducer, wherein the friction reducer is a polyacrylamide. |
| US09683432B2 |
Hybrid LPG frac
A fracturing method comprises: pumping a first stream of liquefied petroleum gas and gelling agent with a first frac pressure pump; pumping a second stream of lubricated proppant with a second frac pressure pump; combining the first stream and the second stream within a wellhead into a combined stream; pumping the combined stream into a hydrocarbon reservoir; and subjecting the combined stream in the hydrocarbon reservoir to fracturing pressures. A fracturing apparatus comprises: a first frac pressure pump connected to a first port of a wellhead; a second frac pressure pump connected to a second port of the wellhead; a frac fluid source connected to simply a stream of frac fluid comprising liquefied petroleum gas to the first frac pressure pump; a gel source connected to supply a gelling agent into the frac fluid; and a proppant supply source connected to supply lubricated proppant to the second frac pressure pump. |
| US09683428B2 |
System and method for providing heated water for well related activities
A system is provided that allows relatively low temperature water to be withdrawn from a pipeline, heated and then returned to the pipeline. At least one embodiment includes a device for adjusting the rate of flow through a primary pipe so that desired temperatures are maintained during the heating process. |
| US09683427B2 |
Activation devices operable based on oil-water content in formation fluids
The disclosure provides an apparatus for use in a wellbore that includes a first device that provides a first pressure differential based on a first constituent of a fluid and a second pressure differential based on a second constituent of the fluid and a second device that utilizes the first and second pressure differentials to operate a third device that performs an operation in the wellbore. |
| US09683426B2 |
Distributed inflow control device
Certain aspects of the present invention are directed to a distributed inflow control device that can be disposed in a wellbore through a fluid-producing formation. The distributed inflow control includes a shroud that can be disposed in the fluid-producing formation. The shroud circumferentially covers a section of a tubing string. The shroud includes a profile having multiple flow paths between the fluid-producing formation and an inner volume of the section of the tubing string. Each flow path restricts a fluid flow through the flow path and is independent of each other flow path. The distributed inflow control device also includes a seal over the profile including the flow paths. The seal causes fluid to flow from an inlet to an outlet of each flow path and prevents fluid from entering or exiting each flow path at a point other than the respective inlet or the respective outlet. |
| US09683425B2 |
Downhole injection tool
A downhole injection tool has an injection unit with a first expandable cup adapted to provide a first seal against the inside wall, and a second expandable cup adapted to provide a second seal against the inside wall. The two cups, in an expanded state, together define an isolated zone of the annular space. At least one pipe element extends in a longitudinal direction between the two cups, the pipe element providing a fluid passage between an inlet arranged in one end of the pipe element and an outlet arranged in the pipe element in between the cups, the second expandable cup being slidably connected with the pipe element and displaced in the longitudinal direction away from the first expandable cup under the influence of the injection fluid injected into the isolated zone, whereby a distance d between the two cups is increased. The injection unit also has a retainer sleeve slidably arranged around the expandable cups to prevent unintentional expansion of the expandable cups during insertion of the downhole injection tool. The retainer sleeve is slidable in the longitudinal direction, and the expandable cups are released by movement of the retainer sleeve in the longitudinal direction. |
| US09683422B2 |
Rotating flow control diverter having dual stripper elements
A rotating flow control diverter apparatus having an upper and a lower stripper element mounted on upper and lower tubular shaft, respectively, each of which is axially rotatable by means of an upper and lower sealed bearing assembly, respectively, within a central bore of a housing. An upper and lower seal assembly seal the annular space between the central bore and the upper and lower tubular shaft, respectively to define a purge chamber. The purge chamber is in fluid communication with the central bore via the lower tubular shaft, and may be provided with valved ports. The housing may be constructed in removably mounted upper and lower portions, to which the upper and lower sealed bearing assemblies, respectively, and upper and lower seal assemblies, respectively, are mounted. |
| US09683420B2 |
Method of well operation
Method and use of abandoning a well (2) or removing a well element (10) which is arranged in a well (2) by melting surrounding materials or by melting the well element (10), the method comprising the steps of; providing an amount of a heat generating mixture (6), the amount (6) being adapted to perform one of the desired operations, positioning the heat generating mixture (6) at a melting position in the well (2), igniting the heat generating mixture (6), thereby melting the surrounding materials in the well (2) or melting the well element (10). |
