| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09846900B2 |
Peer-to-peer trading platform
Methods and systems for enabling peer-to-peer systems are disclosed. The server system includes one or more processors, memory, and one or more programs stored in the memory. The server system receives from a first peer to peer node in a plurality of peer to peer nodes, a request for item information associated with one or more items. The server system converts the requested item information into a format useful for the peer-to-peer network. The server system transmits the requested item information to the first peer-to-peer node for persistent storage such that other peer-to-peer nodes in the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes can search for item information within the peer-to-peer network. The server system receives an authentication request from a second peer-to-peer node that is used to authenticate a transaction between a first user associated with the second peer-to-peer node and a second user. |
| US09846898B2 |
Method and system for exposing data used in ranking search results
Methods and systems for enabling access to listing performance data, used in conjunction with a search engine to order search results, are described. Consistent with some embodiments, a listing performance data engine module processes API commands received from client computing systems. The data engine module processes the API commands to identify and communicate relevant listing performance data that is used by a listing performance algorithm to assign a listing performance score to item listings satisfying a search request. The listing performance data provides sellers who have items listed for sale an insight as to how their item listings are performing in comparison to other item listings. |
| US09846894B2 |
Identifying and delivering tailored content based a reminder
The present disclosure identifies and/or delivers tailored content based upon a service dialog. For example, the systems may receive a request for tailored content, facilitate a service dialog to obtain information related to the request, and communicate a plurality of tailored content based upon the information related to the request. Further, the systems may identify tailored content based upon a consumer profile, communicate the tailored content to a web client, and/or receive a selection of the tailored content. Further still, the systems may modify a magazine (e.g., content that is presented electronically) based upon tailored content. |
| US09846892B2 |
Zone-based location-based service
A location-based information system and method therefor, which is responsive to the user's selection of geographic zone and parameters. A proprietary app (application) is installed in a mobile device of the user, which insures that a connection to the user from a caller is based on the user's defined zone and other parameters without the disclosing the exact location of the user. Various embodiments of the invention provide an option for user-to-user location-based connection without depending on a remote server. |
| US09846888B2 |
Method and apparatus for reward calculation and disbursement
Methods and systems for receiving purchase transaction data and identifying the purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates. In an embodiment, a transaction clearing computer of a payment processing network receives the purchase transaction data from a plurality of acquirer financial institutions. A rewards system computer of the payment processing network identifies individual purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates pursuant to rewards programs and based on the purchase transaction data, and then initiates crediting of rebate amounts from acquirer financial institutions to payment card accounts of cardholders at issuer financial institutions. The rewards system computer also initiates charging of the rebate amounts to merchant accounts of merchants associated with the individual purchase transactions that qualified for customer rebates. |
| US09846884B2 |
Click conversion score
A Click Conversion Score (CCS) is a tool to provide a new “Ad-Exchange” for connecting Publishers and Advertisers in the Pay-per-Click advertising market. The CCS provides checks and balances into the Ad-Exchange by assessing the quality of traffic each Publisher provides Advertisers using an adaptive, multi-dimensional profiling system. This assessment is directly used in the charges billed the Advertisers. The score is adaptive, and highly dependent on the conversion feedback loop provided by Advertisers. A CCS system scores each Click and each resulting Conversion an Advertiser receives from the Ad-Exchange. In the preferred implementation, the score reflects a ratio of the measured conversion rate for a Publisher's traffic with the “expected” conversion rate based upon Advertisers histories. |
| US09846883B2 |
Generating customized marketing messages using automatically generated customer identification data
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for generating customized marketing messages using automatically generated customer identification data. In one embodiment, real-time data for a customer is received from a set of cameras associated with a retail facility to form detection data. The customer is automatically identified using the detection data to form customer identification data. Automatically identifying the customer occurs without human input. A customized marketing message is generated for the customer using the customer identification data. |
| US09846882B2 |
Secure end-to-end permitting system for device operations
A permitting system for controlling devices in a system includes a permit issuing agent that receives a command to be sent to a device. Based upon at least one attribute of the command, the permit issuing agent identifies one or more business logic modules that is pertinent to the command. Each business logic module has a respectively different set of business rules associated with it. Each identified business logic module determines whether the command complies with the business rules associated with that module. If the command is determined to comply with the business rules of all of the identified business logic modules, the agent issues a permit for the command, and the permit is sent to the device for execution of the command. |
| US09846880B2 |
Product recall platform apparatuses, methods and systems
The PRODUCT RECALL PLATFORM APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“PR Platform”) transforms recall initiation request, product identifier and purchase processing request inputs via PR Platform components into recall notification message outputs. In some embodiments, the PR Platform receives a purchase processing request including a plurality of product identifiers and preselects product identifiers that qualify for purchase processing based on at least one purchase processing rule. The PR Platform facilitates querying of a product recall database to determine if the preselected product identifiers match recalled product identifiers in the product recall database. If at least one of the preselected product identifiers match the recalled product identifiers, the PR Platform retrieves a recall message associated with the at least one of the preselected product identifiers and notification preferences associated with the purchase processing request. The PR Platform then generates a recall notification message in accordance with the notification preferences to include the recall message associated with the at least one of the preselected product identifiers. |
| US09846879B2 |
Bank account number validation
A method for validating payment information for an online transaction is provided. A payment server can receive two representations of the same payment information. The payment information can be validated if it is determined that the two representations match. If there is no match, or the payment information is otherwise invalid, the payment information can be repaired based on a trusted representation of the payment information, such as stored payment information or an image of an associated value token. Payment information can be received via one or more communication channels, and can be provided by one or more consumer devices. A merchant service provider can validate payment information and handle transaction processing on behalf of a merchant. |
| US09846877B2 |
In-store mobile payment
An in-store mobile payment system and method can facilitate the use of a user's mobile device to facilitate payment for products purchased at a store. The user can take a picture of a product being purchased or can take a picture of a bar code for the product. The picture can be taken with the user's mobile device and can be used to identify the product. A payment provider can provide a unique PIN code for the transaction. The user can enter the PIN code into a keypad of the merchant and/or can swipe a card with a card reader of the merchant to complete the transaction. Thus, the user can avoid the inconvenience of waiting in line at a checkout counter and the merchant can reduce the store's overhead by eliminating at least some checkout counters and checkout clerks. |
| US09846874B2 |
Performing a user related operation
A method of performing a user related operation includes, with an optical reader, reading an encoded on-line address being displayed on a display of a pocket-sized card to be carried by a user; decoding the encoded on-line address; requesting access to remotely stored data using the on-line address, the remotely stored data being related to the user; and, upon the requested access being granted, loading the remotely stored data. |
| US09846871B2 |
Systems and/or methods for determining item serial number structure and intelligence
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to techniques for determining the correct item serial number structure, even when information regarding the serial number data and/or structure is lacking. Such techniques advantageously promote data integrity by helping to ensure that the desired data is captured correctly, while also reducing (and sometimes even eliminating) the need to obtain detailed information regarding serial number structure and intelligence that sometimes is guarded by producers/manufacturers. Statistical sampling of collected unknown data formats may be used to help decipher product identification numbers (or other numbers) such as product serial numbers through a repetitive process of scanning a known constant such as the UPC number, followed by a variable number such as a products serial number. Certain exemplary embodiments check serial number against a database containing algorithms to determine if and which algorithm is used to create such serial numbers. |
| US09846866B2 |
Processing of financial transactions using debit networks
Methods and systems are disclosed for executing financial transactions between customers and merchants. An identifier of a financial account is received from the customer at a merchant system. A one-time password is also received from the customer at the merchant system, with the customer having been provided with the one-time password by a mobile electronic device or contactless presentation instrument. A cryptogram is generated to include the identifier of the financial account encrypted using the one-time password. An authorization request is formulated at the merchant system. The authorization request includes the cryptogram and transaction information describing at least a portion of the financial transaction. The authorization request is transmitted from the merchant system to an authorization processor for authorization of the financial transaction. |
| US09846860B2 |
Methods and systems for clustering of repair orders based on multiple repair indicators
A processor may determine that a first repair order (RO) of an existing cluster of ROs (e.g. corresponding to first and second vehicle symptoms and to first and second corrective actions) refers to a first vehicle related to a set of vehicles. The processor may identify ROs that refer to vehicles from the set and may determine among these identified ROs (i) a first relationship between the first symptom and the first action without the first symptom relating to the second action and/or (ii) a second relationship between the second symptom and the second action without the second symptom relating to the first action. The processor may (i) if the first relationship exists, add the first RO to a first different cluster corresponding to the first relationship and (ii) if the second relationship exists, add the first RO to a second different cluster corresponding to the second relationship. |
| US09846858B2 |
System and method for a global directory service
A system and method for facilitating the transfer of contact information between network subscribers said system including at least one server coupled to the network; at least one database coupled to the server; a plurality of subscriber terminals coupled to the network wherein each subscriber's terminal is configured to send contact information associated with a subscriber to the server in response to a request by said subscriber; wherein the request causes the subscriber's terminal to compile the contact information into an electronic business card object having one or more textual fields and map the one or more textual fields of the electronic business card to one or more object attributes contained in an electronic business card object and transmit the electronic business card object to the server for storage in the database is disclosed. |
| US09846855B2 |
Tracking wellbore servicing equipment and components thereof
Tracking and associating consumable components with the respective pieces of wellbore servicing equipment to which they are coupled may include using identifier tags coupled to each piece of wellbore servicing equipment and to each consumable component. An identifier tag reader may be used to read both the identifier tag of the piece of wellbore servicing equipment and the identifier tag of the consumable component, thereby enabling association of the consumable component to the piece of wellbore servicing equipment to which it is coupled, for the duration of such coupling. Such association may be carried out and/or tracked in one or more databases, wherein other information pertaining to either piece of equipment may be associated with both pieces of equipment. In addition, usable life spans of consumable components may be more easily determined based at least in part on such association. |
| US09846852B2 |
Product delivery inspection system, order-receiving-side handy terminal, ordering-side handy terminal, and container
A product delivery inspection system includes an ordering-side terminal, an order-receiving-side terminal, an order-receiving-side handy terminal, a container, and an ordering-side handy terminal. The order-receiving-side handy terminal has an order-receiving-side reception means, a barcode reading means, a tag writing means, an order-receiving-side comparison means, and an order-receiving-side display instruction means that transmits to a display unit an instruction to display a message or a symbol indicative of the completion of an order-receiving-side product inspection. The ordering-side handy terminal has an ordering-side reception means, a tag reading means, an ordering-side comparison means, and an ordering-side display instruction means that transmits to the display unit an instruction to display a message or a symbol indicative of the completion of an ordering-side product inspection. |
| US09846849B2 |
System and method for providing an editor for use with a business process design environment
A system and method for providing an editor for use with a business process design environment. In accordance with an embodiment, the system provides an editor and framework that allows a user to create and edit business processes and business architecture projects. The editor can render or edit a model which is based on a metamodel or defined ontology, and can be provided, e.g., in computer applications, browsers and tablets. In accordance with an embodiment, the user can use the editor to define a business process and/or a business architecture project, including attributes such as goals, objectives, strategies, and value chains. Models can be synchronized as part of an overall business process development. |
| US09846848B2 |
Exchanging water allocation credits
A method of exchanging water allocation credits comprises accessing data describing a water allocation credit reserved for a first user. An unused amount of the water allocation credit which will not be used by the first user is then determined. A sale is then brokered of the unused amount of the water allocation credit to another user. |
| US09846845B2 |
Hierarchical model for human activity recognition
The disclosure provides an approach for recognizing and analyzing activities. In one embodiment, a learning application trains parameters of a hierarchical model which represents human (or object) activity at multiple levels of detail. Higher levels of detail may consider more context, and vice versa. Further, learning may be optimized for a user-preferred type of inference by adjusting a learning criterion. An inference application may use the trained model to answer queries about variable(s) at any level of detail. In one embodiment, the inference application may determine scores for each possible value of the query variable by finding the best hierarchical event representation that maximizes a scoring function while fixing the value of the query variable to its possible values. Here, the inference application may approximately determine the best hierarchical event representation by iteratively optimizing one level-of-detail variable at a time while fixing other level-of-detail variables, until convergence. |
| US09846841B1 |
Predicting object identity using an ensemble of predictors
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for predicting object identity using an ensemble of predictors. In one aspect, a method includes selecting candidate objects that likely match a received object that is to be identified, from a database of objects, and providing attributes of the received object compared with those of the candidates to an ensemble of predictors having respective properties. Based on previous training, each predictor can predict a most likely candidate. From among the most likely candidates, a previously trained support vector machine can select a potential match candidate. If a score that the support vector machine associates with the potential match candidate, that is representative of the potential match candidate's likelihood to match the received candidate satisfies a threshold, then the potential match candidate can be determined to be the received candidate. |
| US09846840B1 |
Semantic class localization in images
Semantic class localization techniques and systems are described. In one or more implementation, a technique is employed to back communicate relevancies of aggregations back through layers of a neural network. Through use of these relevancies, activation relevancy maps are created that describe relevancy of portions of the image to the classification of the image as corresponding to a semantic class. In this way, the semantic class is localized to portions of the image. This may be performed through communication of positive and not negative relevancies, use of contrastive attention maps to different between semantic classes and even within a same semantic class through use of a self-contrastive technique. |
| US09846836B2 |
Modeling interestingness with deep neural networks
An “Interestingness Modeler” uses deep neural networks to learn deep semantic models (DSM) of “interestingness.” The DSM, consisting of two branches of deep neural networks or their convolutional versions, identifies and predicts target documents that would interest users reading source documents. The learned model observes, identifies, and detects naturally occurring signals of interestingness in click transitions between source and target documents derived from web browser logs. Interestingness is modeled with deep neural networks that map source-target document pairs to feature vectors in a latent space, trained on document transitions in view of a “context” and optional “focus” of source and target documents. Network parameters are learned to minimize distances between source documents and their corresponding “interesting” targets in that space. The resulting interestingness model has applicable uses, including, but not limited to, contextual entity searches, automatic text highlighting, prefetching documents of likely interest, automated content recommendation, automated advertisement placement, etc. |
| US09846834B2 |
Antenna device and wireless communication device
An antenna device includes a first coil and a second coil whose winding axes are parallel or substantially parallel, are disposed so as to be insulated from each other, and that magnetically couple with each other; a first capacitance that is connected in parallel to the first coil and defines a first resonance circuit with the first coil; a second capacitance that is connected in parallel to the second coil and defines a second resonance circuit with the second coil; a third capacitance connected between at least one set of ends of the first coil and the second coil; and a power supply terminal connected to the first coil. |
| US09846833B1 |
High-speed RFID tag assembly using impulse heating
RFID inlays or straps may be assembled using impulse heating of metal precursors. Metal precursors are applied to and/or included in contacts on an RFID IC and/or terminals on a substrate. During assembly of the tag, the IC is disposed onto the substrate such that the IC contacts physically contact either the substrate terminals or metal precursors that in turn physically contact the substrate terminals. Impulse heating is then used to rapidly apply heat to the metal precursors, processing them into metallic structures that electrically couple the IC contacts to the substrate terminals. |
| US09846830B1 |
Vehicle identification card
A vehicle identification card is provided to an insured that includes proof of automotive insurance information and charge account information. The card may include an insurance policy covering the insured's vehicle, the VIN number of the vehicle, and other information about the vehicle such as the vehicle's make and model. The card may include account information that allows the card to be used like a credit card. The card may further include means for wirelessly updating information and providing a display to the user, which includes, but is not limited to, a housing, a memory module, a processor, one or more displays, and a power source. |
| US09846828B2 |
Printing device and method
Example systems and related methods may relate to processing and printing print data in the case of an error. Namely, a printing device may include a communication interface and a controller. The controller includes a processor configured to execute instructions. The instructions include receiving multi-page print data in a first file format via a communication interface. The instructions also include when an error condition is determined during print data processing, responsively transmitting an error message via the communication interface and storing an error page location. The instructions further include receiving the print data in a second file format and determining a remainder portion and a discard portion of the print data in the second file format based on the error page location. The instructions further include processing the remainder portion of the print data in the second file format. |
| US09846827B2 |
Image printing method and printer for segmenting an image to create first data files and first memory blocks and printing each data file using print position information
An image printing method and printer is provided. The method comprises obtaining an original data file of an image to be printed from a database; dividing the original data file into a plurality of first data files and storing the first data files in a plurality of first memory blocks correspondingly; receiving an image printing request, the image printing request carrying first position information of the image to be printed; determining from its position information of the image to be printed second position information contained in the first position information, and filling a first data file corresponding to the second position information to a second memory block from the first memory block where the first data file is located through memory mapping mechanism to form a second data file to be printed; and printing and outputting the second data file in the second memory block. |
| US09846826B2 |
Image processing to generate a tone curve for processing an image by associating a model parameter of the image with another model parameter of a reference image
An image processing apparatus includes an image analyzing unit, a tone-curve generating unit, and an image correcting unit. The image analyzing unit acquires a model parameter by modeling data distribution of an image with a probability distribution model. The tone-curve generating unit generates a tone curve on the basis of control information in which the model parameter acquired by modeling the data distribution of the image to be processed is associated with a target value of the model parameter. The image correcting unit corrects the image to be processed by using the generated tone curve. |
| US09846820B2 |
Method and system for coding or recognizing of surveillance videos
Method for coding or recognizing of surveillance videos is provided to improve compressing efficiency and recognizing accuracy of surveillance videos. The method for coding surveillance videos includes: establishing a background database and a foreground object database; wherein, the background database includes a set of background images; the foreground object database includes a set of foreground objects; coding a surveillance image by referring to a background image in the background database and a foreground object in the foreground object database. |
| US09846819B2 |
Map image display device, navigation device, and map image display method
In a case where a specific point is designated on a map, extracted structure data, which is data of structures contained in an extraction range defined in advance with respect to the specific point as a datum, is extracted from map data. In a case where multiple extracted structure data items are extracted, at least one structure, the evaluated value of which is different from evaluated values of other structures by a selection threshold value or greater for a selection index, is selected as a landmark structure. A three-dimensional map image containing at least a road image and a structure image is displayed on a display screen in an emphasized manner such that the selected landmark structure offers visibility higher than visibility non-emphasized structures. |
| US09846817B2 |
Bed area extraction method, bed area extraction apparatus, and recording medium
A method of extracting a bed area of a bed performed by a computer, includes detecting linear edges which remain stationary among plural images; and selecting a bed area candidate based on lengths of the linear edges and angles between the linear edges which cross to each other in a U shape formed as combinations of the detected linear edges. |
| US09846811B2 |
System and method for video-based determination of queue configuration parameters
A method for automatically determining a dynamic queue configuration includes acquiring a series of frames from an image source surveying a queue area. The method includes detecting at least one subject in a frame. The method includes tracking locations of each detected subject across the series of frames. The method includes generating calibrated tracking data by mapping the tracking locations to a predefined coordinate system. The method includes localizing a queue configuration descriptor based on the tracking data. |
| US09846808B2 |
Image integration search based on human visual pathway model
Methods, systems, and storage media are disclosed herein for determining objects in image data that match a plurality of captured images, in which one or more of the captured images from among the plurality of captured images may depict only a portion of an object. A computing device may extract a first feature from at least one block of the plurality of blocks from a captured image; determine a second feature; and determine a third feature. The computing device may determine, as a matching image, a stored image from among a plurality of stored images including an object that has greatest maximum correlation with the third feature. The computing device may similarly determine a matching image for each of the captured images of the plurality of images; and determine a final matching image from among the candidate matching images that best matches the combination of the plurality of captured images. |
| US09846807B1 |
Detecting eye corners
A method and system for detecting eye corners using neural network classifiers is described. After an eye image is received, the eye image may be processed by at least two neural network classifiers including an inner eye corner neural network classifier and an outer eye corner neural network classifier. The neural network classifiers provide periocular information including a distance or coordinates of an eye corner location from a center of an iris of the eye, and an outcome of whether the eye corner is an inner eye corner or an outer eye corner. Output from the various neural network classifiers are combined to generate a decision on the location of eye corners in an eye image. |
| US09846805B2 |
Tracking of handheld sporting implements using computer vision
A path and/or orientation of at least a portion of a handheld sporting implement swung by an athlete is tracked using two or more cameras. At least two sets of video images of the handheld sporting implement being swung are obtained using at least two different cameras having different positions. Motion regions within video images are identified, and candidate locations in 2D space of an identifiable portion (e.g., a head) of the handheld sporting implement is/are identified within the motion region(s). Based thereon, a probable location in 3D space of the identifiable portion is identified, for each of a plurality of instants during which the handheld sporting implement was swung. A piecewise 3D trajectory of at least the identifiable portion (e.g., the head) of the sporting implement is approximated from the probable locations in 3D space of the head for multiple instants during which the sporting implement was swung. |
| US09846801B2 |
Minutiae grouping for distorted fingerprint matching
In some implementations, a computer-implemented method includes an iterative minutiae matching technique that initially groups mated minutiae within a list of all possible minutiae between a reference fingerprint and a search fingerprint, and then successively performs a geometric consistency check of the mated minutiae within the group. In some instances, the iterative matching technique enables improved identification of globally aligned mated minutiae within distorted regions, which may be used to subsequently improve the calculation of a similarity score between a reference fingerprint and a search fingerprint. |
| US09846799B2 |
Efficient texture comparison
A scannable object is sensed and scanned. A map is constructed based on the scan results. The map is compared to one or more stored templates. Results of the comparison are provided. In some implementations, a secured processor may construct the map and may provide reduced resolution (and/or other versions that contain less information) versions of the map and/or the stored templates to one or more other processors. The one or more other processors may determine a match-set based on matching between the reduced resolution map and stored templates. The secured processor may then identify whether or not a match exists between the map and any stored template based on the match-set. |
| US09846796B2 |
Systems and methods using load modulation for wireless communication
A wireless reader has a processor within an integrated circuit, and the processor is used to generate a primary signal to be wirelessly transmitted from an antenna of the wireless reader to a wireless tag. A transmit pin of the integrated circuit is coupled to the processor by a signal path in the integrated circuit. The transmit pin outputs the primary signal from the integrated circuit to the antenna for wireless transmission of the primary signal to the wireless tag. A sensor is configured to sense current or voltage variations of the primary signal at a point in the signal path between the processor and the transmit pin, and a signal extraction unit is configured to extract, based on the current or voltage variations, a data signal wirelessly transmitted by the wireless tag to the wireless reader via load modulation of the primary signal. |
| US09846793B2 |
Method and device for reading RFID/UHF label based on audio interface
A method and a device for reading RFID/UHF label based on an audio interface are disclosed. According to the method, a built-in software module in an electronic device converts a first digital signal into an analog signal capable of being transmitted via the audio interface; the analog signal received by the audio interface is converted into a second digital signal via an audio communication circuit; then the RFID/UHF controller for digital signal control reads information from the RFID/UHF label; the RFID/UHF controller modulates and sends signals of a plurality of different frequency points, and the signal of every frequency point forms a signal channel. Compared with the prior art, the present invention can keep long-distance communication between the electronic device and a plurality of labels. |
| US09846792B2 |
Printing device and control method of a printing device
A printer and a control method of a printer can print barcodes appropriately according to a given print medium by means of a simple, easy operation. The printer stores a constant preset correction value relationally corresponding to each type of print medium. The printer also stores an added correction value that is optionally input for each specific type of print medium. The preset constant correction value and the added correction value are used to adjust the printed state of the barcode, e.g. to adjust bar widths within the barcode. The print control unit prints barcodes as adjusted using the preset constant correction value stored in the printer storage unit and further adjusted using the added correction value. |
| US09846788B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and system
To raise confidentiality of the value stored in the ROM, in an IC having a built-in or an externally-attached ROM storing a value (program and/or data) encrypted using a predetermined cryptographic key. The IC includes the ROM storing the encrypted value (program and/or data), a unique code generating unit, and a decrypting unit. The unique code generating unit generates a unique code specifically determined by production variation. The decrypting unit calculates a cryptographic key on the basis of the generated unique code and a correction parameter, and decrypts the encrypted value readout from the ROM by using the calculated cryptographic key. The correction parameter is preliminarily calculated outside the IC, on the basis of an initial unique code generated from the unique code generating unit immediately after production of the IC, and the predetermined cryptographic key used for encryption of the value to be stored in the ROM. |
| US09846786B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for anonymous loan documents
Methods, systems, and products create anonymous loan documents. Electronic loan documents are prepared for a borrower of a loan. An anonymous shadow copy of the electronic loan documents is generated that removes personally identifying information, such as names, addresses, and social security numbers. The anonymous shadow copy of the electronic loan documents may then be electronically published. |
| US09846781B2 |
Unused parameters of application under test
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to unused parameters. A request to a web page of an application under test is made. It is determined whether the web page includes one or more unused parameter fields. Another request to the web page of the application under test is made using one or more parameters corresponding to the unused parameter fields. |
| US09846780B2 |
Automated vulnerability intelligence generation and application
Techniques for providing computer security vulnerability intelligence are disclosed. The techniques include obtaining distributable vulnerability data that includes, for each of a plurality of software packages and associated vulnerabilities, threat mitigation information and a threat priority parameter, where the distributable vulnerability data was derived from an intelligence graph including a plurality of fundamental instance nodes, a plurality of document nodes, and a plurality of edges. The techniques also include identifying installed software packages on a computer system, correlating a plurality of the installed software packages with the distributable vulnerability data to obtain a plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities, ordering at least some of the plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities according to threat priority parameters, such that an ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities is obtained, and providing mitigation information for the ordered plurality of installed software packages and associated vulnerabilities. |
| US09846779B2 |
Detecting a return-oriented programming exploit
A method and apparatus for detecting a Return-Oriented Programming exploitation. At a computer device, a mechanism to detect a control transfer of a code location in a memory is established. This may be, for example, hooking the control transfer. The code location relates to an electronic file. In the event that a control transfer of the code location is detected, a comparison is made between a destination code location address with values in the freed stack. If the code location address matches any of the values in the freed stack, then it is determined that the control transfer of the code location relates to a Return-Oriented Programming exploitation. |
| US09846778B1 |
Encrypted boot volume access in resource-on-demand environments
In an resource-on-demand environment, dynamically created server instances are allowed to boot from encrypted boot volumes. Access keys to the boot volumes are provided from a key provider that authenticates new instances based on possession of a security token that has been previously shared between the key provider and the new instance through an out-of-band communication. |
| US09846777B2 |
Image forming apparatus that performs update of firmware and control method therefor
An image forming apparatus that is capable of performing an update that properly maintains a security specification configuration for an image forming apparatus with a high security specification without making an improper update. Update of firmware is controlled to be stopped when it is determined that the specification configuration of the firmware before update is a security specification configuration, and an instruction to update the firmware has been manually issued. |
| US09846768B2 |
Relating code with intellectual property assets
A method, system, and computer usable program product for relating code with intellectual property assets are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An intellectual property asset is identified. A portion of code is located from an entire code of a software application, such that the portion of code corresponds to the intellectual property asset. The portion of code is marked with information identifying the intellectual property asset. The portion of the code is executed during the execution of the software application. The execution of the portion of code is recorded, the recording indicating a use of the intellectual property asset. Additionally, a set of analysis control factors may be accepted. The recording may be analyzed according to the set of analysis control factors. A recommendation for an intellectual property asset related business decision to develop, invest in, or maintain certain intellectual property assets may be produced. |
| US09846766B2 |
Method for monitoring the filling of a medication dispenser, and medication dispenser
A method for monitoring the filling of a medication dispenser that comprises a first and a second container for receiving a strip of medication packages. In the method a taking time of the first medication package of the second strip inserted into the second container is compared with a taking time of the last medication package of the first strip inserted into the first container, in order to determine if the delivery of medication packages can be continued after the first strip with the second strip. The invention also relates to a medication dispenser. |
| US09846765B2 |
System and method for patient specific modeling of liver tumor ablation
A method and system for tumor ablation planning and guidance based on a patient-specific model of liver tumor ablation is disclosed. A patient-specific anatomical model of the liver and circulatory system of the liver is estimated from 3D medical image data of a patient. Blood flow in the liver and the circulatory system of the liver is simulated based on the patient-specific anatomical model. Heat diffusion due to ablation is simulated based on a virtual ablation probe position and the simulated blood flow in the liver and the venous system of the liver. Cellular necrosis in the liver is simulated based on the simulated heat diffusion. A visualization of a simulated necrosis region is generated and displayed to the user for decision making and optimal therapy planning and guidance. |
| US09846761B2 |
Mask design based on sensitivities to changes in pattern spacing
A layout of an integrated circuit design is provided and a plurality of multiple patterning decompositions is determined from the layout. Each decomposition of the plurality of multiple patterning decompositions includes patterns separated into masks. One or more files are generated that include sensitivities of pattern capacitances to changes in spacing between patterns due to mask shifts. Using the sensitivities and changes in spacing, respective worst-case performance values are determined for each decomposition. A mask set is selected based on the worst-case performance values. |
| US09846760B2 |
Writing data verification method and multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus
In one embodiment, a writing data verification method is for verifying a conversion error due to data conversion from first writing data in a vector format based on design data to second writing data in a pixel format. The method includes converting the second writing data to third writing data in a vector format, performing an exclusive OR operation on the first writing data and the third writing data, enlarging a graphic of the first writing data to obtain an enlarged graphic and generating a tolerance region graphic from a difference between the enlarged graphic and the graphic of the first writing data, and detecting a defect by performing a mask process on a graphic generated by the exclusive OR operation with the tolerance region graphic. |
| US09846756B2 |
Layout method for printed circuit board
A layout method for a printed circuit board (PCB) is provided. The method obtains a memory type of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to be mounted on the PCB, obtains a module group from a database according to the memory type of the DRAM, wherein the module group comprises a plurality of routing modules, obtains a plurality of PCB parameters, selects a specific routing module from the module group according to the PCB parameters, and implements the specific routing module into a layout design for PCB fabrication. The specific routing module comprises layout information regarding a main chip, a memory chip and a routing configuration between the main chip and the memory chip. |
| US09846747B2 |
System and method of data compression
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for adaptively compressing data based on compression parameters. In one embodiment, a method for compressing a dataset is disclosed, including filtering a dataset based on occurrence of an event, and determining a quality of information index indicating a measure of quality of the dataset based on a quality of information estimation function. The method may include comparing the quality of information index with a list of indices stored in a lookup table to identify a target quality of information index and corresponding compression parameters, wherein the target quality of information index is indicative of a reference measure of quality of the dataset applicable for deriving statistical inferences based on analysis of the dataset. Also, the method may include inputting the compression parameters in a compression algorithm for compressing the dataset to achieve the target quality of information index for the analysis. |
| US09846745B2 |
Index data for native applications
Methods, systems, and apparatus for determining, for a native application that generates an application environment for display on a user device within the native application, the native application operating independent of a browser application that can operate on the user device, a set of environment instances of the native application, each environment instance of the native application being different from each other environment instance of the native application; for each environment instance: determining textual data describing features of the corresponding environment instance, the textual data being data that is not rendered to be visible when the native application renders the environment instance on a user device display, generating, from the textual data, native application environment instance data describing content of the environment instance, and indexing the native application environment instance data for the native application in an index that is searchable by a search engine. |
| US09846734B2 |
Transparently migrating a storage object between nodes in a clustered storage system
A storage object is migrated between nodes by a source node automatically verifying that another node is configured to service the storage object and changing ownership of the storage object based on the verifying. A cluster manager for the clustered storage system receives a request and provides the request to the source which owns the storage object. The source verifies that the destination is configured according to a predetermined configuration for servicing the storage object. Based on the verifying, the source offlines the storage object and updates ownership information of the storage object, thereafter allowing the destination to online the storage object. The cluster manager further provides the updated ownership information to all the nodes in the cluster, so an access request intended for the storage object may be received by any node and forwarded to the destination using the updated ownership information to effect a transparent migration. |
| US09846731B2 |
Resolving database entity information
Entity resolution in a database comprises receiving imported data comprising imported data entities each having properties each having values; receiving first user input that selects the imported data entities for resolution to existing data entities in a database; receiving second user input that specifies matching criteria for matching the imported data entities to the existing data entities, wherein each of the matching criteria comprises a matching technique; matching the imported data entities to the existing data entities using the matching criteria, resulting in creating and storing matched entity information, wherein the matched entity information is organized in matched entity data sets associated with subsets of the matching criteria that were matched; consolidating the imported data entities into the existing data entities; storing the first user input and second user input as a named criteria set for use in subsequent entity resolution operations. |
