US09384876B2

A chip resistor includes a first electrode 1, a second electrode 2, a resistor portion 3, a first intermediate layer 4 connected to the first electrode 1 and the resistor portion 3, a second intermediate layer 5 connected to the second electrode 2 and the resistor portion 3, a coating film 61 covering the first electrode 1, and oxides existing in the first intermediate layer 4. The coating film 61 is made of a material having a higher absorptance of a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength than that of the material forming the first electrode 1. The oxides are oxides of the material forming the coating film 61.
US09384873B2

In a differential signal transmission cable, a surface of a skin layer is partially provided with shield conductors disposed at respective equidistant portions spaced apart in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which two signal conductors are arranged, the equidistant portions each being distant by the same distance from axial centers of the signal conductors. On the surface of the skin layer, the shield conductors are not provided in areas located in the direction in which the signal conductors are arranged, and spaces are created in these areas.
US09384868B2

There is provided a water-based conductive ink for inkjet recording, the water-based conductive ink enabling formation of highly conductive circuit wiring even by low-temperature firing. A water-based conductive ink for inkjet recording contains metal nanoparticles (X), a polyhydric alcohol (A), and water (B), wherein a polyhydric alcohol represented by the following general formula is used as the polyhydric alcohol (A) (where R represents a hydrogen atom or any one lower alkyl group selected from the group consisting of a methyl group, an ethyl group, and an n-propyl group).
US09384866B2

A polyaniline composite including substituted or unsubstituted polyaniline molecules and a proton donar, the polyaniline molecules being doped with the proton donar, the composite having a chlorine content of 0.6 wt % or less and the composite satisfying the following formula (1): P10000/PALL≦0.15  (1) wherein P10000 is the total sum of the weights of the polyaniline molecules contained in the polyaniline composite having a molecular weight of 10000 or less; and PALL is the total sum of the weights of all polyaniline molecules contained in the polyaniline composite.
US09384865B2

A transparent conductor, a composition for the same, and an apparatus including the same, the transparent conductor including a transparent conductive film, the transparent conductive film including a metal nanowire and a conductive polymer, wherein the transparent conductor has a b* value of less than about 1.78 in color coordinates of CIE Lab at wavelengths of 400 nm to 700 nm.
US09384863B2

An apparatus for retention of molten material for a Generation IV reactor after a nuclear power plant accident comprises an inner wall which is peripherally closed, a vapor channel wall with an opening at the bottom fixed in the inner side of the inner wall, a pressure vessel disposed in the vapor channel wall, a vapor rising channel formed between the pressure vessel and the vapor channel wall, and it further comprises an outer wall surrounding the inner wall, a core molten material retention apparatus fixed at the bottom of the inner wall, and a deflector keeping away from the inner wall and the core molten material retention apparatus to form a gap; wherein a coolant falling channel is formed between the outer wall and the deflector, a coolant inlet is disposed at the bottom of the deflector, and a coolant channel is disposed between the inner wall and the core molten material retention apparatus; a core molten material retention recess is disposed at the upper surface of the core molten material retention apparatus, and the lower surface of the core molten material retention apparatus is arch-shaped; the core molten material retention apparatus is made of non-metal inorganic fireproof material. The invention adopts the design of molten material retention outside the reactor, using different material containing molten material and cooling the molten material by coolant cycle and the deflector structure, thus to improve the safety of the nuclear power plant.
US09384861B2

A data loading circuit comprises a non-volatile memory configured to store non-volatile data and output a serial data signal based on the stored non-volatile data in response to a power-up operation, a deserializer configured to receive the serial data signal and output multiple data bits at intervals of a unit period based on the received serial data signal, a load controller configured to generate multiple loading selection signals that are sequentially activated one-by-one at each interval of the unit period, and a loading memory unit configured to sequentially store the data bits at each interval of the unit period in response to the loading selection signals.
US09384860B2

A semiconductor memory includes a memory cell array that includes data cells of x bits and redundant cells of y bits for each word; a position-data storage unit that stores, for each word, defective-cell position data of defective cells of the data cells and the redundant cells; and a read circuit that reads data from cells of x bits based on the defective-cell position data stored in the position-data storage unit for a specified word of which address is specified as read address, the cells of x bits being formed by the data cells of x bits and the redundant cells of y bits of the specified word other than the defective cells.
US09384855B2

Exemplary embodiments disclose a system-on-chip (SoC) including a special function register (SFR) and an operating method thereof. The SFR comprises a first update storage element, a second update storage element, a first update logic corresponding to the first update storage element, and a second update logic corresponding to the second update storage element, wherein a clock is supplied to the first update storage element in response to the first update logic being enabled, and the clock is supplied to the second update storage element in response to the second update logic being enabled.
US09384854B2

A Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) analog switch has a circuit structure such that when a supply voltage is applied, the CMOS analog switch biases voltages at both ends of a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOS) device, which switches on upon application of supply voltage, to a substrate node of MOS, or biases the substrate voltage of MOS device to a ground voltage state during a switching-off operation. The substrate voltage of MOS device in floating state is still biased to the ground voltage state even when abnormal, high voltages are applied to both ends of the MOS device. As a result, threshold voltage and conduction resistance decrease compared to related analog switches, and frequency bandwidth increases.
US09384850B2

Circuits and methods for reading an OTP memory cell with improved reliability. To read a first OTP memory cell, a first current amount generated by a second, programmed, OTP memory cell is received. A second current amount generated by a third, unprogrammed, OTP memory cell is received. Current generated by the first OTP memory cell is sunk. The amount of current sunk from the first OTP memory cell is equal to a sum of a third current amount that is proportional to the first current amount plus a fourth current amount that is proportional to the second current amount. While sinking said current from the first OTP memory cell a voltage at a current output of the first OTP memory cell is compared to a threshold voltage.
US09384847B2

A clock mode configuration circuit for a memory device is described. A memory system includes any number of memory devices serially connected to each other, where each memory device receives a clock signal. The clock signal can be provided either in parallel to all the memory devices or serially from memory device to memory device through a common clock input. The clock mode configuration circuit in each memory device is set to a parallel mode for receiving the parallel clock signal, and to a serial mode for receiving a source synchronous clock signal from a prior memory device. Depending on the set operating mode, the data input circuits will be configured for the corresponding data signal format, and the corresponding clock input circuits will be either enabled or disabled. The parallel mode and the serial mode is set by sensing a voltage level of a reference voltage provided to each memory device.
US09384825B2

A multi-port hybrid full-swing/low-swing memory circuit in a static random access memory (SRAM) device comprises a first wordline driver that comprises a read wordline driver, a second wordline driver that comprises either a read wordline driver or a read/write wordline driver, a memory cell coupled to the first and second wordline drivers, a sense amplifier coupled to the memory cell, and a latch coupled to the memory cell. The memory circuit is capable of achieving high-speed low-swing or low-speed full-swing operations while avoiding the need for a large circuit area on an integrated circuit.
US09384813B2

A low-power semiconductor device is provided. A memory device applicable to a multi-context programmable logic device (PLD) includes at least memory cells the number of which is the same as the number of contexts. Output nodes of the memory cells are electrically connected to an output node of a configuration memory through different path transistors. A circuit including a transistor and a capacitor makes a gate potential of the path transistor higher than a high-level potential. This prevents a decrease in the potential of the output node of the configuration memory due to the threshold voltage of the path transistor without an increase in power consumption.
US09384811B2

A magnetic device usable in electronic devices is described. The magnetic device includes a magnetic junction and at least one smart thermal barrier that is thermally coupled with the magnetic junction. The magnetic junction includes at least one reference layer, at least one nonmagnetic spacer layer and a free layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer(s) are between the reference layer(s) and the free layer. The free layer is switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current passed through the magnetic junction. The smart thermal barrier has a low heat conductance below a transition temperature range, and a high heat conductance above the transition temperature range.
US09384801B2

Embodiments including systems, methods, and apparatuses associated with expanding a threshold voltage window of memory cells are described herein. Specifically, in some embodiments memory cells may be configured to store data by being set to a set state or a reset state. In some embodiments, a dummy-read process may be performed on memory cells in the set state prior to a read process. In some embodiments, a modified reset algorithm may be performed on memory cells in the reset state. Other embodiments may be described or claimed.
US09384797B2

A memory control method includes assigning based on a table to which an allocated device that executes a first process in a first application is registered, the first process in the first application to the allocated device registered; notifying a port connector of identification information of a port of memory, the port to be used by the first application, and registering a number of the port into the table; and allocating a storage area to the port and registering an address of the storage area into the table.
US09384794B2

A semiconductor device includes a pipeline latch unit including a plurality of write pipelines, and suitable for latching data, and a control unit suitable for controlling at least one write pipeline of the write pipelines based on an idle signal.
US09384791B1

Disclosed is a circuit architecture for cancellation of threshold voltage offsets for an array of sense amplifiers. An offset calibration controller, which may be embedded as a hard-wired circuit in the transceiver core circuits, writes the offset adjustment values to a memory-mapped interface circuit. The memory-mapped interface circuit outputs the offset adjustment values to offset adjustment circuits for the sense amplifiers. The offset adjustment circuits may utilize a body bias technique. Advantageously, the disclosed circuit architecture provides for the minimization of residual offset without sacrificing bandwidth. Other embodiments, features and advantages are also disclosed.
US09384788B2

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip located over a substrate; and a second semiconductor chip located over the first semiconductor chip, wherein the first semiconductor chip includes a first internal power supply generation circuit that generates a first internal power supply voltage supplied to a first internal circuit; a first penetration electrode formed from an upper surface of the first semiconductor chip to an underside of the first semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the first internal power supply generation circuit; a first reference voltage generation circuit that generates a first reference voltage; and a second penetration electrode formed from the upper surface of the first semiconductor chip to the underside of the first semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the first reference voltage generation circuit.
US09384787B2

A computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium embodying program instructions executable by a processor to perform a method. The method includes sequentially passing a voltage signal from each voltage sense line pair to a voltage feedback line of a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator controls voltage to the memory system responsive to the voltage signal received at the voltage feedback line, wherein the memory system includes a plurality of voltage sense line pairs in different locations. For each voltage sense line pair, the method identifies a memory margin based on memory operation while regulating voltage responsive to the voltage signal from the voltage sense line pair. The voltage sense line pair that provides the greatest memory margin is identified, and the voltage regulator is made to control voltage to the memory system responsive to the identified voltage sense line pair.
US09384784B2

A data synchronous reproduction apparatus capable of synchronously reproducing image frames and numerical data at high speed, including: a data storage section configured to store image data including multiple image frames of monitored objects captured by cameras, and process data including multiple numerical data acquired from the monitored objects in time series; a program storage section configured to store a data synchronous control program configured to reproduce the image data and synchronously reproduce the image data and the process data on the basis of frame numbers and a frame period of the image frames and a sampling interval or record numbers of the numerical data; and a CPU configured to execute the data synchronous control program.
US09384780B2

The disclosed method calculates video time density functions based on inter-frame mutual information or other similarity measures. The method includes acquiring a video sequence from memory, computing mutual information or other similarity measures between two consecutive frames of the video sequence, and constructing a video temporal density function based on the mutual information or similarity measures. The method enables fast navigation of the video sequence by performing a temporal quantization of the video time density function to determine a set of quanta. The video sequence can be navigated using the nearest neighbor video frames to the set of quanta. The method enables thumbnail extraction of a video sequence using statistical modeling by performing a temporal quantization of the video time density function to segment video sequence in time domain and using mixture (such as Gaussian mixture and ICA mixture) vector quantization to find the sample frames for each temporal segment.
US09384777B2

A system provided for eliminating access to data within a writable storage media cartridge. The system comprises a writable storage media drive, such as a tape drive. The writable storage drive determines if at least a first portion of data on the writable storage media is encrypted. If it is determined that the first portion of data is encrypted then the writable storage drive shreds a second portion of data within the writable storage media cartridge related to said encrypted first portion of data. The first portion of data and the second portion are not the same portions of the writable storage media cartridge.
US09384765B1

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus includes a laser and has an air-bearing surface (ABS) that resides in proximity to a media during use. The HAMR write apparatus includes a write pole that writes to the media, coil(s) for energizing the write pole and a waveguide optically coupled with the laser. The waveguide includes an entrance distal from the ABS and a bottom proximate to the ABS. The waveguide also includes a mode converter, a mode stripper optically coupled with the mode converter and an inverse tapered section optically coupled with the mode stripper. The mode converter has sides converging from a first width proximate to the entrance to a second width distal from the entrance and less than the first width. The mode stripper is between the inverse tapered section and the mode converter. The inverse tapered section has an entrance and an exit wider than the entrance.
US09384762B2

The implementations disclosed herein provide for a spin transport sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) adjacent a shield element. The SAF extends to an air-bearing surface (ABS) and provides a current path from a current source to an ABS-region of a spin conductor layer. Spin current diffuses from the spin conductor layer to an adjacent free layer, which generates a measurable electrical voltage in a free layer of the spin transport sensor. The SAF serves as both a magnetic shield and a spin injector to the spin conductor layer.
US09384761B1

Embodiments are related to systems and methods for data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for data encoding and decoding.
US09384758B2

A match score provides a semantically-meaningful quantification of the aural similarity of two chromae from two corresponding audio sequences. The match score can be applied to the chroma pairs of two corresponding audio sequences, and is independent of the lengths of the sequences, thereby permitting comparisons of matches across subsequences of different length. Accordingly, a single cutoff match score to identify “good” audio subsequence matches can be determined and has both good precision and good recall metrics. A function for determining the match score is determined by establishing a function PM indicating probabilities that chroma correspondence scores indicate semantic correspondences, and a function PR indicating probabilities that chroma correspondence scores indicate random correspondences, repeatedly updating PM and the match function based on existing values of PM and the match function as applied to audio subsequences with known semantic correspondences.
US09384755B2

The present disclosure relates to a device and method for reducing quantization noise in a signal contained in a time-domain excitation decoded by a time-domain decoder. The decoded time-domain excitation is converted into a frequency-domain excitation. A weighting mask is produced for retrieving spectral information lost in the quantization noise. The frequency-domain excitation is modified to increase spectral dynamics by application of the weighting mask. The modified frequency-domain excitation is converted into a modified time-domain excitation. The method and device can be used for improving music content rendering of linear-prediction (LP) based codecs. Optionally, a synthesis of the decoded time-domain excitation may be classified into one of a first set of excitation categories and a second set of excitation categories, the second set including INACTIVE or UNVOICED categories, the first set including an OTHER category.
US09384749B2

By copying to a high-frequency band portion (extension band) a low-frequency band portion in which peaking has been set to a sufficiently low state, this encoding device is capable of preventing generation of a spectrum with overly high peaking in the high-frequency band portion, and of generating a high-quality extension band spectrum. This device comprises: a maximum value search unit which searches, in each of multiple sub-bands obtained by dividing the low-frequency band portion of an audio signal and/or music signal below a prescribed frequency, for the maximum value of the amplitude of a first spectrum obtained by decoding first encoded data, which is encoded data in the low-frequency band portion; and an amplitude normalization unit which obtains a normalized spectrum by normalizing, at the maximum values of the amplitude of each sub-band, the first spectrum contained in each sub-band.
US09384746B2

A method includes determining a first modeled high-band signal based on a low-band excitation signal of an audio signal, where the audio signal includes a high-band portion and a low-band portion. The method also includes determining scaling factors based on energy of sub-frames of the first modeled high-band signal and energy of corresponding sub-frames of the high-band portion of the audio signal. The method includes applying the scaling factors to a modeled high-band excitation signal to determine a scaled high-band excitation signal and determining a second modeled high-band signal based on the scaled high-band excitation signal. The method includes determining gain parameters based on the second modeled high-band signal and the high-band portion of the audio signal.
US09384745B2

Embodiments of an article of manufacture, a system for processing audio signals and a computer-readable storage medium containing program instructions for processing audio signals are described. In one embodiment, an article of manufacture comprising at least one non-transitory, tangible machine readable storage medium containing executable machine instructions for processing audio signals, where execution of the executable machine instructions by a processing device causes the processing device to perform steps, which include estimating a spectral difference between a first audio signal and a second audio signal that carry the same audio content, transforming the second audio signal based on the spectral difference and generating an output audio signal based on the transformed second audio signal. Other embodiments are also described.
US09384744B2

An audio signal coding device divides a frequency spectrum obtained from an input digital signal to a plurality of bands, scales and quantizes divided frequency spectra based on a scalefactor of each of the bands and a common scale which is common to the plurality of bands, and codes quantized frequency spectra. The audio signal coding device includes a band number determination unit configured to calculate a number of coding bands for coding the quantized frequency spectra, and a common scale estimation unit configured to estimate the common scale in accordance with the number of coding bands.
US09384742B2

Provided are an audio encoding method and apparatus and an audio decoding method and apparatus in which audio signals can be encoded or decoded so that sound images can be localized at any desired position for each object audio signal. The audio decoding method generating a third downmix signal by combining a first downmix signal extracted from a first audio signal and a second downmix signal extracted from a second audio signal; generating third object-based side information by combining first object-based side information extracted from the first audio signal and second object-based side information extracted from the second audio signal; converting the third object-based side information into channel-based side information; and generating a multi-channel audio signal using the third downmix signal and the channel-based side information.
US09384729B2

The application provides a method and system for determinism in non-linear systems for speech processing, particularly automatic speech segmentation for building speech recognition systems. More particularly, the application enables a method and system for detecting boundary of coarticulated units from isolated speech using recurrence plot.
US09384719B2

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media generate customized arpeggios. An exemplary method includes providing a storage medium, including a database storing data corresponding to an arpeggio pattern to be played by a virtual instrument. The method further includes receiving a plurality of user inputs that enable a user to select a desired set of musical notes (e.g. a chord) other than the notes (e.g. chord) used to create the arpeggio stored in the database, without having to re-enter the note sequence. The method then includes creating the desired arpeggio for the selected set of notes by applying the stored arpeggio data from the database to the entered notes, and playing the created desired arpeggio.
US09384716B2

An automatic key adjusting apparatus is provided, which determines keys on an input melody in real time and adjusts the determined keys in non real time to obtain accurate keys, thereby enhancing accuracy of placement of chords. The automatic key adjusting apparatus is provided with a keyboard for playing a melody of a musical piece. CPU judges keys on the melody in real time based on a history of pitches of the played melody of the musical piece, and adjusts the result of the key judgment in non real time after the melody of the musical piece is played.
US09384704B2

A liquid crystal display and a gate driver thereof are disclosed. The gate driver comprises a first output unit, a second output unit, a first counter, a second counter and a multiplex unit. The first counter counts a clock to control the first output unit to output odd gate driving signals according to a first start signal and a polarity signal. The second counter counts the clock to control the second output unit to output even gate driving signals according to a second start signal and the polarity signal. The multiplex unit selectively outputs the polarity signal to the first counter or the second counter.
US09384692B2

An organic light emitting display includes common coupling units at crossing regions of scan lines and data lines; first pixels at the crossing regions and positioned on an ith horizontal line to be coupled to the common coupling units positioned at the same crossing regions, wherein i is a positive integer; second pixels at the crossing regions and positioned on an (i+1)th horizontal line to be coupled to the common coupling units positioned at the same crossing regions; first control lines coupled to the first pixels; and second control lines coupled to the second pixels.
US09384691B2

A transparent emissive device is provided. The device may include one or more OLEDs having an anode, a cathode, and an organic emissive layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. In some configurations, the OLEDs may be non-transparent. The device may also include one or more locally transparent regions, which, in combination with the non-transparent OLEDs, provides an overall device transparency of 5% or more. The device also may include a double-sided display capable of displaying different, identical, or related images on each side of the device.
US09384689B2

An object of the present invention is to improve display quality in oblique view in a liquid crystal display device employing a multi-gap structure. After a gradation-transmittance characteristic when a liquid crystal panel is viewed from an oblique direction is acquired, a range of a gradation value in which a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value among three transmittances corresponding to each of the gradation values is minute is defined as a transmittance approximation range. A white balance parameter stored in a white balance adjustment LUT (130) is determined so that a maximum gradation value after correction by white balance adjustment for each color is set to the gradation value within the transmittance approximation range. By using the white balance parameter determined in this manner, the white balance adjustment is performed during operation of the liquid crystal display device.
US09384688B2

A circuit for driving a liquid crystal display includes: a high selection unit turned on by a high selection signal and transferring a high data signal or a common voltage to one side of a storage capacitor; a low selection unit; a high transfer unit connected to one side of the storage capacitor; and a low transfer unit connected to the other side of the storage capacitor, turned on by a low transfer signal and transferring voltage stored at the other side of the storage capacitor to one side of the liquid crystal capacitor or transferring the low data signal or the common voltage transferred by the low selection unit to one side of the liquid crystal capacitor.
US09384686B2

A shift register (10), a gate driving circuit and a repairing method therefor, and a display device. The shift register (10) comprises a shift register module (21), a repairing module (22), a first connectable link (L1) arranged between the exciting signal input terminal (P100) of the shift register (10) and the exciting signal input terminals (P210, P220) of these two modules, and a second connectable link (L2) arranged between the output terminal (P101) of the shift register (10) and the output terminals (P211, P221) of these two modules; the shift register module (21) is configured to output a clock signal inputted at the first clock signal input terminal via its own output terminal (211) according to an exciting signal received at its own exciting signal input terminal (P210); the repairing module (22) is configured to output an exciting signal received at its own exciting signal input terminal (P220) after delaying the same by a half clock period via its own output terminal (P221) in a case in which a malfunction occurs in the shift register module (21). Since the shift register module (21) is replaced by the repairing module (22) in a case in which the shift register module (21) has a malfunction, the subsequent shift registers can operate properly.
US09384679B2

A system, method and computer program product that provides tactile feedback to assist a visually impaired person in navigation and avoid collisions with obstacles (objects). The system comprises a pressure based tactile response device and a remote control device. The pressure based tactile response device comprises of a pressure pad which includes a plurality of pressure modules that provide a haptic response to the visually impaired person. With a feedback mechanism the pressure based tactile response device provides navigational information to the impaired person and ensures that collisions with obstacles are avoided. The remote control device comprises a plurality of sensors which enable the impaired person to locate the pressure based tactile response device when it is not in his possession.
US09384677B2

This disclosure generally relates to automated execution and evaluation of computer network training exercises, such as in a virtual machine environment. An example environment includes a control and monitoring system, an attack system, and a target system. The control and monitoring system initiates a training scenario to cause the attack system to engage in an attack against the target system. The target system then performs an action in response to the attack. Monitor information associated with the attack against the target system is collected by continuously monitoring the training scenario. The attack system is then capable of sending dynamic response data to the target system, wherein the dynamic response data is generated according to the collected monitor information to adapt the training scenario to the action performed by the target system. The control and monitoring system then generates an automated evaluation based upon the collected monitor information.
US09384675B2

A simulator for skill-oriented training is presented. The simulator includes a platform having a sensor and provides an immersive virtual training environment. The simulator includes a display unit worn by the operator. The unit includes a camera, a speaker and a unit sensor. The camera and the speaker provide visual and audio output to the operator. The simulator includes a controller and a data processing system. The controller includes a sensor. The sensors cooperate to provide to the processing system signals representing spatial positioning, angular orientation and movement data of the controller relative to the platform and a work piece. In response, the processing system renders the work piece, a virtual coating spray pattern, a virtual coating as applied to the work piece and performance guidance in the training environment.
US09384673B1

An emergency simulation device has a housing, at least one light, a smoke machine, and a controller for controlling the light and the smoke machine. The housing has a divider with a generally enclosed area underneath for holding the smoke machine. The divider has a hole and is angled so that water sitting on the divider flows in at least one direction. The housing extends upwardly beyond the divider, and apertures positioned in the housing dispel water from atop the divider. The housing has a duct extending upwardly from the hole in the divider. The light is mounted to a mounting plate separate from and positioned above from the divider and the duct and below a top end of the housing. The smoke machine outputs smoke through the hole in the divider and the duct. The mounting plate causes the smoke to billow outwardly around the light.
US09384671B2

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with instruction production are described. In one example, a system can comprise a difference component that makes an identification of a difference between an actual action of a user and a standard action for the user. The system also can comprise an instruction component that produces an instruction to instruct the user to change from the action of the user to the standard action for the user, where production of the instruction is based, at least in part, on the difference. The system further can comprise a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to retain the instruction. Additionally, the system can comprise an output component configured to cause disclosure of the instruction.
US09384665B2

Time Triggered Geo-fencing. At least some of the example embodiments are methods including: receiving a set of variables related to a geo-fence to be established at a predetermined time for a preset duration; establishing the geo-fence at the predetermined time, the geo-fence established for the preset duration; monitoring the location of the vehicle using signals received by an onboard device coupled to the vehicle; and sending an alert related to the location of the vehicle if said monitoring indicates the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence within the preset duration.
US09384660B2

An apparatus includes a mirror dome and a light producing system for producing and transmitting light through the mirror dome to an external surface to produce a message viewable on the external surface. A sensing system identifies traffic and is in communication with the light producing system to cause the light producing system to produce and project a message viewable on the external surface when the sensing system detects approaching objects or traffic.
US09384658B2

The present invention relates to a system, and method for enforcing utility usage and metering functions by a utility meter associated with a utility consumer end user, connected to a remote utility management center by a communication network. The present invention proposes a utility meter for controlling and metering a least one utility consumption.
US09384649B2

A vehicle information transmitting apparatus transmits information to a driver by optical stimulus, and determines whether or not to change a mode of the stimulus on the basis of at least one of information about the driver, an operation input, and a behavior of a vehicle, the information about the driver, the operation input, and the behavior being obtained after the transmission of the information. The vehicle information transmitting apparatus may change the mode of the stimulus when determining that the information is not considered by the driver. Further, the vehicle information transmitting apparatus may change the mode of the stimulus when determining that a cause that the information is not considered resides in the mode of the stimulus.
US09384648B2

A marine emergency position indicating system that can communicate wirelessly between beacon and search engine is provided. When someone carrying the beacon falls into the water, power supply of the beacon opens through drowning automatic switch or manual switch, therefore the beacon can emit wireless SOS signals out. Rescue boat or aircraft installed with search engine can search and receive SOS signals sent from beacons over a 5-kilometer radius along the way to accidental site. The search engine can distinguish the beacons around this area and determine the direction and approximate distance between drowning persons carrying beacons and the search engine through wireless communication technology and wireless positioning technology to help rescuers implement fixed-point rescue. Therefore, the marine emergency position indicating system can overcome the bad weather impact on marine rescue, speed up the rescue process and improve the success possibilities of fixed-point rescue.
US09384647B1

Systems, devices and methods of using sound detectors, motion detectors and temperature sensors inside vehicles for activating alarms to protect vehicle occupants that include babies, children, infirm, elderly and pets. Headrest mounted sound detector(s), motion detector(s) and temperature sensor are used wherein detected sound from the sound detector can activate the motion temperature sensor and motion detected to activate adjacent or remote alarms. when unsafe cold and warm interior vehicle temperatures are reached. Low battery indicators such as audible alarms, chirp sounds and lights can be used to indicate low battery power supplies.
US09384644B1

A wearable and mobile system for using GPS location signals for performing sleepwalking alarm services and sleepwalking medical monitoring service, said system having a GPS location detector; a recorder which is capable of recording GPS locations diurnally; a signal processor, which is capable of storing signals and comparing stored signals; an external signal generator capable of generating a signal suitable for reception by a person in proximity to the user such as flashing lights, chime or other signal perceivable by a person and capable of generating a signal suitable for reception by an external receptor via radio wave, Bluetooth signal or other machine readable signal; a communication system which is capable of sending and receiving signals to and from the GPS location detector, recorder, signal processor and external signal generator, and software which periodically allows the signal processor to compare a GPS location sent front said GPS location detector to said recorder via said communication system with previously sent GPS locations sent from said GPS location detector to the recorder via the communication system and to activate the external signal generator when the comparison exceeds three feet.
US09384642B2

Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus including an image data acquisition section, a metadata acquisition section, a display section, a filter setting section, and a combination setting section. The image data acquisition section is configured to acquire image data from a camera. The metadata acquisition section is configured to acquire, from the camera, metadata representing information concerning an object of surveillance. The display section is configured to display a setting screen usable for setting a plurality of filters. The filter setting section is configured to perform filter setting using the information of the metadata. The combination setting section is configured to set a combination of the plurality of filters. The filter setting section and the combination setting section are provided on the same setting screen.
US09384640B2

A portable communications device, such as a mobile phone, includes a novel tactile alerting mechanism capable of alerting the user of an incoming communication or other event. In some embodiments, a mechanical actuator causes a rod or lever to pulsate, rotate, or protrude out of a static housing for the communications device. In other embodiments, a pneumatic actuator inflates a bladder that protrudes out of the housing. The alerting mechanism may be configured as a movable part of a decorative fanciful housing for the communications device.
US09384633B2

Various embodiments are directed to gaming systems and methods including a bonus game that can be decoupled from base games and/or are player selectable. Bonus features can be added to existing games and player selection of progressive play can be provided. The method and system can further provide switching among possible links without dynamic reconfiguration.
US09384629B2

Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing automated money laundering detection, notification, and reporting techniques implemented at casino gaming networks.
US09384624B2

A gaming system comprises a player interface (50) comprising a display on which a plurality of selectable symbol display positions are displayed to a player, the player interface (50) allowing a player to select one or more windows (700-703) defining respective ones of one or more subsets of the symbol display positions (600), and a game controller (60) arranged to select symbols for display at all symbol display positions (600), and to evaluate selected symbols within each selected window based on a win entitlement applying to the selected window to determine a game outcome.
US09384613B2

A computer-implemented technique includes storing keychains in a memory of a computer. A login identifier and a password are received from a mobile device. The login identifier and the password are verified. Subsequent to the verification, one of the keychains is downloaded from the computer to the mobile device. The keychain includes N keys that are each associated with one of M physical locks of M locking devices, where N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1. The M locking devices or another locking device are monitored. Information in a key log is recorded when each of the N keys is used on one of the M locking devices or the other locking device. The information includes a locking device identifier and a key identifier. The mobile device is alerted when each of the N keys is used based on the key log.
US09384610B2

An on-board apparatus control system comprising a portable device and a vehicle-mounted device is provided. The vehicle-mounted device controls an on-board apparatus by determining whether or not the portable device exists in an authorized area. The vehicle-mounted device causes separate transmission antennas to transmit a request signal and a determination signal, respectively. Responding to the request signal, the portable device transmits a response signal that includes information on a received strength of the determination signal. When the received signal strength of the determination signal is greater than a specified value, the vehicle-mounted device controls the on-board apparatus on assumption that the portable device exists in an unauthorized area even when the response signal is received.
US09384594B2

A head mounted device provides an immersive virtual or augmented reality experience for viewing data and enabling collaboration among multiple users. Rendering images in a virtual or augmented reality system may include capturing an image and spatial data with a body mounted camera and sensor array, receiving an input indicating a first anchor surface, calculating parameters with respect to the body mounted camera and displaying a virtual object such that the virtual object appears anchored to the selected first anchor surface. Further operations may include receiving a second input indicating a second anchor surface within the captured image that is different from the first anchor surface, calculating parameters with respect to the second anchor surface and displaying the virtual object such that the virtual object appears anchored to the selected second anchor surface and moved from the first anchor surface.
US09384592B2