| US09683419B2 |
Actuation dart for wellbore operations, wellbore treatment apparatus and method
An actuation dart for actuating a target tool in a tubing string, the actuation dart includes: a body conveyable through the tubing string to reach the target tool; a control module configured to respond to contact with at least one downhole tool in the tubing string to locate the target tool; and an actuation mechanism for actuating the target tool when it is located. |
| US09683418B2 |
Methods and systems for picking up a drill bit
The present disclosure provides a method for picking up a drill bit off the bottom of an opening in a subsurface formation. The method includes setting a predetermined level of differential pressure across a mud motor at which pickup of the drill bit is to be initiated, and monitoring the differential pressure across the mud motor. The method also includes allowing differential pressure across the mud motor to decrease to the predetermined level, and when the predetermined level is reached, automatically picking up the drill bit. |
| US09683408B2 |
Pivoting stairs
A swiveling staircase is provided for access to a device disposed above the ground at a distance that a person of an ordinary height is not able to reach. The staircase includes an immobile upright stanchion and a staircase assembly pivotally coupled to the stanchion. The staircase assembly includes a platform on the top of a plurality of stairs. The staircase assembly rotates between a first position where the staircase is docked out of way for storage and a second position where the staircase assembly is facing the front side of the device so that an operator standing on the platform may be able to reach the device. |
| US09683405B2 |
Door component and door with laminated strengthening bars
A door component, a door, and a method for manufacturing the same. The door may be an external domestic door. The door component includes a thermally insulating material sandwiched by a first layer and a second layer. The component has at least one strengthening bar sandwiched by the first and second layers. The first and second layers are cross-laminated plywood. The strengthening bar(s) are advantageously cross-laminated. Related doors and methods of manufacture are disclosed. |
| US09683404B2 |
Spacer for insulating glass panes
A spacer for insulating glass panes has a profile body having a cross section having first and second side walls, an inner wall and an outer wall, forming a closed hollow profile, wherein first and second filamentary reinforcing elements are arranged in the inner wall, the first primary reinforcing element being arranged in a first portion of the cross section in which the inner wall adjoins the first side wall, and the second reinforcing element being arranged in a second portion of the cross section in which the inner wall adjoins the second side wall, the first and second primary reinforcing elements being arranged, as regards their cross sectional surfaces, at most approximately 50% in the first and/or in the second side wall, and such that spacing between the centroids of the cross sectional surfaces of these reinforcing elements is approximately 40% or more of spacing between the side walls. |
| US09683403B2 |
Closure assembly with a window and a method of making the same
A closure assembly and a method of making the closure assembly with a window. The closure assembly includes front and rear panels defining a space between them; an aperture in each of the front and rear panels, the apertures being aligned to form an aperture in the closure assembly for the window; a frame at least partly positioned between the front and rear panels and extending along the aperture of the closure assembly, delineating a portion of the space and defining a cavity between the front and rear panels; and filling material located in the cavity and bonding the front and rear panels together in a one-piece structure. |
| US09683399B2 |
Guide for sliding doors
A guide device for sliding doors for shelves has at least one guide rail, each guide rail have a guide region for guiding sliding doors and at least one fastening region connected to the guide region for fastening the guide device to shelves. The guide regions in their cooperation form a guide arrangement and all the fastening regions in their cooperation form a fastening arrangement. In order to provide a guide device which can be used universally and which can be fastened subsequently to shelves, the fastening arrangement is disposed relative to the guide arrangement in the installed position in such a manner that the guide arrangement is accessible from below and above for sliding doors and at least partially covers vertical surfaces of the shelves. |
| US09683394B1 |
Simplified system and method for secure shipment of high-value cargo
A simplified locking and mounting execution methods for protecting high-value cargo enclosed in a container, while maintaining the container indistinguishable from similar low value shipments, including an OnBoard Identity Module (OBIM) providing lock and unlock actuation activities for the Internal Locking Mechanism (ILM), both of which are externally undetectable. The OBIM interacts with a Securing Rod or similar securing feature which engages one or more container components in a manner preventing the container from being opened until a properly encoded unlocking signal is sent to the locking system via wireless methods from a remote point directing the OBIM to actuate again to unlock the container. This simplified locking mechanism provides components of a size suitable for repeated use, removal, transport, and reuse elsewhere over-and-over or cost effective solutions suitable for single use disposable applications. |
