US09077071B2
A horizontally polarized antenna array allows for the efficient distribution of RF energy into a communications environment through selectable antenna elements and redirectors that create a particular radiation pattern such as a substantially omnidirectional radiation pattern. In conjunction with a vertically polarized array, a particular high-gain wireless environment may be created such that one environment does not interfere with other nearby wireless environments and avoids interference created by those other environments. Lower gain patterns may also be created by using particular configurations of a horizontal and/or vertical antenna array. In a preferred embodiment, the antenna systems disclosed herein are utilized in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless environment.
US09077068B2
A communication device including a supporting plate and an antenna system is provided. The supporting plate includes a conductive plate and a non-conductive plate. The conductive plate has a first edge and a second edge. The antenna system includes at least two antennas, which are both disposed at the first edge of the conductive plate and operate in at least a first band. A distance between the first edge and the second edge of the conductive plate is about 0.25 wavelength of the lowest frequency in the first band, and the distance is smaller than a length of the first edge.
US09077067B2
A radio IC device that can be used in a plurality of frequency bands for RFID tags and that is compact and has superior radiation characteristics is provided. A spiral line electrode portion and a first side electrode, extending from an inner end thereof, of a capacitor electrode portion are provided on a top surface of a sheet-shaped substrate, and a second side electrode arranged to face the first side electrode and a crossing line electrode are provided on a bottom surface of the substrate. A first radio IC chip is arranged at a location in the line electrode portion, and a second RFID tag radio IC is arranged so as to be connected to a front-to-back connection portion and an end of an electric-field radiation electrode portion. The radio IC chip rectifies an RF signal in a first frequency band and outputs and supplies power to the second RFID tag radio IC.
US09077061B2
A directional coupler used in a predetermined frequency band includes a main line connected between a first terminal and a second terminal. A first sub line is connected to a third terminal and is electromagnetically coupled to the main line. A second sub line is connected to a fourth terminal and is electromagnetically coupled to the main line. A low pass filter is connected between the first sub line and the second sub line and causes a phase shift to be generated in a passing signal passing therethrough in such a manner that the phase shift monotonically increases within a range from about 0 to about 180 degrees with increasing frequency in the predetermined frequency band.
US09077056B2
Disclosed herein is a device for housing a plurality of electrochemical cells, wherein the housing provides stability, temperature control and maximum packing density. The battery module housing comprises a first semi-enclosure and a second semi-enclosure, wherein the first and second semi-enclosure are aligned to form compartments there between. Each compartment is designed to accommodate at least one electrochemical cell, such as a cylindrical battery or a prismatic battery. Each semi-enclosure comprises an interior wall and an exterior wall. The interior and exterior wall align together to form a flow path between the walls through which coolant or any other thermal management medium may flow. The coolant enters the semi-enclosure through a coolant inlet, flows between the interior and exterior walls; then flows out of the semi-enclosure through a coolant outlet.
US09077053B2
A battery charger for charging a first battery pack and a second battery pack includes a housing, a charging circuit positioned within the housing, and a first charging port coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the charging circuit. The first charging port is configured to support the first battery pack and defines a first connection axis along which the first battery pack is movable to connect with the charging circuit. The battery charger also includes a second charging port coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the charging circuit. The second charging port is configured to support the second battery pack while the first charging port supports the first battery pack. The second charging port defines a second connection axis along which the second battery pack is movable to connect with the charging circuit. The first connection axis is angled relative to the second connection axis.
US09077051B2
A system for removing a layer of lead sulfate insulation crystals in which lead sulfate is selectively subjected to heating by dielectric relaxation loss at a peak frequency of lead sulfate dielectric relaxation loss of 10 MHz, thereby finely decomposing the crystals which have turned into poor conductors to oxidize positive electrodes of lead oxide and reduce negative electrodes of elemental lead by charging current.
US09077048B2
The present disclosure provides a cable-type secondary battery, comprising: an inner electrode supporter; and a sheet-form laminate of inner electrode-separation layer-outer electrode, spirally wound on the outer surface of the inner electrode supporter, wherein the laminate of inner electrode-separation layer-outer electrode is formed by carrying out compression for the integration of an inner electrode, a separation layer for preventing a short circuit, and an outer electrode. In the cable-type secondary battery of the present disclosure, since the electrodes and the separation layer are adhered to each other and integrated, the separation layer coming into contact with the electrodes absorbs an electrolyte solution to induce the uniform supply of the electrolyte solution into the outer electrode active material layer, thereby enhancing the stability and performances of the cable-type secondary battery.
US09077042B2
A membrane electrode assembly includes a proton exchange membrane, an anode and a cathode. The proton exchange membrane has two opposite surfaces, a first surface and a second surface. The anode is located adjacent to the first surface of the proton exchange membrane, and the cathode is located adjacent to the second surface of the proton exchange membrane. The anode includes a carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure has a plurality of carbon nanotubes and a catalyst material dispersed on the carbon nanotubes. A biofuel cell using the membrane electrode assembly is also provided.
US09077037B2
Disclosed are open-framework solids that possess superior ion-transport properties pertinent to the electrochemical performance of next-generation electrode materials for battery devices. Disclosed compounds including compositions and architectures relevant to electrical energy storage device applications have been developed through integrated solid-state and soft (solution) chemistry studies. The solids can adopt a general formula of AxMy(XO4)z, where A=mono- or divalent electropositive cations (e.g., Li+), M—trivalent transition metal cations (e.g., Fe3+, Mn3+), and X═Si, P, As, or V. Also disclosed are oxo analogs of these materials having the general formulae AaMbOc(PO4)d (a≧b), and more specifically, AnMnO3x(PO4)n-2x, where A=mono- or divalent electropositive cations (e.g., Li+), M is either Fe or Mn, and x is between 0 and n/2.
US09077016B2
An anion exchange composite membrane is filled with crosslinked polymer electrolytes for fuel cells. A method comprises, (A) preparing anion exchange electrolyte precursor solution, said anion exchange electrolyte precursor solution consisting of a electrolyte monomer of tetravalent ammonium salt having a cation, a bisacrylamide crosslinker having tertiary amine functional group, an initiator and water; (B) impregnating a porous polymer supporter into said electrolyte precursor solution; (C) forming primary anion exchange crosslink polymer electrolyte micropore filling membrane by laminating said polymer supporter and crosslinking within a film; (D) deriving quanternary ammonium of said crosslinker having tertiary amine functional group by immersing said primary anion exchange crosslink polymer electrolyte micropore filling membrane in Vinylbenzyl chloride monomer solution; and (E) preparing composite membrane filled with crosslinked polymer electrolytes by crosslinking after said ammonium deriving is complete, said crosslinking being radical polymerizing vinyl group of said electrolyte micropore filling membrane.
US09077010B2
There is provided a sealing material for a thin plate member which eliminates the need to form seal grooves as in prior art when applied to a thin plate member such as a cell of a secondary battery such as a redox flow battery, a fuel cell and a lead storage battery, and which provides satisfactory sealing and can compactify and reduce in weight a device to be used and facilitate assembling with reduced cost as well as allowing more cells to be stacked resulting in improving fuel capacity. The annular sealing material for a thin plate member that provides sealing between thin plate members includes a lateral sealing body disposed on a lateral of the thin plate member, and a pair of sealing legs branching from the lateral sealing body in a fork shape and disposed on the front surface and the back surface of the thin plate member.
US09077009B2
An electrode for a fuel cell element including a hydrophobic graphite support layer; a semi-hydrophobic electro-catalyst layer including an electro-catalytically active material in a carbon substrate and a polytretrofluorethylene (PTFE) content having a first concentration; and a hydrophilic electro-catalyst layer including an electro-catalytically active material in a carbon substrate and having a PTFE content having a second concentration that is less than the first concentration.
US09077005B2
In various aspects, systems and methods are provided for integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. The molten carbonate fuel cells can be integrated with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process in various manners, including providing synthesis gas for use in producing hydrocarbonaceous carbons. Additionally, integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process can facilitate further processing of vent streams or secondary product streams generated during the synthesis process.
US09077002B2
A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell main body containing a fuel cell having an anode side at which fuel is reacted, exhaust products arising at the anode side of the fuel cell as a result of the reaction at the anode side. A recirculation passage is located inside the fuel cell main body and recirculates a proportion of the exhaust products directly to the anode side of the fuel cell for reaction at the anode side. The recirculation passage may include an ejector arrangement for mixing fresh fuel with the recirculated exhaust products and may also include a reforming catalyst for partially reforming the mixture in the recirculation passage.
US09076985B2
A display device which can be produced at reduced material cost and has a smaller peripheral frame area, and a method for producing the same, are provided. A display device includes a first substrate including a display area, which includes an organic EL light emitting layer; a second substrate located so as to face the first substrate; a dam member located along, and outside with respect to, a part of an outer edge of the display area, the dam member joining the first substrate and the second substrate to each other; and a filler filling a space between the first substrate and the second substrate while being in contact with the dam member.
US09076979B2
The object of the present invention is to provide an organic electroluminescent element suitable for both food lighting at a low temperature and indoor lighting at room temperature. The organic electroluminescent element according to the present invention has such characteristics that a maximum of a general color rendering index Ra in a range of an element temperature of 5° C. to 60° C. is present in a range of the element temperature of 15° C. to 35° C. and that at least one of maxima of special color rendering indexes R10, R11, R12, and R13 in the range of the element temperature of 5° C. to 60° C. is present in a range of the element temperature of 5° C. to 35° C.
US09076975B2
An electronic device, such as a thin-film transistor, includes a substrate and a dielectric layer formed from a dielectric composition. The dielectric composition includes a dielectric material, a crosslinking agent, and an infrared absorbing agent. In particular embodiments, the dielectric material comprises a lower-k dielectric material and a higher-k dielectric polymer. When deposited, the lower-k dielectric material and the higher-k dielectric material form separate phases. The infrared absorbing agent allows the dielectric composition to attain a temperature that is significantly greater than the temperature attained by the substrate during curing. This difference in temperature allows the dielectric layer to be cured at relatively high temperatures and/or shorter time periods, permitting the selection of lower-cost substrate materials that would otherwise be deformed by the curing of the dielectric layer.