A computer implemented method of generating a succession of two-dimensional image frames for a slab cine multi-planar reformatting (MPR) process by advancing a slab through a volume defined by a volume data set, including receiving a volume data set defining a volume; specifying a view axis with respect to the volume; advancing a slab through the volume along the view axis in incremental step sizes smaller than the slab thickness; and determining at each slab position an MPR view by: selecting a plurality of sample points along each of a plurality of rays cast through the slab, and performing a projection of the sample points on to an image plane using an a projection function, wherein at least some of the sample points used for the overlap region are re-used from the previous slab position.
US09384589B2

Techniques for anti-aliasing for geometries are described. In at least some embodiments, a graphical image is reduced to a collection of polygonal geometric primitives (“geometries”). The individual geometries are processed according to techniques discussed herein such that anti-aliasing is applied to the geometries when the geometries are displayed as part of the graphical image. For example, anti-aliasing of a general-purpose geometry is achieved via an associated collection of quadrilaterals and bevels that can be dynamically transformed when the geometry is rendered for display. In at least some embodiments, quadrilaterals and bevels generated for a geometry enable the geometry to be dynamically transformed and re-rendered multiple times to achieve a variety of visuals.
US09384579B2

In embodiments of stop-motion video creation from full-motion video, a video of an animation sequence is filmed with a video camera that captures an animation object and manipulations to interact with the animation object. Motion frames of the video are determined, where the motion frames depict motion as the manipulations to interact with the animation object. The motion frames may also depict other motion, other than the manipulations to interact with the animation object, where the other motion is also captured when the video is filmed. The motion frames that depict the motion in the video are discarded, leaving static frames that depict the animation object without any detectable motion. A frame sequence of the static frames can then be generated as a stop-motion video that depicts the animation object to appear moving or created without the manipulations.
US09384556B2

An image processing system comprises an image processor having image processing circuitry and an associated memory. The image processor is configured to implement a foreground processing module utilizing the image processing circuitry and the memory. The foreground processing module is configured to obtain one or more images, to estimate a foreground region of interest from the one or more images, to determine a plurality of segments of the foreground region of interest, to calculate amplitude statistics for respective ones of the plurality of segments, to classify respective segments as being respective portions of static foreground objects or as being respective portions of dynamic foreground objects based at least in part on the calculated amplitude statistics and one or more defined patterns for known static and dynamic objects, and to remove one or more segments classified as static foreground objects from the foreground region of interest.
US09384553B2

A set of nonnegative lighting basis images representing a scene illuminated by a set of stationary light sources is recovered from a set of input images of the scene that were acquired by a stationary camera. Each image is illuminated by a combination of the light sources, and at least two images in the set are illuminated by different combinations. The set of input images is factorized into the nonnegative lighting basis images and a set of indicator coefficients, wherein each lighting basis image corresponds to an appearance of the scene illuminated by one of the light sources, and wherein each indicator coefficient indicates a contribution of one of the light sources to one of the input images.
US09384550B2

An image processing device extracts a candidate region and region information of the cell nucleus from a cell image (S20), judges whether or not to correct the candidate region of the cell nucleus on the basis of the region information of the cell nucleus, and corrects the candidate region of the cell nucleus on the basis of the judged result (S40).
US09384546B2

A method and system for model based fusion pre-operative image data, such as computed tomography (CT), and intra-operative C-arm CT is disclosed. A first pericardium model is segmented in the pre-operative image data and a second pericardium model is segmented in a C-arm CT volume. A deformation field is estimated between the first pericardium model and the second pericardium model. A model of a target cardiac structure, such as a heart chamber model or an aorta model, extracted from the pre-operative image data is fused with the C-arm CT volume based on the estimated deformation field between the first pericardium model and the second pericardium model. An intelligent weighted average may be used improve the model based fusion results using models of the target cardiac structure extracted from pre-operative image data of patients other than a current patient.
US09384540B2

A method for measuring phase shift to detect irregularities of a surface is described. Additionally, a system for measuring phase shift to detect irregularities of a surface is provided. Further, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon is described. The computer-executable instructions are for measuring phase shift to detect irregularities of a surface.
US09384531B2

A non-local means method is insufficient in its noise reduction effect or edge retainability due to a perfect match between blocks in a case where a reference pixel matches a target pixel. Therefore, information on a target region and plural reference regions is obtained for the target pixel. Whether the target region matches any one of the reference regions is determined from the obtained information. Switching between weight derivation methods based on similarity between the target region and the reference region is performed according to a determined result.
US09384520B2

An encoding apparatus partitions a digital image into multiple regions for subsequent encoding. A first encryption code is associated with a first region, a second encryption code is associated with a second region and the first code, and a third code is associated with the first code, the second code and a third region. An authentication apparatus authenticates the digital image in an inverse process.
US09384519B1

Techniques for extracting keys from digital images data are presented. In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving a particular image; using a computer, determining a plurality of characteristics specific to contents of the particular image; using the computer, generating, based at least in part on the plurality of characteristics, a plurality of coefficients; generating a plurality of values by applying a particular function to the plurality of coefficients; selecting, from the plurality of values, a subset of values, each value in the subset satisfying a particular threshold requirement; based, at least in part on the subset of values, generating one or more keys, each of which uniquely encodes data included in the subset of values; generating and storing metadata that associates each of the one or more keys with the particular image.
US09384508B2

Systems, methods, and a printer apparatus using network-based communication over 3G or 4G wireless networks, and provides for electronic response from the printer relating to order confirmation and fulfillment at the recipient printer, in communication to an order management coordinator or server. The printer provides an order output including at least one symbol representing an order, including at least one of order content, ordering entity or individual, price, time of order, and combinations thereof.
US09384498B1

A method of transmitting digital content via a communication network. The method comprises receiving by a computer a request for a uniform resource identifier (URI), determining by a computer based on the request for the uniform resource identifier a communication service provider associated with a communication device, and when the communication service provider is affiliated with a digital content custom delivery offer building system, transmitting by a computer an image file to be presented by the communication device.
US09384496B2

Methods and systems for capturing and tracking call information relating to a call from a user to a merchant are provided. According to one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, a request for a call to a merchant from a user on a device is received and a data connection is initiated with a call analytics platform over which user information is sent from the device to the platform. A unique number allowing the device to call the platform is then passed back to the device. The device calls the platform, call context data is captured, and the call is processed to the merchant. Information relating to the user and merchant call is tracked and logged.
US09384488B2

A method of credentialing network-based sources of information, commentary, and opinion is provided. The method includes receiving a request for recognition, the request received by a credential clearinghouse (CCH) from at least one credential-granting organization (CGO), and, in response to the request for recognition, granting recognition to the CGO if the CGO is determined by the CCH to satisfy a predetermined standard of credibility. The method further includes, after the CGO is granted recognition, receiving from a user entity a request for a credential granted by the CGO, and granting the credential if the user entity is determined to satisfy a predetermined set of credentialing benchmarks. Additionally, the method includes posting on a publicly-accessible data communications network site an object comprising at least one among information content, commentary, and opinion, the object being associated with the user entity and including an indicator indicating the grant of the credential.
US09384485B1

Systems and methods for rapidly provisioning functionality to one or more mobile communication devices are disclosed. The method may comprise generating, prior to a request for the functionality, a globally unique identifier (“GUID”) encryption key, wherein the GUID comprises a unique identifier that may be associated with a transaction account customer, generating a value associated with the GUID, deriving, based on the value, a plurality of base encryption keys associated with the value, creating, a perso-script, wherein the perso-script comprises a file associated with data associated with a customer, and/or creating a proto-script, wherein the proto-script comprises the perso-script prepended by a script to rotate the plurality of base encryption keys.
US09384482B2

Information handling systems personalized by addition of a physical component, such as lid having an emblem that attaches to a portable information handling system, have software associated with the physical component automatically applied by interacting with an entitlement network location. An identifier associated with the physical component is automatically read by the information handling system and sent to the entitlement network location to retrieve entitlements for the use of software at the information handling system.
US09384476B2

A method for transferring money may include providing a money transfer instrument having product information and a monetary value associated therewith. The method may also include capturing the product information by a POS terminal in response to the sender purchasing the money transfer instrument. The method may further include generating and issuing a personal identifier to the sender on a receipt printed at the POS terminal. The method may additionally include receiving from the sender money transfer information along with the personal identifier. The method may moreover include generating and transmitting to the sender a money transfer control identifier that is separate from the personal identifier. The method may furthermore include receiving from the recipient the money transfer control identifier to receive transferred money at a money transfer location.
US09384474B2

A computer-implemented method and system for generating and displaying a calendar containing user-selected events from user-selected categories. A plurality of categories of events are provided. The user can select which categories are of interest, and then select individual events within those categories. Events are overlaid on a calendar unique to the user. Calendars may also be shared among a number of selected users, if desired. Online purchasing and related actions can be associated with each event.
US09384472B2

A calendar platform is provided for creating an event calendar for publication on a website and sharing events between different calendars. A method for creating an online calendar includes creating at least one event post in the calendar and retrieving from a web server a calendar feed corresponding to a second calendar. For each one of the events in the calendar feed, a new event post for the event is created if the event does not match one of the previously created event posts in the calendar. An event category is assigned to the new event post based on settings defined for the calendar feed. An Internet user viewing the calendar can filter the events by category and export selected events to the user's calendar.
US09384469B2

A mechanism for modifying a chat distance associated with an environmental chat based on the avatar population density of an area of a virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. An initial environmental chat distance may be determined based on the avatar population density, i.e., the number of avatars, in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. The environmental chat distance may be modified in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. The environmental chat distance may be modified such that the environmental chat distance is inversely proportional to the detected number of avatars in the virtual universe area associated with the environmental chat.
US09384467B2

A system and machine-implemented method for providing a user with a to-do list of tasks, the method including determining one or more goals associated with a user, the one or more goals including objectives that the user wants to achieve, identifying one or more notifications associated with the user, each notification notifying the user of an event comprising an action by another user with respect to the user, identifying one or more tasks, the one or more tasks contributing to at least one of the one or more goals and providing a response to the event relating to at least one of the one or more notifications and providing the one or more tasks for display to the user.
US09384466B2

Aspects of the present disclosure extend to methods and systems for extending services to existing enterprise systems. In various aspects, one or more service clients may be implemented to provide various functionalities for invoking a specific service that may be protocol dependent. The service client defines a set of standard service properties to specify how to access the specific service. An asset of an enterprise system intending to consume the service may integrate with the service client of the specific service and provide the standard service properties to the service client for service invocation.
US09384464B2

A system for generating an on-line report that includes a host site connected to user terminals the Internet. The host site has a relational database for storing data and a server connected to the database and to the Internet. Users access and manipulate data, create reporting templates, and customize and run reports on the host site. The host site includes a web pages that display options for accessing the relational database to create a data framework, web pages that display options for accessing the data framework to design a reporting template; and web pages that display options for accessing the reporting template to customize and run at least one report.
US09384455B2

An on-line invention disclosure system includes a user computer, a server and a database coupled to the server. The server provides user screens to the user to prompt the users to provide disclosure information to the server. The server receives the disclosure information from the users and stores the information in the database while allowing access to the database after storing the information on the database.
US09384444B2

A system and method are disclosed for optimizing website effectiveness. Original input data associated with a plurality of website effectiveness variables is processed using a website effectiveness model to generate a first website effectiveness value, which in turn is processed to generate a dependent variable. Input data corresponding to an individual website effectiveness variable is then processed to generate changed input data, which in turn is processed by the website effectiveness model with the original input data and the dependent variable to generate a second website effectiveness value. The first and second website effectiveness values are then processed to determine the effect of the changed data on the first website effectiveness value.
US09384441B2

The present disclosure relates to a transponder for object identification comprising at least one semiconductor component (36) for storing information and at least one antenna (11) for communicating the information with an external unit, the antenna (11) being formed by a conductor on a circuit board (7) and the semiconductor component (36) being mounted on the circuit board (7), the circuit board (7) being included in a housing (2), and it relates to a fabrication method of a generic kind. In order to improve the resistance of the transponder against harmful external influences, such as high temperatures, and to prolong its life cycle, the invention suggests that the semiconductor component (36) is included in an enclosure (18) that is hermetically sealed and fixed on a surface (12, 13) of the circuit board.
US09384435B2

A barcoded indicator operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality affecting parameter, the barcoded indicator including at least a first barcode and at least a second barcode, the at least a second barcode being in a second barcode unreadable state prior to exceedance of the at least one threshold and upon exceedance of the at least one threshold the at least a first barcode becoming unreadable and generally simultaneously the at least a second barcode becoming readable.
US09384433B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer member that is driven to be rotated; an image forming unit configured to form an image on the transfer member; a detection unit configured to detect inclination of the transfer member relative to a rotation direction of the transfer member; and a control unit configured to perform correction control of color misregistration caused by the inclination of the transfer member when an image is formed by the image forming unit, based on the inclination of the transfer member. The control unit is further configured not to perform the correction control when a monochrome image is formed.
US09384429B2

A data supplying device may be provided with a processor; and an instruction memory storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the data supplying device to perform: identifying a first type of content data from among content data described in a document file, the first type of content data being content data by which a content to be outputted is changeable in a state where an image represented by the document file is displayed on a display device; storing the identified first type of content data in a data memory; acquiring access information for accessing the first type of content data stored in the data memory; and supplying access data representing an image indicating the access information to a print executing unit in a case where the print executing unit should print an image represented by print data based on the document file.
US09384427B2

Methods disclosed permit the identification of frame buffer pixels for trapping. In some embodiments, flags associated with pixels in the frame buffer may be used to provide an indication of pixels for trapping. A bit in a flag associated with a pixel may be set when the pixel is painted, if the luminosity value of the pixel does not exceed a luminosity threshold. In some embodiments, the method discloses a process for updating the value of the bit through the rasterization process. The pixel may be identified as a candidate for trapping based on the value of the at least one bit at trapping time.
US09384423B2

A system and method for computing confidence in an output of a text recognition system includes performing character recognition on an input text image with a text recognition system to generate a candidate string of characters. A first representation is generated, based on the candidate string of characters, and a second representation is generated based on the input text image. A confidence in the candidate string of characters is computed based on a computed similarity between the first and second representations in a common embedding space.
US09384415B2

According to an embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an obtainer, a setter, a first calculator, a second calculator, and a third calculator. The obtainer obtains an image. The setter sets a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions on the image. Each of the first regions and the second regions includes two or more pixels, and at least one of the second regions is different in position or size from the first regions. The first calculator calculates first feature data representing an image feature of the first regions. The second calculator calculates second feature data which is a luminance gradient between the second regions. The third calculator calculates relative feature data representing a relative relationship between the first feature data and the second feature data.
US09384402B1

A vehicle may receive one or more images of an environment of the vehicle. The vehicle may also receive a map of the environment. The vehicle may also match at least one feature in the one or more images with corresponding one or more features in the map. The vehicle may also identify a given area in the one or more images that corresponds to a portion of the map that is within a threshold distance to the one or more features. The vehicle may also compress the one or more images to include a lower amount of details in areas of the one or more images other than the given area. The vehicle may also provide the compressed images to a remote system, and responsively receive operation instructions from the remote system.
US09384401B2

A method for detecting fog by use of a camera image or a video image includes the taking of a two-dimensional image with at least one color channel or several color channels as a function of two independent location coordinates. The method determines a two-dimensional gray-scale function for the at least one color channel or for each of the several color channels, which defines the value of the gray scale as a function of the two independent location coordinates of the two-dimensional image. Then, the method performs a two-dimensional Fourier transformation of the two-dimensional gray-scale function depending on two independent frequency coordinates.
US09384391B2

Methods and systems for classifying a region of interest in an electronic document. A first region from the electronic document is extracted. The first region includes at least the region of interest. A first projection profile of pixels is determined in the region of interest. The first projection profile of pixels is indicative of a presence of a content in the region of interest. The region of interest is classified in at least one category based on a comparison of the first projection profile with a predetermined projection profile associated with the region of interest.
US09384386B2

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for increasing facial-recognition working range through adaptive super-resolution. One embodiment takes the form of a process that includes calculating one or more video metrics with respect to an input set of video frames. The process also includes obtaining a metric-specific weighting factor for each of the calculated video metrics. The process also includes calculating a weighted sum based on the obtained metric-specific weighting factors and the corresponding calculated video metrics. The process also includes selecting, based at least in part on the calculated weighted sum, a super-resolution technique from among a plurality of super-resolution techniques. The process also includes outputting an indication of the selected super-resolution technique.
US09384371B2

The compact CMOS current-mode analog multifunction circuit is based on an implementation using MOSFETs operating in a sub-threshold region and forming two overlapping translinear loops capable of performing multiplication, division, controllable gain current amplifier, current mode differential amplifier, and differential-input single-output current amplifier.
US09384355B2

An information processing apparatus that is capable of preventing leakage of confidential information from data saved on a nonvolatile memory even when the apparatus makes a transition to a hibernation state. The information processing apparatus with a hibernation function has a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory. A security-area determination unit determines whether a memory area allocated to the volatile memory is a security area. A transition unit to save data saved on a memory area of the volatile memory that is determined as a non-security area by the security-area determination unit and not to save data saved on a memory area of the volatile memory that is determined as a security area, when going to a hibernation state. A resuming unit writes the data that is saved on the nonvolatile memory back to the volatile memory at the time of resuming from the hibernation state.
US09384354B2

A method includes a computing system reading a rule file that includes one or more rules having specified paths to methods, such that each method corresponds to one of a sink, source, or sanitizer. The method includes the computing system matching the methods to corresponding ones of sinks, sources, or sanitizers determined through a static analysis of an application. The static analysis determines at least flows from sources of information to sinks that use the information. The method includes the computing system, using the sinks, sources, and sanitizers found by the matching, performing a taint analysis to determine at least tainted flows from sources to sinks, the tainted flows being flows that pass information to sinks without the information being endorsed by a sanitizer. Apparatus and program products are also shown.
US09384344B2

Systems and methods, including computer software adapted to perform certain operations, can be implemented for preventing content received from non-trusted sources from accessing protected data. A sequence of instructions and multiple permission indicators associated with the sequence of instructions are received. One or more of permission indicators are associated with a protected activity. An instruction within the sequence of instructions associated with the protected activity is identified. A determination is made whether execution of the identified instruction is permitted based, at least in part, on the one or more permission indicators, and the protected activity is performed if execution of the identified instruction is permitted.
US09384334B2

A content store is maintained in a device, the device being one of multiple devices in a managed wireless distribution network that allows portions of protected content to be transferred among the multiple devices via multiple wireless networks hosted by various ones of the multiple devices. The content store is configured to maintain portions of protected content that can be consumed by a user of the device only if the user of the device is licensed to consume the protected content. An indication of portions of protected content stored in the content store is provided to each of a set of the multiple devices or to a network management service. Routes to portions of content in the managed wireless distribution network can be identified by the network management service or the multiple devices.
US09384333B2

The present invention relates to data rights management and more particularly to a secured system and methodology and production system and methodology related thereto and to apparatus and methodology for production side systems and are consumer side systems for securely utilizing protected electronic data files of content (protected content), and further relates to controlled distribution, and regulating usage of the respective content on a recipient device (computing system) to be limited strictly to defined permitted uses, in accordance with usage rights (associated with the respective content to control usage of that respective content), on specifically restricted to a specific one particular recipient device (for a plurality of specific particular recipient devices), or usage on some or any authorized recipient device without restriction to any one in specific, to control use of the respective content as an application software program, exporting, modifying, executing as an application program, viewing, and/or printing of electronic data files.
US09384329B2

A system and method is disclosed determining caloric burn via an HCI system. Using a capture device which is able to detect the thickness of a user's arms, legs, torso, etc., the system determines a mass for each of a user's body parts. Thereafter, in one example, the system measures caloric burn for a given body part as a function of how far the body part was displaced, a mass of the body part displaced and gravity.
US09384326B2

A diagnosis support apparatus includes a display control unit configured to display an input GUI which receives input of a plurality of findings regarding a subject, a deducing unit configured to deduce a diagnosis of the subject on the basis of the findings input through the input GUI, and a determining unit configured to determine whether one of the plurality of input findings supports the deduction or not. In this case the display control unit changes the display form of the input GUI which receives input of the determined finding in accordance with the determination result.
US09384325B2

A method of generating a density enhanced model of an object is described. The method includes generating a customized a model of an object using a pre-defined set of models in combination with at least one projection image of the object, where the customized model is formed of a plurality of volume elements including density information. A density map is generated by relating a synthesized projection image of the customized model to an actual projection image of the object. Gains from the density map are back-projected into the customized model to provide a density enhanced customized model of the object. Because the density map is calculated using information from the synthesized projection image in combination with actual projection images of the structure, it has been shown to provide spatial geometry and volumetric density results comparable to those of QCT but with reduced patient exposure, equipment cost and examination time.
US09384317B1

One aspect checks and prepares design data (202) based on design rule(s) to identify tracks for physical implementation of an electronic design. Structured physical implementation (204) is performed to implement at least a part of the electronic design by using the tracks under separate design rule(s). Structured physical implementation using the tracks under separate design rules result in correct-by-construction implementation results automatically satisfying the design rule(s), without performing additional design rule checking on the design rule(s). Additional physical implementation (206) may be optionally performed for portion(s) of the electronic design not implemented with the structured physical implementation. Layout fixing or optimization may be optionally performed to fix design rule violations in the additional physical implementation results, if any, or to optimize the additional physical implementation results.
US09384309B2

Some embodiments of the present invention provide techniques and systems for determining and using margin values. An arrival time at an output pin of a logic gate can be determined. Next, required times at the output pin of the logic gate can be determined. Each required time can be associated with a timing end-point in a path-group, affected by that pin. The system can then determine a first set of slack values at the output pin of the logic gate by computing a difference between the required times and the arrival time. Next, the system can determine a set of margin values at the output pin of the logic gate by computing a difference between the first set of slack values and a second set of slack values at the timing end-points in the path-groups. Next, the system can use the set of margin values to optimize the logic gate.
US09384308B2

A system and method to compile different types of data from different locations into one reliable assemblage is provided. The assemblage includes an index of information provided to a user. The assemblage may be in the form of a three dimensional (3D) representation of an object, where the 3D representation includes an index and links to more detailed information regarding the object. The 3D representation of any object, for example, a body part in the context of medical imaging, or a building in the context of architectural and engineering design. The assemblage is comprised of 3D and 2D artifacts. The 2D artifact includes 2D vector and raster embellishment in a variety of forms. The 3D artifact includes vector graphics (2D and 3D) including all data obtained through data conversion methods, and “Point clouds” (voxels).
US09384306B2

A method of searching an address book and a portable communication device using the same, the method including: arranging an address book based on a character selected from information being displayed on the portable communication device; and displaying the arranged address book.
US09384302B2

A sequence of tuples, each having one or more attributes, is received at one of one or more processing elements operating on one or more processors. Each processing element may have one or more stream operators. A first stream operator may be identified as one that only processes an instance of a first attribute in a currently received tuple when a difference between an instance of the first attribute in a previously received tuple and the instance of the first attribute in the currently received tuple is outside of a difference threshold. A second stream operator may generate a difference attribute from a first instance of the first attribute in a first one of the received tuples and a second instance of the first attribute in a second one of the received tuples. The difference attribute may be transmitted from the second stream operator to the first stream operator.
US09384296B2

In order to provide an information providing system appropriate for acquiring information associated with text contained in a Web document, a plugin program is executed in a client device, and settings in a dispatch unit are modified. Specification of text in a Web document by an input reception unit, acquisition of text from the Internet by a document acquisition unit, and display on a screen by a document display unit are hooked when required. When a first type instruction specifying a URL is input with the input reception unit, a document is acquired by a document acquisition unit. When a second type instruction is input, an associated information acquisition unit queries a plurality of server devices with the text, and an associated information display unit displays the associated information provided in a popup. Thus, in addition to the Web document, a user is presented with associated information such as the safety of the URL, translation results of the text into various languages, and ads highly relevant to the text.
US09384293B2

Methods and devices for facilitating access to a webpage associated with a contact are described. In one aspect, a method includes: obtaining a first contact entry; determining if the first contact entry includes a webpage identifier; and if the first contact entry includes a webpage identifier, populating a portion of a web browser with the webpage identifier included in the first contact entry.
US09384289B2

Techniques are provided for prediction locations of users that submit search queries. A query is received at a search engine. An inverted index is searched to identify one or more geographical locations associated with one or more terms of the received query. The inverted index lists a plurality of query terms and one or more geographical locations associated with each query term. Each geographic location that is associated with a listed query term in the inverted index is a determined location for at least one user previously having submitted the listed term in a search query. A geographical location is predicted for a user that submitted the received query based on the identified one or more geographical locations. In this manner, a location is predicted for the user based on similar queries previously submitted by users.
US09384288B2

A system for selecting an image to accompany text from a user in connection with a social media post. The system is capable of receiving text from the user, identifying one or more search terms based on the text, identifying candidate images from images in one or more image databases using the search terms, presenting one or more candidate images to the user, receiving from the user a selected image from the one or more candidate images, generating the social media post comprising the selected image and the user-submitted text, and transmitting the social media post for display.
US09384283B2

The present invention provides for a novel method and system for the monitoring of actions by users likely to precede said user leaving the domain of a network resource. Also provided for, is a method and system for the deterring users from leaving the domain of a network resource, a method and system for increasing user traffic to a network resource and a method and system for monitoring trends within a population using network resources.
US09384282B2

An efficient fact checking system analyzes and determines the factual accuracy of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with source information. The efficient fact checking system automatically monitors information, processes the information, fact checks the information efficiently and/or provides a status of the information.
US09384280B2

A transceiver of a computing device may receive data from a query to provide to a search engine to perform a search. The computing device may negotiate, automatically to overcome a restriction to access a page of a set of top webpages in association with the search, a fee. A processor of the computing device may continue to search information associated with the query on the page using a machine learning function.
US09384277B2

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for generating a three dimensional output which includes a continuum of image data sprayed over three-dimensional models. The three-dimensional models can be representative of features captured by the image data wherein image data can be captured at multiple disparate points along another continuum. The user interface can also include multiple modalities of image data and statistical analysis of the image data.
US09384275B2

A computer-implemented system and method for building an implicit music recommendation is presented. Listening habits and selections of a recommender are monitored. A determination that the recommender has repeatedly listened to a particular music selection is made. A recommendation is generated for the repeated music selection. The recommendation is transmitted to one or more recipients on behalf of the recommender.
US09384266B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on one or more computer storage devices, for predictive generation of search suggestions. The methods include receiving a first location from a user device. The methods include determining, prior to receiving a search request, search results associated with locations in proximity to the first location. The methods also include sending the search results to the user device.
US09384264B1

A computer system extracts contender values as positively associated with a pre-defined value from a compilation of one or more electronically stored semi-structured document(s) and/or one or more electronically stored unstructured document(s). The computer system performs a multi-dimensional analysis to narrow the universe of contender values from all words on a page of the compilation to the contender value(s) with the highest likelihood of being associated with the pre-defined value. The system's platform allows every user of the system to customize the system according to the user's needs. Various aspects can enable users to mine document stores for information that can be charted, graphed, studied, and compared to help make better decisions.
US09384250B2

A system and method for identifying related messages are provided. A set of messages, each having a header, sender and transmission time, is obtained. A message is selected from the set. A body of the selected message is compared to a body of a further message in the set. The further message is labeled as a duplicate of the selected message when the bodies match. The duplicate labeling of the further message is verified when the header, sender, and transmission time of the further message matches the header, sender, and transmission time of the selected message. The duplicate messages are removed from the set. The remaining messages are sorted in order of message length. A shorter message is compared with a longer message and is marked as a near duplicate of the longer message when the body of the shorter message is included in the body of the longer message.
US09384245B2

An information retrieval system for automatically retrieving information related to the context of an active task being manipulated by a user. The system observes the operation of the active task and user interactions, and utilizes predetermined criteria to generate context representation of the active task that are relevant to the context of the active task. The information retrieval system then processes the context representation to generate queries or search terms for conducting an information search. The information retrieval system determines the relevance of a word to the context by utilizing an adaptive weighting system. The information retrieval system assigns varying weights to different attributes of a word and calculates an accumulated weight of the word by accumulating all weights assigned to the word. The attributes may include word size, style, location of the word, etc. The system then ranks the importance of words based on their respective accumulated weight, and chooses words that rank within a predetermined number from the top to form search terms to conduct an information search using various data sources.
US09384241B2

The techniques described herein determine an initial set of ranked images associated with an image-based search query. Based on visual content similarities between images in the initial set of ranked images, the techniques select confident image samples from the initial set of ranked images. The techniques then use the confident image samples to rerank the initial set of ranked images. Accordingly, a search engine uses the confident image samples to promote images that are likely to be relevant to the search query, while demoting images that are not likely to be relevant to the search query. Therefore, the search engine can provide improved relevance-based search results to an image-based search query.
US09384239B2

Various technologies described herein pertain to parallel local sequence alignment that aligns a query sequence with a database sequence. The database sequence is segmented into a plurality of stripes. A first processing unit can compute Smith-Waterman values for a first stripe of the database sequence across the query sequence based on a cost function that models biological similarity between sequences. Moreover, a second processing unit can compute Smith-Waterman values for a second stripe of the database sequence across the query sequence based on the cost function. Further, a subset of the Smith-Waterman values for the second stripe of the database sequence across the query sequence can be re-computed based on the cost function (e.g., by the first processing unit or the second processing unit). The subset of the Smith-Waterman values to be re-computed can be determined based on a query sequence length and the cost function.
US09384238B2

A computer-implemented method is disclosed for efficiently processing a large number of records. In the method, a computer system may obtain a plurality of records and count the number of records thereof corresponding to each block of a plurality of blocks. The computer system may also identify a plurality of partitions corresponding to selected blocks of the plurality of blocks. Each partition of the plurality of partitions may be substantially uniform in processing time. The computer system may then distribute a workload associated with a block or partition to each node of a plurality of nodes contained within the computer system. Each node may then process the block or partition in parallel such that each node completes the processing within a selected period of time.
US09384233B2

Methods and systems for automatically synthesizing product information from multiple data sources into an on-line catalog are disclosed, and in particular, for automatically synthesizing the product information based on attribute-value pairs. Information for a product may be obtained, via entity extraction, feed ingestion, and other mechanisms, from a plurality of structured and unstructured data sources having different taxonomies and schemas. Product information may additionally or alternatively be obtained or derived based on popularity data. The product information may be cleansed, segmented and normalized. The product information may be clustered so closest products, attribute names and attribute values are associated. A representative value for an attribute name may be determined, and the on-line catalog may be updated so that entries are comprehensive, meaningful and useful to a catalog user. Updates from at least 500 million different data sources may be scheduled to occur as frequently as several times daily.
US09384225B2

