| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09946379B2 |
Display panel, driving method thereof, and display device
The present invention relates to the field of display technology, and particularly relates to a display panel, a driving method thereof, and a display device. The display panel comprises a light blocking layer formed of a material with light blocking and electroconductive properties, the light blocking layer including an isolation part electrically isolated from other part of the light blocking layer, the isolation part being further configured to emit a touch driving signal and/or receive a touch sensing signal to achieve a touch control function of the display panel. The display panel has both display function and touch control function, and has a simpler structure and a higher transmittance; the manufacturing process is simpler, and meanwhile, the production cost is reduced and the product yield is improved. |
| US09946377B2 |
Structured body with conducting and light absorption layers
The present invention relates to a touch panel comprising a structure body comprising: a substrate; a conducting pattern that is provided on at least one surface of the substrate; and a light absorption pattern provided on at least one surface of the conducting pattern and provided on at least a portion of regions corresponding to the conducting pattern, and a method for manufacturing the same. |
| US09946371B2 |
System and method for using touch orientation to distinguish between users of a touch panel
Methods, devices, and computer program products for using touch orientation to distinguish between users are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a method of identifying a user of a touch device from a plurality of users of the touch device is described. The method includes receiving touch data from a touch panel of the touch device, the touch data indicating a user's touch on the touch screen. The method further includes determining an orientation of the user's touch based on the received touch data. Finally, the method includes identifying the user of the plurality of users which touched the device, based at least in part on the orientation of the touch. |
| US09946370B2 |
Unintentional touch rejection
A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected. |
| US09946368B2 |
Apparatus and control method
The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a control method. By means of arranging in an operating apparatus a first input member for locating a touch control position via a touch control operation and a second input member for issuing a vibration signal to be collected by an electronic device during the touch control operation, it is possible to determine an operation mode of the electronic device based on the vibration signal, and to operate the electronic device in the operation mode, thereby enabling to control the operation mode of the electronic device via the vibration signal issued when the operating apparatus is in contact with the electronic device. It can be seen that, the technical solutions of embodiments of the present disclosure can achieve more application functions by using apparatus for performing touch control operations on electronic devices, and thus can achieve the technical effect of extending the applicable range of the operating apparatus. |
| US09946367B2 |
Input device for touch-sensitive capacitive displays
An input device for capacitive, touch-sensitive displays, wherein the device is a simple pen, wherein the simple pen can be sharpened, wherein the device is present as a core, or wherein the device is present as a core with a coating, or wherein the device is present as core with a casing, or wherein the device includes a core, a casing and a coating, and wherein the core, the casing and/or the coating are configured so as to be electrically conductive. |
| US09946357B2 |
Control using movements
A movement of an object is recognized as a predetermined movement, by transmitting signals between transmitter-receiver pairs, which are reflected from the object. A first event is recorded for one of the transmitter-receiver pairs if a reflected signal meets a predetermined proximity criterion, and a second event is recorded for a second transmitter-receiver pair if, after the first event, a subsequent reflected signal meets a predetermined proximity criterion. The first and second events are used to identify the movement. |
| US09946351B2 |
Empathetic user interface, systems, and methods for interfacing with empathetic computing device
Devices, systems, and methods for empathetic computing are described. A method of interfacing with an empathetic computing system may include the steps of receiving sensor data from sensors of an empathetic computing device, wherein the sensor data is generated by user interaction with the empathetic computing device, the user interaction comprising a plurality of interaction units, receiving contextual information associated with the user interaction, classifying the sensor data as a sequence of interaction units using stored associations between exemplary sensor data and pre-determined interaction units, and providing feedback with the empathetic computing device, wherein the feedback is based, at least in part, on the sequence of interaction units and the contextual information. |
| US09946348B2 |
Automatic tuning of haptic effects
A system that generates haptic effects receives input media that includes audio data, video data, or sensory data. The system automatically generates a haptic effect track from the input media. The system then applies at least one filter to the automatically generated haptic effect track to generate a tuned haptic effect track. |
| US09946346B2 |
Notification control apparatus for identifying predetermined frame in moving image
A notification control apparatus is provided with a moving image acquisition unit 41 that acquires a moving image, an identification unit 44 that identifies a frame according to forwarding operation, out of a plurality of frames constituting the moving image, a determination unit 46 that determines whether or not the identified frame is a predetermined frame, and a notification control unit 49 that notifies determination result by the determination unit 46. |
| US09946343B2 |
Motion tracker with an array of distinct light sources
A head-mounted display device includes a display element with a two-dimensional array of pixels, and an enclosure at least partially enclosing the display element. The head-mounted display device also includes a plurality of light sources located on the enclosure for determining a position of the head-mounted display device. Each light source of the plurality of light sources is uniquely identifiable based at least in part on light emitted by the light source. |
| US09946339B2 |
Gaze tracking through eyewear
A method to furnish input representing gaze direction in a computer system operatively coupled to a vision system. In this method, a first image of an eye at a first level of illumination is acquired by a camera of the vision system. The first image is obtained from the camera, and a second image of the eye corresponding to a second, different level of illumination is also obtained. Brightness of corresponding pixels of the first and second images is compared in order to distinguish a reflection of the illumination by the eye from a reflection of the illumination by eyewear. The input is then furnished based on the reflection of the illumination by the eye. |
| US09946337B2 |
Utilizing inertial measurement unit data of a head mounted display device to generate inferred comfort data
A method and apparatus for utilizing an inertial measurement unit and one or more additional sensors on a head mounted display is provided. In an embodiment, a head mounted display system sends inertial measurement unit data and head mounted display removal data to a tracking computing device. The tracking computing device identifies a time of removal of the head mounted display from the head of the user and stores a portion of the inertial measurement unit data corresponding to the time of removal of the head mounted display from the head of the user. Based on the stored portion of the inertial measurement unit data, the tracking computing device determines a state of the user of the head mounted display system at the time of removal. |
| US09946335B1 |
Display apparatus including a transparent electronic monitor
A display apparatus includes a transparent electronic display such as a non-backlit LCD screen, a display area disposed behind the transparent electronic display, and a light source for illuminating the display area. When the light source is activated, the pixels of the LCD screen, and objects behind the screen, become visible. Various examples of the display apparatus include additional enhancements to the visual image and/or functionality. These enhancements include additional monitors for coordinated displays, user-controlled turntables with coordinated informational displays, parallax compensation, RFID sensors for identifying objects to be displayed, and switchable liquid crystal films and/or polarized mirror coatings to further control revealing and concealing of objects behind the screen. Some examples of the display apparatus may include an animal habitat. The animal habitat may be selectively revealed or concealed. The display apparatus may incorporate screen displays with animal movements for unique visual effects. |
| US09946332B2 |
Semiconductor device with power on reset circuitry
A semiconductor device which makes it possible to reduce a wasteful standby time at power-on is provided. In this semiconductor device, a reset of an internal circuit is canceled as described below. When a data signal stored in a storage section is at “0,” the reset is canceled by bringing an internal reset signal to the “H” level when a relatively short time has passed after the rising edge of a power on reset signal. When the data signal is at “1,” the reset is canceled by bringing the internal reset signal to the “H” level when a relatively long time has passed after the rising edge of the power on reset signal. Therefore, a wasteful standby time at power-on can be reduced by writing the data signal logically equivalent to the rise time of supply voltage to the storage section. |
| US09946331B2 |
System and method to process signals having a common component
Signal processing may include determining a first component common to a first input signal and a second input signal and extracting the first component from at least one of the first input signal or the second input signal, a second component from the first input signal, and a second component from the second input signal. The second component of the first input signal may be different from the second component of the second input signal. An operation may be performed using the extracted, second components. The first component may be combined with a result of the operation. |
| US09946328B2 |
Automated system for cold storage system
In an approach to managing racks in a MAID system, a first rack of a data center is identified. The data center comprises a plurality of racks. The first rack corresponds to a request. The request is one of (i) a request to change a power status of a storage device of the first rack or (ii) a request to service the first rack. An optimal placement of the plurality of racks is calculated to satisfy a condition of the request. One or more of the racks are moved from a first location to a second location, based on the calculated optimal placement of the one or more racks. |
| US09946326B2 |
User interface device and electronic device including the same
A user interface device includes: a proximity sensor configured to detect proximity of a user; an electrostatic switch configured to detect capacitance changes of a plurality of electrodes; an acceleration sensor configured to detect an acceleration; and a microcomputer configured to control supply of electric current to the electrostatic switch and the acceleration sensor based on a detection result of the proximity sensor, and recognize a plurality of user operations based on detection results of the electrostatic switch and the acceleration sensor. |
| US09946322B2 |
Wake-up detector
The apparatus is a wake-up circuit including a first comparator coupled to an input signal and configured to compare the input signal to a first comparison value. The wake-up circuit includes a second comparator coupled to the input signal and configured to compare the input signal to a second comparison value. The wake-up circuit further includes an exclusive OR gate. A first input of the exclusive OR gate is coupled to an output of the first comparator. A second input of the exclusive OR gate is coupled to an output of the second comparator. The wake-up circuit also includes a tunable charge pump coupled to an output of the exclusive OR gate and configured to convert a signal from the exclusive OR gate to a DC value to wake up a circuit being monitored. |
| US09946320B2 |
Information processing method and electronic apparatus
An information processing method and an electronic apparatus are described to reduce the power consumption of electronic apparatus. The method is applied to an electronic apparatus that includes a processing module with at least two sensing units corresponding to at least two power consumption grades. The method includes, when the N sensing units among the at least two sensing units are in an OFF state and the M sensing units among the at least two sensing units are in an ON state, obtaining a first parameter through at least one sensing unit among the M sensing units; determining whether the first parameter satisfies a first predetermined condition; if so, controlling N1 sensing units among the N sensing units to be in the ON state, wherein N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N. |
| US09946318B1 |
Hierarchical prioritized charging for battery backup units on computing data centers
A method for prioritized charging of battery backup units (BBUs) is provided. The method may include identifying critical system racks associated with computing data centers based on characteristics associated with the system racks on the computing data centers. The method may also include identifying critical system enclosures associated with the identified critical system racks based on system architectures associated with the computing data centers. The method may further include prioritizing the identified critical system enclosures based on parameters associated with the identified critical system enclosures. The method may also include identifying and ranking a plurality of critical BBUs associated with the identified and prioritized critical system enclosures based on prioritized charging rules associated with the plurality of critical BBUs. The method may further include charging the identified and ranked plurality of critical BBUs in an order based on the prioritized charging rules. |
| US09946317B2 |
Bi-directional power transfer
The user of a portable device defines the charging direction when two devices with bi-directional power transfers interfaces are interconnected. The device detects a gesture of the user and starts the power transfer to the defined direction. The user may also define the amount of charge to be transferred by the same gesture. The portable device may be operational for a longer period as long as there is another device sharing the battery charge. Embodiments of portable devices include smartphones, speakers, tablets, watches or other wearable devices. |
| US09946314B1 |
Heat dissipation device for display card
The heat dissipation device is for a display card and includes an air cooling member on a power supply circuit of the display card, a water cooling member on a processing element of the display card, and an auxiliary member disposed to a side of the water cooling member adjacent to the display card. The auxiliary member has at least an opening corresponding to the processing element and an extension piece extended away from the opening corresponding to a memory of the display card. As such, the heat from power supply circuit, the processing element, and the memory is respectively dissipated by the air cooling member, the water cooling member, and the auxiliary member and its extension piece, thereby achieving significantly enhanced heat dissipation performance. |
| US09946313B2 |
Peripheral card holder for an information handling system
A peripheral card for an information handling system mounts to an end of a chassis. The peripheral card has an opposite end secured to a base. The base has switchable features for accommodating different types of peripheral cards that may be installed in the chassis. |
| US09946305B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes: a sheath including a connection magnet to couple another device, wherein the connection magnet is installed in a region of the sheath where the another device is coupled; a movable part installed in the region of the sheath where the another device is coupled, wherein the movable part is foldable back to a side where the connection magnet is present; and a magnetism-blocking part installed on a region of the movable part that covers the connection magnet when the movable part is folded back to the connection magnet side. |
| US09946304B2 |
Adjustable flexible display device
A flexible display device may include a display module unit configured to project an image, a frame, and a connecting unit. The frame supports the display module unit. The connecting unit is coupled to the display module unit and the frame, and is adjustable so as to allow an amount of curvature of the display module unit to be adjusted. |
| US09946302B2 |
Exposed glass article with inner recessed area for portable electronic device housing
Transparent articles for use as outer surfaces of electronic devices and methods therefor are disclosed. A transparent cover can be provided over a display of portable electronic device to provide a protective outer cover over the display. The transparent cover can include material to mark, mask or color a portion of the transparent cover, such portion thereupon becoming opaque. The material can be provided in a recessed portion of an inner surface of the transparent cover, such portion being a portion of the transparent cover that is not over a usable portion of the display. The electronic device can, for example, be a portable electronic device. |
| US09946301B2 |
Pivot structure and electronic device having the same
A pivot structure includes a base, a bracket, an elastic component, and a positioning assembly. The bracket is rotatably connected to the base. The elastic component is disposed on the base. The positioning assembly includes an elastic clip and a pillar. The elastic clip is pivoted to the base and has a first releasing segment and a first positioning segment. The pillar is connected to the bracket and has a second positioning segment. The pillar is rotatably clipped in the elastic clip. The bracket is adapted to be expanded to a first expanding state through an elastic force of the elastic component, so as to drive the second positioning segment to move along the first releasing segment. The bracket is adapted to receive an external force to be further expanded to a second expanding state, so as to drive the second positioning segment to move to the first positioning segment. |
| US09946299B1 |
Method and apparatus for a user configurable docking system
A Method and Apparatus for a User Configurable Docking System have been disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector and a back support are adjustable by a user. |
| US09946298B2 |
Wearable device interactive system
A wearable device interactive system and techniques, methods and apparatuses thereof are described. A wearable device may sense a user input by a hand of the user, analyze the user input, and perform one or more operations responsive to a result of the analysis. For example, the wearable device may launch an application corresponding to the user input. As another example, the wearable device may recognize a text at a fingertip of the user and determine a location of the wearable device to determine a context, and launch an application corresponding to the context. |
| US09946297B2 |
Auxiliary electronic device attachable to a wearable electronic device
An auxiliary electronic device attachable to a wearable electronic device. The auxiliary device includes a housing, electronic circuitry within the housing, and an attachment mechanism configured to attach the auxiliary electronic device to the wearable device while the device is being worn by a user. In some embodiments the electronic circuitry includes a power transmitting unit that can wirelessly transmit power to charge a rechargeable battery within the wearable electronic device. In some embodiments the attachment mechanism includes a pair of lugs that extend, from opposite ends of the housing, above the housing towards a center of the auxiliary device and are adapted to fit within corresponding recesses of the wearable electronic device. |
| US09946296B2 |
Flexible keyboard accessory for a portable electronic device
An accessory device for use with an electronic device is disclosed. The accessory device may include a cover configured to overlay an electronic device (or device) or fold to form a support structure for the electronic device. The cover may include an attachment feature that electrically couples with the device, and a keyboard foldable with respect to the cover. Further, the keyboard may include a retention feature designed to receive the attachment feature in a folded configuration of the cover. The accessory device may further include an electrically conductive fabric that folds with the cover. The accessory device may include an array of magnets throughout the attachment feature, the cover, and the keyboard. The magnets may be used to magnetically couple together 1) segments of the cover, 2) the cover and the keyboard assembly, 3) and/or the device with the cover. |
| US09946292B2 |
Power supply circuit
A power supply circuit includes a N-channel switching element having a drain connected to an input terminal and a source connected to an output terminal, and a P-channel switching element having a drain connected to the output terminal and a source connected to the input terminal. A voltage detection circuit is connected to the input terminal and configured to detect a level of an input voltage supplied at the input terminal. A voltage boosting circuit is configured to boost the input voltage and supply a boosted voltage to a gate of the N-channel switching element. A control circuit is configured to control the N-channel switching element, the P-channel switching element, and the voltage boosting circuit based on the level of the input voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit. |
| US09946282B2 |
LDO regulator with improved load transient performance for internal power supply
A voltage regulator includes a feedback regulation loop and a drive transistor configured to source current to a regulated output. A transient recovery circuit is coupled to the voltage regulator circuit and includes a first transistor coupled to source current into a control terminal of the drive transistor, wherein the source current is in addition to current sourced in response to operation of the feedback regulation loop. The first transistor is selectively actuated in response to a drop in voltage at the regulated output. The transient recovery circuit further includes a second transistor coupled to sink current from the regulated output. The sink current has a first non-zero magnitude in the quiescent operating mode of the regulator circuit. In response to an increase in voltage at the regulated output, the operation of the second transistor is modified to increase the sink current to a second, greater, non-zero magnitude. |
| US09946280B2 |
Current output stage having automatic active-passive switching
The invention relates to a current output stage (100) comprising an input (IN), an output (OUT) for connecting to an input of a unit (200) to be supplied with current, a control stage (T1, T2, Z1), which sets the output current (Iout), and an energy supply stage (Uv;Uv,−Uv), which can provide energy for the output current (Iout). The current output stage (100) comprises a first transistor (T1), which controls the output current in a closed-loop in the passive operating mode, and the current output stage (100) contains a second transistor (T2; T2, T3), which controls the output current (Iout) in a closed-loop in the active operating mode, wherein the first transistor (T1) and the second transistor (T2; T2, T3) is controlled by a control stage OP1) in an open loop, and wherein in the active operating mode the energy supply stage (Uv;Uv,−Uv) is controlled in an open loop such that same provides energy for the output current (Iout). |
| US09946275B2 |
Power management system, power management device, and large power-using power load
The power management system includes: a power management device for managing power to be used by multiple power loads; and a large power-using power load. The large power-using power load is defined as a power load which shows a power consumption larger than a difference between allowable power and an upper limit power smaller than the allowable power when operating at a maximum power consumption. The power management device calculates remaining available power available for the large power-using power load, from the total power consumption of the multiple power loads and the upper limit power, and notifies the remaining available power to the large power-using power load. The large power-using power load starts to operate under a condition that its power consumption is equal to or less than the remaining available power notified by the power management device. |
| US09946272B2 |
Thermostatic valve having a sleeve
Thermostatic valve including a housing; a sleeve for regulating the circulation of a fluid in the housing, movable along its axis; a thermostatic element, the moving part of which is movable along the axis relative to its stationary part resulting from an expansion of the thermodilatable material of this element so as to move the sleeve; a compression spring for returning the stationary and moving parts toward one another; and a bracket supporting the spring, which supports a decompression thrust produced by the spring and is provided with both fasteners for fastening to a bearing portion of the housing transverse to the axis, these fasteners cooperating in a form-fitting manner with the bearing portion so as to be attached with the bearing portion along the axis resulting from a decompression thrust produced by the spring, and locking for locking the bracket in position while axially abutting against the bearing portion. |
| US09946270B2 |
Flow rate control valve assembly
An object of the invention is to provide a flow rate control valve assembly capable of preventing a flow rate from varying in a direction opposite to the desired direction upon flow rate controlAs shown in FIG. 1, the flow rate control valve assembly comprises a sliding shaft and a sliding cylindrical surface which fit slidably in with each other in an axial direction, and a moving mechanism for moving the sliding shaft in an axial direction.At least one of the sliding surface of the sliding shaft and the sliding cylindrical surface is provided with one or a plurality of tapered grooves having its specific area defining a fluid passage. The tapered groove is configured such that flow passage resistance increases or decreases gradually along a lengthwise direction, and a cavity formed at an end of the sliding shaft for making sure of a sliding area is formed at a site isolated or shut off from the fluid passage. |
| US09946267B2 |
Control and stabilization of a flight vehicle from a detected perturbation by tilt and rotation
A flight vehicle control and stabilization process detects and measures an orientation of a non-fixed portion relative to a fixed frame or portion of a flight vehicle, following a perturbation in the non-fixed portion from one or both of tilt and rotation thereof. A pilot or rider tilts or rotates the non-fixed portion, or both, to intentionally adjust the orientation and effect a change in the flight vehicle's direction. The flight vehicle control and stabilization process calculates a directional adjustment of the rest of the flight vehicle from this perturbation and induces the fixed portion to re-orient itself with the non-fixed portion to effect control and stability of the flight vehicle. The flight vehicle control and stabilization process also detects changes in speed and altitude, and includes stabilization components to adjust flight vehicle operation from unintentional payload movement on the non-fixed portion. |
| US09946266B2 |
Classification of environment elements
The presently disclosed subject matter includes, inter alia, a method and a system which enables to classify information of a scanned outdoor or indoor environment to different types of environment elements. The identification of environment element types enables to improve detection of obstacles in an environment. The improved detection of obstacles can assist in motion planning to enable to advance quickly and safely through the environment. |
| US09946264B2 |
Autonomous navigation using visual odometry
A system and method are provided for autonomously navigating a vehicle. The method captures a sequence of image pairs using a stereo camera. A navigation application stores a vehicle pose (history of vehicle position). The application detects a plurality of matching feature points in a first matching image pair, and determines a plurality of corresponding object points in three-dimensional (3D) space from the first image pair. A plurality of feature points are tracked from the first image pair to a second image pair, and the plurality of corresponding object points in 3D space are determined from the second image pair. From this, a vehicle pose transformation is calculated using the object points from the first and second image pairs. The rotation angle and translation are determined from the vehicle pose transformation. If the rotation angle or translation exceed a minimum threshold, the stored vehicle pose is updated. |
| US09946263B2 |
Prioritizing cleaning areas
A method of controlling operation of a robotic cleaning device and a robotic cleaning device performing the method. The robotic cleaning device includes a main body, a propulsion system arranged to move the robotic cleaning device, and an obstacle detection device arranged to detect obstacles. The robotic cleaning device further includes a controller arranged to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device. The controller is further arranged to identify one or more sections to be cleaned where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered by the detected obstacles, and to control movement of the robotic cleaning device such that cleaning of the identified one or more sections is prioritized before sections of the surface where the robotic cleaning device is more likely to be hindered by the detected obstacles. |
| US09946250B2 |
Servo actuator default disconnected ID setting method for servo controlling system
A servo actuator default disconnected ID setting method is performed by a servo actuator controlling system, which includes a plurality of servo actuators. A first message is broadcasted which indicates that an original ID is replaced with a non-default-disconnected to the plurality of servo actuators. The original ID of each actuator is replaced with the non-default-disconnected according to the first message. A second message is broadcasted which indicates that the non-default-disconnected ID is replaced with a default disconnected ID. And the non-default-disconnected ID of each servo actuator is replaced with the default disconnected ID according to the second message. |
| US09946249B2 |
Control device of machining tool with power consumption reduction function
A control device of a machining tool with power consumption reduction function includes an execution unit configured to execute control of devices using parameter extracted from a parameter set storage unit, based on a selected priority mode and operation condition of the machining tool. At least one parameter set stored in the parameter storage unit is set with a parameter corresponding to the heating device having a value for making the heating device in an on state and a parameter corresponding to the cooling device having a value for making the cooling device in an on state. |
| US09946246B2 |
Control method of a machine tool
A control method of a machine tool includes the steps of: determining a raised height, and determining a maneuvering height; causing the tool to move horizontally to a machining position; causing the tool to move vertically to a machining height to machine the workpiece; causing the tool to move vertically to the raised height, and when the tool is at the maneuvering height, causing the tool to move horizontally to a next machining position while the tool is moving vertically; causing the tool to move vertically to the maneuvering height while the tool is moving horizontally to the next machining position; and causing the tool to move vertically to the machining height to machine the workpiece. |
| US09946245B2 |
Non-concentric milling
Technology for milling selected portions of a workpiece by a cutting tool of a numerical control machine is described. The described technology provides methods and apparatuses for milling areas of a part so that more aggressive machining parameters can be used in the toolpath, thereby resulting in reduced machining time and load. The technology creates a series of toolpath contours where arcs in the toolpath contours are non-concentric with arcs in other toolpath contours. The selected portions of the workpiece are milled by moving the cutting tool in accordance with the toolpath. |
| US09946244B2 |
Intelligent programmable logic controller
A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles includes creating, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, a process image area in a volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller. The intelligent programmable logic controller then updates the process image area during each scan cycle with contents comprising data associated with a production unit. The contents of the process image area are stored by the intelligent programmable logic controller during each scan cycle on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller. The intelligent programmable logic controller annotates the contents of the process image area with automation system context information to generate contextualized data. |
| US09946237B2 |
Energy management device, energy management system, and energy management method
An energy management device includes a measurement manager and a communicator. The measurement manager manages energy information based on a physical quantity measured from at least one measurement object belonging to each of a plurality of energy types in a customer. The communicator communicates the energy information of each of the energy types to another device over a network. |
| US09946232B2 |
Determining a machine condition
A set of load data for a selected point in time and resulting from the machine operation is received. The load data is provided from a first database comprising predefined machine conditions associated to different sets of load data for the machine. One of the predefined machine conditions that is most representative of the received set of load data is selected. |
| US09946231B2 |
Detection of and responses to time delays in networked control systems
To ameliorate the detrimental effects of time delays, techniques and systems are disclosed for detecting time delays in a plant, facility, or environment (such as a power system) controlled by an NCS, and for providing more resilient control capabilities for adapting to the detected time delays. A time delay estimate can be determined by comparing the expected state of the plant, calculated from a plant model, with the state of the plant described by its telemetry data. Techniques for adapting to a time delay include: switching to an emergency controller and acting in accordance with a local reference model; sending adjusted control commands in accordance with an expected plant state; and instructing a transmitter to transmit subsequent communications packets over multiple redundant communication channels. |
| US09946226B2 |
Display mechanism
A platform for displaying several mutually different horometric items of information, includes as many crowns as the horometric items of information to be displayed on the platform. Each of the crowns is arranged to receive an associated information support and is movable in rotation at a speed selected according to a horometric item of information displayed on the associated information support. |
| US09946225B2 |
Mobile hologram apparatus
A mobile hologram apparatus is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a sheet folded along preformed creases into a pyramid structure configured to be actuated between a compressed state and an uncompressed state. The pyramid structure has a base section and a top section connected by four side sections. The pyramid structure in the compressed state has a height that is less than 1/10th the height of the pyramid structure in the uncompressed state. The apparatus also includes an elastic band connected to a perimeter of the base section of the pyramid structure and configured to cause the pyramid structure to self-actuate from the compressed state to the uncompressed state. |
| US09946223B2 |
Cooling device and image forming apparatus incorporating the cooling device
A cooling device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a cooling device including an air blower, an airflow divider, an air flowing passage, and an air exhaust opening. The air blower blows air toward a cooling target device. The airflow divider divides the air exhausted from the air blower into at least two airflows such that an air flowing direction of the air is changed to a direction perpendicular to an air exhausting direction of the air. The at least two airflows pass through the air flowing passage. A wall of the air flowing passage is disposed facing the cooling target device. The air exhaust opening is disposed on the wall of the air flowing passage to cause the air to pass through toward the cooling target device disposed in a direction intersecting the air flowing direction in the air flowing passage. |
| US09946219B2 |
Image forming apparatus provided with heating unit and pressure roller
An image forming apparatus includes: a heating unit; a pressure roller; a first frame supporting the heating unit; a second frame engaging the first frame; a first gear; a second gear; and a fixing member. The second frame supports a shaft portion of the pressure roller. The first gear is provided at one end of the shaft portion and rotatable with the pressure roller. The second gear engages the first gear and transmits a drive force to the first gear. The fixing member has a first portion engaging the shaft portion and a second portion engaging the second frame. At least a part of the first portion engages the shaft portion at a position on a downstream side of the shaft portion in a second direction in which the shaft portion receives a force upon transmission of the drive force. |
| US09946216B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device; a transfer member; a contact member provided downstream of the transfer member and upstream of the developing device with respect to a movement direction of a surface of the image bearing member and contacting the image bearing member at a contact portion, wherein the surface of the image bearing member passed through a transfer portion reaches the contact portion without being cleaned, a detecting portion for detecting a size of the sheet; and a controller for executing an operation in a cleaning mode for cleaning the contact member. The controller executes the operation in the cleaning mode when the controller discriminates that the size of the sheet detected by the detecting portion is smaller than a size of the toner image. |
| US09946212B2 |
Side edge removal for post processing
A post-processing apparatus includes a side edge removing unit that removes a side edge of a sheet, and a rigidity imparting unit that imparts rigidity to the side edge that is removed by the side edge removing unit such that the side edge has a higher rigidity in a longitudinal direction of the side edge than a body of the sheet from which the side edge is removed. |
| US09946211B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a process unit to form an image onto a sheet. A fixer fixes the image to the sheet. A reverse roller makes a positive rotation to convey the sheet in a forward direction from the fixer, and makes an opposite rotation to convey the sheet in an opposite direction. A returner returns the sheet to the process unit. A branching member guides the sheet from the reverse roller to the returner. A first sensor detects the sheet. The controller controls the reverse roller to make the positive rotation at a circumferential speed higher than a speed of the sheet conveyed by the fixer, controls the reverse roller to wait for predetermined waiting time after the first sensor has detected a rear end of the sheet, and makes the waiting time shorter as a length of the sheet is greater. |
| US09946206B2 |
Image defect predictive diagnostic apparatus, image defect predictive diagnostic system, and non-transitory computer readable medium
An image defect predictive diagnostic apparatus includes an acquisition unit and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires first characteristic values and second characteristic values from an image forming apparatus that forms an image by using an electrophotographic process. The first characteristic values include at least one of (i) toner concentrations and (ii) developing potentials. The first characteristic values have an influence on developability. The second characteristic values are different from the first characteristic values. The notification unit predicts occurrence of a dot image which has no relationship with the image by using the first characteristic values and the second characteristic values which are acquired by the acquisition unit, and that makes notification. |
| US09946205B2 |
Image forming apparatus with creaser control, control method thereof, printing system, and non-transitory computer-readable medium
An image forming apparatus determines whether crease processing at a plurality of portions set on the sheet includes crease processing on two, front and back surfaces of the sheet; determines, if it is determined that crease processing includes crease processing on the two surfaces of the sheet, whether a connected post-processing apparatus that performs crease processing on a sheet can perform crease processing on the two, front and back surfaces of the sheet by one feeding; and controls, if it is determined that the connected post-processing apparatus cannot perform crease processing on the two surfaces by one feeding, to change, to one of the front and back surfaces of the sheet based on attribute information of the sheet, a surface to be processed in crease processing at the plurality of portions. |
| US09946197B2 |
Custom color ink mixing for electro photographic printing
In one example, a liquid electro photographic printing apparatus includes: multiple base color ink containers each to contain a different base color ink; multiple base color ink dispersion units each connected to a corresponding base color ink container to contain a diluted base color ink and to a corresponding base color binary ink developer unit; and a custom color ink container connected to each of the base color ink containers or to each of the base color ink dispersion units, to contain and mix a custom color ink, and connected to a custom color ink binary developer unit. The printing apparatus is configured to print any of the custom and base color inks using the custom color ink binary developer unit and the base color binary ink developer units. |
| US09946195B2 |
Developer container developing device process cartridge and image forming apparatus
A developer container or a developing device including a sheet member having a plurality of holes and a plurality of protruded portions to be inserted into the holes. |
| US09946190B2 |
Developing cartridge
A developing cartridge may include: a casing for accommodating developer therein; a developing roller rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction and positioned at one side of the casing in a second direction; a storage medium having an electric contact surface; and a holder movable relative to the casing in the second direction with the electric contact surface between a first position and a second position, the holder having an outer surface at which the electric contact surface is positioned. |
| US09946186B2 |
Image forming apparatus including unit attachable to and detachable from apparatus main body, conductive member disposed in unit, contact spring disposed in apparatus main body and configured to come in electrically conductive contact with conductive member, and hollow cylinder disposed in apparatus main body and retaining contact spring
An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a conductive member, a contact spring, a hollow cylinder, and a drum unit attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body. The conductive member is disposed in the drum unit. The contact spring is disposed in the apparatus main body and comes in electrically conductive contact with the conductive member. The hollow cylinder is disposed in the apparatus main body. The contact spring has a contact part and a helical spring part. The contact part is provided on the helical spring part. The contact part is retractable in and out of the hollow cylinder. The helical spring part is contained in the hollow cylinder and urges the contact part in a direction for causing the contact part to protrude from the hollow cylinder. The contact part has a longitudinal shape elongated along an axis of the helical spring part. |