US09076972B2
Porphyrin polymers of Structure 1, where n is an integer (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or greater) are synthesized by the method shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The porphyrin polymers of Structure 1 are soluble in organic solvents such as 2-MeTHF and the like, and can be synthesized in bulk (i.e., in processes other than electropolymerization). These porphyrin polymers have long excited state lifetimes, making the material suitable as an organic semiconductor for organic electronic devices including transistors and memories, as well as solar cells, sensors, light-emitting devices, and other opto-electronic devices.
US09076964B2
A bistable resistance random access memory is described for enhancing the data retention in a resistance random access memory member. A dielectric member, e.g. the bottom dielectric member, underlies the resistance random access memory member which improves the SET/RESET window in the retention of information. The deposition of the bottom dielectric member is carried out by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition or by high-density-plasma chemical vapor deposition. One suitable material for constructing the bottom dielectric member is a silicon oxide. The bistable resistance random access memory includes a bottom dielectric member disposed between a resistance random access member and a bottom electrode or bottom contact plug. Additional layers including a bit line, a top contact plug, and a top electrode disposed over the top surface of the resistance random access memory member. Sides of the top electrode and the resistance random access memory member are substantially aligned with each other.
US09076953B2
Spin transistors and related memory, memory systems, and methods are disclosed. A spin transistor is provided by at least two magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a shared multiferroic layer. The multiferroic layer is formed from a piezoelectric (PE) thin film over a ferromagnetic thin film (FM channel) with a metal electrode (metal). The ferromagnetic layer functions as the spin channel and the piezoelectric layer is used for transferring piezoelectric stress to control the spin state of the channel. The MTJ on one side of the shared layer forms a source and the MTJ on the other side is a drain for the spin transistor.
US09076950B2
A lighting apparatus includes a polygon die including a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and a submount to which each of the LEDs is coupled. Each LED includes a plurality of epi-layers which contains a p-type layer, an n-type layer, and a multiple quantum well (MQW) disposed between the p-type layer and the n-type layer, and a p-type electrode and an n-type electrode which are electrically coupled to the p-type layer and the n-type layer, respectively. The p-type and the n-type electrodes are located between the submount and the epi-layers. The submount contains a plurality of conductive elements configured to electrically couple at least a portion of the plurality of LEDs in series. At least some of the plurality of LEDs have non-rectangular top view shapes.
US09076940B2
An LED component comprising an array of LED chips mounted on a planar surface of a submount with the LED chips capable of emitting light in response to an electrical signal. The LED chips comprise respective groups emitting at different colors of light, with each of the groups interconnected in a series circuit. A lens is included over the LED chips. Other embodiments can comprise thermal spreading structures included integral to the submount and arranged to dissipate heat from the LED chips.
US09076933B2
A ceramic conversion element includes an active ceramic layer that converts electromagnetic radiation in a first wavelength range into electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range, which is different from the first wavelength range, and a carrier layer transmissive to radiation in the first wavelength range and/or radiation in the second wavelength range, wherein an inhibitor layer is arranged between the active layer and the carrier layer, the inhibitor layer reducing diffusion of activator ions from the active layer into the carrier layer.
US09076929B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting element includes a first electrode, first and second light emitting units, first and second conductive layers, a first connection electrode, a first dielectric layer, first and second pads, and a first inter-light emitting unit dielectric layer. The first light emitting unit includes first and second semiconductor layers, and a first light emitting layer. The first semiconductor layer includes a first semiconductor portion and a second semiconductor portion. The second light emitting unit includes a third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer, and a second light emitting layer. The fourth semiconductor layer is electrically connected with the first electrode. The first conductive layer is electrically connected with the third semiconductor layer. The second conductive layer is electrically connected with the second semiconductor layer. The first connection electrode electrically connects the first conductive layer and the first semiconductor portion.
US09076928B2
A semiconductor light emitting device is provided and includes a protective element including a first lower conductivity-type semiconductor layer and a second lower conductivity-type semiconductor layer. First and second lower electrodes are connected to the first lower conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second lower conductivity-type semiconductor layer, respectively. A light emitting structure includes a first upper conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second upper conductivity-type semiconductor layer sequentially formed on the protective element. First and second upper electrodes are connected to the first upper conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second upper conductivity-type semiconductor layer, respectively.
US09076923B2
A method for manufacturing a light-emitting device comprising the steps of: providing a first substrate, a chip area, and a street area; forming a light-emitting structure on the first substrate; forming a conductive structure between the first substrate and the light-emitting structure; removing a part of the light-emitting structure in the street area to expose a sidewall of the light-emitting structure in the chip area; forming a first passivation layer on the light-emitting structure in the chip area; forming a second passivation layer on the conductive structure in the street area, on the sidewalls of the light-emitting structure, and on the sidewalls of the first passivation layer; forming a through-hole in the first passivation layer, and forming an electrode in the through-hole.
US09076912B2
A nitride semiconductor structure and a semiconductor light emitting device including the same are revealed. The nitride semiconductor structure includes a multiple quantum well structure formed by a plurality of well layers and barrier layers stacked alternately. One well layer is disposed between every two barrier layers. The barrier layer is made of AlxInyGa1-x-yN (0
US09076905B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a first insulating layer. The first insulating layer includes a first lower layer and a first upper layer on the first lower layer. The first insulating layer has a first opening through the first lower layer and the first upper layer. A maximum width of the first opening at the first lower layer is different from a maximum width of the first opening at the first upper layer.
US09076904B2
A photodetector device includes: a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type electrically connected to a first external electrode: a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed on the first semiconductor region; a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type formed on the second semiconductor region; and a plurality of fourth semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type formed on the second semiconductor region, each of the plurality of fourth semiconductor regions being surrounded by the third semiconductor region, including a second conductivity type impurity having a concentration higher than a concentration of the second semiconductor region, and electrically connected to a second external electrode.
US09076896B2
A method of fabricating a nonpolar gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer is provided. The method is a method of fabricating a nonpolar gallium nitride layer using metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and includes disposing a gallium nitride substrate with an m-plane growth surface within a chamber, raising a substrate temperature to a GaN growth temperature by heating the substrate, and growing a gallium nitride layer on the gallium nitride substrate by supplying a Ga source gas, an N source gas, and an ambient gas into the chamber at the growth temperature. The supplied ambient gas contains N2 and does not contain H2.
US09076880B2
A high voltage JFET has a deep well of a first type of conductivity made in a semiconductor substrate, a further well of an opposite second type of conductivity arranged in the deep well, a shallow well of a first type of conductivity arranged in the further well, a first contact region for source and a second contact region for drain arranged in the further well, a third contact region for gate arranged between the first contact region and the second contact region in the shallow well, a first distance between the first contact region and the third contact region being smaller than a second distance between the second contact region and the third contact region, and an electrical connection between the first contact region and the second contact region via at least one channel region present between the deep well and the shallow well in the further well.
US09076876B2
An object is to provide a semiconductor device having good electrical characteristics. A gate insulating layer having a hydrogen concentration less than 6×1020 atoms/cm3 and a fluorine concentration greater than or equal to 1×1020 atoms/cm3 is used as a gate insulating layer in contact with an oxide semiconductor layer forming a channel region, so that the amount of hydrogen released from the gate insulating layer can be reduced and diffusion of hydrogen into the oxide semiconductor layer can be prevented. Further, hydrogen present in the oxide semiconductor layer can be eliminated with the use of fluorine; thus, the hydrogen content in the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced. Consequently, the semiconductor device having good electrical characteristics can be provided.
US09076871B2
One embodiment of the present invention is a material which is suitable for a semiconductor included in a transistor, a diode, or the like. One embodiment of the present invention is an oxide material represented as InM1XM2(1-X)ZnYOZ (0
US09076867B2
The present invention includes methods for stressing transistor channels of semiconductor device structures. Such methods include the formation of so-called near-surface “nanocavities” adjacent to the source/drain regions, forming extensions of the source/drain regions adjacent to and including the nanocavities, and implanting matter of a type that will expand or contract the volume of the nanocavities, depending respectively upon whether compressive strain is desirable in transistor channels between the nanocavities, as in PMOS field effect transistors, or tensile strain is wanted in transistor channels, as in NMOS field effect transistors, to enhance carrier mobility and transistor speed. Semiconductor device structures and semiconductor devices including these features are also disclosed.
US09076864B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first conductive layer doped with an impurity for forming a cell junction over a semiconductor substrate, forming a second layer over the first conductive layer, forming a plurality of active regions by etching the second layer and the first conductive layer, the plurality of the active regions being separated from one another by trenches, forming a side contact connected to a sidewall of the first conductive layer, and forming a plurality of metal bit lines each connected to the side contact and filling a portion of each trench.
US09076859B2
A method of manufacturing semiconductor chips includes removing an insulating film in a dividing region by plasma etching to a front surface. Then, roughness on a resist mask formed on the front surface is removed by plasma treatment before a BG tape is attached. After a semiconductor wafer is thinned by grinding of a backside surface thereof, the BG tape is peeled. The semiconductor wafer is divided into individual semiconductor chips by plasma etching from the front surface thereof.
US09076851B2
An electronic device includes a substrate supporting mobile charge carriers, insulative features formed on the substrate surface to define first and second substrate areas on either side of the insulative features, the first and second substrate areas being connected by an elongate channel defined by the insulative features, the channel providing a charge carrier flow path in the substrate from the first area to the second area, the conductivity between the first and second substrate areas being dependent upon the potential difference between the areas. The mobile charge carriers can be within at least two modes in each of the three dimensions within the substrate. The substrate can be an organic material. The mobile charge carriers can have a mobility within the range 0.01 cm2/Vs to 100 cm2/Vs, and the electronic device may be an RF device. Methods for forming such devices are also described.