| US09846729B1 |
Attribute category enhanced search
Performing a user initiated search query is disclosed and comprises receiving user input comprising description details of at least one desired object, retrieving a plurality of objects from a database sharing one or more of the description details of the user input, constructing a tree data structure based on the description details of the plurality of objects, the tree data structure comprising one or more attributes related to each of the plurality of objects retrieved, displaying visual images associated with the retrieved plurality of objects, the visual images matching at least one of the attributes related to the plurality of objects, and receiving a user selection of one or more of the visual images. |
| US09846725B2 |
SQL double counting resolver
This disclosure proposes systems, methods, and apparatus that identify raw SQL queries that are likely to cause a double counting error, and if such a SQL query is identified, then convert the raw SQL query into SQL queries that account for and avoid double counting. In some embodiments, this process uses queries and subqueries that refer back to a common table expression (CTE) in order to reduce code length and increase query execution speed. |
| US09846722B1 |
Trend based distribution parameter suggestion
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for distributing content are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes accessing data specifying a plurality of search queries. Content distribution campaigns (“campaigns”) in which distribution of at least one content item is conditioned on a distribution parameter matching one of the search queries are identified. Two or more similar campaigns are identified, and a search query that matches a distribution parameter in at least one of the similar campaigns is identified as a candidate content distribution parameter. A trend score for the candidate content distribution parameter is determined based on a change in a submission rate of search queries that match the candidate distribution parameter. Suggestion data suggesting the candidate content distribution parameter as an additional content distribution parameter for at least one of the similar campaigns is provided based on the trend score. |
| US09846720B2 |
System and method for refining search results
A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for refining search results is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting a search query comprising one or more keywords, generating a first search result comprising one or more first search result members according to the search query, accepting a refinement command identifying one or more undesired first search result members, automatically refining the first search result to exclude the undesired first search result members and first search result members related to the undesired first search result members from the first search result, and providing the automatically refined search result. |
| US09846719B2 |
Dependent commit queue for a database
A database comprises a database interface and a database updater. The database interface receives a first set of information and a second set of information to be updated in the database. The database updater updates a second set of information in the database based at least in part on a condition that a first set of information in the database has been previously updated. |
| US09846714B2 |
Database device
A KVS data processing unit, upon receiving a KVS type command of a database system in which index data and actual data are stored in a pair, manipulates data stored in a storage device based on said command. An SQL command execution unit, upon receiving an SQL command, serializes this command, generates KVS type data, and passes this data to the KVS data processing unit. A KVS command processing unit, upon receiving a KVS command, serializes this command, and transmits this data to the KVS data processing unit. |
| US09846710B2 |
Systems and methods for increasing the scalability of software-defined networks
A computer-implemented method for increasing the scalability of software-defined networks may include (1) maintaining a set of databases collectively configured to (i) store a set of flow entries that direct network traffic within a software-defined network and (ii) facilitate searching the set of flow entries based at least in part on at least one key whose size remains substantially constant irrespective of the number of flow entries within the set of flow entries, (2) detecting a request to perform an operation in connection with a flow of data packets within the software-defined network, (3) identifying at least one attribute of the flow of data packets in the request, and then (4) searching, using the attribute of the flow of data packets as a database key, at least one database within the set of databases to facilitate performing the operation. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed. |
| US09846708B2 |
Searching of images based upon visual similarity
Provided are techniques for selecting an image for comparison with a plurality of images; specifying one or more visual criterion for searching the plurality of images, wherein the visual criteria are based upon a visual similarity between the image and the plurality of images; searching the plurality of images based upon the criteria to identify a subset of the plurality of images that meet a threshold with respect to the visual similarity; and displaying in a graphical user interface the subset of images. |
| US09846706B1 |
Managing mounting of file systems
A method is used in managing mounting of file systems. A request is received to mount a file system. The request to mount the file system is added in a pending file system mounts queue based on a policy. The file system is mounted in background. Access to the file system is provided before mounting the file system. |
| US09846705B2 |
Techniques for managing a data replication mode
A technique for managing a data replication mode between a primary storage device and a secondary storage device includes in response to a data replication state between the primary storage device and the secondary storage device satisfying a first predetermined condition, selecting at least one candidate logical unit from a plurality of logical units implementing synchronous replication in the primary storage device at least according to priority information of the plurality of logical units. A data replication mode of the at least one candidate logical unit is then modified from synchronous replication to asynchronous replication. |
| US09846704B2 |
Distributed file system using consensus nodes
A cluster of nodes in a distributed file system may include; at least two namenodes, each coupled to a plurality of data nodes and each configured to store a state of a namespace of the cluster and each being configured to respond to a request from a client while other(s) of the namenodes are responding to other requests from other clients; and a coordination engine coupled to each of the namenodes. The coordination engine may be configured to receive proposals from the namenodes to change the state of the namespace by replicating, deleting and/or adding data blocks stored in the data nodes and to generate, in response, an ordered set of agreements that specifies an order in which the namenodes are to change the state of the namespace. The namenodes are configured to delay making changes thereto until after the ordered set of agreements is received from the coordination engine. |
| US09846702B2 |
Indexing of file in a hadoop cluster
A file indexing system for indexing a file to be stored onto a distributed file system includes a segmentation module to segment the file into a plurality of segments. The file indexing system further includes an index generation module to initiate indexing of the file through a plurality of nodes of a Hadoop cluster, where each of the plurality of nodes indexes one or more segments from amongst the plurality of segments to generate at least one index corresponding to the one or more segments. The file indexing system further includes an index transfer module to store the at least one index onto the distributed file system. |
| US09846694B1 |
Patent related literature assisted user profiling, matching, and classification
Methods, systems, and techniques for using of keywords, categories, patent related publications, and other literature to profile users are provided. Some examples provide a profiling tool which enables users to self-describe using, for example, keywords, patent related publications, and articles. In other examples, the tool assigns search-based profiling information. The profiling tool using citation based patent related search techniques to suggest additional keywords and/or patent publications for augmenting the user's search-based profile information. In some examples, the IP Invention Management System (IPIMS) uses these profiles to distribute workload, for example, to route patent assets to be reviewed or be improved upon as ripe for invention. In addition, other applications may use these profiles to offer other types of matching services, such as social mapping. |
| US09846689B2 |
Method and system to provide portable database functionality in an electronic form
A method and system to provide portable database functionality in an electronic form is described. The system may include a communications module and a portability module. The communications module may be configured to receive a request to generate an electronic form, the electronic form to include preloaded database information. The portability module may be configured to respond to the request by configuring the electronic form to include the preloaded database information obtained from a source database. The preloaded database information may be used for a variety of purposes at fill time, when one or more electronic form field values are being filled in by a user. |
| US09846686B2 |
Methods for extending a document transformation server to process multiple documents from multiple sites and devices thereof
A method, computer readable medium and device that extends a document transformation server to process multiple documents from multiple websites includes obtaining with a document transformation server a document to process based on at least a URL of the document to process in an HTTP request URL. An XML source representing the document to process is generated with the document transformation server. One or more XML processors associated with at least a portion of the HTTP request URL from a plurality of stored associations are identified with the document transformation server. The XML source is transformed by the document transformation server with each of the identified one identified XML processors. The generated document is provided in an HTTP response to the HTTP request URL by the document transformation server. |
| US09846685B2 |
Methods and devices for terminal control
The present disclosure discloses methods and devices for terminal control. The method comprises: sending a request from a first terminal to a server to obtain information about a multimedia application currently running on a second terminal, the information comprising application identification and one or more playback attributes of the multimedia application; displaying on the first terminal the information about the multimedia application currently running on the second terminal; generating by the first terminal one or more new playback attributes of the currently running multimedia application, and sending from the first terminal to the second terminal via the server a synchronization control request comprising the one or more new playback attributes, thereby allowing the second terminal to control the multimedia playback of the multimedia application based on the one or more new playback attributes in the synchronization control request. The present disclosure can allow one to use one terminal in the Internet to control the multimedia playback on another terminal. This can accomplish the combination of hardware advantages of both terminals and can increase the efficiency of playback control. |
| US09846683B1 |
System and method for converting the digital typesetting documents used in publishing to a device-specific format for electronic publishing
A system and method that converts the digital typesetting documents used in publishing to a device-specific format for electronic publishing. A “smart file and device-specific application” approach maintains the “look and feel” (design) of the source document used for print publication while typesetting for a specific device. Although this approach requires considerably more resources to create a smart file for each device-specific format, the smart file retains the unique typesetting characteristics of the printed book, is more aesthetically pleasing, and is easier to read. Furthermore, the device-specific application can render the smart file more quickly thereby eliminating any latency. |
| US09846682B1 |
Cross-platform presentation of digital content
In some examples, additional content is provided with the main content of a content item presented on an electronic device. For instance, an occurrence of an event may call for presentation of an additional content portion concurrently with the main content of the content item. The additional content portion may interact with other additional content portions, the main content portion, and/or user inputs. In some cases, the additional content portion can be implemented by one or more plug-in modules having designated roles for providing respective different types of additional content. Accordingly, some examples provide a cross-platform module that receives events, selects one or more plug-ins in response to a received event, and causes the one or more plug-ins to perform a desired action for rendering and compositing additional content portions or features to be presented with the main content of a content item. |
| US09846678B2 |
Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) custom address generator
An apparatus and method for Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) address generation is disclosed. The apparatus may include a counter circuit and circuitry configured to load an initial value into a counter circuit. The circuitry may be further configured to generate first and second output values by formatting a current value of the counter, and increment the current value of the counter circuit by an increment value to generate a next value. The circuitry may also be configured to modify the increment value in response to a determination that the next value is equal to a target value. |
| US09846676B2 |
Method and apparatus for converting spherical harmonics representations of functions into multi-resolution representations
An analytical method to efficiently convert a function that is stored in spherical harmonics into a function that is stored in a wavelet or mip map representation enables a variety of computer graphics functions to be efficiently performed. A function may be stored as a spherical harmonic representation and rotated in the spherical harmonic domain; the function can then be converted to a wavelet representation. The conversion method may be used to convert a spherical harmonic function to wavelets, and then an importance sampling technique may be applied to the wavelet representation to generate a set of importance samples for the function. The conversion method may be applied to convert a spherical harmonic representation into the wavelet domain, and an importance sampling technique may then be applied which samples the product of the function and another function in the wavelet domain. |
| US09846675B2 |
Dual path control for vehicle joystick controller
A system for controlling the wheel or track motors of a vehicle based on information from a joystick-type control. In one embodiment, the system includes a joystick control configured to generate X and Y coordinates, and a vehicle controller configured to receive the X and Y coordinates from the joystick control and to determine an adjusted X and Y coordinate combination for each of four vehicle control quadrants. The four vehicle control quadrants include a right-reverse quadrant, a right-forward quadrant, a left-reverse quadrant, and a left-forward control quadrant. The adjusted X and Y coordinate combination for a particular control quadrant is determined based on a control value for that quadrant and a previous control value. |
| US09846673B2 |
Processor, accelerator, and direct memory access controller within a processor core that each reads/writes a local synchronization flag area for parallel execution
It is provided a processor system comprising at least one processor core including a processor, a memory and an accelerator. The memory includes an instruction area, a synchronization flag area and a data area. The accelerator starts, even if the processor is executing another processing, acceleration processing and executes read instruction in a case where the read instruction is a flag checking instruction and a flag indicating the completion of predetermined processing has been written; and stores the data subjected to the acceleration processing after completion of the acceleration processing, and further writes a flag indicating the completion of the acceleration processing. The processor starts, even if the accelerator is executing another processing, read instruction corresponding to a flag in a case where the read instruction is the flag checking instruction and it is confirmed that the flag indicating the completion of the acceleration processing has been written. |
| US09846665B2 |
Chip synchronization by a master-slave circuit
A master-slave circuit is disclosed that maintains synchronization between two integrated circuit chips, using minimal chip resources. In one embodiment, a single, bidirectional communication path is shared by the two chips. Meanwhile, only one I/O port on each chip is used to send and receive signals via the bidirectional communication path. The first chip to detect a signal event is designated the master and controls the bidirectional communication path. The master can communicate the status to the other chip by controlling the logic state of the I/O ports. When the second chip detects that the I/O port is controlled by the first chip, the second chip will logically deduce that it is now the slave. If both chips detect the signal event at substantially the same time, one of the two chips is pre-programmed to assume control of the I/O port as the master. |
| US09846663B2 |
Method of controlling direct memory access of a peripheral memory of a peripheral by a master, an associated circuitry, an associated device and an associated computer program product
A method of controlling direct memory access of a peripheral memory of a peripheral by a master is described. The method includes checking whether there is a pending request from the peripheral for a direct memory access service, establishing whether an access condition is satisfied in dependence on at least whether there is a pending request, and, if the access condition is satisfied, granting access to the master. Also, an associated device and an associated computer program product are described. |
| US09846659B1 |
Memory module and circuit providing load isolation and noise reduction
Certain embodiments described herein include a memory module having a printed circuit board including at least one connector configured to be operatively coupled to a memory controller of a computer system. The memory module further includes a plurality of memory devices on the printed circuit board and a circuit including a first set of ports operatively coupled to at least one memory device. The circuit further includes a second set of ports operatively coupled to the at least one connector. The circuit includes a switching circuit configured to selectively operatively couple one or more ports of the second set of ports to one or more ports of the first set of ports. Each port of the first set and the second set comprises a correction circuit which reduces noise in one or more signals transmitted between the first set of ports and the second set of ports. |
| US09846658B2 |
Dynamic temporary use of packet memory as resource memory
In one embodiment, packet memory and resource memory of a memory are independently managed, with regions of packet memory being freed of packets and temporarily made available to resource memory. In one embodiment, packet memory regions are dynamically made available to resource memory so that in-service system upgrade (ISSU) of a packet switching device can be performed without having to statically allocate (as per prior systems) twice the memory space required by resource memory during normal packet processing operations. One embodiment dynamically collects fragments of packet memory stored in packet memory to form a contiguous region of memory that can be used by resource memory in a memory system that is shared between many clients in a routing complex. One embodiment assigns a contiguous region no longer used by packet memory to resource memory, and from resource memory to packet memory, dynamically without packet loss or pause. |
| US09846657B2 |
Electronic device for packing multiple commands in one compound command frame and electronic device for decoding and executing multiple commands packed in one compound command frame
An electronic device includes a control circuit and a bus interface. The control circuit packs a plurality of commands in a compound command frame. The bus interface communicates with another electronic device via a bus between the electronic device and the another electronic device, and packs the compound command frame in a single packet and transmits the single packet over the bus. |
| US09846655B1 |
Managing processing tasks in storage systems
A method is used in managing processing tasks in storage systems. A set of tasks is received for processing. A type of the set of tasks is identified. Based on the type of the set of tasks, a determination is made as to whether to add data objects associated with the set of tasks to a used object list managed in conjunction of a cache of the system for accessing the data objects associated with the set of tasks. The cache is configured to store the data objects of the storage system. A portion of a memory of the storage system is reserved as the cache. |
| US09846652B2 |
Technologies for region-biased cache management
Technologies for region-based cache management includes network computing device. The network computing device is configured to divide an allocated portion main memory of the network computing device into a plurality of memory regions, each memory region having a cache block that includes a plurality of cache lines of a cache memory of the processor. The network computing device is further configured to determine whether a cache line selected for eviction from the cache memory corresponds to one of the plurality of memory regions and, if so, retrieve a dynamically adjustable bias value (i.e., a fractional probability) associated with the corresponding memory region. Additionally, the network computing device is configured to generate a bias comparator value for the corresponding memory region, compare the bias value of the corresponding memory region and the bias comparator value generated for the corresponding memory region, and determine whether to evict the cache line based on the comparison. Other embodiments are described herein. |
| US09846649B1 |
Providing files with cacheable portions
Systems and methods are provided for enabling caching of one or more portions of a file. In some embodiments, a first file may be sent to a client system, where the first file includes a cache identifier identifying a shared portion of content of the first file, where the shared portion of content is included in both the first file and at least one other file. A request may be received from the client system for a second file that includes the shared portion of content. A modified second page may then be sent to the client system, where the modified second page includes the cache identifier, and does not include the shared portion of content, such that the client system may determine the content of the second page based on the modified second page and the previously stored shared portion of content. |
| US09846646B1 |
Methods and devices for layered performance matching in memory systems using C-AMAT ratios
In one embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method of optimizing memory access in a hierarchical memory system. The method includes determining a request rate from an ith layer of the hierarchical memory system for each of n layers in the hierarchical memory system. The method also includes determining a supply rate from an (i+1)th layer of the hierarchical memory system for each of the n layers in the hierarchical memory system. The supply rate from the (i+1)th layer of the hierarchical memory system corresponds to the request rate from the ith layer of the hierarchical memory system. The method further includes adjusting a set of computer architecture parameters of the hierarchical memory system or a schedule associated with an instruction set to utilize heterogeneous computing resources within the hierarchical memory system to match a performance of each adjacent layer of the hierarchical memory system. |
| US09846645B1 |
Managing objects stored in memory
In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a method for managing objects stored in memory may include identifying a first object in a heap. The heap may be accessed by a plurality of mutator threads executing within a first plurality of operating system processes. The method may also include determining that the first object is a reachable object and determining that a first range of memory locations in the heap does not contain any reachable object. The method may also include receiving an allocation request from a second mutator thread from the plurality of mutator threads and allocating a first free chunk of memory including at least a part of the first range of memory locations to the second mutator thread. |
| US09846644B2 |
Nonvolatile memory array logic
A method for implementing nonvolatile memory array logic includes configuring a crosspoint memory array in a first configuration and applying an input voltage to the crosspoint array in the first configuration to produce a setup voltage. The crosspoint array is configured in a second configuration and an input voltage is applied to the crosspoint array in the second configuration to produce a sense voltage. The setup voltage and the sense voltage compared to perform a logical operation on data stored in the crosspoint array. A system for performing nonvolatile memory array logic is also provided. |
| US09846640B2 |
System and method for retrieving wireless access point credentials from a BIOS NVRAM
A wireless access point profile is retrieved from a basic input output system (BIOS) non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM). The wireless access point profile is provided to a wireless local area network controller. |
| US09846637B2 |
Machine learning based software program repair
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method may include identifying a fault location in a software program using a test suite. The method may further include determining, using machine learning, a repair effectiveness indication that indicates a potential effectiveness of performing a potential repair operation at the fault location. In addition, the method may include prioritizing implementing a repair at the fault location based on the repair effectiveness indication. The method may further include performing repair operations with respect to the software program based on the prioritization of the fault location. |
| US09846633B2 |
Generating tests for testing software applications
A multi-staged method is disclosed in which a computing device generates tests to execute on an application program. The tests that are generated do not supplant or replace other types of testing typically executed on an application program, but rather, are generated based on the results of those tests and are intended to complement those tests. The multi-stage method particularly captures and stores information related to the tests as those tests are executed on the application program, verifies the data and parameters associated with the tests, and then generates a set of supplementary tests to test the application program responsive to receiving a notification message indicating that the program code of the application program has been changed. |
| US09846631B2 |
Methods, circuits, apparatus, systems and associated software modules for evaluating code behavior
Disclosed are methods, circuits, apparatus, systems and associated software modules for dynamically evaluating code behavior in runtime. There is provided a code testing platform and/or framework which may include: (1) a code execution environment instancing module (CEEIM), (2) code execution resources, (3) executed code isolation logic, and (4) code call response logic. The CEEIM may instance, on a computing platform, a code execution environment (CEE) which is at least partially isolated from external resources functionally associated with the computing platform. The CEE may include code execution resources adapted to execute code whose behavior is to be evaluated, wherein a resource call generated from code execution may be analyzed by the code isolation logic and may under certain conditions be routed to the code call response logic. |
| US09846629B2 |
Object storage system for an unreliable storage medium
A method and computer device for storage and retrieval of a data object on a storage medium. The method includes steps of disassembling the data object into a predetermined number of redundant sub blocks, storing the redundant sub blocks on the storage medium, retrieving at least a predetermined multiple of a minimal spreading requirement of the redundant sub blocks from the storage medium, and assembling the data object from any combination of a particular number of the redundant sub blocks, the particular number corresponding to a predetermined multiple of a minimal spreading requirement. The computer device includes modules for performing the steps. |
| US09846620B2 |
Table level database restore in a data storage system
The data storage system according to certain aspects can implement table level database restore. Table level database restore may refer to restoring a database table and its related data without restoring the entire database. The data storage system may use table metadata index to implement table level restore. A table metadata index may be created for each table, e.g., during a backup of the database. The table metadata index for a table can include any type of information for restoring the table and its related data. Some examples of the type of information included in the table metadata index include the following: container for the table, table backup location, system data, table index, table relationships, etc. Table metadata index can make the restoring of tables fast and efficient by packaging information that can be used to restore a table and its related data in an easily accessible manner. |
| US09846617B2 |
System and method for self-healing basic input/output system boot image and secure recovery
An information handling system and method provides basic input/output system (BIOS) recovery. At a baseboard management controller (BMC), a basic input/output system (BIOS) boot failure is detected. A non-volatile memory device a recovery image is obtained. The recovery image comprises instructions to perform a system software management (SSM) task. The instructions to perform the SSM task are executed. The execution comprises loading a BIOS image from a BMC persistent storage memory device, verifying the BIOS image, and writing the BIOS image to a BIOS non-volatile memory device. The system and method may utilize a recovery flash memory device attached to the BMC, a recovery flash memory device attached to a southbridge portion of a chipset, or a combination thereof to perform the BIOS recovery. |
| US09846612B2 |
Systems and methods of memory bit flip identification for debugging and power management
Various embodiments of methods and systems for bit flip identification for debugging and/or power management in a system on a chip (“SoC”) are disclosed. Exemplary embodiments seek to identify bit flip occurrences near in time to the occurrences by checking parity values of data blocks as the data blocks are written into a memory component. In this way, bit flips occurring in association with a write transaction may be differentiated from bit flips occurring in association with a read transaction. The distinction may be useful, when taken in conjunction with various parameter levels identified at the time of a bit flip recognition, to debug a memory component or, when in a runtime environment, adjust thermal and power policies that may be contributing to bit flip occurrences. |
| US09846611B2 |
Proactive resource reservation for protecting virtual machines
A system for proactive resource reservation for protecting virtual machines. The system includes a cluster of hosts, wherein the cluster of hosts includes a master host, a first slave host, and one or more other slave hosts, and wherein the first slave host executes one or more virtual machines thereon. The first slave host is configured to identify a failure that impacts an ability of the one or more virtual machines to provide service, and calculate a list of impacted virtual machines. The master host is configured to receive a request to reserve resources on another host in the cluster of hosts to enable the impacted one or more virtual machines to failover, calculate a resource capacity among the cluster of hosts, determine whether the calculated resource capacity is sufficient to reserve the resources, and send an indication as to whether the resources are reserved. |
| US09846610B2 |
Page fault-based fast memory-mapped I/O for virtual machines
Implementations provide for page fault-based fast memory-mapped I/O for virtual machines. A method of the disclosure includes detecting, by a processing device executing a hypervisor on a host machine, a protection fault at the hypervisor, the protection fault caused by a guest of the hypervisor attempting to write to an address marked as valid and read-only in a host page table entry at the hypervisor, the address associated with memory-mapped input-output (MMIO) for a virtual device of the guest, referencing, by the processing device, a MMIO data structure of the hypervisor with the address that caused the protection fault, identifying, by the processing device, the virtual device and a MMIO-based instruction mapped to the address in the MMIO data structure at the hypervisor, and executing, by the processing device, the MMIO instruction at the hypervisor on behalf of the guest. |
| US09846606B2 |
Storage device calibration methods and controlling device using the same
A calibration method includes transmitting first data comprising a calibration data and a first checksum to the storage device according to each of a plurality of training parameter sets; recording a plurality of error indicators respectively which are corresponding to the plurality of training parameter sets and from the storage device; and identifying one of the plurality of training parameter sets as a predetermined parameter set according to the plurality of error indicators respectively corresponding to the plurality of training parameter sets; wherein each error indicator indicates whether transmitting the first data according to the corresponded training parameter set is successful. |
| US09846601B2 |
Method and apparatuses for determining a leak of resource and predicting usage of resource
A method and an apparatus for determining a leak of a program running resource are disclosed that relate to the field of computer applications. The method for predicting a usage condition of a program running resource includes collecting program running resource usage at least once within each program running resource usage period; decomposing the collected program running resource usage into different resource components; for data contained in each resource component, determining a prediction function for the resource component; determining an overall prediction function for a program running resource according to the determined prediction functions for all the resource components; and predicting a usage condition of the program running resource based on the determined overall prediction function. |
| US09846599B1 |
Adaptive query cursor management
Techniques are provided for managing a database cursor threshold. One embodiment provides a method that includes setting a database cursor threshold, for a first database job of a plurality of database jobs, to a first value. Generally, the cursor threshold defines the maximum number of database cursors that are permitted to be open at a time in a database system. One or more system resources of the database system are monitored, and upon detecting that a current state of the one or more system resources satisfies predefined criteria, embodiments set the database cursor threshold to a second value. |
| US09846598B2 |
Modifying a flow of operations to be executed in a plurality of execution environments
A flow of operations is to be executed in a plurality of execution environments according to a distribution. In response to determining that the distribution is unable to achieve at least one criterion, the distribution is modified according to at least one policy that specifies at least one action to apply to the flow of operations in response to a corresponding at least one condition relating to a characteristic of the flow of operations. |
| US09846595B2 |
Managed services coordinator
A method is provided for applying tasks. The method can include receiving a plurality of tasks for a plurality of applications, an application of the plurality of applications is hosted by a computing environment utilizing a monitoring agent, and a task is performed for an operation of the application during a first period of time. The method can also include determining a first resource type and a first resource amount from the computing environment for performing the task. The method can also include grouping the plurality of tasks into a set of tasks based on the first resource type, at least two tasks from the set of tasks being performable in parallel during the first period of time. The method can also include determining whether the first resource amount of the first resource type is present in the computing environment during the first period of time. |
| US09846590B2 |
Deploying a virtual machine in a computing environment
A method and associated system. A request to deploy a virtual machine in a computing environment is received. The request identifies an ordered sequence of attributes that the virtual machine to be deployed includes. In response to the request, a virtual machine resource usage pattern having attributes matching a subset of attributes in the ordered sequence of attributes is selected, based on an ordering of the attributes in the ordered sequence of attributes. A node on which the virtual machine is to be deployed is selected from two or more nodes in the computing environment, based on the selected virtual machine resource usage pattern and predicted runtime resource requirements of the virtual machine to be deployed. |
| US09846588B2 |
On-demand disposable virtual work system
An on-demand disposable virtual work system that includes: a virtual machine monitor to host virtual machines, a virtual machine pool manager, a host operating system, a host program permissions list, and a request handler module. The virtual machine pool manager manages virtual machine resources. The host operating system interfaces with a user and virtual machines created with an image of a reference operating system. The host program permissions list may be a black list and/or a white list used to indicate allowable programs. The request handler module allows execution of the program if the program is allowable. If the program is not allowable, the host request handler module: denies program execution and urges a virtual machine specified by the virtual machine pool manager to execute the program. The virtual machine is terminated when the program closes. |
| US09846587B1 |
Performance analysis using configurable hardware emulation within an integrated circuit
A system includes a host data processing system and a target platform coupled to the host data processing system. The target platform includes an emulation system. The emulation system includes a processor system, an emulation circuit coupled to the processor system through an integrated circuit (IC) interconnect, and a performance monitor coupled to the IC interconnect. The emulation system receives, from the host data processing system, a software emulation model and a data traffic pattern. The emulation system emulates a system architecture by executing the software emulation model within the processor system and implementing the data traffic pattern over the IC interconnect using the emulation circuit. The emulation system provides, to the host data processing system, measurement data collected by the performance monitor during the emulation. |
| US09846586B2 |
Creating a virtual machine and cloud server
The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for creating a virtual machine as well as a cloud server. A method for creating a virtual machine comprises: in response to a request from a user for creating a virtual machine, loading an operating system for said virtual machine based on a choice made by said user; assembling at least one application for said virtual machine based on a choice made by said user regarding said at least one application, including: based on pre-stored and application-related information, copying files involved in said application to a predetermined location on said virtual machine and changing public resource configuration managed by said operating system. The present invention enables users to flexibly install desirable software at the time of applying for creating a virtual machine without spending too much time. |
| US09846581B2 |
Method and apparatus for asynchronous processor pipeline and bypass passing
A clock-less asynchronous processor comprising a plurality of parallel asynchronous processing logic circuits, each processing logic circuit configured to generate an instruction execution result. The processor comprises an asynchronous instruction dispatch unit coupled to each processing logic circuit, the instruction dispatch unit configured to receive multiple instructions from memory and dispatch individual instructions to each of the processing logic circuits. The processor comprises a crossbar coupled to an output of each processing logic circuit and to the dispatch unit, the crossbar configured to store the instruction execution results. |
| US09846580B2 |
Arithmetic processing device, arithmetic processing system, and method for controlling arithmetic processing device
An arithmetic processing device includes: a arithmetic cores, wherein the arithmetic core comprises: an instruction controller configured to request processing corresponding to an instruction; a memory configured to store lock information indicating that a locking target address is locked, the locking target address, and priority information of the instruction; and a cache controller configured to, when storing data of a first address in a cache memory to execute a first instruction including locking of the first address from the instruction controller, suppress updating of the memory if the lock information is stored in the memory and a priority of the priority information is higher than a first priority of the first instruction. |
| US09846579B1 |
Unified integer and floating-point compare circuitry
Techniques are disclosed relating to comparison circuitry. In some embodiments, compare circuitry is configured to generate comparison results for sets of inputs in both one or more integer formats and one or more floating-point formats. In some embodiments, the compare circuitry includes padding circuitry configured to add one or more bits to each of first and second input values to generate first and second padded values. In some embodiments, the compare circuitry also includes integer subtraction circuitry configured to subtract the first padded value from the second padded value to generate a subtraction result. In some embodiments, the compare circuitry includes output logic configured to generate the comparison result based on the subtraction result. In various embodiments, using at least a portion of the same circuitry (e.g., the subtractor) for both integer and floating-point comparisons may reduce processor area. |
| US09846573B2 |
Generating a logical representation from a physical flow
Described herein are techniques for processing analytic flows. A physical flow can be parsed into multiple elements. A logical representation can be generated based on the physical flow using a dictionary. An engine-specific logical representation or second physical flow can then be generated based on the logical representation using the dictionary. |
| US09846572B2 |
Methods for facilitating references in a chat context and devices thereof
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and chat management server apparatus that receives a search request via a search panel provided in response to a user interaction with a chat panel. A token including a special character is generated based on search text in the search request or a unique identifier for one of a plurality of items identified based on a search performed using the search text. The token is provided to a source of the search request for inclusion in the chat panel as a hyperlink. A preview panel request including the token is received in response to a user interaction with the hyperlink. Content for the items or for the one item is retrieved based on the special character included in the token. The content is provided to a source of the preview panel request. |
| US09846571B1 |
Utilizing clock rate pipelining to generate code for multi-rate systems
A device generates a model associated with a multi-rate system. The multi-rate system includes a system associated with a clock rate and a sample rate, and the clock rate is greater than the sample rate. The device identifies the clock rate of the multi-rate system based on the model, and identifies a portion, of the model, associated with the sample rate. The device applies clock rate pipelining to adjust the sample rate associated with the portion of the model so that the sample rate substantially equals the clock rate, and generates code associated with the model and the applied clock rate pipelining. |
| US09846566B1 |
Presorter holding system and method for automated prescription fulfillment
An automated method and system for a conveyor holding system for holding vials of a multi-vial order in a holding pattern until all vials of the order have been filled by an automatic pill counter. The system uses RFID information to divert vials off the conveyor into the conveyor holding loop if all vials of the multi-vial order have not been filled. The system is adapted to divert the vials of the multi-vial order out of the holding loop when all vials of the multi-vial order have been filled. |
| US09846565B2 |
Shiftable memory employing ring registers
Shiftable memory employs ring registers to shift a contiguous subset of data words stored in the ring registers within the shiftable memory. A shiftable memory includes a memory having built-in word-level shifting capability. The memory includes a plurality of ring registers to store data words. A contiguous subset of data words is shiftable between sets of the ring registers of the plurality from a first location to a second location within the memory. The contiguous subset of data words has a size that is smaller than a total size of the memory. The memory shifts only data words stored inside the contiguous subset when the contiguous subset is shifted. |
| US09846553B2 |
Organization and management of key-value stores