| US09946180B2 |
Toner for developing electrostatic latent image
A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image includes: toner base particles containing a hybrid crystalline polyester resin having a crystalline polyester polymerized segment and an amorphous polymerized segment chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin; and an external additive including fatty acid metal salt particles, wherein a volume median diameter of the fatty acid metal salt particles is from 3.0 to 5.0 μm. |
| US09946179B2 |
Toner
A toner comprising a binder resin, a crystalline material, and a colorant, wherein, in a cross section image of the toner, when R (μm) is a long axis of the toner, r (μm) is a long axis of a crystalline material domain, domain A is a domain satisfying formula (ii), and domain B is a domain satisfying formula (iii), the toner in which the domain A and the domain B are both present is at least 50 number %; an number average diameter RAvg of the long axis of the toner satisfies formula (i); and a number of domain B per toner cross section of one toner is 20 to 300. 4 μm≤RAvg≤12 μm (i) 0.125≤r/R≤0.375 (ii) 0.000625≤r/R≤0.0625 (iii) |
| US09946175B2 |
Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, electrophotographic apparatus, and condensed polycyclic aromatic compound
To provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member which satisfies abrasion resistance and electrical properties and which is difficult to cause image deletion. A surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member of this invention contains a polymerized product of a hole transporting compound having a polymerizable functional group, in which the hole transporting compound is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: a compound consisting of one or more carbon atoms, one or more hydrogen atoms, and one or more halogen atoms; and a compound consisting of one or more carbon atoms, one or more hydrogen atoms, one or more oxygen atoms, and one or more halogen atoms. |
| US09946172B2 |
System for positioning an object in lithography
A lithographic apparatus includes: an object that is moveable in at least one direction; a control system to move the object in the at least one direction, wherein the control system is arranged to control movement of the object in the at least one direction in a frequency range of interest; and a conduit provided with a fluid, wherein the conduit is arranged on or in the object in a pattern, and wherein the pattern is such that an acceleration of the object in the at least one direction causes an acceleration pressure profile in the fluid along the conduit, the acceleration pressure profile not matching with a resonance pressure profile that corresponds to a standing wave mode in the fluid with a resonance frequency in the frequency range of interest. |
| US09946170B2 |
Method for exposure and development, system for controlling exposure and system for exposure and development
The present disclosure provides a method for exposure and development, a system for controlling exposure and a system for exposure and development. The method for exposure and development is configured to expose and develop a substrate when the substrate having a size larger than that of a mask. The method includes: exposing and developing a plurality of different regions of the substrate by means of the mask respectively, wherein the plurality of different regions are pieced to form an entire region which needs to be exposed and developed. |
| US09946168B2 |
Lithographic apparatus
A lithographic apparatus includes a patterning device support to support a patterning device to form a patterned radiation beam, the patterning device support including a moveable structure movably arranged with respect to an object, a patterning device holder movably arranged relative to the movable structure and holding the patterning device, an actuator to move the movable structure relative to the object, and an ultra short stroke actuator to move the patterning device holder relative to the movable structure; a substrate support to hold a substrate; and a projection system to project the patterned radiation beam onto the substrate, a position measurement system for measuring a substrate positional error which is a difference between a desired position and an actual position of the substrate relative to a reference object; and a controller to move the actuator and the ultra short stroke actuator based on the substrate positional error. |
| US09946167B2 |
Metrology method and inspection apparatus, lithographic system and device manufacturing method
Methods are disclosed for measuring target structures formed by a lithographic process on a substrate. A grating structure within the target is smaller than an illumination spot and field of view of a measurement optical system. The optical system has a first branch leading to a pupil plane imaging sensor and a second branch leading to a substrate plane imaging sensor. A spatial light modulator is arranged in an intermediate pupil plane of the second branch of the optical system. The SLM imparts a programmable pattern of attenuation that may be used to correct for asymmetries between the first and second modes of illumination or imaging. By use of specific target designs and machine-learning processes, the attenuation patterns may also be programmed to act as filter functions, enhancing sensitivity to specific parameters of interest, such as focus. |
| US09946161B2 |
Optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and microlithographic exposure method
An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic exposure method are disclosed. In an embodiment an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes at least one mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements which are displaceable independently of each other for altering an angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement. The optical system also includes at least one manipulator downstream of the mirror arrangement in the light propagation direction. The manipulator has a raster arrangement of manipulator elements so that light incident on the manipulator during operation of the optical system is influenced differently in its polarization state and/or in its intensity in dependence on the incidence location. |
| US09946158B2 |
Composition for forming resist underlayer film for nanoimprint
Disclosed herein is a composition for forming a resist underlayer film used as an underlayer of a resist for nanoimprint in nanoimprint lithography of a pattern forming process by heat-baking, light-irradiation, or a combination thereof to form the resist underlayer film. The composition includes a silicon atom-containing polymerizable compound (A), a polymerization initiator (B), and a solvent (C). The polymerizable compound (A) may contain silicon atoms in a content of 5 to 45% by mass. The polymerizable compound (A) may be a polymerizable compound having at least one cation polymerizable reactive group, a polymerizable compound having at least one radical polymerizable reactive group, or a combination thereof, and the polymerization initiator (B) may be a photopolymerization initiator. |
| US09946154B2 |
Spacer and manufacturing device for the same
A spacer manufacturing device is disclosed. The device includes a photo mask having a central light-transmitting region and a peripheral light-transmitting region disposed at a periphery of the central light-transmitting region; and an exposure device right opposite to the photo mask. Wherein, light emitted from the exposure device is irradiated to a negative photoresist material after passing through the photo mask, the light intensity passing through the peripheral light-transmitting region is less than the light intensity passing through the central light-transmitting region. A spacer is also disclosed. Only one exposure process is required to realize the spacer having a convex-shaped cross section. The process is simple and the manufacturing cost is low. At the same time, a flatness of the convex shoulder of the spacer having a convex-shaped cross section is adjustable, which can satisfy the requirement for manufacturing spacers having different specifications. |
| US09946152B2 |
Extreme ultraviolet lithography photomasks
The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to modified surfaces of extreme ultraviolet lithography photomasks and methods of manufacture. The structure includes a reflective surface having a patterned design, and a black border region at edges of the patterned design. The black border region includes a modified surface morphology to direct light away from reaching a subsequent mirror. |
| US09946150B2 |
Light reflection type lithography mask, its manufacturing method, mask data generation method and mask blank
One embodiment of the present invention provides a light reflection type lithography mask including: a substrate; and a reflection layer. The reflection layer is formed on the substrate, and has a first pattern and a second pattern as viewed from above. The second pattern is located so as to be closest to one of one side and the other side of the first pattern in a first direction. A reflectivity at a portion corresponding to the first pattern is different from a reflectivity at a portion corresponding to the second pattern. |
| US09946147B2 |
Transmission-type transparent screen, image display system and image display method
To provide a transmission-type transparent screen which is excellent in the see-through property for a scene on the other side of the transparent screen as viewed from an observer in a state where no image-forming light is projected from a projector and which is excellent in visibility of an image displayed on the transparent screen as viewed from the observer in a state where image-forming light is projected from the projector, as well as an image display system and an image display method, employing the transparent screen. A transmission-type transparent screen 1 which has a first surface A and a second surface B on the opposite side thereof and which has a light scattering layer 34 comprising a transparent resin 32 and a light scattering material 33, wherein the light scattering layer 34 further contains a light absorbing material, the haze is from 3 to 30%, the total light transmittance is from 15 to 95%, and the diffuse reflectance is from 0.1 to 2.4%. |
| US09946146B2 |
Control apparatus configured to control projection of an image based on position information, projection information, and shape information, corresponding control method and corresponding storage medium
A position acquiring unit acquires position information for identifying a position of a projection surface on which a first projecting unit projects an image. A projection information acquiring unit acquires projection information related to the projection performed by a second projecting unit. The controlling unit controls the first projecting unit to project an image on the projection surface based on the position information and the projection information. |
| US09946145B2 |
Illumination unit, projection type display unit, and direct view type display unit
An illumination unit includes one or more light sources each including a solid-state light-emitting device having a light emission region configured of one or more light-emission spots, one or more traveling-direction angle conversion device each converting a traveling-direction-angle of light, and an integrator including a first fly-eye lens having cells which receive light from the traveling-direction angle conversion device and a second fly-eye lens having cells which receive light from the first fly-eye lens, the integrator uniformalizing illumination distribution in a predetermined illumination area. An optical system configured with the traveling-direction angle conversion device and the first and second fly-eye lenses has an optical magnification which allows each of light source images to have a size not exceeding a size of the cell in the second fly-eye lens, the light source images being formed on the second fly-eye lens by the respective cells in the first fly-eye lens. |
| US09946144B2 |
Projection optical system and image projecting apparatus
A projection optical system is disclosed. The projection optical system includes a first optical system configured to form a first image conjugated with an object and a second optical system configured to project a second image conjugated with the first image toward a projection surface. At least one of the first optical system and second optical system includes at least one optical element(s) movable relative to the object is provided. An image distance of the projection optical system is changed and a size of the second image is changed, by moving at least one of the optical element(s) relative to the object. |
| US09946140B2 |
Projector capable of projection in different positions in the depth direction
A projector capable of simultaneous or concurrent projection in different positions in the depth direction. The projector includes a plurality of display sections each of which forms a collimated image light ray, a superimposing optical system that superimposes the image light rays having exited out of the plurality of display sections on one another with the image light rays unfocused, a projection optical system that projects an image corresponding to the image light rays superimposed by the superimposing optical system, and a circuit apparatus that causes the image light rays to exit out of local image source areas set in the plurality of display sections to shift a position where the image light rays are superimposed on one another to a plurality of superimposition positions different from one another along an optical axis. |
| US09946139B2 |
Display device and method of fabricating the same
A constitution of the display device of the invention is shown in the following. The display device includes a pixel unit including TFTs of which the active layer contains an organic semiconductor material for forming channel portions in the opening portions in an insulating layer arranged to meet the gale electrodes. The pixel unit further includes a contrast media formed on the electrodes connected to the TFTs for changing the reflectivity upon the application of an electric field, or microcapsules containing electrically charged particles that change the reflectivity upon the application of an electric field. The pixel unit is sandwiched by plastic substrates, and barrier layers including an inorganic insulating material are provided between the plastic substrates and the pixel unit. The purpose of the present invention is to supply display devices which are excellent in productivity, light in weight and flexible. |
| US09946138B2 |
Onboard controller for multistate windows
Onboard EC window controllers are described. The controllers are configured in close proximity to the EC window, for example, within the IGU. The controller may be part of a window assembly, which includes an IGU having one or more EC panes, and thus does not have to be matched with the EC window, and installed, in the field. The window controllers described herein have a number of advantages because they are matched to the IGU containing one or more EC devices and their proximity to the EC panes of the window overcomes a number of problems associated with conventional controller configurations. |
| US09946137B2 |
Electrochromic element, lens unit, imaging device, and window member
Potential non-uniformity in a surface of an electrode in an electrochromic element is improved during coloring and color erasing. The electrochromic element includes a pair of transparent electrodes and an electrochromic layer placed between the transparent electrodes. Each of the transparent electrodes includes an end portion having an electric supply portion. The electric supply portions face each other. The surface resistivity of each of the transparent electrodes increases with the increase of the distance from a corresponding one of the electric supply portions. The potential of the transparent electrodes is such that the difference between the maximum and minimum potentials in a surface of each transparent electrode is less than or equal to a predetermined value. |
| US09946126B2 |
Display device and electronic apparatus
According to an aspect, a display device has a first electrode, a second electrode and liquid crystal layer. When a voltage is not applied to the first and second electrodes, the major axes of the liquid crystal molecules are oriented in a third direction. When a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, the major axes are oriented so as to rise in a direction perpendicular to a first substrate while rotating clockwise in a vicinity of one of long sides of comb tooth portion that face each other and counterclockwise in a vicinity of the other of the long sides. An angle between an electrode base-side portion of a long side of each comb tooth portions and the third direction is larger than an angle between a distal end-side portion of the long side of each comb tooth portions and the third direction. |
| US09946124B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display includes substrates facing each other, plural pixels, a liquid crystal layer between the substrates, and a pixel electrode in each pixel. The pixel electrode defines: a first stem extending in a first direction, a second stem extending in a second direction, first edge bars extending in the first direction and connected to the second stem, second edge bars extending in the second direction and connected to the first stem, and plural branches extending from the first or second stem and inclined with respect to the first or second directions and terminating spaced apart from the first and second edge bars. Distal ends of each of the first edge bars are spaced apart from distal ends of each of second edge bars, and in the second direction, each of the first edge bars overlaps lines along which the second edge bars respectively lengthwise extend. |
| US09946121B2 |
Display apparatus with improved color sensing and method of manufacture
A display apparatus includes: a first substrate including a first sub-pixel region, a second sub-pixel region, and a white sub-pixel region; a first color filter disposed on the first substrate in the first sub-pixel region; a second color filter disposed on the first substrate in the second sub-pixel region; an organic layer disposed on the first substrate, the organic layer covering the first color filter, the second color filter, and the white sub-pixel region; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a compensation pattern disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the compensation pattern being further disposed in the white sub-pixel region. A height of the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the white sub-pixel region is smaller than heights of the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the first sub-pixel region and the second sub-pixel region. |
| US09946119B2 |
Display device and manufacturing method thereof
To provide a display device of high quality and high reliability by securely sealing the gap between the bezel and the display panel even when variation is generated in the gap. The display device includes: a display panel including a display face; a bezel which includes a frame part and an aperture end that is on the inner side of the frame part, and covers the fringe of the display panel on the display face side by the frame part; a frontal panel provided by sandwiching the bezel on the display face side of the display panel; and a resin member provided along the whole circumference of the aperture end of the bezel. The resin member has a first resin member formed on the display face and a second resin member formed to cover over the first resin member and a surface of the bezel opposing to the frontal panel. |
| US09946117B2 |
Display device
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a first substrate including a display area and a terminal area, a second substrate opposed to the display area, a first sealing member formed between the first and second substrate and surrounding the display area, a second sealing member formed between the first sealing member and a first edge of the second substrate located at the terminal area side, and a first spacer formed between the first and second sealing member and formed at least in contact with the second sealing member. The first spacer includes a first side surface at the second sealing member side and a second side surface at the first sealing member side, and the first side surface at least partly projects toward the first edge. |
| US09946114B2 |
Display device and manufacturing method thereof
A display device includes: a display substrate including a display area including a plurality of pixel areas and a non-display area at edge sides of the display area; and an aligning agent-accommodating structure including a capping layer disposed in the non-display area to be opened inward of the display substrate. The aligning agent-accommodating structure accommodates an aligning agent applied to the display area. |
| US09946113B2 |
Liquid crystal display module and display device
A liquid crystal display module includes a liquid crystal panel and a backlight source; the liquid crystal panel includes an array substrate, the backlight source includes a plurality of scattering lenses, a plurality of optical pipes, and a light source; one side of each scattering lens is provided with a scatter surface, an end of each scattering lens away from the scatter surface is connected to an end of an optical pipe, the other end of the optical pipe is connected to the light source, and the scattering lens is used to scatter light passing through the optical pipe. A display device including the liquid crystal display module is further disclosed. The liquid crystal display module can improve the utilization ratio of light and reduce the power consumption. |
| US09946111B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device improved in front surface luminance, having a backlight unit, a light conversion member, a polarization separating member, a liquid crystal cell, and a display-side polarizer; the backlight unit includes an unpolarized blue light source and a reflection member that converts circularly-polarized to unpolarized blue light and reflects same; the light conversion member includes a circularly polarized luminescence fluorescent material that emits green and red lights which are circularly-polarized; the polarization separating member includes a reflection polarizer that separates the unpolarized blue light into blue transmitted light that is right- or left-circularly-polarized light and blue reflected light that is the other circularly-polarized light and a λ/4 plate that converts the blue transmitted light, the green and red lights, which are circularly-polarized, to linearly-polarized lights; and an absorption axis of the display-side polarizer is parallel to vibration directions of the blue, green and red lights, which are linearly-polarized. |
| US09946110B2 |
Liquid crystal display
There is provided a liquid crystal display including: a liquid crystal cell in which a liquid crystal layer is installed between two glass substrates; polarizing plates on both surfaces of the liquid crystal cell; and a backlight at a rear side of the liquid crystal cell, which is a non-visual side, wherein in a polarizing plate at a front side of the liquid crystal cell, which is a visual side, a difference in a moisture content of the polarizing plate at the front side under a specific condition in elapse of time is 0.01% or more and 3.0% or less. |
| US09946109B2 |
Color filter and method for preparing the same, method for preparing alignment mark for spacer, and method for detecting position accuracy
The present application discloses a color filter, comprising: a substrate; a black matrix layer formed on the substrate; color film layers formed on at least one first sub-pixel opening area and a plurality of second sub-pixel opening areas on the substrate; wherein the size of the first sub-pixel opening area is smaller than the size of the second sub-pixel opening area; the size of the color film layer on the first sub-pixel opening area is smaller than the size of the color film layer on the second sub-pixel opening area; a flat layer formed on the color film layer; an alignment mark formed on the flat layer and located at a designated position around the first sub-pixel opening area; a spacer layer formed on the flat layer. |
| US09946106B2 |
Electronic display with semitransparent back layer
An electronic display includes electrically conductive layers. An active layer is disposed between adjacent electrically conductive layers. The active layer includes cholesteric liquid crystal material. At least one transparent front substrate is disposed adjacent one of the electrically conductive layers near a front of the display. A semitransparent back layer absorbs light that passes through the active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting. Electronic circuitry applies a voltage to the conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of the active layer. |
| US09946105B2 |
Opposed substrate, method for fabricating the same and display device
An array substrate and a method for fabricating the same and a display device are disclosed. The array substrate includes a protection layer, wherein the protection layer overlays a display region and a non-display region of the array substrate. The non-display region includes a cutting region, and a thickness of a part of the protection layer overlaying the cutting region is larger than that of a part of the protection layer overlaying the display region. |
| US09946104B2 |
Display device and method of manufacturing the same
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a cover panel, a display panel opposed to the cover panel, an adhesive layer provided between the cover panel and the display panel and attaching the display panel to the cover panel, the adhesive layer including a first area to which the display panel is fixed and a second area located further outward than an outer periphery of the display panel, a backlight unit opposed to the display panel, and a case containing the display panel and the backlight unit, at least a part of the case being fixed to the cover panel by the second area of the adhesive layer. |
| US09946103B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus includes a display panel and a top chassis. The top chassis includes a first cover portion disposed above a top surface of the display panel and a second cover portion which is bent and extended from the first cover portion. The first cover portion defines a first region thereof overlapping the top surface of the display panel, a second region thereof disposed around the first region and a surface thereof which is disposed in the first and second regions and faces the top surface of the display panel. A surface roughness of the surface in the first region is greater than that of the surface in the second region. |
| US09946100B2 |
Waveguide type optical element
To effectively prevent the acceleration of the drift phenomenon generated by the application of a high electric field to a substrate through a bias electrode in a waveguide type optical element. A waveguide type optical element includes a substrate (100) having an electro-optic effect, two optical waveguides (104 and 106) disposed on a surface of the substrate, a non-conductive layer (120) which is disposed on the substrate and is made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than the substrate, and a control electrode (150) which is disposed on the non-conductive layer and is intended to generate a refractive index difference between the two optical waveguides by respectively applying electric fields to the two optical waveguides, and the non-conductive layer is constituted of a material which includes silicon oxide, an oxide of indium, and an oxide of titanium and has a ratio between a molar concentration of the titanium oxide and a molar concentration of indium oxide of 1.2 or more, and a voltage generating an electric field of 1 V/μm or more in the substrate is applied to the control electrode. |
| US09946099B2 |
Efficient thermo-optic phase shifters using multi-pass heaters
Techniques for increasing efficiency of thermo-optic phase shifters using multi-pass heaters and thermal bridges are provided. In one aspect, a thermo-optic phase shifter device includes: a plurality of optical waveguides formed in an SOI layer over a buried insulator; at least one heating element adjacent to the optical waveguides; and thermal bridges connecting at least one of the optical waveguides directly to the heating element. A method for forming a thermo-optic phase shifter device is also provided. |
| US09946095B2 |
Eyeglasses with topside removable lenses and frames
Eyeglasses with a removable upper section are disclosed. The upper section is pre-attached to the lenses, such that the upper section of the eyeglasses is lowered, each with a respective lens, into a lower section of the eyeglasses. The upper section and lower section then form a continuous front face of the eyeglasses and are held together by connectors, such as magnets at extreme left and right sides of the upper sections to magnets within a cutout of the lower section adapted to fit the upper section there-within. This creates, at least a continuous top side and front side of the eyeglasses with lenses between the upper and lower portions thereof. |
| US09946094B2 |
Light steering optical assembly with chromatic correction
A wearable optical assembly can include: a first array of aligned prisms configured to direct light towards a first target region; and one or more first chromatic correction elements in series with the first array of aligned prisms, the one or more first chromatic correction elements being configured to compensate for color dispersion caused by the first array of aligned prisms. |
| US09946093B2 |
Ophthalmic lens with a base of polymeric material and a coating having an interferential, anti-reflective, anti-iridescent and infrared filter multiple layer structure coating
Ophthalmic lens including a base of polymeric material with a coating having an interferential, anti-reflective, anti-iridescent and infrared filter multiple layer structure. An interphase, a first layer (of 91-169 nm) with a refraction index higher than 1.8, a second layer (of 128-248 nm) with a refraction index lower than 1.65, a third layer (of 73-159 nm) with a refraction index higher than 1.8 and a fourth layer (of 40-138 nm) with a refraction index lower than 1.8. A total thickness of the multiple layer structure is less than 600 nm. The structure can have intermediate layers with intermediate refraction indices, in which case a doublet of two adjacent layers that fulfill the thicknesses above is replaced by a triplet so that the thickness and an optical thickness of the triplet differ from those of the doublet by less than 5%, respectively. |
| US09946090B2 |
Cushioned eyeglass frame nose support
A flexible foam nose cushion block attached on top of the nose area of an eyeglass frame takes stress off of the nose of the wearer of the eyeglasses. It replaces the traditional eyeglass nose supports, thereby releasing stress on the nose. The cushion sits atop the nose, as opposed to the side of the nose like ordinary eyeglass nose supports, thus distributing the weight of the eyeglasses, increasing the comfort, and eliminating the typical indentation marks left by traditional eyeglasses. The flexible nose cushion is attached to a horizontally extending supporting cross member between the two eyeglass lens frame members at or near the top of the lenses. |
| US09946089B2 |
Generation of coded structured light patterns using VCSEL arrays
A coded pattern projector apparatus comprises a surface-emitting array of emitters comprising a plurality of emitters where each of the plurality of emitters generates one of a plurality of optical beams in response to an electrical drive signal applied to a respective electrical input of each of the plurality of emitters. A first optical element projects each the plurality of optical beams generated by the surface-emitting array of emitters. A second optical element collimates the plurality of optical beams in a first dimension and diverges the plurality of optical beams in a second dimension such that the plurality of optical beams form at least one stripe patterns. A controller has electrical outputs, each of the electrical outputs is connected to a respective electrical input of each of the plurality of emitters. The controller generates electrical drive signals that produce a coded stripe pattern. |
| US09946085B2 |
3D panel, method for producing the same, and 3D display apparatus having the same
An embodiment of the present invention provides a 3D panel. The 3D panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and liquid crystals configured to be filled between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein both the first substrate and the second substrate are provided with a common electrode and a signal electrode. Since the substrates at two sides of the 3D panel of the present invention have electrodes which can be independently controlled, the switching of a grating electrode function between the upper and lower substrates can be achieved by switching the signal to the two substrates, thereby improving the application range of the 3D panel and the compatibility and versatility of the 3D panel. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention also disclose a method for producing the 3D panel and a 3D display apparatus having the 3D panel. |
| US09946080B2 |
Display method and display apparatus
There is provided a practically useful display method that allows viewers to see in-focus images easily. The method includes the steps of providing a lens array including a plurality of lenses, providing display areas at least one of which corresponds to each of the plurality of lenses, displaying partial images of an original image in the display areas respectively, the partial images being different from one another but partially including a same image portion, forming a bundle of beams by beams respectively emergent from the plurality of lenses equivalently, forming virtual images of the respective partial images displayed in the respective display areas by the respective lenses, and forming a single virtual image by superposing the virtual images of the partial images displayed in the respective corresponding display areas formed by the plurality of lenses. |
| US09946074B2 |
See-through curved eyepiece with patterned optical combiner
An apparatus for use with a head wearable display includes a curved eyepiece for guiding display light received at an input surface peripherally located from a viewing region and emitting the display light along an eye-ward direction in the viewing region. The curved eyepiece includes an optical combiner, an eye-ward facing surface that is concave, a world facing surface that is convex, and a curved lightguide disposed between the eye-ward facing and world facing surfaces to guide the display light via total internal reflections from the input surface to the viewing region. The optical combiner is disposed within the curved eyepiece at the viewing region to redirect the display light towards the eye-ward direction. The optical combiner includes a pattern of reflective elements separated by interstitial regions. The interstitial regions pass ambient light incident through the world facing surface such that the viewing region is partially see-through. |
| US09946071B2 |
Modifying light of a multicore assembly to produce a plurality of viewing zones
Configurations are disclosed for presenting virtual reality and augmented reality experiences to users. The system may comprise an image-generating source to provide one or more frames of image data in a time-sequential manner, a light modulator configured to transmit light associated with the one or more frames of image data, a substrate to direct image information to a user's eye, wherein the substrate houses a plurality of reflectors, a first reflector of the plurality of reflectors to reflect transmitted light associated with a first frame of image data at a first angle to the user's eye, and a second reflector to reflect transmitted light associated with a second frame of the image data at a second angle to the user's eye. |
| US09946068B2 |
Optical waveguide and display device
An optical method of displaying an expanded color image comprising extracting from input light bearing said colored image a first spectral portion and a second spectral portion such that together the two portions contain sufficient information for the image to be displayed in substantially its original colors, separately expanding the two spectral portions each in two dimensions and recombining the expanded spectral portions to display the expanded color image. |
| US09946064B1 |
Anti-ghosting reflection device and a display system with the same
An anti-ghosting reflection device includes: a reflection sandwich layer with a first surface and a second surface which are used as reflection surfaces; a first half-wave plate disposed on the first surface of the reflection sandwich layer; and a second half-wave plate disposed beneath the second surface. An anti-ghosting display system is capable of solving the problem of low reflection at the Brewster's angle, the invisibility of the polarized sunglasses, raindrops-caused image distortion by the use of the reflection sandwich layer disposed in the two half-wave plates in combination with an imaging device which can generate a polarization imaging light P. |
| US09946053B1 |
System and method for providing SWIR-MWIR reimaging along a same optical path
An optical system a plurality of lenses, arranged within a same optical path, configured to simultaneously pass and focus therethrough short-wave infrared (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectral bands to a common focal plane and provide simultaneous correction of monochromatic and chromatic aberrations over the SWIR and MWIR spectral bands is disclosed. Another system and a method are also disclosed. |
| US09946049B2 |
Lens moving apparatus and camera module including the same
An embodiment includes a housing including a guide protrusion projecting from an upper surface thereof and a guide groove formed adjacent to the guide protrusion, a first magnet disposed at the housing, a bobbin on which a lens is mounted, a first coil disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the bobbin to move the bobbin by interaction with the first magnet, an upper elastic member coupled to the bobbin and the housing and having an end disposed in the guide groove, a damping member disposed between a side surface of the guide protrusion and a first end of the upper elastic member disposed in the guide groove, and a second coil for moving the housing by interaction with the first magnet. |
| US09946047B2 |
Annual optical spacer, image lens system, and mobile terminal
An annular optical spacer includes a first side portion, a second side portion, an outer annular portion, an inner annular portion and an anti-reflective layer. The second side portion is opposite to the first side portion. The outer annular portion connects the first side portion with the second side portion. The inner annular portion connects the first side portion with the second side portion. A vertical distance between the inner annular portion and a central axis of the annular optical spacer is shorter than a vertical distance between the outer annular portion and the central axis of the annular optical spacer. The inner annular portion includes at least one rugged surface. The rugged surface includes a plurality of annular protruding structures, and the annular protruding structures are coaxially arranged around the central axis. The anti-reflective layer is on top of the rugged surface. |
| US09946042B2 |
Electronic/photonic chip integration and bonding
An optical waveguide device comprising: one or more photonic chips, the one or more photonic chips including: a first portion of a photonic chip comprising an array of first components, each of the first components having an optical input and an electrical output; and a second portion of a photonic chip comprising an array of second components, each of the second components configured to receive an electrical input; the optical waveguide device further comprising: an integrated circuit; the integrated circuit forming an electrical bridge between the electrical outputs of the first components and respective electrical inputs of the second components; wherein the integrated circuit is directly mounted onto the one or more photonic chips; and/or wherein the integrated circuit is located between the first portion of a photonic chip and the second portion of a photonic chip. |
| US09946038B1 |
Cable tracing type jumper cable
A cable tracing type jumper cable include a first electrical connector including an insulative holder shell, a pin block and a connection block at two opposite ends of the insulative holder shell and a first circuit board with a light-emitting device mounted in the connection block, a lead wire set connected with one end thereof to the first electrical connector and including multiple optical fibers, and second electrical connectors connected to an opposite end of the lead wire set each including a lower insulative holder shell, a second circuit board with a light-emitting device mounted in the lower insulative holder shell and electrical plugs mounted in one end of the lower insulative holder shell opposite to the lead wire set. When a voltage is applied to the lead wire set, the light-emitting devices in the first and second electrical connectors are electrically conducted to emit light for tracing. |
| US09946037B2 |
RFID-enabled optical adapter for use with a patch panel
One embodiment is directed to a system comprising a panel comprising a plurality of openings. The system is configured to selectively couple a panel contact for each opening to an RFID reader. The system further comprises a plurality of optical adapters. Each optical adapter comprises: at least one radio frequency identifier (RFID) antenna; at least one adapter contact that is electrically connected to the RFID antenna; and at least one conductor configured to electrically connect the adapter contact to respective one of respective panel contacts when the optical adapter is inserted into one of the openings of the panel. The RFID antenna of each connector is configured to be positioned near an RFID tag attached to the connector when the connector is inserted into the body of the optical adapter. The system is configured to selectively couple the RFID reader to each of the panel contacts. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09946033B2 |
Fiber optic connector with adhesive management
A fiber optic connector includes a ferrule configured to receive and support one or more optical fibers and at least one component coupled to a surface of the ferrule by an adhesive. The at least one component overlays a footprint area defined on the surface to which the adhesive is applied, and the surface has a plurality of recessed formations within the footprint area to accommodate the adhesive. |
| US09946032B2 |
Fiber optic modules having a fiber tray, optical-to-optical fiber optic connectors, and methods thereof
Fiber optic modules, fiber optic connectors, and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fiber optic module includes a body and a fiber tray. The body includes a fiber tray recess extending from a first surface, a fiber-end datum surface positioned an end of the fiber tray recess, and a plurality of lens surfaces. The plurality of lens surfaces, the fiber-end datum surface, and intervening portions of the body define a plurality of lenses each having a linear optical axis. The fiber tray includes a plurality of fiber support features disposed on a first surface. The plurality of fiber support features is configured to receive a plurality of optical fibers. The fiber tray is disposed within the fiber tray recess and secured to the body. |
| US09946031B2 |
Large scale optical switch using asymmetric 1x2 elements
An optical switching arrangement includes a plurality of input and output waveguides. Each of the input waveguides has a first plurality of 1×2 optical switches associated therewith and extending therealong. Each of the output waveguides has a second plurality of 1×2 optical switches associated therewith and extending therealong. Each of the first and second plurality of optical switches is selectively switchable between a through-state and a cross-state. The input and output waveguides are arranged such that optical losses arising for any wavelength of light only depend on a length of segments of the input and output waveguides located between adjacent ones of the 1×2 optical switches. Each of the first plurality of optical switches associated with each of the input waveguides is optically coupled to one of the second plurality of optical switches in a different one of the output waveguides when both optical switches are in the cross-state. |
| US09946028B2 |
Wafer assembly including a guide pin wafer
A guide pin wafer may include a base wafer that includes multiple dies. Each die may include a corresponding lens cutout. The guide pin wafer may also include multiple guide pins mounted on the base wafer. Each die of the base wafer may be mounted with two or more corresponding guide pins that may be configured to engage a parallel fiber connector to the corresponding die. |