| US09683393B2 |
System for physically securing an electronic device
A system includes an electronic device having a housing with an opening formed therein, a processor positioned within the housing, a motor positioned within the housing and coupled to the processor, and a latch positioned within the housing adjacent the opening. The latch is driven by the motor to move relative to the housing. The system also includes a security member securable to an immovable object. The security member includes a lock head that is insertable into the opening in the housing. The lock head has a recess into which the latch extends to secure the security member to the electronic device. The motor is operable to move the latch out of the recess in the lock head to release the security member from the electronic device. |
| US09683392B1 |
Intelligent door lock system with audio and RF Communication
An intelligent door lock system includes a position sensing device configured to be coupled to a drive shaft of a lock device. The position sensing device senses position of the drive shaft to assist in locking and unlocking a lock of a lock device. A processor is coupled to a wireless communication module that utilizes audio and RF communication to communicate. Audio is used to communicate a security key to the wireless communication device and the RF increases a wireless communication range to and from the wireless communication device. A circuit is coupled to the engine and to an energy source. A device converts energy into mechanical energy and is coupled to the circuit, positioning sensing device and the drive shaft. The device that converts energy is coupled to the energy source to receive energy from the energy source. |
| US09683388B2 |
Lock re-pinning fixture
An exemplary lock re-pinning fixture includes a first housing releasably joined with a second housing, and a follower bar positioned at least partially in the second housing. The follower bar may be structured for a plurality of orientations within the housings, and may be biased toward the first housing. The first housing may be configured to receive a lock cylinder such that the plug of the cylinder is aligned with the follower bar. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith. |
| US09683387B2 |
Canopy shelter link point
A canopy shelter link point for increased structural integrity particularly when subject to bending forces about the link point. The canopy shelter link point can include an increased overlap distance between two cross members, reduced spacing between adjacent cross members, and/or extension features located about an end of the cross members to reduce the misalignment angle between two cross members. Such features can be provided using spacers, inserts to be inserted into a cross member and/or sleeves to be placed around the cross member. A reduction in the misalignment angle can reduce the amount of bending forces about the link point. |
| US09683386B1 |
Portable shelter
A portable and adjustable shelter for sheltering vehicles, cars, or goods or people is disclosed. The shelter includes a plurality of legs, each leg having a column base attached to a first column which is attached to a second column. The first column is vertically adjustable relative to the column base, enabling the height of the legs to be adjusted. The second column has a projection for attaching to a roof. The roof has a pair of truss assemblies each configured to attach two legs, and each having an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface defines a plurality of spaced apart receptacles sized to receive the projection of the second column to secure the roof to the legs at various positions, enabling the user to alter the width of the shelter. |
| US09683382B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for a variable depth swimming pool/spa
A variable depth swimming pool/spa can comprise a movable deck and a bottom. The movable deck can be movable relative to the bottom of a variable depth swimming pool/spa to provide for a variable depth of the portion of pool/spa that is accessible to a pool/spa user. The movable deck can be connected to the bottom of the variable depth swimming pool/spa via one or several legs. The one or several legs can be rotatingly connected to the movable deck and can be slidingly connected to the bottom of the swimming pool/spa. The rotational displacement of the legs can result in the vertical displacement of the movable deck. The legs can be connected to synchronizing arms that can interact with a synchronizing drive to coordinate the movement of a first leg with a second leg. |
| US09683379B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for providing high electrical resistance for aerial work platform components