Organization and management of key-value stores is described. An example method includes providing a stack of tables. Each of the tables includes a set of pages of a pre-determined size for storing a set of key-value entries. The method includes monotonically decreasing a number of pages in the tables according to a position of the table in the stack. The method includes configuring each of the pages in the tables to address a particular range of a key space in such a way that each of the pages in a subsequent table in the stack is configured to address a range addressed by at least two pages in a preceding table in the stack. An action with a key-value entry is carried out by starting with a table in the top of the stack and moving to the next table if the action cannot be carried out. |
| US09846552B2 |
Memory device and storage system having the same
A memory device includes a nonvolatile memory and a memory controller. The memory controller is configured to receive an access command with respect to a cluster of the nonvolatile memory, the access command including a size of the cluster and a logical address corresponding to a part of the cluster, translate the logical address to a physical address in the nonvolatile memory, by referring to a table storing physical addresses corresponding to part of logical addresses of the nonvolatile memory, identify all physical addresses corresponding to the cluster, based on the size of the cluster, the translated physical address, and an algorithm that generates a sequence for accessing the nonvolatile memory, and access the cluster of the nonvolatile memory in accordance with the identified physical addresses. |
| US09846547B2 |
Storage medium and electronic device
An electronic device includes: a first non-volatile storage device, a second non-volatile storage device, and a processor. The first non-volatile storage device has limitations on a number of times of writing therein. The second non-volatile storage device has no limitations on a number of times of writing therein. The processor functions as: a normal writing section, a backup writing section, a substitute writing section, and a determination section. The normal writing section writes data into only the first non-volatile storage device. The backup writing section writes data into both the first non-volatile storage device and the second non-volatile storage device. The substitute writing section writes data into only the second non-volatile storage device. The determination section selects one of the normal writing section, the backup writing section, and the substitute writing section based on the number of bad blocks in the first non-volatile storage device. |
| US09846542B2 |
Storage controller, storage device, storage system and method of operating the storage controller
A storage controller that improves performance of a storage device by reducing the number of data I/O operations. The storage controller, as part of a storage device and a storage system, and in a method of operating the storage controller, includes a host interface receiving data requested for storage from a host and lifetime information indicating a change period of the data, and a data placement manager determining a storage position of the data in a flash memory based on the lifetime information of the data. |
| US09846541B2 |
Memory system for controlling perforamce by adjusting amount of parallel operations
A memory system according to an embodiment includes a non-volatile memory and a controller configured to control the non-volatile memory. The controller includes an interface and a control unit. The interface receives, from a host, a first instruction to change a performance of the memory system as a performance control instruction. The control unit controls the memory system on the basis of the performance control instruction such that the number of parallel operations of parallel operating units which are operated in parallel in the memory system is changed. |
| US09846535B2 |
Devices and methods for processing touch inputs over multiple regions of a touch-sensitive surface
An electronic device, while displaying a user interface that includes a first region corresponding to a first software application and a second region corresponding to a second software application, receives a first touch input, on a touch-sensitive display, that originates from a first location corresponding to the first region and extends to a second location corresponding to the second region. The first region includes a non-boundary region and a boundary region. In response to receiving the first touch input, when the first location corresponds to a non-boundary region of the first region, the device processes the first touch input with the first software application. When the first location corresponds to a boundary region of the first region, the device conditionally processes the first touch input with the second software application. |
| US09846529B2 |
Method for processing information and electronic device
A method for processing information is provided in which triggering information is acquired through one of a plurality of sensors in an electronic device. In response to the triggering information, a graphical interaction interface is projected onto a first portion of a user through a projection lens. Through another of the plurality of sensors, an interaction operation performed on the graphical interaction interface is acquired; and the graphical interaction interface is changed in response to the interaction operation. |
| US09846526B2 |
Multi-user collaboration tracking methods and systems
An exemplary method includes a multi-user collaboration tracking system 1) detecting an initiation of a collaboration session during which a plurality of users interact with a whiteboard space displayed on a single physical display associated with a computing device, 2) detecting an interaction event performed with respect to the whiteboard space during the collaboration session, 3) identifying a user included in the plurality of users as having performed the interaction event, and 4) associating the interaction event with the user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US09846524B2 |
Method for selecting an item in a list
The invention relates to a method for scrolling through a list comprising a plurality of selectable items and configured so that a single item in the list is displayed at a given instant on an interface, the display of the next item in the list being triggered by the detection of a scrolling action performed by a user on an input device associated with the interface, the method being such that it has steps of display of an item in the list, of determination that a predetermined item in the list is displayed, and of opening of a period of inactivity of predetermined duration during which scrolling actions on the input device are ignored. The invention likewise relates to a device and a piece of electronic equipment that implement the method for scrolling. |
| US09846520B2 |
System and method of communication between a capacitive touch screen and an active stylus
An active stylus is capacitively coupled to a capacitive touch panel for communication. The active stylus operates in a wait mode to receive initial communications from the panel. In response to such receipt, the active stylus synchronizes to a repeating communications frame implementing time division multiplexing. Communications from the active stylus to the panel include: information communications; synchronization communications and communications specific for columns and/or rows of the panel. Communications from the panel to the active stylus may be addressed uniquely to the stylus or commonly to a group of styluses. |
| US09846519B2 |
Input device, and method and program for controlling the same
Threshold values smaller than degrees of proximity of an object indicated by detection data at peak positions are set based on detection data of the peak positions at which a degree of proximity of the object is higher than that of surrounding detection positions. An evaluation value according to an area of a region on a detection surface occupied by a group of detection positions, including the peak positions, in which degrees of proximity of the object indicated by detection data are higher than the threshold values, is calculated, and it is determined whether the object in proximity to the peak position is a finger or a palm based on the evaluation value. |
| US09846516B2 |
Optical touch system and using method thereof
An optical touch system includes a touch surface, a first light source and a first light-sensing unit. The first light source emits a first light. The first light is reflected at positions on a first section of the touch surface to form a first reference section at the first light-sensing unit. The first light is reflected at positions on a second section of the touch surface to form a second reference section at the first light-sensing unit. The second section is located between the first section and the first light-sensing unit. A touch object reflects the first light between the first section and the second section to produce a first input light region on the first reference section, or reflects the first light between the second section and the first light-sensing unit to produce a second input light region on the second reference section. |
| US09846514B2 |
Capacitance detecting circuit
A capacitance detecting circuit includes induction units; a transferring capacitor configured to transfer charges to a capacitor of a scanned induction unit; a charging module that charges the transferring capacitor, wherein a first terminal of the charging module connects to the first terminal of the transferring capacitor, and a second terminal of the charging module connects to a first power supply; a discharging module that discharges the transferring capacitor and including a first resistor and a second switch; and a controller connected to the charging module, the transferring capacitor and the discharging module, and configured to control the second switch to switch on when a voltage of the transferring capacitor is larger than a preset threshold voltage, and to update a count value and detect a touch on the induction units according to the count value. |
| US09846512B2 |
Method for inspecting touch-panel electrode substrate
Provided is a method for inspecting a touch panel with which method it is possible to perform an inspection with high accuracy and to allow an improvement in yield. A drive signal is supplied to either one of sensor electrodes (12) and an inspection electrode (142), a plurality of sense signals related to the respective sensor electrodes (12) are obtained from the other of the sensor electrodes and the inspection electrode, and conditions of the sensor electrodes (12) are determined according to the sense signals. |
| US09846511B2 |
Input device and control method using input device
An input device includes a position detection sensor capable of detecting an input operation position of an operation body on an operation surface, a load detection sensor capable of detecting a load in the input operation position, and a control unit capable of executing offset calibration to correct an offset of an output of the load detection sensor based on input operation information resulting from an output of the position detection sensor. |
| US09846506B2 |
Display device
A display device configured to be connected to an information terminal, includes: a video reception unit that receives video information about a screen including a cursor from the information terminal; a touch panel that brings up the screen on display based on the video information received by the video reception unit and detects a touch position specified by a touch operation; and a transmission unit that transmits operation information in correspondence to the touch operation to the information terminal. The transmission unit transmits the operation information in a delay when the touch operation is performed continuously. |
| US09846505B2 |
Customizable user interface
A device having a display and a user interface incorporating buttons, switches or keys that may be programmable for various functions related to the purpose of the device and its display. The keys may be programmed for virtually any functions available to or on the device. Also, some or all of the keys may be reprogrammed for other or new functions. The device may be programmed by the user with the keys on the device to obtain a custom design having functions assigned to the keys according to a particular design, desire or choice of the user. The keys may be situated on an area having touch sensitive technology such that touching a particular key will call forth a function that is assigned to the key. The keys may be in a touch sensitive area apart from the display or be fully or in partly on a touch sensitive display. |
| US09846493B2 |
Systems and methods for writing on and using electronic paper
Example systems and methods for writing on electronic paper (“e-paper”) are described. In one example, a system for writing information on electronic paper includes a writing module comprising an array of electrodes. The writing module is configured to selectively operate one or more electrodes in the array of electrodes to write information on the electronic paper. The system also includes a compliant mechanism coupled to the writing module to establish contact between the writing module and the electronic paper. |
| US09846492B2 |
Optical switch keyboard
An optical switch keyboard includes a circuit board and plural keys. The circuit board includes plural light emitters and plural light receivers. Each key is aligned with the corresponding light emitter and the corresponding light receiver. Moreover, each key includes a triggering element, a first reflective element and a second reflective element. When the triggering element is triggered by the user, a sensing light emitted by the light emitter is reflected to the second reflective element by the first reflective element. The sensing light is further reflected to the light receiver by the second reflective element. Consequently, the circuit board generates a key switch signal. |
| US09846490B2 |
Method of executing application, method of controlling content sharing, and display device
Provided is a method of executing an application performed by a display device. The method includes detecting a first motion that bends the display device in a first direction to deform the display device into a first form, executing a first application, based on the first motion, detecting a second motion that bends the display device in a second direction to deform the display device into a second form, and executing a second application related to the first application, based on the second motion. |
| US09846484B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling haptic signals
Systems and methods for controlling a haptic output device include a processor, a haptic peripheral including a haptic output device, and a sensor coupled to the haptic output device. The haptic output device is configured to receive a control signal from the processor and output a haptic effect having a profile to the haptic peripheral in response to the control signal from the processor. The sensor is configured to sense a current operational status of the haptic output device. The processor is configured to generate the control signal for the haptic output device depending on a plurality of inputs including a desired haptic effect waveform and a signal received from the sensor. The inputs may also include at least one parameter of the haptic output device. As such, the control signal causes the profile of the haptic effect to substantially match the desired haptic effect waveform. |
| US09846479B1 |
Smart security device with monitoring mode and communication mode
A device comprising a processor, an energy source, one or more sensors, a wireless transceiver and a memory. The memory may comprise instructions for selecting one of a plurality of modes of operation. The modes of operation may comprise (i) a low-power mode in which the device consumes less than a pre-determined or an adaptively-determined amount of power and the device has less than full functionality and (ii) a high-power mode in which the device consumes more than the pre-determined or the adaptively-determined amount of power and the device has more functionality than in the low-power mode. The instructions for selecting one of the modes of operation may comprise (i) instructions for conserving power by transitioning from the high-power mode to the low-power mode and (ii) instructions for activating the wireless transceiver to transmit a message with information from the sensors to a remote device. |
| US09846478B1 |
Adaptive power manipulation of federated storage systems
A technique of automatically managing power consumption by predicting data storage utilization events based upon individual data storage drive utilization history, drive properties, client storage usage and behavior trends is described. The behavior trends may include customer actions, such as reduced weekend and holiday data storage system usage rates. The technique collects operational data and calculates statistical trends in utilization rates for each data storage drive, and for the overall data storage system. The technique automatically switches individual data storage drives to an appropriate power and performance level based upon predicted utilization demand, including shut down and restarts to reduce data storage system power consumption without adversely impacting data storage system performance. |
| US09846475B2 |
Controlling power consumption in multi-core environments
Systems and methods of enabling modulation of a frequency of a first core in a multi-core environment include logic to determine a power limit assigned to the first core, logic to determine a stall count of the first core, and logic to modulate the frequency of the first core based at least on the power limit assigned to the first core and the stall count of the first core. The first core is included in a first tile of a socket in the multi-core computer environment. |
| US09846472B2 |
Firmware update method and power system thereof
A firmware update method is provided for use in an information processing system powered by a power system. The power system is powered by an external power source and the power system includes a rechargeable battery and a controller. The method includes checking a power status of the rechargeable battery through the controller in response to a firmware update procedure. A power status of the rechargeable battery is determined to be sufficient to perform the firmware update procedure, and an insufficiency of the external power source to power the power system is determined. Power for the firmware update procedure is limited, through the controller, to the rechargeable battery. |
| US09846469B2 |
Fault tolerant power supply incorporating intelligent load switch to provide uninterrupted power
A fault tolerant power supply system includes at least one load switch circuit configured to connect, using a main switch, an input voltage to an output node of the load switch circuit when the load switch circuit is turned on and at least one power channel coupled to the load switch circuit to receive the input voltage. The power channel is configured as a buck converter and includes at least a high-side power switch and a low-side power switch. The fault tolerant power supply system is configured to measure a current flowing through the main switch of the load switch circuit, to determine that the current flowing through the main switch of the load switch circuit has exceeded a current limit threshold, and to disable the main switch of the load switch circuit and the low-side power switch of the power channel in response to the determination that the current flowing in the main switch has exceeded the current limit threshold. |
| US09846468B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method of storage and retrieval of local volatile memory content of non-volatile storage memory
A system, method and apparatus to provide data recovery capabilities during an emergency power failure event. A non-volatile storage system is provided to be coupled with a host computer system. The non-volatile storage system includes an embedded non-volatile memory array for persistently storing data and an embedded volatile memory array for temporarily storing the data before committing the data to the non-volatile memory array. The non-volatile storage system provides a normal operating data path transferring data from the volatile memory array to the non-volatile memory array during normal operating condition. The normal operating data path includes data processing blocks. The non-volatile storage system also provides an emergency data path for transferring data from the volatile memory array to the non-volatile memory array during an emergency power loss condition. The emergency data path excludes the data processing blocks. |
| US09846466B1 |
Single output channel adapter for charging during laptop sleep mode
A method of and device for providing voltages to USB ports using an independent electrical channel during a device sleep mode or a power-off mode. |
| US09846465B2 |
Electronic device configured to control a charging prohibiting period of a battery of a second electronic device
One embodiment provides an electronic device including an application which is configured to obtain peak shift information, a BIOS which is configured to receive the peak shift information from the application to calculate peak shift start and end times based on the peak shift information, a first unit, a first controller which is included in the first unit to execute a peak shift for a first battery based on the start and end times, a second unit, and a second controller which is included in the second unit. The second controller is configured to execute a peak shift for a second battery based on the start and end times received from the first controller. |
| US09846463B2 |
Computing system and processor with fast power surge detection and instruction throttle down to provide for low cost power supply unit
A processor is described that includes a quick signal path from an input of the processor to logic circuitry within the processor. The input is to receive a fast throttle down signal. The logic circuitry is to throttle down a rate at which the processor issues instructions for execution in response to the fast throttle down signal. The quick signal path is to impose practicably minimal propagation delay of the fast throttle down signal within the processor. |
| US09846462B2 |
Thin cooling fan
A thin cooling fan (1) includes a fan shell (10), a motor (20), a plurality of blades (30), and a PCB (40). The fan shell (10) comprises a base plate (11) and a shell cover (12) which cover to each other to form an inner space (100). The base plate (11) has a first surface (111) facing toward the inner space (100) and a second surface (112) having a receiving space (101) and opposite to the first surface (111). The motor (20) is combined in the inner space (100). The blades (30) are disposed in the inner space (100) and rotated by the motor (20). The PCB (40) is disposed in the receiving space (101) and flush with the second surface (112). Thus, the whole thickness of the cooling fan (1) is reduced and the flow channel design in the inner space (100) is not affected. |
| US09846461B2 |
Heat dissipating apparatus and electronic device
A heat dissipating apparatus includes a frame, an elastic body, a magnetic member and a coil. The frame has an opening. The elastic body is disposed on the frame, and the frame and the elastic body define a space. The magnetic member is located corresponding to the space and disposed at one side of the elastic body. The coil is located corresponding to the periphery of the space and disposed on the frame. An electronic device with the heat dissipating apparatus is also disclosed. |
| US09846459B2 |
Shield for an electronic device
Example embodiments relate to a shield for an electronic device. The shield may be shaped to enclose the electronic device. The shield may include a number of traces. Each trace may include an electrically conductive inner portion and an electrically non-conductive outer portion. |
| US09846458B2 |
Electronic device with damage prevention features
One embodiment provide an electronic device, including: a housing having an upper face and a lower face; a keyboard disposed in the upper face of the housing; a display part including a display; a hinge mechanism connecting the housing to the display part in a rotatable fashion; and a link mechanism that operates in conjunction with rotation of the display part to buffer the rotation of the display part when the display part is rotated beyond a predetermined angle with respect to the housing. Other aspects are described and claimed. |
| US09846454B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a device body, a touch panel which having a front side and a reverse side, a vibration unit that is disposed on the reverse side and vibrates the touch panel, and a flexible member that is disposed on an inside and on the reverse side of the touch panel, the flexible member connecting the device body and the reverse side of the touch panel in a watertight manner and being flexibly deformed upon vibration of the touch panel. |
| US09846453B2 |
Wearable terminal with touchpad interface and power-saving mode
To provide a wearable information terminal enables to reduce power consumption and to improve operability. A wearable information terminal 1 wearable around a user's arm having a display 11, a touch pad 12 on the outside to the opposite position of the display 11 when worn on the user's arm, a sensor 13 detecting an inclination of the wearable information terminal 1 against a reference axis, and a controller 3 to show a pointer icon 110 at a position corresponding to an operation position on the display 11 when an operation to the touch pad 12 is detected and to switch the display 11 to an energy saving mode in case the inclination is within a predetermined range and the operation to the touch pad 12 is undetected. |
| US09846450B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device having a display including a curved display panel, a curved body, the curved body having an input unit at curved surface of the curved body, the curved surface of the curved body corresponding to a curvature of the curved display panel and a hinge connecting the display to the curved body is provided. |
| US09846445B2 |
Voltage supply regulator with overshoot protection
A voltage supply regulator includes a first output resistor including a first terminal coupled to an output voltage of the voltage supply regulator and a second terminal; a first comparator including a first input coupled to a reference voltage, a second input coupled to the second terminal of the first output resistor, and an output coupled to a base of a first regulator transistor; a current mirror coupled to a collector of the first regulator transistor; and an slew rate detector coupled to the current mirror that includes a first terminal coupled to control electrodes of first and second transistors in the current mirror, and a detection bipolar junction transistor having a collector coupled to the control electrodes of the first and second transistors in the current mirror, and a base coupled to a second terminal of the capacitor. |
| US09846440B2 |
Valve controller configured to estimate fuel comsumption
A fuel valve for regulating a flow of fuel to a combustion appliance includes a control module configured to determine fuel consumption based on a measure related to fuel flow through the fuel valve. The measure related to fuel flow through the valve may be determined using a known relationship between firing rate and the flow rate of fuel through the valve. Measurement accuracy may be enhanced by correcting for the excess air ration (also referred to as lamda). |
| US09846439B2 |
Automatic flow regulator for fume gun
Systems and methods for automatically regulating the flow of fumes suctioned through a welding fume gun are provided. In certain embodiments, an automatic flow control assembly includes a vacuum system configured to suction a vacuum fume flow through an internal passage of a welding fume gun. The automatic flow control assembly also includes a sensor configured to measure a parameter related to the vacuum fume flow. The automatic flow control assembly further includes a flow regulation device configured to regulate an ambient air flow introduced into the vacuum fume flow. In addition, the automatic flow control assembly includes control circuitry configured to control the flow regulation device based at least in part on the measured parameter related to the vacuum fume flow. |
| US09846438B2 |
Electronic compensated pivot control
In embodiments of electronic compensated pivot control, a computing device includes a device housing that is integrated with a display device, and the device housing tilts for multiple display positions. Pivotable components pivot in coordination to position the display device in a display position, and sensors detect positioning inputs that are received to re-position the display device. Actuators are implemented for electronic actuation to drive the pivotable components to position the display device, and clutches are implemented to limit movement of the pivotable components. A pivot controller is implemented to receive input data corresponding to a user input to change a position of the display device, control the actuators based on the input data to assist with positioning the display device, receive an indication that the user input has stopped, and control the one or more clutches to hold the position of the display device. |
| US09846435B2 |
Obstacle sensing module and cleaning robot including the same
Disclosed herein are an obstacle sensing module and a cleaning robot including the same. The cleaning robot includes a body, a driver to drive the body, an obstacle sensing module to sense an obstacle present around the body, and a control unit to control the driver, based on sensed results of the obstacle sensing module. The obstacle sensing module includes at least one light emitter including a light source, and a wide-angle lens to refract or reflect light from the light source so as to diffuse the incident light in the form of planar light, and a light receiver including a reflection mirror to again reflect reflection light reflected by the obstacle so as to generate reflection light, an optical lens spaced from the reflection mirror by a predetermined distance, to allow the reflection light to pass through the optical lens, and an image sensor, and an image processing circuit. |
| US09846432B2 |
Aircraft wing structure and control system
An aircraft includes a wing. The wing includes an aileron pivotally connected to a trailing edge of the wing, and a Lam aileron pivotally connected to the trailing edge of the wing. The aircraft includes a motor connected to the Lam aileron and configured to rotate the Lam aileron. The aircraft includes a controller configured to detect a deflection of the aileron from a neutral position, calculate a target deflection for the Lam aileron using the deflection of the aileron, and cause the motor to rotate the Lam aileron to the target deflection. |
| US09846431B2 |
Method for making a remotely operated control of a motor vehicle secure using a mobile terminal
A method for making the remotely operated control of a movement of a motor vehicle secure using a mobile terminal. The method includes the follow steps: triggering the remotely operated control of a movement of the motor vehicle by a user using the mobile terminal, verifying that the user is within sight of the motor vehicle by means of the mobile terminal, if the verification is positive and shows that the user is in sight of the motor vehicle, said remotely operated control of a movement of the motor vehicle is performed, and if not said control is inhibited. |
| US09846429B2 |
Systems and methods for target tracking
The present invention provides systems, methods, and devices related to target tracking by UAVs. The UAV may be configured to receive target information from a control terminal related to a target to be tracked by an imaging device coupled to the UAV. The target information may be used by the UAV to automatically track the target so as to maintain predetermined position and/or size of the target within one or more images captured by the imaging device. The control terminal may be configured to display images from the imaging device as well as allowing user input related to the target information. |
| US09846426B2 |
Parallel digital signal processing of machine vibration data
A field programmable gate array (FPGA) in a machine health monitoring (MHM) module includes interface circuitry, vibration data processing circuitry, and tachometer data processing circuitry. The interface circuitry de-multiplexes a synchronous serial data stream comprising multiple multiplexed data channels, each containing machine vibration data or tachometer data, into separate input data streams. The vibration data processing circuitry comprises parallel processing channels for the separate input data streams containing vibration data, each channel including a highpass filter, two stages of integration circuits, a digital tracking bandpass filter, and multiple parallel scalar calculation channels. The tachometer data processing circuitry processes the tachometer data to generate RPM and other values. A cross-point switch in the FPGA distributes tachometer signals between MHM modules in a distributed control system, thereby allowing multiple modules to share tachometer information. |
| US09846420B2 |
Sequence-program design support device
A sequence-program design support device includes a display unit displaying a work screen corresponding to a designing work, an input unit receiving a setting operation of work phases, a zoom-in operation, and a zoom-out operation, a state storage unit storing the work phases and a current work, a work-model storage unit storing a partial order relation of a work specified for each of the work phases with a work screen corresponding to the work, and a control unit displaying a work screen corresponding to a next work of the current work in the order relation and storing the next work when the input unit receives the zoom-in operation with a first operation amount, and displaying a work screen corresponding to a previous work of the current work in the order relation and storing the previous work when the input unit receives the zoom-out operation with a second operation amount. |
| US09846418B2 |
Energy control system, energy control device, and energy control method for prioritizing a power generation source based on the possibility of selling generated power
An energy control system (1) includes a photovoltaic power generation unit (10) that is connected to the grid and generates power using sunlight, a gas power generation unit (20) that generates power using gas, and a control unit (40) that performs control to supply a load by prioritizing the power generated by the gas power generation unit (20) when sale of the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit (10) to the grid is possible and to supply the load by prioritizing the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit (10) when the sale is not possible. |
| US09846415B2 |
Efficient transfer of materials using automated guided vehicles in semiconductor manufacturing
Methods for manufacturing automation and a computer executed automated handling system for forming a device are presented. The method includes issuing a transfer request by a tool. The transfer request is processed by a production control system configured for tracking and controlling the flow of carriers. The processing of the transfer request includes selecting a carrier containing production material. A transport system having transport and load/unload (U/L) units in a production area to effect a transfer is controlled and the carrier is transferred by the transport system. |
| US09846414B2 |
Servomotor control device and production system equipped with the control device
A servomotor control device includes a servomotor control circuit for controlling an inverter such that an alternating current is supplied to a servomotor when receiving a safety signal, and for controlling the inverter such that the alternating current is not supplied to the servomotor when not receiving the safety signal, and a servomotor monitoring circuit for stopping the servomotor by stopping transmission of the safety signal to the servomotor control circuit when determining to stop the servomotor, and for stopping the servomotor by disconnecting supply of a direct current to the inverter with a power source disconnect circuit and stopping the transmission of the safety signal to the servomotor control circuit when determining that at least one of the power source disconnect circuit, the safety signal, and the servomotor control circuit is not normal. |
| US09846413B2 |
Safety shut-off device and method of use
A safety shut-off system and method are provided for eliminating power to a load in the event of smoke detection. The system may comprise a device located at the appliance for detecting a signal from a smoke detector, and cutting power to the appliance only when the appliance is in use. The device may be synchronized with any standard smoke alarm signal to reduce the number of false positive shut-offs. The system may also comprise a smoke alarm hard-wired to a circuit breaker, for shutting off power to all appliances on a particular breaker upon receipt of a signal from the smoke alarm, and only when the appliances on the breaker are in use. The system may also have the ability to shut off one breaker, multiple breakers, or all breakers at different time increments to actively prevent and reduce the damages caused by fires. |
| US09846395B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, multiple first type photoconductive drums, multiple first type transfer rollers, a second type photoconductive drum, a second type transfer roller, a roller, and a roller moving unit. The multiple first type transfer rollers are arranged at positions that face the multiple first type photoconductive drums. The second type photoconductive drum is arranged at a position where the drum surface of the second type photoconductive drum is not tangent to a common tangent plane. The roller is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the intermediate transfer belt and is arranged between the second type transfer roller and one first type transfer roller. The roller moving unit moves the roller by pressing the roller. The roller moving unit changes the state of abutting of the multiple first type photoconductive drums and the second type photoconductive drum. |
| US09846391B2 |
Developing device replenished with new two-component developer while discharging surplus developer and image forming apparatus therewith
A developing device has a developer container, a first stirring/transporting member, a second stirring/transporting member, a developer carrying member, a developer supply port, a developer discharge port, a regulating portion, and a height adjustment opening. The developer container has a partition partitioning between first and second transport chambers, and communication portions through which the first and second transport chambers mutually communicate. The first and second stirring/transporting members stir and transport developer in the first and second transport chambers in opposite directions respectively. The regulating portion regulates movement of the developer toward a developer discharge port. The height adjustment opening is formed in the partition, and when the height of the developer in the second transport chamber is equal to or higher than a predetermined height, part of the developer passes through the height adjustment opening and moves to the first transport chamber. |
| US09846384B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a first moving member pressed and moved by an openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and switching a cartridge from a state where the cartridge is positioned in an image forming position to a state where the positioning is released; and a second moving member pressed and moved by the openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and moving the exposure member from an exposure position to a retracted position, wherein when the positioning of the cartridge is released, a reaction force applied from the first moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a first peak, when the exposure member is moved to the retracted position, a reaction force applied from the second moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a second peak, and timing of the first peak is different from timing of the second peak. |
| US09846383B2 |
Image formation device having determination of charge voltage
An image formation device in which an image carrier is charged by a charging member includes: a power source configured to supply a charge voltage to the charging member, the charge voltage being formed such that an AC voltage is superimposed on a DC voltage; a detection unit configured to detect an alternating current value flowing through the charging member; and a control unit configured to control a peak-to-peak voltage value of the AC voltage, wherein the control unit executes: first processing of sequentially supplying a plurality of charge voltages from the power source to the charging member in non-image formation; second processing of obtaining, from an alternating current value detection result, a third approximate function indicating a difference value between a first approximate function and a second approximate function; and third processing of determining one of different predetermined ranges and determining a peak-to-peak voltage value in image formation. |
| US09846372B2 |
Fluid handling structure, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus is disclosed, the fluid handling structure successively has, at a boundary from a space configured to contain immersion fluid to a region external to the fluid handling structure: an elongate opening or a plurality of openings arranged in a first line that, in use, are directed towards a substrate and/or a substrate table configured to support the substrate; a gas knife device having an elongate aperture in a second line; and an elongate opening or a plurality of openings adjacent the gas knife device. |
| US09846370B2 |
Support apparatus for an optical device, optical device and lithography system
A support device for an optical apparatus is disclosed. The support device includes first and second support elements. The support device also includes first and second flexure bearings. The first flexure bearing and the second flexure bearing each connect the first support element and the second support element to one another in a thermally conductive manner and hold the first support element in a manner movable in at least one first direction relative to the second support element. Spring forces generated by the first flexure bearing and the second flexure bearing partly or completely cancel one another out in the case of a movement of the first support element relative to the second support element in the first direction. |
| US09846367B2 |
Projection exposure apparatus with at least one manipulator
A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography includes a projection lens which includes a plurality of optical elements for imaging mask structures onto a substrate during an exposure process. The projection exposure apparatus also includes at least one manipulator configured to change, as part of a manipulator actuation, the optical effects of at least one of the optical elements within the projection lens by changing a state variable of the optical element along a predetermined travel. The projection exposure apparatus further includes an algorithm generator configured to generate a travel generating optimization algorithm, adapted to at least one predetermined imaging parameter, on the basis of the at least one predetermined imaging parameter. |
| US09846363B2 |
Processing liquid supplying apparatus and method of supplying processing liquid
A processing liquid supplying apparatus performs an ejecting step in which a processing liquid suctioned into a pump passes through a filter device and is ejected from an ejecting part without returning the processing liquid back to the pump; a returning step in which the processing liquid suctioned into the pump is returned to a processing liquid source side of a mixing section; and a replenishing step in which the processing liquid returned to the processing liquid source side is suctioned into the pump together with the processing liquid replenished from the processing liquid source. The processing liquid passes through the filter device in at least one of the returning step and the replenishing step. The amount of the processing liquid returned to the processing liquid source side in the returning step is larger than the amount of the processing liquid ejected from the ejecting part in the ejecting step. |
| US09846362B2 |
Conductive paste and method of producing conductive pattern
A conductive paste can form a minute conductive pattern having markedly high adhesion and exhibiting conductivity at relatively low temperatures. The conductive paste contains: a compound (A) having a primary amino group, a secondary amino group, and a tertiary amino group; a compound (B) having a carboxyl group; and a conductive filler (C). |
| US09846358B2 |
Photomask including transfer patterns for reducing a thermal stress
A photomask includes a light transmission substrate, and a transfer pattern disposed over the light transmission substrate, a shape of the transfer pattern being transferred onto a wafer by an exposure process. The transfer pattern comprises a first transfer pattern having a closed loop shape and having a first thickness, and a plurality of second transfer patterns disposed in an opening surrounded by the first transfer pattern, the plurality of second transfer patterns being arrayed in a first direction such that adjacent second transfer patterns are spaced apart from each other by a first distance, the second transfer patterns having a second thickness which is less than the first thickness of the first transfer pattern. |
| US09846354B2 |
Projection video display device with raisable/lowerable mirror
A projection video display device, which enlarges and projects an image from an image-displaying means, has a housing and a raisable/lowerable mirror and a power supply, a light source, and a lens unit inside the housing. The raisable/lowerable mirror covers a projection-light opening formed in the top surface of the housing and able to rotate with respect to the housing, and has a convex mirror on the inside surface thereof. The raisable/lowerable mirror covering the top surface of the housing forms a smoothly connected, smooth, convexly curved surface with no height difference between the edge of the raisable/lowerable mirror and the front edge of the opening, and a half-bowl-shaped concavity is formed on at least one side of the raisable/lowerable mirror in the direction of the axis of rotation thereof. |
| US09846350B2 |
Lens barrel, method of controlling lens barrel, camera body, method of controlling camera body, imaging device, and method of controlling imaging device
There is provided a lens barrel that can easily and reliably prevent an erroneous operation at the time of switching of a manual focus mode.A lens barrel body houses an imaging optical system including a focus lens. A focus operation ring rotates integrally with a first connection ring about an optical axis of the imaging optical system. A second connection ring is movable between an engagement position at which the second connection ring is engaged with the first connection ring and a cam ring and a disengagement position at which the second connection ring is not engaged with both of the first connection ring and the cam ring. A switching-operation ring is movable between a rotation-restriction position at which the switching-operation ring moves the second connection ring to the engagement position and a rotation-allowable position at which the switching-operation ring moves the second connection ring to the disengagement position. |
| US09846347B2 |
Balanced Mach-Zehnder modulator