| US09946018B1 |
Surface-guiding photonic device with tempered glass
A surface-guiding photonic device includes a planar, tempered glass, comprising a bulk layer and a tempered superficial layer contiguous with the bulk layer. The superficial layer is at least partly exposed to air and has an intrinsic gradient refractive index in a direction z perpendicular to a main plane of the glass, whereas the bulk layer has a refractive index that is essentially constant along direction z. The average refractive index of the superficial layer is larger than each of: (i) the average refractive index of the bulk layer; and (ii) the refractive index of air. The glass can include lateral structures, e.g., trenches, extending parallel to the propagation direction y, so as for the device to have a rib waveguide-like configuration. The lateral structures form recesses in the superficial layer, so as to laterally confine radiation propagating in the tempered superficial layer, by total internal reflection. |
| US09946017B2 |
Arrays of integrated analytical devices and methods for production
Arrays of integrated analytical devices and their methods for production are provided. The arrays are useful in the analysis of highly multiplexed optical reactions in large numbers at high densities, including biochemical reactions, such as nucleic acid sequencing reactions. The integrated devices allow the highly sensitive discrimination of optical signals using features such as spectra, amplitude, and time resolution, or combinations thereof. The arrays and methods of the invention make use of silicon chip fabrication and manufacturing techniques developed for the electronics industry and highly suited for miniaturization and high throughput. |
| US09946014B2 |
Techniques and devices for low-loss coupling to a multicore fiber
An optical pedestal fiber is configured to be taperable to form a tapered fiber having a mode field diameter at the tapered end that differs from the mode field diameter at the untapered end in correspondence with the difference between the cladding diameter at the tapered end and the cladding diameter at the untapered end. A plurality of such pedestal fibers can be used to construct a tapered fiber bundle coupler that provides matching of both core pitch and mode field diameter between a plurality of input fibers and individual cores of a multicore fiber. Further, the tapered fiber bundle coupler can be constructed using a plurality of fibers, in which individual fibers are configured to have different effective refractive indices, thereby suppressing crosstalk therebetween. |
| US09946011B2 |
Illuminated glazing with printed lamination insert
A laminated illuminating glazing unit includes a first sheet with a first main face, a second main face and an edge face, a second sheet with a first main face, a second main face and an edge face; a transparent lamination interlayer making adhesive contact with the second main face of the first sheet and with the first main face of the second sheet; a strip of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), including a printed circuit board and a plurality of LEDs, positioned so that the emitting faces of the LEDs face the edge face of the first sheet; and one or more scattering elements, wherein the lamination interlayer includes, on at least one of its main faces, an opaque masking layer extending from the edge of the interlayer toward the center of the glazing unit so as to cover a zone in which the light from the LEDs would, in the absence of the opaque masking layer, be visible, in the form of luminous halos, through the second sheet. |
| US09946009B2 |
Light guide, light source device, and image reading device
A light guide includes a first exit portion emitting first exiting light, a second exit portion emitting second exiting light in a different direction than the first exiting light, and a reflecting portion reflecting light entering the light guide to each of the first and second exit portions. The first and second exit portions respectively have first and second curved surfaces each having a convex cross section perpendicular to the long axis direction. The second exit portion is connected to the first exit portion in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction. The reflecting portion is provided, in a plane facing the first exit portion and the second exit portion, at a position shifted in the direction perpendicular to the long axis direction from a position where a normal to the plane passes through a connection portion between the first and second exit portions. |
| US09946006B2 |
Backlight unit and display device
A backlight unit (10) and a display device are provided. The backlight unit (10) comprises a light guide plate (101), and a light source (102), a first reflective film (101), and a second reflective film (104). The light source (102) includes a plurality of LEDs (1021) uniformly arranged. The first reflective film (103) is disposed correspondingly on a backlight side of a region opposite to each of the LEDs on the light guide plate (101); The second reflective film (104) includes at least one first sub-reflective film (1041), the first sub-reflective film (1041) being disposed correspondingly on a backlight side of a region opposite to a gap between two adjacent LEDs on the light guide plate (101). A reflectivity of the first reflective film is less than a reflectivity of the second reflective film, and a distance between the light guide plate (101) and the LEDs is less than a distance between an intersection of light beams emitted by two adjacent LEDs and the LEDs, and, a width of the frame of the display device can be reduced. |
| US09945996B2 |
Substrate transferred monocrystalline bragg mirrors
A mirror assembly comprising a carrier substrate; a stack comprising a plurality of alternating monocrystalline semiconductor layers of a first and a second type, wherein the layers of the first type have an index of refraction higher than the layers of the second type thereby forming a Bragg mirror; wherein the carrier substrate is curved having a radius of curvature between 0.1 m and 10 km; wherein the stack is attached to the curved carrier substrate. |
| US09945995B2 |
Optical filter and sensor system
An optical filter having a passband at least partially overlapping with a wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm is provided. The optical filter includes a filter stack formed of hydrogenated silicon layers and lower-refractive index layers stacked in alternation. The hydrogenated silicon layers each have a refractive index of greater than 3 over the wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm and an extinction coefficient of less than 0.0005 over the wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm. |
| US09945994B2 |
UV stable assemblies comprising multi-layer optical film
Assemblies comprising multi-layer optical film comprising optical layers reflecting incident UV and blue light over specified wavelength ranges. Embodiments of the multi-layer optical films are useful, for example, as a UV protective covering. An exemplary UV stable assembly comprises a multi-layer optical film comprising at least a first plurality of first and second optical layers reflecting at least 50 percent of incident UV light over at least a 30 nanometer wavelength range in a wavelength range from at least 300 nanometers to 400 nanometers, and a second plurality of first and second optical layers reflecting at least 50 percent of incident light over at least 30 nanometer wavelength in a wavelength range from at least 430 nanometers to 500 nanometers. |
| US09945993B2 |
Curved grating, method for manufacturing the same, and optical device
A technique is provided which enables preparation of a curved grating having a desired curvature, by plastically deforming, along a curved substrate, a flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process on a silicon substrate, and which thus prepares a diffraction grating with high accuracy. A silicon flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process is transferred to an amorphous material, and the amorphous material substrate is curved and mounted on a curved fixed substrate, thus providing a curved grating having a crystalline material in which the generation of a dislocation line is restrained. |
| US09945992B2 |
Optical unit and image pickup apparatus using the same
The optical unit includes an objective optical system and a splitting element. The splitting element consists of a first right-angle prism, a second right-angle prism, and a third right-angle prism, and has a surface of incidence and an optical splitting surface. The surface of incidence is provided to the first right-angle prism, and the first right-angle prism is positioned such that the surface of incidence is orthogonal to an optical axis of the objective optical system. The optical splitting surface is provided to a boundary of the second right-angle prism and the third right-angle prism. The second right-angle prism has a first optical path and the third right-angle prism has a second optical path. A first optical image and a second optical image are both formed on the same plane, and an area of the first optical image and an area of the second optical image are separated spatially. |
| US09945990B2 |
Light diffusion film and light diffusion film manufacturing method
A light diffusion film in which the angle of aperture of diffused light has been expanded effectively by forming, within the film, a predetermined columnar structure composed of pillar-shaped objects having a bent part and a region having a relatively low refractive index, and a method for manufacturing the light diffusion film are provided. Disclosed is a light diffusion film having a columnar structure in which plural pillar-shaped objects having a relatively high refractive index are arranged to stand close together in the film thickness direction in a region having a relatively low refractive index, and the plural pillar-shaped objects having a relatively high refractive index have a bent part in the middle of the pillar-shaped objects. |
| US09945989B2 |
Process for producing a scattering layer for electromagnetic radiation and scattering layer for scattering electromagnetic radiation
Various embodiments may relate to a process for producing a scattering layer for electromagnetic radiation. The process may include applying scattering centers onto a carrier, applying glass onto the scattering centers, and liquefying of the glass so that a part of the liquefied glass flows between the scattering centers toward the surface of the carrier, in such a way that a part of the liquefied glass still remains above the scattering centers. |
| US09945988B2 |
Array-based camera lens system
A lens system includes a first lens array assembly including a first plurality of cells, each cell of the first plurality of cells configured to exhibit a pair of first Fourier transform lenses, and a second lens array assembly including a second plurality of cells, each cell of the second plurality of cells configured to exhibit a pair of second Fourier transform lenses. The first Fourier transform lenses have a first pitch. The second Fourier transform lenses have a second pitch differing from the first pitch. The first and second lens array assemblies are positioned relative to one another along an optical axis of the lens system such that a Fourier transform of light from an object is developed at a plane between the first and second lens array assemblies and an image of the object is provided at an image conjugate distance from the second lens array assembly. |
| US09945986B2 |
Acrylic optical film, and polarizing plate comprising same
The present invention relates to an acryl-based film that includes a first primer layer including a water-dispersible polyurethane resin formed on one surface, and a second primer layer including at least one or more types of a water-dispersible polyester-based resin, a water-dispersible acryl-based resin and a water-dispersible polyester acryl-based resin formed on the opposite surface, and a polarizing plate including the same. |
| US09945985B2 |
Method for making an optical element having a textured surface and an optical element having a textured surface
There is provided a method for making an optical element having a textured surface. The method comprises the steps of: a) providing a plurality of primary optical fiber segments, each primary fiber segment comprising one or more cores; b) bundling the primary fiber segments into an assembly with the cores of said primary fiber segments extending parallely; c) transforming the assembly into a secondary structure comprising the parallely extending cores; and d) etching a surface of the secondary structure according to an etch profile of said secondary structure, the etch profile being defined by the parallely extending cores, thereby forming the textured surface of the optical element. An optical element having a textured surface is also provided. |
| US09945981B2 |
Aggregation and analytics for application-specific optimization based on multiple data sources
Aggregating and transforming data, and performing analytics thereupon, for application-specific optimization based on multiple data sources. The data is preferably ingressed automatically, and may originate from various public and/or private data sources. Data transformation preferably aligns the data aggregated from the various sources, to thereby allow meaningful referencing. Complex and non-aligned data can therefore be consolidated, such that it is readily digestible by simulation (or other) software. In an embodiment, risk of flooding for a supply chain is computed from the aggregated and transformed data, using data analytics based on physical computation for flood risk assessment, allowing the supply chain to be optimized with regard to threat of flooding and/or actual flooding. In another embodiment, risk of wild fire may be assessed. Other types of risk may also be assessed. |
| US09945978B2 |
Light curtain component
A light curtain component comprising a housing which extends essentially along a longitudinal direction, and having a plurality of optoelectronic emission or reception elements which are arranged in the housing and are oriented toward an upper side of the housing, and which are separated from one another along the longitudinal direction. The housing comprises, on a front side, a first planar front surface which is arranged at an angle (α) of less than 90°, preferably equal to 45°, with respect to the longitudinal direction. This first planar front surface allows joining two such light curtain components flush with one another in a corner, without undesired formation of dead or blind zones taking place. |
| US09945969B2 |
Apparatus and method for reconstructing complex salt geometry using dual-flood RTM with prismatic waves
A method, an apparatus and a computer-readable medium for processing seismic data are provided. The method includes selecting well-imaged areas of a sediment-to-salt interface, and performing (1) a dual-flood RTM with prismatic waves to identify new areas of the sediment-to-salt interface, and (2) one or more RTM to identify other new areas of the sediment-to-salt interface or of a salt-to-sediment interface. |
| US09945967B2 |
Radiation detector
A radiation detector includes: a first scintillator including a first end surface and a second end surface; a second scintillator including a first end surface and a second end surface; a first photodetector detects light emitted from the first end surface of each of the first and second scintillators; a second photodetector c detects light emitted from the second end surface of each of the first and second scintillators; and a position specifying unit configured to specify each radiation incident position on which each radiation has been incident in each of the first and second scintillators, wherein an area of the first end surface of the first scintillator is smaller than an area of the second end surface of the first scintillator, and an area of the first end surface of the second scintillator is larger than an area of the second end surface of the second scintillator. |
| US09945966B2 |
Production method of a sensor chip and computerized tomography detector
A sensor chip, in particular for computerized tomography detectors, including an analog-digital converter electrically connected to an element detecting radiation. A problem addressed is that of defining a sensor chip which is as cost-efficient and reliable as possible. According to an embodiment of the invention, only one single crystalline base plate is used, on which all required components of the sensor chip are applied. A through-contact between the conductor paths or the contacts of both sides of the base plate is used as applicable in order to connect the components of both sides to each other. |
| US09945963B1 |
Dynamic control of event dumping
System includes a signal processing system to receive a digital signal associated with first scintillation events and to determine a value associated with each of the events, a backend processing system to receive the values, determine an event rate based on the received values, determine whether the event rate is greater than a first threshold, and, if the event rate is greater, transmit a first instruction to increase a consecutive event dump level, and an event management control to receive the first instruction to increase the consecutive event dump level, increase the consecutive event dump level in response to the received instruction, determine a number of consecutive scintillation events of detected second scintillation events, determine to dump the consecutive scintillation events based on a comparison between the number of consecutive scintillation events and the consecutive event dump level, and transmit a second instruction to dump the consecutive scintillation events. |
| US09945961B2 |
Radiation detector, and X-ray analysis apparatus and radiation detection method using the same
There are provided a radiation detector capable of detecting radiation without occurrence of dead time while maintaining an exposure state in which radiation enters continuously, and an X-ray analysis apparatus and a radiation detection method using the radiation detector. A radiation detector 100 that detects radiation in synchronization with an external apparatus 200, includes: a sensor 110 that generates pulses when radiation particles are detected; a plurality of counters 140a, 140b provided so as to be able to count the pulses; and a control circuit 160 configured to switch a counter to count the pulses among the plurality of counters 140a, 140b, when receiving a synchronization signal from the external apparatus 200. |
| US09945960B2 |
Luminaire associate
A street lighting fixture and street lamp used in street lighting containing an accelerometer that is used to detect and characterize acceleration events on a street lighting fixture. The accelerometer readings may be combined with GPS technology to determine a relocation of the street lighting fixture. |
| US09945958B1 |
Hybrid civilian and military positioning system
Hybrid systems capable of performing both civilian and military GPS functions with hardware-enforced separation of data boundaries are disclosed. A hybrid system may include a first position data processor configured to generate a first set of position data based on signals received from a satellite navigation system and signals received from a digital antenna. The hybrid system may also include a second position data processor configured to generate a second set of position data based on signals received from the satellite navigation system and signals received from the digital antenna. The hybrid system may further provide a communication interface established between the first position data processor and the second position data processor. |
| US09945953B2 |
Methods and devices for bias estimation and correction
This invention relates to methods and devices for bias estimation and correction, particularly for time-of-arrival (TOA) based wireless geolocation systems. Multipath and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) biases can cause distance estimation errors in the range of tens-hundreds of meters and is particularly problematic in urban and indoor environments. The behavior of the biases dynamically changes depending on the clutter and/or obstructions between the base station and the mobile device. Aspects of the present invention provide practical real-time bias estimation and correction techniques for TOA-based systems and are based on inferring and estimating the biases from dynamic time differential measurements. The techniques can operate in real-time and involve simple calculations. |
| US09945947B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating depth value corresponding to subject using depth camera
A method and apparatus for generating a depth value corresponding to a subject by using a depth camera includes dividing a predetermined time section into n sub-time sections in order to measure the depth value, acquiring a voltage value corresponding to the amount of light reflected from the subject in each sub-time section, by using at least one photodiode included in the depth camera, quantizing the voltage value to any one level among predetermined levels, on the basis of the acquired n voltage values, and outputting the quantized value. |
| US09945946B2 |
Ultrasonic depth imaging
Examples are disclosed herein that relate to depth imaging techniques using ultrasound One example provides an ultrasonic depth sensing system configured to, for an image frame, emit an ultrasonic pulse from each of a plurality of transducers, receive a reflection of each ultrasonic pulse at a microphone array, perform transmit beamforming and also receive beamforming computationally after receiving the reflections, form a depth image, and output the depth image for the image frame. |
| US09945945B2 |
Signal processing apparatus, object detecting apparatus, apparatus provided with object detecting function, and object detecting method
Provided is a technology which is able to detect an object with high accuracy. A signal processing apparatus 1 includes a generating unit 2 and a detecting unit 3. The generating unit 2 includes a function of generating, as a transmitting signal, a modulation wave whose frequency changes non-repetitively. The detecting unit 3 includes a function of fetching the transmitting signal and a receiving signal which is received by a receiving means that can receive a reflection signal generated when the transmitting signal is reflected by an object. The detecting unit 3 includes a function of detecting at least one of presence of the object, distance to the object, and moving speed of the object, based on correlation between the receiving signal and the transmitting signal. |
| US09945944B2 |
Blind area warning for vehicles
Methods and devices are disclosed for assisting a driver of a first vehicle where a second vehicle is detected by a sensor of the first vehicle and a driver of the first vehicle is informed that the second vehicle is at the side of the first vehicle when the second vehicle leaves an area monitored by the sensor, the area monitored by the sensor being an area behind the first vehicle. |
| US09945943B2 |
Adaptive transmission and interference cancellation for MIMO radar
A radar system has different modes of operation. In one mode the radar operates as a single-input, multiple-output (SIMO) radar system utilizing one transmitted signal from one antenna at a time. Codes with known excellent autocorrelation properties are utilized in this mode. At each receiver the response after correlating with various possible transmitted signals is measured in order to estimate the interference that each transmitter will represent at each receiver. The estimated effect of the interference from one transmitter on a receiver that correlates with a different code is used to mitigate the interference. In another mode, the radar operates as a MIMO radar system utilizing all the antennas at a time. Interference cancellation of the non-ideal cross correlation sidelobes when transmitting in the MIMO mode are employed to remove ghost targets due to unwanted sidelobes. |
| US09945942B2 |
System and method of underground water detection
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of determining underground liquid (e.g., water) content. Embodiments of the method may include: receiving a scan of an area at a first polarization, the scan scans including first L band microwave reflections from the area. Embodiments of the invention may include receiving an optical data at a wavelength of 1 millimeter to 10 nanometers. Embodiments of the method may further include filtering electromagnetic noise from the scan using the optical data. Embodiments of the method may further include creating a water roughness map based on typical roughness values of various types of water sources and the filtered scan, identifying a first type of water sources using the water roughness map and the filtered scan and calculating the water content at locations in the area based on the identified first type of water sources. |
| US09945939B1 |
Method for determining a location of an emitter
A method for determining a position of an emitter relative to a plurality of receivers is provided. The method includes emitting first and second signals at the emitter and receiving the first and second signals at each receiver of the plurality of receivers. The method also includes steps for establishing a first detected wave of the second signal as a lost wave or a gained wave for each receiver of the plurality of receivers. Detecting lost and gained waves assists with increasing the accuracy of a calculated location of the emitter relative to the plurality of receivers. |
| US09945938B2 |
Self-calibrating laser tracker and self-calibration method
Some embodiments of the invention relate to a laser tracker for determining the position of a target, comprising a beam source for generating measurement radiation; a base; a beam deflection unit which can pivot with respect to the base −4° C. about two axes in a motorized manner, for the emission and alignment of the measurement radiation and to capture at least one part of the measurement radiation reflected onto the target; a first position-sensitive surface detector and an evaluation and control unit for determining a point of impact of the reflected measurement on the surface detector for generating an output signal in order to determine the position of said target. Said laser tracker also comprises a calibration device for use with a self calibrating function to determine the calibration parameters thereof with respect to a position and/or direction of the measurement radiation. |
| US09945935B2 |
Digital frequency modulated continuous wave radar using handcrafted constant envelope modulation
A radar system for a vehicle includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter transmits an amplified and frequency modulated radio signal. Each transmitter comprises a frequency generator, a code generator, a modulator, a constant-envelope power amplifier, and an antenna. The frequency generator generates the radio signal with a desired center frequency. The code generator generates a sequence of chips at a selected chiprate. A modulation interval between successive chips is a reciprocal of the chiprate. The modulator frequency modulates the radio signal using shaped frequency pulses. The shaped frequency pulses correspond to a first signal, the frequency of which deviates from the desired center frequency during each of the modulation intervals according to a selected pulse shape. The selected pulse shape is determined by the generated sequence of chips. The constant-envelope power amplifier amplifies the frequency modulated radio signal at a desired transmit power level. The antenna transmits the radio signal. |
| US09945922B2 |
Determining a position and/or a motion of a patient during a medical imaging examination
A medical imaging apparatus includes a detector unit, a patient-receiving area at least partially surrounded by the detector unit, and a motion capture unit. The motion capture unit includes at least one first motion capture sensor for capturing patient monitoring data relating to a motion of the patient, and at least one second motion capture sensor for the capture of further motion data relating to a motion of the first motion capture sensor. |
| US09945921B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging device and control method thereof
An MRI apparatus performs an MRI while moving a patient table and includes a main magnet configured to generate a static magnetic field in a bore; a gradient coil assembly configured to apply a gradient signal to the static magnetic field to generate a magnetic field gradient; an RF coil assembly configured to apply an RF excitation signal and an RF refocusing signal; and a controller configured to control the RF refocusing signal so that a slice to which the RF refocusing signal is to be applied conforms to the slice to which the RF excitation signal has been applied. |
| US09945917B2 |
Enhanced nuclear quadrupole resonance and ground penetrating radar using metamaterial antenna
A method and system for enhanced NQR or GPR include a metamaterial antenna configured to both transmit and receive a magnetic field focused at a near-field distance separated from the antenna at a corresponding antenna frequency corresponding to a nuclear quadrupole resonance frequency of an atom in a target material. |
| US09945916B2 |
Temperature monitoring of local coils
A device for a magnetic resonance imaging system includes a warning signal apparatus configured to emit a warning signal when a limit value is exceeded by a current induced in the device by radiofrequency signals of a magnetic resonance imaging system. |
| US09945914B2 |
Systems, apparatus, and methods of nonlinear terahertz (THz) magnetic resonance measurement
A nonlinear terahertz (THz) spectroscopy technique uses a sample illuminated by two THz pulses separately. The illumination generates two signals BA and BB, corresponding to the first and second THz pulse, respectively, after interaction with the sample. The interaction includes excitation of at least one ESR transition in the sample. The sample is also illuminated by the two THz pulses together, with an inter-pulse delay τ, generating a third signal BAB. A nonlinear signal BNL is then derived via BNL=BAB−BA−BB. This nonlinear signal BNL can be then processed (e.g., Fourier transform) to study the properties of the sample. |
| US09945912B2 |
Hall sensor and compensation method for offset caused by temperature distribution in hall sensor
In a Hall sensor in which a Hall element and elements serving as heat sources out of components of a circuit for driving the Hall element are arranged close to each other on a silicon substrate, two directions of control currents by spinning current for the Hall element are selected in a vector manner based on signals from temperature sensors arranged close to a periphery of the Hall element, thereby enabling the elimination of a magnetic offset caused by heat generation of the heat sources. |
| US09945911B2 |
Apparatus and method for measuring impedance for fuel cell diagnosis
An apparatus for measuring impedance for fuel cell diagnosis may include: a current measurement unit configured to measure a current flowing to a load from a fuel cell stack; a voltage measurement unit configured to measure a voltage of the fuel cell stack; and a calculation unit configured to monitor a variation of the current measured through the current measurement unit, perform a frequency analysis operation at each sampling while sampling the current and voltage of the fuel cell stack, and calculate impedance based on the analyzed voltage and current of the fuel cell stack. |
| US09945907B2 |
Method and system for determining a synchronous machine fault condition
A method of determining a fault condition in a synchronous machine. The method includes a) obtaining a field current signal and a shaft voltage signal of the synchronous machine, b) transforming the field current signal and the shaft voltage signal to obtain a field current frequency spectrum and a shaft voltage frequency spectrum, and c) determining whether a fault condition is present, and in case a fault condition is present identifying a type of the fault condition, based on harmonic content of the field current frequency spectrum and harmonic content of the shaft voltage frequency spectrum, wherein c) includes comparing the harmonic content of the field current frequency spectrum with fault condition field current signature spectra and comparing the harmonic content of the shaft voltage frequency spectrum with fault condition shaft voltage signature spectra. |
| US09945902B2 |
Manufacturing method and program of semiconductor device
A burn-in test process is omitted for some or all lots. In burn-in necessity determination processing, whether each semiconductor chip requires a burn-in test to be performed is determined based on measurement data obtained in a probe test process. In an assembly process, based on the results of determination made in the burn-in necessity determination processing, the assembled packages are sorted into a first lot which includes packages each including a semiconductor chip determined to require a burn-in test to be performed and a second lot which includes packages each including a semiconductor chip determined to require no burn-in test to be performed. In a burn-in test process, only the packages of the first lot are subjected to a burn-in test. |
| US09945895B2 |
Antenna checking circuit
An antenna checking circuit includes an antenna-connection-input terminal, a check-request-input terminal, a check-result-output terminal, a switching element having a control end connected to the check-request-input terminal, an input end connected to the antenna-connection-input terminal, and an output end connected to the check-result-output terminal, and a first resistance connected between the check-request-input terminal and the check-result-output terminal. A DC impedance of an antenna between a power supplying point and a ground point is 0Ω, and when a high-level check-request signal is applied to the check-request-input terminal, in a case where the antenna is connected to an antenna-connection terminal, the switching element turns on, and in a case where the antenna is not connected to the antenna-connection terminal, the switching element turns off. Check-result signals that are output to the check-result-output terminal in these cases are different from each other. |
| US09945890B2 |
Method for monitoring power and power monitoring apparatus
In a method for monitoring power, preset information that defines periods in which one or more preset electric devices are scheduled to operate is received, an amount of power available, which is an estimated amount of power available in the building in each period, is calculated, estimated power consumption, which is estimated power consumption in the building in each period, is calculated using power consumption information, to which power consumption of the electric devices to be preset is registered in advance, and the preset information, an alternative instruction with which the estimated power consumption becomes lower than or equal to the amount of power available is generated, and the alternative instruction is displayed on a terminal apparatus. And at least one of the receiving, the calculating the amount of power available, the calculating the estimated power consumption, the generating and the displaying is performed by a processor. |
| US09945879B2 |
Cell smearing apparatus and cell smearing method
A cell smearing apparatus comprising: a mixed solution container accommodation unit accommodating a mixed solution container containing a mixed solution of cells and a preservation solution; a suction unit suctioning the mixed solution from the mixed solution container accommodated in the mixed solution container accommodation unit; a sensor unit sensing variation of the mixed solution suctioned by the suction unit; and a controller controlling a suctioning speed of the suction unit based on a value sensed by the sensor unit. The present invention allows cells to be examined to be smeared as a monolayer on a slide for microscopic examination. |
| US09945871B2 |
Method for measuring the level of circulating inhibitory factor 1 protein in a subject measuring the level of circulating inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) protein in a subject
The present invention relates to a method for assessing a subject's risk of having a cardiovascular disease comprising the step of measuring the level of IF1 in a body fluid sample obtained from said subject wherein the level of EF1 is negatively correlated with the risk of said subject of having cardiovascular disease. |
| US09945869B2 |
Method for the detection of a binding partner of a multispecific binder
Herein is reported a method for the detection of free antigen of a multispecific antibody in a sample, whereby the antigen to be detected can be specifically bound by a first binding site of the multispecific antibody, comprising the step of incubating a sample comprising free antigen and multispecific antibody with an anti-idiotypic antibody, which specifically binds to a second binding specificity of the bispecific antibody, which is different from the first binding specificity, whereby the anti-idiotypic antibody is bound to a solid phase. |
| US09945863B2 |
Coiled coil helix cristae morphology 1 (CHCM1) tumor marker and cancer therapeutic target
Methods for diagnosing and treating a cancer or a tumor in a patient are provided. The methods can comprise the steps of obtaining a biological sample from the patient and analyzing the sample for the presence or absence of Coiled Coil Helix Cristae Morphology 1 protein (CHCM1). A patient is diagnosed with cancer or a tumor provided that CHCM1 is overexpressed. The diagnosed patient is treated by administering a cancer or tumor treatment. The methods can also comprise the steps of obtaining a sample of cancer or tumor cells from the patient, determining a level of CHCM1 expression in the sample of cancer or tumor cells, and administering to the patient a compound for reducing the expression of CHCM1 or for blocking or inhibiting function of CHCM1. |
| US09945862B2 |
Biomarkers for predicting and assessing responsiveness of thyroid and kidney cancer subjects to lenvatinib compounds
Biomarkers are provided that are predictive of a subject's responsiveness to a therapy comprising lenvatinib or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof (e.g., lenvatinib mesylate). The biomarkers, compositions, and methods described herein are useful in selecting appropriate treatment modalities for a subject having cancer (e.g., thyroid cancer, kidney cancer), suspected of having cancer, or at risk of developing cancer. |
| US09945858B2 |
Compositions and methods for detecting and quantifying host cells protein in cell lines and recombinant polypeptide products
Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that bind hamster phospholipase B-like 2 are provided. Also provided are methods for detecting and quantifying hamster phospholipase B-like 2, for example, in recombinant polypeptide preparations, as well as kits for carrying out such methods. Methods of screening or selecting host cell lines or recombinant polypeptide-expressing cell lines that express low levels of hamster phospholipase B-like 2 are also provided. |
| US09945857B2 |
Method and kit for determining the probability that a patient will develop a severe case of dengue
A method for determining, in vitro, the probability of a patient developing severe dengue, based on a blood sample, in which: a) the quantity in the blood sample of at least one marker, which is platelet factor 4, is determined; b) the quantity of platelet factor 4 determined in step a) is compared with a reference quantity of the marker obtained from a group of individuals who have been diagnosed with non-severe dengue, wherein, if the quantity of platelet factor 4 determined in step a) is less than the reference quantity established in step b), it is determined that the patient will develop severe dengue. |
| US09945856B2 |
Coronavirus, nucleic acid, protein, and methods for the generation of vaccine, medicaments and diagnostics
A new coronavirus is disclosed herein with a tropism that includes humans. Means and methods are provided for diagnosing subjects (previously) infected with the virus. Also provided are among others vaccines, medicaments, nucleic acids and specific binding members. |
| US09945853B2 |
Extracellular mitochondrial components for detecting inflammatory reactions and conditions
The present disclosure highlights the relationship between extracellular mitochondrial components, optionally in combination with the secreted phospholipase A2-IIA and/or an auto-antibody, and in vivo as well as in vitro and inflammatory reactions/conditions, especially those released as a result of the degradation of a platelet. The present disclosure provides methods for determining the presence of inflammatory mediators, for limiting inflammatory reactions/conditions, for the diagnosis inflammatory reactions/conditions, for screening therapeutics for the treatment and/or the alleviation of symptoms of inflammatory reactions/conditions based on the detection or modulation of the level of these extracellular mitochondrial components. |
| US09945848B2 |
Reagent calibration system and method
One aspect relates to a method of calibrating event data. The method includes obtaining, via an electronic device including a processor, event data for an assay including a reagent. The reagent is associated with one of a plurality of manufacturing lots of the reagent. The method includes receiving one or more calibration factors for the reagent based on an identifier associated with the one of the plurality of manufacturing lots. The method further includes generating calibrated event data based on an application of the one or more calibration factors to the event data. |
| US09945847B2 |
Immunoassays using over-labeled fluorescent probes
The present disclosure provides immunoassays using one or more over-labeled fluorescent probes, which provides for rapid, accurate and quantitative detection of one or more target analytes in sample, reading fluorescent intensity. The disclosed immunoassays provide multiplexing capability with low cross-reactivity. |
| US09945840B2 |
Non-invasive, in vitro functional tissue assay systems
Provided are functional cell and tissue assay systems based on substrate-integrated multifunctional microelectrode arrays implementing stem cell technology. The system covers normal and pathogenic characteristics. |
| US09945839B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for collecting a target material
This disclosure is directed to an apparatus, system and method for retrieving a target material from a suspension. A system includes a displacement fluid, a collector, and a primary vessel. In another implementation, the system includes a processing vessel, a displacement fluid, a collector, and a primary vessel. |
| US09945826B2 |
Functional test for gas sensors
A gas sensor which works according to the principle of thermal conductivity is functionally tested. In the method, a calibration cycle is conducted in which a membrane of the gas sensor is immersed in a fluid calibration medium having a known concentration of a target gas. After the calibration cycle, a measurement chamber of the gas sensor is purged with a purging gas. Then, a measuring cycle is conducted, using a thermal conductivity sensor to measure the target gas in the measurement chamber. Using a calibration baseline established from the calibration cycle and a measurement baseline in the measurement cycle, a baseline comparison value is obtained and compared to a predetermined baseline threshold value. An error message, indicating a malfunction in the purging gas supply, is generated when the baseline comparison value exceeds the predetermined baseline threshold value. |
| US09945821B2 |
Composite sampling of fluids
Composite sampling of a fluid flowing through a conduit includes collecting, in a vessel coupled to the conduit through which the fluid is flowing, a first discrete sample of fluid from the conduit, the first discrete sample having a first selected volume, and collecting, in the vessel and at a first interval from the first sample, a second discrete sample of the fluid from the conduit, the second discrete sample having a second selected volume, thereby forming a composite sample in the vessel while the vessel is coupled to conduit. The composite sample includes the first discrete sample and the second discrete sample, and may include one or more additional discrete samples. An apparatus for collecting the composite sample includes a gas chromatograph, and is arranged such that the composite sample is provided to the gas chromatograph without removing the composite sample from the apparatus or transporting the composite sample. |
| US09945820B2 |
Mixer bypass sample injection for liquid chromatography
In a liquid chromatography system, a sample is injected into a column by flowing a solvent mixture from a mixer into the column along a solvent mixture flow path; and injecting a sample into the solvent mixture flow path downstream of the mixer. In another liquid chromatography system, a sample is injected into a column by loading an isolator fluid into a sample loop, loading a sample into the sample loop, and flowing the sample into the column as a plug in front of the isolator fluid. |
| US09945816B2 |
Ultrasonic NDT sensor arrangement and method for inspecting surfaces of variable geometry of metal bodies