US09076846B2
Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided in various exemplary embodiments. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a first exposed surface including an elemental metal material and a second exposed surface including a barrier material. The elemental metal material has a first etch rate when exposed to a wet etchant and the barrier material has a second etch rate when exposed to the wet etchant. Further, the method includes modifying the first exposed surface to form a modified first exposed surface so as to reduce the first etch rate when exposed to the wet etchant and applying the wet etchant simultaneously to the modified first exposed surface and to the second exposed surface.
US09076843B2
A tungsten nucleation film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate by alternatively providing to that surface, reducing gases and tungsten-containing gases. Each cycle of the method provides for one or more monolayers of the tungsten film. The film is conformal and has improved step coverage, even for a high aspect ratio contact hole.
US09076842B2
A first semiconductor structure includes a bulk silicon substrate and one or more original silicon fins coupled to the bulk silicon substrate. A dielectric material is conformally blanketed over the first semiconductor structure and recessed to create a dielectric layer. A first cladding material is deposited adjacent to the original silicon fin, after which the original silicon fin is removed to form a second semiconductor structure having two fins that are electrically isolated from the bulk silicon substrate. A second cladding material is patterned adjacent to the first cladding material to form a third semiconductor structure having four fins that are electrically isolated from the bulk silicon substrate.
US09076835B2
Methods, devices, and systems for using and forming vertically base-connected bipolar transistors have been shown. The vertically base-connected bipolar transistors in the embodiments of the present disclosure are formed with a CMOS fabrication technique that decreases the transistor size while maintaining the high performance characteristics of a bipolar transistor.
US09076830B2
Substrate transport systems and robot apparatus are provided. The systems are adapted to pick or place a substrate at a destination by independently rotating an upper arm, a forearm, and dual wrist members relative to each other and a base. Methods of operating the robot apparatus are provided, as are numerous other aspects.
US09076828B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an edge ring for supporting a substrate with increased temperature uniformity. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide an edge ring having one or more surface area increasing structures formed on an energy receiving surface of the edge ring.
US09076819B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises epitaxially-growing a strained material in a cavity of a substrate comprising a major surface and the cavity, the cavity being below the major surface. A lattice constant of the strained material is different from a lattice constant of the substrate. The method also comprises forming a first metal layer over the strained material, and forming a dielectric layer over the first metal layer, wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness ranging from 1 nm to 10 nm. The method further comprises forming a dummy poly-silicon over the dielectric layer, and forming an interlayered dielectric layer (ILD) surrounding the dummy poly-silicon. The method additionally comprises removing the dummy poly-silicon over the dielectric layer, and forming a second metal layer over the dielectric layer.
US09076817B2
A pair of horizontal-step-including trenches are formed in a semiconductor layer by forming a pair of first trenches having a first depth around a gate structure on the semiconductor layer, forming a disposable spacer around the gate structure to cover proximal portions of the first trenches, and by forming a pair of second trenches to a second depth greater than the first depth. The disposable spacer is removed, and selective epitaxy is performed to form an integrated epitaxial source and source extension region and an integrated epitaxial drain and drain extension region. A replacement gate structure can be formed after deposition and planarization of a planarization dielectric layer and subsequent removal of the gate structure and laterally expand the gate cavity over expitaxial source and drain extension regions. Alternately, a contact-level dielectric layer can be deposited directly on the integrated epitaxial regions and contact via structures can be formed therein.
US09076811B2
Disclosed herein is a power semiconductor device including: a base substrate having one surface and the other surface and formed of a first conductive type drift layer; a first conductive type diffusion layer formed on one surface of the base substrate and having a concentration higher than that of the first conductive type drift layer; and a trench formed so as to penetrate through the second conductive type well layer and the first conductive type diffusion layer from one surface of the base substrate including the second conductive type well layer in a thickness direction.
US09076804B2
A semiconductor device having enhanced passivation integrity is disclosed. The device includes a substrate, a first layer, and a metal layer. The first layer is formed over the substrate. The first layer includes a via opening and a tapered portion proximate to the via opening. The metal layer is formed over the via opening and the tapered portion of the first layer. The metal layer is substantially free from gaps and voids.
US09076801B2
A module IC package structure includes a substrate unit, an electronic unit, a package unit and a shielding unit. The substrate unit includes a circuit substrate and a grounding layer disposed inside the circuit substrate. The grounding layer is exposed from the outer surrounding peripheral surface of the circuit substrate. The electronic unit includes a plurality of electronic components disposed on the circuit substrate. The electronic components are electrically connected to the grounding layer through the circuit substrate. The package unit includes a package gel body disposed on the circuit substrate to enclose the electronic components. The shielding unit includes a metal shielding layer disposed on the outer surface of the package gel body and the surrounding peripheral surface of the circuit substrate. The metal shielding layer directly contacts the grounding layer, thus the electronic components are electrically connected to the metal shielding layer through the grounding layer.
US09076797B2
A 3-D memory is provided. Each word line layer has word lines and gaps alternately arranged along a first direction. Gaps include first group and second group of gaps alternately arranged. A first bit line layer is on word line layers and has first bit lines along a second direction. A first conductive pillar array through word line layers connects the first bit line layer and includes first conductive pillars in first group of gaps. A first memory element is between a first conductive pillar and an adjacent word line. A second bit line layer is below word line layers and has second bit lines along the second direction. A second conductive pillar array through word line layers connects the second bit line layer and includes second conductive pillars in second group of gaps. A second memory element is between a second conductive pillar and an adjacent word line.
US09076794B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a wiring, a first insulation film, an underlayer deactivation layer, an underlayer, a catalyst layer and a carbon nanotube. The first insulation film is formed on the wiring and includes a hole which exposes the wiring. The underlayer deactivation layer is formed on the first insulation film at a side surface of the hole, and exposes the wiring at a bottom surface of the hole. The underlayer is formed on an exposed surface of the wiring at the bottom surface of the hole and on the underlayer deactivation layer at the side surface of the hole. The catalyst layer is formed on the underlayer at the bottom surface and the side surface of the hole. The carbon nanotube extends from the catalyst layer at the bottom surface of the hole, and fills the hole.
US09076793B2
In a manufacturing method of a barrier layer, a via hole is formed in an insulating layer that covers a conductive layer over a substrate, and then the barrier layer is formed in the via hole. The barrier layer is provided by forming a second titanium nitride film after forming a first titanium nitride film. The second titanium nitride film is formed using a method having a weak anisotropy than the first titanium nitride film.
US09076790B1
An aluminum (Al) layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate. A selective portion of the Al layer is removed to form openings. The Al layer is anodized to obtain an alumina dielectric layer with a plurality of pores substantially perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The openings are filled with a conductive interconnect material. The pores are widened to form air gaps and a top etch stop layer is formed over the alumina dielectric layer.
US09076788B2
It is made possible to provide an insulating film that can reduce the leakage current. An insulating film includes: an amorphous oxide dielectric film containing a metal, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The nitrogen amount [N] and the hydrogen amount [H] in the oxide dielectric film satisfy the following relationship: {[N]−[H]}/2≦1.0×1021 cm−3.
US09076787B2
A semiconductor device with an n-type transistor and a p-type transistor having an active region is provided. The active region further includes two adjacent gate structures. A portion of a dielectric layer between the two adjacent gate structures is selectively removed to form a contact opening having a bottom and sidewalls over the active region. A bilayer liner is selectively provided within the contact opening in the n-type transistor and a monolayer liner is provided within the contact opening in the p-type transistor. The contact opening in the n-type transistor and p-type transistor is filled with contact material. The monolayer liner is treated to form a silicide lacking nickel in the p-type transistor.
US09076786B2
A wiring substrate includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulator and a plurality of columnar conductors. The insulator is made of an insulating material filled in a groove or hole provided in the semiconductor substrate. The plurality of columnar conductors are filled in grooves or holes provided in the insulator. The grooves or holes are arranged at a narrow pitch in a plane of the insulator. The insulating material has a Si—O bond obtained by reacting Si particles with an organic Si compound.
US09076774B2
In a semiconductor device where a metal circuit layer is disposed over a main planar surface of an insulating substrate, a semiconductor chip is connected by way of a solder over the metal circuit layer, and a metal wiring is connected over the metal circuit layer, in which a solder flow prevention area comprising a linear oxide material is formed between the semiconductor chip and the ultrasonic metal bonding region over the metal circuit layer.
US09076771B2
A varactor is provided. A substrate includes a first surface, a second surface and a first opening and a second opening in the substrate. A conductive material is filling the first and second openings, to form a first through-wafer via (TWV) and a second through-wafer via. A first capacitor is coupled between the first through-wafer via and a first terminal. A second capacitor is coupled between the second through-wafer via and a second terminal. A capacitance of a depletion-region capacitor between the first through-wafer via and the second through-wafer via is determined by a bias voltage applied to the first through-wafer via and the second through-wafer via.
US09076770B2
Integrated circuit die stacks having a first die mounted upon a substrate, the first die manufactured to be initially identical to a second die with a plurality of through silicon vias (‘TSVs’), the first die personalized by blowing fuses on the first die, converting the TSVs previously connected through the blown fuses into pass-through vias (‘PTVs’), each PTV implementing a conductive pathway through the first die with no connection to any circuitry on the first die; and the second die, manufactured to be initially identical to the first die and later personalized by blowing fuses on the second die, the second die mounted upon the first die so that the PTVs in the first die connect signal lines from the substrate through the first die to TSVs in the second die.
US09076763B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a compound semiconductor material on a substrate. The compound semiconductor material has a channel region. A source region extends to the compound semiconductor material. A drain region also extends to the compound semiconductor material and is spaced apart from the source region by the channel region. An insulating region is buried in the semiconductor body between the compound semiconductor material and the substrate in an active region of the semiconductor device. The active region includes the source, the drain and the channel region of the device. The insulating region is discontinuous over a length of the channel region between the source region and the drain region.