An apparatus for modulating a beam of light with balanced push-pull mechanism. The apparatus includes a first waveguide comprising a first PN junction on a silicon-on-insulator substrate and a second waveguide comprising a second PN junction on the silicon-on-insulator substrate. The second PN junction is a replica of the first PN junction shifted with a distance. The apparatus further includes a first source electrode and a first ground electrode coupled respectively with the first PN junction and a second source electrode and a second ground electrode coupled respectively with the second PN junction. The apparatus additionally includes a third ground electrode disposed near the second PN junction at the distance away from the second ground electrode, wherein the first ground electrode, the second ground electrode, and the third ground electrode are commonly grounded to have both PN junctions subjected to a substantially same electric field varied in ground-source-ground pattern. |
| US09846344B2 |
Display panel, display device, display panel manufacturing method and display method
A display panel includes a display layer and two electrophoresis layers; the display layer is located between the two electrophoresis layers; the display layer has two display surfaces; each of the two electrophoresis layers comprises a plurality of electrophoresis units, and states of the electrophoresis units include transparent state and non-transparent state. The display panel can implement single-side display, two-side display and completely-transparent display and has a simple structure, thereby leading to a reduced thickness. |
| US09846342B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate; a gate line and a data line disposed on the first substrate; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; a pixel electrode positioned on the first substrate, connected to the thin film transistor, configured to be applied with a first voltage, and including a first sub-pixel electrode including a first sub-region and a second sub-region and a second sub-pixel electrode configured to be applied with a second voltage; a protrusion electrode protruding from the pixel electrode to overlap the data line; and an insulating layer positioned on the first sub-region of the first sub-pixel electrode and positioned under the second sub-pixel electrode and the second sub-region of the first sub-pixel electrode, wherein the first sub-region of the first sub-pixel electrode overlaps the second sub-pixel electrode. |
| US09846339B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a substrate on which a pixel region is defined, a first sub-pixel electrode in the pixel region on the substrate, an insulating layer on the first sub-pixel electrode, a second sub-pixel electrode in the pixel region on the insulating layer, a floating electrode in the pixel region on the insulating layer and disconnected from the second sub-pixel electrode, a liquid crystal layer on the second sub-pixel electrode and the floating electrode, and a common electrode disposed on the liquid crystal layer. The floating electrode includes first to fourth floating electrodes in first to fourth quadrants of the pixel region, respectively. The first to fourth floating electrodes are separated from one another, and the first sub-pixel electrode partially overlaps the second sub-pixel electrode and the first to fourth floating electrodes. |
| US09846336B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, each of the substrates having a display area and a non-display area; a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates; a column spacer in each of the display area and the non-display area on the first substrate; and a thin film layer stack in each of the display area and the non-display area on the second substrate, wherein a distance from the second substrate to an end of the thin film layer stack in the display area is identical to a distance from the second substrate to an end of the thin film layer stack in the non-display area. |
| US09846333B2 |
Manufacturing method of liquid crystal panel
A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal panel is provided with steps of: providing an array substrate having a first electrode with a plurality of slots and a second electrode thereon, and a color filter substrate; applying a first photo alignment film to the array substrate, and performing a first irradiation treatment on the first photo alignment film to have a first pretilt angle; applying a second photo alignment film to the color filter substrate, and performing a second irradiation treatment on the second photo alignment film to have a second pretilt angle antiparallel to the first pretilt angle; sealing a liquid crystal molecule and a photopolymerizable monomer within a space between the first photo alignment film and the second photo alignment film to form a liquid crystal panel; and performing a third irradiation treatment on the liquid crystal panel to carry out a polymerization of the photopolymerizable monomer. |
| US09846330B2 |
Display panel, display module and display method thereof, and display device
A display panel, a display module and a display method thereof, and a display device are provided. The display module includes a backlight module and a display panel. A driving circuit and a photosensor are provided on the display panel, and the photosensor is electrically connected with the driving circuit. When the backlight module receives a backlight control signal, the backlight module emits light based on a light emission frequency indicated by the backlight control signal, and the backlight control signal is converted from a display signal output from a host. The photosensor detects an optical signal generated by the backlight module, converts the optical signal into an electric signal, and transmits the electric signal to the driving circuit, such that the driving circuit drives the display panel to display an image. |
| US09846328B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes: a first insulating substrate; thin film transistors positioned on the first insulating substrate, and connected to gate lines and data lines which cross each other while being insulated; pixel electrodes connected to the thin film transistors; a second insulating substrate spaced so as to face the first insulating substrate; light blocking members positioned on the second insulating substrate; a common electrode positioned on the light blocking member; and a liquid crystal layer injected between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, in which one pixel includes the thin film transistor and the pixel electrode, and the plurality of pixels are disposed to be symmetric to a y-axis. |
| US09846326B2 |
Light diffusion member, method for manufacturing same, and display device
A light diffusion member includes a substrate that has optical transparency, a light diffusion portion that is formed with a prescribed height on one surface of the substrate, a light shielding layer that is formed with a thickness less than the height of the light diffusion portion in another region of the one surface of the substrate than the light diffusion portion, and an antiglare layer that is formed on the other surface of the substrate. The light diffusion portion includes a light emission end surface that contacts with the substrate, a light incident end surface that faces the light emission end surface and has a larger area than an area of the light emission end surface, and a side surface that is formed between the light emission end surface and the light incident end surface, and the antiglare layer includes a binder layer and plural light diffusion particles that are dispersedly arranged in the binder layer. |
| US09846323B2 |
Display apparatus and manufacturing method thereof
A display apparatus includes a plurality of pixel units and each pixel unit includes a substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, an image display part and a protective layer. The first electrode is formed on the substrate. The second electrode is formed over the first electrode while interposing a first insulating layer therebetween to define a TSC (tunnel-shaped cavity) extending in a first direction between the first and second electrodes. The image display part is provided in the TSC to display an image according to an electric field generated by the first and second electrodes. The protective layer covers the second electrode and seals the TSC. The display apparatus having the above structure is manufactured by forming the first electrode, a sacrificial layer and the second electrode and forming the image display part by removing the sacrificial layer. |
| US09846318B2 |
Controlling bias voltages for optical modulators
Methods and apparatus for controlling a bias voltage (20) supplied to an optical modulator that comprises a biasable component configurable to be biased by application of the bias voltage (20), the method comprising: providing a target for the modulator output power; applying, to the biasable component, a bias voltage (20) that biases the biasable component so that the output power is within a pre-defined range of the target; monitoring the output power and, if the output power of the modulator is determined to be outside the pre-defined range, varying the value of the bias voltage (20) to bring the output power back within the pre-defined range; and monitoring the optical input to the modulator and, if it has been disabled, maintaining the bias voltage (20) at its current level for a pre-determined length of time that is dependent upon how long the modulator has been operating at quadrature. |
| US09846316B2 |
Vent arrangement for eyeglass frames
Eyeglasses include rims, at least one temple member connected to the rims, and at least one lens with a perimeter edge. The perimeter edge of the lens includes an upper perimeter edge, a lateral perimeter edge, a lower perimeter edge, and a medial perimeter edge. The rims are configured to retain the at least one lens with the upper perimeter edge of the lens engaging the rims. A vent arrangement is provided between the lens and the rims. The vent arrangement includes an opening between a lateral side of the rims and the lateral perimeter edge of the lens. |
| US09846313B2 |
Devices, apparatus and method for providing photostimulation and imaging of structures
According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide method, system, arrangement, computer-accessible medium and device to stimulate individual neurons in brain slices in any arbitrary spatio-temporal pattern, using two-photon uncaging of photo-sensitive compounds such as MNI-glutamate and/or RuBi-Glutamate with beam multiplexing. Such exemplary method and device can have single-cell and three-dimensional precision. For example, by sequentially stimulating up to a thousand potential presynaptic neurons, it is possible to generate detailed functional maps of inputs to a cell. In addition, it is possible to combine this exemplary approach with two-photon calcium imaging in an all-optical method to image and manipulate circuit activity. Further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can include a light-weight, compact portable device providing for uses in a wide variety of applications. |
| US09846311B2 |
Method and apparatus for forming a visible image in space
A device that creates visible light in space comprises of a light source and optics system that result in irradiated visible spectrum light rays with a low intensity such that the light is not visible by the normal observer. Multiple rays of visible-spectrum low-intensity non-visible light intersect. When the constructive intensity of the intersecting light is above the threshold for being visible then light appears at that place. The light rays to and from the visible light remain non-visible. The addition of irradiated visible light results in additional visual effects. The visible light can be moved in space, and form multi-dimensional images and holograms. User and programmable controls, with communication abilities and data storage, can mediate the light source and optics to control the visible image. |
| US09846304B2 |
Display method and display apparatus in which a part of a screen area is in a through-state
Display control that extends a user's visual ability is accomplished. By wearing an eyeglass-type or headgear-type mounting unit, he or she is allowed to see display means disposed in front of his or her eyes. By causing a part of a screen area of the display means to be in a through-state and a display with a display image signal to be executed, the user can see an image of a scene different from a scene that he or she ordinarily sees with a display of the display image signal while he or she can see the ordinary visual scene with the through-state area. |
| US09846302B2 |
Optical see-through glass type display device and corresponding optical element
An optical see-through glass type display device comprises: an image projector projecting a virtual image; a first optical element configured to guide light of the virtual image; and a second optical element having a first reflection surface for reflecting back light coming through the front surface of the second optical element and a second reflection surface for retro-reflecting light coming through the rear surface of the second optical element. The second optical element is switchable between a first state in which the reflection on the first and second reflection surfaces is enabled and a second state in which the reflection on the first and second reflection surfaces is disabled. |
| US09846299B2 |
Telescope and telescope array for use in spacecraft
A catadioptric telescope is a modified version of a conventional Maksutov-Cassegrain optical telescope. In accordance with the invention, the reflecting surfaces of the primary mirror and the secondary spot mirror are on the second surfaces of the primary mirror and correcting lens, respectively. In further accordance with the invention, two of these telescopes can be joined together to form a binocular telescope array. The array can be easily customized to suit different remote sensing/satellite applications. |
| US09846296B2 |
Subminiature optical system and portable device including the same
There are provided a subminiature optical system having a miniature size and capable of obtaining a narrow view angle using only five sheets of lenses, and a portable device having the same. The subminiature optical system includes a first lens convex toward the object side and having positive refractive power. a second lens concave toward an image side and having negative refractive power, a third lens convex toward the object side and having positive refractive power, a fourth lens concave toward the image plane and having negative refractive power, and a fifth lens convex toward the image plane and having negative or positive refractive power, sequentially from an object side. |
| US09846294B2 |
Adjustment system for aligning optical elements or samples in vacuum
The invention concerns an adjustment system for aligning optical elements and/or samples in vacuum (3) for projecting electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz range up to the range of hard X-ray radiation, consisting of at least one vacuum chamber (3″), at least one mirror (3′) adjustable in spatial direction and/or at least one optical element adjustable in spatial direction or at least one sample adjustable in spatial direction, with translational actuators (X1, X2, Z1, Z2, Z3) in the undeflected state (idle state) being provided for adjusting the alignment of the at least one mirror (3′) adjustable in spatial direction and/or the at least one optical element adjustable in spatial direction or the at least one sample adjustable in spatial direction in a maximum of three essentially mutually perpendicular spatial directions (X, Y, Z, y, y, z).Pursuant to the invention it is provided that the at least one mirror (3′) adjustable in spatial direction (X, Y, Z, y, y, z) and/or the at least one optical element adjustable in spatial direction (X, Y, Z, y, y, z) or sample within the vacuum chamber (3″) is mounted in a fixed position in relation to the vacuum chamber (3″), with the vacuum chamber (3″) being directly or indirectly connected with the translational actuators (X1, X2, Z1, Z2, Z3) for aligning the spatial position of the mirror and/or the optical element or the sample.This setup facilitates a very compact and small design of the vacuum chamber and achieves a very high precision of the alignment. |
| US09846292B2 |
Coated optical fiber, optical fiber ribbon, and optical cable
The purpose of the present invention is to provide, by a configuration or method different from conventional art, a coated optical fiber enabling reduced interface delamination between a glass fiber and a primary coating layer when the coated optical fiber is immersed in water, and a reduction of transmission loss increase. A coated optical fiber according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a glass fiber, a primary coating layer coated on the glass fiber, a secondary coating layer coated on the primary coating layer, and a colored layer coated on the secondary coating layer. The coated optical fiber is configured so that small water bubbles are generated substantially evenly within the primary coating layer when the coated optical fiber is immersed for 200 days in warm water of 60° C. |
| US09846290B1 |
Tool system for routing an optical fiber or cable through walls at customer premises
A tool system for threading an optical fiber through a hole formed in a wall at customer premises, and for protecting the fiber inside the wall. A tool body has forwardly projecting fingers for capturing a connector at an end of the fiber from a direction approaching a front face of the connector. A back end of the tool body is arranged to engage a rod handle of such length that its free end can be threaded through the hole and out the opposite side of the wall. Using the handle, the tool body is pulled through the hole along with a captured connector and associated fiber. A hole plug has a hollow cylindrical body and an access slit for passing the fiber inside the body for protection. The plug body has teeth for engaging the premises wall and retaining the plug at a desired angular position in the wall. |
| US09846288B2 |
Fiber optic devices and methods of manufacturing fiber optic devices
A fiber optic device includes a support having one or more optical fibers coupled to the support and a base that includes one or more optoelectronic devices. The support is coupled to the base such that one or more of the optoelectronic devices are optically coupled to one or more of the optical fibers. A portion of the one or more optical fibers that is in contact with the support may be bent and one or more of the optoelectronic devices may be optically coupled to the bent portion of one or more of the optical fibers. |
| US09846287B2 |
Method of cooling stacked, pluggable optical transceivers
An optical transceiver cooling assembly includes stacked cages mounted to a PCB. A heat radiator also is mounted on the PCB. Cooling devices (e.g., heat pipes) are coupled to the heat radiator and at least one of the cages. In some embodiments, the cages may include a divider that extends beyond the cage and is coupled to at least one of the cooling devices outside the cage. In some embodiments, the cooling devices extend into the cage and may be coupled together. |
| US09846280B2 |
Monolithic two-dimensional optical fiber array
A two-dimensional (2D) optical fiber array component takes the form of a (relatively inexpensive) fiber guide block that is mated with a precision output element. The guide block and output element are both formed to include a 2D array of through-holes that exhibit a predetermined pitch. The holes formed in the guide block are relatively larger than those in precision output element. A loading tool is used to hold a 1×N array of fibers in a fixed position that exhibits the desired pitch. The loaded tool (holding the pre-aligned 1×N array of fibers) is then inserted through the aligned combination of the guide block and output element, and the fiber array is bonded to the guide block. The tool is then removed, re-loaded, and the process continued until all of the 1×N fiber arrays are in place. By virtue of using a precision tool to load the fibers, the guide block does not have to be formed to exhibit precise through-hole dimensions, allowing for a relatively inexpensive guide block to be used. |
| US09846279B2 |
Apparatus and method for optical time domain reflectometry
An optical signal routing device may include a first lens, second lens and a wavelength division multiplexer (“WDM”) filter positioned between the first and second lenses. The WDM filter may reflect a signal of a first wavelength with a first attenuation and pass the first wavelength signal attenuated by at most a second attenuation to the second lens, the first attenuation exceeding the second attenuation by a first predetermined amount. The WDM filter may reflect a signal of a second wavelength different than the first wavelength with at most a third attenuation, the first attenuation exceeding the third attenuation by at least a second predetermined amount. The device may further include a reflector positioned to reflect the first wavelength signal reflected by the WDM filter toward the WDM filter with at least a fourth attenuation, the fourth attenuation exceeding the second attenuation by at least a third predetermined amount. |
| US09846277B1 |
Semiconductor devices
Examples herein relate to semiconductor devices having contacts that provide low contact resistance for both p-type and n-type materials. An example semiconductor device includes a semiconductor device layer having at least one of a p-type material or a n-type material. A contact is manufactured on the semiconductor device layer with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process. The contact includes a first layer having palladium coupled with a surface of the semiconductor device layer, a conducting second layer coupled with the first layer, and a third layer having germanium coupled with the second conducting layer. |
| US09846276B2 |
Low-cost fiber optic sensor for large strains
A fiber grating device of low cost and arbitrary length is formed on a portion of a portion or the entirety of a highly elastic fiber optic core having a low Young's modulus of elasticity by causing elongation of the fiber optic core and forming or depositing a hard skin or cladding on the elongated fiber optic core. When the stress is then released, the hard skin or cladding buckles (including elastic or plastic deformation or both) to form wrinkles at the interface of the fiber optic core and the hard skin or cladding which are oriented circumferentially and highly uniform in height and spacing which can be varied at will by choice of materials, stretching, and thickness and composition of the cladding. Since the elastic elongation of the fiber optic core portion may be 200% or greater, an unprecedented measurement range is provided. |
| US09846274B2 |
Frame utilized in fingerprint recognition plate, manufacturing method thereof, and light guide mechanism with the frame
A frame utilized in a fingerprint recognition plate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a light guide mechanism with the frame including the frame with a hollow portion, light emitting diodes, and a light guide plate. The manufacturing method includes: forming a frame containing mixed materials having plastic materials and metallic materials in a manner of injection molding, forming patterns on the frame in a manner of laser engraving, and forming electric conductive portions in the patterns of the frame in a manner of electroplating or electroless plating. The frame is formed with electric conductive circuit. The light emitting diodes are mounted on the electric conductive portions of the frame by surface mount technology (SMT) process. Light rays emitted by the light emitting diodes can be transmitted in the light guide plate. When the frame is formed via the laser engraving process combining with electroplating process, the frame can be minimized. |
| US09846268B2 |
Backlight unit
A back light unit includes a light source and a light guide unit having a first surface emitting light to a display panel, a second surface facing the first surface, and a plurality of connecting surfaces connecting the first surface and the second surface. The connecting surfaces includes a first side surface, a second side surfaces and a third side surface between the first side surface and a second side surface, A first included angle of the first incident surface and the first diffusion surface is equal to or greater than about 90 degree. |
| US09846267B2 |
Optical observation device
An optical observation system includes a spatial light modulator displaying a Fresnel type kinoform on a phase modulation plane, and modulating light L1 in phase to irradiate an observation object with modulated light L2, an imaging optical system imaging observation target light L3 from the observation object, an optical system moving mechanism moving the imaging optical system in an optical axis direction of the observation target light L3, and a control section controlling the optical system moving mechanism such that the focal position of the imaging optical system changes in response to a change in the light condensing position of the modulated light L2 by the Fresnel type kinoform. |
| US09846263B2 |
Metal oxide dispersion and uses thereof
The present invention provides a metal oxide dispersion comprises a metal oxide, a millbase and a dispersant. The dispersant in the metal oxide is selected from a group consisting of a phosphoric acid polyester copolymer, a trimethoxysilane compound, a triethoxysilanes compound, dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and a combination thereof, and the dispersion is substantially free of water. The metal oxide dispersion of the invention is useful for manufacturing an inkjet ink to provide a high-quality color image on a contact lens or a mold so as to produce a colored contact lens. |
| US09846260B2 |
Systems and methods to build sedimentary attributes
A method and system for computing and visualizing sedimentary attributes may include receiving, by a processor, paleo-geographic coordinates representing predicted approximate positions of particles of sediment deposited at a time period when a layer was originally formed. The processor may numerically compute or determine a sedimentation rate that varies laterally along the layer. The processor may determine a sedimentary attribute based on the lateral variation of the sedimentation rate along the layer with respect to the paleo-geographic coordinates. A monitor or display may display the sedimentary attribute of the layer in the present-day geological space. |
| US09846257B2 |
Mobile back scattering imaging security inspection apparatus and method
The present disclosure provides a mobile back scattering imaging security inspection apparatus, comprising: a back scattering scanner (2), a detector (3), a controller (4), and a movable stage (1) configured to carry the back scattering scanner, the detector and the controller and being movable with respect to the object to be inspected; wherein the back scattering scanner is a distributed X-ray source comprising a plurality of target points (201), each of which is able to emit the ray beam individually, and wherein the back scattering scanner, the detector and the controller perform an imaging security inspection operation on the object to be inspected during moving along with the movable stage with respect to the object. |
| US09846252B2 |
Proximity sensor and mobile communication device thereof
A proximity sensor and a mobile communication device thereof are provided. The mobile communication device includes an antenna structure, a matching circuit, a capacitance sensing circuit and a processing circuit. The matching circuit couples to the antenna structure. The capacitance sensing circuit couples to the matching circuit. The capacitance sensing circuit senses a capacitance variation on the antenna structure via the matching circuit and accordingly generates a proximity sensing signal. The processing circuit is coupled to the capacitance sensing circuit to receive the proximity sensing signal. When a signal level of the proximity sensing signal exceeds a first threshold value, an object is determined approaching, and when the signal level of the proximity sensing signal exceeds a second threshold value, a human body is determines approaching. The first and the second threshold value are different. |
| US09846250B2 |
System for automatically attaching and detaching seismic nodes directly to a deployment cable
Embodiments, including apparatuses, systems and methods, for automatically attaching and detaching seismic devices to a deployment cable, including a plurality of autonomous seismic nodes. A node installation system may include a moveable node carrier coupled to a cable detection device and a node attachment device that is configured to move a direct attachment mechanism on a node into a locking or closed position about the deployment cable. In an embodiment for retrieval and/or detachment operations, the system may also be configured to automatically detect the position of a node and remove the node from the deployment line by actuating the direct attachment mechanism into an open or unlocked position. Other devices besides a node may be attached and detached from the deployment line if they are coupled to one or more direct attachment mechanisms. |
| US09846246B2 |
Method and apparatus with tiled image sensors
An M×N array of sensor tiles are attached to a substrate using a compliant layer that includes an adhesive. A thickness of the compliant layer varies depending on a thickness of the sensor tiles so that outward facing sides of the sensor tiles are substantially aligned. |
| US09846245B2 |
Radiographic image capturing apparatus and radiographic image capturing system
A radiographic image capturing apparatus includes: a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels outputting an electrical signal corresponding to radiation are arranged; a readout circuit section; and a member for preventing radiation from entering the readout circuit section. The pixel array includes a first region in which some pixels used for generating image signals are arranged, and a second region in which other pixels not used for generating the image signals are arranged in at least part of a region around the first region. From an outer side toward an inner side of the pixel array, an end on the inner side of the readout circuit section disposed in the second region, an end on the inner side of an orthogonal projection of the member to the pixel array, and an end on the inner side of the second region are arranged in this order. |
| US09846243B2 |
Method for calibrating spatial errors, and method and system for estimating the attitude of a vehicle
A method for calibrating spatial errors induced by phase biases having a detrimental effect on the measurements of phase differences of radio signals received by three unaligned receiving antennas of a vehicle. An inter-satellite angular deviation of a pair of satellites is estimated in two different ways: on the basis of the respective positions of the vehicle and of the satellites to obtain a theoretical inter-satellite angular deviation; and on the basis of the respective directions of incidence of the satellites relative to the vehicle, which are determined from phase measurements, to obtain an estimated inter-satellite angular deviation. The space errors are estimated on the basis of said theoretical and estimated inter-satellite angular deviations. Also, a method and system for estimating the attitude of a vehicle, in particular a spacecraft. |
| US09846240B2 |
Multi-level/multi-threshold/multi-persistency GPS/GNSS atomic clock monitoring
Methods and apparatus to monitor GPS/GNSS atomic clocks are disclosed. An example method includes establishing a measured difference between an atomic frequency standard (AFS) and a monitoring device. The method also includes modeling an estimated difference model between the AFS and the monitoring device, and computing a residual signal based on the measured difference and the estimated difference model. In addition, the method includes analyzing, by a first detector, the residual signal at multiple thresholds, each of the thresholds having a corresponding persistency defining the number of times a threshold is exceeded before one or more of a phase jump, a rate jump, or an acceleration error is indicated. Furthermore, the method includes analyzing, by a second detector, a parameter of the estimated difference model at multiple thresholds, each of the thresholds having a corresponding persistency defining the number of times a drift threshold is exceeded before a drift is indicated. |
| US09846237B2 |
Apparatus, system and method of time preservation
Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of time preservation. For example, an apparatus may include a time controller to preserve a time of a clock of a mobile device based on signals received by the mobile device from less than four location origin transmitters, the time controller is to determine the time based on a position of a location origin transmitter of the less than four location origin transmitters and one or more parameters relating to a transmission path between the location origin transmitter and the mobile device. |
| US09846232B1 |
Use of multi-beam sonar systems to generate point cloud data and models; data registration in underwater metrology applications
Use of sonar systems to collect dimensional and relational data for use in metrology, mapping, object and structure detection, survey and evaluation applications is disclosed. Systems and methods for collecting underwater data sets, using registration targets, for data registration of underwater acoustic data sets, as well as for data registration of underwater acoustic data sets with above-the-waterline data sets (e.g., laser-based data sets) are described. |
| US09846231B2 |
Wearable obstacle-detection device, and corresponding method and computer program product
A device for detecting obstacles that is wearable by a subject, for example integrated in an item of footwear. The device includes an ultrasound source for emitting an ultrasound transmission signal and an ultrasound receiver for receiving a corresponding ultrasound signal reflected by an obstacle, a control module for measuring a time of flight between emission of the ultrasound transmission signal and reception of the corresponding ultrasound signal reflected by the obstacle and calculating, on the basis of the aforesaid time of flight, the distance at which the obstacle is located. The device comprises an inertial sensor, in particular an acceleration sensor, designed to measure acceleration of the foot along three axes, and a control module configured for enabling operation of the ultrasound source if the aforesaid acceleration values measured by the inertial sensor respect a given condition for enabling measurement of the time of flight. |
| US09846225B2 |
Ultrasonic sensor device having a stiffening unit, assembly, motor vehicle, and method for producing an assembly
The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor device (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising an ultrasonic sensor (2), which has a membrane (5) for emitting and/or receiving ultrasonic waves, and comprising a stiffening unit (15) for attachment to a trim element (27) of the motor vehicle and for stiffening the trim element (27), wherein the stiffening unit (15) has a through-opening (17) for the membrane (5) of the ultrasonic sensor (2), wherein the stiffening unit (15) is formed from at least two separate stiffening elements (18 to 21) for attachment to a trim element (27). |
| US09846224B2 |
Ultrasound imaging method and device with prediction of artefacts induced between reconstruction modes
The invention relates to an ultrasound imaging method for imaging a part (1), characterized by the implementation of the following steps: selecting a first sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}) of the part from a first image (IA(Z)) of a region (Z) of the part (1), determining, for each point of the first selected sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}), the times of flight (TijA({tilde over (Z)})) corresponding to the paths according to a first reconstruction mode (A) going through the point from a transmitter i to a receiver j for a set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples of an ultrasound signal; determining a second sub-region of the part, a point (P) of the region belonging to the second sub-region when a time of flight (TijB(P)) of the path according to a second reconstruction mode (B) going through the point (P) from a transmitter i to a receiver j of said set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples coincides with a time of flight (TA({tilde over (Z)})) of a path according to the first reconstruction mode from a transmitter to a receiver from the transmitter i to the receiver j going through one of the points of the first selected sub-region. |
| US09846222B2 |
System and method for estimating the position and orientation of a mobile communications device in a beacon-based positioning system
An example of a lighting device including a light source, a modulator and a processor. The processor is configured to control the light source to emit light for general illumination and control the modulator to modulate the intensity of the emitted light to superimpose at least two sinusoids. Frequencies of the at least two sinusoids enable a mobile device to infer the physical location of the lighting device. |
| US09846218B2 |
Calbration of a sensor assembly for use in medical position/orientation tracking
A position and orientation system and method is provided. A magnetoresistance sensor is provided having a sensor array configured to measure magnetic fields and a metallic coil positioned within the magnetoresistance sensor. In certain embodiments, the magnetic coil may be used to generate a known magnetic field that, when measured by the sensor array, may be used to determine or update a calibration constant for the system. |
| US09846215B2 |
MRI embodiments for controlling an arrangement order of multiple echoes in a k-space
To avoid discontinuities between echoes from becoming large level differences in a k-space and to reduce artifacts generated in a reconstructed image due to the discontinuities in the k-space, an MRI apparatus of the present invention uses phase characteristics of multiple echoes to be collected after a single RF excitation to control an arrangement order in the k-space where the multiple echoes are arranged when a pulse sequence of the fast spin echo method that collects the multiple echoes using a spin flip after a single RF excitation is executed. The arrangement is controlled so that echoes with small phase errors between the echoes at least near the center of the k-space are adjacent to each other. |
| US09846214B2 |
Magnetic resonance image reconstruction for undersampled data acquisitions
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods to effect improved MR image reconstruction for undersampled data acquisitions are described. The improved MR image reconstruction is performed by iteratively using compressed sensing to reconstruct an MR image based upon at least one sensitivity map by minimizing a predetermined function which is based upon the MR image and coefficients of the at least one sensitivity map, and updating the at least one sensitivity map by minimizing the predetermined function. |
| US09846213B2 |
Optimization of the noise development of a 3D gradient echo sequence in a magnetic resonance system
In a method according to optimize the noise development of a 3D gradient echo sequence in a magnetic resonance system, an optimization of at least one parameter of the gradient echo sequence, from the group including: the excitation pulse (the duration of the excitation pulse); the order of k-space lines to be scanned in k-space; and the readout direction of the k-space lines to be scanned in k-space, is implemented such that the gradients to be switched have optimally minimal slew rates, amplitudes and/or polarity changes. |
| US09846212B2 |
Method and apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging
In a method and apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging, in order to improve saturation of magnetic resonance signals during an acquisition sequence, the acquisition sequence includes at least one acquisition cycle, that includes: a preparation pulse set with a number of preparation pulses, a saturation pulse set that is disjoint from the preparation pulse set, with a number of saturation pulses, and a readout block set with a number of readout blocks. The acquisition cycle is temporally divided into a preparation phase and a readout phase, wherein the readout phase is temporally delimited from the preparation phase, and the readout phase follows the preparation phase in the acquisition cycle, and wherein the preparation phase includes at least one preparation pulse of the preparation pulse set, at least one saturation pulse of the saturation pulse set and no readout block of the readout block set, and the readout phase includes at least one saturation pulse of the saturation pulse set and at least one readout block of the readout block set. |
| US09846208B2 |
Method and apparatus for acquiring a magnetic resonance image data set and magnetic resonance device
In a method and apparatus for acquiring a magnetic resonance image data set of a scan area of an examination subject, the image data are acquired with a magnetic resonance apparatus having a transmitter coil that emits a radio-frequency signal having at least two transmission channels so that different polarizations of the radio-frequency signal are produced, and a magnetic resonance sequence is used to acquire raw data for the magnetic resonance image data set, wherein raw data are acquired during at least two scanning operations with the magnetic resonance sequence, with different polarizations of the radio-frequency signals being used for at least two of the at least two scanning operations, following which the magnetic resonance image data set is determined by averaging the raw data. |
| US09846205B1 |
Magnetic field generating coil on sensor die
An integrated circuit includes a magnetic sensor and a magnetic field generating coil. A control circuit on the integrated circuit responds to an activation indication received by the integrated circuit to cause activation of generation of a first magnetic field by the magnetic field generating coil. The control circuit responds to a subsequent activation indication to generate a second magnetic field different from the first magnetic field. The first magnetic field may have a polarity opposite to a polarity of the second magnetic field. A communication interface may be used to communicate one or more indications associated with an expected magnetic field strength, such as coil resistance, and a measured magnetic field strength measured by the magnetic sensor. The magnetic field generating coil may be coaxial with the magnetic sensor and the magnetic field generating coil may have an inner diameter greater than a diameter of the magnetic sensor. |
| US09846204B2 |
Stress and temperature compensated hall sensor, and method
An integrated semiconductor device for measuring a magnetic field, comprising: a Hall sensor, a first lateral isotropic sensor having a first stress sensitivity and a first temperature sensitivity, a second lateral isotropic sensor having a second stress sensitivity and a second temperature sensitivity, optional amplifying means, digitization means; and calculation means configured for calculating a stress and temperature compensated Hall value in the digital domain, based on a predefined formula which can be expressed as an n-th order polynomial in only two parameters. These parameters may be obtained directly from the sensor elements, or they may be calculated from a set of two simultaneous equations. A method of obtaining a Hall voltage signal, and compensating said signal for stress and temperature drift. |
| US09846203B2 |
Storage battery state detection apparatus and storage battery state detection method
It is possible to accurately estimate a starting current and calculate a precise starting minimum voltage without being influenced by a change in a storage battery state or a starting state by updating a current/voltage correlation characteristic corresponding to a deterioration state of a storage battery each time a current/voltage data set obtained when a starter is driven is newly stored in association with the deterioration state of the storage battery and by calculating the starting current corresponding to a present voltage immediately before start in accordance with the current/voltage correlation characteristic corresponding to the present deterioration state of the storage battery when determination is made as to whether or not to drive the starter. |
| US09846199B2 |
Health management of rechargeable batteries
A vehicle includes a body and at least one propulsion unit operatively coupled to the body. The vehicle also includes an electrical power system at least partially disposed within the body. The electrical power system includes a rechargeable battery and a health management unit operatively coupled to the rechargeable battery. The health management unit includes a state of health module configured to output information corresponding to battery health based on received battery-related data. The battery-related data includes data collected in real time operation of the rechargeable battery and battery relevant fault history of the vehicle. |
| US09846198B2 |
Battery management system, battery, motor vehicle having a battery management system, and method for monitoring a battery
A battery management system includes a control unit having a first micro controller arranged on the low-voltage side of the control unit, and a second micro controller arranged on the high-voltage side of the control unit. The system further includes a plurality of first voltage measuring units respectively assigned to a battery module of the battery, and a first communication connection for transmitting voltage values from the first voltage measuring units to the first micro controller. The system also has a plurality of second voltage measuring units and a second communication connection for transmitting voltage values from the second voltage measuring units to the second micro controller. The first or the second voltage measuring units are configured as min/max measuring units such that they detect a minimum and a maximum voltage value of the battery cells in the battery modules, and dismiss voltage measurement values in between. |
| US09846197B2 |
Battery control IC and control method therefore
A battery control IC includes a voltage measurement unit that measures, in a normal current mode, a voltage value of each of a plurality of unit battery cells forming a battery pack, and measures, in a short-time large-current mode, a voltage value of a unit battery cell that has exhibited a lowest voltage value in the normal current mode, and a calculation unit that calculates an available power value of the battery pack in the short-time large-current mode based on a voltage value, measured in the short-time large-current mode, of the unit battery cell that has exhibited the lowest voltage value in the normal current mode. |
| US09846194B2 |
Electrostatic protection circuit and semiconductor device including the same
An electrostatic protection circuit may include a test pad configured to receive a first signal in a test mode. The electrostatic protection circuit may include a bump array configured to receive a second signal in a normal mode. The electrostatic protection circuit may include a buffer array configured to transmit the first signal or the second signal into a semiconductor device. The electrostatic protection circuit may include an electrostatic protection unit coupled with the test pad and the bump array, and configured to block static electricity included in the first signal and the second signal. |
| US09846189B2 |
Techniques for characterizing a transmission line
Examples are disclosed for characterizing a transmission line. Sets of scatter parameters (s-parameters) associated with measured or modeled insertion loss (IL) or return loss (RL) values over a range of frequencies may be acquired for a transmission line. One or more parameter values for use in IL or RL fit functions may be adjusted to reach a threshold for a coefficient of determination (R2) value of a curve generated using the IL or RL fit functions to approximate the set of s-parameters over the range of frequencies. The IL or RL fit functions may then be used to generate other sets of s-parameters associated with IL or RL values for a recreated model of the transmission line. The other sets of s-parameters may be scaled to characterize transmission lines of various lengths. Other examples are described and claimed. |