Methods, systems and apparatuses for providing high electrical resistance for an upper control assembly (including control handles) of an aerial lift are provided through an isolation member that is integral to the upper control assembly and interposed between fluid lines in the control assembly and a set of fluid conduits that extend from the control assembly towards other portions of the aerial lift. The isolation member is a dielectric element that comprises a manifold that is made of material that is substantially electrically non-conductive, and that has a plurality of through-holes or hoses configured to allow hydraulic fluid to flow through the isolation member into and out of the fluid lines and conduits. These methods, systems and apparatuses are preferably used in upper control assemblies of aerial platforms that can carry one or more operators in order to prevent such operators from electrocution when controlling the lift. |
| US09683374B2 |
Floor panel
The invention provides a floor panel which can reduce a material cost and achieve a weight saving, by easily carrying out a press drawing process. In a floor panel in which an upper member and a lower member are joined in their peripheral edge portions and an internal space is formed in an inner portion of the floor panel, an opening portion intruding approximately as a rectangular shape into an inner side of the floor panel is formed in a side plate portion of each of the upper member and the lower member, and a shape of the opening portion is formed as such a curved shape that two internal corner portions intrude into the inner side of the floor panel than the other approximately linear portions than the internal corner portions, in a whole or a part of a horizontal cross section. |
| US09683370B2 |
Fascia gutter system and coverings using the same
A covering employing a fascia gutter is disclosed. The fascia gutter includes a front member, bottom member, a rear member, a ledge, a guiding groove, a protrusion and a receiving space. The bottom member connects the front member to the rear member. The receiving space is defined by the front member, the bottom member, and the rear member. The ledge is connected to the rear member. An opening is defined by the ledge and the protrusion. |
| US09683366B2 |
Soundproof room
The soundproof room (41a) has an interior space (43a) defined by soundproof walls (44a, 45a, 46a, 47a). The soundproof room (41a) includes a sound absorber (11a) whose sound absorbing face absorbs sound in the room and is exposed in the room. The sound absorber (11a) has a varying depth dimension from a front face (19a), serving as the sound absorbing face, toward the depth direction. The sound absorber (11a) is formed by stacking a plurality of layer members from the front face (19a), serving as the sound absorbing face, in the depth direction. |
| US09683365B2 |
Piston based self-centering brace apparatus
A brace apparatus for mounting between two structural components of a support infrastructure to absorb vibrational energy imposed on the support infrastructure. The brace apparatus comprises: (i) an elongate piston component having one end engaged with a piston plate and the other end configured for demountable pivotable engagement with a first structural component, (ii) a sleeve component for receiving the piston component therein, said sleeve component having a back cap for receiving the piston component therethrough and a front cap configured for demountable pivotable engagement with a second structural component, and (iii) a plurality of equidistantly spaced-apart tie rods housed within the sleeve component wherein one end of each tie rod is secured to the outer surface of the front cap and the other end is secured to the outer surface of the back cap, the tie rod slidingly inserted through an orifice provided therefore in the piston plate. |
| US09683364B2 |
Fire-rated wall construction product
Fire-rated wall construction components and wall systems for use in building construction. Embodiments can include tracks for holding studs which incorporate various geometries capable of receiving fire-retardant material, including but not limited to intumescent material. The fire-retardant material can be attached to compressible backer rods inserted within deflection gaps in the wall systems such that the fire-retardant material expands and seals gaps and/or areas between the tracks and wall components such as ceilings, floors, and drywall. Various assemblies and methods can be used to cover the deflection gap. |
| US09683359B2 |
Urinal apparatus
An apparatus for a waterless urinal is described. The apparatus comprises a housing defining a chamber for receiving a consumable de-odorizer, the housing including an access device to permit access to the chamber for allowing replacement of the consumable de-odorizer. |
| US09683355B2 |
Air admittance valve
An air admittance valve which when subjected to a negative pressure condition vents a pipe system to an ambient environment. Generally, the air admittance valve includes a housing, a cartridge, and a sealing member. The housing includes one or more vents disposed in its wall and may be engaged with the pipe system at one end. The cartridge may have one or more inlets defining one or more inlet openings, where the one or more inlets are connected to a central chamber that has an opening with a sealing structure. The sealing member interacts with the sealing structure of the cartridge to allow one-way airflow from the central chamber to the pipe system. The cartridge and sealing member may be inserted into the housing such that the one or more inlet openings substantially align with the one or more vents in the housing. |