The invention relates to an ultrasonic NDT sensor arrangement for inspecting surfaces of variable geometry of metal bodies. The sensor arrangement includes a housing with a hollow inner space and an opening, through which part of an incoming sound beam exits the housing to enter a metal body to be tested. An ultrasonic sensor is coupled to the housing such that it emits said incoming sound beam directly into said hollow inner space in a direction towards the opening. The said inner space of the housing is filled with a first coupling fluid which is water. The opening of the housing is closed with a closing member, which is made of a silicone material and which has a similar density and velocity of sound compared to the first coupling fluid. |
| US09945811B2 |
Electrochemical probe for detection of chlorate explosives
A method of detecting chlorate in soil includes contacting soil wetted with a solvent containing an electrically conductive salt with an electrode comprising layers of vanadium-substituted phosphomolybdate alternating with layers of para-rosaniline, and performing voltammetry with the electrode, wherein a catalytic reduction current indicates a likelihood of the presence or absence of chlorate in the soil. A system includes a potentiostat operably connected to the electrode and in communication with hardware and software sufficient to produce an output indicating a chlorate level in soil. |
| US09945807B2 |
Biosensor devices, systems and methods therefor
A sensing apparatus for sensing target materials including biological or chemical molecules in a fluid. One such apparatus includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure having an electrically-insulating layer, a fluidic channel supported by the SOI structure and configured and arranged to receive and pass a fluid including the target materials, and a semiconductor device including at least three electrically-contiguous semiconductor regions doped to exhibit a common polarity. The semiconductor regions include a sandwiched region sandwiched between two of the other semiconductor regions, and configured and arranged adjacent to the fluidic channel with a surface directed toward the fluidic channel for coupling to the target materials in the fluidic channel, and further arranged for responding to a bias voltage. The sensing apparatus also includes an amplification circuit in or on the SOI and that is arranged to facilitate sensing of the target material near the fluidic channel. |
| US09945796B2 |
X-ray fluorescence analysis method and X-ray fluorescence analysis system
An X-ray fluorescence analysis method in which the quantity of a contained component other than the principal component in the sample is determined by using the result of measurement of X-rays emitted from a sample whose principal component is an organic component, includes: setting a quantitative value of the contained component; calculating an area occupancy ratio representing the proportion of X-rays falling onto the sample; recalculating the area occupancy ratio based on a comparison of a measured value of the scattered X-ray intensity with a theoretical value of the scattered X-ray intensity calculated using a recalculated quantitative value of the contained component and the area occupancy ratio; repeating the recalculation of the quantitative value of the contained component and the recalculation of the area occupancy ratio, and determining the quantitative value as the definite quantitative value of the contained component when the quantitative value satisfies a previously set convergence condition. |
| US09945794B2 |
Inspection systems and methods for synchronously positioning radioactive material
A scanning and imaging apparatus comprises a ray source configured to generate an X-ray and a detection device configured to receive an X-ray transmitted through an inspected object, wherein the ray source is configured to image the inspected object by emitting the X-ray to the inspected object. A radioactivity detector is configured to detect whether the inspected object comprises radioactive material synchronously with the process of scanning implemented by the scanning and imaging apparatus. In a case that the radioactivity detector detects radioactive material, an actual position of the radioactive material in an X-ray image of the inspected object obtained by the scanning and imaging apparatus is marked in the image. The above solutions improve the accuracy of displaying the position of the radioactive source in the X-ray image. Further, inspection of radioactive material can be implemented while scanning an image. |
| US09945793B2 |
Detection of volatile chemicals using an RFID sensing system
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for monitoring volatile chemicals. A system includes an radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag composed of a patterned metal. The patterned metal is configured to absorb a volatile chemical. The RFID tag includes a non-volatile memory configured to store identification data. The RFID tag also includes a receiver that receives a signal at a frequency in a frequency range. The frequency is based upon an amount of the volatile chemical absorbed in the patterned metal. A transmitter of the RFID tag transmits the identification data in response to receiving the signal. The strength of the transmitted identification data is based upon an amount of the absorbed volatile chemical. |
| US09945791B2 |
Methods of spectroscopic analysis of diamonds and apparatuses thereof
A method of spectroscopic analysis of a diamond for determining whether the diamond has been artificially treated to change its colour may include: generating light emission from a diamond upon optical excitation at a wavelength equal to or smaller than 680 nm; optically producing a dispersed light emission; detecting the dispersed light emission across a collected spectral region including emission wavelengths of from 670 nm to 735 nm; processing the output signals to produce a spectral intensity distribution as a function of emission wavelengths; analysing the spectral intensity distribution to determine the presence or absence of a spectral pattern including either an intensity peak at 681 nm or a combination of intensity peaks at respective wavelengths 705 nm and 725 nm; if a spectral pattern is present, establishing that the diamond has been treated; and if a spectral pattern is absent, establishing that the diamond has not been treated. |
| US09945790B2 |
In-situ spectral process monitoring
Increasing the precision of process monitoring may be improved if the sensors take the form of travelling probes riding along with the flowing materials in the manufacturing process rather than sample only when the process moves passed the sensors fixed location. The probe includes an outer housing hermetically sealed from the flowing materials, and a light source for transmitting light through a window in the housing onto the flowing materials. A spatially variable optical filter (SVF) captures light returning from the flowing materials, and separates the captured light into a spectrum of constituent wavelength signals for transmission to a detector array, which provides a power reading for each constituent wavelength signal. |
| US09945784B2 |
Fluorescent protein
Provided is a fluorescent protein that has a fast photo-switching speed and a high photostability and that switches from a non-fluorescent state to a fluorescent state by being irradiated with light for fluorescence excitation and switches from a fluorescent state to a non-fluorescent state by being irradiated with light having a specific wavelength that does not cause fluorescence excitation. The present invention relates to (a) A protein having an amino acid sequence of Sequence ID No. 1. (b) A protein that has an amino acid sequence of Sequence ID No. 1 in which one to several amino acids are deleted, substituted, and/or added. |
| US09945778B2 |
Individually and flexibly deployable target-analyte sensitive particulate probes and method of making and using
Flexibly deployable, discrete, target-analyte sensitive particulate probes and methods of manufacturing and using. The probes each comprise a porous scaffold particle coated with an optically-active, target-analyte sensitive material. The scaffold particle has at least one of (i) a volume of 0.5 to 500 mm3, and (ii) a largest dimension of 2 to 20 mm. |
| US09945775B2 |
Active chemical sensing using optical microcavity
A sensor comprises a pair of mirrors (11, 12) opposed along an optical axis and shaped to provide an optical cavity with stable resonance in at least one mode and having a cavity length of at most 50 μm. An actuator system is arranged to move the mirrors relative to each other along the length of the optical cavity for tuning the wavelength of the mode of said cavity. A chemical sample is introduced inside the optical cavity using a sample introduction system (21). An EM radiation source (20) illuminates the cavity and a detector (25) detects the EM radiation emitted from, transmitted through, or reflected from the optical cavity. |
| US09945774B2 |
Channel light measurement apparatus having reduced signal-to-noise ratio
Disclosed is a multi-channel light measurement system adapted to illuminate and measure a test sample in a vessel. The multi-channel light measurement system has at least one photodetector per channel and a variable integrate and hold circuit coupled to each photodetector, the variable integrate and hold circuit allows adjustment of a sampling factor selected from a group of an integration time, a value of capacitance, an area of a discrete photodetector array, or any combination thereof. The system may readily equilibrate reference intensity output for multiple channels. Methods and apparatus are disclosed, as are other aspects. |
| US09945772B2 |
Method of measuring an adhesive force of interlayer adhesive layer in tensile mode for stacked semiconductor device and apparatus for measuring the same
A method includes providing a device under test, which includes a lower test layer and an upper test layer that is stacked on the lower test layer and includes an overhang protruding past an edge of the lower test layer by a predetermined length, fixing the lower test layer onto a mounting stage, and measuring adhesive force of an interlayer adhesive layer in a tensile mode by applying a load to a bottom surface of the overhang of the upper test layer in a first direction. An apparatus includes a mounting stage fixing the device under test, a load applying tip applying the load to the bottom surface of the overhang, a location adjuster adjusting a distance between the device under test and the load carrying tip, a load cell detecting a magnitude of the applied load, and a controller controlling the location adjuster and the load cell. |
| US09945766B2 |
Device and method for measuring engine flow and monitoring air filter performance
In one example embodiment, an engine flow measurement device features an engine data repository, one or more sensor units, and a measurement unit. The measurement system is configured to identify, from performance data, a maneuver performed during operation of the aircraft and to measure, for the identified maneuver, a plurality of maneuver flow values achieved during performance of the maneuver. The plurality of maneuver flow values correspond to a plurality of maneuver engine power values. Each of the plurality of maneuver flow values represent a volume of air flow through the air filter at a particular moment during performance of the maneuver. |
| US09945764B2 |
Method of and apparatus for determining the carbon content of soils
A method of and apparatus (41) for determining the organic carbon content of soil in heated air or gas is forced through a soil sample (36) to burn off or oxidize organic carbon in the sample with the change of weight of the sample (36) indicating the carbon content in the soil sample (36) and thus the soil from which the sample (36) is taken. The apparatus (41) includes a housing (47) in which one or more soil samples (36) may be located, a heater unit (51) for heating the air or gas for passage through the soil samples (36) to burn off organic materials therein including organic carbon. The apparatus (41) also includes a weighing device (76) which enables the change of weight of the soil samples (36) to be determined while the samples (36) remain within the housing (47). |
| US09945761B2 |
Interface designed with differential pumping and built-in figure of merit method to monitor chambers where environmentally sensitive samples are prepared and transferred for analysis
In some embodiments, a system may function to transfer samples in a controlled environment. The system may include a sample container configured to convey a sample from a first device to a second device. The first device may be under pressure and the second device may be under vacuum. The second device may include a load chamber which functions to accept the sample from the sample container and a pump chamber coupled to the load chamber. The second device may include a high vacuum pump coupled to the pump chamber and a vacuum pump coupled to the pump chamber through the high vacuum pump in sequence. The second device may include an orifice sized to significantly restrict the flow of fluids through the conduit coupling the pump chamber to the load chamber, wherein the orifice is configured to allow for a transition from a viscous into a molecular flow. |
| US09945760B2 |
Tire holding apparatus and tire inspection system provided with said tire holding apparatus
A tire holding apparatus is provided with a first support part for supporting a tire, a second support part for supporting the tire, and an air supply and removal part for supplying and removing air from the inside of the tire. The second support part has a protrusion that protrudes toward the first support part. The air supply and removal part has a first flow path for allowing air to flow, a second flow path for allowing air to flow from an opening formed at the leading end of the protrusion to the inside of the tire, and a collection part that is attached to the opening and collects foreign matter that has been mixed into the second flow path from the inside of the tire. |
| US09945756B2 |
Measurement of focal points and other features in optical systems
Identifying a location of a focal point of an optical system includes, in some implementations, using a sensor system to detect light that passed through the optical system, and determining a location of a focal point of the optical system based on a location of a focal point of the sensor system that substantially matches the location of the focal point of the optical system. |
| US09945753B2 |
Cargo loading trailer
A cargo loading system for loading freight into or out of the cargo hold, the system comprising: a tilt control means which can be actuated by control signals in such a way that variances in tilt of a palletized load can be immediately righted; a control panel for actuation by personnel; a power source to the control panel; and a trailer base connected to the tilt control means for accepting freight. |
| US09945750B2 |
Pressure detection device
A processing circuit is provided which includes at least an integrator circuit which uses a reference voltage set to have a predetermined magnitude as an operation reference and which integrates a detection signal so as to convert the detection signal into a voltage waveform and a base voltage adjustment circuit which is connected between an input terminal and an output terminal of the integrator circuit and which adjusts the magnitude of a base voltage that is a potential when the detection signal in an output signal output from the integrator circuit is not present. As another form, a processing circuit can be adopted which includes at least one or more amplifier circuits which amplify an output signal from an integrator circuit and a base voltage adjustment circuit which is connected between a supply portion of a reference voltage fed to the amplifier circuit and an input terminal of at least one of the amplifier circuits and which adjusts the magnitude of a base voltage that is a potential when a detection signal in an output signal output from the amplifier circuit is not present. |
| US09945738B2 |
Devices and methods for monitoring and controlling temperature in a microfluidic environment
The present invention provides improved methods that allow accurate monitoring and/or control of temperature changes in a microfluidic environment. An advantage of the present invention is that the temperature can be monitored and/or controlled at any location within a microfluidic device, especially where a preparation step, an amplification step and/or a detection step is performed. The invention further provides improved microfluidic devices for practicing the methods disclosed and claimed herein. |
| US09945737B2 |
Method for determining waveguide temperature for acoustic transceiver used in a gas turbine engine
A method for determining waveguide temperature for at least one waveguide of a transceiver utilized for generating a temperature map. The transceiver generates an acoustic signal that travels through a measurement space in a hot gas flow path defined by a wall such as in a combustor. The method includes calculating a total time of flight for the acoustic signal and subtracting a waveguide travel time from the total time of flight to obtain a measurement space travel time. A temperature map is calculated based on the measurement space travel time. An estimated wall temperature is obtained from the temperature map. An estimated waveguide temperature is then calculated based on the estimated wall temperature wherein the estimated waveguide temperature is determined without the use of a temperature sensing device. |
| US09945735B2 |
System and method to monitor a thermal environment of a composite structure using a thermochromatic witness assembly
There is provided a system, a method, and a thermochromatic witness assembly to monitor a thermal environment of a composite structure. The thermochromatic witness assembly has a polymeric material and one or more thermochromatic probes mixed into the polymeric material to form a thermochromatic probe mixture. The thermochromatic probe mixture is applied to a transparent polymeric film, or is formed into the transparent polymeric film with a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) applied thereto, thus forming the thermochromatic witness assembly in a form of a thermochromatic applique. The thermochromatic applique is configured to be applied directly and continuously to a surface of the composite structure. The thermochromatic applique is further configured to monitor the thermal environment of the composite structure by detecting one or more temperatures and one or more times the surface of the composite structure is exposed to the thermal environment. |
| US09945734B1 |
Micromachined thermistor
A micromachined apparatus includes micromachined thermistor having first and second ends physically and thermally coupled to a substrate via first and second anchor structures to enable a temperature-dependent resistance of the micromachined thermistor to vary according to a time-varying temperature of the substrate. The micromachined thermistor has a length, from the first end to the second end, greater than a linear distance between the first and second anchor structures. |
| US09945733B2 |
Temperature measurement at high-voltage potential
An arrangement for temperature measurement at high-voltage potential is disclosed. The energy for measuring the temperature of an optical current transformer is provided by a single photodiode. The photodiode is supplied by light emitted by a light source and guided to the photodiode via an optical waveguide. |
| US09945732B2 |
Temperature sensor
A temperature sensor has a thermosensitive element that detects temperature, a pair of element electrode wires electrically connected to the thermosensitive element, and a glass sealing body that has a sealing portion covering the thermosensitive element and a part of the element electrode wires. Further, the temperature sensor has a tablet that has an interface and a pair of insertion holes into which the element electrode wires are inserted, the tablet being joined to the glass sealing body through the interface. Further, the temperature sensor has a low Young's modulus layer provided in the glass sealing body, made of a material having lower low Young's modulus than that of a material forming the sealing portion, and at least partially connecting the sealing portion and the interface of the tablet. |
| US09945729B2 |
Systems and methods for enhanced bolometer response
Systems and methods may be provided for forming enhanced infrared absorption microbolometers. An enhanced infrared absorption microbolometer may include a metal cap formed from a thin layer of oxidizing metal such as titanium and/or a titanium oxide. The metal cap may be formed within a bridge portion of the microbolometer. The bridge portion may include other layers such as first and second absorber layers disposed on opposing sides of a layer of temperature sensitive resistive material. The layer of temperature sensitive resistive material may be located between the metal cap and a reflecting metal layer formed on a readout integrated circuit for the microbolometer. |
| US09945728B2 |
Graphene-based infrared single photon detector
A detector for detecting single photons of infrared radiation. In one embodiment a waveguide configured to transmit infrared radiation is arranged to be adjacent a graphene sheet and configured so that evanescent waves from the waveguide overlap the graphene sheet. The graphene sheet has two contacts connected to an amplifier, a power detector, and a pulse detector. An infrared photon absorbed by the graphene sheet from the evanescent waves heats the graphene sheet, which increases the Johnson noise generated at the contacts. The Johnson noise is amplified and the absorption of a photon is detected by the power detector and pulse detector. |
| US09945723B2 |
Interferometer, spectrophotometer using interferometer and control method for interferometer
The present invention provides an interferometer and the like, that is capable of ensuring the speed stability of the movable mirror while achieving the speed up of the reciprocal movement of the moving mirror and suppressing the increment of the maximum instantaneous thrust force required for the turning back as much as possible. The interferometer includes a moving mirror, a movement mechanism for reciprocating the moving mirror, a movement control part for controlling the movement mechanism and allowing the moving mirror to be reciprocated at a constant speed, and a measurement part for measuring a position of the moving mirror. The movement control part is adapted to receive target position data indicating a target position of the moving mirror, and control the movement mechanism to bring the measurement position of the moving mirror measured by the measurement part close to the target position indicated by the target position data. |
| US09945722B2 |
Ultra low power solid state spectral radiometer
A spectral radiometer system, measures incoming light intensity and spectral distribution in different wavelength-bands. An additional data storage device allows recording of the measured data. The inclusive sensor system yields very high sensitivity to incoming light. Furthermore, outstanding linearity of the detector response over several orders of magnitude of incoming light is achieved. Additional benefits are ultra low power consumption and minimum size. The sensor system can be used in remote solar radiation monitoring applications like mobile solar power units as well as in long-term environmental monitoring systems where high precision and low power consumption is a necessity. |
| US09945717B2 |
Fibre optic distributed sensing
The application describes methods and apparatus for distributed fiber sensing, especially distributed acoustic/strain sensing. The method involves launching interrogating radiation in to an optical fiber and sampling radiation backscattered from within said fiber at a rate so as to acquire a plurality of samples corresponding to each sensing portion of interest. The plurality of samples are divided into separate processing channels and processed to determine a phase value for that channel. A quality metric is then applied to the processed phase data and the data combined to provide an overall phase value for the sensing portion based on the quality metric. The quality metric may be a measure of the degree of similarity of the processed data from the channels. The interrogating radiation may comprise two relatively narrow pulses separated by a relatively wide gap and the sampling rate may be set such that a plurality of substantially independent diversity samples are acquired. |
| US09945709B2 |
Determining a distance and a flow speed of a medium
A fill level measurement device is specified for determining distance of the measurement device and flow speed of a medium, which comprises a frequency-modulated transmission signal having a rising and a falling frequency ramp. The flow speed of the medium can be determined by the Doppler effect arising from the flow speed of the medium. |
| US09945700B2 |
Illuminated indicator structures for electronic devices
A composite laminate assembly for an electronic device provides integrated backlighting for one or more indicator shapes defined by the assembly. The assembly includes a substantially opaque cover member to obscure at least parts of the electronic device. Translucent indicator structures in the cover member define respective indicator shapes to allow backlighting to pass through the cover member. An optical matrix layer of an optically conductive material is attached to an inner face of the cover member, with a plurality of lighting devices embedded in the optical matrix layer and laterally offset from associated indicator structures. The plurality of lighting devices may be connected to an electric circuit carried on the inner face of the cover member. |
| US09945693B2 |
Sensor arrangement for position sensing
A method for determining of a position of an object using a sensor arrangement that includes a first magnetoresistive element and a second magnetoresistive element. A source provides a magnetic field with first and second magnetic poles. The source is arranged between the first magnetoresistive element and the second magnetoresistive element with the first magnetic pole facing the first magnetoresistive element and the second magnetic pole facing the second magnetoresistive element. The first magnetoresistive element is arranged in the magnetic field and provides a first output signal dependent on a position of the first magnetoresistive element relative to the magnetic field source. The second magnetoresistive element is arranged in the magnetic field and provides a second output signal dependent on a position of the second magnetoresistive element relative to the magnetic field source. A measurement unit determines a position of the magnetic field source relative to the first and the second magnetoresistive elements dependent on the first output signal and the second output signal. |
| US09945692B2 |
Non-intrusive monitoring
Methods and apparatus for non-intrusive monitoring by sensing physical parameters such as electric and/or magnetic fields. Such apparatus and techniques may find application in a variety of fields, such as monitoring consumption of electricity, water, etc., in homes or businesses, for example, or industrial process monitoring. |
| US09945689B2 |
Location referencing for roadway feature data
A method and apparatus for location referencing roadway data. A server determines a roadway event; the roadway event including a roadway description and a roadway location. The server then generates a roadway message. The roadway message includes the roadway description and a roadway path. The roadway path includes a LinkID set, a length of the roadway event, and an offset from a reference node of a starting link. The LinkID set includes at least the starting link. The server then broadcasts the roadway message. A device receives the data. The device decodes and displays the data. |
| US09945688B2 |
Route planning to reduce exposure to radiation
Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for route planning to reduce exposure to radiation. Aspects include receiving an origin and a destination for a vehicle and determining a plurality of available routes between the origin and the destination. Aspects also include calculating, by a processor, a radiation score for each of the plurality of available routes and presenting one or more of the plurality of available routes with an expected travel time and the radiation score for each of the plurality of available routes. |
| US09945682B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining a calculated route based on location sample (s) associated with travel route(s)
An approach is provided for providing a calculated route using waypoints associated with a traveled route. A traveled route platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more location logs to determine one or more waypoints, wherein the one or more location logs include, at least in part, one or more location samples for at least one device on a traveled route. The traveled route platform then processes and/or facilitates a processing of the one or more waypoints via one or more routing engines to determine a calculated route as a representation of the traveled route. |
| US09945679B2 |
Personalized travel routes to reduce stress
One or more processors identify an occupant of a passenger vehicle, and then receive biometric sensor readings from a biometric sensor that is monitoring the occupant in real time, where the biometric sensor readings indicate a real-time emotional state of the occupant. The processor(s) generate a personal profile for the occupant of the passenger vehicle based on the biometric sensor readings. The processor(s) receive a desired destination and travel schedule for the occupant of the passenger vehicle, as well as environmental sensor readings indicating a real-time environmental state of the passenger vehicle. The processor(s) then create a travel route for the passenger vehicle based on the biometric sensor readings, the personal profile of the vehicle occupant, the desired destination and travel schedule, and the real-time environmental state of the passenger vehicle. One or more processors then transmit, to the passenger vehicle, directions for the travel route. |
| US09945676B2 |
Navigation system with content curation mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining a similarity level based on comparing a plurality of a point of interest (POI) record; generating a record cluster based on the similarity level for grouping the plurality of the POI record; and generating an exemplary POI based on the record cluster for displaying on a device. |
| US09945675B2 |
Guiding users in an area
A user can use a portable electronic device to read destination information at a starting location. The portable electronic device can be, for example, a smartphone. The destination information can be read from a tag located at the starting location. The user can then present the portable electronic device to a reader, which reads the destination information from the device. In response to reading the destination information from the device, various actions can be performed to aid the user. For example, an elevator call can be placed, trip information can be provided to the user, and/or another action can be performed. |
| US09945670B2 |
Interferometric measurement device
Interferometric measurement device includes a light source emitting a source signal and optical coupling elements receiving the source signal, directing part of the latter towards a measurement pathway including a Sagnac ring interferometer, of frequency fp, producing a power output signal POUT polarized according to a first polarization direction, tapping off another part of the source signal towards a compensation pathway producing a return power compensation signal PRET, and directing the output and compensation signals towards detection elements. The compensation pathway includes polarization rotation elements producing the compensation signal according to a second cross-direction of polarization, and optical looping elements redirecting part of the compensation signal towards the measurement pathway; the detection elements include a single detector connected to the coupling elements for receiving the output signal and the compensation signal; the device further includes power equilibration elements equalizing the output power and/or return power are routed towards the detector. |
| US09945665B2 |
Surveying instrument
The invention provides a surveying instrument comprising a frame unit rotatable in a horizontal direction, a telescope unit as mounted rotatably in a vertical direction on the frame unit, a driving unit for rotating and driving the frame unit and the telescope unit, a horizontal angle measuring unit for detecting a horizontal angle of the frame unit, a vertical angle measuring unit for detecting a vertical angle of the telescope unit and a control device, wherein the telescope unit has a telescope for sighting an object to be measured and a wide angle camera having a wider field angle than the telescope and for acquiring an image in a sighting direction, wherein the wide angle camera is set so that a sighting position of the sun is on a photodetection element and the sighting position of the sun is at a known position deviated from a field of view of the telescope, wherein the control device detects an image of the sun and a center of the image of the sun from an image acquired by the wide angle camera and controls the driving unit so that the center of the sun coincides with the sighting position of the sun, and is adapted to determine a true north based on a time moment, a horizontal angle, a vertical angle, a deviation between an optical axis of the telescope and the sighting position of the sun, and a latitude and a longitude of a position where the surveying instrument is installed, when the center of the image of the sun coincides with the sighting position of the sun. |
| US09945663B2 |
Antenna attitude measurement sensor and antenna attitude measurement method
The invention relates to an antenna attitude measurement sensor as well as an attitude measurement method based on this sensor, wherein the antenna attitude measurement sensor is composed of a solar position sensor, a three axial gravity acceleration sensor, a GPS module, a CPU, a power supply module and a memory output module. Antenna attitude measurement method includes the following steps: A. installing antenna attitude measurement sensor; B. acquiring antenna geographic location, antenna hanging height, antenna pitch angle γ and rolling angle θ as well as the incident sunlight azimuth angle φ related to the solar position sensor and the corresponding standard time to form the azimuth angle; C. calculating the vertical incident angle α and level incident angle β; D calculating the antenna azimuth δ; E. memory output. |
| US09945657B2 |
Optical-coherence-tomography apparatus and surface-emitting laser
An optical-coherence-tomography apparatus includes a light-source unit configured to emit light while changing a wavelength of the light; an optical interferometric system configured to split the light from the light-source unit into illuminating light to be applied to an object and reference light, and to generate interfering light from the illuminating light reflected by the object and the reference light; a photodetection unit configured to receive the interfering light, and an information-acquiring unit configured to acquire information on the object from the interfering light received by the photodetection unit. The light-source unit performs wavelength sweep by displacing a movable portion with an electrostatic force generated with the application of a voltage. The optical-coherence-tomography apparatus further includes a pull-in-detection unit configured to detect whether or not a pull-in effect is occurring on the movable portion of the light-source unit. |
| US09945651B2 |
Packing for hollow charges
A packaging for hollow charges for use in blasting applications in boreholes retains fragments in the event of unintentional ignition of the hollow charges. The packaging withstands and dissipates the pressure generated. It is proposed that the hollow charges are embedded in a solid material which captures the fragments, the solid material has pressure relief openings through which the pressure generated during a detonation of the hollow charges can escape, the solid material is covered with shock-absorbing material on the top side and on the base side of the packaging, the hollow charges are packed in pairs such that there are always two hollow charges situated with their openings facing each other, the axes of symmetry of the hollow charges are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the top side and base side, and the solid material is inserted with the hollow charges and the shock-absorbing material into a cage. |
| US09945650B2 |
Biological active bullets, systems, and methods
A hemostatic bullet projectile is for discharge from a firearm and for use as a weapon. The ammunition is a bullet in a cartridge. The bullet projectile includes, and is distinguished by, the use of at least one potentially biological active substance delivered to a bullet wound of a target and serving as a hemostatic agent to promote blood clotting and/or control hemorrhage in the bullet would to stabilize the target until surgery can be performed. Methods are included to promote blood clotting and/or control hemorrhage in at least one bullet wound by delivery of a hemostatic agent by the bullet projectile causing the wound as well as minimizing the risk of embolism from the hemostatic bullet projectile. |
| US09945646B2 |
Crossbow discharge bolt and method
A crossbow discharge bolt for preventing damage to a crossbow associated with dry firing. The crossbow discharge bolt has a length of 10 inches or less and a weight of at least 330 grains. The length may be in the range of 6 to 10 inches. The weight may be in the range of 330 to 600 grains. |
| US09945645B2 |
Igniter assembly, airbag system, and detection system and detection method for same
An igniter assembly for which an igniter and a conductive igniter collar are integrated via an insulating layer, wherein the igniter comprises a metal eyelet, a metal cover that retains the eyelet therein, an ignition charge that is disposed in the cover and in a space in contact with an end face of the eyelet, a heating body that is connected to the end face of the eyelet, and a conductive pin that passes through the insulating layer and is electrically connected to the heating body. The other end of the conductive pin is exposed from the insulating layer so that a current supplying circuit is connected. An IC tag is disposed in the insulating layer and near the conductive pin. The IC tag has an IC chip and a coil antenna that is wound around the IC chip. |
| US09945638B2 |
Dot sighting device
A sighting device includes a body, a light emitting unit, a bracket, a first adjusting unit and a second adjusting unit. The body couples to an arm having a barrel. The body is disposed relative to the arm in a first direction defined on an up and down axis. A third direction is defined as a direction of the barrel on a front and back axis. A second direction is defined as a left and right axis. The bracket couples to the light emitting unit. The first adjusting unit couples the bracket to the body and moves the bracket relative to the body. The second adjusting unit couples the bracket to the body and moves the bracket relative to the body. |
| US09945637B1 |
Scope and method for sighting-in a firearm
A scope having a plurality of range-dependent, point-of-impact indicators (aim points), and methods for use of that scope. Such aim points are superimposed on the user's field of view of a conventional scope. A preferred embodiment may be coupled to a conventional scope. Embodiments include an auxiliary light projector that presents at least one aim point disposed in a user's field of view, and the aim point(s) is/are adjustable for elevation and windage. Aim points may also be adjusted in size, color, shape, and intensity. |
| US09945636B2 |
Belt holster adapter panel
The present invention provides an adapter apparatus and method for attaching a holster having at least one belt loop to a surface of another article. The adapter includes a flexible sheet having first and second surfaces. The sheet also has a longitudinally extending central panel with opposite ends. The width of the central panel is sized to pass through a holster belt loop. There is an end panel at each end of the central panel. The end panels have a transverse width greater than the width of the central panel. There are fastener components on the second surface corresponding to a complementary fastener component on a surface of another article. At least one end panel is foldable to a width for passage through the belt loop and then unfolded such that the fastener components will secure the sheet and holster to the surface of the other article. |
| US09945627B2 |
Magazine attachment
A weapon magazine accessory includes a floor plate member mountable on a bottom portion of a magazine, and a clip element which attaches to the floor plate member, the clip element including a keeper element. |
| US09945624B2 |
Firearm and firearm kit
The firearm comprises a firearm frame, a barrel sleeve mounted in a rotatable manner on the firearm frame, and at least one rotation pin which extends between the firearm frame and the barrel sleeve to guide the sleeve around a rotation axis. The rotation pin and the firearm frame, or said pin and the barrel sleeve, lie in abutment with each other by means of complementary sliding surfaces, at least one sliding surface being borne by a wear component connected in a releasable manner to the rotation pin, to the firearm frame and/or to the barrel sleeve. The invention also relates to a kit for a firearm. |
| US09945615B2 |
Evaporative cooling system and device
An evaporative cooling system includes an indirect cooling coil containing a cooling fluid to be circulated and a blower assembly configured to generate an inlet air stream through the indirect cooling coil. The cooling fluid in the indirect cooling coil is a slurry of water and phase change material. |
| US09945613B2 |
Heat exchangers in sapphire processing
Systems and methods are presented for efficient heating during production of corundum. One embodiment takes the form of a system for processing corundum including a first furnace and a second furnace. The first and second furnaces are sequentially arranged and heat from the first furnace is subsequently used to heat the second furnace. |
| US09945611B2 |
Bulk freeze drying using spray freezing and agitated drying
A freeze dryer processes bulk powder products. The freeze dryer freezes the product by mixing an atomized spray of product with sterile liquid nitrogen. The resultant powder is freeze dried in a vessel, and the vessel contents is agitated to maintain product contact with heated vessel wall and to prevent agglomeration. |
| US09945603B2 |
Refrigerator and control method of the same
Disclosed herein are a refrigerator and a control method of the same. The refrigerator includes a purified water pump which increases a pressure of water, a carbon dioxide regulator which decreases a pressure of carbon dioxide, a mixing pipe which mixes water which introduced from the purified water pump and carbon dioxide which introduced from the carbon dioxide regulator, and produces carbonated water, a user interface which receives a production condition of carbonated water from a user, and a controller which controls the purified water pump and the carbon dioxide regulator such that the pressure of the water and the pressure of the carbon dioxide reach a target pressure corresponding to the input production condition. |
| US09945599B2 |
Air conditioner and control method thereof
An air conditioner, having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, to perform a heating operation and a defrosting operation, the air conditioner including a detection unit to detect a state of at least one selected between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit and to output the detected value, a controller to determine whether the air conditioner is in a stable state when the defrosting operation is completed and, upon determining that the air conditioner is in the stable state, to control the detected value output from the detection unit to determine entry time of the next defrosting operation, and a storage unit to store a value detected in the stable state. The entry time of the defrosting operation is accurately determined, thereby minimizing the number of times of the defrosting operation during the heating operation. |
| US09945596B2 |
Heat pump apparatus
A heat pump apparatus includes an evaporator evaporating a refrigerant, an electrochemical compressor compressing the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator, and a condenser condensing the refrigerant compressed by the electrochemical compressor. The heat pump apparatus is structured such that the refrigerant in a wet steam state is supplied from the evaporator to the electrochemical compressor. |
| US09945595B2 |
Defrosting valve
Disclosed in the present invention is a defrosting valve, characterized by comprising a valve body provided with a valve core therein and an upper cover thereon; a push piston is disposed in the valve core; the push piston is in a T-shape; the upper part of the push piston is inserted in the cavity of the upper cover; a return tension spring is sleeved at the lower part of the upper cover; the upper end of the return tension spring is connected to the upper cover, and the lower end is connected to the lower end of the push piston; a lower table top is disposed at the lower part in the valve body; a flow channel inlet is disposed on the upper cover; a bidirectional flow channel opening is disposed on the side wall of the valve body; and a flow channel outlet is disposed at the lower end of the valve body. Compared to the prior art, the present invention has the following positive effects: the present invention has a simple and reasonable structure and a long service life, and can sectionally defrost an evaporator, thus greatly improving the heating efficiency of an air-conditioner. |