| US09846184B2 |
Combinatorial mask triggering in time or frequency domain
Embodiments of the invention include methods and instruments for performing combinatorial mask triggering. One or more mask triggers can be configured. Combinatorial mask triggering logic can make various determinations about the relationship between a digitized signal and the one or more mask triggers. The various determinations about the relationship can include considerations of both space and time. When the combinatorial trigger criteria have been satisfied, a trigger signal is generated, and the digital data associated with an incoming signal is stored to memory. The combinatorial mask triggering logic can operate on signals in the frequency domain, the time domain, or both. |
| US09846181B2 |
Flux-gate current sensor with additional frequency measuring
A current sensor arrangement for measuring an effective primary current in a primary conductor having a magnetic core for magnetic coupling of the primary conductor to a secondary conductor and a controlled voltage source connected to the secondary conductor and configured to apply a voltage with adjustable polarity to the secondary conductor so that a secondary current passes through the secondary conductor. A measurement and control unit is coupled to the secondary conductor and configured to generate a measuring signal that represents the secondary current, to continuously detect the occurrence of magnetic saturation in the core, and to reverse the polarity of the voltage upon the detection thereof in order to reverse magnetization of the core. Furthermore, the measurement and control unit is configured to evaluate a spectrum of the measuring signal and determine a frequency of a current passing through the primary conductor based on the spectrum. |
| US09846177B2 |
Method for checking a probe for measuring the pressure of a flow
A method for detecting the blocking of a drain hole of a pressure measurement probe by means of an acoustic checking device, the probe comprising an internal volume provided with at least one drain hole communicating with the outside of the volume, the checking device being able to be connected to the internal volume of the probe and comprising means for measuring an acoustic imprint of the internal volume. The method comprises: measuring an acoustic imprint by plugging the at least one drain hole from the outside of the volume; measuring an acoustic imprint without plugging the at least one drain hole from the outside of the volume; and comparing the two measured acoustic imprints. |
| US09846172B2 |
Automated apparatus and methods for dispensing fluids into microplates utilizing microwell covers
Automated apparatus and methods for dispensing fluids into microplates utilizing microwell covers, the covers comprising open portions to allow a pipette access to one or more wells and impermeable portions which prevent the fluids from getting into wells shielded by the impermeable portion. The open portions and impermeable portions are preferably arranged and sized to align with alternating rows of wells in a particular microplate. Preferred covers are movably positioned on the microplate. Automated dispensing apparatus for use with microplates and microwell covers comprises a programmable controller, and suitable interfaces which allow the apparatus to be programmed, and which control a dispensing head such that pipettes are moved in the desired manner in order to take advantage of the protective features of the microwell covers. The apparatus also preferably comprises at least one transfer mechanism for moving a cover relative to a microplate at a dispensing station. |
| US09846171B2 |
Automated analyzer
A control section causes one dispensing mechanism of either a reagent dispensing mechanism or a sample dispensing mechanism to first discharge a predetermined amount of a liquid into the reaction container, and then, with respect to the cases where the amount of a liquid to be discharged by the other dispensing mechanism is larger or smaller than the amount of the liquid in the reaction container, causes the other dispensing mechanism to discharge the liquid such that the discharge speed in the case where the amount of the liquid to be discharged is larger is decreased relative to the discharge speed in the case where the amount of the liquid to be discharged is smaller. |
| US09846170B2 |
Automated analyzer
To provide an automated analyzer adapted for accommodating a larger number of reagent cassettes to meet calls for increases in analytical throughput and in the number of analytical items, and thus using the accommodated reagent cassettes more efficiently. An automated analyzer body 100 includes a main reagent buffer 4 for storing a plurality of reagent cassettes each containing a reagent used for analysis and a subsidiary reagent buffer 12. A reagent cassette transfer 11 transfers the reagent cassettes from the main reagent buffer to the subsidiary reagent buffer, and vice versa. A control unit 200 operates so that when a reagent cassette that is not set in the main reagent buffer is to be used for an assigned analysis, the reagent cassette for the assigned analysis is transferred from the subsidiary reagent buffer to the main reagent buffer. |
| US09846166B2 |
Biosensor using cell that expresses chemosensory receptor that can detect sugar, and alzheimer's disease diagnostic apparatus comprising same
The present invention relates to a biosensor that uses a cell that expresses a chemosensory receptor that can detect sugar, and an Alzheimer's disease diagnostic apparatus comprising the same. The biosensor and the Alzheimer's disease diagnostic apparatus of the present invention can sensitively detect a particular sugar in a sample, more inexpensively and more quickly, by fixing a drosophila cell having an over-expressed target sensory receptor protein on the cell surface through genetic engineering, and can thereby be efficaciously used for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. |
| US09846164B2 |
Detection of human somatic cell reprogramming
The methods and kits described herein are based, in part, to the discovery of a phenotype representing a fully-reprogrammed iPS cell and several reprogramming intermediates. The methods and kits described herein permit identification of fully-reprogrammed iPS cells and further permits one of skill in the art to monitor the emergence of iPS cells during the reprogramming process. The methods/kits can also be performed using real time using live cell imaging. Also described herein are methods for screening candidate reprogramming agents by monitoring the emergence of fully-reprogrammed iPS cells in the presence and absence of such an agent. |
| US09846162B2 |
Immune biomarkers and assays predictive of clinical response to immunotherapy for cancer
The present invention relates to predictors of a cancer patient's responsiveness to immunotherapy for cancer. |
| US09846160B2 |
Ganglioside GD2 as a marker and target on cancer stem cells
Methods for determining the presence of cancer stem cells by detecting GD2 expression. Also provided are methods for reducing proliferation of cancer stem cells by contacting the cells with a GD2 targeting agent, such as an anti-GD2 antibody or a GD3 synthase inhibitor. GD3 synthase inhibitor compounds are also provided. |
| US09846158B2 |
Predictive biomarkers for ovarian cancer
Methods are provided for predicting the presence, subtype and stage of ovarian cancer, as well as for assessing the therapeutic efficacy of a cancer treatment and determining whether a subject potentially is developing cancer. Associated test kits, computer and analytical systems as well as software and diagnostic models are also provided. |
| US09846152B2 |
Assay devices with integrated sample dilution and dilution verification and methods of using same
The invention is to devices and method for rapid determination of analytes in liquid samples by various assays including immunoassays incorporating a sample dilution feature for forming a diluted sample for analysis. The devices and methods also include a dilution verification feature for verifying the degree of dilution of the diluted sample. The devices preferably are capable of being used in the point-of-care diagnostic field is provided. |
| US09846146B2 |
Hydrogen detecting sensor
Disclosed herein is a hydrogen detecting sensor that includes a sulfide-metal catalyst, such that hydrogen gas can be detected visibly with naked eyes. Particularly, the hydrogen detecting sensor includes a substrate, a sulfide layer formed on the substrate and chemically discolored when exposed to hydrogen, and a metal catalytic layer formed on the sulfide layer. |
| US09846143B2 |
Ion mobility method and apparatus
A method and system for performing an ion mobility based analysis that ionizes the components of a sample into ions; provides a field asymmetric waveform ion mobility or differential mobility spectrometry ion mobility based filter that comprises at least two electrodes, the at least two electrodes being spaced apart such that a constant sized gap is formed there between, through which a drift gas flows; introducing said ions into the drift gas, wherein said drift gas also comprises a mixture of liquid modifiers. |
| US09846139B2 |
Nanowire field-effect sensor including nanowires having network structure and fabrication method thereof
Disclosed herein is a technology for fabricating a nanowire field-effect sensor, in which a bulk silicon substrate is used so that the fabrication cost of the sensor can be reduced while the integration density of the sensor can be increased. In addition, the nanowire field-effect sensor includes a nano-network having a network structure in which pins are vertically arranged on the sidewalls of the network, respectively, and a gate insulating layer is applied to the pins. Due to this nano-network, the detection area of the sensor can be increased to increase its sensitivity, and the structural stability of the sensor can be ensured. |
| US09846138B2 |
Broadband lambda probe and production method for a broadband lambda probe
A broadband lambda probe includes a measurement hollow space. The broadband lambda probe further includes an oxygen pump cell having an outer pump electrode and an inner pump electrode to enable the transfer of oxygen from the measurement hollow space to an external environment of the broadband lambda probe. The broadband lambda probe further includes a Nernst concentration cell. The broadband lambda probe further includes at least one capacitive sensor device. The at least one capacitive sensor device has a capacitance configured to be varied with a change of a concentration of at least one substance. The concentration is present in the respective at least one capacitive sensor device. The at least one capacitive sensor device is positioned in the broadband lambda probe to at least one of directly adjoin the measurement hollow space and partially project into the measurement hollow space. |
| US09846134B2 |
Spinwave based nondestructive material, structure, component, or device testing tools
Systems and methods for spinwave-based metrology in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure involve generating and detecting spinwaves in a sample having a ferromagnetic material; and determining a material thickness, a material integrity measure, a presence of a manufacturing defect, a categorical type of manufacturing defect, and/or a manufacturing process statistic corresponding to spinwave behavior in the sample. In an embodiment, spinwaves are generated by way of concurrent exposure of a target measurement site of the sample to each of a bias magnetic field and radiation (e.g., microwave or radio frequency radiation) produced by a first set of integrated waveguides. A response signal corresponding to a behavior of spinwaves within the target measurement site can be generated by way of a second set of integrated waveguides. Various embodiments of systems and methods for generating spinwaves, detecting spinwaves, and calculating, analyzing, or monitoring one or more sample properties can be automated. |
| US09846133B2 |
Semiconductor inspection device including a counter electrode with adjustable potentials used to obtain images for detection of defects, and inspection method using charged particle beam
Provided are an inspection device that detects with high precision and classifies surface unevenness, step batching, penetrating blade-shaped dislocations, penetrating spiral dislocations, basal plane dislocations, and stacking defects formed in an SiC substrate and an epitaxial layer; and a system. In the inspection device using charged particle beams, a device is used that has an electrode provided between a sample and an objective lens, the device applies a positive or negative voltage to the electrode and obtains images. A secondary electron emission rate is measured and energy EL and EH for the charged particles are found. A first image is obtained using the EH and positive potential conditions. A second image is obtained using the EL and negative potential conditions. A third image is obtained at the same position as the second image, and by using the EL and positive potential conditions. |
| US09846132B2 |
Small-angle scattering X-ray metrology systems and methods
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for performing small angle x-ray scattering metrology. This system includes an x-ray source for generating x-rays and illumination optics for collecting and reflecting or refracting a portion of the generated x-rays towards a particular focus point on a semiconductor sample in the form of a plurality of incident beams at a plurality of different angles of incidence (AOIs). The system further includes a sensor for collecting output x-ray beams that are scattered from the sample in response to the incident beams on the sample at the different AOIs and a controller configured for controlling operation of the x-ray source and illumination optics and receiving the output x-rays beams and generating an image from such output x-rays. |
| US09846131B2 |
Motion-based radiograph interlock systems, structures, and processes
A motion-based interlock apparatus, system, and method prevent an x-ray source in an x-ray machine from activating if the current relative motion between the x-ray source and an image receptor would compromise the quality of the resulting plain radiograph. The system activates the interlock based on either or both of the velocity and acceleration of the tubehead, as measured by instrumentation corresponding to any of the tubehead, the extension arm, or off board the x-ray machine. The system may preferably compare the measured motion against one or more acceptable motion thresholds. If the measured motion exceeds one or more of the acceptable motion thresholds, exposure may preferably be delayed until the motion of the tubehead subsides. By ensuring that the image is not exposed while the tubehead is moving substantially, the quality of the resultant radiograph is improved. |
| US09846130B2 |
Ceramic ring test device
A test device for testing an electrical property of a chamber component, such as a ceramic ring, includes an outer conductor and an inner conductor disposed within and electrically isolated from the outer conductor. The outer conductor has a base, a top, and an interior sidewall disposed between the base and the top. The inner conductor has a top portion having a first diameter and a bottom portion having a second diameter, in which the second diameter is greater than the first diameter. A sample area is defined between the base of the outer conductor and the bottom portion of the inner conductor, and is configured to receive a chamber component. The electrical property of the chamber component is measurable based on application of a signal to at least one of the outer conductor or the inner conductor. |
| US09846129B2 |
System and method for measuring reflected optical distortion in contoured glass sheets
A method for measuring optical distortion in a contoured glass sheet includes the steps of conveying the glass sheet in a first direction, employing at least one display to project a preselected multi-phase non-repeating contrasting pattern, and employing at least one camera, and uniquely pairing each one of the cameras one of the displays. The method may also include controlling each of the cameras to acquire the desired images, analyzing and combining the data acquired by the cameras to construct a definition of the surface of the glass sheet, and performing one or more optical processing operations on the surface data to analyze the optical characteristics of the glass sheet. |
| US09846127B2 |
Colorimetric detection sensor and colorimetric detection method for detecting cyanide anion by etching of gold nanorods
Disclosed are a colorimetric detection sensor and colorimetric detection method of a cyanide anion (CN−) by etching of gold nanorods. The colorimetric detection sensor and colorimetric detection method use label-free nanorods having no modifier attached to a surface of gold nanorods (AuNRs), wherein the aspect ratio of nanorods, pH condition and/or amount of a surfactant are controlled to carry out selective etching and to cause a change in color only by CN− so that CN− contained or dissolved in poison, water-contaminated environmental samples and legal evidence samples may be detected with ease, and show excellent selectivity, sensitivity and quantitative analyzability to CN− to provide high usefulness. |
| US09846126B2 |
Biosensors based on optical probing and sensing
Apparatus, sensor chips and techniques for optical sensing of substances by using optical sensors on sensor chips. |
| US09846120B2 |
Light measurement apparatus, method, program and recording medium
A light measurement apparatus includes a master laser, a slave laser, an illumination light pulse, and a signal-under-measurement generator. The master laser generates as an output a master laser light pulse, and the slave laser generates as an output a slave laser light pulse having a repetition frequency or a phase different from that of the master laser light pulse. The illumination light pulse generator receives the master laser light pulse and generates as an output an illumination light pulse, and the signal-under-measurement generator, at a point in time when receiving a light pulse under measurement obtained by illuminating the object under measurement with the illumination light pulse and further the slave laser light pulse, generates as an output a signal under measurement according to a power of the light pulse under measurement. The apparatus corrects an error in a measurement of the signal under measurement. |
| US09846113B2 |
Interfacial adhesion strength measuring apparatus and method of a gas diffusion layer for fuel cells
An interfacial adhesion strength measuring apparatus of a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell is provided. The apparatus includes a pair of load applying parts that are each adhered to outer surfaces of a substrate configuring the gas diffusion layer of the fuel cell and a micro porous layer coated on the substrate and is configured to apply a tension force in a direction in which the substrate and the micro porous layer are separated from each other. A first adhering part is applied to one of the load applying parts and is adhered to the substrate and a second adhering part is applied to the other of the load applying parts and is adhered to the micro porous layer. In addition, the first and second adhering parts contain materials of which contact angles with the substrate or the micro porous layer are different from each other, respectively. |
| US09846112B2 |
Exterior aircraft lighting device
An exterior aircraft lighting device comprises: at least one light source; an optical element having a light entry side facing the at least one light source and a light exit side and being configured for modifying light emitted by the at least one light source; at least one photo detector, which is configured and arranged for detecting a portion of the light emitted by the at least one light source, which is reflected by the light entry side of the at least one optical element, the photo detector providing a detection value, representing the amount of detected light; and a control and evaluation unit which is configured for evaluating the state of wear of the at least one light source based on the detection value provided by the at least one photo detector. |
| US09846105B2 |
High-durability and long-scale-distance fiber grating sensor and manufacturing method therefor
A high-durability and long-scale-distance fiber grating sensor and a manufacturing method therefor, which relate to the technical field of fiber grating sensors. A fiber grating is disposed on the middle segment of a commercial optical fiber. A bushing, a woven fiber jacket layer, and a packaging structure are disposed on the periphery of the commercial optical fiber. The commercial optical fiber and the bushing therebetween are fixed by using fixing points in the bushing. Anchoring segments are disposed between the fixing points in the bushing and the woven fiber jacket layer. Two ends of the commercial optical fiber are sequentially connected to optical fibers on the anchoring segments and connecting optical fibers. Tail ends of the connecting optical fibers are connected to a transmission cable by using connecting flanges. By using the apparatus and the manufacturing method, the applicability and the durability of application of the fiber grating sensor in the civil traffic engineering field are improved, thereby providing a stable and reliable apparatus for long-time detection and sound monitoring of large engineering structures in the civil traffic engineering field. |
| US09846104B1 |
EVAP II—Leak verification and detection for vehicle fuel containment systems
An off-board vehicle fuel handling and containment system leak tester that uses CO2 gas in order to find the location of the leak site. An external source of CO2 gas is used to pressurize the fuel containment system to a pressure greater than the surrounding pressure. An electronic detector capable of detecting CO2 gas is used to scan at least some of the containment system's external surfaces for the presence of the escaping CO2 gas. When the electronic detector senses the CO2 gas an alert system is activated. Once the leak site area is known a leak finding composition of matter is applied to the leak site area in order to identify the exact point of leakage. |
| US09846102B2 |
System and method for diagnosing a field device
A diagnostic system and method for a pressure regulator in a process plant is provided. The diagnostic apparatus includes a processor operatively coupled to the pressure regulator; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and a sensor operatively coupled to an inlet valve of the pressure regulator, an exhaust valve of the pressure regulator, and the processor. A diagnostic module is stored in the memory, and when executed by the processor, presents a diagnostic tool at a user interface. |
| US09846101B2 |
System and method for dynamic balancing of a rotating body
A system dynamically balances a rotating body. The system includes a support that holds the body as it rotates. At least one sensor generates signals indicative of a balance of the body as it rotates and a controller identifies a position on the body where material can be placed to balance the body. The controller operates at least one actuator to move a plurality of ejectors opposite the identified position where the controller operates at least one ejector in the plurality of ejectors to eject material onto the identified position. The system can operate iteratively until the body is balanced within a predetermined range. |
| US09846099B1 |
Peening calibration unit, battery pack and system
The present peening calibration unit comprises a casing, a transducer, and a transmission unit. The casing defines a top and a bottom. The transducer is positioned along at least a section of the top of the casing. The transducer generates an electric signal upon application of peening energy thereto. The transmission unit receives the electric signal generated by the transducer and transmits a digital signal representative of the received electrical signal wirelessly. The transmission unit is located inside the casing. Furthermore, a peening calibration battery pack and a peening calibration system are described. |
| US09846096B2 |
Symmetrical piezoresistive pressure sensor with stacking ICs
Electrical and mechanical noise in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensor are reduced by the symmetrical distribution of bond pads, conductive vias and interconnects and by the elimination of bond wires used in the prior art to connect a MEMS pressure sensing element to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The bond wires are eliminated by using conductive vias to connect an ASIC to a MEMS pressure sensing element. Extraneous electrical noise is suppressed by conductive rings that surround output signal bond pads and a conductive loop that surrounds the conductive rings and bond pads. The conductive rings and loop are connected to a fixed voltage or ground potential. |
| US09846094B2 |
System for recording information associated with hail storm event and determining structure damage based on same
A hail strike recording device is operable to provide quantifiable information about a hail storm event experienced by a roof. The recording device is operable to be installed on a roof and includes a panel component and a mounting assembly. The panel component presents a hail impact zone to sense one or more hail strikes, with the recording device operable to provide recorded data associated with the sensed one or more hail strikes. |
| US09846093B2 |
Analyzing a collision with a vehicle having unknown damage
In an example, a system includes a Monte Carlo simulation module to calculate a collision force on a first vehicle based at least in part on first information, calculate a crush depth for a second vehicle (having unknown damage) based at least in part on the calculated collision force on the first vehicle and second information, calculate first total energy absorbed by the first vehicle based on the first information, calculate second total energy absorbed by the second vehicle based on the calculated crush depth and the second information; and calculate a first estimated impact severity for the first vehicle using the first total energy and a second estimated impact severity for the second vehicle using the second total energy. |
| US09846087B2 |
Device for measuring the temperature in a plug connector by using a superimposed test frequency
A device for measuring the temperature in a conductor includes at least one temperature sensor emitting a signal having a frequency changing due to a temperature change. The signals of the temperature sensor are transported through the conductor and the signals are inductively or capacitively coupled out of the conductor and into an evaluation unit for measuring the temperature through coupling elements. |
| US09846077B2 |
Devices and methods for analyzing granular samples
In some aspects, a device for apportioning granular samples includes a sample feeder defining a conduit, the conduit including a first opening to receive the granular samples and a second opening. The device includes a shuttle operably coupled to the sample feeder to receive the granular samples from the conduit via the second opening. The shuttle is configured to apportion the granular samples to incrementally enter a sample chamber to be analyzed. The device includes an outlet conduit fluidly coupled to the sample chamber and configured to permit the sample chamber to be evacuated. |
| US09846076B2 |
Spectral sensor
A spectroscopic sensor comprises an interference filter unit, a light detection substrate, and a separator. The interference filter unit has a cavity layer and first and second mirror layers opposing each other through the cavity layer and selectively transmits therethrough a predetermined wavelength range of light according to its incident position from the first mirror layer side to the second mirror layer side. The light detection substrate has a light-receiving surface for receiving light transmitted through the interference filter unit and detects the light incident on the light-receiving surface. The separator extends from the cavity layer to at least one of the first and second mirror layers and optically separates the interference filter unit as seen in a predetermined direction intersecting the light-receiving surface. |
| US09846074B2 |
System for and method of monitoring flow through mass flow controllers in real time
A mass flow controller comprises: a first flow meter constructed and arranged to measured flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller; a second flow meter constructed and arranged to measure flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller; a control valve constructed and arranged so as to control the flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller in response to a control signal generated as a function of the flow rate as measured by one of the flow meters; and a system controller constructed and arranged to generate the control signal, and to provide an indication when a difference between the flow rate of mass as measured by the first flow meter and the flow rate of mass as measured by the second flow meter exceeds a threshold. |
| US09846073B2 |
On-tool mass flow controller diagnostic systems and methods
Mass flow controllers with on-tool diagnostic capabilities and methods for on-tool diagnosis of mass flow controllers are disclosed herein. One method includes opening a control valve to a fixed position and closing an upstream valve to produce a flow rate that decreases from a high flow rate, across a range of flow rates, to a low flow rate. A pressure signal is generated that is indicative of a pressure of the fluid within a volume between the upstream valve and a sensor tube, and a flow sensor signal is provided with the mass flow sensor that is indicative of a mass flow rate of the fluid through the main flow path. Ratio curves are produced that relate, across the range of flow rates, a rate of change of the pressure signal to the flow sensor signal and comparing a test ratio curve to a previously generated baseline ratio curve. |
| US09846071B1 |
Pool water level and vacuum monitor
The pool water level and vacuum monitor is a device that is adapted to be seated on a pool deck adjacent to a swimming pool, and which monitors water level when filling a pool liner whilst a vacuum is removing air from behind a pool liner and a concrete wall of a pool. Moreover, the pool water level and vacuum monitor includes a telescoping armature that extends aside of a housing. The telescoping armature includes a cord and a float member on a distal end of the cord. The float member is adapted to rest on a pool surface of the swimming pool, and moves to close a float switch integrated in the float member. The float switch is able to turn off all circuitry associated within the housing. |
| US09846070B2 |
Multiparameter device for measuring by optical means the filling level of tanks and reservoirs of liquids and liquefied products, the index of refraction, and for image analysis, without moving parts
A new multiparameter device for measuring by optical means, the level of filling of tanks and reservoirs for liquids and liquefied products, index of refraction and image analysis, without moving parts, which is more specifically intended, but without restrictions of application, for the measuring the level of a liquid in a reservoir, besides being able to make possible the distinction and detection of the type of liquid included in this reservoir, by measuring the index of refraction and image analysis of these liquids, performing this task in a simple, practical and efficient manner through a specific configuration utilizing optical and electronic means, without use of moving parts, what allows that the same may be used for numerous applications between them, for the fuel quality control, the fuel identification, the measuring of the index of refraction, flow measurement, color measurement, temperature measurement and pressure measurement, inter alia, and more specifically for application in the automotive and associated industries. |
| US09846067B2 |
Flow sensor, method for manufacturing flow sensor and flow sensor module
A flow sensor structure seals the surface of an electric control circuit and part of a semiconductor device via a manufacturing method that prevents occurrence of flash or chip crack when clamping the semiconductor device via a mold. The flow sensor structure includes a semiconductor device having an air flow sensing unit and a diaphragm, and a board or lead frame having an electric control circuit for controlling the semiconductor device, wherein a surface of the electric control circuit and part of a surface of the semiconductor device is covered with resin while having the air flow sensing unit portion exposed. The flow sensor structure may include surfaces of a resin mold, a board or a pre-mold component surrounding the semiconductor device that are continuously not in contact with three walls of the semiconductor device orthogonal to a side on which the air flow sensing unit portion is disposed. |
| US09846064B2 |
Sensor apparatus, corresponding turbocharger and method of measuring a mass flow rate
A sensor apparatus comprising a housing having an inner perimeter which defines an area through which gas may flow, the housing being provided with a first chamber which extends around the area through which gas may flow, an entrance being distributed around the first chamber, and a second chamber which extends around the area through which gas may flow, an exit being distributed around the second chamber, the first chamber being arranged to be upstream of the second chamber in use, wherein the sensor apparatus further comprises one or more sensors arranged to measure a pressure difference between pressure in the first chamber and pressure in the second chamber. Corresponding turbocharger and method of measuring a mass flow rate are also provided. |
| US09846063B2 |
Linear encoder having calibration functionality
A linear encoder can have a mass embodiment having a position code marking, a read head having a calibration means, and a control and analysis unit, and calibration method for calibrating a position code made of code elements using the read head. The read head has a sensor unit having at least two detection reference points, the detection distance of which establishes at least one standard with high precision. In the scope of the calibration method, calibrated position values are prepared for code elements with the aid of the standard, which is determined with high precision, and are stored in the control and analysis unit. |
| US09846061B2 |
Optical displacement sensor having a light receiving level upper limit value specifying unit
The present invention includes an imager 1 having an automatic exposure stopping function, which are implemented therein, and includes an exposure time measuring unit 24 to measure the exposure time from the start of exposure to the stopping of exposure in the imager 1, a measurement distance calculating unit 21 to calculate the measurement distance to an object M on the basis of a displacement of the light receiving position in the imager 1, and a data output/storage unit 25 to output and/or store, as data related with acquisition of a distance actual value, which is an actual distance to the object, in a condition in which the measured exposure time and the measurement distance calculated with this exposure time are associated with each other. |
| US09846060B2 |
Optical sensor arrangement and method for measuring an observable
An optical sensor arrangement for measuring an observable, the arrangement including an optical resonance circuit including at least a first and a second optical resonator, each of the optical resonators including an entry port for coupling light into the optical resonator and a drop port for decoupling light from the optical resonator. The first and second resonator are configured such that only a portion of the first and second resonator detects the presence of the observable, a size of the portion of the first resonator being different from a size of the portion of the second resonator. The optical resonance circuit further configured to be coupled to a light generation circuit and to a detector unit for detecting light. |
| US09846058B2 |
Non-contact potentiometer
The present invention relates to a non-contact potentiometer. The non-contact potentiometer comprises the following parts: a mechanical housing with through-holes; a rotating shaft comprising a top end and a magnet end on which a permanent magnet is fixed and external torque can be applied to the top end, thus driving the rotating shaft and the permanent magnet to rotate around a rotation axis and relative to the housing; a magnetoresistive sensor assembly fixed inside the housing, comprising one or more sensor chips, the sensitivity axis of the sensor chips lies in a sensing plane that is perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft, and separated from the permanent magnet by a predetermined distance in the direction parallel to the axis of the rotating shaft, said sensors are used for sensing the magnetic variation produced as the permanent magnet rotates with the rotating shaft thereby generating sensing signals; and three electrical connection terminals, namely a ground terminal, a power terminal, and a signal output terminal. This non-contact potentiometer has the advantages of high precision, low power consumption, and low cost. Additionally, it converts the complex analog signal from the magnetic sensor into a standard digital format that is easy to use. |
| US09846054B2 |
System of power-saving in MEMS sensor applications
A system comprises a plurality of sensors, a sensor processor, and a sampling rate engine. The sensor processor is coupled to an output of each sensor of the plurality of sensors. The sensor processor estimates user dynamics in response to a first output signal of a first sensor of the plurality of sensors. The sampling rate engine is coupled to an output of the sensor processor./ The sampling rate engine determines a sampling rate value of a second sensor of the plurality of sensors in response to a user dynamics value from the sensor processor. The second sensor comprises a selectable sampling rate. The selectable sampling rate is configured in response to the sampling rate value determined by the sampling rate engine. |
| US09846052B2 |
Electronic route creation
A method of creating an electronic travel route includes providing a user interface that includes electronic geographic maps. Routes created by users using the user interface are stored. The routes include mapped electronic routes along which the users have traveled. The method includes receiving geographic information and a request from a requester to create a new route. A set of the routes created are provided to the requester based on the geographic information. Selections of portions of the set of the routes are accepted to create the new route. Based on the new route, a processor of a computer is used to create a set of geographic markers and instructions for traversing the new route. The new route and instructions for traversing the new route are provided based on a search. |
| US09846051B2 |
Navigation system for a motor vehicle
A navigation system for a motor vehicle includes: an off-board navigation system spatially separated from the motor vehicle, for calculating a suggested route for the motor vehicle; a wireless communication connection between the off-board navigation system and the motor vehicle, for transmitting the suggested route to the motor vehicle; and a man-machine interface arranged in the motor vehicle, for outputting the suggested route to an operator of the motor vehicle. |
| US09846047B1 |
Transport communication pairing
A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, in one embodiment, associating at least one wireless device and at least one user, requesting audio information from at least one remote source by the at least one wireless device, receiving the audio information from the remote source, broadcasting an audio identifier to the at least one wireless device, using the audio information, authenticating the association between the at least one wireless device and at least one transport, based on the audio information, determining at least one characteristic of the at least one user based on at least one of at least one user search history and at least one user preference selection and determining at least one probable route of the at least one transport based on the at least one characteristic and at least one of at least one route history and at least one input destination. |
| US09846045B2 |
System and method for naming a location based on user-specific information
A method, system, and device for naming a location at which a user is present with a mobile communication device, including retrieving general information relating to the location, the general information managed by or for an entity other than the user; comparing the retrieved general information relating the location to user-specific information managed by or for the user; identifying at least one atemporal correlation between the retrieved general information and the user-specific information; generating a plurality of names for the location based on the atemporal correlation between the retrieved general information and the user-specific information providing the plurality of names for the location for selection; and storing the name selected for the location from the plurality of names. |
| US09846043B2 |
Map creation apparatus, map creation method, and computer-readable recording medium
A map creation apparatus includes an image receiver configured to receive images in time series while moving; a first calculator configured to extract an image area indicating an object from the images and calculate a coordinate of the object in a world coordinate system; a second calculator configured to track the object in the extracted image area with the images and calculate an optical flow of the object; an eliminator configured to calculate a difference in coordinate between vanishing points generated by the movement of the image receiver and the object based on the optical flow, and eliminate the image area of the object from the images when determining the object as a moving object based on the calculated difference; and a storage controller configured to store map information including the coordinate of the object, not eliminated by the moving object eliminator, in the world coordinate system. |
| US09846036B2 |
Angular velocity sensor
There is provided an angular velocity sensor including first and second mass bodies provided within a first frame, a first flexible connector system connecting the first and second mass bodies and the first frame and that includes at least one sensor to detect displacements of the first and second mass bodies, a second flexible connector system connecting the first frame to a second frame provided separate from the first frame and that includes a driver to drive movement of the first frame relative to the second frame, so angular velocities can be measured based on the first and second mass bodies being enabled to rotate in a first axis direction and translated in a second axis direction, and based on the first frame being flexibly connected to the second frame so that a rotation displacement of the first frame is made in a third axis direction. |
| US09846035B2 |
Geodetic surveying device having automatic high-precision target point sighting functionality
A geodatic surveying device which is equipped with an automatic target point sighting functionality for determining the position of a target point. A reticle pattern that corresponds to the outer shape of the known reticle is stored, wherein a main point of the reticle pattern is predefined as indicating the target point. In order to carry out an automatic target point sighting functionality, the evaluation means are designed such that, after the function start, a camera image of the reticle is automatically recorded, the reticle pattern is aligned with the reticle in the camera image by means of image processing and, depending on a position of the main point in the camera image in the matched state of the reticle pattern, the orientation of the sighting apparatus is changed in a motorized manner such that the optical target axis OA is oriented with high precision at the target point. |
| US09846034B2 |
Adjustable laser leveling device with distance measuring lasers and self-leveling lasers and related method
A device and method for projecting visible level laser lines onto a work surface and measuring distances along the level laser lines. The device includes a self-leveling laser housing that allows the lasers to level when activated. The device also includes separate distance measuring lasers and a handheld display used to measure distances from the center of the device. |
| US09846033B2 |
Laser level with adjustable stand
A laser level including a laser level body for projecting a laser beam, the laser level body including an adjustable stand having a left frame and a right frame independently manually displaceable between a fully closed frame position for storage purposes and a fully opened frame position for raising the laser level body to a maximum height above a horizontal reference surface. The adjustable stand enables the laser level body to be selectively inclined with respect to the horizontal reference surface. |
| US09846030B2 |
Method and device for superresolution optical measurement using singular optics
An optical method of measurement and an optical apparatus for determining the spatial position of at least one luminous object on a sample. A sequence of at least two compact luminous distributions of different topological families is projected onto the sample, and light re-emitted by the luminous object is detected. At least one optical image is generated for each luminous distribution on the basis of the light detected. The optical images are analyzed to obtain spatiotemporal information regarding the light re-emitted by the luminous object, or location of the luminous object. |
| US09846027B2 |
Measuring apparatus, method, and program
A measuring apparatus, method and program with which a distance between two points that are not within one photographing range can be easily measured is provided. According to an embodiment, a representative point is set in an image in which a start point is set, and the coordinates, of the points and characteristic quantity of a neighborhood image is stored. Hereafter in each image until an end point is set, a representative point of the most recent image is searched, the coordinates thereof are stored, a new representative point is set, the coordinates thereof and the characteristic quantity of the neighborhood image are stored, and the coordinates of the end point are stored. A vector between the respective two points connecting the start point, representative points and the end point in the sequence of setting is calculated, and the distance between the start point and the end point is calculated. |
| US09846025B2 |
Track data determination system and method
A track data determination system including: a video camera device positioned on a vehicle to capture video data in at least one field-of-view; a geographic positioning unit associated with the vehicle to generate position data and time data; a recording device to store at least one of the following: at least a portion of the video data, at least a portion of the position data, at least a portion of the time data, or any combination thereof; and a controller to: (i) receive the video data, the position data, and/or the time data; and (ii) determine track data based at least in part upon the video data, the position data, and/or the time data. A computer-implemented track data determination method is also disclosed. |
| US09846023B1 |
Electromagnetic monitoring and control of a plurality of nanosatellites