US09076760B2
A junction field-effect transistor (JFET) includes a substrate having a first-type semiconductor surface including a topside surface, and a top gate of a second-type formed in the semiconductor surface. A first-type drain and a first-type source are formed on opposing sides of the top gate. A first deep trench isolation region has an inner first trench wall and an outer first trench wall surrounding the top gate, the drain and the source, and extends vertically to a deep trench depth from the topside surface. A second-type sinker formed in semiconductor surface extends laterally outside the outer first trench wall. The sinker extends vertically from the topside surface to a second-type deep portion which is both below the deep trench depth and laterally inside the inner first trench wall to provide a bottom gate.
US09076759B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a metal gate structure, at least an epitaxial layer, an interlayer dielectric, at least a contact hole, at least a metal silicide layer and a fluorine-containing layer. The semiconductor substrate has at least a gate region and at least a source/drain region adjoining the gate region. The gate structure is disposed on the semiconductor substrate within the gate region. The epitaxial layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate within the source/drain region. The interlayer dielectric covers the semiconductor substrate, the gate structure and the epitaxial layer. The contact hole penetrates the interlayer dielectric to reach the epitaxial layer. The metal silicide layer is formed in the epitaxial layer and is located on the bottom of the contact hole. The fluorine-containing layer is disposed on or in the epitaxial layer and is around sides of the metal silicide layer.
US09076752B2
A semiconductor device (1) includes: a semiconductor chip (2) having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface; a heat dissipating plate (3) opposed to the first main surface; a first electrode (5) disposed between the first main surface and the heat dissipating plate (3) so as to be electrically connected to the semiconductor chip (2); a pressure contact member (4) opposed to the second main surface; a second electrode (6) disposed between the second main surface and the pressure contact member (4) so as to be electrically connected to the semiconductor chip (2); and a pressure generating mechanism that generates a pressure for pressing the first electrode (5) into contact with the heat dissipating plate (3) and the semiconductor chip (2) and pressing the second electrode (6) into contact with the pressure contact member (4) and the semiconductor chip (2).
US09076741B2
Light-emitting element, image forming apparatus, image display apparatus and image reading apparatus
A light-emitting element having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section provided on a substrate. The light-emitting section includes: an organic compound in which light is emitted; a translucent reflecting portion that transmits the emitted light which has spectral radiance changeable with changes in ambient temperature; and a transparent portion that radiates first part of the light coming through the translucent reflecting portion to outside and total-reflects second part that is light incident to a boundary surface therebetween at angles larger than a critical angle. Wherein, the light-receiving section is capable of receiving the light total-reflected at the boundary surface, the received light having a quantity of light changeable with changes in wavelength of the light passing through the translucent reflecting portion. The light-receiving section further outputs a signal which has an amplitude level in correlation to the quantity of light.
US09076740B2
Disclosed herein is an organic electroluminescence display including a plurality of first electrodes, a hole injection/transport layer, a second organic light emitting layer for another color, a connection layer, a first organic light emitting layer for blue color, an electron injection/transport layer, and an electron injection/transport layer. The first electrodes are provided on a substrate on the basis of each of a first organic electroluminescence element for blue color and a second organic electroluminescence element for another color. The hole injection/transport layer is provided over the whole surface area on the first electrodes and having a property for one of hole injection or transport. The second organic light emitting layer for another color is provided over the whole surface area on the hole injection/transport layer and having a crystal part in a part. The connection layer is provided over the whole surface area on the second organic light emitting layer.
US09076733B2
A stack of a first hard mask portion and a second hard mask portion is formed over a semiconductor material layer by anisotropically etching a stack, from bottom to top, of a first hard mask layer and a second hard mask layer. The first hard mask portion is laterally recessed by an isotropic etch. A dielectric material layer is conformally deposited and planarized. The dielectric material layer is etched employing an anisotropic etch that is selective to the first hard mask portion to form a dielectric material portion that laterally surrounds the first hard mask portion. After removal of the second and first hard mask portions, the semiconductor material layer is etched employing the dielectric material portion as an etch mask. Optionally, portions of the semiconductor material layer underneath the first and second hard mask portions can be undercut at a periphery.
US09076731B2
A method of making a photovoltaic panel includes previously preparing one or more pre-formed substrates with a first temperature and pressure to be non-planar, textured, embossed, colored, or combinations thereof. A manufacturer can then prepare a laminate assembly comprising one or more organic photovoltaic components one or more pre-formed substrates, and a barrier layer with one or more thermally-activated thermoplastic tie layers there between. The manufacturer can then finish the photovoltaic panel lamination by subjecting the assembly to a second set of temperatures and pressures sufficient to activate and bond the pre-formed substrate, barrier layer, and photovoltaic components without significantly softening the pre-formed substrates or otherwise degrading/damaging the organic photovoltaic components. A non-planar panel made by this method can be used in both exterior and interior decorative and/or structural applications where electrical generation is desired.
US09076726B2
A method for tuning the effective work function of a gate structure in a semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor device is part of an integrated circuit and the gate structure has a metal layer and a high-k dielectric layer separating the metal layer from an active layer of the semiconductor device. The method includes providing an interconnect structure of the integrated circuit on top of the gate structure, the interconnect structure comprising a layer stack comprising at least a pre-metal dielectric layer comprising a metal filled connecting via connected to the gate structure through the pre-metal dielectric layer, and the interconnect structure having an upper exposed metal portion; and, thereafter, exposing at least a portion of the upper exposed metal portion to a plasma under predetermined exposure conditions, to tune the effective work function of the gate structure.
US09076725B2
A semiconductor device manufacturing method is disclosed by which electron beam irradiation is accomplished at a low cost while exhibiting uniform characteristics. A wafer stack consisting of multiple stacked wafers is irradiated with an electron beam from both the front surface and reverse surface. As such, a semiconductor device manufacturing method is provided whereby the electrical characteristics are extremely uniform between wafers, and costs are reduced by reducing the number of electron beam irradiations.
US09076723B1
A nonvolatile memory device includes: a first interconnection extending in a first direction; a second interconnection extending in a second direction, and a lower end of the second interconnection being located above the first interconnection; a plurality of third interconnections extending in a third direction, and the third interconnections being arranged in the second direction; a current limitation layer provided between the second interconnection and the third interconnections; a metal ion source layer provided between the current limitation layer and the third interconnections; a resistance change layer provided between the current limitation layer and the third interconnections; and a selector provided between the first interconnection and the lower end of the second interconnection.
US09076714B2
There is provided a substrate for light-emitting element, including a mounting surface on which a light-emitting element is to be mounted, the mounting surface being one of two opposed main surfaces of the substrate. The substrate of the present invention is provided with a protection element for the light-emitting element, the protection element comprising a voltage-dependent resistive layer embedded in a body of the substrate, and comprising a first electrode and a second electrode each of which is in connection with the voltage-dependent resistive layer wherein the light-emitting element is to be mounted such that it is positioned in an overlapping relation with the voltage-dependent resistive layer.
US09076707B2
The present disclosure includes devices for detecting photons, including avalanche photon detectors, arrays of such detectors, and circuits including such arrays. In some aspects, the detectors and arrays include a virtual beveled edge mesa structure surrounded by resistive material damaged by ion implantation and having side wall profiles that taper inwardly towards the top of the mesa structures, or towards the direction from which the ion implantation occurred. Other aspects are directed to masking and multiple implantation and/or annealing steps. Furthermore, methods for fabricating and using such devices, circuits and arrays are disclosed.
US09076706B2
An image sensor based on a depth pixel structure is provided. The image sensor may include a pixel including a photodiode, and the photodiode may include a transfer gate to transfer, to a floating diffusion node, an electron generated by a light reflected from an object.
US09076705B2
Certain embodiments provide a solid-state imaging apparatus including a first impurity layer, a second impurity layer, a third impurity layer, and an electrode. The first impurity layer is a photoelectric conversion layer, and is formed to have a constant depth on a semiconductor substrate. The second impurity layer is formed on a surface of the first impurity layer, to have a depth which becomes shallower toward a direction from the first impurity layer to the third impurity layer. The third impurity layer is formed in a position spaced apart from the first impurity layer and the second impurity layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The electrode can transport electric charges from the first impurity layer to the third impurity layer, and is formed between the second impurity layer and the third impurity layer, on the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09076703B2
An actuator is configured to move a sensor array between first and second positions in order to provide color image data and other data with full resolution of the sensor array. In many embodiments, the output resolution of the sensor array for each type of data comprises twice the resolution of the sensor array without movement. The alternating movement of the sensor array between the first and second positions provides output images with decreased artifacts that might otherwise be present without the alternating movement of the sensor array.
US09076701B2
A wafer supporting structure includes a supporting substrate for supporting a wafer, a release layer for detaching the wafer from the supporting substrate, and an adhesive layer for attaching the wafer to the supporting substrate.
US09076678B2
A semiconductor device has at least a first capacitor and a second capacitor. First electrodes of the first and second capacitors are connected in common, a first voltage (½ VPERI) is applied to the first electrodes, a second voltage (for example, VPERI) that is different from the first voltage is applied to either one of the second electrodes, and the first voltage is applied to the other second electrode. A capacitor which constitutes a dummy capacitance is provided by applying one of the second electrodes of the first and second capacitors with the same voltage as the voltage applied to their first electrodes, whereby making it possible to increase the area of the compensation capacitance in the semiconductor device without changing a specified capacitance value.
US09076675B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of memory units provided on the semiconductor substrate and each including a plurality of memory cells that are stacked; and a plurality of bit lines formed above each of a plurality of the memory units aligned in a column direction, an alignment pitch in a row direction of the plurality of bit lines being less than an alignment pitch in the row direction of the memory units, and an end of each of the memory units aligned in the column direction being connected to one of the plurality of bit lines formed above the plurality of the memory units aligned in the column direction.