| US09945593B2 |
Heat exchanger for phase-changing refrigerant, with horizontal distributing and collecting tube
An exchanger for a phase changing refrigerant including a horizontal distributor tube, a horizontal collector tube, and at least one refrigerant carrying heat exchanger tube connected therebetween. A refrigerant gas inlet into the at least one heat exchanger tube is arranged in an upper portion of a cross section of the horizontal distributor tube. A refrigerant outlet from the at least one heat exchanger tube is arranged in an upper portion of a cross section of the horizontal collector tube for condenser operation of the multi channel heat exchanger so that oil separation is provided in a lower portion of the cross section of the horizontal distributor tube and liquid refrigerant separation is provided in a lower portion of the cross section of the horizontal collector tube. |
| US09945590B2 |
Air Conditioner with selective filtering for air purification
A split air conditioner has a cabinet with a fan and evaporator for mounting within a structure. The cabinet includes a filter or a stacked filter system positioned in the flow path between an air inlet and an air outlet for filtering contaminants from the air. Movable dampers are provided for selectively changing the airflow path to selectively bypass the filter to provide a greater or lesser degree of filtration of the air. Preferably, the filter is a high performance HEPA-like filter having substantially less pressure drop. |
| US09945587B2 |
Apparatus and method for hybrid water heating and air cooling and control thereof
A system for conditioning air circulated from an interior of a building includes a refrigerant path, an air-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path, a water-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path that transfers heat from refrigerant in the refrigerant path to the building water, an evaporator in the refrigerant path, and a control system. The control system moves the system between operation of the air-cooled condenser and the water-cooled condenser based upon predetermined system conditions. |
| US09945585B2 |
Systems and methods for direct thermal receivers using near blackbody configurations
An aspect of the present disclosure is a receiver for receiving radiation from a heliostat array that includes at least one external panel configured to form an internal cavity and an open face. The open face is positioned substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and forms an entrance to the internal cavity. The receiver also includes at least one internal panel positioned within the cavity and aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the at least one internal panel includes at least one channel configured to distribute a heat transfer medium. |
| US09945584B2 |
Heating tool
The present invention provides an excellent heating tool in which the generation of unpleasant odors is suppressed. The present invention also provides an excellent heating tool in which changes in aroma are suppressed. The present invention further provides an excellent heating tool in which the generation of unpleasant odors and changes in aroma are suppressed even after storage. The present invention provides a method for suppressing the generation of unpleasant odors and changes in aroma in a heating tool. The present invention provides a heating tool comprising an exothermic composition containing a metal ion sequestrant, an oxidizable metal powder, a water-soluble salt, and water, wherein at least the exothermic composition is housed in an air-permeable container bag. |
| US09945583B2 |
Gas flow controller including valve decoupling mechanism
Gas flow controllers for use in gas fired apparatus including a pilot burner and a main burner are described. A controller includes a pilot valve moveable between a closed position and an open position to provide selective fluid communication between a gas inlet and the pilot burner, a main burner valve providing selective fluid communication between the gas inlet and the main burner, an actuator configured to open the pilot valve, a flow controller valve operable to open and close a fluid flow path between the gas inlet and a back side of the main burner valve upon actuation of the actuator, and a decoupling mechanism. The decoupling mechanism is configured to connect the actuator to the pilot valve and to selectively disconnect the actuator from the pilot valve when the actuator is actuated and a pressure differential across the pilot valve exceeds a threshold pressure limit. |
| US09945580B2 |
Ventilation system
Embodiments of the invention provide a ventilation assembly comprising a main housing adapted for installation into standard 2′×4′ wall or ceiling construction within a building or space. The main housing can include a fluid inlet through which fluid is received within the main housing, and a fluid outlet through which fluid exits the main housing. The ventilation assembly can be installed in place of an existing ventilation exhaust fan assembly, or can be installed in a space where no ventilation assembly has previously existed. The main housing can provide support to a blower assembly, including a scroll and a blower wheel positioned within the scroll. A motor may be nestled within the scroll and coupled to the blower wheel. Electrical power can be supplied to the motor to cause the motor to rotate the blower wheel to generate a flow of fluid out of the fluid outlet. |
| US09945578B2 |
Monitored heat exchanger system
A monitored heat exchanger system that includes a heat exchanger unit in operable engagement with a heat generating device, with an at least one service fluid being transferable therebetween, and a monitoring module coupled to the heat exchanger unit. The monitoring module includes a primary microcontroller in operable communication with an at least one sensor assembly. The at least one sensor assembly includes a mounting frame; a support platform; a circuit board; an inner sensor housing configured to extend out and around the circuit board and the support platform; a first magnet coupled to an underside of the inner sensor housing; and a rotating member comprising a plurality of blades, the rotating member being disposed on top of the inner sensor housing. |
| US09945575B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling temperature
The present disclosure relates to a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the above technologies, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method for controlling temperature in a temperature controlling system is provided. The method includes determining occupancy or non-occupancy of a user in a space subject to setback control; when the user's non-occupancy is determined, determining whether to start the setback control based on probability distribution of a non-occupancy period that are predetermined; when it is determined to start the setback control, determining the user's target temperature based on previously collected data; calculating a setback temperature based on the target temperature; and performing the setback control according to the calculated setback temperature. |
| US09945574B1 |
Devices and methods for setting the configuration of a smart home controller based on air pressure data
A method performed at a computer system includes: receiving air pressure data from one or more air pressure sensors in a dwelling of a user; determining, based at least in part on the received air pressure data, a state of operation of a door or window in the dwelling; in accordance with a determination that the door or window is open, setting or sending instructions to set a configuration of a controller for the dwelling to a first configuration, the first configuration taking into account the open door or window; and,in accordance with a determination that the door or window is closed, setting or sending instructions to set the configuration of the controller for the dwelling to a second configuration, distinct from the first configuration, the second configuration taking into account the closed door or window. |
| US09945569B2 |
Water minimizing method and apparatus for use with evaporative cooling devices
An evaporative cooling system includes a primary cooling unit that utilizes a cooling fluid flowing through a primary heat exchange medium to cool supply air flowing past the primary heat exchange medium, a bleed line and a secondary cooling unit disposed upstream of the primary cooling unit with respect to a flow direction of the supply air. The primary cooling unit includes a supply line for supplying the cooling fluid to the primary heat exchange medium, a reservoir for collecting the cooling fluid supplied to the primary heat exchange medium, and a pump for recirculating the cooling fluid collected in the reservoir back to the supply line. The bleed line bleeds a portion of the recirculating cooling fluid from the primary cooling unit. The secondary cooling unit includes a secondary heat exchange medium that receives the cooling fluid bled from the primary cooling unit through the bleed line. |
| US09945566B2 |
Hot water-centered combined hot water and heating boiler
A hot water-centered hot water and heating combination boiler includes: a cold water inflow tube through which cold water flows in; a main heat exchanger which heats the cold water flowing in through the cold water inflow tube by using the combustion heat of a burner; a hot water discharge tube which discharges the hot water heated in the main heat exchanger; an auxiliary heat exchanger which supplies heating water during a heating mode, in which heating consumption place, and causes heat exchange to occur between the heated water in the main heat exchanger and the lowered temperature returning water, in which the heating consumption place; and a control part which controls the combustion of the burner during a hot water mode and heating mode. |
| US09945558B2 |
Oxyfuel combustion boiler system
A combined heat exchanger including a flue gas cooler heat-transfer unit supplied with cooling fluid by a supply pump and an upstream GGH heat-transfer unit for circulation of circulating fluid with a downstream GGH by a circulation pump is arranged at an outlet of a gas air heater for heat exchange of flue gas from a boiler body for oxyfuel combustion with recirculation flue gases. A low-low temperature ESP is arranged at an outlet of the combined heat exchanger. A heat-exchange-duty adjustment device is arranged to regulate heats exchanged in the heat-transfer units in the heat exchanger such that at least flue gas temperature at the inlet of the low-low temperature ESP is kept to an inlet set temperature. |
| US09945554B2 |
Method of steam generation by spraying water onto a duct within a chamber having divider walls
Liquid is flash evaporated in a series of cells along and surrounding an exhaust duct to generate a pressurized vapor where at least one of the surfaces is in communication with the source of heat sufficient to maintain the surface at a temperature such that the liquid injected into the chamber is substantially instantly converted to a superheated vapor with no liquid pooling within the chamber. The liquid is introduced by controlled injectors operating at a required rate. Each of the cells is periodically discharged by a pressure controlled relief valve and the vapor from the cells combined to form a continuous stream feeding a turbine or other energy conversion device. The outer wall of the cell is offset so that it contacts the inner wall at one point around the periphery. Heat transfer ribs and bars can be provided in the duct to provide increased heat transfer where necessary. |
| US09945550B2 |
High-bay light-emitting diode (LED) light fixture
A high-bay light-emitting diode (LED) light fixture including, a driver chamber assembly, a hook assembly, and an LED assembly. The driver chamber assembly further includes a driver chamber body that houses a driver module and/or a controller module, and a driver chamber cap. The hook assembly further includes a hook and a hook clip. The LED assembly further includes a light board, an LED module that supports an arrangement of LEDs, and a lens. |
| US09945549B2 |
Plug for conversion of lamps with two non-integrated 4-pin CFL bulbs
This invention is a device and method for converting a non-integrated CFL lamp from a two-bulb configuration into a one-bulb configuration. |
| US09945548B2 |
Recessed lighting unit with wire connector
A recessed lighting unit for mounting to a ceiling or a wall is provided. The recessed lighting unit includes an interface module having a through-duct. The through-duct may be coupled to a wire connector assembly to secure an electrical wire to the interface module and allow the electrical wire to reach a light source module. The wire connector assembly may be twisted and locked to the interface module without the use of tools. The lighting trim may be snapped on to an interface module through the use of a flexible retainer ring. The lighting trim may also be twisted and locked to an interface module without the use of tools. The present invention provides for a reduced set of components while ensuring adaptability and easy installation of lighting units. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US09945547B2 |
Illuminant with plug-type connection
An illuminant may include at least one light-emitting element unit, which has a carrier, at least one light-emitting element arranged on the carrier and is surrounded by an encapsulating material, at least one contact area formed on the carrier, and at least one contact element arranged on the contact area, wherein the light-emitting element surrounded by the encapsulating material is electrically connected to the contact element via the contact area, and at least one mating contact element, wherein electrical contact can be made between the mating contact element and the contact element via a plug-type connection, wherein the contact element is a female connector element, and the mating contact element is a male connector element and having a plurality of pin contact elements, or the contact element is a male connector element and having a plurality of pin contact elements, and the mating contact element is a female connector element. |
| US09945544B1 |
Low-profile LED light fixture
A light fixture configured for attachment to a standard ceiling fixture junction box includes a metal base, a printed circuit board, a circular array of LEDs, and a domed cover. The metal base has a hole pattern that matches a mounting screw hole pattern of the standard ceiling fixture junction box. The printed circuit board is attached to a bottom surface the metal base. The circular array of LEDs is attached to an outer perimeter of the printed circuit board. The domed cover is attached to the bottom surface of the metal base and covers the printed circuit board and the circular array of LEDs. The domed cover is molded from clear plastic through which light from the LEDs may pass. |
| US09945543B2 |
Power delivery system for HID, LED, or fluorescent track lighting
A system according to an embodiment of the invention may include a track and a power supply substantially contained within the track. One or more lamps may be electrically connected to the power supply. The lamp may be an HID lamp, an LED lamp, or a fluorescent lamp. The power supply may be a ballast or a transformer, and may comprise a printed circuit board with electrical power handling components on one side. The system may also include a housing which may surround the power supply. |
| US09945542B2 |
Lighting device
A lighting device (1) that includes a light transmissive tube (2), a support (4) to which a series of light emitting elements (7) are mounted and a connector (5) for connecting the light emitting elements to a power source. The support (4) is formed of a planar resilient material twisted or wound into a spiral or helix and received within and constrained by an inner circumferential surface of the tube (2) such that it is mounted directly to and/or in interference fit with the tube (2). |
| US09945540B2 |
LED wall lamp
An LED wall lamp, comprising a radiating metal shell; the radiating metal shell comprises an upper cover for installing a light source module and a lower cover for installing a power module; one side of the upper cover rotationally connects to one side of the lower cover in cooperation with a rotating shaft with a boss through a side slot for locating; the other side of the upper cover connects to the other side of the lower cover in a fastening manner through a screw structure. The LED wall lamp with an outer radiating shell of simpler connection structure, thus, no secondary possessing is needed and the assembly efficiency is higher. |
| US09945539B1 |
Backlit display assembly
A display assembly having a first backlit display including a first panel with a first color image formed thereon, the first color image including a first transparent portion of a first color and a second transparent portion of a second color, a second panel including a first transparent portion of a first color and an opaque portion so that light from the light source does not pass through a corresponding portion of the first panel, and a light source that emits at least a first color light and a second color light, wherein the first color of the first transparent portion of the first panel is a different color than the first color of the first transparent portion of the second panel, and light from the light source passes through the first transparent portions of both the first panel and the second panel. |
| US09945533B1 |
Uniform lens illumination in downlight fixtures
A downlight fixture includes a housing reflector member having a top edge that defines a first aperture, a bottom edge that defines a second aperture, and a body that extends from the top edge to the bottom edge. Further, the downlight fixture includes a top reflector panel coupled to the housing reflector member such that it covers the first aperture. Furthermore, the downlight fixture includes a lens that is coupled to the housing reflector member such that it covers the second aperture. An inner surface of the body and a surface of the top reflector member facing the lens are reflective. Additionally, the downlight fixture includes a plurality of light sources disposed on the top reflector member adjacent a perimeter of the top reflector panel such that the plurality of light sources are outside a perimeter of the lens and facing the inner surface of the housing reflector member's body. |
| US09945532B2 |
Light-emitting diode light source and lamp
A light-emitting diode (LED) light source includes a plurality of electricity-conducting holding elements, and each electricity-conducting holding element is made of a thin metal sheet. The bendable LED light source increases installation of sufficient number of LED dies by lengthening the length of the LED light source. The LED light source is bent to form a spring-like helical structure and then is placed inside a lamp cover. The helical LED light source is fastened on a T-shaped element by a plurality of fastening elements and the T-shaped element is fixed on an insulated holder. Accordingly, a bulb-type LED lamp is implemented. |
| US09945528B2 |
Headlight module and headlight device
A headlight module includes a light source, a light guide element, and a projection optical element. The light source emits light. The light guide element has a reflecting surface for reflecting light emitted from the light source and an emitting surface for emitting light reflected by the reflecting surface. The projection optical element projects light emitted from the emitting surface. In a direction of an optical axis of the projection optical element, an end portion on the emitting surface side of the reflecting surface includes a point located at a focal position of the projection optical element. |
| US09945525B2 |
Hybrid light redirecting and light diffusing constructions
Solar light redirecting glazing units include light redirecting and light diffusing constructions. The solar light redirecting glazing units may include a glazing substrate, a visible light diffusing layer, and a light redirecting layer oriented such that incoming solar light contacts the visible light diffusing layer before contacting the light redirecting layer. The solar light redirecting glazing units may include a glazing substrate, a patterned visible light diffusing layer, and a light redirecting layer. The solar light redirecting glazing units may include two glazing substrates separated by an intervening space with a solar light redirecting layer disposed on one glazing substrate, and a visible light diffusing layer disposed on the other glazing substrate. |
| US09945522B1 |
Adjustable light module
A light module can comprise a light emitting diode that generates light and an optic that manipulates or manages the resulting light. The optic can direct the generated light off axis, resulting in an illumination pattern that is biased towards one side of the light module, for example in a desired direction. Thus, the optic can transform the emission pattern of the light emitting diode to create an illumination pattern that is aimed in a desired direction. The optic can comprise a light-blocking shield to suppress, manage, or redirect light that would otherwise emanate from the light module in an unintended direction, for example opposite the desired direction. |
| US09945521B2 |
Manufacturing method for support substrate, and LED display device
Disclosed are a manufacturing method for a support substrate (14), and an LED display device. The support substrate (14) is made of a carbon fiber material. The manufacturing method for the support substrate (14) comprises the steps of: S1: preparing a carbon fiber prepreg fabric; S2: preparing a support substrate (14) sheet; S3: pre-forming; and S4: molding. The LED display device comprises at least one cellular LED display screen (1), and the cellular LED display screen (1) comprises a support substrate (14) manufactured using the abovementioned method. The cellular LED display screen (1) comprises an LED display module, the support substrate (14), a control plate and a back cover (16). The LED display module comprises a face guard (11), a lamp plate (12) and a backing plate (13). The support substrate (14) is arranged between the LED display module and the control plate in a sandwich manner; the back cover (16) is connected to the support substrate (14) through studs; and the adjacent cellular LED display screens (1) are assembled by connecting bases (142) and locating pins (143) arranged at the four corners of the support substrate (14). The LED display device is simple in structure, light and thin, has a strong bearing capacity, and is convenient to install and low in transportation costs. |
| US09945518B2 |
Method and arrangement for transferring heat in a gaseous fuel system
A fuel storage and distribution system for a gas-fueled sea-going vessel includes a thermally insulated gas tank for storing liquefied gas fuel. A local heat transfer circuit is configured to extract heat from an external heat source circuit. As a part of said local heat transfer circuit a heating arrangement is configured to heat gas fuel for increasing pressure inside the gas tank. As a part of said local heat transfer circuit is a main gas evaporator for evaporating liquefied gas fuel drawn from the gas tank for delivery to an engine of the sea-going vessel. |
| US09945517B2 |
Portable gas filling system
A portable gas filling system for transfer of cryogenic fluids to high pressure gas cylinders includes a moveable platform, a cryogenic fluid pump for connection to an off platform cryogenic fluid Dewar, and a vaporizer for connection between the fluid pump and gas cylinders. A vacuum pump is provided for purging of interconnecting system lines and a gas accumulator interconnected to the system lines enables storage of gas to pressurize the Dewar. |
| US09945515B2 |
Above-ground low-temperature tank
An above-ground low-temperature tank includes a metal inner tank which stores low-temperature liquefied gas, and an outer tank which includes a concrete outer wall surrounding the inner tank. A hole portion which has a preset depth from a bottom surface of the inner tank is formed on a bottom portion of the inner tank, and a metal pit main body having a cylindrical bottomed accommodating portion is provided in a state where the accommodating portion is accommodated in the hole portion. A reinforcing body which supports at least an outer circumferential edge portion of a bottom surface of the pit main body is provided on the bottom surface side of the pit main body in the hole portion. A cold insulation material is provided below the reinforcing body. |
| US09945513B2 |
Suction cup securing device incorporating a bi-stable ribbon spring
A device and method for holding or securing an article against a surface using a suction cup connected to a bi-stable snap action ribbon spring. The device and method utilize the bi-stable characteristics of a snap action ribbon spring together with the adhesion characteristics of a suction cup to create a self-latching, spring-loaded mechanism for securing an article to a surface. The device and method for holding or securing an article against a surface using a suction cup connected to a bi-stable snap action ribbon spring can be used to greatly simplify the ease in draining liquid from a hollow container in an effortless manner by the use of gravity by allowing the liquid within the hollow container to accumulate or settle towards the vicinity approximate to the opening where the liquid is dispensed from. |
| US09945512B2 |
Structure for mounting engine mount
A structure for mounting an engine mount, may include bracket which is coupled to the engine mount, and may have at least one mounting hole; an insulator which may have a pipe shape having a center hole, includes a material having elasticity, and is fitted into the at least one mounting hole; and a fixing pipe which is fitted into the center hole, and mounted in the at least one mounting hole together with the insulator, in which a recessed portion having a partially cut out shape or a recessed shape is formed along a circumference of the insulator at a first side of the insulator. |
| US09945505B2 |
Method and apparatus for repairing a pipe using a transition tube
Apparatus and methods for lining a pipe line having a first pipe section in communication with a second pipe section where the first pipe section has an inside diameter greater than an inside diameter of the second pipe section. A transition tube having an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the second pipe section and a length substantially equal to or greater than the length of the first pipe section is inverted into the pipe line along with a liner. A resinous material applied to the liner cures and hardens the liner after inversion. The transition tube creates a surface against which the liner can be compressed to help prevent the liner from being overstretched in the wider first pipe section. |
| US09945502B1 |
Coupler having hammer ears
The coupling having hammer ears is a cam and groove coupling wherein the female portion of the coupling is fitted with a collar formed with hammer ears that provide a location designed to safely receive hammer blows without otherwise damaging the cam and groove coupling. The coupling having hammer ears includes the female connection of a cam and groove coupling and a collar. |
| US09945499B2 |
Method and apparatus for manufacturing interlocking pipe
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for manufacturing an interlocking pipe obtained by easily and precisely shaping a pipe with a circular cross section or with the edges of the cross section nearly forming a circle in a non-loose manner, so as to provide excellent machining performance when the interlocking pipe is cut off and provide excellent operation efficiency for the apparatus itself. A metal band plate is helically wound onto a core member with a circular cross section or with the edges of the cross section nearly forming a circle. Clamping device is freely assembled at a front end of the code member in a detachable and switchable manner, and synchronously rotate in accordance with instructions from a main computing-controlling member, so as to prevent the metal band plate from being loosened, thereby to manufacture the interlocking pipe efficiently. |
| US09945498B2 |
Multi-stage rotary overtravel stop
A medical device assembly including a first member having a first abutment, a second member rotatably connected to the first member and having a second abutment, and an idler member having third abutment and a fourth abutment. The first member is rotatably fixed to the second member. The idler member is free to rotate relative to the first member and the second member until the first abutment abuts the third abutment and until the second abutment abuts the fourth abutment. The first member, the second member and the idler member all rotate relative to each other about a single axis. |
| US09945495B2 |
Reprogrammable testing circuit for testing multiple types of valves
A reprogrammable testing circuit for testing different types of valves may obtain a direction limit for a valve; obtain a test direction input for the valve; determine whether the direction limit of the valve has been reached or when there is an attempt to exceed it based on a current position of the valve, the test direction input, a valve test procedure; run a customized test on the valve in a direction of the direction input based on determining that the direction limit has not been reached; actively comparing the current position of the valve with the direction limit while running the customized test; and discontinue the customized test when the current position of the valve reaches the direction limit. |
| US09945493B2 |
Electromagnetic valve
An electromagnetic valve includes a valve compartment inside an end tubular portion of a housing, a valve element provided in the valve compartment and movable to open or close a valve port, a guide member slidably supporting the valve element, a shaft contacting an end of the valve element to move the valve element, and a pressure release passage extending through a part of the end of the valve element which does not contact the shaft. An inner compartment of the valve element communicates with the valve port through the pressure release passage in a closed state of the valve element. |
| US09945492B2 |
Normally high solenoid assembly
A solenoid assembly for providing control over fluid pressure distribution in a transmission, where the solenoid assembly includes a sleeve, a valve portion substantially contained within the sleeve, an armature located within the sleeve, a plunger connected to the armature and in contact with the valve, and a housing located within the sleeve in proximity to the armature. The armature is moveable relative to the sleeve and the housing, and the valve portion includes a valve, where the movement of the valve is controlled by the movement of the armature. The valve is biased towards an open position to provide a fluid pressure balance between multiple ports. |
| US09945482B2 |
Low load dual flap seal assembly
A seal for sealing between a first member and a second member, including a first annular insert and a second annular insert axially spaced from the first annular insert. An elastomeric body includes a first portion over-molded on the first annular insert and a second portion over-molded on the second annular insert and an intermediate web extending between the first and second portions. The first and second portions including an annular flap extending from the first and second annular inserts that in an un-installed condition, extend radially relative to the first and second annular inserts and in an installed position are adapted to be compressed between the annular inserts and a surface of the first and second members. |
| US09945478B2 |
Control device for continuously variable transmission
A control apparatus for a continuously variable transmission with a sub transmission includes a primary solenoid valve installed at an oil passage in a midway position between a mechanical oil pump and a primary pulley and configured to control a hydraulic pressure to be supplied to the primary pulley. The control apparatus further includes a transmission controller which outputs a primary current command value to a primary solenoid valve. The transmission controller outputs the primary current command value which previously closed the oil passage between the mechanical oil pump and the primary pulley to the primary solenoid valve before a rise in an engine revolution number due to at least a re-start of the engine, when a coast stop control/an idle stop control is carried out. |
| US09945475B1 |
Downshift scheduling for a vehicle
A vehicle includes an accelerator pedal moveable across a plurality of predefined positions and a controller programmed to, responsive to the pedal reaching a tip-in position, command a downshift to a downshift gear from an initial gear. A difference between the initial and downshift gears exceeds a number of predefined positions crossed upon moving to the tip-in position when a rate of change of pedal position exceeds a predefined threshold. |
| US09945474B2 |
Shift control for an automatic transmission
A system for controlling shifting includes an engine, a driven member, and a shiftable transmission including an input shaft coupled to the engine and an output shaft coupled to the driven member. The system further includes a plurality of sensors for monitoring parameters of at least one of the engine, the driven member, or the transmission, a torque converter disposed between the engine and the input shaft, and an electronic control unit including a processor and a memory. The electronic control unit is operable to receive sensed parameters from the plurality of sensors, determine a torque ratio across the torque converter based on the sensed parameters, determine a speed ratio associated with the torque ratio, determine a rotational speed of the input shaft based on the speed ratio and the sensed parameters, and make a shifting decision based on the rotational speed of the input shaft. |
| US09945471B2 |
Lubricating apparatus for rotating shaft
A lubricating apparatus of the present invention is applied to a transmission having a plurality of rotating shafts, and includes a first rotating shaft having a first oil passage, a second rotating shaft, and an impeller fixed to an axial end of the first rotating shaft. The impeller is arranged in a first oil storage chamber communicated with an outlet of the first oil passage. The impeller rotates with the first rotating shaft to scatter oil, and supplies the oil to the second rotating shaft. |
| US09945470B2 |
Internal venting system for industrial machines
A mining shovel includes a boom and a transmission unit coupled to the boom. The transmission unit includes an outer housing, an internal motor housing disposed within the outer housing, and a venting system coupled to the outer housing to direct air through both the outer housing and the internal motor housing. |
| US09945468B2 |
Technique for measuring torque output of harmonic drive
A harmonic drive includes: an input shaft connected to a first element that is one of a wave generator, a flex spline, or a circular spline; a drive housing connected to the input shaft via a bearing; a load cell that is installed in any one of the drive housing, the input shaft, or the wave generator and measures an axial load that occurs and is translated from the wave generator to the input shaft or the drive housing via the input shaft; and a processor that reversely calculates output torque, which is output from a second element that is one of the two elements other than the first element, from the axial load measured by the load cell. |
| US09945460B2 |
Torque limiter
A torque limiter comprising: a ramp roller, said ramp roller comprising: an input ramp roller element arranged to be driven by an input torque and having a first ramp surface; an output ramp roller element arranged to drive an output torque shaft and having a second ramp surface; ramp roller balls disposed between the first ramp surface and the second ramp surface; wherein said output ramp roller element is axially and resiliently compressible and wherein an overtorque condition causes axial compression of said output ramp roller element. This arrangement removes all axially sliding friction surfaces from the torque limiter so that the torque bandwidth is reduced, allowing manufacturers to design structures more optimally. |
| US09945455B2 |
Transmission system comprising an oil wet toothed belt
A transmission system is provided that has a drive pulley, at least one driven pulley and an oil wet toothed belt. The toothed belt includes a toothing and a back, a first portion, wherein the toothing is coupled to the drive pulley, a second portion wherein the toothing is coupled to at least one driven pulley, a first taut branch which develops towards the driving pulley and a second slack branch which develops towards the driven pulley. The transmission system also includes a fixed containment guide having at least a first wall facing the toothing and/or the back positioned at a distance from the toothed belt between a minimum distance where at rest it is not in contact with the toothed belt and a maximum distance equal to 5% of the length of one between the taut branch and the slack branch. |
| US09945452B2 |
Planetary gear train of automatic transmission for vehicles
A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle is provided. The planetary gear train includes an input shaft receiving power of an engine and an output shaft outputting the power. Additionally, four planetary gear sets are provided. Various shafts the connect the elements of the gear sets either selectively or directly. The planetary gear set maximizes driving efficiency of the engine and improves power delivery performance and fuel consumption through the achievement of the more shift-stages of the automatic transmission. |
| US09945451B2 |
Planetary gear train of automatic transmission for vehicle
A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft receiving torque of an engine, an output shaft outputting changed torque of the engine, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, a first rotation shaft selectively connectable to the input shaft, a second rotation shaft, a third rotation shaft selectively connectable to at least one of the input shaft and a transmission housing, a fourth rotation shaft selectively connectable to the first rotation shaft, a fifth rotation shaft directly connected to the transmission housing, a sixth rotation shaft selectively connectable to the fourth rotation shaft, and directly connected to the output shaft, and a seventh rotation shaft selectively connectable to the first rotation shaft. |
| US09945449B2 |
Multi-speed transmission
A transmission gearing arrangement has four simple planetary gear sets and six shift elements. The six shift elements are engaged in combinations of three to establish ten forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio. A four clutch module selectively couples an intermediate shaft to four different gearing elements. One shift element is a brake. |
| US09945448B2 |
Gearbox for a hybrid powetrain and method to control the gearbox
A gearbox includes an input shaft and an output shaft; a first epicyclic gear connected to the input shaft; a second epicyclic gear connected to the first epicyclic gear; a first electrical machine connected to the first epicyclic gear; a second electrical machine connected to the second epicyclic gear; a first gear pair arranged between the first epicyclic gear and the output shaft; and a second gear pair arranged between the second epicyclic gear and the output shaft; a first planet gear carrier in the first epicyclic gear connected to a second sun gear in the second epicyclic gear; a first sun gear in the first epicyclic gear connected to a first main shaft; and a second planet gear carrier in the second epicyclic gear is connected to a second main shaft. |
| US09945445B2 |
Flywheel
A computer controlled support and stabilization unit comprising of a vertical array of magnets for levitating a flywheel containing fluid, a computer controlled adjustable bearing support means that can clamp and unclamp the rotating center shaft of a flywheel containing fluid between a plurality of bearings, a computer controlled adjustable magnetic lifting support means for lifting the flywheel containing fluid to reduce the forces placed on the vertical array of magnets for levitating a flywheel containing fluid and reduce the forces placed on the plurality of bearings clamping the rotating center shaft of a flywheel containing fluid. |
| US09945438B2 |
Bicycle front derailleur body and device for adjustable rest of such derailleur body on a tube of a bicycle frame
A device for connecting a front derailleur to the front tube of a bicycle. The device is fixed to the derailleur and the front tube at a predetermined position and includes an adjustable rest for contacting the front tube and positioning the derailleur. |
| US09945433B2 |
Electromagnet, electromagnetically actuatable brake and brake motor
An electromagnet, particularly a brake coil, especially for an electromagnetically actuatable brake, an electromagnetically actuatable brake and a brake motor, the electromagnet having a coil winding accommodated in a coil brace, the coil brace being accommodated in a magnet body, the magnet body being two-part or multipart, an internal pole being produced from a first material and the external pole being produced from a second material, the first material exhibiting a higher specific magnetic permeability than the second material. |
| US09945422B2 |
Rolling bearing apparatus
A rolling bearing apparatus includes: a bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls, and a cage; and an oil supply unit provided axially adjacent to the bearing. The oil supply unit includes a tank in which to accumulate lubricant, and a pump that receives the lubricant in the tank and supplies the lubricant to the bearing. The tank is provided with a holding material for the lubricant, the holding material having minute pores. The holding material includes a first holding portion provided in a region on an outlet-side of the tank, and a second holding portion provided in a part other than the region and having a porosity higher than that of the first holding portion. |
| US09945418B1 |
Thrust and radial magnetic bearings using combined electromagnetic and permanent magnetic flux paths
A system, machine, device, manufacture, circuit, and/or a method that can comprise and/or relate to active thrust bearings and/or active radial bearings that each utilize electromagnetic and permanent magnetic flux paths that can influence a location of a shaft of a rotating machine in response to internal and/or external forces applied to the shaft. |
| US09945416B2 |
Three-sectional hidden sliding rail mechanism
A three-sectional hidden sliding rail includes a pair of sliding rail sub-mechanisms symmetrically mounted at a left and a right side of a movable object. Each sliding rail sub-mechanism includes a fixed guide rail, a middle rail, and a movable guide rail. The fixed guide rail is mounted on a fixed object. The movable guide rail is mounted on a side surface of the movable object. The fixed guide rail and the movable guide rail (3) have a sliding guide groove. An upper and a lower end of the middle rail are mounted in the sliding guide grooves of the movable guide rail and the fixed guide rail. The middle rail is able to slide along the sliding guide groove of the fixed guide rail (1), and the movable guide rail is able to slide along the middle rail (2). The sliding rail sub-mechanisms are connected through a synchronous mechanism. |
| US09945414B1 |
Thermal break washer system and method for building construction
A thermal break washer and building construction fastening system and method includes a thermal break washer having an outerside, an underside, and a fastener aperture extending there through, with the outerside defining a solid upper surface. A mounting projection extends from the underside and a support projection extends from the outerside, with the mounting projection configured to be pressed into an inner building material to retain the thermal break washer on the inner building material, with the thermal break washer configured to receive a first fastener for securing the inner building material. An outer building material is placed on the support projection, with a retention washer having a plurality of apertures placed over the thermal break washer. The retention washer is configured to receive a second fastener through one of its apertures to secure the retention washer to the thermal break washer with the outer building material disposed there between. |
| US09945413B2 |
Locking fastener
The present disclosure provides a multiple use threaded fastener having a plurality of redundant locking features. The fastener includes a threaded hollow lock bolt having a tapered internal wall constructed to threadingly engage a threaded aperture in a housing. A threaded lock stud having a tapered external wall is constructed to fit at least partially within the hollow lock bolt and threadingly engage the threaded aperture of the housing and engage the tapered wall of the hollow lock bolt. |