| US09683354B2 |
Check valve system for managing fluids
The present invention relates to apparatuses, systems, and methods that manage the flow of fluids, such as, for example, water, through pipes. Specifically, the apparatuses of the present invention creates a backward pressure in fluid traversing a pipe when the fluid meets a spring loaded poppet valve, wherein the backward pressure within the pipe provides compression to the fluid effectively compressing entrapped gas bubbles within the fluid. The pressure in front of the poppet valve builds and moves the poppet valve away from a seat allowing the fluid with compressed gas bubbles to flow therefrom, which provides more accurate water meter measurements because less gas is being considered in said measurements. Moreover, the apparatuses of the present invention provide backflow prevention. Systems and methods for managing fluids are further provided. |
| US09683353B2 |
Faucet spray head magnetic docking systems
A faucet spray head magnetic docking system includes a socket that couples to an end of the spout, and a bonnet that couples to the spray head and that engages with the socket. The socket includes a shell configured to be arranged in the mouth of the spout, and integrated with one or more magnetic elements. The magnetic elements may be inserted into corresponding holes of the socket shell. Alternatively, the magnetic elements may be incorporated directly into the shell. The bonnet includes a threaded portion for coupling to corresponding threads of a connector at the spray head, and includes one or more corresponding magnets configured to magnetically attract to the magnetic elements of the socket. |
| US09683351B2 |
Opening for metal faucet
An improved opening for a metal faucet has an outlet neck having an opening with an outer threaded section at an outer edge and a curved stopping ring at the opening, the stopping ring having a rounded surface at an inner edge. The improved opening for a metal faucet which does not have any sharp edge and provide smooth water flows. |
| US09683349B2 |
Work vehicle
A work vehicle equipped with an HST traveling drive device, includes: an operation quantity detector that detects an operation quantity representing an extent to which an accelerator pedal is operated; a rotation rate detector that detects an actual rotation rate at a prime mover; a requested rotation rate calculation unit that calculates a requested rotation rate for the prime mover based upon the operation quantity detected by the operation quantity detector; and a prime mover control unit that controls the actual rotation rate based upon the requested rotation rate calculated by the requested rotation rate calculation unit. When the requested rotation rate is higher than a predetermined value, the requested rotation rate calculation unit calculates a rate of acceleration for the requested rotation rate based upon a difference between the requested and the actual rotation rate detected by the rotation rate detector and calculates the requested rotation rate based upon the calculated rate of acceleration. |
| US09683347B2 |
Systems and methods to reinforce excavation walls
A soldier pile wall for shoring an excavation site includes a plurality of drilled shafts drilled along an edge of the excavation site, a plurality of soldier piles, each of the plurality of soldier piles being positioned within a respective drilled shaft, and a pre-stressing system coupled to at least some of the plurality of soldier piles. The pre-stressing system is configured to induce stresses to counteract working stresses of the soldier pile wall. Related methods are also provided. |
| US09683339B2 |
Portable roadway warning device
A portable roadway warning device includes a core having a plurality of weights embedded in a polymeric material, wherein the weights have a greater density than the polymeric material, and a housing having opposite first and second side surfaces, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and an upper vehicle interface surface. The housing covers the core. The leading and trailing edges define a distance D therebetween, wherein each of the weights has a maximum lengthwise less than ½ D. A first connector member extends outwardly from the first side surface, and a second connector member extends outwardly from the second side surface. An assembly of roadway warning devices, and methods of installing and manufacturing such devices, are also provided. |
| US09683336B2 |
Apparatus and method for an asphalt plant
An asphalt plant adapted to use RAP to produce asphalt. The preferred asphalt plant comprises a bin that is adapted to store the RAP, a heat source that is adapted to supply heat, a dryer that is adapted to dry the RAP, a mixer that is adapted the mix the RAP and a means for conveying the RAP from the bin to the dryer. The preferred asphalt plant uses substantially only the RAP to produce asphalt. A method for producing asphalt from RAP comprising providing an asphalt plant adapted to use the RAP to produce asphalt. The preferred method further comprises conveying the RAP from the bin to the dryer, drying the RAP, and mixing the RAP. |
| US09683335B2 |
Device for inserting artificial grass strands into the ground