Systems and methods for providing hi-fidelity contextual search results are described. In one described embodiment, a method for providing hi-fidelity contextual search results includes receiving a query comprising a search term, determining a location on a page that is responsive to the query, wherein the page has a native appearance, determining a contextual area associated with the location on the page, and causing the contextual area to be output in a hi-fidelity result set, wherein the contextual area has an appearance the same as the native appearance of the page.
US09384219B2

A computer system, comprising: a computer for outputting a result in response to a request; and a storage system for storing data output based on the request, the computer including: a request reception module for receiving the request; a processing procedure generation module for generating a plurality of processing procedures including an order of access to the data stored in the plurality of storage devices; a data division module for dividing the data; an information obtaining module for obtaining load information indicating a load condition of the storage system; an allotment determination module for determining, based on the obtained load information, allotments for allocating the divided data to be processed by the generated plurality of processing procedures; and a processing execution module for executing, based on the determined allotments, the generated plurality of processing procedures in parallel.
US09384210B2

Local storage on player instruments provides the ability for adding further amendments and most recent supplements to the optical disc content. A problem arising with this technically applicable possibility is the protection of copyrights bound to disc and supplement data. The present invention describes a technique to ensure a security framework that is able to handle this, by creating a virtual file system (VFS) by merging optical disc data and local storage data based upon a common identifier.
US09384203B1

Computer-implemented systems and methods are disclosed for indexing and aggregating proxy server data. In accordance with some embodiments, the systems comprise a memory device configured to store a set of instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute the set of instructions to receive a plurality of log lines of proxy server data comprising a plurality of data components and index one or more of the plurality of data components for the plurality of log lines. The processors also generate a plurality of log data records, each including the one or more indexed data components, and generate a summarized data record by aggregating one or more log data records having at least one matching indexed data component.
US09384202B1

Some implementations may include a gateway module to receive, from a software application, a command to perform an action to a database. The gateway module may translate the command to create a translated command based on configuration data associated with the database. The configuration data may enable the gateway module to determine how to perform the action to the database. The gateway module may determine whether the translated command is valid based on the configuration data. If the translated command is valid, the gateway module may send the translated command to the database. The gateway module may receive a result of performing the translated command from the database. The gateway module may determine, based on the translated command, the result, or both, whether conditions associated with a triggered command are satisfied (e.g., met). If the conditions are satisfied, the gateway module may send the triggered command to the gateway module.
US09384196B2

A method and system for generating a large-scale database of heterogeneous speech are provided. The method includes transcribing a plurality of multimedia signals retrieved from a large text database and a speech database; randomly selecting a plurality of speech segments from the plurality of multimedia signals, wherein each speech segment of the plurality of speech segments is of a random length; generating a plurality of signatures based on the plurality of speech segments; and populating the large-scale database with the plurality of signatures respective of the plurality of multimedia signals.
US09384190B2

A method (300) and system (100) is provided to add the creation of examples at a developer level in the generation of Natural Language Understanding (NLU) models, tying the examples into a NLU sentence database (130), automatically validating (310) a correct outcome of using the examples, and automatically resolving (316) problems the user has using the examples. The method (300) can convey examples of what a caller can say to a Natural Language Understanding (NLU) application. The method includes entering at least one example associated with an existing routing destination, and ensuring an NLU model correctly interprets the example unambiguously for correctly routing a can to the routing destination. The method can include presenting the example sentence in a help message (126) within an NLU dialog as an example of what a caller can say for connecting the caller to a desired routing destination. The method can also include presented a failure dialog for displaying at least one example that failed to be properly interpreted to ensure that ambiguous or incorrect examples are not presented in a help message.
US09384182B2

Systems, methods and machine-readable mediums for defining and executing new commands in a spreadsheet application are provided. A method may include receiving a declaration command in a first spreadsheet cell. The declaration command identifying a command name for the new command and operations performed for the command name based on a plurality of second spreadsheet cells. A system may include a processor programmed to evaluate the declaration command in the first spreadsheet cell according to the instructions stored in a storage device, receive the command name and at least two parameters identifying at least one input spreadsheet cell and at least one output spreadsheet cell of the spreadsheet application, create a new command for the spreadsheet application, and evaluate the new command as identified by the command name in a second spreadsheet cell for execution. The computer readable mediums provide instructions to cause the processor to perform the operations above.
US09384179B2

Systems and methods are provided for evaluating composition of a first file representing a document to be evaluated. An evaluation method transforms the first file to a second file. The second file includes a plurality of objects corresponding to the composition of the first file. The evaluation method also determines parameters based on the plurality of objects; evaluates the parameters based on a plurality of composition rules provided by a rule engine; generates evaluation findings and stores the evaluation findings; and generates an evaluation conclusion based on the evaluation findings. The evaluation conclusion indicates compliance of the document according to the composition rules.
US09384163B2

An on-package interface. A first set of single-ended transmitter circuits on a first die. A first set of single-ended receiver circuits on a second die. The receiver circuits have a termination circuit comprising an inverter and a resistive feedback element. A plurality of conductive lines couple the first set of transmitter circuits and the first set of receiver circuits. The lengths of the plurality of conductive lines arc matched.
US09384161B2

Methods and apparatus for facilitating data throughput improvements in interconnect fabrics employing point-to-point links using dynamically selectable routing. Initiators and targets are operatively coupled to first and second fabrics. The first and second fabrics include multiple point-to-point internal links and are communicatively coupled to one another via multiple fabric-to-fabric links, including first and second links from the first fabric to the second fabric. During operations, traffic on the first fabric-to-fabric link is detected to determine if it is busy, and depending on the determination, data transfers from an initiator coupled to the first fabric destined for a target coupled to the second fabric are selectively routed via either the first or second fabric-to-fabric links.
US09384160B2

Methods and systems for managing Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (“SATA”) affiliation transfers between a requesting controller and a granting controller of a storage system. After receiving an affiliation request from the requesting controller, the granting controller queries a number of commands that are queued locally at the granting controller. The granting controller grants the affiliation to the requesting controller after a period of time that is determined based on the queried number of commands that are queue locally.
US09384152B2

A memory system includes a memory controller coupled to multiple memory devices. Each memory device includes an oscillator that generates an internal reference signal that oscillates at a frequency that is a function of physical device structures within the memory device. The frequencies of the internal reference signals are thus device specific. Each memory device develops a shared reference signal from its internal reference signal and communicates the shared reference signal to the common memory controller. The memory controller uses the shared reference signals to recover device-specific frequency information from each memory device, and then communicates with each memory device at a frequency compatible with the corresponding internal reference signal.
US09384147B1

A system comprises a host device and a cache controller. The host device includes a command buffer and a host application that posts a cache command that includes a cache key and a key aging alias in the command buffer. The cache controller includes logic circuitry configured to load the cache command from the command buffer of the first host device into the buffer memory, identify a match, if any, for the cache key in the command queue, perform the cache command, and return cache completion status information to the first host application, wherein the cache completion status information includes a value of the key aging alias in cache metadata when a match for the cache key is found and includes a value of the key aging alias provided by the first host application when a match for the cache key is not found.
US09384137B2

A system includes a computerized appliance connected to a network, a processor, a persistent memory, a dynamic random access memory, and software executing on the processor, the software provides for installing an application, storing data to be used in execution of the application, mapping logical block addresses at which particular data is stored to data in an order of expected use, the data-use profile listing an expected order of data use in execution of the application, configuring the DRAM with a cache of a specific data capacity, transferring a block of data equal to the cache size into the cache according to the order of data in the data-use profile, and as data is used in execution of the application, emptying used data from the cache and transferring not-yet-used data from persistent storage into the cache according to the order of data in the data-use profile.
US09384136B2

A prefetch stream is established in a prefetch unit of a memory controller for a system memory at a lowest level of a volatile memory hierarchy of the data processing system based on a memory access request received from a processor core. The memory controller receives an indication of an upcoming high latency event affecting access to the system memory. In response to the indication, the memory controller temporarily increases a prefetch depth of the prefetch stream with respect to the system memory and issues, to the system memory, a plurality of prefetch requests in accordance with the temporarily increased prefetch depth in advance of the upcoming high latency event.
US09384135B2

The disclosure is directed to a system and method of cache management for a data storage system. According to various embodiments, the cache management system includes a hinting driver and a priority controller. The hinting driver generates pointers based upon data packets intercepted from data transfer requests being processed by a host controller of the data storage system. The priority controller determines whether the data packets are associated with at least a first (high) priority level or a second (normal or low) priority level based upon the pointers generated by the hinting driver. High priority data packets are stored in cache memory regardless of whether they satisfy a threshold heat quotient (i.e. a selected level of data transfer activity).
US09384128B2

In the controller circuit of a non-volatile memory system, data is protected by CRC (cyclic redundancy code) between functional blocks of the controller: Before a data set is transmitted from one functional block (such the host interface) to another functional block (such as data encryption or ECC), corresponding CRC is generated and transferred with the data. At the second block, the data set can be checked with the CRC at the second block before it operates on the data. This allows the controller to check for internal transfer errors early, allow for corrupted data to be re-requested, such as from a host when this process is applied to a data write operation. After the second block finishes with the data, a new CRC can then be generated to protect the data on its next internal transfer. This arrangement can particularly useful for functional blocks that transform the data set.
US09384125B2

The present invention provides a method for accessing a flash memory, where a block of the flash memory includes pages whose quantity is (2N+M), N and M are positive integers. The method includes: writing a data stream into 1st-(2N)th pages, and backing up data of a portion of the 1st-(2N)th pages into (2N+1)th-(2N+M)th pages.
US09384124B2

According to one embodiment, a data storage device includes a first controller, a second controller, and a third controller. The first controller performs a control operation of writing data of a first data unit to a storage area in a flash memory and reading the data of the first data unit from the storage area. The second controller carries out migration processing of measuring a data amount of valid data stored in storage areas of a second data unit that is a data erase processing unit.
US09384116B2

Embodiments provide a graphical representation of load distribution or “balance” in a computing cluster. Load metrics representing the resource utilization of individual host computing devices are collected, and a load imbalance metric representing the variability of the host load metrics is calculated. A graphical balance indicator including a balance position and a boundary is created. An imbalance icon is positioned relative to the balance position and the boundary based on the calculated load imbalance metric. Attributes of the graphical balance indicator, such as the position of the boundary and/or the size of the imbalance icon, may be determined based on an acceptable imbalance threshold value.
US09384106B2

One or more circular debug buffers can allow terminal output data to be provided from the target system to a host without halting the target system or causing significant delays. One or more circular debug buffers may also allow input (such as keyboard input) to be provided from the host to the target without halting the target system or causing significant delays. Accordingly, communications between the target and host may be performed in real time or near real time. These communications may be used for debugging purposes or more generally, for any purpose, including purposes unrelated to debugging.
US09384093B1

A data protection system having a host, a solid-state drive (“SSD”) array comprising at least three non-volatile memory express (“NVMe”) drives, each NVMe drive comprising a buffer, and a peripheral component interconnect express (“PCIe”) data bus interfacing the host and the NVMe drives. The NVMe drives are implemented with commands for implementing a RAID volume in the SSD array, wherein the commands are operable to perform RAID operations at the NVMe drives using the buffers of the NVMe drives.
US09384092B2

A semiconductor memory device includes; a memory cell array comprising a first sub-memory cell array storing first data having a first characteristic and a second sub-memory cell array storing second data having a second characteristic different from the first characteristic, a first peripheral circuit operatively associated with only the first sub-memory cell array to execute at least one of a read operation and a write operation directed to a target memory cell of the first sub-memory cell array, and a second peripheral circuit operatively associated with only the second sub-memory cell array to execute at least one of a read operation and a write operation directed to a target memory cell of the second sub-memory cell array.
US09384085B2

A method, device, and system for monitoring a quickpath interconnect link. The method includes: acquiring, by a quickpath interconnect link monitoring device, a number of code errors of a cyclic redundancy code check on the quickpath interconnect link and a routing table information for the nodes; comparing the number of the code errors of the cyclic redundancy code check and a preset code error threshold of the cyclic redundancy code check; obtaining a result from the comparison; and mapping the result and the routing table information into a first graphical interface, wherein the first graphical interface is used to indicate the connection state of the quickpath interconnect link according to the result and the routing table information.
US09384079B2

In a system operations management apparatus, a burden to a system administrator when providing a decision criterion in detection of a failure in the future is reduced. The system operations management apparatus 1 includes a performance information accumulation unit 12, a model generation unit 30 and an analysis unit 31. The performance information accumulation unit 12 stores performance information including a plurality of types of performance values in a system in time series. The model generation unit 30 generates a correlation model including one or more correlations between the different types of performance values stored in the performance information accumulation unit 12 for each of a plurality of periods having one of a plurality of attributes. The analysis unit 31 performs abnormality detection of the performance information of the system which has been inputted by using the inputted performance information and the correlation model corresponding to the attribute of a period in which the inputted performance information has been acquired.
US09384078B2

A method for diagnosing a mechanism of untimely cut-offs of the power supply to a motor vehicle computer (1) which is programmed to execute a startup routine when woken up and a shutdown routine before being put into sleep mode, includes, at the time of each shutdown routine, generating and storing in storage elements a marker representing a completed execution of the shutdown routine, and at the time of each startup routine, checking for the presence of a marker, and if the marker is present, reinitializing the storage elements of the marker, and if the marker is absent, generating a data element representing a power supply fault.
US09384069B2

Provided is a method for event processing and a system for using the same. The system for event processing in a computer may include an interface to detect an input associated with an event, an event definition engine which defines the event using a plurality of event components and a corresponding event component wrapper wrapping each of the plurality of event components, an event processing engine which processes the event, and an event action module to generate an output based on the event. The event definition engine may determine a hierarchical relationship between the plurality of event components and assigns the hierarchical relationship in the corresponding event component wrapper. Moreover, the event processing engine may execute each of the event components according to the hierarchical relationship assigned in the event component wrapper.
US09384066B1

A method for learning aspects of messages in an industrial control system is provided. The method includes obtaining a plurality of messages. The method includes starting at a first message field, proceeding via recursion to each next message field, and identifying message values at that message field as constant when constant in messages in a group, as random when random in messages in a group, as length when expressive of a shared length of messages in a group, as opcode when correlated with a shared structure of messages in a group, and otherwise as parameter. The method includes subdividing message groups into subgroups according to the identified message values at that message field, with the recursion applied to each subgroup. A method and system for monitoring messages in an industrial control system is provided.
US09384064B2

A processor comprising multiple processor cores and a bus for exchanging data between the multiple processor cores is disclosed. Each of the multiple processor cores includes: at least one processor register; a cache for storing at least one cache line of memory; a load store unit for executing a memory command to exchange data between the cache and the at least one processor register; an atomic memory operation unit for executing an atomic memory operation on the at least one cache line of memory; and a high throughput register for storing a status indicating a high throughput or a normal status. The load store unit is operable to transfer the atomic memory operation to the atomic memory operation unit of a designated processor core if the atomic memory operation status is the high throughput status using the bus.
US09384062B2

Methods and apparatuses for balancing computing workload via migrating computing tasks are disclosed. An artificial neural network (ANN) is trained based on the workload distribution over time for a host. The ANN predicts the workload for the host, and an indication may be sent to migrate at least one computing task away from the host. The indication is sent when the method is operating in a proactive mode and when the predicted workload is outside of a desired operating range. Some embodiments monitor the workload; and automatically switch the method to the proactive mode, when a difference between the monitored workload and the predicted workload is small. Other embodiments monitor the workload; and automatically switch the method to a reactive mode, when the monitored workload is outside of a failsafe operating range for the particular host.
US09384052B2

A message passing system may execute a parallel application on multiple compute nodes. Each compute node may perform a single workload on at least two physical computing resources. Messages may be passed from one compute node to another, and each physical computing resource assigned to a compute node may receive and process the messages. In some embodiments, the compute nodes may be virtualized so that a message passing system may only detect a single compute node and not the multiple underlying physical computing resources.
US09384050B2

A scheduling method is executed by a first CPU and a second CPU. The scheduling method includes acquiring by the first CPU and when a first application is invoked, a first threshold for executing the first application; transmitting by the first CPU, a first threshold to the second CPU; and giving notification to the first CPU by the second CPU when an execution capability of the second CPU is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the notification indicating that the second CPU can execute the first application. The second CPU does not give notification to the first CPU when the execution capability of the second CPU is less than the first threshold.
US09384036B1

A method includes performing one or more operations as requested by a thread executing on a processor, the thread having a thread context; receiving a park request from the thread, the park request received following a request from the thread for a low latency resource, wherein the cache response time is less than or equal to a resource response threshold so as to allow the thread context to be stored and retrieved from the cache in less time than the portion of time it takes to complete the request for the low latency resource; storing the thread context in the cache; detecting that the resume condition has occurred; retrieving the thread context from the cache; and resuming execution of the thread.
US09384034B2

Detecting the operation of a virtual machine by identifying seed candidates from sets of random numbers generated at a computer, where each of the sets includes multiple random numbers, identifying candidate performance counter frequencies from the seed candidates and from timing information associated with the sets of random numbers, and determining that the computer is operating as a virtual machine if any of the candidate performance counter frequencies is consistent with a predefined virtual machine performance counter frequency.
US09384031B2

An information processing apparatus that controls a resource allocation amount for one or a plurality of virtual machines run by a computer, the information processing apparatus includes a memory that stores an allowable index upper limit and index information indicating an association between the resource allocation amount and an index and a processor that, when a virtual machine lacking resources is detected from a resource usage status, increases the resource allocation amount allocated to the virtual machine lacking resources such that an index value calculated according to the index information and the resource allocation amount for the one or a plurality of virtual machines does not exceed the upper limit.
US09384024B2

A system and method for providing dynamic device virtualization is herein disclosed. According to one embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes observing a behavior of a native device driver of a device attached to a host computer, dynamically creating a virtual device driver by observing the behavior of the native device driver on a host operating system (OS) of the host computer, and providing the virtual device driver to a guest OS running on a virtualization host.
US09384015B2

Various embodiments are generally directed an apparatus and method for configuring an execution environment in a user space for device driver operations and redirecting a device driver operation for execution in the execution environment in the user space including copying instructions of the device driver operation from the kernel space to a user process in the user space. In addition, the redirected device driver operation may be executed in the execution environment in the user space.
US09384008B1

Methods and systems for a network device are provided. The network device includes a storage protocol controller having a port for interfacing with a storage area network (SAN) based storage device; a processor executing instructions for managing a local storage device that is configured to operate as a caching device for a computing device. The local storage device is used to store a recovery copy of an operating system of the computing device, where the recovery copy is accessible via a processor executable basic/input output (BIOS) utility.
US09384004B2

Task specific diagnostic controls are provided to facilitate the debugging of certain types of abort conditions. The diagnostic controls may be set to cause transactions to be selectively aborted, allowing a transaction to drive its abort handler routine for testing purposes. The controls include, for instance, a transaction diagnostic scope and a transaction diagnostic control. The transaction diagnostic scope indicates when the transaction diagnostic control is to be applied, and the transaction diagnostic control indicates whether transactions are to selectively aborted.
US09384000B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to a computer system for storing an internal instruction loop in a loop buffer. The computer system includes a loop buffer and a processor. The computer system is configured to perform a method including fetching instructions from memory to generate an internal instruction to be executed, detecting a beginning of a first instruction loop in the instructions, determining that a first internal instruction loop corresponding to the first instruction loop is not stored in the loop buffer, fetching the first instruction loop, optimizing one or more instructions corresponding to the first instruction loop to generate a first optimized internal instruction loop, and storing the first optimized internal instruction loop in the loop buffer based on the determination that the first internal instruction loop is not stored in the loop buffer.
US09383997B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a method of creating, based on an operating-system-scheduled thread running on an operating-system-visible sequencer and using an instruction set extension, a persistent user-level thread to run on an operating-system-sequestered sequencer independently of context switch activities on the operating-system-scheduled thread. The operating-system-scheduled thread and the persistent user-level thread may share a common virtual address space. Embodiments of the invention may also provide a method of causing a service thread running on an additional operating-system-visible sequencer to provide operating system services to the persistent user-level thread. Embodiments of the invention may further provide apparatus, system, and machine-readable medium thereof.
US09383995B2

Techniques are disclosed relating to ordering of load instructions in a weakly-ordered memory model. In one embodiment, a processor includes a cache with multiple cache lines and a store queue configured to maintain status information associated with a store instruction that targets a location in one of the cache lines. In this embodiment, the processor is configured to set an indicator in the status information in response to migration of the targeted cache line. The indicator may be usable to sequence performance of load instructions that are younger than the store instruction. For example, the processor may be configured to wait, based on the indicator, to perform a younger load instruction that targets the same location as the store instruction until the store instruction is removed from the store queue. This may prevent forwarding of the value of the store instruction to the younger load and preserve load-load ordering.
US09383993B2

In an illustrative embodiment of a process for software version recommendation, a computer receives information representative of a software instance at a target machine, analyzes the received information using a set of predefined rules and a set of available updates metadata associated with a particular updates agent and target machine to identify information pertinent to a combination of a respective target machine associated with the particular updates agent. The computer, responsive to a determination to send the identified information as a recommendation to the respective target machine, sends the recommendation to the combination of the respective target machine associated with the particular updates agent.
US09383992B2

In an illustrative embodiment of a process for software version recommendation, a computer receives information representative of a software instance at a target machine, analyzes the received information using a set of predefined rules and a set of available updates metadata associated with a particular updates agent and target machine to identify information pertinent to a combination of a respective target machine associated with the particular updates agent. The computer, responsive to a determination to send the identified information as a recommendation to the respective target machine, sends the recommendation to the combination of the respective target machine associated with the particular updates agent.
US09383983B2

Particular embodiments provide a method to authenticate a user of an application running on a mobile operating system (OS) installed on a mobile device, wherein the mobile OS invokes callback methods of the application upon making changes to an execution state of the application. Code embedded into the application causes the application to communicate with a management agent installed in the mobile OS upon invocation of a hooked callback method. Upon invocation of the hooked callback method, the embedded code assesses whether the user should be provided an authentication challenge prior to enabling the application to run in the foreground, and presents the authentication challenge if necessary. Finally, the embedded code returns execution control from the management agent back to the application wherein the application executes the at least one callback method prior to running in the foreground.
US09383979B2

Disclosed here are methods, systems, paradigms and structures for optimizing generation of intermediate representation (IR) for a script code by eliminating redundant object reference count operations from the IR. An IR of the script includes (a) a set of first code that increments a reference count of an object when a programming construct refers to the object, and (b) an associated set of second code which decrements the reference count of the object when a reference to the object is removed. The IR is analyzed to identify a subset of the set of second code which, upon execution, does not decrement the reference count of the object to a zero value. The subset of second code and the first code corresponding to the subset is removed from the IR to generate an optimized IR. The optimized IR is further converted to an executable code.
US09383975B1

The present invention is a technique of displaying in actual 3D space (i.e. not merely a 3D representation on a 2D surface) any type of diagram relating to software or integrated circuits that requires depth perception in order to be fully comprehended. The 3D space can be manipulated as desired, including but not limited to rotation, collapse/expand, and the ability of the user to enter the 3D space and view it from within.
US09383967B2

System and method for hardware implemented accumulation of waveform data. A digitizer is provided that includes: a circuit, and first and second memory banks, coupled to the circuit. The circuit may be configured to: store a first subset of the waveforms in the first memory bank, accumulate each waveform in a chunk-wise manner, where each chunk has a specified size, thereby generating a first bank sum including a first partial accumulation of the set of waveforms, store a second subset of waveforms in the second memory bank concurrently with the accumulation, and accumulate each waveform of the second subset of waveforms in a chunk-wise manner, thereby generating a second bank sum including a second partial accumulation of the set of waveforms, where the first and second partial accumulations of the set of waveforms are useable to generate an accumulated record of the set of waveforms.
US09383959B2

An object is to provide a mobile electronic device and an input method that can display soft keys corresponding to each of the characters of different character kinds appropriately even in a state where the display screen of the display unit is used horizontally. In a state where the display screen is used vertically, the control unit splits the display screen into upper and lower sides and displays the plurality of soft keys in the display screen uniformly. In a state where the display screen is used horizontally, the control unit splits the display screen into right and left sides, and displays the first character kind character on one side, and displays the second character kind character on the other side, and displays a plurality of soft keys on either one of the one side or the other side in a right-left direction.
US09383958B1

A remote browsing process is directed to the generation and management of a collaborative application session between client computing devices and content providers in conjunction with a network computing provider. Each of two or more client computing devices are associated with users. The client computing devices request access to a browsing context at a network computing provider. The network computing provider provides processing results corresponding to processed representations of requested content to the client computing devices. The client computing devices may each display the representations of the requested content in a browser. The network computing provider may further provide co-interaction data to the client computing devices for display. The co-interaction data may represent interactions of one or more users with the representations of content displayed at the users' respective client computing devices.
US09383957B2

A product creator system includes a business application and a distribution utility. The business application enables a user to specify and/or edit (via a user client) a document. The business application generates a packet that is transmitted to the distribution utility. The packet describes the document, such as a document of a particular type (where the document is based on variable content and/or variable layout), and a distribution method for the document. Distribution methods include print, ship, mail, fax, email, and save. The distribution utility generates and distributes the document (via an output device) based on the packet. The business application, which can be used with a variety of distribution utilities, includes a web front-end and a packet generator. The distribution utility, which can be used with a variety of business applications, includes control logic and a document processor. The document processor helps generate the document.
US09383956B2

Smart Phones that support voice activated commands for managing e-mails are disclosed and enabled. This new Smart Phone may include a touch sensitive screen, a graphical user interface, an e-mail application, an Internet browsing application, and applications for playing audio/video content. The Smart Phone includes an operating system and support for installation of new applications. The Smart Phone may further support part of a wireless protocol within IEEE 802.11. In one example, a user of the Smart Phone may reply to an e-mail by using voice commands or by selecting an icon over the touch sensitive screen. The user may scroll down or up an email using the touch sensitive screen interface. In other examples, the user may further issue voice commands to synchronize, stream, transmit, play, print, display, or mirror at least part of digital content from the Smart Phone to one or more output devices over air.
US09383946B2

Methods and systems receive, into computerized device, an instruction to print a document and provide a print driver interface in response to the instruction to print the document, from the computerized device. The methods and systems then automatically record user interaction with the print driver interface and determine an intended use of the document, based on the user interaction with the print driver interface, using the computerized device. The intended use of the document is in addition to an option to print the document. The methods and systems can then automatically print the document and/or electronically share the document based on the intended use of the document, using the computerized device.
US09383945B2

According to one embodiment, a method for writing a file to a plurality of media includes loading a parent medium into a first drive to retrieve ID information about the parent medium from metadata, writing a first file part to the parent medium and, at about a same time, saving a file name, attribute information, and attribute information about the first file part to the parent medium as metadata, loading a child medium into a second drive in order to write subsequent file parts and retrieving ID information about the child medium from metadata, writing the subsequent file parts to the child medium and, at about a same time, saving the ID information and attribute information about the subsequent file parts to the parent medium, and additionally saving the ID information about the child medium and the attribute information about the subsequent file parts as metadata in the child medium.
US09383923B1

Write pointer management for a disk drive including a disk having a plurality of sectors and a non-volatile memory (NVM) for storing data. Data is sequentially written sector by sector on the disk. The data written in a sector includes a write status indicator indicating that data has been written in the sector. A write pointer is stored on the disk or the NVM as a check-pointed write pointer. The write pointer corresponds to a current sector for writing data on the disk. During a write pointer recovery process, the check-pointed write pointer is retrieved, and at least one write status indicator is scanned in a range of sectors from the sector corresponding to the retrieved check-pointed write pointer and a last sector to identify the current sector for writing data. The write pointer is set to correspond to the identified current sector.
US09383918B2

A method includes detecting a touch at a plurality of touch locations on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device, identifying when the touch is a first gesture type based on touch attributes including a first touch location of the plurality of touch locations, and at least one of speed of the touch, time between detecting the touch at consecutive ones of the touch locations, distance between the consecutive ones of the touch locations, and direction of the touch.
US09383915B2

A method of zooming in a graphical user interface of an electronic device (1) having a touch screen (2) for receiving input from a user via touch interactions is disclosed. The method comprises detecting a first touch event, which is the result of a first touch interaction at a first coordinate (c1) of said touch screen (2). The method further comprises detecting a second touch event, which is the result of a second touch interaction, subsequent to the first touch interaction, at a second coordinate (c2) of said touch screen (2). Furthermore, the method comprises detecting a third touch event, which is the result of a third touch interaction, subsequent to the second touch interaction, at a third coordinate (c3a, c3b) of said touch screen (2). Moreover, the method comprises controlling the touch screen to perform a zoom operation on an image displayed on the graphical user interface. The zoom operation is representative of a first distance L1 between the first coordinate (c1) and the second coordinate (c2) and a second distance L2 between the first coordinate (c1) and the third coordinate (c3a, c3b). A corresponding electronic device, a corresponding computer program product, and a corresponding computer readable medium are also disclosed.
US09383914B2

The system may use a touch free device to identify a user. The system allows the user to operate a smart toilet's devices with the passive input of their presence, in the toilet area. The user may be identified using, facial recognition, eye recognition, or proximity card devices. The computer associates the identified user with the user's pre stored identity and preprogrammed user profile. The user's profile may contain the user's desired smart toilet device settings. Toilet devices settings and sequence of operation may include a bidet's water temperature, a toilet seat position, an internet connection to the computer, etc. Operating the toilet touch freely, reduces the user's physical contact with the toilet control panel and toilet seat. This may reduce the transference of bacteria from the toilet to the user. This may reduce the possibly of illness caused by bacteria. Other embodiments are described and shown.
US09383909B2

A display system provides a graphical user interface having a dynamic display field, which is contained within a useable display area. The dynamic display field can have an expanded state and collapsed state, and the current state of the dynamic display field can depend on properties of the useable display area. When collapsed, the dynamic display area has a shared content area and two or more content tags. Each content tag can be active or inactive, and the shared content area shows displayable contents corresponding to active content tags. Tags are activated and deactivated based on user selections. When expanded, the dynamic display field includes dedicated content areas, where each dedicated content area shows a displayable content. Accordingly, when the useable display space allows, the dynamic display field can automatically transition to the expanded state, thereby enabling a greater amount of content to be displayed at a time.
US09383908B2

In one or more embodiments, a hit test thread which is separate from the main thread, e.g. the user interface thread, is utilized for hit testing on web content. Using a separate thread for hit testing can allow targets to be quickly ascertained. In cases where the appropriate response is handled by a separate thread, such as a manipulation thread that can be used for touch manipulations such as panning and pinch zooming, manipulation can occur without blocking on the main thread. This results in the response time that is consistently quick even on low-end hardware over a variety of scenarios.
US09383907B2