A method for monitoring position of and controlling a second nanosatellite (NS) relative to a position of a first NS. Each of the first and second NSs has a rectangular or cubical configuration of independently activatable, current-carrying solenoids, each solenoid having an independent magnetic dipole moment vector, μ1 and μ2. A vector force F and a vector torque are expressed as linear or bilinear combinations of the first set and second set of magnetic moments, and a distance vector extending between the first and second NSs is estimated. Control equations are applied to estimate vectors, μ1 and μ2, required to move the NSs toward a desired NS configuration. This extends to control of N nanosatellites. |
| US09846019B1 |
Rocker arm detonator
A rocker arm detonator is provided that includes a detonator head, which includes a pivotably arranged firing pin which is acted upon by a firing pin spring, and has a safety clip, which is pivotably disposed in the same direction of rotation as the firing pin from a starting position, in which it is pressed in the direction of the detonator head to a firing pin release position. To reliably avoid an unintentional detonation of the rocker arm detonator prior to its proper use, when the rocker arm detonator is not in use, the firing pin spring is in its untensioned state and may be tensioned by a separate tensioning lever as soon as the rocker arm detonator is to be properly deployed. |
| US09846018B1 |
Self-adjusting shell holder for metallic cartridge reloading presses
A ram with a multi-axis, multi-directional “self-centering shell holder” having predetermined spacing with respect to its engagement with the shell holder so that the shell holder supporting the cartridge case has the ability to deviate from the ram centerline in any direction to re-align with a centerline of the die bore is provided. The present invention also provides a retaining clip with push down tab allowing for quick insertion and removal of the self-aligning shell holder from the ram top. |
| US09846016B2 |
Projectile delivery of disruptive media for target protection from directed energy
Methods, devices, and systems may protect a target from undesirable electromagnetic radiation by detecting electromagnetic radiation (including coherent radiation such as laser beams) aimed at a target from a source; calculating a first release position to disrupt the electromagnetic radiation thereby protecting the target; launching a projectile that may include a disruptive medium or a disruptive-medium precursor; directing the projectile to the first release position; and releasing the disruptive medium from the projectile at the first release position, such that the releasing of the disruptive medium forms a cloud of the disruptive medium. |
| US09846012B2 |
Ballistic nape protector for ballistic helmet
A ballistic armored component attaches to the existing retention straps of common combat helmets and provides protection to the otherwise exposed lower skull and upper neck region. A fabric covering contains a soft armor or hard armor insert, and is mounted by straps or other fasteners to existing straps found in conventional helmets. The armor component may be fabric of aramid fibers, or fabric of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, or may be fabricated of a rigid plate of ceramic, polymer, or metal. The armored component adds additional protection from ground-level or subterranean munitions, by placing a ballistic shape on the lower skull region (occipital region), providing significant additional ballistic coverage with minimal weight and bulk. The fabric shell may also be connected directly to the helmet shell, to allow the component to withdraw within the helmet when the wearer's neck is flexed rearwardly. |
| US09846009B1 |
Interchangeable scope lens covers
An interchangeable scope lens covers system comprises a pair of lens covers each comprising a lens cover sleeve that is generally shaped like a hollow cylinder having a generally decreasing diameter from a proximal end to a distal end. Near the distal end, a generally annular lens is removably secured by a lens cap. The lenses are therefore easily removed and interchanged as desired by the user to configure the system to respond to changing shooting conditions. Between the pair of lens covers is attached a plurality of elastic cords or similar materials that hold the lens covers tightly against both ends of a scope tube in order to provide a press fit that keeps moisture, debris, etc. from entering the space between the lens covers and the scope lenses. The press fit forms a seal or barrier between the lens covers and the scope. |
| US09846007B2 |
Firearm discharge recording and reporting system
A monitoring apparatus and system for recording, differentiating, and reporting the discharge of firearms. The monitoring apparatus can be mounted to a firearm and may be automatically activated when the firearm is drawn from a holster thus enabling the monitoring apparatus to record information such as sound, video, location, time, and the like. The apparatus may use this information to differentiate between shots fired by the firearm and shots fired by other firearms. The device may report this distinction to a remote computer configured to receive updates from the weapon mounted apparatus in real time. The remote computer may display the information on a user interface such as a map display, and/or distribute the information according to rules defining how the information should be processed. |
| US09846004B2 |
Easy loading magazine
An easy loading magazine has a magazine tube with a follower that is spring biased to feed cartridges to a firearm. The follower has a follower engagement opening within it that is sized to fit the specific caliber cartridge being used in the magazine. The user places the cartridge within the follower engagement opening and uses the cartridge to force the follower down thus relieving the pressure against the cartridges to be loaded. After the cartridges are loaded within the magazine, the user removes the cartridge that was inserted in the follower engagement opening and this re-engages the follower. In one embodiment, a locking slot is provided that allows the user to temporally lock the follower in place while loading the magazine and then sliding the cartridge back to release the follower. |
| US09846000B2 |
Heat exchanger
A plate (3) having a pair of first communication holes (34) and a pair of second communication holes (35) and a plate (4) having a pair of first communication holes (44) and a pair of second communication holes (45) are alternately laminated to alternately form, between the plates (3) and (4) adjacent to each other, a first coolant flow path (81) and a second coolant flow path (82); a first spacer (5) is interposed around each of the first communication holes (34) and (44) within the first coolant flow path (81); and a second spacer (6) is interposed within the second coolant flow path (82) and at a position corresponding to a periphery of each of the first communication holes (34) and (44). |
| US09845997B2 |
Heat exchanger
A plate-type heat exchanger, in particular for motor vehicles, is described which includes plate pairs. In one example, a plate pair includes a first plate and a second plate that form a first flow path and a second flow path between the plates. In this configuration, the first and the second plate are associated with a first attachment plate and a second attachment plate, respectively. A third flow path is formed between the first plate and the second attachment plate and the first flow path is formed between the second plate and the first attachment plate. Alternatively, the third flow path is formed between the first plate and the first attachment plate and the first flow path is formed between the second plate and the second attachment plate. A spatial region for a fourth flow path may also be formed between adjacent plate pairs. |
| US09845994B2 |
Heat exchanger configured to accelerate discharge of liquid refrigerant from lowest heat exchange section
A heat exchanger includes a plurality of principal heat exchange sections and auxiliary heat exchange sections. Each of the auxiliary heat exchange sections is in series connection to a corresponding one of the principal heat exchange sections. The number of the flat tubes constituting each of the heat exchange sections is compared to the number of the flat tubes constituting a corresponding one of the auxiliary heat exchange sections, creating a tube number ratio, wherein the first principal heat exchange section, which is lowermost, has the smallest tube number ratio. Consequently, discharge of liquid refrigerant from a lower portion of the first principal heat exchange section is accelerated during defrosting, thereby shortening the time required for defrosting. |
| US09845992B2 |
Feed flow conditioner for particulate feed materials
A feed charging device comprises a holding vessel having an interior chamber for holding a reserve of a solid particulate feed material in a fluidized state, wherein the feed material is held in said fluidized state in a lower zone of the interior chamber. The feed material is supplied to the interior chamber through at least one outlet opening, and is discharged from the interior chamber through at least one outlet opening. The at least one outlet opening is in flow communication with the lower zone of the interior chamber. A gas supply means supplies a fluidizing gas to the lower zone of the interior chamber, and an outlet conduit in flow communication with the at least one outlet opening receives said feed material discharged from the interior chamber. |
| US09845989B1 |
Thermal sleeves for bottle
The thermal sleeves for bottle includes a bottle that includes a sealable closure at a top opening. The exterior of the bottle enables at least one thermal sleeve to be affixed there against in order to increase the overall insulative quality of the bottle. The at least one thermal sleeve may include at least one layer of a freezer gel material, which when placed into a freezer becomes hardened. The at least one thermal sleeve also includes a storage compartment that is accessible via a top opening. The top opening of the at least one thermal sleeve includes a sealing member to selectively close and unseal the top opening. The storage compartment is ideally used to store a powder that may be mixed into a fluid provided in the bottle. |
| US09845986B2 |
Lighting units for refrigerator drawers and baskets
Lighting units for refrigerator drawers and baskets are disclosed. An example refrigerator drawer assembly includes a shelf having a divider, the shelf defining at least a portion of a drawer compartment, first and second drawers disposed beneath the shelf, an elongated light source attached to a bottom surface of the divider, the elongated light source having a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) along the length of the elongated light source to provide a source of visible light for the first and second drawers. |
| US09845985B1 |
Home appliance device
For the purpose of improving a protective effect of a home appliance device, in particular a home appliance chiller device, is proposed comprising: a telescopic guiding unit, which is convertible at least from a fully contracted state to a fully extracted state and vice versa, and has at least one stationary guiding element; and comprising a cover unit, which at least mostly covers the stationary guiding element at least in the fully extracted state. |
| US09845980B2 |
Air conditioning system with evaporative cooling system
An air conditioning system using a predetermined amount of refrigerant includes an evaporator unit, a compressor unit, an evaporative cooling system including at least one multiple-effect evaporative condenser connected to the compressor for effectively cooling the refrigerant. Each of the multiple-effect evaporative condensers includes an air inlet side and an air outlet side which is opposite to the air inlet side, a pumping device adapted for pumping a predetermined amount of cooling water at a predetermined flow rate, a first cooling unit and a second cooling unit. The refrigerant flows through heat exchanging pipes in the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit. The cooling water is arranged to pass through the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit in a sequential order and perform heat exchange with the refrigerant. |
| US09845979B2 |
Evaporator for a cascade refrigeration system
An evaporator includes a casing and a plurality of circulation units disposed on the casing. Each of the circulation units includes a flow path formed in the casing, an inlet formed in the casing for entry of one of refrigerants into the casing and fluidly communicating with the flow path, and an outlet formed in the casing spaced apart from the inlet for exit of the one of the refrigerants out the casing and fluidly communicating with the flow path. The circulation units are independent from each other and do not fluidly communicate with each other. |
| US09845976B2 |
Refrigerator
A refrigerator includes a main body in which a first storage compartment is defined, and a heat exchange chamber defined in the main body. An evaporator received in the heat exchange chamber. A second storage compartment is provided in the first storage compartment and a quick cooling module to cool an inside of the second storage compartment is provided, where the quick cooling module heat-exchanges with a refrigerant pipe of the evaporator. The quick cooling module includes a thermal conductive unit in thermal conduction with the refrigerant pipe, and a thermoelectric device having a first surface in thermal conduction with the thermal conductive unit to heat-exchange with the thermal conductive unit when current is supplied and a second surface facing the second storage compartment. |
| US09845975B2 |
Method and apparatus for cooling devices using phase change materials
In some embodiments, cooling devices with metal hydrides are disclosed. |
| US09845974B2 |
Salt coated with nanoparticles
A particle comprises an inner part and an outer coating. The inner part comprises CaO and the outer coating comprises hydrophobic nanoparticles of a size less than 1 μm. The particle has an average size of from 1 to 1000 μm. A device adapted to perform an absorption process comprises at least one such particle. A method for manufacturing such a particle comprises mixing CaO with hydrophobic nanoparticles, and mixing with sufficient energy to obtain particles comprising CaO coated with the hydrophobic nanoparticles. |
| US09845973B2 |
Cascade refrigeration system
A cascade refrigeration system includes first and second cooling devices. The first cooling device includes a first compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator having first and second passages independent from and not communicating with each other, and a first conduit interconnecting the first compressor, the condenser, the expansion device and the first passage. The second cooling device includes a second compressor, a heat exchanger, and a second conduit interconnecting the second compressor, the second passage and the heat exchanger. A circulation switching device includes a switching mechanism connected to the first conduit downstream of the condenser and upstream of the expansion device. |
| US09845972B2 |
Torque tube mounted photovoltaic apparatus, system, and method
An interlocking system for connecting photovoltaic module frames to a torque tube, including: (a) an interlock dimensioned to be positioned between the sides of two adjacent photovoltaic module frames; (b) a pair of couplings or flanges, wherein the couplings or flanges connect the interlock to both of the adjacent photovoltaic module frames; and (c) a U-lock connected to the interlock, wherein the U-lock is dimensioned to be connected to a torque tube. |
| US09845970B2 |
Air vent
Disclosed is an air vent for mounting directly to an exterior wall of a structure to allow air flow from an interior space of the structure to the ambient environment. The air vent comprises a body comprising an opening and a siding portion disposed below the opening. The air vent further comprises a first siding piece secured to the siding portion that is substantially similar to the siding of the exterior wall. The air vent further comprises a damper moveably engaged with the body between a closed position where the damper blocks air flow thru the opening and an open position where the damper allows air flow thru the opening. The air vent further comprises a second siding piece secured to the damper that is substantially similar to and overlaps the first siding piece in the closed position. Unlike conventional devices, the air vent of the present invention blends into the siding on the exterior wall increasing the aesthetic appearance of the siding. |
| US09845960B2 |
Evaporative HVAC apparatus
An evaporative HVAC apparatus is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus provides an at least one absorbent wicking layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and an at least one thermal layer also having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The second surface of the at least one thermal layer is formed immediately adjacent to the first surface of the at least one wicking layer. An at least one fluid line is in fluid communication with the at least one wicking layer. Thus, a fluid is selectively delivered to the wicking layer through the at least one fluid line which, in turn, permeates the at least one thermal layer and evaporates into the air located immediately adjacent the exposed first surface of the at least one thermal layer, thereby affecting the temperature of the air. |
| US09845956B2 |
System and method for control of combustion dynamics in combustion system
The present disclosure generally relates to a system with a gas turbine engine including a first combustor and a second combustor. The first combustor includes a first end cover with a first geometry and the second combustor includes a second end cover with a second geometry. The first geometry has one or more geometric differences relative to the second geometry. |
| US09845954B2 |
Combustion control device
An object of the present invention is to realize a combustion control device that reduces, when a pressure within a mixer is rapidly increased at the time of ignition of the combustion control device, the transmission of the temporarily increased pressure to a pressure sensor, that brings the pressure sensor into a non-operated state and that thereby can continue combustion in the combustion control device. Hence, a combustion control device is provided that includes: a combustion chamber which has a heat dissipation disc on a front surface and within which a combustion room is formed; a burner which is attached to the combustion chamber; a mixer which mixes a gas supplied to the burner with air; and a pressure sensor which is connected to the mixer through a pressure passage, where a pressure propagation delay means which reduces transmission to the pressure sensor caused by a temporary pressure increase within the mixer is provided partway along the pressure passage. |
| US09845952B2 |
Arrangement and method in electric filter
An arrangement and method in connection with an electric filter of a boiler plant, the electric filter comprising an insulator chamber. The arrangement comprises a first scavenging duct for conveying warm scavenging gas to the insulator chamber. Said first scavenging duct is connected to a channel conveying process gas in the boiler plant, which means that it is possible to supply process gas to the insulator chamber. |
| US09845947B1 |
Multi-directional underwater lighting
Apparatus and method provide underwater lighting to illuminate a site within a body of water in which underwater lighting apparatus is immersed during a lighting cycle. A housing is constructed of a heat-conductive material and LED arrays are affixed to the housing, within a sealed chamber, to conduct heat from the LED arrays to the housing such that heat generated by the LED arrays during the lighting cycle will be conducted directly to the housing and dissipated by the housing to the surrounding body of water. Light provided by the LED arrays is passed through corresponding lens members located for directing light in different directions. At the same time, fouling by marine organisms is resisted. |
| US09845946B2 |
Waterproof lighting assembly
A waterproof lighting assembly includes a housing that has a top portion that is hingedly coupled to a bottom portion. The top portion is positionable at a selected angle with respect to the bottom portion. A first cap is removably coupled to the bottom portion. A second cap is removably coupled to the first cap. A retainer is removably coupled to the top portion. A plurality of gaskets is provided. Selected ones of the gaskets are positionable between the first cap and the bottom portion, the first cap and the second cap, and the retainer and the top portion. The gaskets form a fluid impermeable seal. A lighting circuit is positioned within the housing such that the lighting circuit may emit light outwardly from the housing. |
| US09845945B1 |
Full-cutoff LED luminaire with front-pivot power door and heat sink with refractor mounting
The present disclosure provides an LED luminaire capable of providing full cutoff illumination in a base configuration, without the addition of reflectors or refractors. The LED luminaire is also interchangeably couplable to one or more different reflectors and refractors. In certain example embodiments, the present disclosure provides a dusk to dawn luminaire operable as a full cutoff luminaire in a base configuration and which is also compatible with an American Nation Standards Institute (ANSI) dusk to dawn reflector/refractor assembly. In an example embodiment, the LED luminaire also includes a housing with a front pivoting door configured to swing away from a mounting structure when opened. |
| US09845943B2 |
Heat management subsystems for LED lighting systems, LED lighting systems including heat management subsystems, and/or methods of making the same
Certain example embodiments relate to improved lighting systems and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, a lighting system includes a glass substrate with one or more apertures. An LED or other light source is disposed at one end of the aperture such that light from the LED directed through the aperture of the glass substrate exits the opposite end of the aperture. Inner surfaces of the aperture have a mirroring material such as silver to reflect the emitted light from the LED. In certain example embodiments, a remote phosphor article or layer is disposed opposite the LED at the other end of the aperture. In certain example embodiment, a lens is disposed in the aperture, between the remote phosphor article and the LED. |
| US09845941B2 |
Lighting arrangement
A lighting arrangement can include a first housing portion, a second housing portion, a first wire assembly, a driver board, a heat-shrinkable sleeve, a second negative wire, a second positive wire, and a light emitting diode with chip on board (LEDCOB). The first housing portion can be selectively engageable with one another through inwardly-directed threads and outwardly-directed threads to define an enclosed cavity extending along an axis. The first wire assembly can include a first positive wire, a first negative wire, and a ground wire. The driver board can be electrically coupled to the first positive wire and the first negative wire. The heat-shrinkable sleeve can enclose the driver board. The second positive wire and the second negative wire can be electrically coupled to the driver board and the LEDCOB. |
| US09845938B1 |
Shock absorbing flashlight
A flashlight is protected from damage due to shock such as occurs when a flashlight is dropped, crushed or otherwise physically abused. A plastic molding can be attached to either the front or rear portion of a flashlight or to both portions to resiliently absorb shock forces. A series of thin fins projects axially outwardly from the molding to resiliently deform upon impact so as to absorb shock and distribute the shock around the ends of the flashlight and to reduce stress concentrations around the ends of the flashlight. A series of axially-extending and radially-extending ribs further protects the flashlight from axially and radially-directed shock forces and further absorb shock forces. An optional safety crush or clearance zone can be provided between each shock absorber and the flashlight. |
| US09845935B1 |
Solid state disk
A solid state disk is provided, including: a main body, including a shell portion, a substrate disposed on the shell portion and a memory module disposed on the substrate, the shell portion having a light-penetrable shell portion, the substrate having a light-penetrable portion and a first face, the substrate integrally formed with the light-penetrable portion, the first face having a first coating layer which has an emergent light-penetrable portion corresponding to the light-penetrable portion, the light-penetrable shell portion corresponding to the emergent light-penetrable portion, the substrate including a transmission port, the memory module electrically connected to the transmission port; a light-emitting portion, disposed on the main body and electrically connected to the transmission port, a light emitted from the light-emitting portion being penetrable through the light-penetrable portion and the emergent light-penetrable portion and via the light-penetrable shell portion to an exterior of the solid state disk. |
| US09845928B1 |
In-ground lighting with external optics aiming system
An in-grade light fixture is provided with a corrugated housing design. The corrugated housing design enhances structural integrity and the flow of air within the light fixture to facilitate cooling. The light fixture includes an annular door with slots aligned with the corrugations to facilitate the influx of cool air into the housing and the exhaust of hot air from the housing. The light fixture includes a hot-aiming system that allows a tilt optic to be rotated via magnetic force within the light fixture using an external instrument, such as magnetic wand. The beam direction can be rotated using this hot-aiming system without opening the light fixture. |
| US09845924B1 |
Tube light with improved LED array
Apparatus and system for producing light using LED lighting with output within a predetermined desired color temperature range for commercial lighting uses. A preferred embodiment includes a first and second group of LEDs arranged in an alternating matrix configuration, each group of LEDs configured to produce light in a predetermined color temperature range. In a preferred embodiment, an LED light system includes a tubular LED lamp having substantially the same size and dimensions as a traditional fluorescent lamp tube and a control box for controlling power input and power gain to the first, second, or both groups of LEDs. |
| US09845921B2 |
Glowing luminaire housing with phosphor
The invention provides a lighting unit (100) comprising a housing (120) including a light source (110). The light source (110) is configured to provide light source light (111) through a light exit part (121) of the housing (120). The lighting unit (100) further comprises a light interception part (130) configured to intercept part of the light source light (111) as intercepted light source light (112), and a luminescent material (140) configured to convert at least part of the intercepted light source light (112) into luminescent material light (141). The housing (120) further comprises a light emitting part (150), configured to allow the luminescent material light (141) escape from the housing (120). |
| US09845919B2 |
Cryogenic plumbing support for vehicles
A cryogenic plumbing support for supporting cryogenic plumbing having a first coefficient of thermal expansion associated with a cryogenic temperature may include a bracket. The bracket may include a second coefficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to the first coefficient of thermal expansion. The cryogenic plumbing support may also include a slide assembly. The slide assembly may include first and second end blocks, at least one slider, and a plurality of rods. The first end block may be coupled in spaced relationship to the second end block by the plurality of rods. The at least one slider may be coupled to the bracket and slidably coupled to the plurality of rods. |
| US09845908B2 |
Lightweight quick connector system
A lightweight quick connector system that is a more unitized, installation and dismantling structure and method for joining the ends of straight grooved pipe that uses o-ring fluid sealing. The connector system includes a grooved pipe receiving structure for support and stabilization of the o-ring sealing structure. The quick connector system also has the capability to operate as a size adapter for grooved pipe of different sizes and has the capability to act as a fitting adapter to enable interfitting of a grooved pipe to another size and type of pipe. |
| US09845907B2 |
Plug connection for fluid lines and retaining part for such a plug connection
A plug connection (1) for fluid lines, with two intermateable coupling parts (2, 3), which in an inserted state can be releasably locked via a locking device (4) consisting of two outer radial flange-like retaining ribs (21, 31) of the two coupling parts (2, 3), which are adjacent in an insertion direction (S) and axial (X-X) in inserted state and a retaining part (5) with an annular contour, which in preassembled state can be axially and radially fixed and undetachably assembled on one of the two coupling parts (3) and in an assembled state axially and radially encompasses the retaining ribs (21, 31) of the two coupling parts with at least one radially elastically moving retaining section (53) with a C-shaped axial section having two collars (51, 52). The plug connection incorporates features to ensure the undetachability of the retaining part (5) and minimize the space requirement, in particular during disassembly. |
| US09845906B2 |
Release clip
A release clip for a tube connector is provided for use in a system with flowing fluid. The tube connector includes a housing with an opening through which the flowing fluid passes, and is arranged for secure and sealing connection with a tube which is inserted in the connector. In the housing there is mounted a circular gripper ring which grips the tube. The release clip has a tubular circular release body which is split along its longitudinal axis and includes an integral hinge, thus enabling it to be mounted around the tube that has to be released and the length of the release body in its longitudinal direction is at least equal to the distance extending from the housing's opening to the gripper ring. |
| US09845903B2 |
Hose joint with adhesive
A hose joint assembly includes a fitting, a hose receivable onto the fitting, and an adhesive for bonding the hose and the fitting together. For example, the adhesive is a microencapsulated two-part epoxy adhesive that functions as a lubricant when assembling the hose onto the fitting before curing. |
| US09845897B2 |
Bonnet and gate arrangements for a gate valve in particulate-laden fluid environments
A bonnet for a gate valve is provided or retrofitted for minimizing sand-packing and minimizing interruption of operations. An annular recess is formed about the stem, the resulting profile and dimensional modification effective to minimize packing effects when stroking the gate to the retracted position. In an embodiment, the annular recess is one or more of a cylindrical or conical recess. In another embodiment, wherein a retracted gate stops against the bonnet, one or both of the bonnet and gate interface is fit with beveled surfaces for receiving sand that accumulated on the stop. |
| US09845895B2 |
Diaphragm check valves and methods of manufacture thereof
Microscale valves for use in, e.g., micropump devices, may be formed of a slitted diaphragm bonded to the interior of a valve tube. A bump in the diaphragm and/or a backward-leakage stopper may increase the breakdown pressure of the valve. A push-rod may be used to pre-load the valve membrane to thereby increase the cracking pressure. |
| US09845894B2 |
Cleaning of rotary valves
Disclosed is a rotary valve 1 comprising a stator 20 and a rotor 40 generally in rotary sliding engagement with the said stator about a valve axis RA, the stator including a plurality of fluid ports 22, 26, 28, the rotor 40 being operable to selectively fluidically interconnect two or more of said ports during its rotary sliding engagement. The valve further includes an actuator (70) for disengagement of the rotor from the stator to enable efficient cleaning of the valve interconnections. |
| US09845893B2 |
Exhaust gate
An exhaust gate, in particular for a heavy-goods vehicle, has a housing, which has an inlet and first and second outlets, on which first and second valve seats are formed, and a valve flap, which can be pivoted between the two valve seats to close the first or second outlet. The housing is formed as a cast part, which connects the inlet and at least the first outlet integrally to each other. The valve flap has a larger cross section than the inlet and the first and second valve seats. |
| US09845891B2 |
Split gate valve with biasing mechanism
A system includes a split gate valve with first and second gate sections coupled together and configured to move together within a cavity of the split gate valve between an open position and a closed position. The split gate valve includes a rolling actuator to reduce friction and to convert a rotational input into a linear motion to move the first and second gate sections between the open and closed positions. The split gate valve also includes at least one expansion bar configured to bias the first and second gate sections from one another to seal against opposite seats of the split gate valve, wherein each expansion bar includes a spring mechanism configured to compress upon moving the first and second gate sections into and beyond the closed position to prevent buckling of the expansion bar. |
| US09845887B2 |
Slide ring seal
The invention relates to a slide ring seal, in particular a running gear seal, at least comprising a slide ring, which is in operative connection with a counter running surface, in particular a counter ring, the slide ring having a sliding surface and an accommodating area for an elastomer spring element, at least the sliding surface of the slide ring being provided with a convex contour. |
| US09845886B2 |
Sliding parts
Sealing faces of a pair of sliding parts include circulation grooves, each including an inlet section, an outlet section, and a communication section provided in one of the sealing faces. A positive pressure generation mechanism is provided in a part surrounded by the fluid circulation groove and a high pressure fluid side, and a negative pressure generation mechanism is provided on a low pressure fluid side between the plurality of fluid circulation grooves. |
| US09845878B2 |
Sealing structure
A sealing structure enables easy fitting of an endless backup ring and includes: tank main body having filling chamber body with filling chamber and mouthpiece portion formed in cylindrical shape integrally with filling chamber body; valve body having insertion portion inserted in mouthpiece portion; O-ring provided between mouthpiece portion and insertion portion; and first backup ring endless and disposed on one side of O-ring to restrict movement of O-ring, wherein annular housing groove is formed on inner circumferential surface of mouthpiece portion such as to be recessed outward with respect to radial direction in order to house O-ring and first backup ring, wherein mouthpiece portion is provided with first cylindrical portion integral with filling chamber body and second cylindrical portion attachable/detachable along axial direction to/from first cylindrical portion, and wherein housing groove is divided along axial direction to face outward when second cylindrical portion detaches from first cylindrical portion. |
| US09845876B2 |
Gasket and method of producing gasket
A gasket in which a high sealing property can be ensured, and a method of producing such a gasket are provided. A gasket 1 is produced by spirally winding a belt-like composite body 13 having a metal mesh member 11 and expanded graphite 12 enveloped by the metal mesh member, and then compression molding the composite body into a tubular shape. The gasket includes a first sealing portion 21 placed in one axial end portion, and a second sealing portion 22 placed in the other axial end portion. The gasket has a sectional shape in which the composite body that is in a bent state overlaps in a radial direction. The composite body includes a bent portion which is radially bent in an acute angle shape. |
| US09845873B2 |
Combination oil ring
A combination oil ring includes a pair of upper and lower side rails and a spacer expander arranged there between, the spacer expander including a plurality of upper pieces and lower pieces alternately arranged in a circumferential direction with the pieces axially and circumferentially apart from each other, a coupling piece coupling pieces adjacent to each other, and flange portions formed standing at inner circumferential-side end portions of the upper pieces and the lower pieces so as to press the side rails, and a through hole being formed in the flange portions, wherein side rail support portions that project axially are formed at portions in the circumferential direction of outer circumferential-side end portions of the upper pieces and the lower pieces. |
| US09845870B2 |
Lock-up clutch control device and control method
A lock-up clutch control device that sets a hydraulic pressure command value for a lock-up clutch as a starting device together with a pump impeller coupled to a motor of a vehicle and a turbine runner coupled to an input shaft of a transmission such that an actual rotational speed difference between the motor and the input shaft coincides with a target slip speed that matches a state of the vehicle, and that controls the lock-up clutch based on the hydraulic pressure command value. |
| US09845863B2 |
Monitoring and prognostic system and method for determining a remaining useful life of lubricant in wet clutch transmissions
A system and a method for monitoring a lubricant in a transmission are provided. The system comprises a first speed sensor, a temperature sensor, and a processing unit. The first speed sensor is positioned adjacent a first clutch, which forms a portion of the transmission. The first speed sensor is configured to detect a rotational difference between portions of the first clutch. The temperature sensor is disposed within the transmission. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the lubricant. The processing unit is in communication with the first speed sensor and the temperature sensor. In response to information from the first speed sensor and the temperature sensor, the processing unit determines a condition of the lubricant used in the transmission. |
| US09845860B2 |
Retaining clamp for molded plastics
Retaining clamps for retaining an over-molded plastic component to a substrate are disclosed herein that include a generally annular band having an inner surface, which defines an inner cavity for receiving a substrate rotatable about a central axis, and an opposing outer surface, which receives an over molded plastic component. The clamps have a plurality of axially extending retaining features formed in the annular band. The retaining features define a trough in the inner surface and a first crest in the outer surface or define a coupling portion forming a second crest. The retaining features are evenly spaced a distance apart along the generally annular band. A pulley body assembly is disclosed having a retaining clamp seated about an outer ring of a bearing for retaining a pulley body over-molded thereto. A method for over-molding a plastic component to a substrate using the retaining clamp is also disclosed herein. |
| US09845859B2 |
Mover apparatus installed aftermarket or OEM for pivoting a cement chute and method
A mover apparatus having a pinion rigidly attached to a pivot mount connected to a cement chute of a cement mixer and engaged by rack of a mover assembly biased by a guide, which mover assembly, being selectively operated, moves the rack longitudinally between a retracted position and an extended position to impart rotational movement to the pivot mount for swinging the cement chute in an arc relative to the cement mixer for orienting the cement chute to a selected location for discharge of cement. A method of installing a mover apparatus as an aftermarket or OEM structure is disclosed. |
| US09845853B2 |
Linear electromechanical actuator and anti-jamming device
A linear electromechanical actuator with a main screw-nut assembly driven by a main motion device and having a hollow screw with an abutting surface; an anti-jamming piston arranged coaxially within the screw and shiftable between an engaged position in which locking dogs interfere with the abutting surface and a disengaged position in which the piston is free to slide within the screw; and actuating elements configured to shift the piston from the engaged to the disengaged position upon electrical or mechanical failure of the actuator. The actuating elements include a key axially movable between the engaged and disengaged positions and having a locking section, configured to bias the locking dogs into interference with the abutting surface in the engaged position, and an unlocking section, configured to allow free sliding of the piston within the screw in the disengaged position. An anti-jamming device for operating a critical flight control surface. |
| US09845851B2 |
Spring mechanism and linear motion displacement mechanism
The present invention provides a spring mechanism which can elastically deform an elastic deformation part with a film shape of a transducer into a shape having high symmetry, and also can be structured in a small size. A spring mechanism 2 includes: a cylindrical member 7 that is provided so as to extend toward a first element member 21 from an elastic deformation part 11 of a transducer 5, and also is arranged so as to slidably penetrate the first element member 21 in the direction of a central axis line C of the elastic deformation part 11; and a rod member 32 that is provided so as to extend toward the cylindrical member 7 from a second element member 22 side, and is slidably inserted in the cylindrical member 7 in the direction of the central axis line C of the elastic deformation part 11. |
| US09845849B2 |
Adjustable hanging device
An adjustable hanging device for securing an electronic device and being capable of angular adjustment is provided. One control screw is disposed for the operation along one dimension. When the adjustable hanging device is used for multi-dimensional angular adjustments, the control screws are disposed to extend to one operational side. Due to the mechanical integration and the compact design of the adjustable hanging device, the advantages of volume reduction and simpler manipulation at one operational side would be expectable. |
| US09845845B2 |
Planetary gear train of automatic transmission for vehicles
A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for vehicle may include an input shaft receiving power of an engine, an output shaft outputting shifted power of the engine, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, a fourth planetary gear set, a first shaft directly connected with the input shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft, a fourth shaft selectively connectable to the third shaft, a fifth shaft selectively connectable with the third shaft, a sixth shaft, a seventh shaft directly connected with a transmission housing, an eighth shaft selectively connectable with each of the fifth shaft and the sixth shaft, and a ninth shaft selectively connectable with the fifth shaft, and directly connected with the output shaft. |
| US09845843B2 |
Planetary gear train of automatic transmission for vehicle
A planetary gear set of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft, an output shaft, a first planetary gear set including first, second, and third rotational elements, a second planetary gear set including fourth, fifth, and sixth rotational elements, a third planetary gear set including seventh, eighth, and ninth rotational elements, six control elements for selectively interconnecting the rotational elements, a first connecting member, a second connecting member, a third connecting member, a fourth connecting member, a fifth connecting member, a sixth connecting member, and a seventh connecting member. |
| US09845842B2 |
Traction drive synchronous governor and multi-axis drive gearbox with the same
The present invention is related to a traction drive synchronous governor and a multi-axis drive gearbox with the same, and includes a governor chamber and a speed change gear chamber. The present invention uses the synchronous governor that is deposited in the governor chamber to transmit the power of engine to an output set of the gearbox. The governor has multiple wheel assemblies between an input element and an output element in a planetary arrangement. The wheel assemblies are pushed by the output element to axially move to abut the input element to provide a power transmitting effect. At the same time, the shaft of each drive set in the speed change gear chamber is arranged in parallel at unequally spaced intervals and are surrounded by the output shaft as a center, and this may increase the number of gears of the gearbox in a limited space. |
| US09845841B2 |
Procedure for operating a transmission device
A method of operating a transmission which is shifted to various operating conditions by engaging shifting elements. At least one of the shifting elements is an interlocking shifting element which has to be engaged to obtain at least one defined operating condition of the transmission during which force flows between an input and an output shaft. When a command is received to engage the interlocking shifting element, a rotational speed of the transmission input shaft is displaced in the direction toward a synchronous rotational speed produced in the engaged operating condition of the interlocking shifting element at least as a function of the rotational speed of the transmission output shaft. When the variation of the rotational speed of the transmission input shaft crosses a predefined rotational speed threshold, the interlocking shifting element is actuated in its engaging direction. |
| US09845837B2 |
Guide assembly for a disc brake
A guide assembly for a disc brake, the guide assembly comprising a bore disposed in a disc brake caliper for receiving a guide pin. The bore comprises a first bore portion with a substantially circular cross-sectional profile and a second bore portion with a substantially circular cross-sectional profile arranged sequentially along the length of the bore and tangentially offset such that the bore is defined by the overlap of the first bore portion and second bore portion and has a lens-shaped cross-sectional profile. |
| US09845836B2 |
Two speed clutch with viscous system
A clutch device for a clutch system has an input member that rotates at a first speed. A friction drive system is disposed between the input member and an output member. The clutch device is selectively movable by a fluid actuator assembly, between an engaged position in which the friction drive system drives the output member to rotate at the first speed, and a disengaged position in which a viscous drive system rotates the output member at a second speed slower than the first speed. A variable viscous fluid supply assembly includes a viscous fluid storage chamber, a valve, and a valve actuator that selectively drives the valve to move between an open position and a closed position to control an amount of viscous fluid available to the viscous drive system, thereby varying the second speed. |
| US09845834B2 |
Positive-locking clutch
A positive-locking clutch for a motor vehicle comprises a coupling element with a toothing, a rotatable counterpart element with a counterpart toothing, and an electromagnetic actuator. The coupling element can be moved by means of the electromagnetic actuator between a disengaged position and an engaged position, and wherein the toothing of the coupling element is meshed with the counterpart toothing of the counterpart element in the engaged position. Even after the engaged position of the coupling element has been fully reached, a backlash is provided between the toothing of the coupling element and the counterpart toothing of the counterpart element. |
| US09845831B2 |
Clutch with redundant engagement systems