A device for inserting artificial grass strand parts in the ground comprises at least one drum mounted on a frame for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis. The drum receives a plurality of artificial grass strands unwound from a plurality of spools. The drum comprises a plurality of clamps which hold an artificial grass strand part between a front clamp and a rear clamp, viewed in the direction of rotation, which allow the artificial grass strand parts to rotate with the drum. At least one cutting device cuts the clamped artificial grass strand parts from the rest of the respective artificial grass strands. The drum rotates the series of artificial grass strand parts to below an insertion device which inserts the artificial grass strand parts into the ground. |
| US09683332B2 |
Superstructure device
A superstructure device (10) for a set of points having a switch support which is composed of a block of high-strength steel and which has stock and short point rails which delimit said switch support and are formed integrally from the block, wherein the block is connected to a lower part composed of a material other than the high-strength steel, such as mild steel, and is in particular connected in a materially joined fashion, wherein the block extends essentially over the entire length of a switch rail device as the superstructure device on both sides beyond the switch support, and the lower part is a means of supporting the block in the form of at least two supports which are spaced apart from one another. |
| US09683330B2 |
Wet paper web transfer belt
There is provided a wet paper web transfer belt for transferring a wet paper web, comprising: a wet paper web carrying side resin layer having a wet paper web carrying surface for carrying the wet paper web; and a roll side resin layer having a roll contacting surface. A water swelling rate of a resin material constituting the wet paper web carrying side resin layer and a water swelling rate of a resin material constituting the roll side resin layer are different, and the water swelling rate of the resin material constituting the wet paper web carrying side resin layer is 2.0% or more and the water swelling rate of the resin material constituting the roll side resin layer is 10.0% or less. |
| US09683326B2 |
Prepreg and carbon fiber reinforced composite material
A prepreg is formed by impregnating sizing agent-coated carbon fibers coated with a sizing agent with a thermosetting resin composition. The sizing agent contains an aliphatic epoxy compound (A) and an aromatic compound (B) at least containing an aromatic epoxy compound (B1). The sizing agent-coated carbon fibers has an (a)/(b) ratio of 0.50 to 0.90 where (a) is a height (cps) of a component at a binding energy (284.6 eV) assigned to CHx, C—C, and C═C and (b) is a height (cps) of a component at a binding energy (286.1 eV) assigned to C—O in a C1s core spectrum of a surface of the sizing agent applied onto the carbon fibers analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using AlKα1,2 as an X-ray source at a photoelectron takeoff angle of 15°. |
| US09683318B2 |
Textile substrate of multiple different disposable and/or recyclable materials, use of such a textile substrate and method for processing such a textile substrate
A textile substrate (1A) includes a warp and a weft and containing several different disposable and/or usable materials. A first subset of the totality of all warp threads and weft threads contains one or more warp threads (K1(1), K2(1), K3(1)) and one or more weft threads (S1(1)), wherein each warp thread of the first subset and each weft thread of the first subset is made of a first of the different disposable materials. A second subset of the totality of all warp threads (K1(2), K2(2), K3(2)) and weft threads contains one or more warp threads and/or one or more weft threads, wherein each warp thread of the second subset and each weft thread of the second subset is made of a second of the different disposable materials. A third subset of the totality of all warp threads and weft threads contains one or more warp threads and/or one or more weft threads (S1(3)), wherein each warp thread of the third subset and each weft thread of the third subset is made of a material (Z) that can be destroyed by means of a chemical and/or physical method. The warp threads and weft threads of the first and second subsets (K1 (I), K2(1), K3(1), K1(2), K2(2), K3(2)) are arranged in such a way that said warp threads and weft threads are not bound to one another and thus can be separated if the respective warp threads and/or weft threads (S1(3)) of the third subset are destroyed. |
| US09683317B2 |
Two-ply woven structure with high-strength and thermoplastic fibres
A penetration-resistant article includes at least one woven structure that has thermoplastic fibers and high-strength fibers, wherein the high-strength fibers have a strength of at least 100 MPa according to ASTM D-885, and a second weave of the woven structure has high-strength fibers. The thermoplastic fibers lie on the second weave and are connected to the second weave by way of at least one warp and/or weft thread. The thermoplastic fibers account for a proportion by weight with respect to the weight of the double weave of 5 to 35%. A method for producing such a woven structure is also described. |
| US09683313B2 |
Method of making carbon fibers from lignin