A scrolling apparatus includes a screen, a contact detector which detects contact of a finger to the screen, a proximity detector which detects proximity of a finger to the screen, and a scrolling controller. If a first proximity of the finger is detected when an inertial scrolling of content is started, the scrolling controller transitions from the inertial scrolling to a constant scroll speed. When the detection of the first proximity of the finger continues, the scrolling at constant scroll speed continues even after the first proximity of the finger is not detected. When the scrolling at constant speed is performed after the first proximity of the finger is not detected, if a second proximity of the finger is detected, the scrolling controller stops the scrolling at constant speed, and then if the second proximity of the finger is not detected, the scrolling controller restarts the scrolling at constant speed.
US09383902B2

The present disclosure includes presentations with pages that access data from backend applications. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed where presentation pages are sent from a server and received in a client. The presentation pages may include static pages and interactive pages. Interactive pages include active regions that may be selected to access features on server applications. In one embodiment, an active region may be a portion of a presentation page that is selectable to access an application feature. In another embodiment, an active region may be a presentation page that interactively exposes an application feature in the presentation page.
US09383897B2

The present invention is generally related to graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and more specifically to displaying items in a radial menu. The radial menu may include a first number of locations for displaying radial menu items. Embodiments of the invention facilitate displaying a second number of radial menu items in the radial menu, the second number being greater than the first number. For example, in some embodiments, performing a radial gesture may allow the second number of radial menu items to spiral through the locations of the radial menu.
US09383884B2

A touch panel that includes a molecule oriented polylactic acid film having a first principal plane and a second principal plane. The polylactic acid film is constructed to generate a voltage when the polylactic acid film is deformed to have a concave shape on the first principal plane and a convex shape on the second principal plane. An electrode is arranged adjacent at least one of the first principal plane and the second principal plane of the polylactic acid film so as to detect the voltage.
US09383883B2

A touch input device and a touch input method are provided. The touch input device includes a first panel configured to be touched by an input tool having magnetic properties, a second panel configured to generate a magnetic field, and a control unit configured to control the second panel to generate the magnetic field in a portion of the second panel that is related to a touched location of the first panel, as the input tool touches the first panel.
US09383881B2

Devices and methods are provided that facilitate improved input device performance. Specifically, the devices and methods facilitate input using a pressure-sensitive layer whose electrical admittivity changes in response to pressure applied to a touch surface. An input device is provided that comprises a plurality of sensor electrodes including a set of primary sensor electrodes and a set of secondary sensor electrodes. Each primary sensor electrode is electrically coupled to at least one secondary sensor electrode to form a set of electrical admittances. In one embodiment, the pressure-sensitive layer is located between the sensor electrodes and the touch surface, such that changes in the admittivity of the pressure-sensitive layer in response to pressure on the touch surface cause corresponding changes in the admittances between the primary and secondary sensor electrodes.
US09383875B2

A touch panel is provided. The touch panel includes at least a bonding pad, a touch-sensing structure and at least a protection component. The bonding pad has a first long side, a first short side, a second long side, and a second short side. The first long side is adjacent to the first short side and the second short side, and the first long side is opposite to the second long side. A touch-sensing structure is electrically connected to the first short side of the bonding pad. The protection component is disposed at the first long side and the second long side.
US09383872B2

A vehicle seat assembly has a vehicle seat with a seat base and a seat back. The vehicle seat has at least one actuator configured to move one of the seat back and seat base along a path between a first position and a second position. A sensor has a generally planar surface defining a sensing area. A controller is in communication with the actuator and the sensor. The controller is configured to, in response to receiving a sliding input on the sensing area, control the at least one actuator to move the one of the seat back and seat base along the path.
US09383867B2

Multiple sensor electrodes are formed such that they overlap a display panel, and each have an electrostatic capacitance that changes according to the user's touch. Furthermore, a proximity sensor electrode pair is formed as a transparent electrode such that they overlap the display panel. An electrostatic capacitance detection circuit detects change in the electrostatic capacitance of each sensor electrode due to the user's touch, thereby detecting a position touched by the user. A proximity detection circuit detects change in the electric field generated between the proximity sensor electrode pair due to the proximity of the user, thereby detecting the proximity of the user to the display panel. An electrostatic capacitance detection circuit is configured to have at least a component that is switchable between an operating state and a non-operating state. When detecting that the user is in proximity, this component transits from the non-operating state to the operating state.
US09383861B2

A processing system for an input device includes a sensor module, a filter module, and a determination module. The sensor module is configured to drive a plurality of transmitter electrodes with transmitter signals; receive, with a plurality of receiver electrodes, resulting signals comprising effects corresponding to the transmitter signals; and produce a first sensor image based on the resulting signals. The filter module is configured to produce a transformed sensor image by applying a spatial filter to the first sensor image. The determination module is configured to positional information and/or the validity of a baseline for the input device based on the transformed sensor image.
US09383860B2

The claims define a processing circuit for processing input signals from a capacitive transducer structure. A current-to-voltage converter receives two input signals from the capacitive transducer structure, and outputs two output signals to gain stage circuits, and to a reference voltage generator. The gain stages generate from the output voltage signals a differential output signal. The reference voltage generates from the output signals a common mode output signal. The processing circuit generates a digital signal that corresponds to a quotient of the differential output signal and the common mode output signal.
US09383859B2

A multi-mode touch input device includes a first touch input device and a second touch input device. When a first lateral surface of the first touch input device and a first lateral surface of the second touch input device are combined together, both of the first touch input device and the second touch input device are operated in a keyboard mode, and the first touch input device and the second touch input device are collaboratively defined as a touch keyboard. When a second lateral surface of the first touch input device and a second lateral surface of the second touch input device are combined together, both of the first touch input device and the second touch input device are operated in a handwriting tablet mode, and the first touch input device and the second touch input device are collaboratively defined as a handwriting tablet.
US09383839B1

A stylus may comprise a configurable profile to control one or more local and remote operational features. One or more computing devices may be in communication with the stylus. The one or more computing devices may be configured to receive information relating to the reconfiguration of the settings of the operational profile, reconfigure the operational profile based at least in part on the received information, store the reconfigured operational profile, and associate the reconfigured operational profile with the stylus, wherein the at least one operational feature of the stylus is modified based on the reconfigured operational profile.
US09383836B2

A combination of a stylus and a keyboard. A collapsible keyboard portion is coupled to a stylus tip. When in a collapsed state, the apparatus may be used as a stylus, or stored in a receptacle or a user's pocket. When a keyboard is needed, the stylus keyboard may be unrolled or unfolded, and used to control an electronic device via a wireless connection between a transceiver on the stylus keyboard and the electronic device.
US09383825B2

A method providing for input of any script/language, on any computing device, mobile or otherwise by conveying Unicode characters to the computing device instead of keyboard scan codes that require further processing. The method includes all script/language processing independent from the computing device, permits changing input script/language “on-the-fly”, provides for a universal platform-independent method to select each particular script/language, and requires no language-specific support on the computing device, other than the ability to display the selected script. The method also provides for input of commands and backward-compatible input using legacy keyboard key codes.
US09383823B2

Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for gesture input beyond skeletal. A user's movement or body position is captured by a capture device of a system. Further, non-user-position data is received by the system, such as controller input by the user, an item that the user is wearing, a prop under the control of the user, or a second user's movement or body position. The system incorporates both the user-position data and the non-user-position data to determine one or more inputs the user made to the system.
US09383821B2

A tactile sense presentation device includes first electrodes covered with an insulating film and arranged on a plane; second electrodes arranged on a plane with tops exposed to outside; and a control unit performing a first operation in parallel with a second operation. The first operation is for applying temporally changing first voltages to a part of the first electrodes to generate electric fields which are changed by the part of first electrodes, and the second operation is for applying temporally changing first electric currents to a part of the second electrodes to cause the electric currents to flow from the part of the second electrodes to second electrodes which are different from the part of second electrodes via electric conductors. The first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged not to overlap each other.
US09383820B2

The present disclosure describes technology, which can be implemented as a method, apparatus, and/or computer software embodied in a computer-readable medium, and which, among other things, be used to create custom vibration patterns in response to user input, for example, in response to the user tapping out a desired pattern on the display of a mobile device. For example, one or more aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in one or more methods that include receiving tactile input from a user of an electronic device specifying a custom vibration pattern, in concert with receiving tactile input, providing visual feedback to the user corresponding to the received tactile input, and storing the specified custom vibration pattern for use by the electronic device to actuate haptic feedback signaling a predetermined notification event.
US09383814B1

A video game device and method are provided. The device is a cordless touch-free video game device that is plug and play. The device includes an array of light transmitters for transmitting a light signal to an object. The object can be retroreflectors that are attached to a user's feet or hands. Upon striking the objects, the transmitted signal is reflected, producing a reflected light signal. A light receiver including a detection array receives the reflected signal from the objects and the reflected signal is transformed into a second signal used to send and track motion of the objects. The motion is used by a game device that determines an activity of the user by sensing the type of user movement performed. The device is ideally suited for controlling cursor position for use with video dance games.
US09383810B2

In remote power down control of a device configured for externally initiated remote power down, such as over a network, all externally connected sources of valid power down requests for the device is monitored; and the device is powered down in response to a combination of one of a received power down request and a time out with respect to each of the sources of valid power down requests for the device.
US09383807B2

A microcontroller system is organized into power domains. A power manager of the microcontroller system can change the power configuration of a power domain based on whether the microcontroller system has asserted a power trigger for any module in the power domain or if any module in the power domain has asserted a power keeper.
US09383800B2

A mobile device includes a processor that executes a portal application to implement a plurality of portlet modules; and a user interface that allows a user to establish a trigger for reducing power consumption in the mobile device. The processor is configured to pause operations in a number of the portlet modules in the portal application in response to the trigger occurring.
US09383799B2

When an ECU serving as a communication node is under sleep mode, a switch portion in a transceiver connects a data transmit port of a microcomputer to a memory controller. The microcomputer sends, to the memory controller, a code write-in request for writing a code while outputting a write data that is written as the code. The data transmit port, which is to output a communication data, is commonly used in order to output the write-in request and the write data; this suppresses the increase in the number of connection lines between the microcomputer and the transceiver and the increase in the number of ports of the microcomputer.
US09383798B2

The present invention relates to platform power management.
US09383792B2

A memory card 100 having a NAND type flash memory connectable to a host device 200, capable of transmitting/receiving a signal to/from the host device 200 at a first voltage (3.3 V) or a second voltage (1.8 V) and safely changing a signal voltage of a transmission/reception signal that mutually checks a signal voltage through handshake processing with the host device 200 when the signal voltage is switched.
US09383790B2

Interconnect frequency control technologies of adjusting an operating frequency of a communication interconnect between an integrated circuit comprising multiple functional hardware units are described. A power management unit (PMU) is configured to collect workload data from the functional hardware units and determine a workload metric from the workload data. The PMU adjusts an operating frequency of the communication interconnect in view of the workload metric.
US09383788B2

A computer includes various features that improve its functionality and/or ease of use. A modular electronics cartridge that includes a piston seal and opposed-direction latches removably engages a cartridge bay of the computer. A high intensity touch-screen display and a high power processor are disposed in a sealed compartment of the computer, and a remote heat exchanger is used to cool the sealed compartment. An interface converter/adapter converts a standard mini-PCI Express slot into a specialized mini-PCI Express slot with voice capabilities. SIM and microSD card slots mount to a pivoting door on the computer such that opening the door provides easier access to the card slots.
US09383785B2

A fixing element for hard disk drive includes a frame and a hard disk. The frame includes a bottom plate, a front plate, a rear plate and a side plate. The front plate has a flange extending horizontally and backwardly from the front plate. A first elastic element is formed on a bottom of the flange. A second elastic element is located at the bottom plate in a position directly under the first elastic element. The supporting element defines an engaging groove at rear ends thereof. The engaging groove engages with a position element secured to the frame, the first elastic element is abutting an upper surface of the supporting element, and the second elastic element is abutting a bottom surface of the supporting element.
US09383781B2

There is provided a touch sensor including: a base substrate; a first electrode pattern formed on the base substrate and including first electrode lines repeatedly arranged in parallel with each other; and a second electrode pattern formed on a surface spaced apart from a surface on which the first electrode pattern is formed and including second electrode lines intersecting with the first electrode lines and repeatedly arranged in parallel with each other, wherein an extension line connecting intersection points between the first and second electrode lines to each other is formed as an oblique line with respect to a horizontal direction.
US09383780B2

There is provided a display device including a main body in which a display section is formed on a front surface side, and an operation body in which an operation section is formed and which is provided on a rear surface side of the main body. The main body and the operation body are partially spaced apart from each other, and the operation section is provided on an inner surface of the operation body, the inner surface facing a space formed between the main body and the operation body.
US09383779B2

An information processing device includes a first case, a second case over which the first case is placeable, and a connector including a first rotation part and a second rotation part and configured to couple the first case on the second case, the first rotation part allowing the first case to be rotated about a first axis, the second rotation part allowing the first case to be rotated about a second axis, the second axis being displaced from a central position of the first case in an axial direction of the first axis, wherein when front and back surfaces of the first case are reversed and the first case is placed over the second case, at least part of the first case projects from the second case toward an outer side.
US09383776B2

A display device having a flexible display panel displaying an image; and a display panel shape change part setting up a bending axis crossing the flexible display panel according to input information and bending the flexible display panel along the bending axis, as the flexible display panel is bent, the flexible display panel is divided into a first region and a second region based on the bending axis.
US09383771B2

A docking station for an electronic device includes a station body to which the electronic device is detachably docked, at least one locking unit comprising a hook member to move between a first position in which the station body and the electronic device are connected and a second position in which the station body is separated from the electronic device, and a lock maintaining unit to maintain the hook member in the first position.
US09383769B2

A ruggedized display device is disclosed. The ruggedized display device may include an optical stack configured to resist a load up to a load threshold. The optical stack may include an electronic display including a top surface and a bottom surface, and a top protective component coupled to the top surface of the electronic display via a bonding material layer, to shield the electronic display. The top protective component and the bonding material layer may collectively have a first thickness of less than 1.0 millimeters. The optical stack may further include a bottom protective component, coupled to the bottom surface via a resiliently deformable adhesive layer, to support the electronic display from below. The bottom protective component and the adhesive layer may collectively have a second thickness less than 10.0 millimeters.
US09383755B2

An automated storage system for storing a plurality of objects in storage locations, the automated storage system comprising a master control computer, a guidance network, a plurality of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) each having an onboard microprocessor for providing a position of each AGV relative to the guidance network to the master control computer and a receiver for receiving control commands from the master control computer, and a plurality of trays for engagement with the plurality of AGVs for transportation and storage of the objects.
US09383752B2

A railway maintenance device configured for autonomous or semi-autonomous operation in a rail environment is provided. The device can process image data to move about the rail environment and perform one or more actions in the rail environment. The actions can include one or more actions related to decoupling and/or attaching rail vehicles, and can be implemented by performing three-dimensional image processing. The device can be configured to move with any movement of a rail vehicle on which one or more actions are being performed. In an alternative embodiment, the various components configured to perform the action are implemented at a stationary location with respect to a rail line.
US09383750B2

A system predictively determines data transmitted within a wireless network in accordance with a mission plan and changes to the mission plan. The system includes a first team member and a second team member. The first team member includes a first module for evaluating the changes to the mission plan encountered by the first team member and determining whether to transmit information of the change to the second team member. The first team member further includes a second module containing rules for evaluating changes to the mission plan encountered by the first team member. The first module utilizes the rules of the second module to predictively alter the mission plan.
US09383746B2

Disclosed are a self-diagnosis system of a home appliance and operation method of the same that self-diagnose and display a state of a home appliance having a self-diagnosis function, recognize and analyze the displayed self-diagnosis information, and provide proper service information corresponding to the state of the home appliance. A state of a home appliance having a self-diagnosis function is self-diagnosed, the diagnosed result is displayed as various images, such as a 7-segment image, QR code, and LED or sound type Morse code, self-diagnosis information displayed as the images is recognized and analyzed, and proper service information is provided to a user or a service provider, thereby easily checking a problem cause of the home appliance.
US09383737B2

An energy management system within a building obtains energy usage data over several cycles to determine a minimum feasible load. The minimum feasible load corresponds to operational conditions of the building, such as occupied or unoccupied. The energy usage data is binned according to the operational condition under which it was obtained. A threshold based on the minimum feasible load is used to monitor energy usage within the building and to identify anomalies in energy demand for possible action.
US09383732B2

A method and system for adaptively controlling a laser-based material processing process are provided. The system includes sensing equipment to measure a process variable or condition of at least one of a laser-based material processing system and a workpiece processed by the material processing system and to provide a corresponding measurement signal. The control system also includes a signal processor for processing the measurement signal to obtain a processed signal which initiates, at least semi-automatically, an action associated with at least one of the material processing system and the workpiece. A method and system for at least semi-automatically qualifying a laser-based material processing system which delivers laser energy to locations on or adjacent a plurality of microstructures formed on a workpiece to at least partially process the microstructures are also provided.
US09383724B2

The invention relates to a system of measuring a piece of time related information connected to a display system for displaying the piece of time related information and to a fast correction system for correcting the time related information display at any time and in a predetermined step.
US09383715B2

A lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant supplier contacting an image bearer, a solid lubricant contacting the roller, a detector detecting a lubricant amount, and a controller controlling a supplying of the roller based on a detector detection. The detector outputs to the controller a first signal of a near-end state when the amount reaches a first amount, a second signal of an end state when the amount reaches a second amount smaller than the first amount, and a third signal of an absolute end state when the amount reaches a third amount smaller than the second amount. The controller temporarily stops the supplying when the second signal is output, cancels a roller temporary stopped state even when lubricant replacement is not completed after this state, stops the supplying when the third signal is output, and maintains a roller stopped state until the replacement is completed after this state.
US09383712B2

A developer bearing member, which bears developer to which additive particles have been added, and an image bearing member, on which an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface thereof is developed by rubbing contact with the developer bearing member, are configured so as to be separable; and during a first operation in which the image bearing member, while in a separated state from the developer bearing member, makes rubbing contact with a cleaning member, a second operation is carried out to place the developer bearing member temporarily in contact with the image bearing member and supply the additive particles to the contact portion between the cleaning member and the image bearing member.
US09383710B2

A driving transmission device includes a motor, a first pulley, a second pulley, an endless belt which is wound on the first pulley and the second pulley, dielectric layers disposed between the endless belt and the first pulley and between the endless belt and the second pulley, and a power source unit. A length of a portion of the endless belt which is wound on the second pulley is longer than a length of a portion of the endless belt which is wound on the first pulley. An amount of current supplied from the second pulley to the endless belt in a region in which the endless belt is wound on the second pulley is smaller than an amount of current supplied from the first pulley to the endless belt in a region in which the endless belt is wound on the first pulley.
US09383709B2

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main assembly including a preventing portion; a supporting member for supporting a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive members, the supporting member being movable between an inside position inside the main assembly and an outside position outside the main assembly in a state in which the supporting member is supported by the main assembly and being disengageable from the main assembly at the outside position; a handle portion, provided to the supporting member, to be touched for disengaging the supporting member from the main assembly; and a portion to be prevented, provided to the supporting member, being movable between a preventing position in which the portion to be prevented contacts the preventing portion in order to prevent the supporting member from being disengaged from the main assembly and a retracted position in which the portion to be prevented is retracted from the preventing position in order to disengaging the supporting member from the main assembly. The portion to be prevented is moved from the preventing position to the retracted position by the touch of the handle portion.
US09383708B1

An image forming apparatus comprises a conveyance section, a plurality of sensors, an image forming section, a conveyance control section and a control section. The conveyance section forms a conveyance path for conveying paper. The plurality of sensors outputs detection signals indicating the existence of the paper at a plurality of positions along the conveyance path. The image forming section forms images on the paper conveyed by the conveyance section. The conveyance control section controls the conveyance of the paper conveyed by the conveyance section based on the detection signals of the plurality of sensors. The control section determines, in a case in which the detection signal of any of the plurality of sensors is abnormal, whether it is due to sensor failure or paper conveyance abnormality, and sets to ignore the detection signal of the failed sensor and continue the processing if it is due to the sensor failure.
US09383704B2

A grammage detection sensor according to an aspect of the present invention includes a transmission unit configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave, a reception unit configured to receive the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmission unit, and a control unit configured to detect a grammage of a recording material, when a plurality of recording materials are continuously conveyed between the transmission unit and the reception unit, on the basis of a first ultrasonic wave received by the reception unit after the ultrasonic wave is transmitted by the transmission unit between a preceding recording material and a recording material following the preceding recording material, and a second ultrasonic wave received via a recording material by the reception unit after the ultrasonic wave is transmitted by the transmission unit.
US09383701B2

An image forming apparatus includes a printing device to print images on sheets using a printing operation and to initiate a discharge of printed sheets from a sheet discharge port onto the discharge tray disposed for the image forming apparatus; a counter operatively connected to the printing device to count the number of printed sheets based on content of a print job; a controller to determine whether the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches a maximum sheet stacking capacity of the discharge tray, the maximum sheet stacking capacity being determined by a distance between the sheet discharge port and the discharge tray; and a reporting device to report that the discharge tray is full when the controller determines that the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches the maximum sheet stacking capacity.
US09383697B1

Provided is a lens including a curved surface including a top portion at one end of the lens, wherein a groove is formed on the curved surface, and wherein light incident to the curved surface is concentrated on the other end of the lens.
US09383696B2

A fixing device includes: first and second rotatable members configured to heat-fix, at a nip therebetween, a toner image formed on a sheet by using a toner containing a parting agent; a heating portion, provided opposed to an outer surface of the first rotatable member, configured to heat the first rotatable member through electromagnetic induction heating; a holding portion configured to hold the heating portion; and a suppressing portion configured to suppress air flow in a space between the first rotatable member and the holding portion. The suppressing portion extends from the holding portion toward the first rotatable member and is provided so that a free end portion thereof is in a position of 0.5 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less from the outer surface of the first rotatable member.
US09383693B2

A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a heater for heating the fixing rotary body. An opposed body contacts the fixing rotary body with releasable pressure therebetween to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium is conveyed. A heat shield is interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body and movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater in a variable circumferential direct heating span of the fixing rotary body where the heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotary body directly. A controller is operatively connected to the heater and the heat shield to move the heat shield after the controller turns on the heater as a print job starts so as to change an area of the direct heating span of the fixing rotary body.
US09383687B2

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive member to move in a rotational direction, a charging unit to charge the photoconductive member, a discharging unit to discharge a portion of the photoconductive member to form a latent image thereon, and a plurality of ink applicator units to sequentially apply a plurality of ink layers, respectively, toward the latent image to form an ink image. The image forming apparatus may also include an image transfer blanket to receive the ink image including the plurality of ink layers from the photoconductive member.
US09383685B2

A developing apparatus includes a developing container for accommodating a developer including magnetic particles; a developer feeding member, provided in the developing container and having a magnetic shaft, for feeding the developer; a bearing rotatably supporting the shaft; a bearing accommodating portion; and a magnet, provided around the shaft at a position inside the bearing in the bearing accommodating portion, for forming a magnetic seal of magnetic particles by a magnetic field formed between itself and the shaft. The bearing accommodating portion includes a first space between the magnet and the bearing and a second space which is provided outside of the bearing with respect to a diametrical direction and which is in fluid communication with the first space to receive the developer from the first space.
US09383677B2

An image forming apparatus and a control method for the same, which ensure acquisition of a high-quality image by controlling physical-states of toner on a developer roller based on sensed variation in states of internal components of a developer cartridge, and which enable sensing and determination of the lifespan of the developer cartridge, is provided. The control method for the image forming apparatus includes applying a current detection bias to a developer roller blade of a developer cartridge, detecting the magnitude of current of the developer roller blade when the current detection bias is applied to the developer roller blade, and variably controlling a developer cartridge bias to be applied to the developer cartridge for image formation based on the detected magnitude of current of the developer roller blade, so as to allow a target magnitude of constant current to flow through the developer roller blade during image formation.
US09383666B1

Toners and processes useful in providing toners suitable for electrophotographic apparatuses, including apparatuses such as digital, image-on-image, and similar apparatuses. In particular, emulsion aggregation toners that comprise toner particles having a core composed of either polyester resin or both styrene-acrylate and polyester resins. These embodiments also comprise a shell disposed over the core, wherein the shell comprises styrene-acrylate resin.
US09383665B2

An intermediate transfer member that includes a mixture of a polyamideimide, an ammonium alkylphosphate, an optional polysiloxane, and an optional conductive filler.
US09383663B2

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer. The undercoat layer is an electron transporting layer and contains a metal salt of organic acid having at least one metal element selected from Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn.
US09383662B2

The invention relates to a lithography system for processing a target, wherein the lithography system comprises a final projection system arranged for projecting a pattern on the target surface. The lithography system comprises a mark position detection system arranged for detecting a position of a position mark on the target surface. The mark position detection system comprises an optical element arranged for projecting a light beam on the target surface and a light detector arranged for detecting a reflected light beam. The optical element may be positioned adjacent to the final projection system and the light detector may be positioned inside a frame.
US09383659B2

There is provided a positioning system for positioning an object in a lithographic apparatus. The positioning system includes a support, a position measurement device, a deformation sensor and a processor. The support is constructed to hold the object. The position measurement device is configured to measure a position of the support. The position measurement device includes at least one position sensor target and a plurality of position sensors to cooperate with the at least one position sensor target to provide a redundant set of position signals representing the position of the support. The deformation sensor is arranged to provide a deformation signal representing a deformation of one of the support and the position measurement device. The processor is configured to calibrate one of the position measurement device and the deformation sensor based on the deformation signal and the redundant set of position signals.
US09383657B2

A method for lithography exposing process is provided. The method includes performing a first lithography exposing process to a resist layer using a mask having a focus-sensitive pattern and an energy-sensitive pattern; measuring critical dimensions (CDs) of transferred focus-sensitive pattern and transferred energy-sensitive pattern on the resist layer; extracting Bossung curves from the CDs; and determining slopes of the Bossung curves.
US09383654B2

A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The fluid handling structure has a plurality of openings arranged in plan, in a line. The fluid handling structure is configured such that the openings are directed, in use, towards a facing surface, the facing surface being a substrate and/or a substrate table. The substrate table is configured to support the substrate. Outward of the line of openings is a damper. The damper may have a width that varies along the line of openings. The damper width is defined between the line of openings and an opposing damper edge.
US09383652B2

A light-exposure device is provided with a microlens array on which is arranged with a prescribed regularity a plurality of microlenses on which exposure light transmitted through a light source and a mask is introduced to resolve an upright equal-magnification image on a substrate. Upon reaching a prescribed position, the substrate is irradiated with pulsed laser light from the light source, and the substrate is successively exposed, and after the entire area of the exposure region of the substrate is exposed, a relative positional relationship between the microlens array and the mask is successively switched in a vertical direction by an amount of a horizontal pitch of the microlenses, and a subsequent exposure is performed. Exposure with high precision and high resolution can thereby be performed with a short exposure cycle time.
US09383648B2

The purpose of the invention is to obtain an anti-counterfeiting marker sheet that is inexpensive and with which authenticity can be assessed easily. The invention uses an anti-counterfeiting marker sheet (1) characterized in being provided with a substrate (3), and multiple markers (5), which are formed directly on the substrate (3) and the contour shape of which can be recognized by magnified examination. It is preferable that: the markers are not unevenly distributed but are irregularly disposed on the substrate; there are multiple marker (5) colors; and there are multiple types of shapes for the marker (5) contour shapes. It is also preferable that the minimum radius of curvature of the corners of the shapes formed when the markers (5) are viewed in plan view is 250 nm to less than 10 μm.
US09383647B2

Disclosed herein is a resist film including: a pattern forming resist layer; and a liquid contact preventing resist layer adhered to any one surface of upper and lower surfaces of the pattern forming resist layer, in order to prevent a physical and chemical change of a resist due to a spray pressure applied when a developing solution is sprayed in a development process.
US09383638B2

There is provided a method for generating a pattern. A pattern is generated by selecting a cell from a cell library including a plurality of cells, adding, to the interior of the selected cell, a second pattern different from a first pattern of the selected cell, performing a first optical proximity correction (OPC) onto the pattern of the selected cell including the first pattern and the second pattern, performing a second optical proximity correction onto a pattern of a plurality of cells in which the selected cell including first pattern and second pattern, which have been subjected to the first optical proximity correction, and another of the cells are proximately arranged and generating the pattern including the patterns of the plurality of cells which have been subjected to the second optical proximity correction.
US09383634B2

According to the present invention, a projection type image display apparatus enables control of a large amount of light masking through a light-masking unit while maintaining a uniform illumination distribution in an area to be illuminated by the illumination light. The apparatus uses two array lenses on which lens cells are arranged in matrix form, where light-masking unit masks the array lens installed on the light source side in their particular area. The light-masking unit adjusts the amount of light emitted from the light source. The light-masking area of lens cells adjacent to lens cells closest to an optical axis is made smaller than the light-masking area of other cells.
US09383627B2

A flash device of the present invention includes a flash main body, a light emitting section rotatably coupled to the flash main body, and a variable mechanism that can vary the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section between a normal irradiation direction angle and a desired irradiation direction angle different from the normal irradiation direction angle. The flash device further includes a drive section for driving the variable mechanism, a vertical direction angle detecting section for detecting the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section, and a control device for changing, with the drive section, the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section to the desired irradiation direction angle based on a detection signal of the vertical direction angle detecting section. Thus, the angle can be instantly changed to the desired irradiation direction angle, the time taken for preparation for photographing can be reduced, and a subject can be bounce-photographed without missing the photo opportunity.
US09383618B2

Systems, semiconductor structures, electronic circuits and methods for enhanced transient response in Low Dropout (LDO) voltage regulators are disclosed. For example, a semiconductor structure for enhanced transient response in an LDO voltage regulator is disclosed, which includes a first current mirror circuit coupled to an input connection and an output connection of the LDO voltage regulator, a second current mirror circuit coupled to the input connection of the LDO voltage regulator. A first input of a first amplifier circuit is coupled to the second current mirror circuit, a second input of the first amplifier circuit is coupled to the output connection of the LDO voltage regulator, and a third input of the first amplifier circuit is coupled to a reference voltage. An input of a second amplifier circuit is coupled to an output of the first amplifier circuit, an output of the second amplifier circuit is coupled to the first current mirror circuit, an input of a third amplifier circuit is coupled to the output of the first amplifier circuit, and an output of the third amplifier circuit is coupled to the second current mirror circuit. In some implementations, the semiconductor structure is an adaptively-biased LDO voltage regulator formed in a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) or in a power supply on a semiconductor IC, wafer, chip or die.
US09383617B2

According to embodiments of the present invention, there are provided a sub-pixel structure of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display and a liquid crystal display. The sub-pixel structure comprises: a gate line, a data line, a thin film transistor, a sub-pixel electrode, and a common electrode, which are formed on an array substrate, wherein a liquid crystal electric field in a first domain and a liquid crystal electric field in a second domain, which are located on both sides of the gate line, respectively, are created between the sub-pixel electrode and the common electrode, and the angle between the direction of the liquid crystal electric field in the first domain and the direction of the liquid crystal electric field in the second domain is larger than 0° and smaller than 180°.
US09383607B2