| US09945407B2 |
System composed of a sill panel and a fastening clip
The invention relates to a system composed of a sill panel and a fastening clip for fastening the sill panel to a body part of a vehicle, wherein the sill panel has a latching hook, and wherein the fastening clip has a latching receptacle for receiving the latching hook and holding means for retention on the body part, wherein the latching receptacle also has an elastic holding arm which, with the latching hook of the sill panel received in the latching receptacle, exerts, on account of its spring preloading, a holding force on the latching hook which counteracts a release of the sill panel from the fastening clip, wherein, for demounting purposes, the sill panel can be released from the fastening clip by exerting a tensile force which counteracts the holding force of the elastic holding arm. |
| US09945406B2 |
Fastener for a vehicle lamp assembly
A fastener for a vehicle lamp assembly has an adjustable stud and grommet. Positioning grooves on the stud interact with positioning fingers on the grommet in a ratcheting fashion to allow more accurate alignment of the lamp assembly prior to securing the lamp assembly to a vehicle. |
| US09945404B2 |
Clamp
The invention disclosed herein generally relates to an improved clamp assembly for attaching two or more objects, such as furniture, tables, desks, dividers or other panel elements together of variable thicknesses. The elements of the clamp assembly invention generally include a clamp body with a clamp stop and clamp spine, a cross-dowel, an actuating screw and clamp lever. The clamp assembly imparts a compressive clamping force by utilizing a fulcrum-lever arrangement whereby the clamp lever is moved in an arcuate trajectory by rotating the actuating screw in the desired direction as the clamp lever pivots about a fulcrum point. This allows the user to easily place and connect various objects, such as tables, desks, courtesy and privacy panels and another desired object that the user desires to secure in a desired arrangement by imparting a compressive force to the panel element that is to be connected to another panel element. |
| US09945401B2 |
Failsafe system and method for reducing load in a hydraulic cylinder
A mechanism to reduce load of a hydraulic cylinder having a body, a stem movable within the body, and a piston rod connected to the stem. The mechanism includes a mechanism body attached to the body and defining a recess, and a retainer attached to the mechanism adjacent the opening of the recess so that the retainer substantially fills the opening of the recess, and having an aperture that receives an end of the piston rod. The mechanism further includes a cap attached to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder within the recess, the cap having a diameter greater than the diameter of the aperture in the retainer, and a spring connected to the cap at a first end and to the retainer at a second end so that as the piston rod moves relative to the failsafe mechanism body, to reduce load transfer between the piston rod and the cylinder body. |
| US09945400B2 |
Systems for energy recovery and related methods
A vapor transport device can include a tube, a first cap positioned at a first region of the tube, a second cap positioned at a second region of the tube, and a piston positioned between the first cap and the second cap so as to divide the tube into a first chamber of variable size that extends between the first cap and the piston and a second chamber of variable size that extends between the piston and the second cap. The vapor transport device can further include a drive shaft connected to the piston and extending through the second cap, and can also include one or more one-way valves. |
| US09945396B2 |
Fluid systems for machines with integrated energy recovery circuit
A fluid system for a machine that includes a linkage. The fluid system includes an actuator, an accumulator, a pilot circuit, and a pressure reducing valve. The actuator is configured to manipulate the linkage. The accumulator is configured to store a fluid discharged by the actuator under pressure. The pilot circuit is fluidly coupled to the accumulator and is configured to receive the fluid from the accumulator. Further, the pressure reducing valve is positioned between the accumulator and the pilot circuit to regulate the pressure of the fluid delivered to the pilot circuit from the accumulator. |
| US09945393B2 |
Pressure accumulator
A pressure accumulator has at least one accumulator housing (103) with at least one connection (111; 113) for a pressure medium (149), especially in the form of a fluid that can be accumulated in the accumulator housing (103). A filling material (119) that has hollow chambers or that forms at least one hollow chamber for accommodating at least part of the pressure medium (149) introduced into at least sections of the accumulator housing (103). An interior (117) of the accumulator housing (103) is completely filled with the filling material (119) to such an extent that the filling material (119) contacts the entire surface of a wall (120) of the accumulator housing (103). |
| US09945391B2 |
Diffuser collar
A fan assembly and a method of assembling a diffuser collar in the fan assembly are disclosed. The fan assembly includes an impeller including a plurality of blades. The impeller has an impeller diameter. A duct is configured to receive an outflow provided by the impeller. The duct has a duct exit diameter that is larger than the impeller diameter. The fan assembly further includes a diffuser collar extending from the impeller toward a duct exit. The diffuser collar is configured and arranged to radially expand the outflow provided by the impeller. The diffuser collar has a first diameter at a first edge disposed a first distance from the impeller. A contour extends from the first edge toward a second edge having a second diameter. The second edge is disposed a second distance from the impeller. The first distance is smaller than the second distance, the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter, and the first and second diameters are smaller than the duct exit diameter. |
| US09945390B2 |
Centrifugal blower and method of assembling the same
In one aspect, a centrifugal blower assembly is provided. The centrifugal blower assembly includes a housing defining an interior space and an impeller configured to channel an airflow within the interior space. A motor is coupled to the impeller and configured to rotate the impeller about an axis. The centrifugal blower also includes a plurality of mounting arms. Each mounting arm of the plurality of mounting arms includes a first end coupled to the housing and a second end coupled to the motor. Each mounting arm of the plurality of mounting arms has a cross-sectional profile that comprises a portion of an airfoil shape. |
| US09945388B2 |
Method for making an impeller from sector segments
A manufacturing technique for impellers for a centrifugal rotating machine is provided. The impeller is made by composition of single vanes pieces that fit to the hub or directly to the rotor shaft by welding, friction welding or a mechanical locking system. The manufacturability of the segments is easy fast and cheap and make it possible to use advanced manufacturing technologies like additive manufacturing of the type of Direct Metal Laser Melting. |
| US09945387B2 |
Condenser fan speed control for air conditioning system efficiency optimization
A method for fan speed control for a condenser fan in an air conditioning system includes determining a refrigerant condition at an inlet of a compressor by a condenser fan speed control module; determining a refrigerant condition at an outlet of the compressor by the condenser fan speed control module; determining a parabolic curve of a relationship between an air conditioning system performance metric and a speed of the condenser fan based on the determined inlet condition and the determined outlet condition by the condenser fan speed control module; identifying an optimum condenser fan speed based on a vertex of the parabolic curve by the condenser fan speed control module; and controlling the speed of the condenser fan to meet the optimum fan speed by the condenser fan speed control module. |
| US09945383B2 |
Fan damping device for adjusting magnetic resistance
A fan damping device for adjusting magnetic resistance includes: a support frame, a fan wheel, a ring-shaped magnetic core, a magnetic control unit, and a control unit. The fan blades of the fan wheel can provide air resistance, and the magnetic control unit and the control unit provide adjustable magnetic resistance. By such arrangements, resistance can be increased without increasing the size and weight of the present invention. Besides, the resistance is adjustable as desired to improve convenience of use. |
| US09945378B2 |
Scroll compressor
Provided is a scroll compressor capable of ensuring reliability of a release valve device. The scroll compressor is provided with: an orbiting scroll having an orbiting scroll wrap; a fixed roll having a fixed scroll wrap intermeshing with the orbiting scroll wrap; a release hole formed in the fixed scroll; a housing hole communicating with the release hole and having larger diameter than that of the release hole; a valve seat member which is housed in the housing hole and has a valve seat surface; a valve plate contacting with or separating from the valve seat surface by a pressure difference; a spring for pressing the valve plate against the valve seat surface; a stopper which is equipped with the spring and secures the valve seat member; and a retainer for securing the stopper. |
| US09945376B2 |
Gear pump
An embodiment of a gear pump arrangement includes a first gear defining a first set of teeth; and a second gear defining a second set of teeth, the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth being in meshed communication such that fluid is pumped in response to rotation of the first gear and the second gear, at least one of the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth having at least one gear tooth passageway through each tooth thereby fluidically connecting opposing faces of the tooth. |
| US09945369B2 |
Air compressor with improved rotating device
An air compressor includes a rotating device pivotally connected to a piston body. The rotating device includes a gear body and a counterweight. The gear body is formed together with a counterweight, wherein the counterweight is provided with a crankshaft corresponding to the center of the gear body and a crankpin placed at a distance from the crankshaft. The counterweight is horizontally divided into two integrally formed halves, including a left half and a right half, with a common line connected between the center of the crankshaft and the center of the crankpin, wherein the left half has a weight different from the right half, so that the piston body gathers more rotational momentum from the counterweight at BDC to facilitate upstrokes, so that the piston body can conduct reciprocating motion more smoothly, and thus the service life of the air compressor can be increased. |
| US09945364B2 |
Hydraulic distributor for pump
A pump has a pump body and at least first and second pumping elements, each pumping element including a piston defining a head-end and a rod-end. The pump receives a pressurized fluid at an inlet, and returns fluid through a drain outlet. A hydraulic distributor operates to fluidly connect the head end of an extending piston to the pressurized fluid, and the rod end of the extending piston to the drain outlet. The hydraulic distributor further connects the rod-end of a retracting piston to the drain outlet, and the rod-end of one or more retracting pistons to the drain or to a return pressure, which is lower than an extending pressure. |
| US09945362B2 |
Pump fluid end with integrated web portion
A fluid end block for attachment to a power end of a high pressure reciprocating pump includes a main body portion having an outwardly facing body forward face, an outwardly facing body rear face opposite the body forward face, and opposing side surfaces. A web portion protrudes outwardly from the outwardly facing body forward face. The web portion may have an outwardly facing web forward face and a curvilinear side surface. The web portion may be integral with the main body portion. A plurality of bosses protrude from the web forward face and having a forward facing end. The plurality of bosses may be integral with the main body portion and the web portion. A plunger bore extends through one of the plurality of bosses configured to receive a reciprocating plunger. |
| US09945359B2 |
DC output wind turbine with power dissipation
A wind turbine is disclosed having a generator and rectifier and structured to provide direct current power that in one form is medium voltage direct current (MVDC). The wind turbine includes a crowbar circuit arranged to protect from a condition such as an overvoltage. The crowbar can be activated based on a voltage measurement or rate of change of voltage. A resistor can be coupled to the crowbar to absorb excess power provided by the generator during the overvoltage condition. Individual wind turbines in a wind farm can each have individual crow bars that can be activated based on local measurement of a voltage condition. In some forms the crowbar can be coupled with a transformer, for example coupled with a tertiary winding of a three winding transformer. |
| US09945357B2 |
Flexible flap arrangement for a wind turbine rotor blade
A flap arrangement for a wind turbine rotor blade, which includes a leading edge, a trailing edge and a chord line between the leading edge and the trailing edge, is described. The flap arrangement includes a support portion and a flap portion which is passively moveable with respect to an angle between a surface normal of a surface of the flap portion and the chord line. The support portion and the flap portion are positioned relatively to each other such that the support portion provides a limit to the movement of the flap portion. Also described are a wind turbine rotor blade including the flap arrangement and a method of enhancing the aerodynamic performance of a blade. |
| US09945355B2 |
Wind turbine rotor blade components and methods of making same
A composite beam for a wind turbine blade includes a preform layer, the preform layer including multiple elongate strength rods arranged longitudinally relative to one another in a single layer, each strength rod being disposed adjacent to and spaced from at least one adjacent strength rod. Each strength rod has a rectangular cross section and includes multiple, substantially straight collimated structural fibers fixed in a solidified matrix resin. The preform layer includes at least one carrier layer to which the multiple strength rods are joined by an adhesive. The carrier layer spaces adjacent strength rods a fixed distance apart to facilitate the flow of liquid bonding resin between adjacent strength rods of the preform layer to its joined carrier layer, the carrier layer being of a permeable material suitable to facilitate the flow of liquid bonding resin through the carrier layer. |
| US09945354B2 |
System and method for controlling bonding material in a wind turbine blade
A wind turbine blade includes a first shell member including a first mating surface along a first edge of the wind turbine blade. Also, the wind turbine blade includes a second shell member including a second mating surface along the first edge of the wind turbine blade, wherein the second mating surface is opposite to the first mating surface. Further, the wind turbine blade includes a bonding material disposed between the first mating surface and the second mating surface and configured to bond the first mating surface to the second mating surface. Moreover, the wind turbine blade includes a constrainer positioned at a desired bond line and coupled to one of the first mating surface and the second mating surface, wherein the constrainer is configured to restrict the bonding material from migrating into an interior cavity of the wind turbine blade. |
| US09945352B2 |
Wind turbine blade having a shaped stall fence or flow diverter
A wind turbine blade is described wherein at least on planar member is provided on the blade surface, where the planar member is arranged such that it extends at an angle to the chord of the blade. The planar member acts to re-direct airflow over the blade, to improve wind turbine performance. The planar member may be a stall fence provided towards the blade root end, further acting to divert airflow towards the root end of the blade to prevent separation of attached airflow. Additionally or alternatively, the planar member may be a flow diverter provided towards the blade tip end, to increase airflow in the tip region for increased performance and/or to disrupt the formation of tip vortices. |
| US09945350B2 |
Installing a blade in a wind turbine and wind turbines
Methods of installing a blade in a wind turbine are provided, the wind turbine comprising a tower, a nacelle and rotor hub, the rotor hub comprising a guiding element. The method includes providing a blade holder, wherein the blade holder comprises a beam, the beam being attached to the blade holder. The method further includes providing lifting equipment for lifting the blade holder, attaching the blade holder to the blade, wherein the blade comprises a mount for mounting the blade to the rotor, connecting the lifting equipment to the blade holder, hoisting the blade holder with the blade towards the rotor hub, arranging the beam near the guiding element, bringing the guiding element and the beam in contact with each other and attaching the blade mount to the rotor hub. Wind turbines comprising a rotor hub, the rotor hub comprising a guiding element are also disclosed. |
| US09945349B2 |
Hydraulic apparatus
A closed-loop hydraulic apparatus 200 for converting wave energy comprises a pump 201 for pumping a fluid through the apparatus 200. The pump 201 includes a body 202 defining a chamber 203, and a piston 207 that partitions the chamber 203 into a working side 208 and a blind side 209. A buoyant actuator is connected to the piston 207. An inlet 64 is connected to the working side 208 of the chamber 203 so that the fluid is able to flow from the inlet 64 and into the working side 208 of the chamber 203. An outlet 63 is connected to the working side 208 of the chamber 203 so that the fluid is able to flow from the working side 208 of the chamber 203 to the outlet 63. A hydraulic controller 102 is operable to control the pump 201 by controlling the pressure of the fluid at the inlet 64 and the outlet 63 so as to optimise the output of the pump 201 in response to tidal variations and/or sea state. The pressure of the fluid at the inlet 64 and the outlet 63 is controlled in accordance with a control algorithm. |
| US09945348B2 |
Ocean wave energy converter including control system for disabling active rectification when generator output power is less than a conversion loss
An electric generator driven by a source of variable energy produces at its output an alternating current (AC) output voltage and current which is converted via controllable active switching circuitry into a direct current (DC) voltage which is stored in an energy storage element. Power losses are associated with the active switching circuit and the AC to DC conversion. The power available at the output of the generator can be determined. If the available power is less than the power losses the controllable switching circuitry is disabled. |
| US09945339B2 |
Method for determining quantities of fuel during a direct injection of a motor vehicle
In the method provided herein, quantities of fuel are determined during a direct injection of a motor vehicle. In this connection, within one work cycle, test injections are carried out in two cylinders of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle during overrun phases, speed oscillations of moved masses of the cylinders are measured and a relative difference in quantity of the fuel quantity of the test injections within one work cycle is determined from the speed oscillations. By evaluating a relative signal between the test injections within one work cycle in the two cylinders, an intrinsic dependence of the drive train of the quantity of fuel signal is compensated. |
| US09945338B2 |
Method for operating a fuel injection system with pressure reduction, and a fuel injection system comprising a fuel injection valve with a servo valve
A method for operating a fuel injection system with pressure reduction, and a fuel injection system that includes a fuel injection valve with a servo valve are provided. The method for operating a fuel injection system includes performing a desired pressure reduction in the pressure accumulator using at least one fuel injection valve of the fuel injection system. This is achieved by opening a servo valve in the fuel injection valve, which is opened, during a pressure reduction phase, just wide enough that the actual closing element remains closed and as a result no fuel injection process takes place. |
| US09945336B2 |
Fuel supply device and return fuel utilization buffer jar
A fuel supply device includes a return fuel utilization buffer jar that conducts fuel into a fuel inlet port of a first three-way valve including a one-way check valve to allow the fuel to flow, uni-directionally, from the fuel inlet port to a fuel outlet port. Return fuel from an engine is conducted in through a return fuel inlet port of the return fuel utilization buffer jar. Fuel vapor in the return fuel utilization buffer jar is guided from a gas inlet port of a second three-way valve through a gas outlet port to a fuel tank. Vapor pressure in the return fuel utilization buffer jar is regulated by a ventilation port that is mounted in the second three-way valve and includes a one-way check valve in a direction toward the gas inlet port. |
| US09945333B2 |
Fuel vapor recovery
Fuel vapor emissions from a fuel tank directed to a canister containing adsorbent are minimized by an intermediate condenser and conduit configuration. Condensing and cooling fuel vapor emissions allows a reduction in canister capacity, where the canister can still meet and accommodate refueling and/or diurnal emissions control requirements. Pressurized and unpressurized fuel tanks for various vehicles, including vehicles with an internal combustion engine and hybrid electric vehicles, can be configured with the present fuel vapor recovery systems. |
| US09945330B2 |
Method for diagnosing a fuel tank vent valve
A method for diagnosing a fuel tank vent valve of a motor vehicle. In the method it is inferred, from a curve of a pressure p over time in a sub-chamber of the motor vehicle after a start-up of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, as to whether the fuel tank vent valve is jammed open. The sub-chamber contains a fuel tank of the motor vehicle and is delimited by the fuel tank vent valve. |
| US09945323B1 |
Linear actuator
A linear actuator includes a housing and a piston slidably mounted within the housing. The piston has a first portion forming a sliding fit between the piston and the housing, a second portion spaced apart from both the housing and the first portion, and a groove formed between the first and second portions. |
| US09945322B2 |
Stirling engine or cooler heat exchanger
A free piston Stirling engine with a heat exchanger that has an inner component part assembled within an outer component part. The outer component part has a tubular outer wall and circumferentially spaced ridges that extend radially inward from the tubular outer wall and are separated from each other by inward opening slots. The inner component part has a tubular inner wall and circumferentially spaced ridges that extend outward from the inner tubular wall and are separated from each other by outward opening slots. The ridge widths of the outer and inner component parts are less than the slot widths of the corresponding slots into which they fit. The two component parts are assembled with the ridges of each component part extending into the slots of the other component part to form gas passages between interfacing sidewall surfaces of the ridges. |
| US09945317B2 |
Fuel injection device
When a main injection is performed, a first timing that is a time earlier than a second timing is selected as the valve opening starting timing, and a first period that is the period of time shorter than a second period is selected as the control period. Also, when a pilot injection is performed, the second timing that is the time later than the first timing is selected as the valve opening starting timing, and the second period that is the time longer than the first period is selected as the control period. Thus, in an injector with increased valve opening responsiveness, the valve opening behavior of a control valve of the injector in fuel injection with a minute injection quantity can be stabilized without replacing a control device, particularly an EDU with that of a large current specification. |
| US09945311B2 |
Method and systems for adjusting flow resistance in a thermal management system during an engine start
Various methods and systems are provided for a thermal management system of an engine. A method for an engine may comprise adjusting an engine speed during an engine start event that includes an engine cranking activity from a first engine speed to a second engine speed, where the adjusting is based on a sensed oil temperature; adjusting a first resistance of a radiator primary return line of a thermal management system to a first resistance level; and adjusting the engine speed a duration after a start of the engine cranking from the second engine speed to a third engine speed, the third engine speed based at least in part on an engine torque demand, and selectively adjusting the first resistance between each of the first resistance level and a second resistance level based on the third engine speed, the second resistance level being lower than the first resistance level. |
| US09945307B2 |
Method and system for improving change of fuel in bi-fuel vehicle
A method for improving a change of fuel in a bi-fuel vehicle includes: a step of measuring an LPG level in an LPG fuel tank; a pressure reference driving step of continuing the driving of the vehicle using the LPG fuel; a pressure change rate reference driving step of continuing the driving of the vehicle using the LPG fuel when it is determined that the vehicle may be driven by the LPG fuel by comparing an LPG rail pressure change quantity and a pressure change quantity in the LPG fuel tank with a set reference value; and a fuel expanding step of continuing the driving of the vehicle using the LPG fuel when it is determined that the vehicle may be driven by the LPG fuel by comparing an injection quantity of LPG fuel and an accumulated value of mileage with a set reference value. |
| US09945306B2 |
Control device for internal combustion engine
There is provided an art of performing correction of a coefficient in a model calculation formula of an intake valve model that is applied to an internal combustion engine including a turbocharger, in a wide engine operation region. An amendment value α of a map value a in a correction value calculating operation region is calculated (step 10), and a straight line expressing a relation of a turbocharging pressure Pcmp and a cylinder air filling rate KL is calculated (step S14). A point (Pcmpn, KLn) on the calculated straight line is specified (step S16), and correction of the map value a is performed (step S18). Thereby, a correction value a′ of the map value a in an operation region that differs in the turbocharging pressure Pcmp from the correction value calculating operation region is calculated. Similarly, the correction value a′ of the map value a in an operation region that differs in valve opening timing EXVT from the correction value calculating operation region, and the correction value a′ of the map value a in an operation region that differs in an engine speed NE from the correction value calculating operation region are calculated (steps S20 and S22). |
| US09945300B2 |
Transmission input torque management
A method of operating a vehicle includes measuring a transmission output torque, measuring impeller and turbine speeds, estimating a transmission component torque, and adjusting an engine torque to avoid overstressing a transmission component such as a gear. The method does not rely on an accurate estimate of engine torque. Furthermore, the method does not rely on a fixed transmission torque rating in each gear ratio. |
| US09945296B2 |
Six-stroke engine and method of operating six-stroke engine
A six-stroke engine includes a cylinder, a piston, a cylinder head, a combustion chamber, an intake port, an exhaust port, an intake valve, an exhaust valve, a fuel injector, and an ignition plug. The six-stroke engine includes a valve gear that operates the intake valve and the exhaust valve to execute an intake stroke, a compression stroke with ignition, an expansion stroke with combustion, an exhaust stroke, an expansion stroke without combustion, and a compression stroke without ignition. The valve gear opens, only for a predetermined period of time while the piston is located at top dead center, at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve within a period from the exhaust stroke to the intake stroke. A valve overlap state is produced at least once within the period from the exhaust stroke to the intake stroke. |
| US09945290B2 |
Handheld engine-driven working machine
An engine-driven working machine includes a controller, which varies a control value of a solenoid valve so as to decrease or increase an opening degree of the solenoid valve when a rotating speed of an engine is within a predetermined high rotating speed range and the rotating speed of the engine is lower or higher than a predetermined rotating speed, respectively. In case the controller determines that the engine-driven working machine gets started saw cutting, the controller stops varying the control value of the solenoid valve when the rotating speed of the engine is within the predetermined high rotating speed range and lower than the target rotating speed. |
| US09945286B2 |
Variable geometry turbine
A variable geometry turbine has annular inlet passageway defined between a first surface of a radial wall of a movable wall mounted within a cavity and a facing wall of the turbine housing. The radial wall defines a second surface that opposes the first surface. The moveable wall member comprises an annular flange that extends axially into the cavity and supports a radial flange defining opposing third and fourth surfaces. The radial flange seals against an annular sleeve in the cavity to define a first area within the cavity which includes the radial second and third surfaces and a second area within the cavity which includes the radial fourth surface. The first and second areas are in fluid communication with regions of the annular inlet passageway which are respectively upstream and downstream of a radial vane passage. |
| US09945279B2 |
Honeycomb structure
A honeycomb structure includes: a honeycomb structure body including a plurality of cells defined by a partition wall and serving as a through channel of fluid; and a plugging portion to alternately plug open end parts of the plurality of cells on one side as an inflow side of the exhaust gas and open end parts on the other side as an outflow side of the exhaust gas. The partition wall is loaded, on the side of the outflow cells, with an oxidation catalyst made of a transition metal oxide at least including Fe and Mn to oxidize NO gas or an oxidation catalyst made of a transition metal oxide loaded at CeO2 and at least including Fe and Mn to oxidize NO gas. The loading amount of the oxidation catalyst is 5.0 g/L or more and 50 g/L or less. |
| US09945278B2 |
Exhaust gas mixer
A power system including a selective reduction catalyst and an exhaust gas mixer positioned downstream thereof. The exhaust gas mixer includes an inlet opening a plurality of peripheral inlet openings and a plurality of swirler guides. The inlet opening is positioned to receive a first portion of exhaust gas exiting the SCR catalyst, while the plurality of peripheral inlet openings are positioned to receive a second portion of exhaust gas exiting the SCR catalyst. The swirler guides extend radially inwards from a respective peripheral inlet opening, so as to swirl the second portion of exhaust gas about and into the first portion of exhaust gas. |
| US09945277B2 |
Exhaust gas purification apparatus for internal combustion engine
A three-way catalyst, an NSR catalyst, and an SCR catalyst are provided in this order for an exhaust gas passage, wherein the air-fuel ratio (AFR) is set to a first AFR which is a rich AFR before the AFR is switched from a theoretical AFR to a lean AFR, and then the AFR is set to a second AFR which is higher than the first AFR and lower than the theoretical AFR if a NOx occlusion amount is less than a threshold value during a period until an NH3 adsorption amount of the SCR catalyst becomes a predetermined adsorption amount, while the AFR is set to a third AFR which is higher than the first AFR and lower than the second AFR if the NOx occlusion amount is not less than the threshold value. |
| US09945275B2 |
Oil level regulating apparatus for an engine
An oil level regulating apparatus includes a valve unit and a solenoid unit. The valve unit includes a housing having an inflow hole, an outflow hole, and a leak hole, a partition separating the outflow hole and the leak hole, defining a valve chamber close to the outflow hole, and having a partition continuous hole, a valve dividing the valve chamber into an introduction chamber and a pressure chamber and having a valve continuous hole, and a valve biasing member biasing the valve. The solenoid unit has a shaft configured to open and close a leak channel. The shaft can open and close the leak channel on the downstream side of the pressure chamber. When the shaft closes the leak channel, the valve is switched to a closed valve state of closing the outflow hole. |
| US09945270B2 |
Rocker shaft with de-aeration oil gallery segment
A hollow rocker shaft including a central opening defined by a radially inner surface and a separator secured in the central opening of the rocker shaft is provided. A radially outer surface of the separator engages the radially inner surface of the rocker shaft via a press-fit. The separator divides the central opening of the rocker shaft into (1) a first chamber extending between a first chamber axial end and the separator, and (2) a second chamber extending between a second chamber axial end and the separator. The separator includes an orifice defined between the first chamber and the second chamber that provides fluid connection between the first chamber and the second chamber. |
| US09945268B2 |
Variable valve apparatus for internal combustion engine
A variable valve apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention comprises a cam base member rotating with rotation of a camshaft and a cam lobe member. The cam lobe member is movable to the cam base member, between a projecting position where the cam part radially projects and a retreat position where the cam part is retreated. A resilient member urges the cam lobe member toward the projecting position. A movement control apparatus includes a drive member provided for driving the cam lobe member, and the drive member is fixed to the cam lobe member. When the cam lobe member is in a non-fixing state to the cam base member, the cam lobe member is moved from the projecting position to the retreat position with the drive member being pressed. |
| US09945266B2 |
Combined cycle power plant thermal energy conservation
A combined cycle power plant includes a gas turbine having a primary flow passage, a heat recovery steam generator having a heat exchanger disposed downstream from the primary flow passage, an exhaust stack in fluid communication with the primary flow passage and disposed downstream from the heat recovery steam generator and a reversible turning gear coupled to a rotor shaft of the gas turbine. The reversible turning gear counter rotates the rotor shaft during turning gear counter rotation operation of the gas turbine and reverses flow of combustion exhaust gas from the exhaust stack through the heat exchanger and back into the primary flow passage of the gas turbine, thereby conserving thermal energy stored in the heat recovery steam generator. A method for conserving thermal energy of a combined cycle power plant during counter rotation turning gear operation of the gas turbine is also disclosed. |
| US09945265B2 |
Power generation system and method for operating power generation system
A power generation system having a gas turbine, a fuel cell, an exhaust air circulation line, an exhaust fuel gas supply line, a turbine, an exhaust heat recovery boiler, and at least one exhaust air heat exchanger. The turbine is equipped with a high-pressure turbine, a medium-pressure turbine, and a low-pressure turbine. The exhaust heat recovery boiler is equipped with a high-pressure steam circulation mechanism, a medium-pressure steam circulation mechanism, and a low-pressure steam circulation mechanism. The exhaust air heat exchanger exchanges heat between the steam exchanging heat with the exhaust gas in the high-pressure steam circulation mechanism or the medium-pressure steam circulation mechanism and flowing toward the turbine and the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust air circulation line, thereby increasing the temperature of the steam and decreasing the temperature of the exhaust gas. |
| US09945264B2 |
Methods and systems for enhancing control of power plant generating units
A control method for optimizing or enhancing an operation of a power plant that includes thermal generating units for generating electricity. The power plant may include multiple possible operating modes differentiated by characteristics of operating parameters. The method may include tuning a power plant model so to configure a tuned power plant model. The method may further include simulating proposed operating modes of the power plant with the tuned power plant model. The simulating may include a simulation procedure that includes: defining a second operating period; selecting the proposed operating modes from the possible operating modes; with the tuned power plant model, performing a simulation run for each of the proposed operating modes whereby the operation of the power plant during the second operating period is simulated; and obtaining simulation results from each of the simulation runs. |
| US09945263B2 |
Steam power cycle system
There is provided a steam power cycle system in which steam power cycles using pure materials as a working fluid is used in a multiple stage to reduce pressure loss in the flow channels in the respective heat exchanger so that the fluid serving as heat sources has been caused to make an effective heat exchange with the working fluid. More specifically, not only that the respective flow channels for the fluid serving as heat sources in the evaporator and the condenser in the respective steam power cycle units are connected in series to each other, but the evaporator and the condenser comprise a cross-flow type heat exchanger and are arranged respectively in a flowing direction of the fluid serving as heat source. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the length of the flow channels to the minimum necessary, simplify the flow channel structure, and reduce the pressure loss. |
| US09945261B2 |
Casing support structure
A support structure suitable for interposing between the engine and the nacelle of an aeroengine and suitable for being fastened on an intermediate casing is provided. The structure includes a shroud having a plurality of sectors, a plurality of radial arms each installed between two adjacent shroud sectors, and a plurality of fasteners for fastening the plurality of shroud sectors to the plurality of radial arms. The shroud sectors and radial arms form a skeleton for transmitting structural forces within the intermediate casing. The structure includes non-structural fairings mounted on the skeleton and suitable for reconstituting the airflow passage. Each of the shroud sectors and radial arms is formed by a metal frame without mechanical discontinuity, each shroud sector metal frame defining at least one opening that is closed by a cover and each radial arm metal frame defining at least one orifice for receiving a closure plate. |
| US09945258B2 |
Sheet metal turbine housing with cellular structure reinforcement
Systems are provided for a reinforcement element coupled to a sheet metal turbine housing that imparts desirable thermal-protective and structurally strengthening characteristics to the housing layers. In one example, a system may include a turbine comprising a housing surrounding a turbine rotor, the housing having an outer layer surrounding an inner layer at a distance to form an intermediate space between the inner and outer layers. Moreover, disposed in the intermediate space is a reinforcement element coupled to the inner and outer layers, providing strength and consistent rigidity without a significant increase in weight to the housing. |
| US09945257B2 |
Ceramic matrix composite ring shroud retention methods-CMC pin-head
The present disclosure is directed to a retention assembly for a stationary gas turbine component. A first stationary gas turbine wall defines a first wall cavity and a second stationary gas turbine wall constructed from a ceramic matrix composite defines a second wall cavity. A pin shaft constructed from a first material includes a first shaft end and a second shaft end. A pin head constructed from the ceramic matrix composite includes a first pin head end and a second pin head end. The pin head defines a pin head cavity extending inward from the first pin head end. The first shaft end is positioned in the first wall cavity, and the second shaft end is positioned in the pin head cavity. The second pin head end is positioned in the second wall cavity. The first material is different from the ceramic matrix composite. |
| US09945254B2 |
Steel soft wall fan case
A steel soft wall fan case assembly according to one embodiment configured with a thin-walled steel support structure shell including a plurality of annular axial walls of thin sheet metal reinforced by a plurality of rings interconnecting axially adjacent annular axial walls. The steel support structure shell is structurally integrated with honeycomb materials and an annular metallic inner wall. A fabric containment layer may be wrapped around one of the annular axial walls of the steel support structure shell. |
| US09945253B2 |
Collecting / removing byproducts of laser ablation
A method is provided for operating a laser system. During an embodiment of this method, inert gas is directed against an object within a cavity of a collection device. An aperture is formed in the object by ablating the object with a laser beam that travels within the cavity and to the object. Byproducts of the ablation are removed from the cavity. During another embodiment of the method, inert gas is pooled against an object and a gas curtain is provided proximate a lens. The object is cut using a laser beam which travels from the lens, through the gas curtain and the pooled inert gas, to the object. Fumes and/or particulates produced by the formation are directed away from the laser beam. |
| US09945252B2 |
Gas turbine engine oil tank with integrated packaging configuration
A gas turbine engine includes a fan case radially outwardly of a core compartment. A compressor section is located within an engine core compartment and includes a front mount flange and an aft mount flange. An oil tank is mounted to at least one of the fan case or the front and aft mount flanges. The oil tank has a cooling structure integrated into an outer surface such that the oil tank is subjected to cooling air flow from a plurality of air sources. |
| US09945250B2 |
Aircraft gas turbine
An aircraft gas turbine is constituted by accommodating a compressor (14), a combustor (15), and a turbine (16) in a cylindrical main unit casing (12). A thick wall part (52) is provided on an outer periphery side of rotor blades (34) in the main unit casing. A cooling passage (53), for cooling the thick wall part (52) by circulating compressed air compressed by the compressor, is provided in the thick wall part. Also provided is a discharge passage (55) for discharging compressed air having circulated in the cooling passage to a combustion gas passage A. The structural strength of the thick wall part is ensured by appropriately cooling the thick wall part of the casing, while simplifying the structure and preventing a decrease in efficiency, thereby ensuring effective containment performance and an appropriate clearance between the casing and the rotor blades. |
| US09945247B2 |
Gas turbine engine anti-icing system
An anti-icing system for an engine section stator of a gas turbine engine. The system includes an environmental control system pre-cooler heat exchange system and a conduit. The environmental control system pre-cooler heat exchange system is configured to exchange heat between air bled from a compressor of the engine and bypass duct air. The conduit is configured to exchange heat from the pre-cooler heat exchange system to a heat transfer medium. The conduit is also configured to transfer the heat from the heat transfer medium to the engine section stator. |
| US09945243B2 |
Turbine shroud with biased blade track
A turbine shroud for a gas turbine engine is adapted to extend around a bladed turbine wheel and prevent gasses from passing over the blades without interacting with the blades. The turbine shroud includes a carrier, a blade track, and a plurality of biasing members. The biasing members locate the blade track relative to the carrier. |