A method of making a carbon fiber includes heat treating a lignin precursor absent an active ingredient in an inert atmosphere to raise the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the precursor by at least five (5%) percent, forming a lignin precursor having an increased Tg (High Tg Lignin). The High Tg Lignin can be spun into a fiber. The fiber may then be stabilized to form a thermoset fiber. The time period for stabilizing the fiber is less than one hundred (100) hours. |
| US09683312B2 |
Fiber with gradient properties and method of making the same
There is provided a fiber and method of making a fiber. The fiber has an inner-volume portion having a first outer diameter, a plurality of nanostructures, and one or more first polymers. The nanostructures act as an orientation template for orientation of the one or more first polymers in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fiber. The fiber has an outer-volume portion having a second outer diameter and one or more second polymers. The outer-volume portion is in contact with and completely encompasses the inner-volume portion. The inner-volume portion has at least one of a tensile modulus and a strength that are higher than at least one of a tensile modulus and a strength of the outer-volume portion. |
| US09683311B2 |
High performance fibers
Heat-resistant, high strength fibers useful in a wide range of end-use applications are prepared using a polymeric composition containing polyetherketoneketone and mineral nanotubes. |
| US09683310B2 |
Hollow fiber with gradient properties and method of making the same
There is provided a hollow fiber and method of making. The hollow fiber has an inner-volume portion having a first-core portion and one or more hollow second-core portions. The first-core portion has nanostructures and one or more first polymers. The nanostructures act as an orientation template for orientation of the first polymers in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fiber. The first-core portion is in contact with and encompasses the hollow second-core portions. The hollow fiber further has an outer-volume portion having one or more second polymers. The outer-volume portion is in contact with and completely encompasses the inner-volume portion. The inner-volume portion has at least one of a tensile modulus and a strength that are higher than at least one of a tensile modulus and a strength of the outer-volume portion. |
| US09683309B2 |
Process for electrospinning chitin fibers from chitinous biomass solution
Disclosed are methods for electrospinning chitinous biomass solution to form chitin fibers, using ionic liquids or other ion-containing liquids as solvent. Chitin fibers produced thereby and articles containing such chitin fibers are also disclosed. The chitin fiber thus obtained has very high surface area and improved strength over currently commercially available chitin materials. |
| US09683308B2 |
Method and apparatus for precleaning a substrate surface prior to epitaxial growth
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods for removing contaminants and native oxides from substrate surfaces. The methods generally include removing contaminants disposed on the substrate surface using a plasma process, and then cleaning the substrate surface by use of a remote plasma assisted dry etch process. |
| US09683303B2 |
Method of obtaining a yellow gold alloy deposition by galvanoplasty without using toxic metals or metalloids
The invention relates to a make-up solution for a galvanic bath comprising organometallic components, a wetting agent, a complexing agent and free cyanide, wherein the make-up solution further comprises copper in the form of copper II cyanide and potassium, and complex indium allowing, after addition of alkaline aurocyanide, to galvanically depositing a gold alloy. |
| US09683302B2 |
Composition for metal electroplating comprising leveling agent
A composition comprising a source of metal ions and at least one leveling agent comprising a linear or branched, polymeric imidazolium compound comprising the structural unit of formula L1 (L1) wherein R1, R2, R3 are each independently selected from an H atom and an organic radical having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R4 is a divalent, trivalent or mutlivalent organic radical which does not comprise a hydroxyl group in the a or β position relative to the nitrogen atom of the imidazole rings is an integer. |
| US09683296B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling steel corrosion under thermal insulation (CUI)
Galvanic anodes and barrier corrosion control for metal pipelines, tanks, and equipment under thermal insulation includes the use of pure aluminum and aluminum alloys in fresh water at high temperatures to protect steel elements in hot water without sufficient chlorides. Sacrificial aluminum and sacrificial zinc-aluminum powders in a mixed primer provide long-term, effective corrosion control of steel under thermal insulation can be achieved in all water temperature ranges regardless of the presence of sufficient chlorides. At temperatures below 75° C., the zinc particles in the primer act to protect the substrate steel. At temperatures above 75° C., the aluminum particles in the primer, and galvanic aluminum tape protect the substrate steel in chloride free neutral pH water and also reduce the consumption of zinc particles in the primer. When the electrolyte water for CUI is sufficiently contaminated with chlorides, the aluminum particles in the primer and the galvanic aluminum become active. |
| US09683295B2 |