A clutch for use in a gas turbine engine is disclosed herein. The clutch is adapted to selectively transmit rotation from a first shaft of the clutch to a second shaft of the clutch. |
| US09845824B2 |
Mounting device for a photovoltaic module
A bearing inner race for a solar panel tracker positioning system includes a semi-circular shaped body having a first upper land and an oppositely facing second upper land. A first elongated aperture is positioned proximate to the first upper land and a second elongated aperture is positioned proximate to the second upper land. A first alignment ring is centered within the first elongated through aperture and a second alignment ring is centered within the second elongated through aperture. The bearing inner race also includes a ground stud integrally connected to the body in an as-cast condition of the body. |
| US09845820B2 |
Thin walled fastener
A thin walled fastener nut of the present invention includes a tapered bell flange extending from one end towards the other. The tapered bell flange provides structural support to the nut when used in aerospace application. The thin walled fastener nut with the tapered bell flange meets the dimensional requirements of the National Aerospace Standard Specification MS21042 (NASM21042) and National Aerospace Standard Specification MS1291 (NAS1291). |
| US09845814B2 |
Hydraulic drive system
A hydraulic fluid flowpath includes a first flowpath and a second flowpath. The first flowpath connects a first pump port and a first chamber in a hydraulic cylinder. The second flowpath connects a second pump port and a second chamber in the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic fluid flowpath forms a closed circuit between a hydraulic pump and the hydraulic cylinder. A bleed-off flowpath bleeds off a portion of the hydraulic fluid from the second flowpath. A control valve connects the second flowpath to the bleed-off flowpath via a throttle when an operation amount of an operating member for lowering a work implement is less than a predetermined operation amount so that a hydraulic pressure in second flowpath is maintained at less than a relief pressure. The predetermined operation amount is less than or equal to the maximum operation amount for lowering the work implement. |
| US09845813B2 |
Driving device for work machine and work machine equipped therewith
There is provided a driving device for a work machine, having a closed hydraulic circuit system for driving cylinders with hydraulic pumps, the driving device making the speed of operation substantially the same in both directions of piston rod extension and contraction. The driving device includes: a first hydraulic pump that has flow rate control device for controlling the flow rate and direction of hydraulic fluid to be delivered; a single rod hydraulic cylinder that is driven with the hydraulic fluid to drive one of work members of a work device on the work machine; a closed hydraulic circuit that connects the first hydraulic pump with the single rod hydraulic cylinder to form a closed circuit using flow lines through which the hydraulic fluid flows; a branch line that branches from the flow line between the first hydraulic pump and the single rod hydraulic cylinder; a first flow line of which one end is connected to the branch line; a tank to which the other end of the first flow line is connected; and a hydraulic fluid flow rate control device attached to the first flow line to control the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid flowing from the branch line to the tank or from the tank to the branch line. |
| US09845812B2 |
Method for operating a hydraulic device with pump and servomotor, and associated hydraulic device
In a method for operating a hydraulic device for providing a supply to hydraulic consumers (V) on a plastics injection moulding machine, provision is made of a pump (10) with a volumetric delivery characteristic that results in cyclic pulsations and of a servomotor (11) with multiple poles that result in cyclic pulsations. The pressure at the hydraulic consumer (V) is detected and is input as an actual value into a pressure regulator (13) that readjusts the servomotor (11), on the basis of a predefined pressure profile, to a pressure setpoint value at the hydraulic consumer (V). The cyclic pressure pulsation is minimized in that, by means of a rotational angle sensor (20), the rotational angle (φ) of the pump (10) and/or of the servomotor (11) is detected and correlated with the cyclic pulsations, and in that, from this, a corrective value or a corrective function is determined and is transmitted to the pressure regulator (13) with control subordinate to the regulation of the pressure setpoint value. Alternatively or in addition, this is achieved in the case of a hydraulic device also in that, as corrective means for the pressure regulation, said means being subordinate to the consideration of the pulsations, the number of components of the pump (10) that result in the cyclic pulsations and the number of components of the servomotor (11) that generate cyclic pulsations are equal, or one is a multiple of the other. |
| US09845811B1 |
Hanging structure for a wall fan
A hanging structure for a wall fan, able to hang a wall fan on a wall, includes a board and a casing. The board to be locked on a wall is provided thereon with at least one first hanging member and at least one first locking member. The casing is provided therein with at least one second hanging member by which the casing can be hung on the first hanging member of the board. The casing is further provided with at least one second locking member to be locked together with the first locking member of the board to have the casing firmly fixed on the board and roughly covering the board. The hanging structure for a wall fan of this invention can simplify aligning, positioning and locking operation and can be firmly hung on a wall to avoid displacement for attaining effect of protection of the wall fan. |
| US09845810B2 |
Flow control structures for turbomachines and methods of designing the same
Flow control devices and structures designed and configured to improve the performance of a turbomachine. Exemplary flow control devices may include various flow guiding channels, ribs, diffuser passage-width reductions, and other treatments and may be located on one or both of a shroud and hub side of a machine to redirect, guide, or otherwise influence portions of a turbomachine flow field to thereby improve the performance of the machine. |
| US09845806B2 |
Engine speed optimization as a method to reduce APU fuel consumption
Systems and methods for controlling an auxiliary power unit (APU) are provided. The systems and methods may comprise detecting an operating condition of the APU, determining an optimal APU frequency in response to the operating condition, and setting an angular velocity of the APU to the optimal APU frequency. |
| US09845805B2 |
Dual operation centrifugal fan apparatus and methods of using same
Dual operation centrifugal fan apparatus and methods of operating same that may be used, for example, to cool the internal heat-generating components of an information handling system or other device. The dual operation centrifugal fan apparatus may be implemented in one embodiment as a self-cleaning blower apparatus that is operated in a first normal cooling direction to dissipate heat from internal components of an information handling system, and operated in second cleaning direction to reverse airflow and expel accumulated dust from the interior of the information handling system. |
| US09845793B1 |
Impact acceleration device
A vehicle uses a plurality of momentum generators to accelerate. The momentum generator may comprise an arm bearing weights that may be mounted to a frame and arranged to pivot in circular motion. A power source rotates the arm which encounters a stop before rotating half of a full turn. The power source may act continually on the arm, with the arm being released to rotate by a detent mechanism. Momentum of the arm and weights is transferred by the stop to the frame. Direction of rotation is selected to move the frame in a predetermined direction. The vehicle may be wheeled or may be flight capable. If flight capable, the vehicle may have a primary power source such as a rocket motor, with the momentum generators being disposed to increase velocity beyond that produced by the rocket motor. Momentum generators are preferably provided in pairs arranged in mirror image opposition so that operation does not impose unbalanced forces on the vehicle. |
| US09845790B2 |
Method for selectively operating a wind turbine in accordance with an operating mode
A method of operating a wind power installation selectively in a first or second operating mode is disclosed. In the first operating mode, the installation generates as much electrical power as possible based on the prevailing wind and design of the wind power installation, and in the second operating mode generates less electrical power than in the first operating mode. The wind power installation is controlled in the first and second operating modes with first and second adjustment parameter sets, respectively. When the installation is operated in the second operating mode the maximum power which can be generated with the first adjustment parameter set or a differential power between the maximum power and a power currently generated in the second operating mode may be ascertained. The second adjustment parameter set may be selected based on a desired power reduction and the maximum power. |
| US09845789B2 |
System and method for monitoring and controlling wind turbines within a wind farm
In one aspect, a system for monitoring and controlling the operation of wind turbines located within a wind farm may generally include first and second wind turbines. The first wind turbine may include a first turbine controller configured to monitor an operating parameter(s) associated with the first wind turbine and provide a first control interface for controlling the operation of the first wind turbine. The second wind turbine may include a second turbine controller configured to monitor an operating parameter(s) associated with the second wind turbine and provide a second control interface for controlling the operation of the second wind turbine. The system may also include a secondary computing device coupled to the second turbine controller. The second turbine controller may be configured to provide the secondary computing device access to the first control interface in order to allow the operation of the first wind turbine to be controlled. |
| US09845787B2 |
Efficient wind turbine blades, wind turbine blade structures, and associated systems and methods of manufacture, assembly and use
Wind turbine systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a wind turbine blade having an inner region that has an internal load-bearing truss structure, and an outer region that has an internal, non-truss, load-bearing structure. In particular embodiments, the truss structure can include a triangular arrangement of spars, and/or can include truss attachment members that connect components of the truss without the use of holes in the spars. Spars can be produced from a plurality of pultruded composite members laminated together in longitudinally extending portions. The longitudinally extending portions can be connected at joints that interleave projections and recesses of each of the spar portions. The blades can include fan-shaped transitions at a hub attachment portion, formed by laminated layers and/or a combination of laminated layers and transition plates. |
| US09845785B2 |
Connection systems
A connection system for connecting a first connection point with a second connection point, the second connection point being arranged for rotation and translation with respect to the first connection point, the connection system includes a first connection point, a first support surface moveable linearly with respect to the first connection point, a second support surface moveable linearly and rotationally with respect to the first connection point, and a second connection point moveable linearly and rotationally with respect to the first connection point, moveable rotationally with respect to the first support surface, and fixed with respect to the second support surface, and a reverse bend radius cable chain located on the first and second support surfaces, and having a first end connected with the first connection point via a first connector cable, and a second end connected with the second connection point via a second connector cable. |
| US09845782B1 |
Method and system for starting an internal combustion engine
A method for starting an internal combustion engine has the steps of: oscillating a crankshaft of the engine using the electrical actuator; then injecting fuel in a combustion chamber and igniting the fuel in this combustion chamber to cause the crankshaft to turn in a reverse direction; then injecting fuel in another combustion chamber and igniting the fuel in the other combustion chamber to cause the crankshaft to turn in a forward direction; and then injecting fuel in the other combustion chamber and igniting fuel in the other combustion chamber to cause the crankshaft to turn in the forward direction. |
| US09845780B2 |
Annulus nozzle injector with tangential fins
Methods and systems are provided for direct fuel injection. In one example, a fuel injector system includes a needle, a plurality of tangential fins coupled to a nozzle end of the needle, an actuator coupled to the needle, and a controller storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the controller to, responsive to a command to inject fuel, activate the actuator to push the needle in a downward direction by an amount based on one or more operating parameters. In this way, the fuel injector may inject fuel with a cone shaped spray pattern, reducing the spray penetration of the injected fuel. |
| US09845775B2 |
Intake assembly for an internal combustion engine
An intake assembly for an internal-combustion engine includes an intake duct for each cylinder, which communicates with an airbox that includes a filtering element. Each intake duct communicates with the airbox by a respective throttle body. A monitoring channel connects the intake ducts together and is configured for perturbing in a negligible way the dynamics of the fluid inside the intake ducts. Associated to said monitoring duct are sensors for monitoring the pressure inside the monitoring duct and designed to send signals indicating the value of pressure of the fluid taken in by the engine to an electronic control unit. |
| US09845772B2 |
System and method for managing condensation in EGR systems
A system and method for condensation management in a low-pressure loop EGR system are provided. The system includes an EGR condensation temperature module configured to determine an EGR condensation temperature of recirculated exhaust gas upstream of an EGR cooler and an EGR coolant temperature controller communicably coupled to the EGR condensation temperature module. The EGR coolant temperature controller provides EGR coolant to the EGR cooler at or above the EGR condensation temperature. The system also includes a charge air condensation temperature module configured to determine a charge air condensation temperature of charge air upstream of a charge air cooler and a charge air coolant temperature controller communicably coupled to the charge air condensation temperature module. The charge air coolant temperature controller provides charge air coolant to the charge air cooler at or above the charge air condensation temperature. |
| US09845770B2 |
Asymmetric double-entry turbine
An asymmetric double-entry turbine is provided with a turbine housing that includes a first volute, a second volute and a turbine receiving bore. The first volute has a first exhaust gas inlet and a first exhaust gas outlet. The second volute has a second exhaust gas inlet and a second exhaust gas outlet. The turbine receiving bore is in fluid communication with the first exhaust gas outlet and the second exhaust gas outlet for conducting a flow of exhaust gas from the first exhaust gas outlet and the second exhaust gas outlet out in an axial direction. The first exhaust gas outlet has an angular opening amount of more than 180 degrees around the turbine receiving bore. The second exhaust gas outlet has an angular opening amount of less than 180 degrees around the turbine receiving bore. |
| US09845765B2 |
Piston assembly for a reciprocating engine
A power cylinder system for a reciprocating engine includes a steel piston configured to move within a cylinder of the reciprocating engine. The system also includes a groove extending circumferentially about the piston beneath a top land of the piston and configured to support a ring having an inner circumferential face. One or more channels are formed in the top land and are configured to facilitate transfer of combustion gases to a space between a portion of the groove and the inner circumferential face of the ring. |
| US09845761B2 |
Fuel estimation apparatus
A fuel estimation apparatus includes a combustion characteristic acquisition portion and a mixing ratio estimation portion. The combustion characteristic acquisition portion acquiring a combustion characteristic value indicating a physical amount relating to a combustion of an internal combustion engine acquires the combustion characteristic values of the combustions executed in different combustion conditions. The mixing ratio estimation portion estimates the mixing ratios of various components included in a fuel, based on the combustion characteristic values acquired by the combustion characteristic acquisition portion. |
| US09845760B2 |
Methods and systems for engine fuel and torque control
Methods and systems are provided for accurately estimating intake aircharge based on the output of an intake oxygen sensor while flowing EGR, purge, or PCV hydrocarbons to the engine. The unadjusted aircharge estimate is used for engine fuel control while the hydrocarbon adjusted aircharge estimate is used for engine torque control. A controller is configured to sample the oxygen sensor at even increments in a time domain, stamp the sampled data in a crank angle domain, store the sampled data in a buffer, and then select one or more data samples corresponding to a last firing period from the buffer for estimating the intake aircharge. |
| US09845758B2 |
Engine control apparatus
An air-fuel ratio region detection unit, including a first determination voltage higher than a target voltage value indicating the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and a second determination voltage lower than the target voltage value, determines that an air-fuel ratio of an engine is within a first rich region when an oxygen sensor output equals or exceeds the first determination voltage, determines that the air-fuel ratio is within a second rich region when the oxygen sensor output equals or exceeds the target voltage value but is lower than the first determination voltage, determines that the air-fuel ratio is within a second lean region when the oxygen sensor output equals or exceeds the second determination voltage but is lower than the target voltage value, and determines that the air-fuel ratio is within a first lean region when the oxygen sensor output is lower than the second determination voltage. |
| US09845754B2 |
Control of internal combustion engines in response to exhaust gas recirculation system conditions
A system includes an internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders, with at least one of the cylinder(s) being a primary EGR cylinder that is dedicated to provided EGR flow during at least some operating conditions. A controller is structured to control combustion conditions in the cylinders in response to one or more operating conditions associated with the engine. |
| US09845753B2 |
Control apparatus for engine
A control apparatus for an engine is provided. The control apparatus includes an intake control valve controller for fully closing, when an engine stop request is issued, an intake control valve for adjusting a flow rate of intake air passing through an intake passage of the engine, an engine speed increase controller for increasing an engine speed to reach a target speed after the intake control valve is fully closed by the intake control valve controller, and a fuel injection stopper for stopping a fuel injection after the engine speed is increased by the engine speed increase controller. |
| US09845752B2 |
Systems and methods for determining crankshaft position based indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP)
A system for a vehicle includes a filtering module and an indicated work module. The filtering module generates engine speeds based on positions of teeth of a toothed wheel that rotates with a crankshaft and based on a crankshaft position signal generated by a crankshaft position sensor. The crankshaft position sensor generates the crankshaft position signal based on rotation of the toothed wheel. The indicated work module generates an indicated work for a combustion cycle of a cylinder of an engine based on squares of first and second ones of the engine speeds and outputs the indicated work. |
| US09845751B2 |
Method and system for improved dilution tolerance
Methods and systems are provided for improving combustion stability, in particular during transient operations such as tip-out to lower load conditions, when EGR is being purged. Until a desired LP-EGR rate is achieved, fuel may be delivered as a split injection with at least an intake stroke injection and a compression stroke injection. Subsequently, single fuel injection may be resumed. |
| US09845750B2 |
Method and system for exhaust gas heat recovery
Methods and systems are provided for exhaust gas heat recovery at a split exhaust gas heat exchanger. Exhaust gas may flow in both directions through an exhaust bypass passage and the heat exchanger coupled to the bypass passage. Warm or cold EGR may be delivered from the exhaust passage to the engine intake manifold and heat from the exhaust gas may be recovered at the heat exchanger. |
| US09845746B2 |
Internal combustion engine provided with a selective catalytic reduction system
An internal combustion engine (ICE) and method of control are provided to determine a value of a catalyst temperature and a value of a quantity of a reducing agent stored in the catalyst. The quantity of gas recirculated by an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system of the ICE is calculated on the basis of the value of the catalyst temperature and of the value of the quantity of the reducing agent stored in the catalyst. This solution makes it possible to adjust the quantity of gas recirculated by the EGR system on the basis of parameters linked to an efficiency of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system associated with the ICE, in order to reduce the global quantity of pollutants produced by the ICE and released in the environment. |
| US09845742B2 |
Turbocharger generating vacuum negative pressure, vacuum negative pressure supply type brake system using the same, and control method thereof
A turbocharger generating a vacuum negative pressure may include a compressor which receives, through a turbocharger shaft, a rotational force of a turbine which rotates based on exhaust gas from an engine and turbo-charges an intake which is supplied to the engine, and a motorless vacuum pump coupled to the turbine through a center housing which is coupled to the compressor and is configured to be rotated by the turbocharger shaft, thus generating a vacuum negative pressure. |
| US09845739B2 |
Systems and methods for automatically controlling the engine of a turf-care vehicle
A system and method for automatically controlling an engine of a turf-care vehicle. The method comprises receiving, at an engine speed control module, a mode selection input from an engine speed control mode selection device. The mode selection input is indicative of one a plurality of engine speed control modes, and all of the engine speed control modes are implementable by the engine speed control module. The method additionally comprises monitoring, via the engine speed control module, an operating status of one or more vehicle systems and/or one or more vehicle sensors. The method further comprises automatically controlling, via the engine speed control module, a rotational speed of the engine based at least in part on the selected engine speed control mode and the operating status of the one or more vehicle systems and/or one or more vehicle sensors. |
| US09845738B2 |
Variable compression ratio piston system
The variable compression ratio piston system for an engine adjusts the compression ratio of the engine piston by way of hydraulic fluid distributed between a pair of chambers formed in a pair of bores receiving control pistons mechanically coupled to the engine piston. A control valve selectively permits flow of hydraulic fluid between the high compression ratio line and the low compression ratio line. A variable force solenoid controlled by an engine control unit preferably controls the position of the control valve. The position of the spool controls whether hydraulic fluid can flow toward the first chamber, toward the second chamber, or not at all. Flow of hydraulic fluid is actuated by alternating forces from inertial and combustion forces on a crankshaft from operation of the engine. |
| US09845736B2 |
Method of determining the timing and quantity of fuel injection to operate an internal combustion engine
A method of determining the timing and quantity of fuel injection to operate an internal combustion engine is disclosed. While operating the fuel injector to perform a fuel injection; a signal of a fuel pressure within the fuel rail during the fuel injection is sampled. The signal is used to determine first and second integral transforms yielding as output a value of first and second functions having as variables the fuel rail pressure drop caused by the fuel injection and the timing parameter indicative of the instant when the fuel injection started. Values of the first and second functions are used to calculate a value of the fuel rail pressure drop caused by the fuel injection and a value of the timing parameter. A value of a fuel quantity injected by the fuel injection is calculated as a function of the value of the fuel rail pressure drop. |
| US09845733B2 |
Fire seal for use with a gas turbine engine
A fire seal for use with a gas turbine engine is provided. The fire seal includes a body comprising a first metallic sheet and a second metallic sheet adjacent thereto, each sheet having a plurality of segmented fingers, the segmented fingers of the first metallic sheet and the second metallic sheet overlapped such that the space between fingers on one sheet does not overlap the space between the fingers on the other sheet, at least one finger of the first sheet having at least one first flow aperture therein and at least one finger of the second sheet having at least one second flow aperture, the flow aperture of one sheet overlapping the flow aperture of the other sheet. A mesh material is configured to cover the at least one flow aperture of the two sheets, wherein the mesh material is configured to allow the passage of air therethrough. |
| US09845731B2 |
Self-modulated cooling on turbine components
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for passively managing cooling air in a gas turbine engine. A cooling air supply line may supply cooling air to a component in the gas turbine engine. A metering coupon may have a negative coefficient of thermal expansion. The metering coupon may allow more airflow through the metering coupon and through the component in response to an increase in temperature. |
| US09845726B2 |
Gas turbine engine with high speed low pressure turbine section
A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5. |
| US09845719B2 |
Gas sensor control device
An O2 sensor has a sensor element, which includes a solid electrolyte layer and a pair of electrodes, while the solid electrolyte layer is interposed between the electrodes. The O2 sensor outputs an electromotive force signal in response to an air-to-fuel ratio of exhaust gas of an engine, which serves as a sensing subject. A constant current circuit, which induces a flow of a predetermined constant electric current between the pair of electrodes of a sensor element, and a current sensing arrangement, which senses a current value of an actual electric current that is conducted through the sensor element, are provided. A microcomputer determines whether an abnormality of the constant current circuit is present based on the current value of the electric current, which is sensed with the current sensing arrangement, in a case where the constant current is induced by the constant current circuit. |
| US09845717B2 |
Systems and methods for managing diesel exhaust fluid stratification
A method for an exhaust system is provided, comprising adjusting reductant injection responsive to a reductant concentration, the reductant concentration based on concentration sensor readings and vehicle motion. If the reductant freezes, the reductant may stratify, leading to inaccurate concentration sensor readings. Vehicle motion may mix the reductant, thereby ensuring an accurate concentration measurement which may then be used to adjust reductant injection. |
| US09845707B2 |
Aircraft turbojet engine nacelle comprise an increased-rigidity air intake
An aircraft turbojet engine nacelle comprising an air intake assembly of substantially annular shape, the air intake assembly comprising an external wall and an internal wall which are connected to one another upstream by an air intake lip and downstream by an annular rear structure. The annular rear structure comprises, arranged concentrically, one or more monolithic panels forming a first annular zone and comprising one or more hollow casings forming at least a second annular zone, and at least one connecting ring which provides the connection with at least one of the external and internal walls. The annular rear structure thus has increased structural mechanical strength. |
| US09845706B2 |
Lubrication system for a turbopropeller
A lubrication system for a turbopropeller, includes an oil feed device for at least one enclosure and one equipment, the equipment being connected to the feed device via a displacement pump, and a pressure restricting valve mounted downstream of displacement pump and in parallel to the equipment, such that oil flows through the equipment when the same is active, and through the valve when the equipment is inactive. |
| US09845705B2 |
Systems and methods for centering bearing compartments
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for dressing centering a bearing compartment in a gas turbine engine. A nut may be inserted through an outer case of a gas turbine engine. The nut may be coupled to a strut which centers a bearing compartment. The nut may be rotated to achieve a desired tension on the strut to center the bearing compartment. A retaining plate comprising a collar may be positioned over the nut. A swaging tool comprising a swaging ramp may be positioned over the nut. The swaging tool may be forced against the retaining plate using a draw-in bolt. The swaging ramp may contact the collar and form indentations in the collar to lock the nut in place. |
| US09845704B2 |
Cooled flange connection of a gas-turbine engine
A cooled flange connection of a gas-turbine engine is annular and includes a first flange of a first component, at least a second and central flange of a second component, and a third flange of a third component. At the contact area between the first and the second flange a first circumferential duct is provided that extends over at least part of the circumference. At the contact area between the second and the third flange a second circumferential duct is provided that extends over at least part of the circumference. The first and second circumferential ducts are connected to one another by axial connecting recesses. The first flange is provided with at least one inflow recess connected to the first circumferential duct. The third flange is provided with at least one outflow recess connected to the circumferential duct. |
| US09845700B2 |
Active seal system
One embodiment of the present disclosure is a unique active seal system. The active seal system includes a rotor and a stationary seal component disposed adjacent to the rotor. The rotor has a rotating seal component and a first electrical generator element. The stationary seal component has a second electrical generator element and a piezoelectric portion in electrical communication with the second electrical generator element. |
| US09845699B2 |
Fan spacer having unitary over molded feature
A fan spacer for placement between a pair of adjacent blades in a fan assembly and a related method of making. The fan spacer has a spacer body including an airflow surface shaped to direct air between the pair of adjacent blades in which the airflow surface is shaped on opposing sides to correspond to the pair of adjacent blades. An over molded feature is molded onto the airflow surface of the spacer body in which the over molded feature both includes an erosion coating on the airflow surface and, on the two opposing sides, seals configured to seal against the pair of adjacent blades on the opposing sides of the airflow surface. |
| US09845695B2 |
Gas turbine seal assembly and seal support
A gas turbine engine assembly includes a second module interconnected with a first module along a joint such that a surface of a second radial wall faces a surface of a first radial wall, with a cavity defined in part by the first and second radial walls. A seal assembly includes a finger seal, and a seal support ring having a backing ring portion and a flow discourager arm. The backing ring is secured to one of the first radial wall and the second radial wall, and the flow discourager arm extends axially through the cavity into a recess formed in the other of the first and second radial walls. The finger seal includes a free end contacting an inner side of the flow discourager arm. |
| US09845693B2 |
Overlapping herringbone filmhole patterned surfaces
A surface structure having an overlapping herringbone filmhole pattern is disclosed. For instance, the surface structure may have filmholes arranged in filmrows, each filmrow divided into groups of filmholes. A first group may be oriented to direct cooling air generally outward over a surface of the surface structure and a second group may be oriented to direct cooling air generally inward over a surface of the surface structure. Between the first group and the second group of filmholes in each filmrow, a transition region exists. A transition region filmrow group may be disposed within the transition region and may be collinear with or staggered relative to the first group and/or the second group. In this manner, the transition region filmrow group enhances the effectiveness of the cooling proximate to the transition region. |
| US09845692B2 |
Turbine component connection with thermally stress-free fastener
A turbine component assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a first component having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and including an end face; a second component including a mating surface abutting the end face; and a fastener having a second coefficient of thermal expansion different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion, the fastener including a shank engaging the second component and an enlarged head engaging a mounting slot in the first component; wherein the mating surface and the end face shaped to permit relative pivoting movement between the first and second components. |
| US09845691B2 |
Turbine nozzle outer band and airfoil cooling apparatus
A turbine nozzle segment includes: an arcuate outer band segment; an airfoil-shaped turbine vane extending radially inward from the outer band segment, the turbine vane having a hollow interior; an impingement baffle assembly secured to the outer band so as to define an impingement cavity in cooperation with the outer band segment, wherein the impingement baffle assembly has at least one impingement hole formed therein which is arranged to direct cooling air at the outer band segment; and at least one impingement insert having at least one impingement hole formed therein disposed in the interior of the turbine vane, the impingement insert mating with an opening in the impingement baffle assembly such that the impingement baffle is isolated from direct fluid communication with the impingement cavity. |
| US09845689B2 |
Turbine exhaust structure and gas turbine
In a turbine exhaust structure and a gas turbine, a turbine casing (26) formed in an annular shape to constitute a combustion gas passage A is provided. An exhaust diffuser (31) formed in an annular shape to constitute a flue gas passage (B) is connected to the turbine casing (26) to constitute a configuration. By providing a pressure loss body (61) in the exhaust diffuser (31), efficient pressure recovery can be carried out, which improves turbine efficiency, thereby enabling improvement of the performance. |
| US09845686B2 |
Overlapping herringbone filmhole patterned airfoil
An airfoil having an overlapping herringbone filmhole pattern is disclosed. For instance, the airfoil may have filmholes arranged in filmrows, each filmrow divided into groups of filmholes. A first group may be oriented to direct cooling air generally radially outward over a surface of the airfoil and a second group may be oriented to direct cooling air generally radially inward over a surface of the airfoil. Between the first group and the second group of filmholes in each filmrow, a transition region exists. A transition region filmrow group may be disposed within the transition region and may be co-linear with or staggered relative to the first group and/or the second group. In this manner, the transition region filmrow group enhances the effectiveness of the cooling proximate to the transition region. |
| US09845685B2 |
Process for producing a run-in coating
Disclosed is a process for producing a run-in coating (20, 24, 32, 44) on a component of a turbomachine, in particular of a gas turbine. The run-in coating is applied and produced on the component of the turbomachine by a kinetic cold gas compacting process (K3). The invention also encompasses a run-in coating for a static or rotating component of a turbomachine and a static or rotating component of a turbomachine, in particular of a gas turbine, having at least one run-in coating. |
| US09845683B2 |
Gas turbine engine rotor blade
A rotor blade for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an airfoil extending in span between a root region and a tip region and a tip portion extending at an angle from the tip region of the airfoil. |
| US09845681B2 |
Vacuum pump for a motor vehicle
The invention relates to a vacuum pump for a motor vehicle, comprising a pump housing surface, on which a noise reduction hood delimiting a sound damping volume is mounted. The invention is characterized in that a multi-functional decoupling element is located between the pump housing surface and the noise reduction hood, said element carrying out a sealing function and a valve function in addition to a sound decoupling function. |
| US09845680B2 |
Gas exchange through engine piston rod
A linear reciprocating engine may include a cylinder having a first combustion chamber at one end and a second combustion chamber at an opposing end, first and second cylinder heads located at an end of the first and second combustion chambers, respectively, and a double-faced piston slidably mounted within the cylinder. The engine may further include a first piston rod portion extending from a first face of the double-faced piston through the first combustion chamber, and a second piston rod portion extending from a second face of the piston through the second combustion chamber. Passageways in the piston rod portions may be configured to communicate gases between the combustion chamber and a location outside the cylinder and configured to prevent gases from being exchanged between the cylinder and a location outside the cylinder via a path that crosses both face of the piston. |
| US09845678B2 |
Locally anchored self-drilling hollow rock bolt
A locally-anchored, self-drilling, deformable, hollow rock bolt has one or more intermediate local anchors each of which is flanked by two relatively elongateable shank segments. After grout is supplied through the hollow interior of the rock bolt while the rock bolt is in the drilled borehole, each anchor fixes the bolt to the rock mass, whereas the adjacent smooth shank segments can deform and even yield to accommodate rock fracture. The local anchors may be of relatively short extent when compared to the shank segments. One or more of the intermediate anchors could be formed by a coupler connecting adjacent bolt sections together and/or by shaping the bolt and/or by providing an external anchor. The innermost end of the rock bolt may be formed from or bear a drill bit. The drill bit can have dual functions of drilling the borehole and serving as the innermost anchor of the bolt. |
| US09845676B2 |
Method of mining ore
A method of open cut mining comprising carrying out mining operations in an area of an open cut mine with manned resources and unmanned resources and providing separate access for these resources to the mine area at selected locations. Alternatively, or in addition, the method comprises carrying out mining operations in the mine area with manned resources and unmanned resources operating in selected, separate unmanned and manned zones, respectively within the mine area. |
| US09845674B2 |
Concentration determining method and system
A computer-implemented method and corresponding system for determining the concentration of one or more scale inhibiting polymers in a fluid received from one or more porous and permeable hydrocarbon-bearing rock formations is provided. Each polymer comprises a different chemical marker and the fluid comprises a plurality of commingled said scale inhibiting polymers. The method comprises receiving first input data representing a measured absorption spectrum, within a predetermined wavelength range, of the commingled scale inhibiting polymers, wherein the measured absorption spectrum is measured using a detector after chromatographic separation of the fluid; receiving second input data representing reference absorption spectra, the reference absorption spectra comprising: a) an absorption spectrum, over the predetermined wavelength range, of each of the scale inhibiting polymers; and b) baseline reference absorption spectra of other chemicals having absorbance values within the predetermined wavelength range that are expected to be present in the fluid; inputting the first and second input data into a computer program; and operating the computer program. The computer program is operated to, at each of a plurality of discrete time steps over an elution time from the separation, determine a factor for each reference absorption spectrum that results in a modelled spectrum comprising a best-fit linear combination of the second input data to the first input data. For each scale inhibiting polymer, the computer program also operates to use the factors corresponding to the absorption spectrum of said scale inhibiting polymer that have been determined for a predetermined number of said discrete time steps to determine an indication of the concentration of the scale inhibiting polymer. |
| US09845671B2 |
Evaluating a condition of a downhole component of a drillstring
Methods, systems and products for evaluating a downhole component condition for a drilling assembly in a borehole. Methods include estimating a bending moment on the component at a selected depth along the borehole; estimating a number of rotations of the component at the selected depth; and estimating the condition of the component using the estimated bending moment and the estimated number of rotations at the selected depth. Estimated bending moment may be derived from a borehole model using an estimated deviation on a selected length of the borehole about the selected depth. The condition may be accumulated fatigue or estimated remaining useful life. Estimating the condition may include tracking a total estimated number of rotations wherein the component is subjected to bending moment values in a corresponding moment window, which may be greater than a predetermined threshold bending moment. Weight factors may be associated with at least one moment window. |
| US09845670B2 |
Immiscible fluid systems and methods of use for placing proppant in subterranean formations
Systems and methods for placing proppant in a portion of a subterranean formation (e.g., in a fracturing operation) using two or more immiscible fluids are provided. In certain embodiments, the methods comprise: introducing into a well bore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation alternating stages of a first treatment fluid comprising one or more proppants, and a second treatment fluid comprising a lesser concentration of proppants than the first fluid, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are substantially immiscible in one another, and wherein the alternating stages of the first and second treatment fluids are introduced into the well bore at or above a pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures in the subterranean formation. |
| US09845666B2 |
Limited entry phased perforating gun system and method
A limited entry perforating phased gun system and method for accurate perforation in a deviated/horizontal wellbore is disclosed. The system/method includes a gun string assembly (GSA) deployed in a wellbore with shaped charge clusters. The charges are spaced and angled such that, when perforated, they intersect at a preferred fracturing plane. Upon fracturing, the fractures initiate at least principal stress location in a preferred fracturing plane perpendicular to the wellbore from an upward and downward location of the wellbore. Thereafter, the fractures connect radially about the wellbore in the preferred fracturing plane. The fracture treatment in the preferred fracturing plane creates minimal tortuosity paths for longer extension of fractures that enables efficient oil and gas flow rates during production. |
| US09845663B2 |
Self-cleaning windows for downhole and process chemistry environment
Methods including applying a photo-activated catalyst to a window, directing an ultraviolet light onto the window, producing a bleach via an oxidation reaction, and breaking down organic compounds located on the window using the bleach are provided. Also provided herein are systems including an ultraviolet light source and a window having a photo-activated catalyst layer. |
| US09845660B2 |
Pressure responsive downhole tool having a selectively activatable pressure relief valve and related methods
A pressure responsive downhole tool comprises a power piston pressure relief valve that is selectively activated and deactivated to allow pressure-related operations to be conducted. The pressure relief valve will not open until the power piston is activated, which also requires the operating element (ball valve, for example) to be opened, thereby avoided situations in which the ball valve is inadvertently placed in the Lock Open position. |
| US09845658B1 |
Lightweight, easily drillable or millable slip for composite frac, bridge and drop ball plugs
A frangible slip ring is disposable on a mandrel of a plug disposable in a casing of an oil or gas well. The slip ring is radially expandable during setting to fragment and radially expand to engage the casing. A plurality of external teeth are formed in an exterior of the slip ring, and spaced-apart axially along the slip ring. The plurality of teeth is radially segmented around a circumference of the slip ring by a plurality of axial slots spaced-apart around the circumference of the slip ring and extending into the exterior of the slip ring. An interior of the slip ring is axially segmented along a longitudinal axis by a plurality of annular grooves spaced-apart along the longitudinal axis of the slip ring and extending into the interior of the slip ring. |
| US09845645B2 |
Tapered spline connection for drill pipe, casing, and tubing
An apparatus comprises a first number of splines located near a first end of a first joint section and a second number of splines located near a second end of a second joint section. The first number of splines extends in an axial direction of the first joint section and spans a circumferential surface of the first joint section. Each of the first number of splines has a base, a tip, and a pair of flanks that extends from the base to the tip and forms an acute angle. Each of the first number of splines are configured to be received between adjacent pairs of splines in the second number of splines as the first end of the first joint section and the second end of the second joint section are joined. |