US09076669B2
A semiconductor device having high-k gate insulation films and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a first gate insulation film on a substrate and the first gate insulation film includes a material selected from the group consisting of HfO2, ZrO2, Ta2O5, TiO2, SrTiO3 and (Ba,Sr)TiO3, and lanthanum (La). Additionally, the semiconductor device includes a first barrier film on the first gate insulation film, a first gate electrode on the first barrier film, and n-type source/drain regions in the substrate at both sides of the first gate electrode.
US09076667B2
Disclosed is a white light emitting diode module including a conducting wire frame, a first primary color chip, a second primary color chip and a phosphor layer. The conducting wire frame has an accommodating groove. The first primary color chip is installed at the bottom of the middle of the accommodating groove, and the first primary color chip transmits a first light emitting source with a wavelength λ1. The second primary color chip is stacked on top of the first primary color chip and the second primary color chip transmits a second light emitting source with a wavelength λ2. The phosphor layer is formed on the second primary color chip and excited to produce a fluorescent light with a wavelength λ3. Therefore, the stacked LED chips and the phosphor can be used to obtain a white light source with high color saturation.
US09076664B2
A stacked semiconductor device includes a first, a second, a third, and a fourth semiconductor device. A first major surface of each of the first and second semiconductor devices which includes the active circuitry directly face each other, and a first major surface of each of the third and fourth semiconductor devices which includes the active circuitry directly face each other. A second major surface of the second semiconductor device directly faces a second major surface of the third semiconductor device. The stacked semiconductor device includes a plurality of continuous conductive vias, wherein each continuous conductive via extends from the second major surface of the first device, through the first device, second device, third device, and fourth device to the second major surface of the fourth device. Each of the semiconductor devices may include a beveled edge at the first major surface on at least one edge of the device.
US09076663B2
A semiconductor die is described. This semiconductor die includes a driver, and a spatial alignment transducer that is electrically coupled to the driver and which is proximate to a surface of the semiconductor die. The driver establishes a spatially varying electric charge distribution in at least one direction in the spatial alignment transducer, thereby facilitating determination of a vertical spacing between a surface of the semiconductor die and a surface of another semiconductor die. In particular, a spatial alignment sensor proximate to the surface of the other semiconductor die may detect an electrical field (or an associated electrostatic potential) associated with the spatially varying electric charge distribution. This detected electric field may allow the vertical spacing between the surfaces of the semiconductor dies to be determined.
US09076662B2
Methods, devices, and systems integrating Fin-JFETs and Fin-MOSFETs are provided. One method embodiment includes forming at least on Fin-MOSFET on a substrate and forming at least on Fin-JFET on the substrate.
US09076661B2
Described are methods of forming a semiconductor device. Certain methods comprises depositing a film comprising manganese nitride over a dielectric; depositing a copper seed layer over the film; and depositing a copper fill layer over the copper seed layer. Also described are semiconductor devices. Certain semiconductor devices comprise a low-k dielectric layer; a manganese nitride layer overlying the low-k dielectric layer; a seed layer selected from a copper seed layer or electrochemical deposition seed layer overlying the manganese nitride layer; a copper layer overlying the copper seed layer.
US09076658B1
A metal film liftoff process includes applying a polymer layer onto a silicon substrate, applying a germanium layer over the polymer layer to create a bilayer lift off mask, applying a patterned photoresist layer over the germanium layer, removing an exposed portion of the germanium layer, removing the photoresist layer and a portion of the polymer layer to expose a portion of the substrate and create an overhanging structure of the germanium layer, depositing a metal film over the exposed portion of the substrate and the germanium layer, and removing the polymer and germanium layers along with the overlaying metal film.
US09076657B2
Semiconductors are electrochemically etched in solutions containing sources of bifluoride and nickel ions. The electrochemical etching may form pores in the surface of the semiconductor in the nanometer range. The etched semiconductor is then nickel plated.
US09076654B2
A semiconductor device has: a power supply line; a ground line; a signal line for transmitting a signal; a signal pad connected to the signal line; a protection element connected between the signal line and the ground line; and a trigger circuit configured to supply a trigger current to the protection element. The trigger circuit has: a PMOS transistor whose gate and backgate are connected to the power supply line and whose source is connected to the protection element; and an amplifier circuit part configured to amplify a first current flowing through the PMOS transistor to generate a second current. The trigger current includes the second current.
US09076645B1
Circuit structure fabrication methods are provided which include: providing an interlayer structure above a substrate, the interlayer structure including porogens dispersed within a dielectric material; and pulse laser annealing the interlayer structure to form a treated interlayer structure, the pulse laser annealing polymerizing the dielectric material of the interlayer structure to form a polymeric dielectric material, that includes pores disposed therein. The pulse laser annealing facilitates increasing elasticity modulus of the treated interlayer structure by, in part, maintaining structural integrity of the treated interlayer structure, notwithstanding that there are pores disposed within the polymeric dielectric material which, for instance, facilitates reducing dielectric constant of the treated interlayer structure.
US09076644B2
Substrate processing apparatus, substrate supporter and method of manufacturing semiconductor device
A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a substrate placement stage installed in the process chamber, and configured to place the substrate on a substrate placement surface, with a flange provided on its side face; a heating element arranged in the substrate placement stage and configured to heat the substrate; a plurality of struts configured to support the flange from below, and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust an atmosphere in the process chamber, wherein the supporting member is provided between the substrate placement stage and the plurality of struts.
US09076640B2
A RF only quadrupole rod set mass filter or mass analyzer and a linear quadrupole ion trap with axial ejection are disclosed comprising a first pair of rod electrodes, a second pair of rod electrodes and an energy filter. The first pair of rod electrodes is longer than the second pair of rod electrodes. Ions having desired mass to charge ratios experience fringing fields at an exit region which results in the ions possessing sufficient axial kinetic energy to be transmitted by the energy filter. Other ions possess insufficient axial kinetic energy to be transmitted by the energy filter and are attenuated.
US09076638B2
A variation in an ionization efficiency and the amount of sample which is introduced into an ion trap is corrected and quantified. Ions of an internal standard and ions of a sample are trapped in the ion trap at the same time, and a concentration of the sample is quantified according to an intensity of the ions of the internal standard which are mass-selectively ejected, and an intensity of fragment ions of the sample.
US09076634B2
An upper chamber section of a plasma reaction chamber includes a ceramic window with blind bores in an upper surface for receipt of a thermal couple and a resistance temperature detector, a top chamber interface which comprises an upper surface which vacuum seals against the bottom of the window and a gas injection system comprising 8 side injectors mounted in the sidewall of the top chamber interface and a gas delivery system comprising tubing which provides symmetric gas flow to the 8 injectors from a single gas feed connection.
US09076631B2
An interface, a scanning electron microscope and a method for observing an object that is positioned in a non-vacuum environment. The method includes: passing at least one electron beam that is generated in a vacuum environment through at least one aperture out of an aperture array and through at least one ultra thin membrane that seals the at least one aperture; wherein the at least one electron beam is directed towards the object; wherein the at least one ultra thin membrane withstands a pressure difference between the vacuum environment and the non-vacuum environment; and detecting particles generated in response to an interaction between the at least one electron beam and the object.
US09076629B2
This invention provides a design to process a large range of detection beam current at low noise with a single detector. With such a design, the detection system can generate up to 1010 gain and maximum signal output at more than mini Ampere (mA) level. A condenser lens is configured to increase bandwidth of the detector that scan speed can be enhanced.
US09076627B2
A radiation generating apparatus 30 according to the present invention including: a radiation generating tube 10 having a target 14, a tubular shielding member 18 that shields a part of a radiation generated from the target 14 and also has an aperture 21 through which the radiation generated from the target 14 passes, and an envelope 1 that has the target 14 so as to be brought into contact with the internal space thereof and also has the tubular shielding member 18 so as to protrude toward an external space thereof; a storage container 1 for storing the radiation generating tube 3 therein; and an insulating liquid 8 that comes in contact with the tubular shielding member 18 and the storage container 1, wherein the tubular shielding member 18 has a protruding portion P, and the protruding portion P is covered with a solid insulating member 9.
US09076626B2
A plasma source apparatus for generating a beam of charged particles is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a plasma chamber provided with an inlet for the ingress of gas and an aperture for the extraction of charged particles from the plasma chamber; a radio frequency (RF) plasma generation unit for generating a plasma inside the plasma chamber, the radio frequency plasma generation unit comprising first and second resonant circuits each tuned to resonate at substantially the same resonant frequency, the first resonant circuit comprising a first antenna and a first, RF power source adapted to drive the first resonant circuit at substantially its resonant frequency, and the second resonant circuit comprising a second antenna, whereby in use an RF signal is induced in the second antenna by the first resonant circuit due to resonant coupling, the second resonant circuit being configured to apply the induced RF signal to the plasma chamber to generate a plasma therein; and a particle accelerating unit for extracting charged particles from the plasma and accelerating the charged particles to form a beam, the particle accelerating unit comprising a second power source configured to apply potential between the plasma chamber and an accelerating electrode, the region between the plasma chamber and the accelerating electrode constituting an acceleration column. The second power source is adapted to output a high voltage relative to that output by the first, RF power source.
US09076624B2
A method for operating a device having an anode and a cathode for generating microwave radiation with an accelerating voltage is provided. A chronological sequence of the accelerating voltage is provided by a series of voltage pulses. A first voltage pulse with an operating amplitude is applied between the anode and the cathode in order to determine whether an electric flashover occurs during the applied first voltage pulse. A second voltage pulse is applied following the first voltage pulse with a deionization amplitude that is smaller than the operating amplitude when the electric flashover occurs during the applied first voltage pulse.