The present invention provides a patterned polarization converter having multiple domains that can be used to convert input linear polarized light to output light with spatially varying polarization states, including domains that produce linearly polarized light and domains that produce circular polarized light based on the patterning of the domains. A patterned polarization converter having multiple domains may be used in a polarization sensor application capable of detecting the polarization state of input light. The present invention further provides patterned radial and azimuthal polarization converters, which have utility in applications such as optical tweezers. Additionally, patterned polarization converters may be used to fabricate more patterned polarization converters having the same pattern using one-step photoalignment to copy the pattern of an existing patterned polarization converter to an unpatterned photoalignment layer.
US09383601B2

A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal layer, a light source, a first polarizing member, and a reflector. The first polarizing member includes a wire-grid polarizing part and a reflection part. The first polarizing member is disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the light source. The reflector is disposed below the light source. The reflector reflects light from the light source and light reflected from the reflection part.
US09383600B2

A backlight module including a back plate and a heating device is disclosed. The back plate includes a passive layer and an active layer adhered below the passive layer, wherein a coefficient of heat expansion of the active layer is greater than that of the passive layer. The heating device is configured for controlling a heating temperature of the back plate so as to adjust a rate of curvature of the back plate toward a liquid crystal panel. In addition, a LCD and an OLED display device are also disclosed. The rates of curvature of the backlight module, the LCD, and the OLED display device may be adjusted accordingly.
US09383599B2

The present disclosure provides a display module, comprising a light guide plate; a display panel arranged on one side of the light guide plate; a fixing element capable of being fixed on a peripheral edge of the display panel; a backboard arranged on one side of the light guide plate far away from the display panel; and a rubber frame arranged on the periphery of the light guide plate, wherein the rubber frame is connected and fixed to the backboard, and further engageably connected to the fixing element so as to fix the display panel.
US09383597B2

In controlling light condensing irradiation with laser light using a spatial light modulator, an incident pattern of the laser light and respective refractive indices of first and second propagation media on a propagation path are acquired, the number of light condensing points, and the light condensing position and the light condensing intensity at each light condensing point are set, an aberration condition caused by the first and second propagation media is derived, and by taking the aberration condition into account, a modulation pattern to be presented in the spatial light modulator is designed. Further, in designing the modulation pattern, a design method focusing on an effect of a phase value at one pixel is used, and in evaluating the light condensing state at the light condensing point, a propagation function that takes the aberration condition into account is employed.
US09383596B2

A variable spectrum element includes: first and third sensors which are placed at positions at which the first and third sensors are symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the centers of mass of the surfaces of a pair of optical substrates opposite to each other, respectively; second and fourth sensors which are placed at positions at which the second and fourth sensors are symmetrical with respect to the line connecting the centers of mass, respectively; and first to fourth actuators which are placed on lines running from the center of mass of the surface of each of the pair of the optical substrates opposite to each other to the centers of the first to fourth sensors respectively, respectively.
US09383591B2

A pico-projector device includes a light source operable to generate a light beam as a function of an image to be generated, a mirror mechanism operable to direct the light beam towards a displaying surface, and a driving circuit that supplies driving signals for controlling movement of the mirror mechanism. The driving circuit includes a compensation stage that receives angular velocity signals from a gyroscopic sensor coupled to the pico-projector device and generates the driving signals as a function of the angular velocity signals, thereby stabilizing the image projected on the displaying surface with respect to undesired movements of the pico-projector device.
US09383587B2

A method and an apparatus for displaying 3D images are disclosed. 2D images are projected from multiple points to a surface with narrow diffusion characteristics, thus it is possible to get a 3D light field with arbitrary angular dependence. According to the invention, the projectors (10) do not target particular screen (12) points. The projectors (10) are directed to the screen (12) with no special positioning, however from the bunch of light beams present, pertaining to the large number of pixels in the projected images, it is possible to select and define a pixel-wise precise 3D light-field through a calibration process. A novel calibration method and device are also described for calibrating 3D display systems, the device being equipped with proper image sensor(s) and a control system.
US09383586B2

A stereoscopic display system employs narrowband illumination light beams and passive glasses with built-in interference filters. The system is also compatible with multiple viewing functions.
US09383580B2

A substrate housing portion stores a circuit substrate that outputs an image signal. The optical unit generates and projects an image based on the image signal output from the circuit substrate. The image is projected onto a combiner. The optical unit has an optical unit main body that includes a light source and an image display element, and a projection unit that is attached to the optical unit main body and that determines a projection direction. The projection unit is provided with an intermediate image screen that images an intermediate image and is freely removed from or installed in the optical unit main body.
US09383578B2

An optical scanner apparatus includes first and second torsion beams which support a mirror support portion supporting a mirror from both sides in an axial direction; first and second horizontal driving beams configured to include first and second horizontal driving sources, respectively, a connecting beam; a first piezo-electric sensor; first and second sensor interconnects connected to one of and the other of an upper electrode and a lower electrode of the first piezo-electric sensor, respectively, the first sensor interconnect and the second sensor interconnect being formed to extend toward the first horizontal driving beam and the second horizontal driving beam, respectively.
US09383577B2

The present invention relates to a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) scanner, and more particularly, to an MEMS scanner for implementing stable driving while increasing a driving angle between a fixed electrode and a driving electrode using an MEMS process. The MEMs scanner comprises a lower frame, a pair of upper frames, a pair of levers, a pair of fixed electrode portions, and a driving electrode portion.
US09383575B2

A method is described for aligning a light beam, having the steps of: deflecting the light beam by way of a first mirror element and a second mirror element, the first mirror element being displaced through a first deflection angle around a first rotation axis, and the second mirror element being displaced through a second deflection angle around a second rotation axis inclined with respect to the first rotation axis, and the second mirror element being additionally displaced through a third deflection angle around a third rotation axis that is inclined with respect to the second rotation axis, and the first mirror element being displaced around a first mirror normal line of the first mirror element through a first compensation angle defined for the third deflection angle, and/or the second mirror element being displaced around a second mirror normal line of the second mirror element through a second compensation angle defined for the third deflection angle.
US09383557B2

A device for optically imaging at least part of an object onto an area of a digital image sensor includes an optical channel, which includes a first imaging lens arranged on a first substrate, a second imaging lens arranged on a second substrate, and a field lens arranged on a third substrate. The first and second imaging lenses are identical and arranged such that a first surface of the first imaging lens is a light entry surface of the optical channel and that a first surface of the second imaging lens is a light exit surface of the optical channel. The field lens is arranged between the first imaging lens and the second imaging lens such that an axis running perpendicularly to the lateral extension of the optical channel and through a lateral center of the field lens forms a symmetry axis of the optical channel.
US09383547B2

The present invention relates to an imaging lens, the imaging lens including, in an ordered way from an object side, a first lens having positive (+) refractive power, a second lens having negative (−) refractive power, a third lens having negative (−) refractive power, a fourth lens having negative (−) refractive power, wherein the imaging lens meets a conditional expression of −0.5
US09383546B2

An imaging lens is substantially constituted by six lenses, including: a first lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the object side; a second lens having a negative refractive power; a third lens having a negative refractive power; a fourth lens having a positive refractive power; a fifth lens having a negative refractive power; and a sixth lens having a biconcave shape, provided in this order from the object side.
US09383544B2

An optical system for semiconductor lithography including a plurality of optical components, as well as related components and methods, are disclosed. The apparatus can include an optical component that can be moved by a distance along a straight line within a time of between 5 ms and 500 ms. The straight line can have a polar and azimuth angle of between 0° and 90°, and a distance between the straight line and an optical axis of the apparatus being less than a cross-sectional dimension of a projection exposure beam bundle of the projection exposure apparatus. The apparatus can also include a guide unit configured to guide the optical component. The apparatus can further include a drive unit configured to drive the optical component via drive forces so that torques generated by inertial forces of the optical component and of optional components concomitantly moved with the optical component, and the torques generated by the drive forces, which act on the guide unit, compensate for one another to less than 10%.
US09383543B2

A lens control device incorporated in a lens device 10A is equipped with a first zoom position sending unit for sending a zoom position signal indicating a zoom position of the first lens device 10A to a lens device 10B; a second zoom position sending unit for sending an adjusted zoom position signal for zoom position adjustment of the lens device 10B to the lens device 10B; a zoom storage unit for storing zoom adjustment information in which a zoom position adjustment amount indicated by the adjusted zoom position signal is correlated with the zoom position of the lens device 10A; and a third zoom position sending unit for sending a zoom position signal for the lens device 10B on the basis of the zoom adjustment information in response to a zoom manipulation signal indicating a zoom manipulation on the lens device 10A.
US09383531B2

An optical module (100) set on a substrate for assembling with a fiber (72) and comprises a light signal gathering device (8), a plurality of electrical contacts (2) set on the light signal gathering device (8) and an optoelectronic device (4) soldered to the electrical contacts (2) for receiving the light signals refocused by the light signal gathering device (8) and transferring the light signals to electrical signals, the light signal gathering device (8) includes a resin body (1) and a light signal gathering portion set on the resin body (1) for refocusing light signals.
US09383529B1

An optical communications module includes a housing that accommodates at least one optical receptacle having a cylindrical connector portion. The module further includes at least one deformable constraining member made of a material having a Young's modulus that allows the deformable constraining member to take on an initial deformity upon application of a compression force, but permits only a partial reversal of the deformity upon reduction or removal of the compression force. The initial deformity is created when the deformable constraining member is pressed against the cylindrical connector portion during assembly of the module. The initial deformity includes a deformed contour portion that conforms to at least a part of the cylindrical connector portion of the optical receptacle and prevents wiggling of the cylindrical connector portion after the cylindrical connector portion is pushed during assembly into an alignment notch provided in a lower housing portion of the module.
US09383527B2

A field assembly kit for use in assembling an optical connector may include a first component that includes a first plurality of pairs of opposing tabs configured to frictionally maintain a first subassembly component at a first fixed position relative to the first component. The kit may include a second component that includes a second plurality of pairs of opposing tabs configured to maintain a second subassembly component at a second fixed position relative to the first component. The first subassembly component may be configured to couple to the second subassembly component to maintain an optical fiber in a fixed rotational position relative to the first subassembly component and the second subassembly component.
US09383523B2

The present disclosure provides a tightly mountable optical fiber adapter which has a plurality of mating parts formed at front and rear sides of a base of a shell member thereof, and the base is combined with a base plate and two opposite side panels , each side panel is extended to form a first elastic part, and ends of second elastic parts are respectively outwardly bent and extended to form stop parts whose inner sides are bent towards the first elastic part and extended to form third elastic parts. While shell member is transversely mounted into an installing hole, first elastic parts are abutted and deformed to cross installing hole to clasp back side, second elastic parts are located in installing hole, so that shell member cooperating with mounting spring clip can be tightly fastened in installing hole, whereby the entire structure can be more securer.
US09383520B2

An optical power transfer system for powering a remote mobility system for multiple missions comprising a high power source and a chilling station connected to a laser source. The laser source transmits a high optical energy to a beam switch assembly via an optical fiber. The beam switch assembly is optically connected to actively cooled fiber spoolers. Docking stations are adapted for securing the fiber spoolers until alternatively ready for use by a remote mobility system. The remote mobility system is optically connected to the fiber spoolers and has a receiving port adapted for securing the fiber spoolers thereon. The fiber spooler transmits the optical energy to a power conversion system which converts the optical energy received to another usable form of energy. More than one power source may be used where the remote mobility system transfers from one source to another while maintaining an operational radius to each source.
US09383519B2

In an optical communication module, a fiber submount is mated with an optics assembly to optically align an optical fiber retained in a groove in the fiber submount with an optics element of the optics assembly. The fiber submount has a resiliently biased latch portion that engages the optics assembly to provide a resilient retaining force between the optics assembly and the fiber submount. The force retains the optics element in optical alignment with the fiber optical axis.
US09383518B2

An optical switch having a housing, a light source and a light detector. The light source and light detector are located remote from the housing. The light source is connected to the housing with a first light guide, and the light detector is connected to the housing with a second light guide. The first and second light guides have distal ends coupled to the activation, and a part of the activator housing or movable member is a glowable diffuse reflector. The switch moveable member moves in a path in the switch body between an optical path present state and an optical path absent state.
US09383516B2

System and method embodiments are provided for high density on-chip optical input/output (I/O) arrays with partition waveguide routing topology. System and apparatus embodiments for on-chip optical I/O arrays provide for doubling the density of optical I/O arrays in a given footprint on a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip. System and apparatus embodiments for on-chip optical I/O arrays also provide waveguide routing topology to provide signal feedback to facility automated active alignment and coupling of optical fiber arrays in to surface grating coupler elements without use of waveguide crossings and without intersecting with waveguides connecting devices to I/O ports. In an embodiment, a PIC chip includes a plurality of first optical I/O elements and a plurality of second optical I/O elements, wherein a row of I/O elements comprises alternating ones of the first optical I/O elements and the second optical I/O elements.
US09383513B2

A waveguide structure includes a bottom dielectric layer, a core layer disposed over the bottom dielectric layer, an etch stop layer disposed over the core layer, and a cladding layer or a buffer layer disposed over the etch stop layer. The waveguide structure is configured to guide a light signal through different geography, such as straight, taper, turning, grating and tight coupling sections.
US09383511B2

Optical fibers having a mode field diameter at 1310 nm of at least 8.8 μm, wire mesh covered drum microbending losses at 1550 nm less than 0.03 dB/km, and a 2 m cutoff wavelength less than 1320 nm. The fibers may include a central core region, an inner cladding region, an outer cladding region, a primary coating with an in situ modulus less than 0.20 MPa and glass transition temperature less than −35° C., and a secondary coating with an in situ modulus greater than 1500 MPa. The fibers may further include a depressed index cladding region. The relative refractive index of the central core region may be greater than the relative refractive index of the outer cladding region may be greater than the relative refractive index of the inner cladding region. The fibers may be produced at draw speeds of 30 m/s or greater.
US09383504B2

A backlit keyboard includes a keyboard module having a plurality of key units and a light guide module including a light guide plate, a metal layer, and an insulation layer. The light guide plate has a light-exit surface and a bottom surface. The metal layer has an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface is attached to the bottom surface of the light guide plate. When light is incident onto the upper surface of the metal layer, the light will be reflected back into the light guide plate. When electromagnetic wave reaches the lower surface of the metal layer, the metal layer will shield the electromagnetic wave from propagating. The insulation layer substantially covers the lower surface of the metal layer, wherein at least one ground window is formed in the insulation layer to expose the metal layer.
US09383500B2

An illuminating device capable of stably illuminating an irradiated object such as a document while suppressing light loss with a simply structure is provided.An LED array and a reflective plate are disposed sandwiching a slit (St) through which light reflected by a document MS passes and a light-guiding member is disposed on the side of the LED array. The light-guiding member includes a direct emission unit disposed between an illumination range y centered on a document reading position and the LED array and an indirect emission unit disposed between the reflective plate and the LED array, a light incidence face of the direct emission unit and a light incidence face of the indirect emission unit are disposed at mutually different position around the LED array, and the LED array is disposed on a side of an interior angle formed by the light incidence faces.
US09383496B2

A lighting assembly comprises a light source and a light guide having a light input edge and a light output surface. Light from the light source enters the light input edge and is propagated within the light guide by total internal reflection. A spectrum adjuster is adjustable or selected to achieve a desired spectrum of the light within the light guide.
US09383469B2

Disclosed are methods and systems for depth control of a sensor streamer. An example embodiment comprises a method for depth control of a sensor streamer. The example method may comprise towing the sensor streamer in a body of water; measuring noise levels of one or more signals generated on the sensor streamer; and adjusting depth of the sensor streamer at one or more spaced apart locations in response to the measured noise levels.
US09383468B2

A streamer without a tail buoy for a marine survey is disclosed. The method and system here relate to an embodiment where at least one streamer in a marine survey is free of tail buoys. An embodiment shows that a vessel is deployed in an area where the tail end of the streamer is. In one embodiment, a vessel serves as a visual reference indicating streamer end(s). In an embodiment, a vessel is operable to control marine traffic. Because the method and system include at least one streamer without a tail buoy, entanglement of the streamer may be reduced. In some embodiments, the existing navigation equipment on a vessel may be utilized to locate a tail end of at least one streamer. The existing navigation system on the vessel may also be employed to communicate with the corresponding equipment on a survey vessel.
US09383466B2

Method for correcting OBC or deep-towed seismic streamer data for surface-related multiple reflections. The measured pressure data, preferably after conditioning (71), are simulated using a forward model that includes a water propagation operator between source locations and receiver locations and a term representing primary impulse responses (72). Other terms include direct arrivals and source wavelets. Iterative optimization of an objective function is used to minimize the difference between measured and simulated data, updating the primary impulse response term and optionally the source wavelets term each iteration cycle (73). The converged primary impulses (74) are used to construct simulated multiples and direct arrivals (75), which can be subtracted from the measured data. Optionally the measured data might be blended during the forward simulation (72), to save computational costs in the forward simulation (72) and in the inversion (73).
US09383447B2

The invention relates to a method for light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) measurement of speeds, in which a laser beam is directed at the medium to be measured, and radiation which is subsequently emitted from the medium (16) is measured by a detector. In order to optimize the measurement, a spatial measurement range can be selected by activation and/or deactivation of the detector for at least one predetermined or regulated time duration of less than about 500 μs after emission of a laser pulse to the medium to be measured. Furthermore, a direct reception Doppler LIDAR apparatus can be used to perform the method.
US09383444B2

A sonar fish finding system includes at least one sonar device which attaches to a fishing line and floats on the water like a fishing bubble, float, or bobber. The at least one sonar device pairs with a wireless computing device over a Bluetooth connection to provide information to a fisherman about what is under the surface of the water proximal to the at least one sonar device. Processing may be performed incrementally on subsets of sonar data samples in order to allow for a complete result without requiring storage of the entire set of data samples at once. The at least one sonar device is configured to send the sonar data samples to a remote computing system either directly or indirectly through a wireless computing device. Based on the received sonar data samples, the remote computing system may send the wireless computing device information about both real-time fishing hotspots, and predicted fishing hotspots based on historical data and current conditions.
US09383438B2

A presence detection system is equipped with a transmitter that transmits a multipath wireless signal and a receiver that detects the presence of a person by receiving the transmitted wireless signal, within a prescribed space. On the basis of the reception level for a wireless signal received intermittently at the beginning of a first interval, the receiver determines whether there has been a change in the present/absent state of a person. When it is determined that there has been a change in the present/absent state of a person, the receiver determines whether a person is present/absent on the basis of variation in the reception level for a wireless signal received at the beginning of a second interval, which is shorter than the first interval.
US09383437B2

A reception device (100) includes: AGC circuits (103) to generate electric power information individually indicating signal strengths of respective received signals generated from a respective plurality of radio waves received at a plurality of places; stationary-state detection circuits (105) to calculate individually the amounts of time domain fluctuation in the respective signal strengths indicated by the electric power information generated by the AGC circuits (103), and to detect individually, on the basis of the respective calculated amounts of fluctuation, whether the reception device (100) is stationary or not; and a self-stationary determination circuit (106) to determine, on the basis of a plurality of detection results from the stationary-state detection circuits (105), whether the reception device (100) is stationary or not.
US09383429B2

A system and method for determining geo position of a target by an aircraft, including: (a). electronically receiving navigation data related to the aircraft and multilateration information related to the target; (b). electronically calculating a locus of emitter positions (LEP) curve from the received navigation data and multilateration information; (c). repeating steps (a) and (b), as the aircraft moves toward or away from the target; (d). electronically accumulating, in a computer storage medium, the calculated LEP curves; and (e). electronically determining a position that is closest to all the accumulated LEP curves to establish a position of the target.
US09383424B2

A method of automatic planning of a view in a 3D image of a brain includes A method of automatic planning a view in a three-dimensional (3D) image of a brain includes selecting a plurality of axial working sections and a plurality of coronal working sections in the 3D scout image; constructing at least one mid-sagittal plane of the brain based on a set of axial reference lines and a set of coronal reference lines obtained from the selected plurality of axial working sections and the selected plurality of coronal working sections, respectively; detecting at least one landmark that is an anatomical point in the at least one mid-sagittal plane; creating a first reference line based on the at least one landmark detected in the at least one mid-sagittal plane; and planning a scan in an orientation based on the at least one mid-sagittal plane and the first reference line.
US09383421B2

An MRI-compatible intrabody device includes an elongated flexible shaft having a distal end portion, an opposite proximal end portion, an electrical connector interface configured to be in electrical communication with an MRI scanner, and a tracking coil assembly adjacent the shaft distal end portion. The tracking coil assembly includes a first spool having opposing first and second end walls and a second spool having opposing third and fourth end walls. The second spool is in end-to-end relationship with the first spool such that the second and third end walls are in adjacent, spaced-apart relationship. A tracking coil is wound around the first spool, and a coaxial cable is wound around the second spool. An outer conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to one end of the tracking coil and the inner conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to an opposite end of the tracking coil.
US09383403B2

This disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for testing TSVs within a semiconductor device. According to embodiments illustrated and described in the disclosure, a TSV may be tested by stimulating and measuring a response from a first end of a TSV while the second end of the TSV held at ground potential. Multiple TSVs within the semiconductor device may be tested in parallel to reduce the TSV testing time according to the disclosure.
US09383400B2

An electronic circuit and method for carrying out built in test of a capacitor connected to, and arranged to suppress noise at, an input of an electrical circuit is disclosed. The electronic circuit causes current pulses at the input, and monitors the voltage at the input by comparing the voltage at the input with high and/or low reference voltages, outputting a fault signal if the voltage at the input is greater than a high reference voltage or lower than a low reference voltage.
US09383399B2

A HRG ground fault detector and method for detecting a ground fault in a High Resistance Ground (HRG) system are provided. The HRG ground fault detector in one example embodiment includes a first input A coupled to a first phase PHA of the HRG system, a second input B coupled to a second phase PHB, and a third input C coupled to a third phase PHC, with the HRG ground fault detector generating a simulated neutral voltage VN′ from the first phase PHA, the second phase PHB, and the third phase PHC. The simulated neutral voltage VN′ has a zero voltage potential when the first phase PHA, the second phase PHB, and the third phase PHC are equal. The HRG ground fault detector further compares the simulated neutral voltage VN′ to a predetermined fault voltage threshold, and detects a HRG ground fault if the simulated neutral voltage VN′ exceeds the threshold.
US09383396B2

A method for detecting a signal activity on a bus comprises measuring a current on the bus, and determining a signal activity based on the measured current.
US09383394B2

A power line monitoring device is mounted to a power line. The device includes circuitry for monitoring the power line and communicating information regarding the power line. A ground reference point of the circuitry is electrically coupled to the power line. Therefore, the monitoring device, including its circuitry, has substantially the same voltage potential as the power line. Accordingly, there is a substantially equalized or uniform electric field around the device. The substantially equal voltage potential and electric field allow communications with the monitoring device to have reduced noise and interference, as compared to other devices that have different voltage potentials than their corresponding power lines. A pad of semi-conductive material may be disposed between the power line and the electrical conductors to slow a rate of change of the voltage potential of the device circuitry when mounting the device to the power line, thereby minimizing risk of corona discharge.
US09383391B2

A voltage sensing circuit is provided. The voltage sensing circuit includes two differential amplifiers and a buffer. The first differential amplifier receives a first input voltage and a first reference voltage and provides a first current and a second current according to the difference between the first input voltage and the first reference voltage. The second differential amplifier receives a second input voltage and a second reference voltage and provides a third current and a fourth current according to the difference between the second input voltage and the second reference voltage. The buffer is coupled to the two differential amplifiers. The buffer generates an output voltage based on the first current, the second current, the third current, and the fourth current.
US09383374B2

The present invention provides a method of determining the susceptibility of a subject to treatment with a leukotriene modifier by determining the subject's cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT) level and the subject's level of eosinophilic airway inflammation and identifying a subject with a high ratio of CysLT levels to eosinophilic airway inflammation as susceptible to treatment with the leukotriene modifier. Also discussed is a method of treatment of subjects who are susceptible to treatment that includes administering a leukotriene modifier to such a subject.
US09383364B2

Provided herein are methods for predicting efficacy of a DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) inhibitor treatment in a subject having a cancer, methods of identifying a subject having a cancer that is more likely to respond to a DNMT1 inhibitor treatment, and methods of selecting a treatment for a subject having a cancer that include determining a level of SOX9 in a sample containing cells from a subject having a cancer. Also provided are methods of treating a subject having a cancer that include selectively administering a DNMT1 inhibitor to a subject having cancer determined to have an elevated level of SOX9 in a sample containing cells from the subject compared to a reference level. Also provided are antibodies and antigen-binding antibody fragments that specifically bind to SOX9, and nucleic acid sequences that contain at least 10 nucleotides complementary to a contiguous sequence present in a SOX9 nucleic acid for use in these methods.
US09383361B2

The present invention discloses, inter alia, methods for labeling a target protein with an SHG-active probe for detection by second harmonic or sum-frequency generation in order to identify agents which bind to an allosteric site on the target protein thereby altering its structural conformation.
US09383360B2

Compositions and methods of the present invention relating to B. burgdorferi HtrA sensu lato (BbHtrA) protease activity, its substrates, cleavage products, biological effects and use in detection, diagnosis and/or treatment of Lyme disease are provided.
US09383359B2

Disclosed herein are methods and kits which are useful for detecting presence of an enzyme in a test sample based upon the intrinsic enzymatic activity of such test sample. The present invention provides the ability to evaluate cell culture conditions and optimize the desired glycoform content of recombinantly prepared enzymes.
US09383358B2

The invention is directed to a method to establish a biologically significant association of gene expression levels among two or more genes, the method comprising assaying a sample for expression levels of two or more genes and identifying statistically-significant associations using a correlation coefficient in the range of about 0.6 to about 1.0, wherein a correlation coefficient in that range signifies a biologically significant correlation.
US09383356B2

A particulate latex for high-sensitive agglutination assay that barely poses non-specific reactions and can readily prepare diagnostic reagents, and a reagent for agglutination assay including the particle are provided. A particulate latex for agglutination assay, including a first polymerizable monomer having a phenyl group, a second polymerizable monomer having a phenyl group and a salt of sulfonic acid, and a third polymerizable monomer represented by Formula (1): CH2═CR1—COOCH2CH2O(PO2)OCH2CH2—N(CH3)3  (1) where R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, wherein the density of functional groups in the third polymerizable monomer represented by Formula (1) on the surface of the particulate latex is 0.003 to 0.05 μmol/m2.
US09383353B2

Methods and compositions are provided that include a multichromophore and/or multichromophore complex for identifying a target biomolecule. A sensor biomolecule, for example, an antibody can be covalently linked to the multichromophore. Additionally, a signaling chromophore can be covalently linked to the multichromophore. The arrangement is such that the signaling chromophore is capable of receiving energy from the multichromophore upon excitation of the multichromophore. Since the sensor biomolecule is capable of interacting with the target biomolecule, the multichromophore and/or multichromophore complex can provide enhanced detection signals for a target biomolecule.
US09383350B2

A free-standing thin film is fabricated from a structure comprising a base layer coated with a sacrificial polymer layer, which is in turn coated with a flexible polymer layer. Cells are then seeded onto the flexible polymer layer and cultured to form a tissue. The flexible polymer layer is then released from the base layer to produce a free-standing thin film comprising the tissue on the flexible polymer layer. In one embodiment, the cells are myocytes, which can be actuated to propel or displace the free-standing film. In another embodiment, the free-standing film is used to treat injured human tissue.
US09383341B2

The present invention is a wood grading apparatus including a robust “push” solenoid as a hammer means for impacting a lumber specimen under test. A conventional solenoid coil with stationary magnetic iron pole pieces is combined with a bimetallic armature including a magnetic portion and a non-magnetic portion; said armature is of uniform cross section through the solenoid coil. A magnetic steel portion of said armature is fastened to a nonmagnetic steel portion thereof, whereby the magnetic field may act upon the magnetic portion of said armature and drive said nonmagnetic portion in an outward direction whereby impact or striking action is achieved. The present invention includes said solenoid in a wood grading apparatus whereby physical properties of wood are measured in a conveyor line setting and wood grading is affected by combining sonic velocity and density measurements to determine the modulus of elasticity of the wood object. Sonic velocity in the wood specimen is determined either by reverberation frequency or by rolling transducers that detect the leading edge of a stress wave initiated by said hammer means. A weight measurement means including a horizontal-axis roller lug conveyor chain and a leaf-spring suspension with a load cell means provides for improved accuracy in weight measurement for wood density calculation.
US09383336B2

A system and method for generating a digital image in fluorescence gel imaging is disclosed. The method includes providing a gel sample and placing the gel sample on a flat panel detector having array of photodiodes and transistors that collect light generated from the gel sample. The gel sample is illuminated using a light source integrated into the flat panel imaging system and light emitted by the gel sample responsive to an excitation of the gel sample by light provided by the light source is then collected, with the light emitted by the gel sample being collected by the array of photodiodes of the flat panel detector and converted to electric charges to generate light data. The light data is then processed to generate a digital image of the gel sample.
US09383335B2

Electrophoresis gel cassette comprising a first and a second face wall member and one or more side wall members defining a gel compartment for a gel member with a first and second face, wherein at least a section of each one of the first and second face wall member is removable to expose a section of both the first and second face of the gel member essentially corresponding to the separation zone while the gel member is preserved in the cassette.
US09383330B2

A grid sensor for measuring the phase distribution of a multiphase substance mixture with gaseous and liquid components in the presence of a highly conductive phase (such as salt water or liquid metal) employs 3 superposed electrode planes and an electronic measuring device. Application areas include determination of the liquid distribution and the fill level in containers, as well as the investigation of gas-liquid multiphase flows, in particular in pipelines, e.g. in petroleum production and processing.
US09383328B2

A lithography apparatus comprises a structural element, a sensor having a detection region for detecting a physical quantity in at least one detection direction with respect to the structural element, and a sensor receptacle for mounting the sensor to the structural element, wherein the sensor is arranged in such a way that the maximum displacement of the detection region in the detection direction relative to the structural element is not greater than the maximum displacement of the detection region in the detection direction in the case of an arrangement of the sensor orthogonally with respect thereto.
US09383317B2

An optical sensor, comprising a sensor head, which contains a sensitive element and which is adjoined by a housing, which contains sensor electronics, wherein the sensitive element is irradiated with light from an optical transmitter and a light characteristic radiated back by the sensitive element is detected by an optical receiver and evaluated by the sensor electronics. The sensor head and the housing are embodied to be separable, wherein different sensor heads having different sensitive elements are connectable to the housing containing the sensor electronics and the sensor electronics evaluates the light characteristics generated by the different sensitive elements.
US09383313B2

In order to allow for easy judgment of performance of optical material having a prescribed function, provided is a transmitted light observation apparatus comprising a light emitting section that generates light including light of a prescribed wavelength; a holding section that holds a first test material and a second test material arranged respectively in optical paths of the light generated by the light emitting section; and a reflecting portion that reflects at least a portion of the light transmitted respectively through the first test material and the second test material. Transmittance of the first test material for the light of the prescribed wavelength is different from transmittance of the second test material for the light of the prescribed wavelength. The light of the prescribed wavelength has a wavelength from 380 nm to 500 nm.
US09383309B2