| US09845641B2 |
Method and system for laterally drilling through a subterranean formation
A method for lateral drilling into a subterranean formation whereby a shoe is positioned in a well casing, the shoe defining a passageway extending from an upper opening in the shoe through the shoe to a side opening in the shoe. A rod and casing mill assembly are inserted into the well casing and through the passageway in the shoe until a casing mill end of the casing mill assembly substantially abuts the well casing. The rod and casing mill assembly are rotated until the casing mill end substantially forms a perforation in the well casing. An internally rotating nozzle is attached to an end of a hose and is pushed through the passageway and the perforation into the subterranean formation, and fluid is ejected from tangential jets into the subterranean formation for impinging upon and eroding the subterranean formation. |
| US09845638B1 |
Garage door stop mould
A garage door stop mold comprises a base and a seal strip. The base mounts to a door jamb near a garage door opening. The seal strip attaches to the base. Tabs on the bottom surface of the seal strip insert into grooves extending from the base to attach the seal strip to the base. The seal strip has a door seal edge and a jamb seal edge. The door seal edge seals against a garage door when the door is closed and the jamb seal edge seals against the jamb. |
| US09845637B1 |
Cabinet door assembly and manufacturing thereof
A cabinet door having a first member with a first recess disposed along a top side of the center panel between a first stile and a second stile, a second recess disposed along a bottom side of the center panel between the first stile and the second stile, and a first veneer having a longitudinally extending grain pattern; a second member with a second veneer having a longitudinally extending grain pattern, and a first rabbet; and a third member with a third veneer having a longitudinally extending grain pattern; and a second rabbet; where the second member fits into the first recess, the third member fits into the second recess, and the longitudinally extending grain pattern of the second veneer is parallel to the longitudinally extending grain pattern of the third veneer and perpendicular to the longitudinally extending grain pattern of the first veneer. |
| US09845636B2 |
Frameless supplemental window for fenestration
A novel and useful frameless supplemental window for fenestration suitable for use with existing windows. The supplemental window, in one embodiment, comprises plastic sheet material with bullnose edging around it. Corner braces add rigidity and strength to corners in several embodiments. An attachment mechanism secured either to the sheet material or the bullnose edge functions to fasten and/or seal the supplemental window to an existing window. The bullnose edging functions to substantially enclose (i.e. trap) a volume of air between the window pane and the plastic sheet material. The supplemental window is configured such that the layer of trapped air is of an optimum thickness within a preferred range of 0.15 to 0.75 inches to maximize thermal insulation properties of the supplemental window. |
| US09845633B2 |
Reinforced mull post assembly
A composite reinforced mull post is disclosed for use in an entryway assembly. The mull post may engage a door on one side and a side light window on the other side. The mull post may comprise a one or two piece outer portion and one or more internal reinforcing members. The outer portion may comprise a plurality of interlocking pieces. A first internal reinforcing member may be formed of engineered material such as a wood laminate, and a second reinforcing member may comprise a channel that extends partially around the first reinforcing member. The reinforcing member may include orthogonal portions conterminously received within a correspondingly shaped central chamber formed by the housing formed by the joined interlocking pieces. The reinforcing member may include an upper wood portion and a lower durable portion, connected end to end by a glued finger joint. |
| US09845632B2 |
Method and system for operating a closure panel of a vehicle
A method for operating a closure panel of a vehicle, comprising: using a processor, determining whether a first proximity sensor and a second proximity sensor located on a periphery of the vehicle have been sequentially activated to indicate an object moving across the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor; and, controlling the closure panel to open or close when the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor have been sequentially activated. |
| US09845629B2 |
Vehicle keyless entry assembly having capacitance sensor operative for detecting objects
A keyless entry assembly for a vehicle includes a sensor carrier, a sensor in the form of an electrically conductive pad, and a controller. The sensor is mounted to the sensor carrier and the sensor carrier is positioned adjacent a panel such that the sensor is adjacent the panel. The sensor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the panel while the sensor is driven with electrical charge such that capacitance of the sensor changes due to the sensor capacitively coupling with the object. The controller is operable for driving the sensor with the electrical charge and controlling a vehicle operation as a function of the capacitance of the sensor. |
| US09845628B2 |
Refrigerator
A refrigerator includes a cabinet; a storage compartment located within the cabinet; a first door pivotally mounted to the cabinet, the first door configured to open or close a first portion of the storage compartment; a second door pivotally mounted to the cabinet, the second door configured to open or close a second portion of the storage compartment; a pillar pivotally mounted to the first door and configured to block leakage of cold air between the first door and the second door; a pillar boss protruding outward from the pillar; a guide recess configured to guide the pillar boss; and a rotator that defines the guide recess, the rotator being configured to rotate about a rotation axis. |
| US09845627B2 |
Hinge for a partition element, in particular for a swing door
The invention concerns a strap hinge (1) for a separating element. The separating element takes the form of a door, for example, in particular a swing door. The strap hinge (1) comprises two active units. The strap hinge (1) is provided with securing units (27 to 29), which are actively connected to a surface owing to a radial movement. The strap hinge further comprises pressure units (40, 43). The strap hinge (1) offers the same properties as a strap hinge which is provided with a hydraulic braking device. |
| US09845621B2 |
Locking device with configurable electrical connector key and internal circuit board for electronic door locks
Locks, systems and methods of monitoring a lock, the lock having a hub with a slot rotatable by a handle to open and close a latchbolt. A locking member is moveable into and out of engagement with the hub slot to prevent and permit movement of the hub and latchbolt. A sensor on the lock, adjacent the hub and locking member, monitors a moving lock component. The sensor may sense the position of the locking member in or out of engagement with the hub slot. The sensor may be a reed switch actuated by a magnet on the moving lock component. The lock may further include a magnet mounted on the hub and the sensor may comprise a reed switch capable of being actuated by the magnet on the hub. The lock and system may include an external control unit having an alarm for controlling operation of the lock. |
| US09845617B2 |
Lock device and associated method, computer program and computer program product
It is presented a lock device comprising: a controller configured to determine whether to open the lock device, wherein the controller is configured to provide an open signal when the lock device it to be opened, the open signal being a pulsating signal; a motor controllable to set the lock device in an open state or a closed state; and a motor driver connected between the controller and the motor, the motor driver comprising a capacitor providing a capacitive coupling between the controller and the motor, the motor driver being configured to provide a motor control signal to the motor to set the lock device in an open state only when a duty cycle of the open signal is less than a threshold duty cycle. |
| US09845615B2 |
Mounting structure of decorative cap
A mounting structure of a decorative cap includes a door panel, a cylinder lock fixed to the door panel, and a decorative cap member. A protrusion portion of a cylinder lock protruding 5 from the door panel is covered with the decorative cap member. The decorative cap member includes a water guide channel guiding infiltrated water from a gap between a key insertion opening and a surface of the cylinder lock, to a water ejection opening which is opened on a peripheral wall. The key insertion opening 10 exposes a key insertion section of the cylinder lock. |
| US09845612B2 |
System and method for assembling tower sections of a wind turbine lattice tower structure
A system for assembling a tower section of a lattice tower structure for a wind turbine may generally include a tower assembly fixture having a plurality of radially extending fixture arms, wherein each fixture arm extends between a first end and a second end. In addition, the system may include a plurality of trolleys. Each trolley may include a base frame configured to be coupled to one of the fixture arms between its first and second ends and a leg mount pivotally coupled to the base frame. The leg mount may be configured to be coupled to a bottom end of a support leg of the tower section such that, when each of the support legs is coupled to its respective leg mount, the support legs are supported above the tower assembly fixture at a substantially vertical orientation. |
| US09845611B2 |
Device for securing temporary structures
A device and method for securing a structural object, including a bottom tray configured to support thereon a container having an open top portion and a closed bottom portion, the bottom tray having a vertical wall configured to support the container around a circumference thereof; and a slot integrated into an end of the bottom tray and vertical wall and configured to fit around a pole shaped structural object adapted to be received within the slot, the bottom tray of the slot configured to rest upon a base of the pole shaped structural object. |
| US09845610B2 |
Re-deployable mobile above ground shelter
A protective shelter including an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, a door, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall. The protective shelter further includes one or more members coupled to the enclosure that support the protective shelter on a substrate and a resilient grouser attached to at least one of the one or more members and in contact with the substrate. |
| US09845609B2 |
Swimming pool pressure cleaner including automatic timing mechanism
A fluid distribution system for an underwater pool cleaner comprises an inlet body having an inlet for receiving a supply of pressurized fluid, a valve assembly body in fluid communication with the inlet of the inlet body and including a plurality of fluid outlets, a first one of the outlets provides fluid for propelling the underwater pool cleaner in a forward direction and a second one of the outlets provides fluid for propelling the underwater pool cleaner in a reverse direction, and a valve subassembly fluidicly driven by the supply of pressurized fluid and periodically switching the supply of pressurized fluid from the first one of the outlets to the second one of the outlets to periodically change direction of propulsion of the underwater pool cleaner. |
| US09845608B2 |
Valve
A valve 10, for relieving ground water pressure on a swimming pool for containing pool water. A body 30 defines a flow path. An element 20 is mounted to be moved in a direction from a position, in which at least one feature 22 of the element co-operates with at least one feature 33 of the body to form a sealing arrangement to block the flow path to retain the pool water, to a position in which the flow path is open to allow ground water into the swimming pool. The sealing arrangement defines an effective area over which the ground water pressure acts to drive the element in the direction, and an effective area over which pool water pressure acts to drive the element opposite the direction. The co-operable features are configured such that a ratio, of the effective area over which the ground water pressure acts to the effective area over which pool water pressure acts, has a value of at least 0.9. |
| US09845605B2 |
System and method for automatically regulating tensions of guide ropes of flexible cable suspension platform
A system and a method for automatically regulating the tensions of the guide ropes of a flexible cable suspension platform. The system includes a guide rope regulator mounted on a flexible cable suspension platform, a hydraulic pump station arranged on the flexible cable suspension platform, and a hydraulic system associated to the hydraulic pump station. The guide rope regulator automatically regulates the tensions of the guide ropes to enable the tensions of all the guide ropes to be consistent, so as to further ensure that the flexible cable suspension platform is in a level condition. The guide rope regulator also can measure the tension states of the guide ropes conveniently so as to ensure that the guide ropes have enough tensions to efficiently limit the swing amplitude of a lilting container. The system is simple, and convenient to operate, and has a good automatic regulating effect. |
| US09845604B2 |
Device and method for arranging and setting tiles and non-vegetative ground covering on a substrate
A tile and non-vegetative ground covering setting device including a housing, slidable rods with turning support means and stationing means are described herein. In some examples, the setting device includes a pair of housings and two pairs of slidable rods. In other examples, a slidable rod may be positioned perpendicularly to the other slidable rods. The device also comprises a platform, a handle, and an adequate number of securing means to maintain integrity of the device. |
| US09845602B2 |
Roofing material
A roofing material is provided having an asphalt-coated mat or felt made up of or in combinations of fiberglass, polyester, nylon, cotton, cellulosic fibers or materials, polyethylene, polypropylene, co-polymers, melamine, phenolic, acrylics, polycarbonate, carbon fiber, clay, metallic in woven, non-woven, strands or sheets, styrene compounds, rubber, silk, leather, or wool in a woven, non-woven, or solid form. The surfacing materials can be made up of or in combination minerals, plastic particles or film, metal particles or film, cement particles, clay particles, paints, coatings, glass, ceramics, wood, wood fiber, or composite materials. |
| US09845601B2 |
Three-dimensionally deformed fiber for concrete reinforcement
A concrete reinforcing member for admixture into a concrete composite. The concrete reinforcing member has a body extending in a longitudinal direction along an axis, the body having a lateral width. At least two anchor segments are axially spaced on the body, each anchor segment having at least one lateral extension projecting in a lateral direction along an associated plane that extends radially relative to the axis of the body. The associated plane of the lateral extension of one of the anchor segments is offset radially about the axis at an angle of greater than 0° and less than 90° relative to the associated plane of the lateral extension of the other anchor segment. |
| US09845592B2 |
Waste disposal system, and method of its use
A side-opening sleeve valve having an inner cylindrical barrel with a shaped opening through the wall, an outer cylindrical barrel having shaped opening through the wall, where the barrels are co-annular and rotatable, and a means for rotating the inner barrel relative to the outer barrel between a first open position where the shaped openings overlap to form a side opening into the sleeve valve, and a second closed position where the shaped openings do not overlap. A side-opening valve is used in pigging fluid flush system for a water-less toilet, where a toilet bowl empties into the side opening of the side-opening valve when opened. When the side-opening valve is closed, a pig cleaning system pushes the waste in the side-opening valve to a sewage system. |
| US09845591B2 |
Water delivery apparatus with multi-channel hose
A hot and cold water delivery apparatus comprising a multi-channel hose for simultaneously carrying hot and cold water to a water delivery device such as the spray head of a shower. The preferred hose is formed from an extruded length of material with a longitudinally running dividing wall to create the channels. A shut off valve may be provided for selectably connecting the channels to a source of hot and cold water respectively. |
| US09845588B2 |
Hydraulic control system for controlling a moveable device
A control system for controlling a moveable device includes at least one hydraulic actuator associated with the moveable device, at least one position sensing device to determine the position of the moveable device or the actuator, or both, and a hydraulic control system, including an electronic control unit, for controlling the actuator. For performing a control method, the hydraulic control system is configured to deliver pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuator, the hydraulic fluid being pressurized at most to a predetermined maximum pressure, and the control system is adapted to regulate the predetermined maximum pressure based on the determined position. According to an example, the moveable device is a boom of a working machine. According to a further example, the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder or motor. |
| US09845586B2 |
Manhole frame with one or more handholds
A manhole frame includes one or more handholds near the entrance to the manhole so that the ladder rungs can be made lower and the access space at the entrance to the manhole thereby increased. The handhold can be cast into the cover-supporting lip, or can be a movable handle which is below the level of the manhole when not in use or extended above ground level when in use. |
| US09845579B2 |
Pavement coating system having shiftable spray bar
A coating applicator vehicle is configured to selectively discharge a flow of liquid emulsion and aggregate onto a roadway. The vehicle includes a rolling chassis and a powered spraying assembly supported by the chassis. The spraying assembly includes a spray bar assembly including a shiftable spray boom and a plurality of spray nozzles. |
| US09845577B2 |
Filler for artificial turf system
Artificial turf for use with an artificial turf system, which may also include a base layer and a support layer. The artificial turf comprising a backing supporting pile tufts of between ¼″ to 4″ in length, in position on its upper surface. The backing may comprise a porous synthetic foam or backing sheet. A filler of particles shaped to have no sharp edges and of substantially equal size are interspersed over the backing and about the tufts up to at least half thick length. The artificial turf substantially retains its resiliency, porosity and equal density throughout. |
| US09845571B2 |
Core-sheath rope
A core-sheath rope can include an outer sheath provided in the form of a hollow braid and an inner sheath provided in the form of a hollow braid, wherein thread changes between threads of the inner sheath and threads of the outer sheath and/or enlacements between threads of the inner sheath and threads of the outer sheath are provided in certain places. The rope can be characterized in that bridge threads extending in the longitudinal direction of the rope are provided in the places of the thread changes and/or enlacements, with the threads of the outer sheath and the inner sheath, respectively, which change from the inside to the outside and from the outside to the inside, respectively, being guided around those bridge threads. |
| US09845567B2 |
Laundry drying machine
A laundry machine (100) adapted to dry laundry by means of a flow of drying air has a machine cabinet (110) for accommodating components necessary for the operation of the laundry machine (100). Inside the cabinet is a laundry treatment chamber (105) adapted to contain the laundry to be dried. A cabinet top element (125) incorporated at least part of a drying air circuit in fluid communication with the laundry treating chamber through a drying air inlet opening (210) and through a drying air outlet opening (215) formed in the cabinet top element The cabinet top element has a bottom base element (205) and a top cover (240) and, defined in an interspace between the base element and the top cover, a drying air path for the flow of drying air between said drying air inlet opening (210) and said drying air outlet opening (215). The drying air path includes a moisture condensing arrangement (225, 230). The drying air inlet opening (210) is formed in a wall (217a) extending within the interspace between the base element (205) of the top element (125) and the top cover (240) thereof. |
| US09845566B2 |
Clothes treating apparatus with heat recovery device
A clothes treating apparatus includes a cabinet and a drum rotatably installed within the cabinet. The clothes treating apparatus also includes a circulation flow path in which exhaust air discharged from the drum is re-supplied to the drum and a condenser configured to allow the exhaust air and cooling air introduced from an outside of the cabinet to be heat-exchanged. The clothes treating apparatus further includes a cooling flow path configured to guide the cooling air toward the condenser and a blowing fan configured to introduce air from outside of the cabinet to an interior of the cooling flow path. In addition, the clothes treating apparatus includes a discharge opening that discharges cooling air, which has passed through the condenser, to an interior of the cabinet. The rotational shaft of the drum is disposed between the discharge opening and the blowing fan. |
| US09845564B2 |
Appliance having a housing dampening portion and method
Various embodiments of apparatuses and methods relating to appliances are provided. In one embodiment, an appliance having a housing, one or more moveable components inside the housing, a drive assembly, and a dampening portion is provided. The housing includes, for example, at least one side wall and the dampening member is disposed at least partially between the drive assembly and the at least one side wall. The dampening portion includes, for example, a resilient material having at least one surface extending at least partially along the side wall and the drive assembly. The dampening member is configured to limit movement of the drive assembly during shipping and handling to prevent damage to the appliance. The dampening member stays with the appliance after shipping and handling to enhance performance of the appliance, protect the moveable component, or both. |
| US09845563B2 |
Water inlet sprayer for low pressure (WILP)
The present relates to washing machines comprising a tub within in which a basket is housed which rotates concentrically within this, driven by a motor mechanically coupled to an agitator and to the basket, a clutch which allows the coupling and uncoupling between basket and agitator, an electronic control which controls actuators by means of drivers, at least one admission valve, one level detector, one spray system, characterized by a wash method comprising: checking the water level, volume determination sequence which comprises determining in which the at least one admission valve remains open; an agitation sequence; a dehydrating sequence; a rinsing sequence which comprises using a determined number of rinsing blocks according to the amount of objects to be washed, introducing a determined amount of water into the basket by means of a nozzle. |
| US09845556B2 |
Printing patterns onto composite laminates
A composite fiber may include at least one reinforcing filament formed of a first material. A second material maybe systematically deposited in a printed onto the at least one reinforcing filament such that at least one of a length, a width, and a thickness of the second material varies across a surface of the at least one reinforcing filament. The printed pattern may alter one or more properties of a composite structure containing the composite fiber. |
| US09845555B1 |
Stretch spun yarn and yarn spinning method
A spun yarn includes a bicomponent staple fiber comprising poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and cotton staple fiber, where the poly(trimethylene terephthalate) is present at a level of at least 1 wt % and less than 20 wt % based on total weight of the spun yarn. |
| US09845550B2 |
Upper dome with injection assembly
Embodiments provided herein generally relate to an apparatus for delivering gas to a semiconductor processing chamber. An upper quartz dome of an epitaxial semiconductor processing chamber has a plurality of holes formed therein and precursor gases are provided into a processing volume of the chamber through the holes of the upper dome. Gas delivery tubes extend from the holes in the dome to a flange plate where the tubes are coupled to gas delivery lines. The gas delivery apparatus enables gases to be delivered to the processing volume above a substrate through the quartz upper dome. |
| US09845542B2 |
Method of recovering nuclear fuel material
According to an embodiment, a nuclear fuel material recovery method of recovering a nuclear fuel material containing thorium metal by reprocessing an oxide of a nuclear fuel material containing thorium oxide in a spent fuel is provided. The method has: a first electrolytic reduction step of electrolytically reducing thorium oxide in a first molten salt of alkaline-earth metal halide; a first reduction product washing step of washing a reduction product; and a main electrolytic separation step of separating the reduction product. The first molten salt further contains alkali metal halide, and contains at least one out of a group consisting of calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium fluoride and magnesium fluoride. The method may further has a second electrolytic reduction step of electrolytically reducing uranium oxide, plutonium oxide, and minor actinoid oxide in a second molten salt of alkali metal halide. |
| US09845539B2 |
Treatment of hydrogen sulfide
A chemical process captures and convert hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas into elemental sulfur, polysulfide, sulfur dioxide and/or sulfuric acid while regenerating sodium hydroxide capture agent for further use in an initial H2S capture step. Processing may include initial sodium hydroxide scrubbing of gas streams containing H2S, electrochemical regeneration of the sodium hydroxide from sodium hydrosulfide or sodium sulfide, recovery of sulfur and/or sulfur dioxide from the electrochemical processing, and production of sulfuric acid from such sulfur and/or sulfur dioxide. |
| US09845535B2 |
Method of manufacturing multi-layer thin film, member including the same and electronic product including the same
Disclosed herein is a method of forming a multilayer thin film by depositing target particles, detached from a target by plasma discharge of inert gas, on a metal object using a multilayer thin film deposition apparatus and a multilayer thin film formed by the method. More specifically, a sputtering deposition apparatus is used as the multilayer thin film deposition apparatus. The method includes coating a metal object with a coating layer, depositing at least one hardness-enhancing layer on the coating layer, and depositing a color layer on the at least one hardness-enhancing layer. |
| US09845520B2 |
Beryllium-free high-strength copper alloys
A beryllium-free high-strength copper alloy includes, about 10-30 vol % of L12-(Ni,Cu)3(Al,Sn), and substantially excludes cellular discontinuous precipitation around grain boundaries. The alloy may include at least one component selected from the group consisting of: Ag, Cr, Mn, Nb, Ti, and V, and the balance Cu. |
| US09845519B2 |
Boron-added high strength steel for bolt and high strength bolt having excellent delayed fracture resistance
Provided are: a boron-added high strength steel for bolt excellent in delayed fracture resistance even having a tensile strength of 1100 MPa or more without addition of large amounts of expensive alloy elements such as Cr and Mo: and a high strength bolt made from the boron-added high strength steel for bolt. The high strength steel for bolt contains C of 0.23% to less than 0.40%, Si of 0.23% to 1.50%, Mn of 0.30% to 1.45%, P of 0.03% or less (excluding 0%), S of 0.03% or less (excluding 0%), Cr of 0.05% to 1.5%, V of 0.02% to 0.30%, Ti of 0.02% to 0.1%, B of 0.0003% to 0.0050%, Al of 0.01% to 0.10%, and N of 0.002% to 0.010%, with the remainder being iron and inevitable impurities. The steel has a ratio ([Si]/[C]) of the Si content [Si] to the C content [C] of 1.0 or more and has a ferrite-pearlite mixed microstructure. |
| US09845518B2 |
Method for fabricating steel sheet for press hardening, and parts obtained by this method
The present invention provides a rolled steel sheet, for press hardening, for which the chemical composition includes, with contents expressed by weight, 0.24%≦C≦0.38%, 0.40%≦Mn≦3%, 0.10%≦Si≦0.70%, 0.015%≦Al≦0.070%, 0%≦Cr≦2%, 0.25%≦Ni≦2%, 0.015%≦Ti≦0.10%, 0%≦Nb≦0.060%, 0.0005%≦B≦0.0040%, 0.003%≦N≦0.010%, 0.0001%≦S≦0.005%, 0.0001%≦P≦0.025%, it being understood that the titanium and nitrogen content satisfy: Ti/N>3.42, and that the carbon, manganese, chromium and silicon content satisfy: 2.6 C + Mn 5.3 + Cr 13 + Si 15 ≥ 1.1 % , with the chemical composition optionally including one or more of the following elements: 0.05%≦Mo≦0.65%, 0.001%≦W≦0.30%, 0.0005%≦Ca≦0.005%, with the remainder made up of iron and inevitable impurities coming from preparation. The sheet includes a nickel content Nisurf at any point of the steel near the surface of said sheet over a depth Δ, such that Nisurf>Ninom, where Ninom designates the nominal nickel content of the steel, and such that Nimax designates the maximum nickel content within Δ: ( Ni max + Ni nom ) 2 × ( Δ ) ≥ 0.6 and such that: ( Ni max - Ni nom ) Δ ≥ 0.01 , with the depth Δ expressed in microns and the Nimax and Ninom contents expressed in percentages by weight. |
| US09845517B2 |
Sub-zero treatment device
The present invention provides a sub-zero treatment device capable of uniformly cooling a cooling target object and reducing the amount of liquid refrigerant used for cooling the cooling target object. The sub-zero treatment device has an exhaust member extending from a through-hole provided in a cooling tank constituting a cooling target object mounting chamber through to the interior of the cooling target object mounting chamber, and having an exhaust port, wherein the exhaust port is disposed in an exhaust port positioning space, which is the space located in the upper half of the cooling target object mounting chamber and having a width in the transverse direction that is equal to the maximum width in the transverse direction of the suction port. |
| US09845516B2 |
Method for treating a substrate made of animal fibers with solid particles and a chemical formulation comprising a colourant
The invention discloses a method for treating an animal substrate comprising: agitating the moistened animal substrate with an aqueous treatment formulation and a solid particulate material in a sealed apparatus, wherein the aqueous treatment formulation comprises at least one colorant. There is also disclosed an animal substrate obtained by the method and finished leather goods obtained by the method. |
| US09845511B2 |
Methods of diagnosis, selection, and treatment of diseases and conditions caused by or associated with methanogens
The invention described herein provides for methods and systems for determining, selecting, and/or treating diseases and conditions caused by or associated with high quantities of methanogens in a subject, or diseases and conditions caused by or associated with low quantities of methanogens in a subject. In various embodiments, a therapy to inhibit the growth of methanogens or to promote the growth of methanogens are selected and/or administered to a subject in need thereof. |
| US09845506B2 |
Method for determining prognosis of prostate cancer in a subject
A method for determining the prognosis of prostate cancer in a subject is provided which comprises the assessment of the methylation status of the HSPB1 gene in a prostate cancer sample. |
| US09845505B2 |
Prediction of therapeutic response in inflammatory conditions
Response to treatment of an inflammatory condition can be predicted based on characteristics of one or more markers from a subject. The markers can include expressions of nucleotide sequences identified herein and of combinations thereof. A response value can be calculated based on characteristics (e.g., expression levels) of one or more of the markers, as well as other characteristics of the subject, such as baseline clinical data. The treatment can be administered when the response value is beyond a threshold. |
| US09845500B2 |
Enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis: compositions and methods for inhibiting pyrophosphorolysis
Nucleotide triphosphate probes containing a molecular and/or atomic tag on a γ and/or β phosphate group and/or a base moiety having a detectable property are disclosed, and kits and method for using the tagged nucleotides in sequencing reactions and various assay. Also, phosphate and polyphosphate molecular fidelity altering agents are disclosed. |
| US09845496B2 |
Multiplexed digital assay with specific and generic reporters
Digital assay system, including methods, apparatus, and compositions, for performing target assays in partitions each containing a generic reporter and a specific reporter for target amplification. |
| US09845495B2 |
Method and kit for detecting target nucleic acid
[Problem] To provide a method for detecting a nucleic acid (such as DNA and RNA) under isothermal conditions, in particular a method by which a short-chain nucleic acid can be directly detected. [Solution] A method for detecting a target nucleic acid in a sample of the present invention comprises: (a) a step of preparing a first oligonucleotide which comprises, in the direction from 5′ to 3′, a first arbitrary sequence, an endonuclease recognition site that is used in a nicking reaction, and a sequence complementary to the target nucleic acid; (b) a step of carrying out a nucleic acid amplification reaction using the target nucleic acid contained in the sample as a primer in the presence of an endonuclease which recognizes the endonuclease recognition site that is used in a nicking reaction; and (c) a step of detecting an oligonucleotide which is obtained by the nucleic acid amplification reaction and comprises a sequence complementary to the first arbitrary sequence. |
| US09845494B2 |
Enzymatic methods for genotyping on arrays
The invention relates to methods for enzymatic, genotyping of polymorphisms on solid supports. In some aspects the methods include ligation of allele or base specific interrogation probes to an array probe. The array probe is labeled by ligation of the interrogation probe. Ligation is dependent on the identity of the base immediately adjacent to the end of the array probe. In other aspects array bound probes are labeled by template dependent extension. |
| US09845492B2 |
TSG primer target detection
The present invention relates to the detection of a target nucleic acid sequence in a real-time manner using a target signal generating primer (TSG primer) having dual interactive labels. The present invention allows for both target amplification and signal amplification by introducing dual interactive labels into a primer used in PCR reactions, ensuring real-time target detection by PCR reactions without the use of complicated oligonucleotides. The present invention could be free from the troublesome matters and shortcomings associated with conventional real-time PCR methods. The present invention allows for successful real-time target detection by using only a labeled primer. Also, the present invention can obtain strong signals indicative of the presence of target nucleic acid sequences in both a liquid phase and solid phase. |
| US09845490B2 |
Complexity management of genomic DNA
The presently claimed invention provides for novel methods and kits for analyzing a collection of target sequences in a nucleic acid sample. A sample is amplified under conditions that enrich for a subset of fragments that includes a collection of target sequences. The invention further provides for analysis of the above sample by hybridization to an array, which may be specifically designed to interrogate the collection of target sequences for particular characteristics, such as, for example, the presence or absence of one or more polymorphisms. |
| US09845489B2 |
Compositions for stabilizing DNA, RNA and proteins in saliva and other biological samples during shipping and storage at ambient temperatures
Compositions and methods are disclosed for substantially liquid, gel, suspension, slurry, semisolid and/or colloid storage of biological samples following admixture with the herein disclosed storage composition, permitting substantial recovery of biological activity following storage without refrigeration. In certain embodiments, unfractionated saliva samples may be stored without refrigeration for weeks, months or years in a form that permits recovery of intact DNA following the storage period. |
| US09845485B2 |
Microalgae of the genus Euglena, method for producing polysaccharides, and method for producing organic compound
Provided are microalgae of the genus Euglena that fall under Euglena gracilis strain EOD-1 (Accession No. FERM BP-11530) or its mutant strain and that are capable of producing at least polysaccharides. Further provided is a method for producing polysaccharides including: culturing microalgae of the genus Euglena that fall under Euglena gracilis strain EOD-1 (Accession No. FERM BP-11530) or its mutant strain and that are capable of producing at least polysaccharides as polysaccharide-producing organisms to produce the polysaccharides. Further provided is a method for producing an organic compound including: culturing microalgae of the genus Euglena that fall under Euglena gracilis strain EOD-1 (Accession No. FERM BP-11530) or its mutant strain and that are capable of producing at least polysaccharides to produce at least one organic compound selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides, lipids, vitamin C, vitamin E, pigments, and proteins. |
| US09845484B2 |
3-hydroxypropionic acid production by recombinant yeasts expressing an insect aspartate 1-decarboxylase
Provided herein are recombinant yeast cells having an active 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid (3-HP) pathway and further comprising a heterologous polynucleotide encoding an aspartate 1-decarboxylase (ADC) of the Class Insecta, Bivalvia, Branchioporia, Gastropoda, or Leptocardii. Also described are methods of using the recombinant yeast cells to produce 3-HP and acrylic acid. |
| US09845479B2 |
Plants resistant to insect pests
The present invention relates to genetic control of infestation by insect pest species, particularly prevention and/or control of pest infestation of plants, using interfering ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules. The invention provides transgenic plants that (i) express or are capable of expressing interfering RNAs of the invention and (ii) are resistant to infestation by insect pest species. |
| US09845476B2 |
Targeted gene deletions for polysaccharide slime formers
The present invention provides improved polysaccharides (e.g., gellan and diutan) produced by mutant gene R, M or N Sphingomonas strains containing at least one genetic modification that favors slime-forming polysaccharide production. Methods of making the mutant Sphingomonas strains and the culture broth containing such mutant Sphingomonas strains are also provided. |
| US09845472B2 |
Methods of using PVT1 exon 9 to diagnose and treat prostate cancer
PVT1 exon 9 is overexpressed in aggressively tumorigenic prostate cancer cell lines and prostate tumor tissues. This exon provides a diagnostic tool for the detection and monitoring of aggressive prostate cancer. Several small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) are disclosed that are useful for treating prostate cancer. |
| US09845468B2 |
Compounds and methods for modulating target nuclear and sub-nuclear nucleic acid molecules in cells and animals
The present invention provides compounds and methods for modulating target nucleic acids found in organelles or sub-organelles of cells. The invention includes, but is not limited to compounds and methods that modulate target nucleic acids in a sub-nuclear organelle, such as the nucleolus and/or a cajal body. In certain embodiments, the cell is in an animal. |
| US09845462B2 |
Microbial fermentation methods and compositions
The present invention provides methods for the cultivation of the Methylobacterium genus of bacteria. In particular the method provides methods for the efficient and inexpensive cultivation of these bacteria. Additionally, the invention provides methods for the utilization of these bacterial cultures to improve plant agriculture. |
| US09845457B2 |
Maintenance of genomic stability in cultured stem cells
The present application relates to methods and compositions for the generation of therapeutic cells having reduced incidence of karyotypic abnormalities. In several embodiments cardiac stem cells are cultured in an antioxidant-supplemented media that reduces levels of reactive oxygen species, but does not down regulate DNA repair mechanisms. In several embodiments, physiological oxygen concentrations are used during culture in order to increase the proliferation of stem cells, decrease the senescence of the cells, decrease genomic instability, and/or augment the functionality of such cells for cellular therapies. |
| US09845452B2 |
Methods for modulating osteochondral development using bioelectrical stimulation
Compositions and methods are provided for modulating the growth, development and repair of bone, cartilage or other connective tissue. Devices and stimulus waveforms are provided to differentially modulate the behavior of osteoblasts, chondrocytes and other connective tissue cells to promote proliferation, differentiation, matrix formation or mineralization for in vitro or in vivo applications. Continuous-mode and pulse-burst-mode stimulation of cells with charge-balanced signals may be used. Bone, cartilage and other connective tissue growth is stimulated in part by nitric oxide release through electrical stimulation and may be modulated through co-administration of NO donors and NO synthase inhibitors. Bone, cartilage and other connective tissue growth is stimulated in part by release of BMP-2 and BMP-7 in response to electrical stimulation to promote differentiation of cells. The methods and devices described are useful in promoting repair of bone fractures, cartilage and connective tissue repair as well as for engineering tissue for transplantation. |
| US09845451B2 |
Multilayered cell culture apparatus
A multilayered cell culture apparatus for the culturing of cells is disclosed. The cell culture apparatus is defined as an integral structure having a plurality of cell culture chambers in combination with tracheal space(s). The body of the apparatus has imparted therein gas permeable membranes in combination with tracheal spaces that will allow the free flow of gases between the cell culture chambers and the external environment. The flask body also includes an aperture that will allow access to the cell growth chambers by means of a needle or cannula. The size of the apparatus, and location of an optional neck and cap section, allows for its manipulation by standard automated assay equipment, further making the apparatus ideal for high throughput applications. |
| US09845440B2 |
Methods and apparatus for enhancing the energy content of carbonaceous materials from pyrolysis
This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into high-carbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects. The structural objects may have a structure and/or strength that derive from the feedstock, heat rate, and additives. |
| US09845434B2 |
Asphaltene stabilization in petroleum feedstocks by blending with biological source oil and/or chemical additive
Biological source oils, including, but not limited to, algae oil, stabilize the presence of asphaltenes in petroleum feedstocks, such as crude oil, to help avoid or prevent fouling and/or corrosion in the production, transferring and processing of the petroleum feedstocks. Chemical additives such as phenol-based resins, and reaction products or combinations of long chain alpha-olefins and/or small chain aldehydes and/or long chain alkyl phenate sulfides and/or metal oxide-based colloidal hydrocarbon-based nanodispersions, may also stabilize the presence of asphaltenes in petroleum feedstocks. By “stabilizing” is meant keeping the asphaltenes in solution in the petroleum feedstocks. |
| US09845432B2 |
Method for revamping a conventional mineral oils refinery to a biorefinery
The invention relates to a method for revamping a conventional refinery of mineral oils into a biorefinery, characterized by a production scheme which allows the treatment of raw materials of a biological origin (vegetable oils, animal fats, exhausted cooking oils) for the production of biofuels, prevalently high-quality biodiesel. This method allows the re-use of existing plants, allowing, in particular, the revamping of a refinery containing a system comprising two hydrodesulfurization units, U1 and U2, into a biorefinery containing a production unit of hydrocarbon fractions from mixtures of a biological origin containing fatty acid esters by means of their hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization, wherein each of the hydrodesulfurization units U1 and U2 comprises: a hydrodesulfurization reactor, (A1) for the unit U1 and (A2) for the unit U2, wherein said reactor contains a hydrodesulfurization catalyst; one or more heat exchangers between the feedstock and effluent of the reactor; a heating system of the feedstock upstream of the reactor; an acid gas treatment unit downstream of the reactor, containing an absorbent (B) for H2S, said unit being called T1 in the unit U1 and T2 in the unit U2, and wherein said method comprises: installing a line L between the units U1 and U2 which connects them in series; installing a recycling line of the product for the unit U1 and possibly for the unit U2, substituting the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the reactor A1 with a hydrodeoxygenation catalyst; substituting the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the reactor A2 with an isomerization catalyst; installing a y-pass line X of the acid gas treatment unit T2 of the unit U2; substituting the absorbent (B) in the acid gas treatment unit T1 with a specific absorbent for C02 and H2S. The operative configuration obtained with the method, object of the present invention, also leads to a substantial reduction in emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, with respect to the original operative mode. The invention also relates to the transformation unit of mixtures of a biological origin obtained with said conversion method and particularly hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization processes. |
| US09845429B2 |
Self-suspending proppants for hydraulic fracturing
The present invention provides modified proppants, and methods for their manufacture. In embodiments, the modified proppant comprises a proppant particle and a hydrogel coating, wherein the hydrogel coating is applied to a surface of the proppant particle and localizes on the surface to produce the modified proppant. In embodiments, formulations are disclosed comprising the modified particles, and methods are disclosed for using the formulations. |