US09076618B2
A nanoelectromechanical device is provided. The nanoelectromechanical device includes a nanotube, a first contact, and a first actuator. The nanotube includes a first end, the first end supported by a first structure, a second end opposite the first end, and a first portion. The first actuator is configured to apply a first force to the nanotube, the first force causing the nanotube to buckle such that the first portion couples to the first contact.
US09076611B2
A power circuit breaker unit has first and second arcing contact pieces. A contact gap is formed between the arcing contact pieces. A switch gas channel of the circuit breaker unit joins the contact gap to the surrounding area of the circuit breaker unit for removing a switch gas from the contact gap. Several barriers that increase a flow resistance are arranged successively, spaced from one another, in the switch gas channel. At least one of the barriers is arranged between a first pipe section, which is surrounded by a second pipe section, and the second pipe section.
US09076607B2
A system that includes micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry is provided. The system may include a first over-current protection circuitry connected in a parallel circuit with the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry for suppressing a voltage level across contacts of the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry during a first switching event, such as a turn-on event. The system may further include a second over-current protection circuitry connected in a parallel circuit with the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry for suppressing a current flow through the contacts of the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry during a second switching event, such as a turn-off event.
US09076604B2
A touch panel includes a substrate, first and second electrode units, and an auxiliary electrode unit. The substrate has first and second touch areas. The first electrode unit includes a plurality of first electrodes arranged spacedly in one of rows and columns, and disposed on the substrate to span the first and second touch areas. The second electrode unit includes a plurality of second electrodes arranged spacedly in the other of rows and columns to intersect without contacting the first electrodes. The auxiliary electrode unit is disposed proximate to and without contacting the second electrode unit such that the second electrode unit is able to detect a signal passing through the auxiliary electrode unit.
US09076603B2
A switch packing includes a switch mechanism part disposed between an operation button and a switch element, and configured to be elastically deformed by pushing the operation button so as to have the switch element change to a first state and provide an operational feeling via the operation button, and a sealing part configured to prevent penetration of a liquid. The switch mechanism part and the sealing part are integrated with each other.
US09076601B2
A method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell includes housing a main cell body in an outer packaging body of packaging material formed by laminating a metal foil layer and a heat-sealable resin layer, provided the tip ends of a first metal terminal and a second metal terminal are protruding outside the outer packaging body, heat-sealing a peripheral edge portion of the outer packaging body so the outer packaging body has the first and second terminals protruding; applying a voltage between the first terminal and the foil layer or between the second terminal and the foil layer; and inspecting for insulation failure from a short circuit between the first or second terminal and the foil layer or from a crack in the heat-sealable resin layer, based on a variation of a voltage held between the one of the metal terminals and the metal foil layer after halting the voltage.
US09076590B2
The present invention provides an electroconductive polymer suspension solution and an electroconductive polymer material which has a high electroconductivity and in which the time-related deterioration of the electroconductivity is suppressed. Also, the present invention provides an electrolytic capacitor with a low ESR using the electroconductive polymer material as a solid electrolyte and a method for producing the same.In the present invention, electroconductive polymer particles 1 in the electroconductive polymer material are bonded via organic dispersant 2 and cross-linker 3 to obtain a strong bond between electroconductive polymer particles 1.
US09076585B2
The present invention relates to an electronic component having a primary coil pattern and a secondary coil pattern with at least one selected from a dielectric and an insulator interposed therebetween, which includes at least one discharge terminal for discharging overvoltage or overcurrent applied to the primary coil pattern or the secondary coil pattern, and a method for manufacturing the same. Since it is possible to efficiently discharge overvoltage or overcurrent applied to an electronic component, it is possible to improve reliability of various electronic devices to which the electronic component in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is applied as well as to extend lifespan of the electronic component itself.
US09076583B2
A communication hole is formed in a peripheral wall portion of a yoke. The communication hole communicates between an inside and an outside of the yoke. A gap, which is formed between one end portion of the coil and a bottom wall portion of the yoke, overlaps with the communication hole in an axial direction.
US09076574B2
An elastomer material containing immobilized ionic components includes an elastomer, ion-immobilized particles in which first ionic components are immobilized to metallic oxide particles, and second ionic components having electric charges opposite to electric charges of the first ionic components, wherein the ion-immobilized particles are chemically bonded to the elastomer. In the elastomer material, the first ionic components are immobilized to the elastomer through the metallic oxide particles. Therefore, the first ionic components do not easily migrate even with the passage of time or in use. Thus, the elastomer material is less susceptible to temporal changes in properties. The elastomer material is preferably used for the component of a transducer and a conductive roll.
US09076556B2
Embodiments of a memory are disclosed that may allow for the detection of weak data storage cells or may allow operation of data storage cells under conditions that may represent the effects of transistor ageing. The memory may include data storage cells, a column multiplexer, a sense amplifier, and a current injector. The current injector may be configured to generate multiple current levels and may be operable to controllably select one of the current levels to either source current to or sink current from the input of the sense amplifier.
US09076552B2
A device includes a substrate and a dual port static random access memory cell. The substrate includes an N-well region, a first P-well region and a second P-well region. The first and second P-well regions are arranged on opposite sides of the N-well region and spaced apart along a width direction. The static random access memory cell includes first and second pull-up transistors that are provided in the N-well region, a first pair of pull-down transistors and a first pair of access transistors provided in the first P-well region, and a second pair of pull-down transistors and a second pair of access transistors provided in the second P-well region. Each of the first pair and the second pair of pull-down transistors includes a first pull-down transistor and a second pull-down transistor. Active regions of the first pull-down transistor and the second pull-down transistor are spaced apart along the width direction.
US09076545B2
A system and methods to find the threshold voltage distribution across a set of nonvolatile memory cells, such that embodiments may incorporate this distribution information into calculations that may change the read compare voltages used to read the memory cells, while ensuring adequate separation in read voltage between different data states at which the memory cells may be read.
US09076540B2
The invention relates to methods and systems for reading a memory cell and in particular, an STT MRAM. In one example, a system for reading a memory cell includes a sense path and an inverse path. A reference current is provided through the sense path and is sampled via a first sampling element in the sense path, and a cell current from the memory cell is provided through the inverse sense path and is sampled via a second sampling element in the inverse sense path. Subsequently, the memory cell is disconnected from the inverse sense path, the cell current is provided through the sense path, the reference source is disconnected from the sense path, and the reference current is provided through the inverse sense path. The output levels are then determined by the cell and reference currents working against the sampled reference and sampled cell currents.
US09076536B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a control circuit. A control circuit performs an erase operation providing a memory cell with a first threshold voltage level for erasing data of a memory cell, and then perform a plurality of first write operations providing a memory cell with a second threshold voltage level, the second threshold voltage level being higher than the first threshold voltage level and being positive level. When the control circuit receives a first execution instruction from outside during the first write operations, the first execution instruction being for performing first function operation except for the erase operation and the first write operations, the circuit performs the first function operation during the first write operations.
US09076534B2
A method of programming a flash memory device comprises programming selected memory cells, performing a verification operation to determine whether the selected memory cells have reached a target program state, and determining a start point of the verification operation based on a programming characteristic associated with a detection of a pass bit during programming of an initial program state.
US09076532B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises a first-supplied-voltage-supplying pad, a second-supplied-voltage-supplying pad, a data input/output pad, a memory body, a buffer circuit and an impedance-controlling circuit. A first supplied voltage is supplied to the memory body. A second supplied voltage is supplied to the buffer circuit. The impedance-controlling circuit controls an impedance of the buffer circuit on a side connected to the data input/output pad. The semiconductor memory device comprises a voltage-generating circuit generating a first inner voltage. The impedance-controlling circuit comprises a first P-channel transistor. A source terminal of the first P-channel transistor is connected to the first-supplied-voltage-supplying pad, and the first inner voltage generated from the voltage-generating circuit is selectively supplied to a gate terminal of the first P-channel transistor.
US09076528B2
Memory system controllers can include non-volatile memory control circuitry including a plurality of channel control circuits. Each of the plurality of channel control circuits can be configured to be coupled to a respective number of logical units (LUNs). Memory management circuitry can be coupled to the non-volatile memory control circuitry and configured to allocate a write block cluster for host writes based on an information width of a host bus and a protocol of the host bus. The write block cluster can include one block from fewer than all of the LUNs.
US09076517B2
A memory apparatus includes a plurality of gated phase-change memory cells having s≧2 programmable cell-states, the cells each having a gate and being arranged in series between a source and drain; a bias voltage generator configured to apply a bias voltage to the gate of each cell; and a controller configured to control the bias voltage generator, in a write operation for programming the state of a cell, to apply a first bias voltage to the gate of each cell except an addressed cell for the write operation, wherein application of the first bias voltage to a cell reduces the cell resistance such that application of a programming signal between the source and drain effects programming of the addressed cell only.
US09076515B2
During a command/address calibration mode, a memory controller may transmit multiple cycles of test patterns as signals to a memory device. Each cycle of test pattern signals may be transmitted at an adjusted relative phase with respect to a clock also transmitted to the memory device. The memory device may input the test pattern signals at a timing determined by the clock, such as rising and/or falling edges of the clock. The test pattern as input by the memory device may be sent to the memory controller to determine if the test pattern was successfully transmitted to the memory device during the cycle. Multiple cycles of test pattern transmissions are evaluated to determine a relative phase of command/address signals with respect to the clock for transmission during operation of the system.
US09076514B2
A method of copying a page in a memory device having a plurality of memory blocks and a plurality of sets of bit lines is disclosed, wherein each of the plurality of memory blocks includes a plurality of pages, and each set of bit lines corresponds to a respective memory block, wherein first bit lines of a source memory block that includes a source page are respectively coupled to second bit lines of a target memory block that includes a target page. The method includes disconnecting between the first bit lines of the source memory block including a source page and from the second bit lines of a the target memory block including a target page; transferring data stored in the source page to the first bit lines of the source memory block; transferring the data from the first bit lines of the source memory block to the second bit lines of the target memory block; and writing the data transferred to the second bit lines of the target memory block into the target page.