The present invention is thus directed to an automated system of varying the optical path length in a sample that a light from a spectrophotometer must travel through. Such arrangements allow a user to easily vary the optical path length while also providing the user with an easy way to clean and prepare a transmission cell for optical interrogation. Such path length control can be automatically controlled by a programmable control system to quickly collect and stores data from different path lengths as needed for different spectrographic analysis. Moreover, the system utilizes configured wedge shaped windows to best minimize the reflections of light which cause periodic variation in transmission at different wave lengths (commonly described as “channel spectra”). Such a system, as presented herein, is able to return best-match spectra with far fewer computational steps and greater speed than if all possible combinations of reference spectra are considered.
US09383307B2

Optical computing devices are disclosed. One exemplary optical computing device includes an electromagnetic radiation source configured to optically interact with a sample and at least two integrated computational elements. The at least two integrated computational elements are configured to produce optically interacted light and further configured to be associated with a characteristic of the sample. The optical computing device further includes a first detector arranged to receive the optically interacted light from the at least two integrated computational elements and thereby generate a first signal corresponding to the characteristic of the sample.
US09383305B2

According to the method for controlling a filter (3) for an air intake duct of a turbine: the filter (3) is exposed to an incident flow of sprayed salt water; and parameters of the flow on either side of the filter, which are representative of the salt retention capability of the filter, are measured.
US09383300B2

A system can use light to analyze a sample dimensionally, for example via shadow moiré analysis. The system can apply convection to heat the sample during analysis. A platform of the system can support the sample during convection-based heating. The system can include nozzles that are arranged circumferentially about the platform. The nozzles can have openings oriented towards the platform to emit heated air towards the sample, to heat the sample. Members such as fins or posts within each nozzle can diffuse or spread the emitted air.
US09383296B2

A reagent container pack for storing, preserving, and automatically unsealing and resealing a plurality of reagent containers in a reagent container pack on-board an automated clinical sample analyzer for analyzing analytes in a body fluid.
US09383295B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide improved microfluidic devices and related apparatus, systems, and methods. Methods are provided for reducing mixing times during use of microfluidic devices. Microfluidic devices and related methods of manufacturing are provided with increased manufacturing yield rates. Improved apparatus and related systems are provided for supplying controlled pressure to microfluidic devices. Methods and related microfluidic devices are provided for reducing dehydration of microfluidic devices during use. Microfluidic devices and related methods are provided with improved sample to reagent mixture ratio control. Microfluidic devices and systems are provided with improved resistance to compression fixture pressure induced failures. Methods and systems for conducting temperature controlled reactions using microfluidic devices are provided that reduce condensation levels within the microfluidic device. Methods and systems are provided for improved fluorescent imaging of microfluidic devices.
US09383292B1

A fluidic probe comprising a plurality of oriented fibers with individual fibers having nano-pores in the fiber bodies, the oriented fibers being twisted together, wherein the twisted oriented fibers form micro-pores between the individual fibers, is disclosed. The fluidic probe exhibits excellent flexibility, deployability and absorptive capacity. The enhanced absorptive capacity is due to the fluid absorption via capillary action of the nano-pores and fluid transport via the micro-pores. The probes can also be formed so as to be remotely controlled by electromagnetic fields and thus be used in a hands-free fashion. With these probes, the paradigm of a stationary microfluidic platform can be shifted to include flexible structures that can include multiple microfluidic sensors in a single fibrous probe.
US09383286B2

An ionization gauge that measures pressure has an electron source that emits electrons, and an anode that defines an ionization space. The gauge also includes a collector electrode to collect ions formed by an impact between the electrons and a gas and to measure pressure based on the collected ions. The electron source is dynamically varied in emission current between a plurality of emission levels dependent on pressure and a second parameter other than pressure. The ionization gauge may also vary various operating parameters of the gauge components according to parameters stored in a non-volatile memory and selected by a user.
US09383283B2

A capacitive pressure transducer of an embodiment of the present invention capacitively couples two electrodes on a substrate with a diaphragm electrode to form a transducing circuit without the need for a physical connection between the electrodes. Embodiments of the present invention have a substrate with a coupling electrode and a sensing electrode and an attached diaphragm with a diaphragm electrode. A spacer positioned between the substrate and the diaphragm provides for a cavity that defines a gap between the sensing electrode and the diaphragm electrode. A dielectric spacer may be positioned over the coupling electrode to increase the capacitance between the coupling electrode and the diaphragm electrode. The capacitive pressure transducer has similar electrical characteristics as existing capacitive pressure transducers, is easier to manufacture, and has long-term reliability and durability improvements brought about by the elimination of mechanical interconnects and additional conductive materials.
US09383280B2

The present disclosure is related to diaphragm assembly for a pressure sensor including a multi-layered assembly of an outer diaphragm and an inner diaphragm, and an intermediate layer between both diaphragms, the intermediate layer being made of a solid material which is permeable to air.
US09383270B1

The various technologies presented herein relate to a sensor for measurement of high forces and/or high load shock rate(s), whereby the sensor utilizes silicon as the sensing element. A plate of Si can have a thinned region formed therein on which can be formed a number of traces operating as a Wheatstone bridge. The brittle Si can be incorporated into a layered structure comprising ductile and/or compliant materials. The sensor can have a washer-like configuration which can be incorporated into a nut and bolt configuration, whereby tightening of the nut and bolt can facilitate application of a compressive preload upon the sensor. Upon application of an impact load on the bolt, the compressive load on the sensor can be reduced (e.g., moves towards zero-load), however the magnitude of the preload can be such that the load on the sensor does not translate to tensile stress being applied to the sensor.
US09383269B2

Embodiments provide a circuit, a method, and a computer program configured to detect mechanical stress and a circuit, a method, and a computer program configured to monitor safety of a system. The detection circuit is configured to detect mechanical stress of a semiconductor circuit. The detection circuit comprises a stress monitor module configured to monitor mechanical stress of the semiconductor circuit and to provide monitor information related to a mechanical stress level of the semiconductor circuit. The detection circuit further comprises an activation signal generator configured to generate an activation signal comprising activation information related to the mechanical stress level of the semiconductor circuit if the monitor information indicates that a mechanical stress level criterion is fulfilled by the semiconductor circuit.
US09383260B1

Systems, methods, compositions, and apparatus for laser induced ablation spectroscopy are disclosed. A sample site position sensor, stage position motors operable to move the stage in three independent spatial coordinate directions, and a stage position control circuit can move an analysis sample site to selected coordinate positions for laser ablation. Light emitted from a plasma plume produced with laser ablation can be gathered into a lightguide fiber bundle that is subdivided into branches. One branch can convey a first portion of the light to a broadband spectrometer operable to analyze a relatively wide spectral segment, and a different branch can convey a second portion of the light to a high dispersion spectrometer operable to measure minor concentrations and/or trace elements. Emissions from a plasma plume can be simultaneously analyzed in various ways using a plurality of spectrometers having distinct and/or complementary capabilities.
US09383257B2

The invention relates to a device and also a method for determining the degree of disinfection, and for determining the time point when a defined degree of disinfection is reached by a liquid, in particular drinking water, that is situated in a container which is light-permeable at least in a UV range. The device comprises in this case a UV measuring appliance for measuring the intensity of the UV radiation in the region of the container, a data analysis unit to which the values of the UV intensity which are measured by the UV measuring device are fed, and wherein the data analysis unit converts the UV intensity values measured at the start of a measurement at defined time points to form a characteristic, and wherein the data analysis unit compares the characteristics determined at defined time points with a predetermined characteristic, which predetermined characteristic corresponds to a defined degree of disinfection of the liquid, and wherein the device comprises at least one signal output appliance which, in the event that the determined characteristics reaches or exceeds the value of the predetermined characteristic, provides the signal output.
US09383254B1

The present invention relates to a symmetric absorber-coupled far-infrared microwave kinetic inductance detector including: a membrane having an absorber disposed thereon in a symmetric cross bar pattern; and a microstrip including a plurality of conductor microstrip lines disposed along all edges of the membrane, and separated from a ground plane by the membrane. The conducting microstrip lines are made from niobium, and the pattern is made from a superconducting material with a transition temperature below niobium, including one of aluminum, titanium nitride, or molybdenum nitride. The pattern is disposed on both a top and a bottom of the membrane, and creates a parallel-plate coupled transmission line on the membrane that acts as a half-wavelength resonator at readout frequencies. The parallel-plate coupled transmission line and the conductor microstrip lines form a stepped impedance resonator. The pattern provides identical power absorption for both horizontal and vertical polarization signals.
US09383252B2

A precision balance provided with a windshield having at least one wall element (2, 10, 12, 20, 24), which is provided with an electrically conductive coating (62), and having an electrical connection (66) for the coating. An electrical test device (68) is additionally provided, which is integrated into the precision balance and with which it is possible to check whether the coating (62) is connected to the electrical connection (66).
US09383250B2

A patient support apparatus includes load cells and a controller operable to automatically update a weight offset for use in determining a true patient weight. The controller is configured to receive signals produced by the load cells, determine whether a patient is being supported by a patient support surface of the patient support apparatus, detect movement on the patient support surface, determine a weight of the patient being supported on the patient support surface, determine whether a patient is no longer being supported by the patient support surface, and update a weight offset.
US09383246B2

The present invention relates to a guided wave radar level gauge comprising a transceiver, processing circuitry and a single conductor probe comprising at least two elongate probe sections. A connector extending from a first end of the probe section comprises: an abutment portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the probe section, an intermediate portion, having a diameter smaller than the abutment portion, arranged between the probe section and the abutment portion and an outside threaded portion. A second end portion of the probe section comprises a sleeve comprising an inside threaded receiving portion receiving the connector; a passage through a sidewall of the sleeve being located off-center in relation to a longitudinal central axis of the probe section. The probe further comprises a locking pin to be arranged in the passage locking two assembled probe sections by limiting movement of the abutment portion in a longitudinal direction.
US09383237B2

A fluid visualization and characterization system includes a measuring section with a housing defining a fluid flow path for fluid flow. The measuring section includes one or more transducers to emit ultrasonic signals into the fluid flow, and at least one receiver to receive reflections of the ultrasonic signal from reflectors in the fluid flow. The system includes a memory for storing data and a processor operatively connected to the memory. The processor comprises several modules. A velocity estimating module is configured to apply one or more velocity estimation algorithms to received reflections of the ultrasonic signal, or data indicative thereof, to determine a velocity profile of the fluid flow. A deconvolution module is configured to apply a deconvolution algorithm at least to the determined velocity profile to determine a true velocity profile of the fluid flow. A fluid visualization and characterization module is configured to determine characteristics of the fluid and/or fluid flow in by using the determined velocity profile and/or the true velocity profile.
US09383235B2

Systems and methods for determining a flow rate or volume of fluid. The system includes a positive displacement meter including a plurality of non-contact sensors and gears configured to rotate in response to fluid flow through the meter. The gears may include detectable areas that may be sensed by the plurality of non-contact sensors to determine a rotational direction of the gears. The plurality of non-contact sensors may also be configured to generate respective detection signals indicative of a rotation state of the gears. The controller may be configured to receive the detection signals, determine a current rotation state, and increment a rotational count based on the changes in the current rotation state. The controller may use the rotational count to determine a flow rate or volume of fluid.
US09383230B2

A position detection apparatus (100) including a scale (20) including a pattern periodically formed, a detector (10) configured to be movable relative to the scale, and a signal processor (30), the signal processor (30) includes first to seventh periodic signal generating units (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39) which generate first to seventh periodic signals respectively, the first periodic signal generating unit synthesizes the fourth periodic signal and the fifth periodic signal to generate the first periodic signal, and the second periodic signal generating unit synthesizes the sixth periodic signal and the seventh periodic signal to generate the second periodic signal.
US09383228B2

Multiple positions within a mechanical system are measured with a plurality of sensors including at least one 4-wire and at least one 5-wire sensor. The 5-wire sensor has two output voltage signals sent to a signal conversion processor, and the 4-wire sensor also sends a signal. A sum is created of the two voltage signals from the 5-wire sensor. An excitation voltage supply supplies a common excitation voltage to both sensors. Feedback of the excitation voltage is measured by the signal conversion processor. The excitation voltage feedback is utilized to ratio-metrically correct a position feedback signal from the 4-wire sensor at the signal conversion processor. The signal conversion processor is able to synthesize a signal indicative of the excitation voltage from the two voltage signals sent from the 5-wire sensor in the event the excitation voltage feedback is not received at the signal conversion processor.
US09383224B2

A system comprising a data collector and a plurality of end consumers connected to and supplied with a utility by a utility distribution station. Each end consumer comprises a metering device arranged to meter the end consumer's consumption of the utility supplied by the distribution station. The metering device is arranged to report consumption data to the data collector using a high frequency ID, the high frequency ID being anonymous so that the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the high frequency ID is not able to be associated to a particular metering device and to report the consumption data to the data collector using a low frequency ID so that the consumption data reported by the metering device together with the low frequency ID is able to be attributed to a particular metering device. The data collector stores IDs and is arranged to only accept consumption data carrying a said stored ID.
US09383210B2

A system and method for improved image navigation and registration on a low cost remote sensing satellite based on reference image data received from an exquisite system.
US09383207B2

The present invention relates to an auto locating system for finding the location of a viewpoint comprising: (a) at least one sensor for acquiring samples of the skyline view of said viewpoint; (b) at least one memory device, for storing Digital Terrain Map (DTM) related data; (c) at least one processor for processing said samples of said skyline view from said at least one sensor and for comparing the data derived from said samples with the data calculated from said DTM data for finding the location of said viewpoint; and (d) at least one output for outputting the location of said viewpoint.
US09383194B2

In an image forming apparatus, an error detection mark is formed by using an image forming unit on the surface of a carrier along a detection line passing through an exposure position in a carrier moving direction. The error detection mark includes a first mark and a second mark spaced from each other by a fixed distance in the carrier moving direction. The error detection mark is measured by the sensor. A measurement error of the sensor for a registration mark is determined based on the measured values for the first mark and second mark. A registration mark is formed by using the image forming unit on the surface of the carrier on the detection line. The registration mark is measured using the sensor. Offset of an image-forming position is corrected based on the determined measurement error and a measured value for the registration mark.
US09383193B2

An optical bend measurement apparatus includes a light source unit configured to supply measurement light, an optical transmission body configured to transmit the measurement light, a optical characteristic change members provided in different portions of the optical transmission body, and a photodetection unit configured to detect light output from the optical transmission body. Each optical characteristic change member imposes a change of optical characteristics on light impinging on the optical characteristic change member depending on a bend quantity in a specific direction of a portion of the optical transmission body where the optical characteristic change member is provided. The photodetection unit separates and detects the light that has undergone the change of the optical characteristics to independently measure bend quantities in specific directions of the different portions of the optical transmission bodies based on intensities of the detected light.
US09383180B2

A generator including: a member having a cable wound thereon, the cable having a free end; a spring for storing energy as the cable is unwound from the member by pulling on the free end; and an electromagnetic generator operatively connected to the member such that rotation of the member is transferred to an input side of the electromagnetic generator after the cable is unwound from the member and the stored energy in the spring turns the member.
US09383176B2

A system where a group of substantially universal pre-manufactured explosive pellet assemblies are provided for on-site forming of shaped charges. That is, a specifically tailored liner may also be separately provided to the worksite/oilfield and combined with any one of the pellet assemblies so as to form a shaped charge having characteristics that are determined by the particular liner used. In this manner, hazardous shipping of fully assembled shaped charges may be avoided while at the same time allowing the operator a full range of shaped charge performance options based on the availability of uniquely tailored performance determinative liners that are also provided to the oilfield location.
US09383172B1

An interleaving hexagonal tile (AHT) is provided for incorporation onto a liner in an array for a personnel armor clothing article. The AHT includes a hexagonally-symmetric solid object composed of a homogeneous material. The object includes a geometry that has obverse and reverse planar surfaces parallel to each other. Each planar surface has triangularly disposed terminals. First and second triple sets of oblique surfaces are disposed between the obverse and reverse planar surfaces. A plurality of facets is disposed substantially perpendicular to the planar surfaces. The facets connect between edges of the planar surfaces and adjacent edges of the oblique surfaces. The first and second triple sets of oblique surfaces are disposed to alternate with each other.
US09383170B2

A system to merge and exploit two uniquely different types of seeker homing modes of functionality into a single, dual-mode seeker, using only an FPA as the active sensor to achieve both modes of operation. The disclosed embodiments also provide a means to actively designate & track, and also passively track the same target between active designation pulses to track a target at an update rate higher than the designator pulse rate with less demanding automatic target tracking algorithms. The disclosed embodiments eliminate the need for automatic target acquisition/recognition algorithms necessary for purely passive target tracking. The passive tracking methodology “aids” the passive tracking algorithm, based on frame-to-frame image registration, with active SAL track information to improve overall seeker guided weapon performance.
US09383168B2

An optical super-elevation device including an elevation follower mirror that counter-rotates with an opposite angular rate to the weapon elevation rate, thereby maintaining the line of sight to the target during the elevation process. In one example, the optical super-elevation device includes a modular housing having a mounting bracket configured to fixedly mount to at a weapon or azimuth axis of a tripod, an elevation follower mirror rotatably mounted within the housing, and a mirror actuator coupled to the elevation follower mirror and configured to counter-rotate the elevation follower mirror at an angular rate opposite to an elevation rate of the weapon to maintain a line of sight to a target during super-elevation of the weapon.
US09383158B1

An archery bow vibration dampening device of resilient material including a base with a pair of stems extending outwardly from the sides of the base and with multiple studs extending outwardly from the periphery of the stems. Openings are formed in the studs with weights disposed in the openings. An outer ring extends around the periphery of the base for attachment of the device to a motion dampening assembly.
US09383156B2

A weapon system is provided. The weapon system includes a receiver and an operating group. The operating group includes a barrel extension at least partially housed within the receiver and arranged to axially translate relative to the receiver; an operating rod (op-rod) assembly arranged to axially translate within the barrel extension; and a bolt assembly arranged to axially translate within the barrel extension. The system further includes a gas accelerator coupled to the barrel and the op-rod assembly; a buffer assembly including a self-centering spring and a hydraulic piston assembly having a first end coupled to the receiver and a second end coupled to the barrel extension; and a feeder coupled to the receiver and configured to provide the round to the operating group.
US09383151B2

Magazines with tilt-resistant followers have a tubular body defining a passage, a follower movable within the passage, and the follower including a roller. The follower may have rollers on the front and the rear. The follower may have two rollers on at least one of the front and the rear. The follower may have a platform portion, a tine extending perpendicular to platform portion, a roller connected proximate to the platform, and a second roller connected proximate to a free end of the tine. The follower may have front and rear tines, each tine having a pair of rollers. The tubular body may define a major plane, and the roller may define a roller axis perpendicular to the major plane. The follower may define a transverse aperture receiving a pin, and the roller may be supported on the pin. The roller may include a set of ball bearings.
US09383149B2

A gas operating system for a firearm renders the firearm capable of firing a wide range of shot loads by passively or automatically compensating for different shot loads. The firearm includes a plurality of ports formed in the firearm barrel, and corresponding ports formed in a gas block of the gas operating system. The ports tap gases generated during firing which are used to cycle the firearm. When firing different cartridge loads, differing combinations of the ports are selectively at least partially blocked or otherwise obstructed by the cartridge casing according to the size of the cartridge. Additionally, the gas operating system includes compensating gas pistons with internal relief valves that can bleed off excess gas to compensate for larger shot loads regardless of the size of the cartridge.
US09383146B2

A heat dissipation device having lateral-spreading heat dissipating and shunting heat conductive structure, in which the central area of heat conductive interface of the heat dissipation device where a heat generating unit being disposed is installed with a close-loop shunting heat conductive structure, so the heat at the central area of the heat generating unit can be conducted to a distal heat dissipating segment for being dissipated to the exterior, thereby through working with the heat dissipation operation of the heat dissipation structure at the periphery of the heat generating unit and led to the distal heat dissipating segment, the temperature distribution at the central area and the peripheral area of the heat generating unit can be more even.
US09383140B2

A system for transferring molten metal from a vessel and into one or more of a ladle, ingot mold, launder, feed die cast machine or other structure is disclosed. The system includes at least a vessel for containing molten metal, an overflow (or dividing) wall, and a device or structure, such as a molten metal pump, for generating a stream of molten metal. The dividing wall divides the vessel into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein part of the second chamber has a height H2. The device for generating a stream of molten metal, which is preferably a molten metal pump, is preferably positioned in the first chamber. When the device operates, it generates a stream of molten metal from the first chamber and into the second chamber. When the level of molten metal in the second chamber exceeds H2, molten metal flows out of the vessel and into another structure, such as into one or more ladles and/or one or more launders.
US09383139B2

A system and a method are provided for melting solid sulfur and maintaining the resulting molten sulfur in liquid state. The system and the method may be fabricated, installed and operated at low capital costs, with high throughput rates at high operating efficiencies and low maintenance costs. Specific embodiments of the invention include modular and non-modular designs, which may be installed and operated with low to high degrees of automation, allowing the user to tailor the final configuration to meet specific requirements. The system of the invention comprises a specific configuration of a prescribed solid sulfur feed unit, a prescribed high-capacity melting unit, a compartmentalized pump tank assembly, and a heat exchanger located outside the high-capacity melting unit. The method provided follows the configuration of the system.
US09383136B2

The present invention provides a substrate dry device and a method for drying the substrate, the substrate dry device comprises a cavity, dry bars and a sensor disposed on the top of the cavity, liquid immerging the substrate is accommodated within the cavity, with the dry bars comprising a first dry bar and a second dry bar arranged parallel to each other, with a gap is formed therebetween and with the sensor disposed on one end or on two ends of the gap for monitoring a position in which the substrate is moved away from the liquid. By use of the above arrangement, the gas is ejected through the dry bars to the surface of the substrate which has moved away from the liquid, the tension of the surface of the liquid film on the substrate is changed by marangori effect under the action of the gas and the surface tension gradient of the liquid film makes the liquid film shrink so that the surface of the substrate becomes dry.
US09383135B2

A refrigerator including a main body provided with storage chambers, doors to open and close the storage chambers, upper hinge modules to enable one side of the upper end of each door to be rotatably installed on the main body. Main body hinge receipt parts are depressed on the upper surface of the main body to embed rear ends of the upper hinge modules in the upper surface of the main body and door hinge receipt parts are depressed on the rear surfaces of the doors to receive front ends of the upper hinge modules, and thus the main body is located at a height corresponding to the height of the doors, thereby allowing the main body provided with the storage chambers having a wider volume to be used in the refrigerator having a designated height.
US09383131B2

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes an insulation structure and fastening structure of an ice-making compartment refrigerant pipe disposed at an inside an ice-making compartment configured to directly supply cooling energy by being in contact with an ice-making tray. The refrigerator includes an insulation member configured to surround the ice-making compartment refrigerant pipe, and a fixing member coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the insulation member in a shape of a loop to prevent the insulation member from being widened.
US09383112B2

A cooking appliance is provided. The cooking appliance includes a cabinet; an intake passage through which outer air drawn in from outside the cabinet flows; a burner assembly provided within the cabinet, to combust a gas mixture of gas and air drawn into the intake passage; a nozzle assembly that supplies gas to the burner assembly; and a cooling passage formed partitioned from the intake passage, and through which air to cool components provided within the cabinet flows.
US09383099B2

A sealing system of a burner basket in an ammonia oxidation burner, wherein the burner basket has a wall that is anchored in the ammonia oxidation burner and the burner basket has a gas-permeable bottom plate, which is placed on further internal fittings of the ammonia oxidation burner and has a peripheral rim, wherein the wall and the gas-permeable bottom plate are not mechanically connected to each other, and so there is a gap between the wall and the peripheral rim of the bottom plate, wherein at the peripheral rim of the bottom plate a rim seal that is made up of individual segments is mounted movably by way of guiding pins and the rim seal projects over the gap between the peripheral rim of the bottom plate to the wall and lies against the wall.
US09383084B2

A system for mounting an industrial light to a fixed surface includes a plurality of spring-loaded pins extending from one of either the industrial light or the fixed surface, and a mounting bracket associated with the other of either the industrial light or the fixed surface. The mounting bracket includes an engagement aperture corresponding to each of the plurality of spring-loaded pins, a retainment aperture associated with each engagement aperture, and an inclined channel connecting each engagement aperture with its associated retainment aperture. A head of each of the spring-loaded pins is inserted through a corresponding one of the engagement apertures and then moved through the associated inclined channel until it is seated within the associated retainment aperture, in order to removably attach the industrial light to the mounting bracket.
US09383080B1

The present invention is a system that offers a capability to concentrate light from a large focal point onto a small spot on a detector. The system also offers off-axis capability should the system be moved, poorly pointed, off axis or jostled while in use. As designed, the present invention includes a half-ball lens having a front end and a back end, a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) having a front end and a back end, wherein the front end of said CPC is adjacent to the back end of the half-ball lens such that the CPC is centered against the back end of the half-ball lens, and a detector, wherein the detector is adjacent to the back end of the CPC.
US09383079B2

A backlight unit including a bottom cover having a bottom surface and a sidewall extending from the bottom surface, light sources, and a reflection sheet. Outermost ones of the light sources are configured to include a first light source and a second light source. The first light source and the second light source have different distances from the sidewall. The reflection sheet includes a first reflection sheet disposed between the sidewall and the first light source and a second reflection sheet disposed between the sidewall and the second light source. The first reflection sheet and the second reflection sheet have different inclined angles from each other.
US09383076B2

One embodiment of an optical system described herein comprises a source including light emitting diode chip and a homogenizer. One embodiment of the homogenizer comprises an entrance face positioned to receive light from the source, the entrance face having a first shape, a body configured to homogenize the received light and an exit face, the exit face parallel to the primary emitting face of the source. The homogenizer can emit light with a half angle that is at least 80% of the half angle of light entering the homogenizer.
US09383070B2

A lighting device may include a plurality of laser light sources, and an optical apparatus for concentrating the light emitted by the laser light sources. The optical apparatus has at least one ring-shaped reflector having a parabolic light reflection surface and at least one light conversion element for light wavelength conversion, which is arranged at the focus of the at least one ring-shaped reflector.
US09383069B2

The present invention relates to a printed circuit board (100, 200) comprising several finger portions (102, 103, 104) projecting from a base portion (101), wherein each linger portion is provided with a plurality of light emitting elements (106). By means of the invention it is possible to optimize the physical size of the printed circuit board (100, 200) such that a resulting LED module requires less printed circuit board area per thereon arranged LED, thereby decreasing the cost of the overall LED module.
US09383066B2

A lighting apparatus comprises: a body comprising a first body and a second body, wherein the first body comprises a first bottom surface and a first side surface, wherein the second body comprises a second bottom surface and a second side surface, and wherein the body has a receiving recess configured by the first bottom surface, the second bottom surface, the first side surface and the second side surface; a reflector disposed in the receiving recess of the body and comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces; and a light source disposed on the first side surface of the first body and the second side surface of the second body, disposed at an area corresponding to the reflective surfaces of the reflector.
US09383065B1

Technologies are described herein for storing fluid in an underwater cryogenic storage vessel designed for use in a fuel system of an underwater vehicle. According to one aspect of the disclosure, a storage vessel includes at least two concentrically arranged storage tanks, which includes a first storage tank and a second storage tank. The first storage tank surrounds the second storage tank, such that the first storage tank is configured to protect the second storage tank from external environmental conditions. The storage vessel also includes a storage compartment positioned adjacent to the two storage tanks. In one embodiment, the storage vessel may be an underwater cryogenic storage vessel that stores liquid oxygen used as a reactant in a fuel cell and liquid carbon dioxide, which is an effluent of the fuel cell.
US09383062B2

A sampling and rejection device for a boiler or steam generating system is described. The sampling and rejection device receives the condensate or fluid and allows a volume of the condensate to liquefy or the fluid to build up in the interior of the sampling and rejection device. One or more conductivity, pH, and temperature sensors or probes are positioned in the sampling and rejection device to measure the condensate. The sampling and rejection device includes a collection vessel to hold and temporarily store the condensate. The sampling and rejection device includes an outlet or a return line (to a central boiler) and a drain line. If the sensor measures undesirable conductivity, pH, or temperature in the condensate in the collection vessel, then a valve to the drain line is opened and the condensate is rejected.
US09383061B2

A drive regulation device for a machine tool that stops driving of a motor when a door (18) provided for a cover (17) for covering a driven body driven by the motor becomes to be in an open state includes a detection unit (21) detecting an open/closed state of the door (18) provided for the cover (17) for covering the driven body driven by the motor, an excitation operation unit (22) switching the motor between an excitation state and a non-excitation state, a speed regulation unit (23) stopping the motor, when the motor that has been stopped is rotated faster than a predetermined allowable rotation speed, and a speed-regulation switch unit (24) controlling the speed regulation unit (23), in a case where the detection unit (21) detects that the door (18) is in the open state, such that the speed regulation unit (23) works when the motor is in the excitation state, and the speed regulation unit (23) does not work when the motor is in the non-excitation state.
US09383060B2

A security wall rack and television mount combination is described to deter or prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to the back of a television or the wall mount that supports the television and to deter or prevent theft of a television. The wall mount includes security covers that are rotatably attached to the frame that cover the location where screws will secure the frame to a wall or other surface. The mount is rotatably attached to the frame and provides for the system to be locked in place in a nested way.
US09383045B2

A threaded joint comprises a seal ring positioned between a pin and a box, and located in a groove between the end of a threaded section and the nose of the box. The seal ring has a first base, a second base axially opposite to the first base, at least two protruding annular ribs on the external surface, and an internal surface comprising, in an unloaded position, two frustoconical annular surfaces tapering towards the center of the seal ring and joined by a fillet.
US09383041B2

A fastener for holding tubes, fluid lines and the like is provided with a barb for deforming material on the surface of tubular fluid line held in the fastener, and a hollow adjacent the barb for receiving the deformed material.
US09383034B2

Disclosed is a multifunctional anti-surge three orifices air valve set, comprising a negative pressure admitting valve (1), a small volumes release valve (2) and a mid-high rate venting valve (3) as well as a control isolating valve (4); the mid-high rate venting valve (3) is connected to the top of the negative pressure admitting valve (1) via aeration tube and the control valve, the two orifices being arranged separately rather than being common to each other, in order on the one hand to be selected individually to fulfill respectively the requirements for two different flow rates or speeds or calibers in a mid-high rate venting and a high-rate admitting, and on the other hand to conduct a composite admitting, at a negative pressure, of both flows of admitting air to complement each other; the independency of three orifices allows a high-speed admitting orifice and a small volumes air release orifice to combine and form a “macro-inject and micro-exhaust valve” or a “high-admitting and small-vent valve”, so that the valve set has the function of inhibiting the down-surge and up-surge due to column separation and rejoining cavity collapsing. The multi-function anti-surge three orifices air valve set has the function of the three orifices being independent of each other, the function of being able to be artificially turned off and then turned on, that is provided by the provision of a control isolating valve for the mid-high rate venting orifice, the function of combining the latter two functions to form a function with special effect, and the function of greatly reducing the high-rate discharge orifice.
US09383022B2