| US09945242B2 |
System for thermally isolating a turbine shroud
In one aspect the present subject matter is directed to a system for thermally isolating a turbine shroud of a turbine shroud assembly. The system includes a shroud support having an inner surface and a turbine shroud that is connected to the shroud support. The turbine shroud includes a hot side surface that is radially spaced from a back side surface. At least a portion of the back side surface is oriented towards the inner surface of the shroud support. The system further includes a coating that is disposed along the back side surface of the turbine shroud. The coating regulates heat transfer from the turbine shroud to the shroud support or other hardware that may surround or be adjacent to the turbine shroud. |
| US09945239B2 |
Vane carrier for a compressor or a turbine section of an axial turbo machine
A vane carrier is provided for a compressor or a turbine section of an axial turbo machine, especially one of a gas turbine, steam turbine, compressor, expander, comprises least a first and second functional means. The first functional means is a cylinder made of a material with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) below 1.3×10−5 [1/K]. The cylinder is provided for carrying a plurality of vanes on its inner side. The second functional means is a support structure made of a material different to and less expensive than the material of said first functional means. The support structure is provided for defining an axial and lateral position of the first functional means within an outer casing of the axial turbo machine. |
| US09945236B2 |
Gas turbine hub
A unitary one-piece hub has first and second rings and a midsection arranged between the first and second rings. The midsection includes a plurality of windows configured to receive a plurality of cross members. The windows include a lip configured to surround the cross members. A gas turbine engine and a method of providing a hub for a gas turbine engine are also disclosed. |
| US09945233B2 |
Double-jet film cooling structure and method for manufacturing same
A double-jet film cooling structure includes: an injection port, formed on a wall surface facing a high-temperature gas passage; a main passage as a straight round hole to supply cooling medium to the injection port; a pair of branch passages as straight round holes; and communication passages connecting the main passage to the branch passages. The main passage and the branch passages have same constant inner diameters. Each communication passages has an envelope surface obtained by continuously arranging straight round holes each passing a branch point and having the constant inner diameter. Transverse injection angles of the branch passages relative to gas flow along the wall surface are oriented in opposite directions. An angle between axial direction of the main passage and the wall surface is greater than an angle formed between axial direction of branch passage and the wall surface. |
| US09945230B2 |
Silent gear pump or motor suppressing troubles of trapping fluid
Fluid delivery devices using a pair of meshed external gears, in spite of no reciprocating component for fluid delivery enabling low rotational vibration, the high noise due to the trapping phenomenon, and the teeth bouncing contact due to undesired large backlash heretofore afforded in the gear manufacturing process, restrict the employments in the industrial field requiring quiet environment such as electric motor vehicles or room services.Accordingly, a gear pump or motor or a gear refrigerating compressor comprising a shaft gear and a driven gear meshed rotatably within a gear chamber formed with a housing and opposite side walls, which delivers fluids from a inlet chamber to a outlet chamber; a backlash of the meshed gears having fluid-leak-tight clearance; a closed chamber provided in a internal portion of at least a side wall; an opening provided on a side wall from which a communication passage extends to a closed chamber; and at least a elastic disc capsule contained in the closed chamber, comprising a pair of concaved elastic disc plate abutted and sealed against each other with gas inside, of which occupying volume varies elastically subject to the fluid pressure therein enabling to absorb or expel the squeezed fluid in the trapped interstice during the trapping period of the interstice, whereby the fluid entrapped in the interstices isolated by the fluid-leak-tight backlash suppressing the pressure transmission inwardly or outwardly, whereof volumetric variation during the trapping period is compensated by the compression or expansion of the elastic disc capsule, suppressing pressure pulse and air bubble generation and eliminating the teeth bouncing contact, achieving a low noise, low vibration and high efficiency gear pump or motor or refrigerating compressor. |
| US09945229B2 |
Formwork system
A formwork system (10; 60), especially for tunnel construction, includes at least one support arrangement (14) for supporting at least one formwork element (16-26; 72-78). The formwork system further includes at least one concrete pump (36), a plurality of concrete supply units (42) for supply to the formwork element and at least one controller (32). On the formwork element (16-26; 72-78) and/or on the support arrangement (14) at least two pressure sensors (44; 92) are disposed at different vertical positions and are connected to the controller (32) of the formwork system, which pressure sensors (44; 92) are designed to measure the pressure acting upon the formwork elements (16-26; 72-78) at a minimum of two different heights of the formwork element, and that the controller (32) is designed to control the concrete supply units (42) individually, dependent on the signal from the pressure sensors (44; 92). |
| US09945227B2 |
Mixed-mode telemetry systems and methods
A telemetry method transmits data by MP telemetry to a telemetry relay system which retransmits the data by EM telemetry. The method avoids the need to incorporate MP telemetry pressure transducers into rig equipment and permits telemetry from regions unfavorable for EM telemetry because of depth and/or characteristics surrounding formations. |
| US09945225B2 |
System for measuring downhole parameters and a method of using same
The present invention provides a system and method for measuring downhole parameters within a SAGD system. The system includes one or more downhole sensors that are positioned at least within a heel portion of a long production tubing string. Positioning the system within the long production tubing string avoids pulling the sensors to surface each time that the short production tubing string is worked over. The system comprises a ported sub that is threadably connected as part of the long production tubing string. When the tubing string is in a desired position, the ported sub is near the heel portion of the production well. The system further comprises a pumpable sleeve that carries the instrument line downhole into the ported sub. When the pumpable sleeve lands in the ported sub, the instrument line detects information regarding downhole parameters at the heel portion of the production well. |
| US09945222B2 |
Closed loop control of drilling curvature
A downhole closed loop method for controlling a curvature of a subterranean wellbore while drilling includes drilling the subterranean wellbore using a drilling tool. A set point curvature is received at a downhole controller. Sequential attitude measurements made at a single axial location on the drilling tool and a rate of penetration of drilling are processed to compute a curvature of the wellbore being drilled. The drilling direction is adjusted such that the computed curvature is substantially equal to the set point curvature. |
| US09945217B2 |
System and method for fluid injection
A fluid injection system includes a water injection assembly having a choke valve configured to receive water from a water injection line and to provide the water to a main bore of a well head. The system also includes a polymer injection assembly having a dedicated polymer connection configured to receive a polymer from a polymer injection line and to direct the polymer toward the main bore of the well head to facilitate mixing of the water and the polymer within the main bore. |
| US09945215B2 |
Determining perforation orientation
A method and apparatus for determining the relative orientation of objects downwell, and especially to determining perforator orientation, involves varying the orientation of an object, such as a perforator gun (302) in the wellbore (202) and activating at least one directional acoustic source (402a-c). Each directional acoustic source is fixed in a predetermined location to the object and transmits an acoustic signal preferentially in a known direction. The directional acoustic sources are activated so as to generate sound in a plurality of different orientations of said object. An optical fiber (104) is interrogated to provide distributed acoustic sensing in the vicinity of the object; and the acoustic signals detected by the optical fiber are analyzed to determine the orientation of the at least one directional acoustic source relative to the optical fiber, for instance by looking at the relative intensity in the different orientations. |
| US09945212B2 |
Expandable well screens with slurry delivery shunt conduits
A well screen can include multiple filter section ends, the filter section ends being displaced outward in response to expansion of the well screen, and a slurry delivery shunt conduit positioned circumferentially between the filter section ends. A method of delivering a slurry into a wellbore about a well screen can include positioning slurry delivery shunt conduits between multiple circumferentially spaced apart filter sections of the well screen, the filter sections radially outwardly displacing in a well, and flowing the slurry through the shunt conduits. A well system can include multiple well screens positioned in a wellbore, and shunt conduits which deliver a slurry into the wellbore about the well screens, the shunt conduits being positioned circumferentially between filter sections of the well screens. |
| US09945211B2 |
Leak-off assembly for gravel pack system
A gravel pack assembly for a borehole has first and second joints and a foil. The basepipes of the joints connect end-to-end, and both of the basepipes having filters for filtering fluid passage from a borehole into bores of the basepipes. Transport tubes are disposed along the first and second joint, and a jumper tube expands across the connected ends of the basepipes and connects the transport tubes together. The foil encloses an area across the connected ends. The foil has an external surface defining an annulus thereabout with the borehole. The foil has end rings abutting the filters of the joints. At least a section of the foil leaks fluid from the borehole to the area enclosed by the foil, and at least a filter portion of the assembly filters the leaked fluid from the area to at least one of the first and second bores. |
| US09945209B2 |
Plunger assembly with expandable seal
The present application includes and assembly having a hollowed body configured to traverse the length of a well bore and remove contaminants. The hollowed body having an upper seal body and a lower seal body. Each body including a seat for securing and sealing by a dart. The dart is configured to transition between the seats by passing through a central channel of the hollowed body. The assembly further includes an expandable seal configured to expand in diameter from the increase in pressure in the well bore. The expandable seal contacts the walls of the well bore. The expandable seal cleans the walls of the well bore and prevents leakage of working fluid between the walls and the assembly. |
| US09945208B2 |
Flow control assemblies for downhole operations and systems and methods including the same
Flow control assemblies comprise a housing that includes a housing body that defines a housing conduit, an injection conduit that extends through the housing body, and a ball sealer seat. The ball sealer seat defines a portion of the injection conduit, is defined on an inner surface of the housing, and is sized to receive a ball sealer to restrict fluid flow from the casing conduit through the injection conduit. The flow control assemblies further include a sliding sleeve that is located within the housing conduit and defines an isolation ball seat. The flow control assemblies also include a retention structure that is configured to retain the sliding sleeve in a first configuration and to selectively permit the sliding sleeve to transition from the first configuration to a second configuration. |
| US09945205B2 |
Plugging device
A plugging device for sealing against an inner surface of a pipe includes a mandrel, a sealing device, and an actuating device. The sealing device includes a first body provided circumferentially around the mandrel, an upper supporting device provided axially above the first body, and a lower supporting device provided axially below the first body. The actuating device is connected to at least one of the supporting devices for actuating the sealing device between a retracted state and an expanded state. The sealing device includes a second, sealing body provided circumferentially around the mandrel. An inner surface of the second sealing body is engaged with an outer surface of the first body in the expanded state. The second sealing body is moved from the retracted state to the expanded state by an axial displacement of at least one of the supporting devices towards each other. |
| US09945202B1 |
Protected annulus flow arrangement for subsea completion system
A technique facilitates protection of potentially susceptible components from unwanted exposure to well fluids or other fluids in a monobore subsea installation. The subsea installation may comprise various components, e.g. a tubing hanger and a subsea tree which form a plenum region therebetween. An annulus stab (or stabs) is positioned to extend between the tubing hanger and the subsea tree so as to provide an isolated flow path within the annulus stab and through the plenum region. The isolated flow path also may extend longitudinally through the tubing hanger until exiting through a side of the tubing hanger. The annulus stab and overall isolated flow path are thus able to accommodate an annulus flow within the monobore subsea installation while protecting components exposed to the plenum region from contact with deleterious fluids in the annulus flow path. |
| US09945200B2 |
Cartridge valve assembly for wellhead
A modular assembly for a wellhead has a housing and a plurality of modular cartridges. The housing connects with a studded or flanged connection to the wellhead, which can have a tubing adapter, casing hanger, etc. The modular cartridges can interchangeably stack in the housing's internal pocket so that the bores of the stacked cartridges configure the through-bore of the assembly communicating the wellhead with external components, such as flow lines, capillary lines, etc. The modular cartridges include a spacer cartridge, a hanger cartridge, a valve cartridge, and a cross cartridge. The spacer cartridge can be used to space other cartridges in the internal pocket, and the hanger cartridge can be used to support capillary strings and/or velocity strings in the wellhead. The valve cartridges have valve elements that can be opened and closed by bonnets that affix externally to the housing. The cross cartridge can have one or more cross ports to divert the assembly's through-bore to additional flow components, such as flow lines, wing valves, chokes, and the like. |
| US09945199B2 |
Downhole fishing tool and method of use
The present disclosure is directed toward a downhole tool used to free stuck tools in a wellbore and the method of using the downhole tool. The downhole tool includes at least one packer element for engaging a casing in a wellbore. The packer works to isolate one area of the casing from another. The downhole tool also includes at least one slip element for engaging the casing to maintain the position of the downhole tool in the casing or wellbore. Further, the downhole tool includes a mandrel slidably disposed within the at least one packer element and the at least one slip. The mandrel includes at least one port disposed therein above the at least one packer element when the mandrel is in a first position. |
| US09945195B2 |
Method for connecting a drill head to a drill pipe, and device for holding a drill head
Producing a screw connection between a drill head provided for ground boreholes and an element of a drill pipe includes using a device for holding the drill head provided for ground boreholes. The device is held by a first clamping device of a clamping-screwing device. The element to be connected to the drill head is held by a second clamping device of the clamping-screwing-device and the element of the drill pipe to be connected is moved by the clamping-screwing device in relation to the device such that the relative rotation movement between the drill head and the element of the drill pipe required for the desired screw connection is performed by the clamping-screwing device. |
| US09945194B2 |
Top drive pipe spinner
The present invention relates generally to a Top Drive Pipe Spinner (TDPS). The TDPS is a tool that allows for the setting of casing without a specialized crew or any additional power source. By employing the weight of the existing top drive to set slips below the casing collar and on the pipe, the TDPS allows one casing to be threaded onto the next in a timely and efficient manner. The casing tongs of the TDPS use passive release weight to release the casing collar from the casing to allow for the successive insertion of another casing section. The top drive spins the TDPS and compresses the unit onto the casing, then lifts the unit and releases the casing when desired. |
| US09945190B2 |
Articulating component of a downhole assembly, downhole steering assembly, and method of operating a downhole tool
This invention relates to an articulating component (16) of a downhole assembly, and to a downhole steering assembly. There is provided an articulating component (16) having a first end (40) and a second end (42), the articulating component being adapted to transmit torque between the first end and the second end. The articulating component has a pivotable coupling (46) between its first and second ends and at least one control element for the pivotable coupling, the control element(s) having an active condition in which the pivotable coupling is substantially locked against pivoting movement, and an inactive condition in which the pivotable coupling is unlocked. In a downhole steering assembly the articulating component is located downhole of the steering component whereby to protect the steering component from unwanted vibrations generated downhole, or uphole of the steering component whereby to protect the steering component from unwanted vibrations generated uphole, or both. |
| US09945188B2 |
Enhanced interconnect for downhole tools
A system and method for an enhanced interconnect for downhole tools along a drill string used in subterranean operations is described herein. The system (300) may include a first drill string segment (302) comprising a first conductive element (306) and a second drill string segment (304) coupled to the first drill string segment. The system may also include a tool connect assembly (310) disposed within an internal bore of the second drill string segment. The tool connect assembly may comprise a second conductive element (312) electrically connected to the downhole tool, and the second conductive element may be electrically coupled to the first conductive element through at most two electrical interfaces. |
| US09945187B2 |
Surface drill modular mast
A modular mast for an earth-drilling machine includes a base module, a crown module, and a fastener. The crown module is coupled with the base module via the fastener. The base module and the crown module each have a surface lying in a common plane. The fastener does not extend beyond the common plane. |
| US09945184B2 |
Downhole under-reamer and associated methods
A downhole under-reamer for use in reaming a downhole bore. The under-reamer comprises a body and a plurality of cutters mounted on the body. The cutters are mounted on the body so as to be extendable from a retracted position to at least two extended positions. The at least two extended positions comprise reaming positions at respective first and second reaming diameters. |
| US09945181B2 |
System and method for detecting drilling events using an opto-analytical device
In one embodiment, a method includes drilling a wellbore in a formation with a drilling tool. The method further includes receiving electromagnetic radiation at an opto-analytical device coupled to the drilling tool. The method also includes determining a drilling characteristic based on the received electromagnetic radiation, and detecting an event associated with drilling the wellbore based on the determined drilling characteristic. |
| US09945176B2 |
Quickly slideable and incrementally adjustable barrier
A barrier for the inside of a home. The barrier includes two partitions that slide relative to each other to increase and decrease a distance between ends of the barrier. The partitions slide into and out of confronting relationships with each other. The partitions engage each other at upper and lower locations and further at a medial location where an elongate member of one partition is received in a tube engaged to the other partition. A threaded piece upon being turned brings pressure to bear upon an end of the tube such that the partitions can be incrementally expanded apart and thereby pressurized between two locations within the home so as to block off one portion of the home. The threaded piece is slideable along the elongate member. |
| US09945172B2 |
Water intrusion prevention method and apparatus
A method and device are presented that creates a channel adjacent a nailing flange of a window in between the window and the rough opening that receives the window. The channel is created by establishing a barrier that prevents foam insulation inserted into the space between the window and the rough opening from reaching the nailing flange. The channel then ensures proper drainage of water that enters the window cavity down to the window sill. A gasket is presented that can be attached to the window or the rough opening to create the barrier. Alternatively, a disintegrating object or a wicking object can be used to impede the flow of insulation foam and to create the appropriate channel. The present invention is equally applicable to doors or other framed objects received into the exterior shell of a building. |
| US09945170B2 |
Door opening and closing device
A door opening and closing apparatus opens and closes a slide door by cooperating with a guide roller unit fixed to the slide door of a vehicle. The guide roller unit includes a guide member and a belt-side bracket connected to the guide member. The door opening and closing apparatus includes a support member made of resin, plural pulleys supported at the support member, and a transmission belt engaged at the plural pulleys. The support member is fixed to a body of the vehicle and includes a rail portion at which the guide member is mounted. The belt-side bracket is fixed to the transmission belt. An electric drive source moves the transmission belt for opening and closing the slide door in a state where the guide member is guided along the rail portion. The support member includes an engagement portion configured to hold the belt-side bracket. |
| US09945169B2 |
Hinge for a movable furniture part fastened to a body of an item of furniture
A hinge, for a movable furniture part, in particular, a door or flap, that is fastened to a body of an item of furniture, wherein the hinge has a first attachment element, which is connected pivotably to a second attachment element via a joint mechanism, wherein the joint mechanism comprises at least one articulated lever, which is mounted pivotably on the first attachment element via a first bearing element. The hinge is characterized in that the articulated lever is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on the first bearing element. |
| US09945167B2 |
Movement control devices
A device is provided for controlling the closing movement of a sliding door. The device comprises a housing (10) containing a spring (11) which is actuable to provide a pulling force to the closing movement of the door. The housing (10) also contains a damper (12) which is actuable to impart a damped resistive force to the closing movement of the door. Incorporated within the device is a gearing mechanism for converting the rate of the closing movement of the door into two or more rates of actuation of the damper over at least part of the door's travel. |
| US09945162B2 |
Door assembly and a vehicle
A vehicle and a door assembly each include an inner panel and an outer panel coupled to each other to define a door. A first handle is attached to the outer panel. A mirror apparatus is supported by the door and spaced apart from the first handle. A lock apparatus is supported by at least one of the door and the mirror apparatus. The lock apparatus is disposed closer to the mirror apparatus than the first handle. |
| US09945160B2 |
Vehicle door locking system
A vehicle door locking system includes: a sensor device that is mounted in a door handle or a vehicle door of a vehicle, detects presence or absence of an object approaching or being in contact with the sensor device, and outputs a signal for locking or unlocking the vehicle door; and a sensor controller that controls the sensor device, wherein the sensor controller changes a control state of the sensor device or changes a processing state of the signal output from the sensor device on the basis of new information which includes at least one of information output from the sensor device and information output from a device other than the sensor device. |
| US09945159B2 |
Support device having variable security level
A support apparatus having a variable security level, including a tray for receiving a portable electronic device. The tray has a mounting interface structure on its outside backing surface. An unsecurable retainer mechanism releasably retains the portable electronic device in the tray. A variable level security mechanism securably retains the portable electronic device in the tray, the variably securable latching element includes: a latching element that is movable between a latched configuration relative to the tray for securably latching the portable electronic device in the tray, and an unlatched configuration, a security element that is movable between a secured configuration for alternatively securing the latching element in the latched and unlatched configurations thereof, and an unsecured configuration, and a lock element that is coupled to the security element for alternatively locking the security element in the secured and unsecured configurations. |
| US09945158B2 |
Dogging security indicator for exit device
An exit device having a dogging mechanism assembly for providing a visual indication of the state or position of at least certain components of the exit device, such as, for example, a latch, drive rod, and/or a hook bracket. The dogging mechanism assembly includes a displaceable arm actuator mechanism that is coupled to the hook bracket, the hook bracket being adapted to lockingly engage the drive rod. The actuator arm mechanism is adapted to displace an indicator mechanism at least from a first indicator position to a second indicator position as the actuator arm mechanism is displaced to at least one of a first position and a second position. The indicator mechanism has one or more indicators that provide a visual indication of a state or position of a component of the exit device when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of a first and second indicator position. |
| US09945156B2 |
Antenna and wireless deadbolt sensor
An antenna for reception and transmission of signals within an enclosure. The antenna includes a first lead for connection to a printed circuit board and a second lead. A plurality of vertical members extend in parallel to one another and spaced a predetermined distance apart. Each vertical member has a first end and a second end. A plurality of horizontal members is provided. Each horizontal member extends alternately between first ends of a pair of adjacent vertical members and second ends of a next pair of adjacent vertical members forming a connection between said first lead and said second lead. |
| US09945155B2 |
Cylinder lock device
A cylinder lock device includes a body, a rotor rotatably arranged inside the body, a holder lever rotationally driven according to a rotation of the rotor, an engagement lever that is link-connected to the holder lever so as to be angularly adjustable and rotationally driven according to a rotation of the rotor, and a retention mechanism to hold the engagement lever into a predetermined direction relative to the body. The retention mechanism is configured to force a protrusion on the engagement lever to contact the holder lever by an elastic force thereof. |
| US09945152B2 |
Clutch driving module of a lock
A clutch driving module is disposed in a lock which is able to drive the clutch driving module selectively to control an exterior handle assembly whether be able to drive a latch assembly in lock or unlock or not. And the clutch driving module is able to respectively make an interior handle assembly and the exterior handle assembly controlling the lock in lock or unlock independently. |
| US09945147B2 |
Modular crypt
A modular crypt structure comprising a frame, a module insert defining a chamber and a closure panel and methods of constructing the same are disclosed. The chamber functions as a crypt module and is adapted to receive bodily remains or portions thereof. The chamber is closed by attaching a closure panel, such as a stone crypt front to the frame, thereby encapsulating bodily remains The modular crypt structure may comprise a plurality of chambers, thereby providing a plurality of crypt modules, and the frame may comprise a plurality of horizontal bars and a plurality of vertical bars. A method of constructing a modular crypt structure comprises erecting a frame, providing at least one module insert, configuring the insert to define a chamber adapted to receive bodily remains, and closing the crypt module. |
| US09945146B2 |
Cylinder alignment monitoring system for a mast or derrick
A cylinder alignment monitoring system for a mast or derrick hingedly connected to a substructure wherein at least a pair of extending cylinders move the mast or derrick between a storage position and an upright use position. The monitoring system includes a distance measurement device to determine the extension distance of each of the extending cylinders. A comparison device compares the extension distances measured for each of the extending cylinders. |
| US09945141B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for relieving excessive suction within swimming pool skimmers
A pool skimmer basket includes a basket rim, a basket bottom opposite the basket rim, and a lower basket portion. The lower basket portion includes porous sidewalls positioned between the basket rim and the basket bottom. The pool skimmer basket also includes a fluid inlet above a first part of the basket rim, and within a perimeter of the basket rim. The pool skimmer basket also includes a fluid outlet below a second part of the basket rim, and above the basket bottom. The fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are in fluid communication. |
| US09945128B1 |
Automatic roof shingle removal and installation system
A system for installing shingles on a roof is provided. One embodiment includes a navigational apparatus for traversing the roof and a roof shingle installation apparatus attached to the navigational apparatus for installing the shingles. The roof shingle installation apparatus is designed to remove a shingle from a bundle of shingles, and position the shingle, and fasten it to the roof. |
| US09945127B2 |
Above-deck roof venting article, system and methods
A roofing article having a body, a first channel defined within an upper portion of said body having an inlet through which outside air can enter the first channel, and a second channel defined in a lower portion of said body. A sheet separates the second channel from the first channel. The second channel is operably connected to the first channel through an orifice in the sheet such that the outside air can enter the second channel through the orifice. |
| US09945122B2 |
Pillar assembly
A pillar assembly has a first side member, a second side member for connecting to the first side member, a third side member having a first side channel, a second side channel, and an access opening, the third side member for connecting to the second side member, and a fourth side member having an adjustment opening, the fourth side member for connecting to the first side member and the third side member. A pillar assembly having a reinforcing member is also disclosed. |
| US09945120B1 |
Plastic form and manufacturing method thereof
The plastic form is made from a plastic material mixed with a number of glass fiber particles, is formed by melting the plastic material and particles, and then by injection molding through distributing the melted material into a mold via a grid forming machine. The plastic form has a first piece, a second piece, an intermediate layer with a number of connection ribs and through channels. The through channel leads to light weight for convenient transportation and installation. The smooth first and second pieces lead to convenient stripping and well-finished concrete surfaces. The connection ribs enhance the plastic form's strength in withstanding deformation, contributing to the plastic form's reusability and environmental friendliness. |
| US09945116B2 |
Friction-damping energy absorber
A friction-damping energy absorber has at least one sliding post, a sliding sleeve, and two supporting boards. The at least one sliding post has two ends. Each one of the at least one sliding post is composed of multiple first material layers and multiple second material layers arranged in an alternate manner mounted. The sliding sleeve is mounted around at least one part of the at least one sliding post and is composed of at least one sliding unit. The supporting boards are respectively mounted on two ends of the at least one sliding post. |
| US09945115B2 |
Concrete anchor
An anchor particularly adapted to be embedded into a concrete construction for suspension of a ceiling panel, duct or the like, includes a base which receives inserts that have an axial threaded bore. The base is open at its lower end and can receive a threaded rod by virtue of ratcheting inserts received within the base. The inserts and base are particularly shaped to prevent jam and ease of insertion of the rod in the anchor. The anchor also has a head flange that sits above a plurality of fasteners secured to the anchor which is used to simultaneously drive the fasteners into a form for the concrete member. The fasteners are connected to the anchor extending in generally parallel and spaced relation to the anchor. The fasteners can be held by a support or sleeve-like holder which surrounds at least a portion of the base of the anchor or they can be attached to the base of the anchor. The fasteners project downwardly through the bottom of the anchor for driving into the form board. |
| US09945111B1 |
Toilet with easy access cleanout
A toilet that with a cleanout aperture and an access panel or plug that provide access to highest point the siphon section of the toilet. The access panel extends over aperture that extends from the flush water inlet surface to the crest, or apex, of the siphon section. The cover plate extends over the flush valve support surface provides access to the siphon section to provide access to clogs in the up sloping, apex, or down sloping portions of the siphon section. The toilet may be wall-mounted or floor mounted. |
| US09945109B1 |
Device for use with toilet plunger
A hollow device that surrounds a toilet plunger to maintain contact between the plunger and the toilet bowl as the plunger is moved upward and downward within the device to unplug a toilet. The device has a bottom area for engaging the head of the plunger and a main body on an upper end of the device to grasp in order to apply downward pressure on the device and on the head of the plunger. The device is hollow from its upper end to its lower end so that it can be inserted over the head and handle of a toilet plunger. |
| US09945105B2 |
Drain plug linkage device
In the invention a drain plug linkage device (100) is provided, comprising: a drain plug (4) at least partially disposed in a pipe body (5); a pull rod assembly including a pull rod, a link rod (2) and a pull rod connector (9), wherein the link rod (2) at its upper end comprises a receiving portion, the pull rod connector (9) comprises a central hole and adapted to be snapped into the containing portion, and the pull rod at its bottom comprises a snap portion adapted to be snapped into the central hole; and a lever member (3) comprising a first end operatively connected to the link rod (2), and a second end extending into the pipe body (5) and configured to operate the drain plug (4); wherein the receiving portion comprises an expansion portion (22) for expanding the central hole, and the pull rod connector (9) is configured, when snapped into the receiving part, to be movable between a position where the central hole is unexpanded and a position where the central hole is expanded by the expansion portion (22). |
| US09945095B2 |
Control system of excavating machine and excavating machine
A control system of an excavating machine controls the excavating machine including a work machine, and includes a communication unit communicating with an outside of the excavating machine and receiving construction information related to an object to be excavated that is excavated by the work machine, a storage unit storing the construction information received by the communication unit, a work machine control unit executing excavation control to control an operation of the work machine not to erode the object to be excavated based on position of the work machine and the construction information stored, and a processing unit determining whether updating construction information to be used by the work machine control unit for the excavation control to the new construction information received by the communication unit according to a control state of the work machine by the work machine control unit. |
| US09945092B2 |
System and method for utility maintenance
A system and method for utility maintenance may include a robotic system having an articulating arm capable of utilizing a variety of tools and sensors for locating and accessing underground structures. The robotic system may be contained within a truck or other vehicle that provides access to the ground through the floor of the vehicle or truck bed. A curtain may be extended from a bottom of the vehicle to the ground to enclose a work site and inhibit visual and physical access to it. |
| US09945091B1 |
Portable cofferdam system
A portable cofferdam system for isolating a working area from water such as a culvert. The portable cofferdam system generally includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall each having an interior side, an exterior side, an upper edge, a lower edge and a rear edge. A middle wall is connected to the sidewalls opposite of the rear edges of the sidewalls forming a substantially U-shaped structure. An opening formed between the rear edges of the first sidewall and the second sidewall to allow for positioning about or near the inlet of an object or area to be kept dry such as the inlet of a culvert. |
| US09945089B2 |
Template for and method of installing a plurality of foundation elements in an underwater ground formation
A template for use in installing a plurality of foundation elements, in particular anchor piles, relative to one another in an underwater ground formation, comprises at least a guide for guiding a foundation element in a guiding direction during driving the foundation element into a seabed, and a frame including a holding member for holding the guide in transverse direction of the guiding direction. The template further comprises a levelling mechanism for levelling the frame with respect to a seabed when it is placed thereon. The guide is freely displaceable with respect to the holding member in the guiding direction. |
| US09945087B2 |
Offshore structure
An offshore structure comprises: an original structure comprising a main platform supported via a foundation on a seabed; and an extension structure comprising a platform extension positioned laterally of the main platform and a platform extension support, depending downwardly from the platform extension, into contact with the foundation, so as to support the extension structure directly on the foundation. |
| US09945086B2 |
Snow melting device
A snow melting device is provided that is suitable for residential or commercial use. The device comprises a wheeled hand cart having a housing that is partitioned into a first portion and a second portion. Snow to be cleared is deposited into the first portion and melted using hot water dispensed from a water circulating system and spray nozzles disposed about the housing periphery. The snow is melted and circulated through the water circulating system, which includes a hot water heater, a water pump, fuel supply reservoirs, a motor to drive the pump, and a water line that communicates heated water from the hot water heater to the nozzles. Snow is melted as it is shoveled into the device, and overflow water exits the housing through drain tubes at a given water level. The device eliminates having to transport or carry snow from an area being cleared. |
| US09945083B2 |
Unidirectional bend drive chain and lift mechanism and boom barrier including same
A unidirectionally bendable transmission chain. At a first side thereof, an inner stop plate is fixed between a pair of inner chain plates at both ends of pin shafts, and an outer stop plate is fixed between a pair of outer chain plates at both ends of the pin shafts. Both ends of the inner stop plate are flush with axes of pin holes provided at both ends of the inner chain plates, and both ends of the outer stop plate are respectively provided with extensions beyond the outer chain plates; the extensions of the outer stop plate form a one-sided support for the inner stop plate to prevent the transmission chain from bending toward the first side, thus the transmission chain bends unidirectionally toward a second side opposite to the first side. A hoisting mechanism and a liftable roadblock having the above transmission chain. |
| US09945080B2 |
Grounded modular heated cover
The grounded modular heated cover is disclosed with a first pliable outer layer and a second pliable outer layer, wherein the outer layers provide durable protection, an electrical heating element between the first and the second outer layers, the electrical heating element configured to convert electrical energy to heat energy, a heat spreading layer, and a thermal insulation layer positioned above the active electrical heating element. Beneficially, such a device provides radiant heat, weather isolation, temperature insulation, and solar heat absorption efficiently and cost effectively. The modular heated cover quickly and efficiently removes ice, snow, and frost from surfaces, and penetrates soil and other material to thaw the material to a suitable depth. A plurality of modular heated covers can be connected on a single 120 Volt circuit protected by a 20 Amp breaker. The modular heated covers are grounded for safety using the conductive heat spreading layer. |
| US09945077B2 |
Clupak paper
Clupak paper is manufactured using a gap-former paper-making machine equipped with a Clupak system, in such a way that its longitudinal tensile energy absorption index and lateral tensile energy absorption index as specified in JIS P8113 become 2.5 J/g or more and 1.0 J/g or more, respectively. The paper has excellent strength characteristics in both the longitudinal and lateral directions, especially in the longitudinal direction so that when the Clupak paper can be processed into a sack, the sack rarely breaks. |
| US09945076B2 |
Method of producing a creping paper and the creping paper thereof
The present invention provides for a method of producing a creped paper and the crepe paper products made using this method. The method includes treating the surface of a crepe fiber web and/or surface of a Yankee drum dryer or cylinder with compositions containing a combination of hydrophobes and surfactants and wherein these compositions have been subjected to physical treatments to reduce the mean particle size to about 1 micron (μm) or less. |
| US09945075B2 |
Method of applying a photocatalytic dispersion
A method of applying a photocatalytic dispersion (10) on a paper (2), including impregnating a paper (2) with a thermosetting resin, drying the resin impregnated paper (2), applying a photocatalytic dispersion (10) comprising photocatalytic nanoparticles on the dried, resin impregnated paper (2), and drying the resin impregnated paper (2) having the photocatalytic dispersion applied thereon. Also, to such a photocatalytic dispersion. |
| US09945074B1 |
Methods and compositions for cleaning paper machine fabrics
Methods of cleaning papermaking fabrics are disclosed. Cleaning compositions for cleaning papermaking fabrics are also disclosed. |
| US09945073B2 |
Methods of producing a paper product