US09076513B2
A low-pin-count non-volatile (NVM) memory with no more than two control signals that can at least program NVM cells, load data to be programmed into output registers, or read the NVM cells. At least one of the NVM cells has at least one NVM element coupled to at least one selector and to a first supply voltage line. The selector is coupled to a second supply voltage line and having a select signal. At least one of the selected NVM cells can be coupled to at least one output register. No more than two control signals can be used to select the at least one NVM cells in the NVM sequentially for programming the data into the at least one NVM cells or loading data into the at least one output registers controlled by the pulse of the first signal and voltage level and/or timing of the second signal. Programming into the NVM cells, or loading data into output registers, can be determined by the voltage levels of the first to the second supply voltage lines. Reading at least one of the NVM cells can be activated by a third signal or by detecting ramping of the first or the second supply voltage line.
US09076510B2
A power mixing circuit capable of maintaining a stable output voltage in a deep-power-down mode is provided. The power mixing circuit includes an input buffer, a power mixing control circuit, a power mixing driver and an output buffer. The input buffer is configured to operate using a first supply voltage, and to generate a first voltage signal in response to an input signal. The power mixing control circuit is configured to generate a power mixing control signal based on a power-up signal and a deep-power-down mode signal. The power mixing driver is configured to operate using an external supply voltage and a second supply voltage, to perform power mixing on the external supply voltage and the second supply voltage, and to generate a second voltage signal. The output buffer is configured to operate using the second supply voltage, and to generate an output signal.
US09076509B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for varying one or more of a supply voltage and reference voltage in an integrated circuit, using independent control of a diode voltage in an asymmetrical double-gate device. An integrated circuit is provided that is controlled by one or more of a supply voltage and a reference voltage. The integrated circuit comprises an independently controlled asymmetrical double-gate device to adjust one or more of the supply voltage and the reference voltage. The independent control may comprise, for example, a back gate bias. The independently controlled asymmetrical double-gate device may be employed in a number of applications, including voltage islands, static RAM, and to improve the power and performance of a processing unit.
US09076505B2
A memory device including first to fourth memory cell arrays and a driver circuit including a pair of bit line driver circuits and a pair of word line driver circuits is provided. The first to fourth memory cell arrays are overlap with the driver circuit. Each of the pair of bit line driver circuits and a plurality of bit lines are connected through connection points on an edge along the boundary between the first and second memory cell arrays or on an edge along the boundary between the third and fourth memory cell arrays. Each of the pair of word line driver circuits and a plurality of word lines are connected through second connection points on an edge along the boundary between the first and fourth memory cell arrays or on an edge along the boundary between the second and third memory cell arrays.
US09076503B2
A word driver drives a word line with a first power supply voltage and with a second power supply voltage which has a potential lower than the first power potential, respectively in a first time period and in a second time period following the first time period for activating the word line.
US09076494B2
An optical pickup, including a housing, and an optical element mounted on the housing, wherein the optical element is fixed onto wall surfaces of the housing via adhesive agents on both sides of a certain single surface of the optical element, the optical pickup, further including a protrusion portion on the other side of a surface with the optical element positioned therebetween, the surface being orthogonal to the wall surfaces of the housing, the protrusion portion protruding from the housing, the front end of the protrusion portion protruding than the adhesive agents in a direction away from the wall surfaces.
US09076485B2
Access point pictures designated as randomly accessible positions are I pictures or P pictures. Information indicating the decoding sequence (I1, P1, B1, B2, B3, B4, P2, . . . ) of pictures functioning as access points and attribute information (picture_type) indicating whether a picture functions as an access point or is necessary for decoding of the access point following a given access point are recorded on the video information recording medium. Random access is possible even if the GOP interval is lengthened.
US09076466B2
In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole adapted for producing a writing magnetic field, a trailing shield positioned on a trailing side of the main pole, wherein a trailing gap is positioned between the trailing shield and the main pole, and a side shield positioned on at least one side of the main pole in a cross-track direction, wherein a side gap is positioned between the side shield and the main pole, wherein the main pole has an asymmetrical shape at an air bearing surface (ABS) thereof. In another embodiment, a method may be employed for forming a magnetic head having a main pole that has an asymmetrical shape at an ABS thereof.
US09076458B1
A system for processing a digital audio signal that includes a plurality of samples is disclosed. The system comprises a magnitude determination module, a windowing module, a summing module and a comparison module. The magnitude determination module determines a magnitude of each of the plurality of samples of the digital audio signal. The windowing module selects a subset of the plurality of samples, which are summed by the summing module to obtain a subset sum. The comparison module compares the subset sum to a threshold, and generates a silence indicating signal based on the comparison of the subset sum to the threshold. The silence indicating signal is indicative of a period of silence in the digital audio signal.
US09076450B1
Techniques are described for selecting audio from locations that are most likely to be sources of spoken commands or words. Directional audio signals are generated to emphasize sounds from different regions of an environment. The directional audio signals are processed by an automated speech recognizer to generate recognition confidence values corresponding to each of the different regions, and the region resulting in the highest recognition confidence value is selected as the region most likely to contain a user who is speaking commands.
US09076449B2
In some embodiments, a multistage filter whose biquad filter stages are combined with latency between the stages, a system (e.g., an audio encoder or decoder) including such a filter, and methods for multistage biquad filtering. In typical embodiments, all biquad filter stages of the filter are operable independently to perform fully parallelized processing of data. In some embodiments, the inventive multistage filter includes a buffer memory, at least two biquad filter stages, and a controller coupled and configured to assert a single stream of instructions to the filter stages. Typically, the multistage filter is configured to perform multistage filtering of a block of input samples in a single processing loop with iteration over a sample index but without iteration over a biquadratic filter stage index.
US09076436B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus for applying pitch features in automatic speech recognition is provided. The apparatus includes a distribution evaluation module, normalization module, and random value adjusting module. The distribution evaluation module evaluates the global distribution of pitch features of voiced frames in speech signals, and the global distribution of random values for unvoiced frames in speech signals. The normalization module normalizes the global distribution of random values for unvoiced frames based on the global distribution of pitch features of voiced frames. The random value adjusting module adjusts random values for unvoiced frames based on the normalized global distribution, so that the adjusted random values can be assigned to unvoiced frames in speech signals as pitch features of the unvoiced frames.
US09076433B2
An apparatus for generating a synthesis audio signal using a patching control signal has a first converter, a spectral domain patch generator, a high frequency reconstruction manipulator and a combiner. The first converter is configured for converting a time portion of an audio signal into a spectral representation. The spectral domain patch generator is configured for performing a plurality of different spectral domain patching algorithms, wherein each patching algorithm generates a modified spectral representation having spectral components in an upper frequency band derived from corresponding spectral components in a core frequency band of the audio signal. The spectral domain patch generator is furthermore configured to select a first spectral domain patching algorithm from the plurality of patching algorithms for a first time portion and a second spectral domain patching algorithm from the plurality of patching algorithm for a second different time portion in accordance with the patching control signal to obtain the modified spectral representation.
US09076426B2
An apparatus includes a non-adaptive filter, an adaptive filter, and a controller. The non-adaptive filter may have non-adaptive filter coefficients and be configured to develop a non-adaptive error signal as a function of the non-adaptive filter coefficients. The adaptive filter may have adaptive filter coefficients and be configured to develop an adaptive error signal as a function of the adaptive filter coefficients. The controller may be configured to monitor a quality of the non-adaptive and adaptive error signals and perform one or more of a full coefficient update, a partial coefficient update and a fractional coefficient update of the non-adaptive filter coefficients based on a comparison of the quality of the adaptive error signal to a determined current best-attained performance measurement.
US09076419B2
A highly configurable controller is described that includes a number of different types of control mechanisms that emulate a wide variety of conventional control mechanisms using pressure and location sensitive sensors that generate high-density control information which may be mapped to the controls of a wide variety of devices and software.
US09076412B1
A guitar string bender bridge mount couples to a guitar bridge through an existing bridge string mount. The bridge mount has a side wall and a slot in and extending to an edge of the side wall. A mounting screw couples into a standard hole on a guitar bridge and is rotatable to adjust the tuning of at least one of the guitar strings. A saddle lever is supported by the bridge mount and is pivotal through a limited arc, limited by low and high stops. The saddle lever is selectively and manually removable from the bridge mount. A string attachment receives and retains a first end of a guitar string. A body wraps about the axis of rotation and is partially wrapped by the guitar string, and the pivoting varies an extent of wrap about the body, to thereby vary a tension upon the guitar string.
US09076405B2
A display device includes a signal line drive circuit provided with an analog amplifier through which a stationary electric current flows. The display device further includes a control signal output section which suspends operation of the analog amplifier during a period (non-scanning period) from an start time after application to a data signal line S(i) of a voltage necessary for display is completed in a horizontal period to an end time in the horizontal period. The control signal output section sustains an AMP_Enable signal through which the analog amplifier is controlled at an L value (a low value) in the non-scanning period. As a result, stationary electric current flowing through the analog amplifier is cut off in the non-scanning period. According to this, the display device allows for reduction of electric power consumption while being capable of displaying a moving image without causing flickering.
US09076392B2
A new driving method of a display device that makes it possible to reduce power consumption and to improve display quality is proposed. A first gray scale is displayed in all pixels in a first initialization period, a second gray scale is displayed in all the pixels in a second initialization period, an objective image is displayed in a writing period, and the image is held in a holding period. Alternatively, an electrical history of a gray scale storage display element for displaying a number of gray scales is erased in the first initialization period and the second initialization period. Alternatively, a potential of a common electrode is changed in the first initialization period, the second initialization period, the writing period, and the holding period. Alternatively, a potential of a capacitor wiring is changed in synchronization with the potential of the common electrode.