The invention relates to a seal on a disk valve, in which a sealing collar consisting of elastomeric material is used for both the static flange seals and the dynamic seals on the valve disk and on the switching pin, the sealing function of the static flange seals (14) being separate from the sealing function of the dynamic disk seal.
US09383019B2

Provided is a mechanical seal that has an improved accuracy of positioning a plurality of divided bodies that compose a seal ring. A mechanical seal for sealing an annular gap between a rotary shaft and a housing, comprising: a divided-type seal ring that is an annular seal ring composed by combining a plurality of divided bodies; is characterized by comprising metallic bands that fix the plurality of divided bodies by clamping outer peripheral surfaces of the plurality of divided bodies.
US09383014B2

A method for the machine-milling of intake and/or exhaust ducts formed in a cylinder head includes working off the inner wall surfaces of the intake and/or exhaust ducts at least in part, preferably completely, with a multi-axis, preferably five-axis, CNC-controlled cherry head in a stabbing movement. Grooves are thus formed in the inner wall surfaces that extend primarily in the flow direction of the ducts.
US09383013B2

A piston for a pump includes a hub portion defining opposing outer surfaces and concave lateral portions between the opposing outer surfaces. The piston also includes inserts configured to provide a replaceable surface, the inserts being coupled to each of the opposing outer surfaces. A pump includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, and at least two pistons having a hub portion and inserts. The pump may be a positive-displacement, rotary pump, and the pistons may be circumferential pistons.
US09383006B2

A vehicle includes an engine, torque converter, and transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes gear sets each having a plurality of nodes, an input member, a binary clutch connected to a node of one of the gear sets, friction clutches, and a controller. The controller detects a requested rolling garage shift of the transmission into a forward drive mode above a calibrated threshold absolute speed, and controls an amount of slip across a selected assisting clutch via modulation of pressure commands to the selected assisting clutch once the vehicle has slowed below the first calibrated threshold speed. The controller also stages the binary clutch to a calibrated staging pressure while controlling slip across the selected assisting clutch, and commands an engagement of the binary clutch and a release of the selected assisting clutch when a speed of the binary node reaches zero or a calibrated low non-zero speed.
US09383001B2

A shifting device for a transmission of a motor vehicle has an actuation lever (1) which can be selectively transferred into (a) a first selector gate, more particularly an automatic selector gate, in which the lever is mechanically coupled to a transmitting component (2) for actuating a gearshift cable or a gearshift linkage, or (b) a second selector gate, more particularly a sequential selector gate, in which the lever is decoupled from the transmitting component, the transmitting component being movably mounted, more particularly pivotably mounted. A locking means (11) can immobilize the transmitting component such that no force is exerted on the gearshift cable or the gearshift linkage as long as the actuation lever has been transferred into the second selector gate. The transmitting component may be released by a transfer of the actuation lever into the first selector gate.
US09383000B2

A gearshift knob for a gearshift lever of a vehicle and a method for operating a vehicle are described.
US09382999B2

An actuation device for selecting gear settings of a shift-by-wire gear shifting transmission comprises an actuation element, a mechanical transference for actuating the parking brake, and a coupling device disposed between the actuation element and the mechanical transference. An actuation of the transference occurs selectively by the actuation element only when the parking brake setting is selected or de-selected at the shift lever.It is possible, structurally as well as with respect to its installment, to simplify the transference mechanism necessary for the selective actuation of the transference means for the parking brake. Structural space and costs can be reduced, and the actuation device can be designed to be smooth and quiet.
US09382990B2

A helical LSD includes a case defining an inner cavity and a plurality of grooves disposed around the inner cavity. In addition to the case, the helical LSD includes a plurality of pinion gears. Each pinion gear is disposed in one of the grooves and includes a plurality of gear teeth. Each gear tooth has a top land. The helical LSD further includes at least one helical output gear disposed in the inner cavity of the case. The helical output gear meshes with the pinion gears, and the pinion gears are disposed around the helical output gear. The top land has a surface profile characterized by raised portions and indentations in order to minimize noise and vibration when the pinion gears rotate relative to the case. The surface profile can also be applied to contact surfaces of power transfer units and transfer cases.
US09382981B2

An automatic transmission (10) includes an input shaft (12), an output (an output shaft 13) arranged coaxially with the input shaft and engaged with a differential mechanism, first and second planetary gear sets (PG1 and PG2) of a double pinion type, third and fourth planetary gear sets (PG3 and PG4) of a single pinion type, first to third clutches (CL1-CL3) engaging and disengaging predetermined rotating elements of the first to fourth planetary gear sets, and first and second brakes (BR1 and BR2) engaging and disengaging a second carrier (C2) and a first carrier (C1) from a transmission case (11). A gear ratio of the automatic transmission is 1 in a sixth gear.
US09382979B2

A transmission includes a drive shaft, an output shaft, a housing, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set and a third planetary gear set, as well as six shift elements, comprising a first brake, a second brake, a first clutch, a second clutch, a third clutch and a fourth clutch. Each planetary gear set features a sun gear, a planetary gear, a planetary carrier and a ring gear. The drive shaft and the output shaft are arranged in a manner axially offset to each other and the drive shaft is connectable to the ring gear of the third planetary gear set and the second brake through the first clutch. The ring gear of the third planetary gear set and the second brake are also connected to each other. A third shaft is arranged coaxially to the drive shaft.
US09382968B2

An engine system includes an internal combustion engine, a driven unit, and a torsional coupling between a crankshaft of the engine and a driveshaft of the driven unit. The torsional coupling includes a driven-side disc coupled to the driveshaft, and a flywheel having an engine-side disc coupled to the crankshaft. The engine-side disc has an axial thickness in a discontinuous thickness range from about 0.2 inches to about 0.3 inches, so as to flex the engine-side disc predominantly over the driven-side disc in response to the driveline deflecting loads.
US09382964B2

A cylinder apparatus includes a flow path formed at a valve member through which a fluid flows when a rod is moved, a valve configured to open and close the flow path, and a restriction member disposed at a side in a direction in which the flow path of the valve is opened. The restriction member is an annular plate-shaped member in which an attachment hole is formed. The restriction member has a plurality of spring sections extending in the radial direction and configured to bias the valve toward the valve member and a stroke restriction section extending from between the neighboring spring sections in the radial direction and configured to restrict a stroke of the valve, which are installed at an outer circumferential side thereof. The stroke restriction section extends to form the same plane as the inner circumferential side of the restriction member.
US09382958B2

A disc brake includes a brake caliper, in which two brake pads can be pressed against a brake disc when in operation. A brake pad on the action side is actuatable via a brake plunger of a brake application device. The brake plunger is led through an opening of a closure cover that closes a receiving chamber of the brake caliper. A bellows rests against the brake plunger and, on the other side, against the closure cover to seal the receiving chamber. A secondary seal is retained on the closure cover, which secondary seal is arranged concentrically to the bellows and rests against the brake plunger. The secondary seal is configured to rest slidingly against the brake plunger.
US09382956B2

A caliper brake apparatus includes a caliper main body that is supported on a vehicle body, a brake lining that advances/retreats relative to the caliper main body and can apply a frictional force by slidingly contacting a disc, a guide plate that supports the brake lining, an anchor pin that supports the guide plate on the caliper main body such that it can freely advance/retreat, a piston that advances/retreats relative to the caliper main body and can press against the brake lining via the guide plate, a diaphragm that abuts a rear surface of the piston and defines a pressure chamber within the caliper main body and elastically deforms due to pressure of compressed air within the pressure chamber so as to move the piston, and a piston plate that supports the piston on the anchor pin such that the piston can freely slide.
US09382951B2

A locking hub system in a vehicle is provided. The locking hub system includes an inner drive gear assembly including a drive gear having a drive gear interior splined surface configured to attach to a vehicle axle and a bearing housing rotationally coupled to the drive gear having a bearing housing exterior splined surface configured to mate with a wheel attachment interface and a clutch ring assembly including a pin ring having a plurality of cantilevered pins extending from a support ring, partially enclosing a clutch ring, and unsupported at one end, the clutch ring including a clutch ring splined interior surface slidably moveable to mate with an drive gear splined exterior surface of the drive gear in an engaged configuration and slidably moveable to decouple from the drive gear splined exterior surface in a disengaged configuration.
US09382939B1

A linkless attachment for use with snap-hooks or similar devices. Snap-hooks typically include a locking mechanism and release mechanism requiring the simultaneous depression of interacting grips. The keeper grip member of the hook apparatus functions in a dual-purpose capacity. It forms the eye of the hook loop, and it functions as one of the grip members of the release mechanism. Further, the body member features an open attachment loop terminating in a slot, whereby various attachment devices may interchangeably be added to the novel linkless snap-hook at the time of its assembly.
US09382936B2

A thermally-insulative insert device and method of use of same is disclosed. Specifically, the thermally-insulative insert device, comprising internal and external threads, allows attachment of an assembled part to a heat source while reducing heat transfer between the assembled part and the heat source. It is also an aspect of the present disclosure to provide easy-to-implement and cost-effective methods of using and assembling the thermally-insulative insert device.
US09382935B2

An elastic tubular attachment assembly for mating components is provided. The elastic tubular attachment assembly includes a first component having a first surface. Also included is a second component having a second surface, a third surface, and at least one aperture, wherein the second surface is configured to align and engage with the first surface of the first component. Further included is at least one elastically deformable tubular member operatively coupled to the first component proximate the first surface, the at least one elastically deformable tubular member comprising an outer surface, wherein the at least one elastically deformable tubular member is formed of an elastically deformable material and configured to elastically deform radially inwardly upon contact with at least one aperture wall of the second component.
US09382934B2

An assembly of elongate, substantially parallel, interlinked staples includes multiple paper-made staples. For binding a plurality of binding sheets, the leg portions of a staple are bent in a first direction, inserted through the binding sheets, and bent in a second direction along the binding sheets to be mutually bonded. Each staple has interlinking portions, for mutually interlinking adjacent staples, in the vicinity of the ends thereof and a slit between the interlinking portions to separate the mutually interlinked staples. The first leg portion of each staple has an adhesion portion in the vicinity of the opposite end thereof for mutually bonding both the leg portions when the leg portions are bent in the second direction. Each staple is tapered at each end towards the tips of the staple. Each staple has a hole between the slit and the interlinking portion.
US09382932B2

Paper cylinders or tubes may be connected to one another using any of a variety of connectors. The connectors incorporate features that may facilitate connecting the paper cylinders or tubes at a wide range of angles to form a variety of two- and three -dimensional shapes, while obviating the need to use tape or glue, thereby potentially improving the aesthetics of objects produced using the connectors. Further, objects produced using the connectors disclosed herein can be disassembled, facilitating reuse of the paper cylinders or tubes.
US09382927B2

An apparatus for recuperation of hydraulic energy from an actuator comprises a first hydraulic machine having a first drive and a second hydraulic machine having a second drive mechanically coupled to the first drive. The first hydraulic machine is in hydraulic communication with an actuator, and the second hydraulic machine (20) is in hydraulic communication with an accumulator.
US09382925B2

A drive system for propelling a power machine over a support surface is disclosed. The drive system includes a hydraulic pressure source and a drive assembly. The drive assembly has a hydraulic motor in fluid communication with the hydraulic pressure source that is switchable between first and second displacement arrangements. A shift valve receives pressurized fluid from the hydraulic pressure source and provides a shift signal to the hydraulic motor to selectively cause the displacement of the hydraulic motor to shift between the first and second displacement arrangements. A sensing device capable of generating a load signal indicative of a load condition provided by the drive assembly is also provided. An electronic controller provides a control signal to the shift valve to control the displacement of the hydraulic motor in response at least in part due to the load signal.
US09382924B2

An transmission servo assembly having a dual piston assembly for use in an automobile to transmission is described. The dual piston assembly includes a primary and a secondary piston that, when included within an assembly housing, provide surfaces that may be acted upon by a pressurized fluid so as to drive a servo pin into and away from a band within the transmission. The dual piston assembly allows for the application of a high apply force to servo pin while reducing the pressure of both an apply fluid and a release fluid, and therefore the amount of power used by a fluid pump external to the transmission servo assembly. The transmission servo assembly also substantially eliminates band drag by balancing the pressure applied to surfaces of dual piston system and by providing a biasing member designed and configured to provide suitable initial and ending forces to dual piston system.
US09382922B2

An eductor for conveying materials includes a body defining a first end and a second end and having a first inlet proximate the first end and a body outlet proximate the second end, the body defining a second inlet positioned between the first inlet and the body outlet, and the body defining an interior area. The eductor includes one or more inserts disposed within the body. The insert or inserts are manufactured from an abrasion resistant material.
US09382919B2

A fan blade structure includes a hub, an annular partition surrounding the hub, a first blade group and a second blade group. The hub has a top surface and a flank connected to the top surface. The first blade group, disposed on one side of the annular partition, includes two blade arrays having multiple first and second blades respectively. The clearance between the two adjacent first blades is less than that between the two adjacent second blades. The second blade group, disposed on another side of the annular partition, includes another two blade arrays having a plurality of third and fourth blades respectively. The clearance between the two adjacent third blades is less than that between the two fourth blades adjacent to each other.
US09382918B2

A ceiling fan includes a suspension part, a pipe, and a main body, the main body has a coupling part, an upper portion of the coupling part has a coupling hole, a lower portion of the pipe has a pipe hole, the coupling part is inserted into the pipe, a bolt inserted into the coupling hole and the pipe hole, and a nut. The bolt includes a threaded portion and a head having a curved surface that conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the pipe. The curved surface has a head direction guide part that guides the direction of the curved surface such that the curved surface is fixed in contact with the outer surface with the nut.
US09382911B2

One exemplary embodiment of this disclosure relates to a centrifugal refrigerant compressor system. The system includes a condenser, an evaporator, and an economizer between the condenser and the evaporator. The system further includes a centrifugal compressor having a first impeller and a second impeller downstream of the first impeller. The compressor includes at least one port. Fluid from a recirculation flow path and an economizer flow path is introduced into a main flow path of the compressor by way of the at least one port.
US09382909B2

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a centrifugal fan-duct assembly including a body having a storage room therein; and the centrifugal fan-duct assembly in the storage room, configured to separate a flow of cool air and a flow of defrosted water from each other, in order to prevent freezing in the cool air passage. Since the flow and/or directions of cool air and the defrosted water are different and/or separate from each other, the cool air passage is prevented from freezing.
US09382904B2

A metering pump unit with a metering chamber (6), a positive-displacement body that adjoins the latter and can be moved by a positive-displacement drive (22), as well as a controller (30) for actuating the positive-displacement drive (22). The controller (30) is designed to actuate the positive-displacement drive (22) at least in a specific operating state in such a way that a stroke, in particular a pressure stroke, of the positive-displacement body is started at a first, lower stroke rate, and the stroke rate is increased to a second, elevated stroke rate as the pressure stroke (36) continues. A method is provided for controlling the positive-displacement drive (22) of such a metering pump unit.
US09382902B1

The present disclosure is generally directed to a method, system and an apparatus that includes a hollow canister including a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion including a top opening and the bottom portion including a bottom opening. The hollow canister additional includes an inner compartment within the hollow canister, the inner compartment being porous to allow fluid transfer across the inner compartment, a neutral buoyancy device, a variable buoyancy device, and a thermoelectric module lining an inner portion of the hollow canister. The thermoelectric module generates electricity based on a temperature difference of between an interior temperature the hollow canister and an exterior temperature on a periphery of the hollow canister.
US09382899B2

Disclosed is a wind turbine, which comprises a rotatable structure being coupled to a hub of the wind turbine and to a generator rotor comprising a brake disc, a stationary structure being coupled to a generator stator and comprising a stator frame and a safety bearing element. The rotatable structure is rotatably coupled to the stationary structure, wherein the stator frame comprises a brake mounting section to which a calliper brake is mountable such that the brake disc is breakable by the mounted calliper brake. The safety bearing element is mounted to the brake mounting section such that the brake disc is in slidable contact with the safety bearing element if a distance between the brake mounting section and the brake disc is reduced below a predetermined reference value.
US09382897B2

A wind turbine includes rotor blades pivotably mounted in a gondola such that the pitch of the blades is adjustable, and pitch adjustment mounted coaxially and pivotably on the rotor axle such that the pitch adjustment are rotatable relative to that axle. The gondola is furthermore connected via torsion positioning to the axle, such that it can rotate relative to the pitch adjustment to adjust the pitch of the rotor blades. The wind turbine may also include a cable for each rotor blade, which are each with one end connected to the blade and with their opposite end to the rotor axle, such that the blades are supported by the cables against movement in the radially outward direction.
US09382891B2

An engine control apparatus includes an engine control unit that is configured to control a ring gear, a starting device and a pinion gear. The engine control unit is further configured to perform a control to engage the ring gear and pinion gear with each other in an idling stop state, and to control a pinion gear driver. The pinion gear driver actuates the pinion gear to disengage from the ring gear. In particular, the pinion gear driver actuates the pinion gear to disengage from the ring gear while the ring gear is not rotated and while a starter motor of the starting device is rotated or while injectors of an engine are caused to inject fuel into cylinders of the engine to ignite an air-fuel mixture therein, so as to release engagement of the pinion and ring gears.
US09382875B2

A hanger for suspending a liner within an exhaust duct of a gas turbine engine comprises a bracket, a washer, a rod and a cap. The bracket is for connection to an exhaust duct liner of a gas turbine exhaust system. The washer is connected to the bracket at a slip joint. The rod is connected to the washer at a ball joint. The cap for is for connecting to an exhaust duct of the gas turbine exhaust system. The cap is connected to the rod.
US09382868B2

An engine block has a cylinder bore wall comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion axially adjacent to the first portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter. A series of parallel, circumferentially-extending grooves is formed in the second portion to roughen the surface and enhance adhesion of a later-applied, sprayed-on metallic coating. A non-masking section is formed between the first and the second portions to provide for a less-abrupt corner between the larger diameter and smaller diameter portions and eliminate any spray-masking that may otherwise. The non-masking section may be a flat or a curved chamfer. The non-masking section may be a non-grooved section of constant diameter.
US09382864B2

A method and system for improving starting of an engine is presented. In one example, the method selects a first cylinder to receive fuel since engine stop based on intake valve closing time. The method also describes selecting the first cylinder to receive fuel since engine stop based on an end of fuel injection time.
US09382861B2

Embodiments for testing a humidity sensor are provided. One example method comprises indicating degradation of a humidity sensor based on a humidity sensor output and output from an intake gas composition sensor. In this way, output from the intake gas composition sensor may be used to determine if the humidity sensor is degraded.
US09382859B2

A motor vehicle to which a control device is applied includes an idling stop control section for stopping operation of an engine when a predetermined stopping condition is fulfilled while the engine is idling, and a neutral-at-idle control section for shifting a transmission of the vehicle into neutral when a predetermined shift-into-neutral condition is fulfilled. While a post-stoppage elapsed time measured by a timer is shorter than or equal to a predetermined time after the vehicle stops moving, operation of the engine is stopped by the idling stop control section if the predetermined stopping condition is fulfilled but shifting of the transmission into neutral by the neutral-at-idle control section is prohibited even if the shift-into-neutral condition is fulfilled.
US09382858B1

Methods and systems are provided for accurately learning the zero point of an intake gas oxygen sensor in varying ambient humidity conditions. The learned zero point is corrected based on an estimated ambient humidity to calibrate the reading for dry air conditions or standard humidity conditions. EGR control is performed by comparing the output of an intake oxygen sensor during EGR conditions relative to the humidity-corrected zero point.
US09382856B2

A system for fuel injection control in internal combustion engine is provided. Fuel is injected during exhaust stroke from a fuel injector for port injection upstream of an intake valve. In-cylinder temperature as the engine cylinder undergoes compression is predicted. Fuel is injected during intake stroke from the fuel injector to supply fuel to the inside of the cylinder upon determining that the predicated in-cylinder temperature is greater than a temperature beyond which pre-ignition is expected to happen.
US09382851B2

Engines and methods execute a high efficiency hybrid cycle, which is implemented in a volume within an engine. The cycle includes isochoric heat addition and over-expansion of the volume within the engine, wherein the volume is reduced in a compression portion of the cycle from a first quantity to a second quantity, the volume is held substantially constant at the second quantity during a heat addition portion of the cycle, and the volume is increased in an expansion portion of the cycle to a third quantity, the third quantity being larger than the first quantity.
US09382850B2

A system includes a gas turbine engine having a combustor, and a fuel blending system. The fuel blending system further includes a first fuel supply configured to supply a first fuel, a second fuel supply configured to supply a second fuel, a first fuel circuit, a second fuel circuit, and a controller. The first fuel circuit may be configured to blend the first fuel and the second fuel to form a first to form a first fuel mixture. The second fuel circuit may be configured to blend the first fuel and the second fuel to form a second fuel mixture. The controller may be configured to regulate blending of the first fuel mixture and the second fuel mixture based on a measured operating parameter of the combustor.
US09382848B2

In accordance with one aspect of the present technique, a method is disclosed. The method includes modifying one or more operational parameters of a gas turbine (GT) to increase an exhaust gas temperature above a standard start-up temperature. The method also includes receiving at least one of GT operational data, heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) operational data, and steam turbine (ST) operational data from a plurality of sensors. The method further includes predicting a ST roll-off time based on at least one of the GT operational data, the HRSG operational data, and the ST operational data. The method further includes modifying the one or more operational parameters of the GT to satisfy one or more ST roll-off permissives at the predicted ST roll-off time.
US09382844B2

A mid-turbine frame buffer system for a gas turbine engine includes a mid-turbine frame that supports a shaft by a bearing. An air compartment and a bearing compartment are arranged radially inward of the mid-turbine frame. The bearing compartment is arranged within the air compartment and includes first and second contact seals arranged on either side of the bearing. The air compartment includes multiple air seals. A high pressure compressor is fluidly connected to the air compartment and is configured to provide high pressure air to the air compartment. A method of providing pressurized air to a buffer system includes sealing a bearing compartment with contact seals, surrounding the bearing compartment with an air compartment, and supplying high pressure air to the air compartment.
US09382837B2

A supercharging system (6) for an internal combustion engine includes a turbo charging device with a turbine (7) and a compressor (8), the compressor having a compressor shaft (8a); a planetary gear (25) coupled to the compressor shaft (8a) and a drive shaft (32); a clutch unit (18); a power transmission for connecting a crank shaft (4) of the combustion engine (1) to the drive shaft (32) via the clutch unit (18); and an electric motor or electric generator (20) connected to the drive shaft (32). The compressor shaft (8a) is at least on one end movably arranged between the compressor (8) and the planetary gear (25) to allow relative movements between the compressor (8) and the planetary gear (25).
US09382831B2

A honeycomb structure includes a cylindrical honeycomb structure section having porous partition walls to define and form a plurality of cells, and an outer peripheral wall, and a pair of electrode sections disposed on a side surface of the honeycomb structure section. An electrical resistivity of the honeycomb structure section is from 1 to 200 Ωcm, and each of the pair of electrode sections is constituted of a laminated body of two or more electrode bodies. An area of the electrode body disposed closest to an outer peripheral wall side is larger than an area of the other electrode body, and in a cross section perpendicular to a cell extending direction, a center angle of the electrode body disposed closest to the outer peripheral wall side is larger than a center angle of the other electrode body.
US09382827B2

Methods for regenerating a nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter which is monitored to ensure that it exhibits a sufficient operating temperature for its regeneration, and a regeneration occurs at a point in time in which a flow rate (v) of an exhaust flow through the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter (6) has at least decreased in comparison to an immediately preceding time period. A vehicle for the operation in different operating ranges, having an exhaust post-treatment, exhibiting at least one nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter and a reformer that provides for a reformate injection in an exhaust system prior to the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter, and having a stored regeneration program for the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter, which provides for a triggering of the regeneration when an operational state is detected in which no load is demanded of the internal combustion engine, preferably when the motor is at rest.
US09382823B2

Methods and systems are provided for using a crankcase vent tube pressure or flow sensor for diagnosing a location and nature of crankcase system integrity breach. The same sensor can also be used for diagnosing air filter plugging and PCV valve degradation. Use of an existing sensor to diagnose multiple engine components provides cost reduction and sensor compaction benefits.
US09382816B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method for operating a steam cycle process performed in an apparatus having an evaporator or steam generator for the evaporation of a liquid working medium and an expander, which is lubricated by a lubricant, for the performance of mechanical work. The method comprises a) supplying the liquid working medium to the evaporator, in which it evaporates and is fed to the expander in the form of steam; b) supplying an ionic liquid, which at room temperature forms two liquid phases with the liquid working medium, to the expander as a lubricant; and c) separating the ionic liquid forming the lubricant for the expander from the working medium upstream of the evaporator.
US09382812B2

A rotating assembly for a turbocharger can include a center housing that includes a through bore having a central axis; a bearing cartridge positioned in the through bore where the bearing cartridge includes an outer race, an inner race and rolling elements disposed between the inner race and the outer race; an anisotropic member positioned in the through bore between the outer race of the bearing cartridge and a surface of the center housing where the surface defines at least part of the through bore of the center housing; and a shaft rotatably supported in the center housing by the bearing cartridge where the inner race is mounted on the shaft and the shaft is connected at one end to a compressor wheel and at another end to a turbine wheel.
US09382806B2

Intermediate housing (14), in particular of turbines (11, 13) of a gas turbine engine, having a radially inner bounding wall (23) and having a radially outer bounding wall (24, 24′), having a crossflow channel (33), which is formed by the bounding walls (23, 24, 24′) and within which at least one supporting rib (15) is positioned that has a leading edge (16), a trailing edge (17), as well as side walls (18) extending between the leading edge (16) and the trailing edge (17) that direct a gas flow traversing the crossflow channel (33); the radially outer bounding wall (24) having a contour that changes in the circumferential direction at least in one section upstream of the supporting rib (15).
US09382804B2

A cooled blade is disclosed for a gas turbine that includes a radially extending aerofoil with a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side and a pressure side, and wherein a lip overhang is provided on the suction side of the trailing edge The blade also includes a plurality of radial internal flow channels connected via flow bends to form a multi-pass serpentine for a coolant flow, whereby a trailing edge ejection region is provided for cooling the trailing edge, the trailing edge ejection region comprising a trailing edge passage of the multi-pass serpentine running essentially parallel to the trailing edge and being connected over its entire length with a pressure side bleed. An optimized cooling is achieved by also determining the cooling flow from the trailing edge passage to the pressure side bleed by means of a staggered field of pins.
US09382803B2

A laminated abutment (10) comprising an inner strength member (11), an outer strength member (12), and an elastomeric member (15) comprising a stack of main layers (20, 30) that are flexible and of secondary layers (40) that are rigid. The stack comprises at least one first main layer (20) and at least one second main layer (30), each first main layer (20) presenting, in a lead-lag plane (PTRA), a first thickness (e1) that varies between a minimum first thickness (e1min) on the pitch-variation axis (AXPAS) and a maximum first thickness (e1max) on the flapping axis (AXBAT), and each second main layer (30) presenting, in a lead-lag plane (PTRA), a second thickness (e2) that varies between a minimum second thickness (e2min) on the flapping axis (AXBAT) and a maximum second thickness (e2max) on the pitch-variation axis (AXPAS).
US09382800B2

A pump assembly comprising a stator and a rotor having vanes of opposite handed thread arrangements is described. A radial gap is located between the stator vanes and the rotor vanes such that rotation of the rotor causes the stator and rotor to co-operate to provide a system for moving fluid longitudinally between them. The operation of the pump results in a fluid seal being is formed across the radial gap. The described apparatus can also be operated as a motor assembly when a fluid is directed to move longitudinally between the stator and rotor. The presence of the fluid seal results in no deterioration of the pump or motor efficiency, even when the radial gap is significantly greater than normal working clearance values. Furthermore, the presence of the radial gap makes the pump/motor assembly ideal for deployment with high viscosity and/or multiphase fluids.
US09382798B2

A method of controlling fluid flow in a fluid network system by means of a plurality of fluid machines. The disclosure provides a simple empirical method of identifying network characteristics of the fluid network system used for providing the required fluid flow rate in the fluid network system utilizing minimal fluid machine power. The method includes the steps of determining a relation between a change in fluid machine speed and a corresponding change in fluid flow rate for each of the plurality of fluid machines empirically; determining a minimum total fluid machine power which provides a minimum required flow rate in the fluid network system based on a constraint involving the relation between the fluid flow rate and the corresponding fluid machine speed, and controlling a speed of the plurality of fluid machines such that the minimum total fluid machine power in the fluid network system is attained.
US09382797B2

Autonomous operations are conducted within a defined geographical region. In an autonomous system of a management party a plurality of localized zones are established having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the geographical region. Entities having autonomous operating systems to perform specific autonomous operations within respective ones of the localized zones. The autonomous system of the management party is integrated with the autonomous operating systems of the entities.
US09382775B2

Wellhead control line deployment involves replacing the seat/retainer plate of a master valve of the wellhead with a modified retainer plate. The retainer plate defines a first port communicating from a central opening of the plate to outside the plate. A modified bonnet installs on the master valve, and the bonnet has two ports, one communicating with the first port in the retainer plate and the second communicating with a needle valve port. The communication ports are linked by a tube with outside diameter seals that inserts between the retainer plate and the bonnet. A control line hanger can be retained by locking into an adapter sleeve or directly in the back-pressure valve threads of a tubing hanger. The adapter sleeve can be attached to the retainer plate or have a collet to snap into the back-pressure valve threads of the tubing hanger.
US09382773B1

The casing stripper attachment secures the casing stripper within a housing, such as the bowl. The casing stripper rubber attaches to an attachment body for installation within the housing. The attachment body includes a base and an attachment lip. The base provides an outer surface for securing the attachment body and stripper rubber to the housing. The clamp secures the outer surface of the base with the housing. The stripper rubber fastens to the attachment lip of the attachment body to be secured within the bowl. The base of the present invention could attach to a drilling nipple that assists with inserting the casing into the well, a process known as running casing.
US09382772B2

A riser intervention system for use with a subsea test tree includes a lower riser package spool, an intermediate spool, and a riser stress joint. The lower riser package spool may include a bore and a shoulder projecting into the bore such that the subsea test tree is landable on the shoulder within the lower riser package spool. The intermediate spool is connectable to the lower riser package spool to secure the subsea test tree within the bore of the lower riser package spool such that the lower riser package spool is in fluid communication with the intermediate spool. The riser stress joint is releasably connectable to the intermediate spool using such that the intermediate spool is in fluid communication with the riser stress joint.
US09382771B2