Apparatuses and methods utilizing etch stop layers
Provided herein is an apparatus, including a substrate; an etch stop layer overlying the substrate, wherein the etch stop layer is substantially resistant to etching conditions; and a patterned layer overlying the etch stop layer, wherein the patterned layer is substantially labile to the etching conditions, and wherein the patterned layer comprises a number of features including substantially consistent feature profiles among regions of high feature density and regions of low feature density. |
| US09683294B2 |
Conversion coating composition, surface treated steel sheet, and method for manufacturing the same
A conversion coating composition comprising 0.01 wt % to 0.2 wt % of phosphorous (P); 0.01 wt % to 0.2 wt % of magnesium (Mg); 0.005 wt % to 0.15 wt % of zirconium (Zr); 0.005 wt % to 0.15 wt % of titanium (Ti); 0.005 wt % to 0.15 wt % of vanadium (V); 0.05 wt % to 1 wt % of phenol resin; the balance of water and other unavoidable impurities is provided. A surface treated steel sheet comprising a base steel sheet; a zinc or zinc alloy plated layer formed on the base steel sheet; a blackening layer formed on the zinc or zinc alloy plated layer; and an organic and inorganic complex conversion coating layer formed on the blackening layer, wherein the organic and inorganic complex conversion coating layer may satisfy the weight ratio of P:Mg:Zr:Ti:V=1:0.045 to 2:0.035 to 1.5:0.035 to 1.3:0.035 to 1.5 (based on the weight of P) is also provided. A method for manufacturing a steel sheet treated with the conversion coating composition is also provided. |
| US09683290B2 |
Substrate processing apparatus having a pillar support structure for preventing transformation of a ceiling portion
There is provided a substrate processing apparatus of performing a process by supplying a processing gas on a substrate while rotating the substrate mounted on a rotary table in a vacuum container, which includes: a container main body used as a part including a bottom portion of the vacuum container; a cover part configured to be detachably installed with respect to the container main body to open and close the container main body, the cover part being used as a part including a ceiling portion of the vacuum container; a pillar installed in one of the cover part and the container main body such that the pillar penetrates through a central portion of the rotary table when the cover part is installed on the container main body, and configured to support the cover part with respect to the container main body when the inside of the vacuum container is vacuum-exhausted. |
| US09683287B2 |
Deposition of films comprising aluminum alloys with high aluminum content
Films comprising Aluminum, carbon and a metal, wherein the aluminum is present in an amount greater than about 16% by elemental content and the film has less than about 50% carbon. Methods of forming the films comprise exposing a substrate to a metal halide precursor, purging the metal halide precursor from the processing chamber and then exposing the substrate to an alkyl aluminum precursor and an alane precursor, either sequentially or simultaneously. The alane precrursor comprises an amine-alane and a stabilizing amine selected from one or more of diemthylcyclohexylamine or dicyclomethylhexylamine. |
| US09683285B2 |
Filters for blocking macroparticles in plasma deposition apparatus
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to blocking macroparticles in deposition processes utilizing plasmas. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a cathode, a substrate holder, a first magnet, a second magnet, and a structure. The cathode is configured to generate a plasma. The substrate holder is configured to hold a substrate. The first magnet is disposed proximate a first side of the cathode. The second magnet is disposed proximate a second side of the substrate holder. A magnetic field exists between the first magnet and the second magnet and a flow of the plasma substantially follows the magnetic field. The structure is disposed between the second side of the cathode and the first side of the substrate holder and is positioned proximate a region where the magnetic field between the first magnet and the second magnet is weak. |
| US09683282B2 |
Symmetrical multi-port powder injection ring
Powder injection apparatus, plasma gun, and method of use. Powder injection apparatus includes a shroud attachable to an outlet nozzle of a thermal spray apparatus and a substantially smooth and continuous inner wall defining a bowl through which a plume of the thermal spray apparatus travels. At least one port in the inner wall is structured and arranged to receive a powder injection nozzle that injects powder into the plume. |
| US09683280B2 |
Intermediate strength alloys for high temperature service in liquid-salt cooled energy systems
An alloy consists essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 6 to 8.5 Cr, 5.5 to 13.5 Mo, 0.4 to 7.5 W, 1 to 2 Ti, 0.7 to 0.85 Mn, 0.05 to 0.3 Al, up to to 0.1 Co, 0.08 to 0.5 C, 1 to 5 Ta, 1 to 4 Nab, 1 to 3 Hf, balance Ni. The alloy is characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 36 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 40 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 72.1 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g/(cm2sec)]×10−11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 8 to 25. |