An omnibus process of pulping and bleaching lignocellulosic materials in which a charge of a lignocellulosic material is biopulped and/or water extracted prior to pulping and bleaching. The lignocellulosic material may be mechanically pulped and bleached in the presence of an enzyme that breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes. |
| US09945071B2 |
Methods and systems from recycling carpet and carpets manufactured from recycled material
The present invention pertains to carpet and methods of making and recycling carpet. In one aspect, the carpet includes: a primary backing which has a face and a back surface; a plurality of fibers attached to the primary backing and extending from the face of the primary backing and exposed at the back surface of the primary backing; an adhesive composition backing; and an optional secondary backing adjacent to the adhesive backing. The method of making carpet includes extrusion coating the adhesive composition onto the back surface of a primary backing to form the adhesive composition backing. The method of recycling carpet can recover one or more polymeric carpet components. |
| US09945062B2 |
Controlled moisture removal in a laundry treating appliance
An apparatus and method for reducing humidity both within laundry and within a laundry treating appliance in response to a door being opened or closed are disclosed. |
| US09945060B2 |
Method to determine fabric type in a laundry treating appliance using motor current signature during agitation
Disclosed is a method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber that receives a laundry load for treatment according to a cycle of operation. The method includes determining the size of the laundry load in the treating chamber; supplying a predetermined amount of liquid to the treating chamber based on the determined load size; applying mechanical energy to the laundry treating chamber by driving a clothes mover with an electric motor; determining a difference between an in-rush current to the electric motor and a steady-state current of the electric motor during the applying of the mechanical energy; and determining a laundry load type of the laundry load based on the determined difference. |
| US09945057B2 |
Method of making fibrous products and products
A method of making fibrous mats, webs, and/or blankets containing one or more low volatile de-dusting agents, and the fibrous products so produced, the method eliminating or substantially reducing condensation of volatiles in the drying oven, oven recirculating ducts and oven exhaust ducts and eliminating or substantially reducing oven and duct fires while producing fibrous products having effective dust suppression properties. |
| US09945056B2 |
Binder for flushable non-woven fabric
The invention provides ion-sensitive, hard water-dispersible quaterpolymers as binders for making flushable nonwoven fabrics which are compatible with house and municipal drain-lines. |
| US09945053B2 |
Yarn manufacturing apparatus
A yarn producing apparatus includes front rollers movable while carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers are running and aggregates the CNT fibers. Each of the front rollers includes a groove provided on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the CNT fibers. |
| US09945051B2 |
Color-encoding and in-situ interrogation of matrix-coupled chemical compounds
A method and apparatus for the physico-chemical encoding of a collection of beaded resin (“beads”) to determine the chemical identity of bead-anchored compounds by in-situ interrogation of individual beads. The present invention provides method and apparatus to implement color-coding strategies in applications and including the ultrahigh-throughput screening of bead-based combinatorial compounds libraries as well as multiplexed diagnostic and environmental testing and other biochemical assays. |
| US09945050B2 |
Semiconductor nanocrystals and methods of preparation
A method for preparing semiconductor nanocrystals comprises reacting cation precursors and anion precursors in a reaction mixture including one or more acids, one or more phenol compounds, and a solvent to produce semiconductor nanocrystals having a predetermined composition. A method for forming a coating on at least a portion of a population of semiconductor nanocrystals is also disclosed. The method comprises forming a first mixture including a population of semiconductor nanocrystals, one or more amine compounds, and a first solvent; adding cation precursors and anion precursors to the first mixture at a temperature sufficient for growing a semiconductor material on at least a portion of an outer surface of at least a portion of the population of semiconductor nanocrystals; and initiating addition of one or more acids to the first mixture after addition of the cation and anion precursors is initiated. Semiconductor nanocrystals and populations thereof are also disclosed. |
| US09945049B2 |
Method for preparing single-crystal cubic sesquioxides and uses
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of hulk or thin-film single-crystals of cubic sesquioxides (space group No. 206, Ia-3) of scandium, yttrium or rare earth metals doped or not doped with lanthanide ions having a valency of +III by a high-temperature flux growth technique and to the applications of the nondoped single-crystals obtained according to this process, in particular in the optical field. |
| US09945043B2 |
Electro chemical deposition apparatus
This invention relates to apparatus for electrochemical deposition onto the surface of a substrate. The apparatus includes an anode electrode 13 a support 12 for supporting the substrate 11 with its one surface 21 exposed at a location, the support 12 and the anode electrode 13 being relatively movable to alter the gap between the anode 13 and the location to define a chamber 23 between them and an electrical power source 18 with an ohmic contact to the seed layer 20 for creating a potential difference across the gap. The apparatus further includes a seal 14 for sealing with the seed layer 20 to define the fluid chamber 23; and the fluid inlet 16 and a fluid outlet 17 to the chamber 13. |
| US09945042B2 |
Chip electronic component and manufacturing method thereof
There are provided a chip electronic component and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, a chip electronic component having an internal coil structure capable of preventing the occurrence of short-circuits between coil portions and having a high aspect ratio (AR) by increasing a thickness of a coil as compared to a width of the coil, and a manufacturing method thereof. |
| US09945040B2 |
Catalyst layers and electrolyzers
A catalyst layer for an electrochemical device comprises a catalytically active element and an ion conducting polymer. The ion conducting polymer comprises positively charged cyclic amine groups. The ion conducting polymer comprises at least one of an imidazolium, a pyridinium, a pyrazolium, a pyrrolidinium, a pyrrolium, a pyrimidium, a piperidinium, an indolium, a triazinium, and polymers thereof. The catalytically active element comprises at least one of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Sn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Al, Si, In, Tl, Pb, Bi, Sb, Te, U, Sm, Tb, La, Ce and Nd. In an electrolyzer comprising the present catalyst layer, the feed to the electrolyzer comprises at least one of CO2 and H2O. |
| US09945033B2 |
High efficiency inductively coupled plasma source with customized RF shield for plasma profile control
Apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, plasma processing apparatus may include a process chamber having a dielectric lid and an interior processing volume beneath the dielectric lid, a first RF coil to couple RF energy into the processing volume, and an RF shielded lid heater coupled to a top surface of the dielectric lid. The RF shielded lid heater may include an annular member, and a plurality of spokes, wherein each of the plurality of spokes includes one of (a) a first portion that extends downward from the annular and couples the annular member to a second portion of the spoke that extends radially inward, or (b) a first portion that extends radially outward from the annular member. |
| US09945030B2 |
Free-standing silicon oxide membranes and methods of making and using same
Provided is a free-standing silicon oxide film that is under tensile stress. Also, provided are methods of making a free-standing silicon oxide film that is under tensile stress. The methods use low-power PECVD deposition of silicon oxide. Methods of imaging one or more objects (e.g., cells) using a free-standing silicon oxide film that is under tensile stress is also provided. |
| US09945029B2 |
Coated cutting tool and method of manufacturing the same
A coated cutting tool includes a substrate and a surface coating, wherein the coating is a Ti(C,N,O) layer comprising at least one columnar fine-grained MTCVD Ti(C,N) layer with an average grain width of 0.05-0.4 μm and an atomic ratio of carbon to the sum of carbon and nitrogen (C/(C+N)) contained in the MTCVD Ti(C,N) layer being on average 0.50-0.65. A method for manufacturing the coated cutting tool includes depositing the MTCVD Ti(C,N) layer. |
| US09945026B2 |
Fe-Pt-based sputtering target with dispersed C grains
A sintered compact sputtering target in which a composition ratio based on atomicity is represented by a formula of (Fe100-x—Ptx)100-A—CA (provided A is a number which satisfies 20≤A≤50 and X is a number which satisfies 35≤X≤55), wherein C grains are finely dispersed in an alloy, and the relative density is 90% or higher. The production of a magnetic thin film with granular structure is provided without using an expensive simultaneous sputtering device, and a high-density sputtering target capable of reducing the amount of particles generated during sputtering is provided. |
| US09945024B2 |
Method for producing cubic zirconia layers
In order to produce zirconia-based layers on a deposition substrate, wherein reactive spark deposition using pulsed spark current and/or the application of a magnetic field that is perpendicular to the spark target are employed, a mixed target comprising elemental zircon and at least one stabilizer is used, or a zirconium target comprising elemental zirconium is used, wherein in addition to oxygen, nitrogen is used as the reactive gas. As an alternative, combined with the use of the mixed target, nitrogen can also be used as the reactive gas in addition to oxygen. |
| US09945023B2 |
Touch screen device comprising Mo-based film layer and methods thereof
The invention is directed at sputter targets including 50 atomic % or more molybdenum, a second metal element of niobium or vanadium, and a third metal element selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, niobium, vanadium, and tantalum, wherein the third metal element is different from the second metal element, and deposited films prepared by the sputter targets. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the sputter target includes a phase that is rich in molybdenum, a phase that is rich in the second metal element, and a phase that is rich in the third metal element. |
| US09945022B2 |
Method for making oxide semiconductor film
A method for making a oxide semiconductor film includes a step of forming an oxide film on a substrate by using a sputtering method and a sputtering target comprising In2CexZnO4+2x, wherein x=0.5˜2. |
| US09945021B2 |
Wear resistant vapor deposited coating, method of coating deposition and applications therefor
A low friction top coat over a multilayer metal/ceramic bondcoat provides a conductive substrate, such as a rotary tool, with wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The top coat further provides low friction and anti-stickiness as well as high compressive stress. The high compressive stress provided by the top coat protects against degradation of the tool due to abrasion and torsional and cyclic fatigue. Substrate temperature is strictly controlled during the coating process to preserve the bulk properties of the substrate and the coating. The described coating process is particularly useful when applied to shape memory alloys. |
| US09945017B2 |
Tamper resistant amorphous alloy joining
A method to form an enclosure or assembly which is fitted together and joined via a thermoplastic forming operation in order to seal the enclosure and hinder attempts to tamper with the contents. |
| US09945015B2 |
High-tensile steel plate giving welding heat-affected zone with excellent low-temperature toughness, and process for producing same
A high-tensile steel plate has a chemical composition containing, by mass, specific amounts of C, Mn, Si, P, S, Al, Ni, B, N, one or more elements selected from Cr, Mo, V, Cu, Ti, and Ca as needed, Ceq≤0.80, and a center-segregation zone hardness index HCS satisfying 5.5[C]4/3+15[P]+0.90[Mn]+0.12[Ni]+0.53[Mo]≤2.5. The hardness of a center-segregation zone satisfies HVmax/HVave≤1.35+0.006/C−t/750. A steel having the above-described chemical composition is subjected to hot rolling at a specific slab-heating temperature at a specific rolling reduction ratio, subsequently reheated, cooled at a cooling rate of 0.3° C./s or more until the temperature of a central portion in a plate-thickness direction reaches 350° C. or less, and tempered to a specific temperature range. |
| US09945013B2 |
Hot stamped steel and method for producing hot stamped steel
A hot stamped steel according to the present invention satisfies an expression of (5×[Si]+[Mn])/[C]>11 when [C] represents an amount of C by mass %, [Si] represents an amount of Si by mass %, and [Mn] represents an amount of Mn by mass %, a metallographic structure after hot stamping includes 40% to 90% of a ferrite and 10% to 60% of a martensite in an area fraction, a total of an area fraction of the ferrite and an area fraction of the martensite is 60% or more, a hardness of the martensite measured with a nanoindenter satisfies an H2/H1<1.10 and σHM<20, and TS×λ, which is a product of a tensile strength TS and a hole expansion ratio λ is 50000 MPa·% or more. |
| US09945011B2 |
Magnesium-based alloy for wrought applications
An improved magnesium-based alloy for wrought applications is disclosed, including a method of fabricating alloy sheet from said alloy. The improved magnesium-based alloy consists of: 0.5 to 4.0% by weight zinc; 0.02 to 0.70% by weight a rare earth element, or mixture of the same including gadolinium; and incidental impurities. The rare earth element in some embodiments may be yttrium and/or gadolinium. In some embodiments the magnesium-based alloy may also consist of a grain refiner and in some embodiments the grain refiner may be zirconium. In combination, the inclusion of zinc and a rare earth element, into the magnesium alloy may have enhanced capacity for rolling workability, deep drawing at low temperatures and stretch formability at room temperature. The improved alloy may also exhibit increased tensile strength and formability while evincing a reduced tendency for tearing during preparation. |
| US09945009B2 |
Processes for recovering rare earth elements from aluminum-bearing materials
The present disclosure relates to processes for recovering rare earth elements from an aluminum-bearing material. The processes can comprise leaching the aluminum-bearing material with an acid so as to obtain a leachate comprising at least one aluminum ion, at least one iron ion, at least one rare earth element, and a solid, and separating the leachate from the solid. The processes can also comprise substantially selectively removing at least one of the at least one aluminum ion and the at least one iron ion from the leachate and optionally obtaining a precipitate. The processes can also comprise substantially selectively removing the at least one rare earth element from the leachate and/or the precipitate. |
| US09945008B2 |
Treatment method of chlorine-containing zinc oxide secondary material
The invention discloses a treatment method of a chlorine-containing zinc oxide secondary material, which comprises the following steps: 1) leaching the chlorine-containing zinc oxide secondary material I through an acid solution; 2) selectively extracting zinc through di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (P204)-kerosene solvent; 3) implementing stripping-electrolysis zinc recovery; 4) repeating steps 1)-4); 5) taking out the raffinate obtained from the Step (4), mixing the residual taken out raffinate with chlorine-containing zinc oxide secondary material II when balance on chlorine ion input and taking out is achieved; carrying out liquid-solid separation; leaching the separated deposit through acid raffinate of the step 1); 6) after separated solution achieves preset conditions, purifying the chlorine-containing aqueous phase; 7) evaporating and concentrating to crystallize out KCl and NaCl products. The invention is environment-friendly and energy-saving, and free from process wastewater emission; production cost is greatly reduced and secondary pollution of the current dechloridation process is eliminated thoroughly. |
| US09945003B2 |
Impact resistant ductile iron castings
A highly impact resistant ductile iron casting is made from a specified high nickel content ductile iron composition and post-treated with a specified heating and cooling profile to achieve an elongation exceeding the ASTM A536 (“60-40-18”) standard, and meeting or exceeding Charpy V Notch impact resistance at −20° F. of greater than 11.0 ft.lbs. |
| US09944998B2 |
Genetic assays
Provided herein are methods, compositions, systems, and kits for recombination assays, many of which involve amplification reactions such as PCR or droplet digital PCR. |
| US09944995B2 |
Diagnostic methods for detecting Clostridium difficile
The invention provides a method of detecting Clostridium difficile in a sample, comprising detecting the presence in said sample of one or more genes that have been identified as being specific to Clostridium difficile. Also provided is a method of diagnosing a Clostridium difficile infection in a subject, a method of determining the efficacy of a therapeutic regime being used to treat a Clostridium difficile infection and a method of testing for the presence of Clostridium difficile in a sample. Further provided are primer pairs and a kit suitable for use in such methods. |
| US09944986B2 |
Therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease
The present invention relates to novel methods for the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the invention relates to methods for assessing an individual's susceptibility or pre-disposition to Alzheimer's disease. The methods of the present invention involve the use of therapeutic targets and diagnostic and/or predictive markers within the mTOR signalling pathway. The methods also involve screening subjects for genetic polymorphisms associated with rapamycin-sensitive genes. |
| US09944984B2 |
High density DNA array
A high density DNA array comprising a patterned surface, said surface comprising a pattern of small DNA binding regions separated by a non-DNA binding surface, wherein the DNA binding regions comprise DNA capture chemistry and the non-DNA binding surface does not have the DNA capture chemistry wherein more than 50% of the DNA binding regions in the array have single informative DNA species. |
| US09944982B2 |
Surface chemistry and deposition techniques
Surface chemistries for the visualization of labeled single molecules (analytes) with improved signal-to-noise properties are provided. To be observed, analyte molecules are bound to surface attachment features that are spaced apart on the surface such that when the analytes are labeled adjacent analytes are optically resolvable from each other. One way to express this concept is that binding elements should be spaced apart such that the Guassian point spread functions of adjacent labels do not overlap. Another way of expressing this concept is that the surface binding elements should be spaced apart by a distance equal to at least the diffraction limit for an optical label attached to the bound analytes. |
| US09944979B2 |
Inhibition method of nucleic acid amplification by photoirradiation and method of selective nucleic acid amplification with high sensitivity
Provided is a method for rapidly and easily detecting a mutated nucleic acid, which is contained in a small amount in a nucleic acid sample together with wild-type nucleic acids, with high specificity and high sensitivity. In the method of the present invention, amplification of a detection region comprising a target site by a nucleic acid amplification method is inhibited, by the steps of allowing a nucleic acid having a target site to coexist with a clamp probe comprising a photo-crosslinking nucleic acid and having a sequence complementary to the target site, and photo-crosslinking the nucleic acid having the target site with the clamp probe by photo-irradiation. |
| US09944977B2 |
Distinguishing rare variations in a nucleic acid sequence from a sample
The invention generally relates to methods for distinguishing a rare genetic variation in a nucleic acid sequence. |
| US09944973B2 |
Methods for standardized sequencing of nucleic acids and uses thereof
Methods for standardized sequencing of nucleic acids and uses thereof are described. The identification of genetic information is becoming a key piece of information for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. In order to make such diagnostic tool readily available, it is desired that this identification be as efficient and as inexpensive as possible. |
| US09944971B2 |
Determination of direct thrombin inhibitors in fluids like serum or urine
The present invention relates to a method for detecting at least one direct thrombin inhibitor in a sample other than citrate plasma, comprising the step of mixing a sample containing a thrombin inhibitor with a composition containing thrombin under conditions which allow the thrombin to release a detectable substance from a chromogenic substrate. |
| US09944970B2 |
Glycated hexapeptide oxidase and use thereof
The present invention provides a protein comprising an amino acid sequence in which arginine at position 61 of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 is substituted to an amino acid selected from the group consisting of glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, serine, threonine, proline, cysteine, methionine, asparagine, glutamine, and aspartic acid; and a method for measuring a glycated hemoglobin in a sample, wherein the method comprises reacting a glycated hemoglobin in a sample with a protease to produce a glycated hexapeptide, then reacting the produced glycated hexapeptide with the aforementioned protein, and measuring a substance produced or consumed by the reaction. |
| US09944969B2 |
Devices, systems and methods for detecting viable infectious agents in a fluid sample
Various devices, systems and methods for detecting a susceptibility of an infectious agent to an anti-infective are described herein. A method comprises introducing a fluid sample to a first surface and a second surface; exposing the first surface to a first solution; exposing the second surface to a second solution, wherein the second surface comprises an anti-infective; sampling the first solution after exposing the first solution to the first surface; sampling the second solution after exposing the second solution to the second surface; monitoring a first electrical characteristic of a first sensor exposed to the first solution sampled; monitoring a second electrical characteristic of a second sensor exposed to the second solution sampled; and comparing the first electrical characteristic and the second electrical characteristic to assess the susceptibility of the infectious agent to the anti-infective. |
| US09944967B2 |
Methods for the site-selective introduction of halogen into natural products
Organohalides (e.g., organofluorides) represent a rapidly expanding proportion of molecules used in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, agrochemicals, and materials. The present invention exploits the naturally occurring acetate condensation pathway as a means of introducing halogenated building blocks into natural product scaffolds. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a pathway involving at least one polyketide synthase system and utilizes haloacetate or a haloacetate synthon (e.g., halomalonate) to incorporate an organohalide into the polyketide backbone in vitro. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides an analogous method for site-selective introduction of haloacetate or a synthon into polyketide products in vivo. The present invention expands the scope of existing chemical methods for producing halogenated natural product scaffolds such as complex halogenated natural products. |
| US09944966B2 |
Method for production of single-stranded macronucleotides
The invention relates to a method for production of single-stranded macronucleotides by amplifying and ligating an extended monomeric single-stranded target nucleic acid sequence (targetss) into a repetitive cluster of double-stranded target nucleic acid sequences (targetds), and subsequently cloning the construct into a vector (aptagene vector). The aptagene vector is transformed into host cells for replication of the aptagene and isolated in order to optain single-stranded target sequences (targetss). The invention also relates to single-stranded nucleic acids, produced by a method of the invention. |
| US09944964B2 |
Processes for increasing bioalcohol yield from biomass
A process for increasing alcohol yield from biomass (the form or agro- or forest residue, grains, hops, etc.), involving multiple hydrodynamic cavitation treatments of biomass filtrate—both before and after fermentation. Carbohydrates extracted from biomass are subjected to a first cavitation treatment to promote additional conversion into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then combined with bacterial species and nutrients, and allowed to ferment. The fermentation product is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to promote further conversion of carbohydrates into bioalcohol. After distillation, the bioalcohol is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to increase its purity. |
| US09944963B2 |
Transaminase biocatalysts
The present disclosure relates to polypeptides having transaminase activity, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, and methods of using the polypeptides. |
| US09944959B2 |
Production of fatty acids esters
A microbial cell is used for producing at least one fatty acid ester, wherein the cell is genetically modified to contain (i) at least one first genetic mutation that enables the cell to produce at least one fatty acid and/or acyl coenzyme A (CoA) thereof by increased enzymatic activity in the cell relative to the wild type cell of malonyl-CoA dependent and malonyl-ACP independent fatty acyl-CoA metabolic pathway, wherein the fatty acid contains at least 5 carbon atoms; and (ii) a second genetic mutation that increases the activity of at least one wax ester synthase in the cell relative to the wild type cell and the wax ester synthase has sequence identity of at least 50% to a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1-8 and combinations thereof or to a functional fragment of any of the polypeptides for catalyzing the conversion of fatty acid and/or acyl coenzyme A thereof to the fatty acid ester. |
| US09944958B2 |
Method for preparing triacylglycerol high-productivity algae
The purpose of the present invention is to effectively accumulate triacylglycerol in algae cells, the present invention providing a method for introducing a triacylglycerol synthetase gene, a phosphorus starvation-inducible promoter, and a 3′ untranslated region into algae. |
| US09944956B2 |
Methods and microbial cultures for improved conversion of lignocellulosic biomass
The present technology pertains to methods and microbial co-cultures for converting lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and/or other carbon-based chemicals. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to novel consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) methods by which the efficiency of the production of biofuels and/or other carbon-based chemicals from cellulosic biomass-containing materials can be increased. In particular, the present disclosure provides numerous microbiological co-cultures for increasing the efficiency of ethanol and/or lactic acid production from biomass. |
| US09944954B2 |
Glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase for butanol production
Provided herein are glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) enzymes with increased KM for NADH and GPD enzymes with substantially the same affinity for NADH and NADPH and/or are feedback inhibited by glycerol-3-phosphate. Also provided herein are recombinant microorganisms comprising a heterologous gene encoding GPD and a deletion or disruption in an endogenous gene encoding GPD. Also provided are recombinant microorganisms comprising a heterologous gene encoding GPD and a butanol biosynthetic pathway. Further provided are methods of producing butanol comprising providing the recombinant microorganisms described herein and contacting the recombinant microorganism with at least one fermentable carbon substrate under conditions wherein butanol is produced. |
| US09944952B2 |
Replication-defective arenavirus vectors
The invention relates to an infectious arenavirus particle that is engineered to contain a genome with the ability to amplify and express its genetic information in infected cells but unable to produce further infectious progeny particles in normal, not genetically engineered cells. One or more of the four arenavirus open reading frames glycoprotein (GP), nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein Z and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L are removed or mutated to prevent replication in normal cells but still allowing gene expression in arenavirus vector-infected cells, and foreign genes coding for an antigen or other protein of interest or nucleic acids modulating host gene expression are expressed under control of the arenavirus promoters, internal ribosome entry sites or under control of regulatory elements that can be read by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, cellular RNA polymerase I, RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III. The modified arenaviruses are useful as vaccines and therapeutic agents for a variety of diseases. |
| US09944950B2 |
Methods and compositions for producing induced airway tissue progenitor cells
A method of generating an induced progenitor population (iPP) of cells and/or induced population of cells from somatic cells, comprising the steps: a) obtaining a starting cell population, wherein cells of the starting cell population comprise, or are contacted with, a nucleic acid molecule encoding four reprogramming factors under the control of a control element, wherein the four reprogramming factors are optionally Oct4, Klf4, Sox2 and c-Myc, and wherein the control element prevents or stops expression of the reprogramming factors under its control in the absence of induction by an inducing agent; and b) transiently inducing expression of the reprogramming factors in the starting cell population to obtain an iPP, c) optionally isolating the iPP, and d) terminating the transient induction while the proliferative capacity of the iPP remains under the control of the one or more exogenous reprogramming factors to produce an induced population of cells. |
| US09944948B2 |
Down-regulating gene expression in insect pests
The present invention relates to the prevention and/or control of infestation by insect pest species. In particular, the invention relates to down-regulation of expression of target genes in insect pests using interfering ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules. Also described are 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. Compositions containing the interfering RNAs of the invention are also provided. |
| US09944946B2 |
Fungal resistant plants expressing HCP4
The present invention relates to a method of increasing resistance against fungal pathogens of the order Pucciniales, preferably the family Phacopsoraceae, in plants and/or plant cells. This is achieved by increasing the expression of an HCP4 protein or fragment thereof in a plant, plant part and/or plant cell in comparison to wild type plants, wild type plant parts and/or wild type plant cells. Furthermore, the invention relates to transgenic plants, plant parts, and/or plant cells having an increased resistance against fungal pathogens, in particular, pathogens of the order Pucciniales, preferably the family Phacopsoraceae, and to recombinant expression vectors comprising a sequence that is identical or homologous to a sequence encoding an HCP4 protein. |
| US09944939B2 |
CslA9 gluco-mannan synthase gene
The invention relates to plants that contain higher proportions of mannans. Such plants express transcription factors that increase the expression of CSLA9, a mannan synthase. |
| US09944936B2 |
Agrobacterium having highly efficient gene transfer ability to plant imparted thereto
The present invention relates to an Agrobacterium having improved gene transfer efficiency. The present invention provides a transformed Agrobacterium which harbors a foreign GABA transaminase gene and exhibits improved gene transfer efficiency, and a method for producing a transformed plant using the same. |
| US09944934B2 |
Inducible eukaryotic expression system
Compositions and methods for the inducible expression of genes in eukaryotic cells are provided. Expression of a nucleotide sequence of interest encoding a protein of interest is controlled by a regulatory fusion protein that consists of a transcription blocking domain and a ligand-binding domain. When a cognate ligand for the ligand-binding domain is present, transcription of the nucleotide sequence of interest is blocked. Upon removal of the cognate ligand, the nucleotide sequence of interest is transcribed. The method is useful for large scale bioreactor production of a desired protein of interest in eukaryotic cells. |
| US09944933B2 |
Aptamer-guided gene targeting
Compositions and methods for modifying genetic material are provided. One embodiment provides aptamers capable of binding to a site-specific DNA binding moiety to facilitate the exchange of homologous genetic information between a donor molecule and the desired target locus (aptamer-guided gene targeting or AGT). One embodiment provides an oligonucleotide containing a aptamer, preferably a DNA aptamer at the 5′ end. The oligonucleotide also contains a region of homology, also referred to as donor DNA, to a desired nucleic acid, locus, or gene. The DNA binding moiety can be a nucleic acid, a protein, or a complex of proteins. In a preferred embodiment the DNA binding moiety is a homing endonuclease that cuts DNA to facilitate the modification of the DNA by the donor DNA. |
| US09944921B2 |
Compositions and methods for nucleic acid extraction
Compositions and techniques for the extraction, enrichment and isolation of nucleic acids from cellular source material using an ammonium hydroxide-based solution are disclosed herein. |
| US09944919B2 |
Tethering cysteine residues using cyclic disulfides
Described herein are compounds and methods for tethering proteins. For example, dimers of proteins, including SOD1 and DJ-1, are described, where the dimers are formed by the covalent bonding of a cysteine on the first monomer to a cysteine on the second monomer via a cyclic disulfide linker. The covalently attached dimers exhibit increased stabilization. |
| US09944916B2 |
Penicillin-G acylases
The present disclosure relates to engineered penicillin G acylase (PGA) enzymes having improved properties, polynucleotides encoding such enzymes, compositions including the enzymes, and methods of using the enzymes. |
| US09944915B2 |
Cellulase having improved thermostability
A cellulase having improved thermostability is disclosed. The cellulase comprises a modified amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the modification is adding a cysteine in N terminal and adding a glycine and a cysteine or adding a proline and a cysteine in C terminal. |
| US09944914B2 |
Method for obtaining natural variant of enzyme and super thermostable cellobiohydrolase
A method for selectively obtaining a natural variant of an enzyme having activity includes (1) a step of detecting an ORF sequence of a protein having enzyme activity from a genome database including base sequences of metagenomic DNA of environmental microbiota; (2) a step of obtaining at least one PCR clone including the ORF sequence having a full length, a partial sequence of the ORF sequence, or a base sequence encoding an amino acid sequence which is formed by deletion, substitution, or addition of at least one amino acid residue in an amino acid sequence encoded by the ORF sequence, by performing PCR cloning on at least one metagenomic DNA of the environmental microbiota by using a primer designed based on the ORF sequence; (3) a step of determining a base sequence and an amino acid sequence which is encoded by the base sequence for each PCR clone obtained in the step (2); and (4) a step of selecting a natural variant of an enzyme having activity by measuring enzyme activity of proteins encoded by each PCR clone obtained in the step (2). |
| US09944911B2 |
High affinity Sirp-alpha reagents and methods of using
High affinity SIRP-α reagent are provided, which (i) comprise at least one amino acid change relative to the wild-type protein; and (ii) have an increased affinity for CD47 relative to the wild-type protein. Compositions and methods are provided for modulating phagocytosis in a mammal by administering a therapeutic dose of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a high affinity SIRPα reagent, which blocks the physiological binding interaction between SIRPα and its ligand CD47. |
| US09944907B2 |
Mutated LUX operon sequences
The present disclosure relates to mutated genes of the LUX operon and their use in producing autoluminescent plants and bacteria exhibiting improved light output. |
| US09944905B2 |
Fumarate reductases
The present invention relates to a variant polypeptide having fumarate reductase activity, which has modified NADP(H)-dependent and/or NAD(H)-dependent activity as compared with a reference polypeptide having fumarate reductase activity. Such a variant may be overexpressed in a host cell in order to improve production of a dicarboxylic acid. |
| US09944901B2 |
Fusion protein for inducing pluripotent stem cells and application method thereof
Provided is a protein coded by a gene related to cell totipotency and a transcriptional activation domain of a mammalian YAP protein or a fusion protein of a segment with a transcriptional control activity, a coding nucleotide sequence, an expression vector and a composition thereof, as well as a method for inducing the pluripotent stem cells by using the fusion protein. |
| US09944897B2 |
Methods and compositions for promoting survival and proliferation of endothelial cells and stimulating angiogenesis
The present invention relates to adenovirus E4ORF1 gene and to endothelial cells engineered to express the E4ORF1 gene. The present invention also relates to uses of the E4ORF1 gene, and cells expressing the E4ORF1 gene, and to compositions comprising the E4ORF1 gene, or comprising cells expressing the E4ORF1 gene. |
| US09944895B2 |
Method for cell culture
A method for stem or progenitor cell culture. More precisely, the invention relates to a method for cell culture using one or more IαI (inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor or inter-alpha inhibitor) protein(s) or part(s) thereof as a component in a cell culture media or a coating on a cell culture surface material. Furthermore the invention relates to a cell culture media and a cell culture coating/matrix provided with one or more IαI proteins(s) or part(s) thereof. |
| US09944890B2 |
Removing resin coatings from wellbore surfaces
Methods and compositions are provided for removing a residue of resin from the surface of equipment. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: providing a cleaning solution comprising a pH-adjusting agent, a chemical solvent, and water, wherein the chemical solvent is selected from the group consisting of β-lactam, γ-lactam, δ-lactam, ϵ-lactam, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methylpyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI), caprolactam, cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone, β-butyrolactone, γ-butyrolactone, δ-decalactone, γ-valerolactone, ϵ-caprolactone, butylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, and ethylene carbonate, any combination thereof, and any derivative thereof; allowing the cleaning solution to contact a surface at least partially coated with a layer of resin; and allowing the cleaning solution to at least partially dissolve the resin. |
| US09944886B2 |
Coated microcapsules
Accordingly, there are provided coated microcapsules including a microcapsule, said microcapsules including a polymeric shell and a liquid core material encapsulated therein; and a metallic coating surrounding said microcapsules; wherein the metallic coating includes particles of a first metal adsorbed on said polymeric shell and a film of a second metal formed thereon; and wherein the metallic coating has a maximum thickness of 1000 nm; and methods and formulations related thereto. |
| US09944884B2 |
Lubricating coating composition and compressor including the same
A lubricating coating composition and a compressor including a sliding member coated with the lubricating coating composition. The lubricating coating composition includes a thermosetting or thermoplastic polyimide-based resin as a binder, a solid lubricant, various solvents, and other additives at a controlled ratio. The compressor includes a first member including a first sliding surface and a second member moving relative to the first member including a second sliding surface. The lubricating coating composition is applied to the first sliding surface or the second sliding surface. |
| US09944880B2 |
Oil-free screw compressor coated with a base resin, a solid lubricant and a heat-resistant additive
In order to prevent deterioration in performance of an oil-free screw compressor and scuffing caused by rust, surfaces of both male and female rotors are coated with heat-resistance coatings containing a solid lubricant. A coating contains Polyimide resin to which Molybdenum disulfide, as a solid lubricant, and Aluminum oxide and Titanium oxide, as additives, are added. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a coating that is higher in heat resistance and longer in lifetime than a conventional one. |
| US09944877B2 |
Composition and method for preventing or reducing engine knock and pre-ignition in high compression spark ignition engines
A method for preventing or reducing engine knock or pre-ignition in a high compression spark ignition engine lubricated with a lubricating oil by using as the lubricating oil a formulated oil. The formulated oil has a composition that contains at least one branched hydrocarbon having at least about 25% of the carbons in the form of methyl groups, or at least one polyol ester of at least one branched mono-carboxylic acid. A lubricating engine oil having a composition that contains at least one branched hydrocarbon having at least about 25% of the carbons in the form of methyl groups, or at least one polyol ester of at least one branched mono-carboxylic acid. The lubricating engine oils are useful as passenger vehicle engine oil (PVEO) products. |
| US09944873B1 |
Add-on system for removing paraffin from a natural gas dehydration system
The add-on system for removing paraffin from a natural gas dehydration system is a method of removing paraffin from the dehydrated TEG. The add-on system for removing paraffin from a natural gas dehydration system processes the cooled and dehydrated TEG through a second heat exchanger, which raises the temperature of the dehydrated TEG to a previously determined temperature. Once the dehydrated TEG is at temperature, the TEG is processed through one or more separators, which separates the paraffin from the dehydrated TEG. The separated paraffin is collected in one or more collection apparatus for disposal while the processed TEG is released to further processing and delivery to the contactor for reuse. The add-on system for removing paraffin from a natural gas dehydration system comprises a second heat exchanger, one or more separators, one or more pumps, one or more collection apparatus, and a plurality of valves. |
| US09944869B2 |
Synthesis of liquid fuels and chemicals from oxygenated hydrocarbons
Processes and reactor systems are provided for the conversion of oxygenated hydrocarbons to hydrocarbons, ketones and alcohols useful as liquid fuels, such as gasoline, jet fuel or diesel fuel, and industrial chemicals. The process involves the conversion of mono-oxygenated hydrocarbons to aromatics and gasoline range hydrocarbons where the oxygenated hydrocarbons are derived from biomass. |
| US09944867B2 |
System and method for preparing hydrocarbon blend from multiple component streams
A computer implemented blend control system and method for preparation of a hydrocarbon blend from a plurality of components drawn from respective component tanks have been disclosed. The system, in accordance with the present disclosure includes at least one sensor and analyzer adapted to sense and analyze a first attribute of at least one of the components for obtaining first attribute data. The system further includes, at least one optimizer having a data storage means for storing attribute based model data. The optimizer receives the first attribute data and transmits the received first attribute data to a comparator which computes an optimized proportion data between each of the component streams to enable selective drawing of each of the component streams in accordance with the optimized proportion data for preparing the hydrocarbon blend. |