Sealing mechanisms are provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a connector configured to couple one or more flow-control valves to equipment installed at a well and an isolation sleeve configured to be retained by the connector. The isolation sleeve may include a seal and a hydraulically actuated piston disposed adjacent one another about a body of the isolation sleeve such that actuation of the piston engages the seal. The isolation sleeve may also include a mechanically driven actuator ring, where the actuator ring energizes a seal against the bore of a tubing hanger. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.
US09382769B2

A method of drilling a wellbore includes drilling the wellbore by injecting drilling fluid through a drill string extending into the wellbore from surface and rotating a drill bit of the drill string. The drill string further includes a circulation sub having a port closed during drilling. The drilling fluid exits the drill bit and carries cuttings from the drill bit. The drilling fluid and cuttings (returns) flow to the surface via an annulus formed between an outer surface of the tubular string and an inner surface of the wellbore. The method further includes after drilling at least a portion of the wellbore: halting drilling; sending a wireless instruction signal from the surface to a downhole portion of the drill string by articulating the drill string, acoustic signal, or mud pulse, thereby opening the port; and injecting drilling fluid through the drill string and into the annulus via the open port.
US09382768B2

A modular system and process for connecting a first and second tubular. The system may comprise a skid, a tong assembly operatively associated with the skid, a hydraulic power unit, operatively positioned on said skid, a spring assembly that includes spring stands, a frame containing the tong assembly, springs, rods disposed within the spring, and lanyards attached to the rods on a first end and attached to the base on a second end so that vibratory and displacement forces created during torqueing of the first tubular onto the second tubular are absorbed. The system may also include a sensor, operatively positioned on the skid, for sensing an applied torque to the first and second tubular, and generating a sensor signal.
US09382764B2

A system and methodology facilitates conveyance of a tool, e.g. a downhole completion or completion component, via a tool string. The tool string comprises a contraction joint designed to contract if the tool incurs sufficient axial loading. The contraction joint may comprise an outer housing and a mandrel slidably received in the outer housing. The contraction joint also comprises a resettable locking member which selectively releases the mandrel with respect to the outer housing to contract the contraction joint when under sufficient axial loading.
US09382750B1

A double door gate apparatus having a frame, a main gate and a secondary gate, where the apparatus includes the unique features of a) a latch apparatus between uppermost framework members of the main gate and secondary gate, b) the latch apparatus being weighted to return to a normally closed position, c) each of the main gate and secondary gates having an inverted U-shaped piece engaging the bottommost horizontal member such that each of the main and secondary gates need to be lifted prior to being opened and prior to being closed, and d) a pair of hand wheels on a common shaft that work together to space the double door gate apparatus a desired distance from a vertical surface such as a wall.
US09382749B2

Panel assemblies for movable partitions include a panel and a protective clip covering at least a portion of a bottom surface of the panel. The panel includes channels defined between lateral edge portions and a back side surface of the panel. Tabs of the protective clip are positioned within corresponding channels. Movable partitions include at least one panel and at least one protective clip, which is assembled with the at least one panel and is coupled to a back side surface of the at least one panel. Tabs of the back portion of the at least one protective clip are inserted at least partially within two opposing channels of the at least one panel. Methods of attaching a protective clip to a panel of a movable partition include positioning tabs extending from longitudinal ends of the back portion of the protective clip within channels of the panel.
US09382736B2

A cover structure including a cover member movable between open and closed positions relative to an apparatus body, a supporting member that includes one end portion fixed to the cover member and another end portion attached to the apparatus body, the supporting member supports the cover member in the open position thereof, the apparatus body includes an engaging member that engages the supporting member to resist the movement of the supporting member and engages a portion of the supporting member when the cover member is in the closed position to maintain the cover member in the closed position.
US09382734B2

The invention is directed to a door handle arrangement for a motor vehicle door, wherein a door handle is provided and wherein in the installed state a hinge mechanism is provided which allows pivoting of the door handle for its manual actuation. It is proposed that in the installed state, for fixing the door handle to a door shell section of the motor vehicle door, the door shell section is clamped from both of its sides between a first clamping surface of the door handle and a second clamping surface of a clamping element, wherein the clamping engagement between the clamping surfaces and the door shell section provide the hinge mechanism for the door handle such that the clamping force flows through the hinge mechanism.
US09382731B2

An active hood latch apparatus for a vehicle includes a latch for locking or unlocking a striker connected to a hood; a base panel installed such that the latch can be rotated; a lever member rotatably installed in the base panel, the striker locked by the latch being located in a rotational path thereof; a locking part rotatably installed in the base panel to restrain movement of a guide pin, and to release the restraint of the guide pin in conjunction with the rotation of the lever member; and a driving part rotating the lever member by a force larger than a restraint force of the locking part that restrain the guide pin, to supply power to raise the striker, and then absorbing an impact.
US09382730B1

A locking device for a two-way travel drawer is provided with a peg on one side of each drawer; two two-way travel slides each on an outer surface of either side of the drawer; a groove member including front and rear flanges and a second opening element; a sliding member disposed in the groove member and including a trigger in the second opening element; and snapping members disposed vertically on an inner surface of the sliding member, each snapping member including two end latches secured to the sliding member, an intermediate trough having two vertical sides and a central concave portion interconnecting the vertical sides, two first inclined surfaces each extending from either end latch toward the trough, and two second inclined surfaces each interconnecting the adjacent first inclined surface and the adjacent vertical side.
US09382724B2

The rail skirt system includes a top rail, a skirt that hangs from the top rail, formed from rail bar members connected together at their inner ends by a middle connector tube connectable to a locking support leg, to provide support for the top rail on a side of a shelter. The outer ends of the rail bar members are connected to legs of the shelter by fixed corner connecting brackets.
US09382723B2

A mechanism for folding and unfolding the top of a tent includes a connecting seat, a sliding seat and an elastic telescopic part. The connecting seat is connected with a tent top rod in a pivoted mode, and the sliding seat is connected with a connecting part in a pivoted mode and moves up and down with respect to the connecting seat. The other end of the connecting part is connected onto the tent top rod in a pivoted mode. The middle portion of the connecting seat extends downwards to form an accommodating seat which accommodates the elastic telescopic part. The upper portion of the sliding seat forms a sinking seat which has an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the accommodating seat.
US09382722B2

There is provided, in combination, a mounting assembly for an upright pole through which at least one cable extends and an anti-theft assembly for inhibiting theft of the cable. The pole has a bottom and is supported by a foundation. The mounting assembly includes a plurality of spaced-apart couplers each having a top end configured to connect to the bottom of the pole, a bottom end configured to connect to the foundation and a breakaway point between the top and bottom ends of the couplers. The breakaway points cause the couplers to fail when the pole is impacted by a vehicle. The anti-theft assembly includes an inner sleeve shaped to extend about the cable. The sleeve is robust and tamper-resistant. The sleeve is positioned between the bottom of the pole and the foundation. According to one aspect, the sleeve has an upper end that connects to the bottom of the pole and a lower end that is spaced-apart from the foundation.
US09382716B2

Floor panels which are provided with a mechanical locking system including a displaceable tongue in a displacement groove. The tongue is moulded and provided with bendable protrusions. A building panel having an edge portion provided with a groove, in which a tongue formed as a separate part is received, wherein the tongue includes at least two bow shaped protrusions at a first long edge of the tongue, and wherein the protrusions are arranged bendable in the groove.
US09382715B2

A building array (800, 900, 902) comprising at least one building element (100, 200) having a first face (102, 202), a second face (104, 204) and a peripheral edge member (108, 208), the first face and second face being spaced apart to define an intermediate portion (106, 108), the peripheral edge member extending around the intermediate portion whereby at least a portion of the peripheral edge member comprises an edge profile (112, 212); and at least one boundary element (300, 400, 500, 600) comprising a planar base member (304, 404, 504, 604) removably attachable to a structural support element (802), at least one flange (306, 406, 506, 606) extending substantially orthogonally from the planar base member and an edge restraining formation (310, 410, 510, 610) extending laterally from the flange remote from the planar base member. The edge restraining formation is configured for releasably engaging with the edge profile of the building element. The at least one building element and the at least one boundary element are arrangeable together in series on a structural support element to form the building array.
US09382713B2

The panel includes a water resistant barrier layer secured atop its outward facing surface. The water resistant barrier layer includes a skid resistant surface. The panels are made of lignocellulosic material. The water resistant and skid resistant surface may include indicia for aligning strips of tape or for aligning fasteners. A method for manufacturing the water resistant building panels is also disclosed and includes the steps of feeding paper onto a forming belt, depositing lignocellulosic material and the binding agent onto the forming belt so as to form a lignocellulosic mat, applying heat and pressure so as to impart the skid resistant surface on the paper, and cutting panels to predetermined sizes.
US09382708B1

The instant art comprises a bracket that can be easily broken down into a substantially flat sheet, and a panel, both of relatively small volume, thereby enabling easy storage and/or transport. The combination is easily installed or removed and the panel is easily attached to the bracket and/or removed from the bracket. Said combination may modify the acoustical properties of an area.
US09382706B2

A method of retrofitting a home includes providing a structural base on a ground surface adjacent to and outside the outer walls, the structural base comprising one or more air passages; installing insulation adjacent to an outer surface of the outer walls, the insulation being supported by the structural base; and installing siding material on an outer surface of the insulation, the siding material and the existing outer walls enclosing the insulation and defining a flow path, a top of the flow path comprising one or more air passages into the attic space such that air flows along the insulation in the flow path between the structural base and the attic space. A plurality of new trusses may be supported at an apex of the existing roof that overhanging the existing outer walls and the insulation, the trusses sloping direction of the slope of the existing roof.
US09382700B2

A jet regulator (1) including a two-part jet-regulator housing (2), the outlet end face (3) of which has multiple passages (4), a pot-shaped inlay (6) that is inserted into the housing interior (2) until it reaches the outlet end face (3) and that has multiple tubular spray nozzles (7), each of which penetrates a passage (4) on the outlet end face of the jet regulator housing (2) and the free spray-nozzle region of which protrudes beyond the outlet end face (3) of the jet regulator (1, 5). The jet regulator also includes an insert (8) that is inserted in the housing interior and the position of the inlay part (6) is secured in an axial direction between the insert, the second housing part and the outlet end face (3).
US09382697B2

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning an associated object includes a motor and an output drive shaft powered by the motor. A cleaning attachment is coupled for rotational movement with the output drive shaft and has an axis of rotation. The cleaning attachment includes a housing having an outer surface and an inner surface. A plurality of elongated cleaning members is mounted to the inner surface of the housing. The apparatus can be employed as a cleaning implement for fire hydrants or other stationary objects. A mechanized method for cleaning stationary objects is also disclosed.
US09382696B2

A locking fire hydrant includes a fire hydrant body having an internal channel extending between a main cap recess and an auxiliary cap recess defined therein. A plunger assembly including first and second plungers is disposed within the internal channel. The first plunger is disposed such that an end thereof is capable of extending into a main cap recess and the second plunger is disposed such that an end thereof is capable of extending into an auxiliary cap recess. When the second plunger is actuated by mounting a locking cap on the fire hydrant body, one of the ratchet teeth provided on the back side of the auxiliary cap engages the second plunger to prevent the auxiliary cap from being removed from the fire hydrant body. A locking cap, an opening tool, and methods of securing an auxiliary cap to a fire hydrant also are described.
US09382695B2

A water circulation system for hospitals and other facilities with large water circulating systems. A pressure and/or flow sensitive valve directs low pressure, high temperature water in the outlet head to a return pipe, while directing high pressure water to water outlet openings. The system allows a constant flow of heated water above 55° C. past water outlet heads even when the water system is not in use, thus avoiding static water in pipe lines and the growth of microorganisms.
US09382691B2

A hybrid work machine includes a turning electric motor configured to turn an upper-part turning body, a hydraulic actuator, and a controller configured to control turning in a state of an independent turning operation by the turning electric motor and in a state of a combined turning operation by the turning electric motor and the hydraulic actuator. The controller is configured to limit the output of the turning electric motor in the state of the independent turning operation after a transition from the state of the combined turning operation to the state of the independent turning operation to an output smaller than the output of the turning electric motor in the state of the independent turning operation other than the state of the independent turning operation after said transition.
US09382686B2

A quick coupler for coupling a tool like for example a scoop, shell grab or demolition tongs to a tool guide such as an excavator arm or the like, including a coupling receptacle for receiving a first locking part and a locking receptacle for receiving a second locking part, wherein to the coupling receptacle a self-locking securing element is associated for catching and/or securing the first locking part in the coupling receptacle, and to the locking receptacle a pressure-medium-actuatable locking element is associated for locking the second locking part in the locking receptacle. The self-locking securing element of the coupling receptacle likewise is actuatable by the pressure circuit.
US09382684B1

A netless straw mat or blanket for grass seed and other such applications is formed by applying an adhesive to a layer of straw. The layer of straw is compressed and formed into a roll for distribution and use at an installation site.
US09382679B2

A portable apparatus of component parts aligned and detachable from one another in such a way as to allow for sanitary and ergonomic collection, hands-free transportation, and environmentally optimal disposal of pet waste. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical container that when assembled with a removable base and removable lid creates an airtight container enhanced with a disposable, flushable liner that fits in the interior of the waste collection container. The top of the lid incorporates a, telescoping handle, while the underside of the lid incorporates a shovel unit that fits inside the container and is offset and aligned in close proximity to the walls of the container to ensure ample room for both the shovel unit and collected pet waste when the removable lid and base are both attached to temporarily seal the container. The apparatus also comprises a removable base cap that when attached to the base of the closed container creates a compartment separate from the collected pet waste. The apparatus is designed for portability with a clip or tether means for attaching it to the user's articles of clothing or mode of transportation.
US09382677B2

A method and device for creating markings of highly viscous marking material on a surface, in particular a road surface. The marking material is discharged from a material supply and, before striking the surface is fed to a rotational body, which moves relative to the surface in a longitudinal direction of the marking, and is applied to the surface divided into unequal material portions by the rotational body. The rotational body axis of rotation runs at right angles to the marking longitudinal direction. The marking material is fed to the rotational body in a plurality of marking material flows, which, viewed in a longitudinal direction of the rotational body, are discharged next to one another from a plurality of discharge nozzles continuously, pulsatingly or intermittently in a pressurized manner. The individual marking material flows are turned on or off in accordance with the marking to be created.
US09382676B2

A road milling machine includes a machine frame, front wheels or tracks, rear wheels or tracks, and a milling drum supported from the machine frame between the rear wheels or tracks. The front wheels or tracks are mounted on pivoting columns. Steering levers are attached to the pivoting columns. A steering tie rod includes a connecting part and a projecting arm. The connecting part is connected to the steering levers. A steering cylinder is connected to a free end of the projecting arm.
US09382667B2

A rail clip for fastening railway rails to rail ties. The clip consists of U-shaped member formed from metal plate having a base with a free end and the other end curving upwards with an internal radius of 18 mm or less and a short straight section followed by a second curve and two tapered arms extending therefrom or beyond the curve, said base adapted to be secured to said tie outwardly spaced from the foot of said rail, said arms being bent downwards in a third curve beyond said base and finally the tip portion of said arms being bent backwards in a forth curve toward and short of said base to form toes which are orientated for contact with the top surface of the rail base such that said arms and toes are deflected upwards relative to said rail to develop downward clamping forces at the said toes which hold the said rail on the said tie to restrain longitudinal, lateral and vertical movement; after the said clip is formed it is hardened and tempered and then cold set by loading it in the same manner as occurs in track but the applied load is increased until the yield is passed and the clip is permanently deformed, the load is then removed & the process is repeated at least once.
US09382666B2

A multi-layer through air dried tissue including a first exterior layer comprised substantially of hardwood fibers, an interior layer comprised substantially of softwood fibers, and a second exterior layer comprised substantially of hardwood fibers. The interior layer includes a first wet end additive comprising an ionic surfactant and a second wet end additive comprising a non-ionic surfactant.
US09382665B2

A method of making a wiper/towel product includes compactively dewatering a nascent web having cellulosic microfibers and an apparently random distribution of fibers. The dewatered web is applied to a transfer surface. The web is belt-creped from the transfer surface utilizing a creping belt. The belt-creping step occurs under pressure in a belt creping nip. The web is dried to form a dried web having a plurality of fiber-enriched hollow domed regions protruding from an upper side of the web. The hollow domed regions have a sidewall of a relatively high local basis weight formed along at least a leading edge thereof. The web also has connecting regions of a relatively lower local basis weight forming a network interconnecting the hollow domed regions, and transition areas provided with upwardly and inwardly inflected consolidated fibrous regions that transition from the connecting regions into the sidewalls of the hollow domed regions.
US09382663B2

Apparatuses, processes, and systems for determining features of a paper-making fabric. The apparatus, processes, and systems utilize a representation of a portion of a surface of the fabric, with the representation showing locations and sizes of knuckles and pockets in the surface of the fabric. An image of the portion of the fabric is generated based on the representation. Using the displayed image, an outline is drawn around at least one of the knuckles, and guidelines are drawn such that the guidelines pass through the center of the outlined knuckle, pass through the other knuckles, and form a shape that surrounds areas of the image that correspond to where the pockets are formed between the knuckles. With the outlined knuckle and guidelines, properties that affect the paper-making functionality of the fabric may be calculated.
US09382659B2

An aqueous printing ink and coating composition contains colorant, one or more high molecular weight starches and one or more water soluble acrylic polymers or co-polymers.
US09382653B2

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine that may include an integrated tub/drum that has a cylindrical shape or a truncated conical shape, stores water, holds or accommodates laundry together with the water, rotates, and has an opening in one region of the integrated tub/drum; a drum cover that separably or removably covers the opening of the integrated tub/drum and is separable or removable from the opening; and a cover hinge that is at one side and/or edge of the opening of the integrated tub/drum, and rotatably supports one side of the drum cover.
US09382650B2

A cutting device for a sewing machine includes an upper-blade positioning device and a lower-blade positioning device. The upper-blade positioning device includes an upper blade upper blade fixed at a head portion of the upper-blade holder, and a spring and a restricting member sleeved on a body portion of the upper-blade holder. A restricting pin is engaged between an upper-blade drive member and the restricting member. A guide member includes a guide hole for insertion of a rod portion of the upper-blade drive member and is fixed to the base. The upper-blade drive member is inserted through a guide member of the base and moved by a connecting rod. The lower-blade positioning device includes a lower-blade holder, an adjustment member. A lower-blade shaft has one end fixed to the base and another end extended out of the base, rotating the adjustment member can adjust the position of the lower-blade holder.
US09382648B2

An apparatus for supplying compressed air to air-consuming components of an air-jet weaving machine includes plural pneumatically controllable pressure regulators (1.1, 1.2, 1.3), that each respectively have a pneumatic control inlet (3.1, 3.2, 3.3), plural electrically switchable valves (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) that are respectively connected to the pneumatic control inlets, an electrically controllable pressure regulator (4), and a control pressure line (5) that connects the outlet of the electrically controllable pressure regulator to the valves, and through the valves to the pneumatic control inlets of the pneumatically controllable pressure regulators.
US09382644B1

A melt-blowing die tip includes a first die tip half and a second die tip half with complementary mating surfaces. A flow system is engraved onto at least one of the mating surfaces. The flow system includes linear melt troughs, which are fluidly connected by channels. Spinning orifices downstream of the last melt trough, which may have diameters over an exceptionally broad range, produce fibers as small as nano-scale. Fasteners secure the two die tip halves, and at least one of the channels includes a curved portion to direct flow around a fastener. The resulting die tip has increased pressure tolerance, greater productivity, reduced costs, and supports the economical mass production of super fine fibers. Optionally, an engraved die plate may be inserted between the die tip halves. When both sides of the die plate are engraved with a flow system, the die may produce bi-component fibers.
US09382641B2

An epitaxial substrate having preferable two dimensional electron gas characteristic and contact characteristic is provided in the present invention. A channel layer is formed on a base substrate with GaN. A spacer layer is formed on the channel layer with AlN. A barrier layer is formed on the spacer layer with group III nitride having a composition of InXAlyGazN (wherein x+y+z=1) and at least including In, Al, and Ga such that the composition of the barrier layer is within the range surrounded with four lines defined in accordance with the composition on a ternary phase diagram with InN, AlN, and GaN as vertexes.
US09382636B2

A production process for producing an iron-tin alloy layer on a packaging steel substrate and to a substrate provided with said layer wherein one or both sides of a SR- or DR-blackplate substrate is coated with an iron-tin alloy layer which contains at least 80 weight percent (wt. %) of FeSn (50 at. % tin and 50 at. % iron).
US09382634B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing a plating solution for aluminum electroplating useful for the production of a high-ductility, high-purity aluminum foil at a high film formation rate, etc., which is an easy-to-handle plating solution that does not solidify and allows for an electroplating treatment even at 25° C. The present invention as a means for achieving the object is characterized in that in a preparation of a plating solution containing at least (1) a dialkyl sulfone, (2) an aluminum halide, and (3) a nitrogen-containing compound, the blending proportions of the dialkyl sulfone, the aluminum halide, and the nitrogen-containing compound are such that per 10 mol of the dialkyl sulfone, the aluminum halide is 3.5+n to 4.2+n mol, and the nitrogen-containing compound is n mol (wherein n is 0.001 to 2.0 mol). In addition, a plating solution for aluminum electroplating prepared by the method of the present invention allows for an electroplating treatment with high aluminum deposition efficiency relative to the current flow, and is thus advantageous in that electricity usage can be reduced, resulting in excellent economic efficiency.
US09382621B2

A method and apparatus for providing an electrically symmetrical ground or return path for electrical current between two electrodes is described. The apparatus includes at least on radio frequency (RF) device coupled to one of the electrodes and between a sidewall and/or a bottom of a processing chamber. The method includes moving one electrode relative to another and realizing a ground return path based on the position of the displaced electrode using one or both of a RF device coupled to a sidewall and the electrode, a RF device coupled to a bottom of the chamber and the electrode, or a combination thereof.
US09382618B2

A method for synthesizing an In(III) N,N′-diisopropylacetamidinate precursor including cooling a mixture comprised of diisopropylcarbodiimide and diethyl ether to approximately −30° C., adding methyllithium drop-wise into the mixture, allowing the mixture to warm to room temperature, adding indium(III) chloride as a solid to the mixture to produce a white solid, dissolving the white solid in pentane to form a clear and colorless solution, filtering the mixture over a celite plug, and evaporating the solution under reduced pressure to obtain a solid In(III) N,N′-diisopropylacetamidinate precursor. This precursor has been further used to develop a novel atomic layer deposition technique for indium sulfide by dosing a reactor with the precursor, purging with nitrogen, dosing with dilute hydrogen sulfide, purging again with nitrogen, and repeating these steps to increase growth.
US09382606B2

A method and a product made through it by utilizing Zirconium alloys containing Titanium in the manufacture of metal articles of sports, night stealth compatible articles for law enforcement and military equipment, night-stealth personal and body adornments for members of such forces, garden and household implements, fashion accessories, body art articles, and medical and dental implants, and other articles. The articles benefit from any combination of properties from being hypo-allergenic, possessing high tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and hardness, having low ductility and elasticity and of having the outer appearance within the scale of dark grey to blackness. In this method an alloy of components in their respective ratios from within the method's stipulated preferred range is shaped into a work piece by conventional metal forming devices and methods, and then subjected to an oxidation process and optional quenching steps. The oxidation is achieved through heating the work piece that is made out in the alloy in oxygen containing atmospheric ambience in one or two cycles.
US09382605B2

The present disclosure relates to an improved low-cost metallic coating to be deposited on gas turbine engine components. The metallic coating consists of 1.0 to 18 wt % cobalt, 3.0 to 18 wt % chromium, 5.0 to 15 wt % aluminum, 0.01 to 1.0 wt % yttrium, 0.01 to 0.6 wt % hafnium, 0.0 to 0.3 wt % silicon, 0.0 to 1.0 wt % zirconium, 0.0 to 10 wt % tantalum, 0.0 to 9.0 wt % tungsten, 0.0 to 10 wt % molybdenum, 0.0 to 43.0 wt % platinum, and the balance nickel.
US09382602B2

The present invention relates to tungsten-rhenium coated compounds, materials formed from tungsten-rhenium coated compounds, and to methods of forming the same. In embodiments, tungsten and rhenium are coated on ultra hard material particles to form coated ultra hard material particles, and the coated ultra hard material particles are sintered at high temperature and high pressure.
US09382601B2

A method of producing a porous aluminum is provided. The method includes preparing a powder mixture of at least one of Al and an Al alloy and carbon nanoparticles and melting the powder mixture. In addition, the method includes oxidizing the melt using oxygen bubbling and solidifying the melt.
US09382600B2

There are provided processes for preparing alumina. These processes can comprise leaching an aluminum-containing material with HCl so as to obtain a leachate comprising aluminum ions and a solid, and separating said solid from said leachate; reacting said leachate with HCl so as to obtain a liquid and a precipitate comprising said aluminum ions in the form of AlCl3, and separating said precipitate from said liquid; and heating said precipitate under conditions effective for converting AlCl3 into Al2O3 and optionally recovering gaseous HCl so-produced. These processes can also be used for preparing various other products such as hematite, MgO, silica and oxides of various metals, sulphates and chlorides of various metals, as well as rare earth elements, rare metals and aluminum.
US09382596B2

A hardfacing composition composed of an Fe—Cr alloy. The alloy is comprised of 80 wt % iron, about 2 wt % to about 20 wt % Cr, less than 1 wt % Si and less than 1 wt % C. The alloy's microstructure is at least 80 vol % martensite; and less than 20 vol % austenite.
US09382590B2

Provided are methods and compositions for determining an increased likelihood of prostate cancer cells in a subject to metastasize.
US09382589B2

In certain preferred embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating cancer, which comprise (a) obtaining a specimen of cancer tissue from a patient; (b) obtaining a specimen of normal tissue in the proximity of the cancer tissue from such patient; (c) extracting total protein and RNA from the cancer tissue and normal tissue; (d) obtaining a protein expression profile of the cancer tissue and normal tissue using 2D DIGE and mass spectrometry; (e) identifying proteins that are expressed in such cancer tissue at significantly different levels than in the normal tissue; (f) obtaining a gene expression profile of the cancer tissue and normal tissue using microarray technology and comparing the results thereof to the protein expression profile; (g) prioritizing over-expressed proteins by assessing the connectivity thereof to other cancer-related or stimulatory proteins; (h) designing an appropriate RNA interference expression cassette to, directly or indirectly, modulate the expression of genes encoding such prioritized proteins; (i) incorporating said cassette into an appropriate delivery vehicle; and (j) providing the patient with an effective amount of the delivery vehicle to, directly or indirectly, modify the expression (i.e., production) of such proteins.
US09382587B2

The present disclosure relates to a diagnostic marker for breast cancer, having thioredoxin-1 as an active ingredient, and to a diagnostic kit for breast cancer using the same. The thioredoxin-1 is overexpressed in human breast cancer tissue so as to enable the early diagnosis of breast cancer or the early prediction prognosis of breast cancer, and therefore has a valuable use as a diagnostic marker for breast cancer. The present disclosure further relates to a method for the diagnosis of breast cancer comprising measuring serum thioredoxin 1 level. In addition, the method is useful in the early diagnosis of breast cancer thanks to its high diagnostic sensitivity and selectivity.
US09382585B2

A scalable reaction and detection system for automated high throughput sequencing of nucleic acids involving a combination of chemical processes and observation processes independent of the chemistry processes. Discrete functional units may be configured in a manner that allows the system to interchangeably utilize different sequencing reaction components in conjunction with discrete apparatus components for optical image collection and/or analysis.
US09382582B1

A longstanding challenge in forensics is resolving the genetic profile of a minor contributor in a mixed contributor sample. The instant disclosure provides for differentially labeling the products resulting from the amplification of a template from a major contributor relative to that of a minor contributor. Based on this differential labeling, the genetic profile of the minor contributor can be resolved from that of a major contributor.
US09382579B2

An apparatus comprises an antenna pattern precursor, wherein the antenna pattern precursor includes a plurality of sensitive regions; and electromagnetically functionalized DNA/nanoparticle complex(es) that individualize the ability to transition between the precursor antenna electrical and resonant frequency characteristics, and activated antenna electrical and resonant frequency characteristics through DNA hybridization of the specific sequences contained in the electromagnetically functionalized DNA/nanoparticle complex(es).
US09382568B2

The present invention provides an in vitro method for determining the resistance or sensitivity of a cell line or patient sample to a deoxyribonucleoside kinase-dependent drug, wherein the method comprises the steps of: (i) treating a patient sample or cell line, or a portion thereof, with a deoxyribonucleoside kinase-dependent drug; (ii) lysing the cells of the patient sample or cell line from step (i); (iii) optionally, mixing a portion of the cell lysate from step (ii) with a bioluminescent reporter bacteria incorporating a gene coding for deoxyribonucleoside kinase; (iv) mixing a portion of the cell lysate from (ii) with a bioluminescent reporter bacteria incorporating a gene coding for a deoxyribonucleoside kinase and a deoxyribonucleoside kinase transcription promoter; (v) mixing a portion of the cell lysate from step (ii) with a bioluminescent reporter bacteria incorporating a gene coding for a deoxyribonucleoside kinase, a deoxyribonucleoside kinase transcription promoter and a dephosphorylating agent; and (vi) measuring the bioluminescence of each of the mixtures from steps (iii) to (v), wherein the comparative levels of bioluminescence of each of the mixtures provides a measure of the resistance or sensitivity to the drug.
US09382567B2

A method for engineering and utilizing large DNA vectors to target, via homologous recombination, and modify, in any desirable fashion, endogenous genes and chromosomal loci in eukaryotic cells. These large DNA targeting vectors for eukaryotic cells, termed LTVECs, are derived from fragments of cloned genomic DNA larger than those typically used by other approaches intended to perform homologous targeting in eukaryotic cells. Also provided is a rapid and convenient method of detecting eukaryotic cells in which the LTVEC has correctly targeted and modified the desired endogenous gene(s) or chromosomal locus (loci) as well as the use of these cells to generate organisms bearing the genetic modification.
US09382566B1

Open chain sophorolipids may be produced by fermentation with Candida sp. NRRL Y-27208 or C. riodocensis. Dimers and trimers of sophorolipids are also produced. The sophorolipds are produced by inoculating a fermentation medium comprising a carbon source and a lipid, with Candida riodocensis or Candida species NRRL Y-27208, and incubating under aerobic conditions and for a period of time effective to produce an open chain sophorolipid in the medium. The sophorolipids may be subsequently recovered from the fermentation medium.
US09382565B2

The present invention relates generally to methods for generating single stranded nucleic acid molecules following enhanced solid phase polynucleotide amplification. The present invention employs an amplification reaction using primers with differential priming properties at particular annealing conditions or an immobilized primer nested between two aqueous phase primers. Thus, by primer design, solid support primer participation is enhanced relative to aqueous phase primers. The subject invention further provides methods for labeling solid matrices with single and double stranded nucleic acid molecules. Kits for generating single stranded nucleic acid molecules and for conducting amplification reactions also form part of the present invention. The present invention further provides amplification systems for the generation of single stranded nucleic acid molecules optionally labelled with a reporter molecule and their use inter alia as labels, primers and probes.