US09076388B2
A pixel capable of stably compensating for a threshold voltage is disclosed. The pixel includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a driving transistor having a gate electrode, a source electrode, and first and second drain electrodes. The pixel also has a plurality of second transistors serially coupled between the first drain electrode and a gate electrode of the driving transistor, and a node electrically coupled to the second drain electrode and to each of the second transistors.
US09076385B2
Variations occur in the characteristics of transistors. The present invention is a signal-line drive circuit comprising first and second current source circuits corresponding to respective plurality of signal lines, a shift register, and n (n is a natural number of one or more) video-signal constant current source s, wherein each of the first and second current source circuits has a capacitance means and a supply means. The capacitance means held in one of the first and second source circuits converts a current including a current supplied from each of the n video-signal constant current source s to voltage in response to a sampling pulse supplied from the shift register and a latch pulse supplied from the exterior; and the supply means held in the other supplies a current responsive to the converted voltage. The values of the currents supplied from the n video-signal constant current source s are set to a proportion of 20:21: . . . :2n.
US09076383B2
A light emitting element has a property in which a current value is varied due to a change in temperature. A display device has a temperature compensation function in order to suppress the variation in current value dues to the change in temperature. The temperature compensation function, which is essential for the present invention has a sensor, a storage means, and a correction means. The sensor has a function of detecting an environmental temperature. The detected temperature is compared with data of voltage-current characteristic versus temperature in the light emitting element which is stored in advance in the storage means. In the correction means, a signal inputted to a pixel or a power source potential supplied to a pixel portion is corrected using an output of the sensor and the data stored in the storage means.
US09076370B2
The present invention is directed to suppress dullness of a scanning signal in a scanning signal line drive circuit. A bistable circuit is provided with an input terminal (43) for receiving a first clock signal (CK), an input terminal (48) for receiving a control signal (CT), an input terminal (49) for receiving a level down signal (LD), an output terminal (51), a thin film transistor (T2), and a thin film transistor (TA). The thin film transistor (T2) has a gate terminal connected to a first node (N1), a drain terminal connected to the input terminal (43), and a source terminal connected to the output terminal (51). The thin film transistor (TA) has a gate terminal connected to the input terminal (48), a drain terminal connected to the first node (N1), and a source terminal connected to the input terminal (49). The potential of the control signal (CT) becomes the high level in a control period as a period except for the first one horizontal scanning period in a vertical blanking period. The level down signal (LD) is a potential lower than DC power supply potential (Vss).
US09076365B2
A method is provided to perform anti-aging techniques in an informational display. An informational display is located on the front bezel of a consumer recording device that displays information related to the content being recorded or played or the operation of the device. To increase the life of the display, displayed text is shifted within the display so that pixel use in the display is more evenly distributed with the pixels in the display. To determine the direction and shape of the shift, real-time calculations of pixel use are made or a simulator is used to compute the probable use of each pixel in the display over a certain period of time. Another anti-aging technique is to dim the display of information after a specified amount of time of display at normal brightness.
US09076360B2
A display apparatus including a display panel and a patterned retarder disposed on the display panel. The display apparatus displays a first image in a 2D mode and displays a second image including a left-eye image and a right-eye image in a 3D mode. Each of the sub-pixels included in the display panel includes two or three sub-pixel electrodes, and the patterned retarder includes a first retarder and a second retarder, which provide different directivities from each other to the left-eye image and the right-eye image, respectively. The first retarder is disposed corresponding to at least a portion of the sub-pixels and the second retarder is disposed corresponding to a remaining portion of the sub-pixels.
US09076352B2
A multi-panel display device having a center panel positioned between a first side panel and a second side panel and a header panel and a blank for a multi-panel display device. In one aspect, the invention can be a blank for a multi-panel display device comprising: a center panel; a first side panel attached to the center panel along a first pre-weakened line; a second side panel attached to the center panel along a second pre-weakened line; and a header panel detachably coupled to the second side panel along a third pre-weakened line.
US09076349B2
A geosocial network system and method for aggregating group members. A plurality of geosocial groups is generated for each user, if desired. Each geosocial group might be based on particular topics of interests specified by the user. Each geosocial group can receive map data contributions from members depending upon the permissions granted by the creator of such a geosocial group.
US09076347B2
A system and methods for analyzing pronunciation, detecting errors and providing automatic feedback to help non-native speakers improve pronunciation of a foreign language is provided that employs publicly available, high accuracy third-party automatic speech recognizers available via the Internet to analyze and identify mispronunciations.
US09076344B1
The invention provides a three-dimensional problem solving or learning apparatus for modeling and teaching exemplary problem solving or exemplary thinking. Some embodiments of the present invention provide a puzzle-like form. Another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for the building of a problem or situation specific or custom learning or problem solving aid. Embodiments of the invention may also incorporate or use electrical, electronic, digital, electro-mechanical, mechanical or other devices, processors or mechanisms, or input or output to or from such or similar elements, and wired or wireless or other networks or interfaces.
US09076342B2
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.
US09076341B2
A vehicle-to-vehicle communication device mounted to a subject vehicle with a traveling control device is provided. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device includes a communication portion, a connection transmission process portion, a connection control signal obtain portion, a connection signal obtain portion, and a connection control signal transmission process portion. The communication portion receives and transmits a signal between the subject vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and between the subject vehicle and a follower vehicle. The connection transmission process portion transmits a connection request signal. The connection control signal obtain portion obtains a connection control signal. A convoy travel control device includes the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device and the traveling control device. The traveling control device periodically outputs a first instruction and a second instruction to the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device.
US09076337B2
The optimization of cost function representing a movement of the mass by the multi-motor control system from an initial point to a final point is subject to non-convex constraints due to avoidance of a region of the obstacle located between the initial point and the final point. Hence, the method determines a union of convex regions connecting the initial point with the final point, such that each convex region does not intersect the region of the obstacle, a convex constraint for each convex region and a set of switching times when the trajectory crosses boundaries of the convex regions. The method optimizes the cost function by jointly updating the positions and the set of switching times to produce an optimal trajectory of the movement. The optimizing is subject to the set of convex constraints applied independently for each corresponding convex region.
US09076331B2
A system and method for tracking and monitoring vehicles on a roadway. RFID tags are positioned along the roadway and may be interrogated by vehicles equipped with an RFID scanner and a transceiver as the vehicles encounter the RFID tags along the roadway. The RFID tag information received by the RFID scanner is transmitted by the transceiver to a roadside repeater station which in turn sends the RFID tag information, as well as other identifying information, to a remote central tracking station. The remote central tracking station processes the RFID tag information and other information to determine a current position of a corresponding vehicle. Driver ranking profiles may be generated for drivers of vehicles and stored in a database in the central tracking station. The driver ranking profiles are used to restrict drivers in certain ways.
US09076330B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include a method for providing a consolidated estimated time of arrival in a scheduled transportation system. The method includes receiving at least one of a scheduled time of arrival, a real-time estimated time of arrival and a predictive estimated time of arrival and assigning a weight to each of the scheduled time of arrival, the real-time estimated time of arrival and the predictive estimated time of arrival. The method also includes calculating a confidence level and the consolidated estimated time of arrival based on the weights and the scheduled time of arrival, the real-time estimated time of arrival and the predictive estimated time of arrival.
US09076321B2
A safety system may include a monitoring device that receives analog values of various parameters from one or more safety appliances. The analog values may be compared to upper and lower control limits in control charts for the parameters for each safety appliance. When an analog value falls outside of the upper control limit or lower control limit in the control chart, an alert may be issued to indicate that the safety appliance may be degrading or failing. The monitoring device may also generate control charts for safety appliances from the analog values output from the safety appliances.
US09076318B2
The present invention relates to a drowning alert transmitter comprising: a) a head component 1 for securing on a swimmer's head, b) a head sensor 6A,6B to sense if a swimmer's head is inclined back relative the upper torso and to then generate an alert signal, and c) a transmitter 3 connected to the head sensor to transmit an alarm signal upon generation of an alert signal.
US09076317B2
A method and system for monitoring a user's intoxication including receiving a set of signals, derived from a set of samples collected from the user at a set of time points; providing a sobriety task to the user proximal to a time point of the set of time points; generating a performance dataset characterizing performance of the sobriety task by the user; receiving a supplementary dataset characterizing a demographic profile of the user and/or a physiological state of the user; determining a set of values of an intoxication metric, derived from the set of signals; generating a predicted temporal profile of the intoxication metric for the user based upon the set of values, the set of time points, and the supplementary dataset; generating an analysis of the user's sobriety based upon the performance dataset and the predicted temporal profile; and providing a notification to the user based upon the analysis.
US09076296B2
In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein provides a bonus game which enables players to combine different, independent features without introducing any significant advantage or significant disadvantage to players for combining certain features over other features. The gaming system utilizes one or more bonus game supplemental awards to insure that the average expected payout per selected feature remains the same or substantially the same regardless of which bonus game features or combinations of features are employed for a play of a bonus game.
US09076292B1
In an approach, one or more player characters controllable by a first player account perform an action in an instance of a game world. In the event that the action meets one or more conditions for creating a nemesis, a computer system controlling the game instance selects a second player account to be invaded by a nemesis. When the second player account plays the game in the same or a different game instance, the computer system determines whether second one or more characters of the selected account meet one or more invasion conditions. If the invasion conditions are met, the computer system generates computer-controlled enemy NPCs for second one or more characters of the second player account to defeat. If the second account defeats the nemesis invasion, rewards are generated for the first and second player accounts. Otherwise, the computer system chooses a third player account for nemesis invasion.
US09076291B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: receiving a game search preference; locating a compliant opponent location conformant to the game search preference; identifying a first preference region encompassing the compliant opponent location; locating a noncompliant opponent location violating the game search preference; and adjusting the first preference region to exclude the noncompliant opponent location for displaying on a device.
US09076286B2
A gaming machine including a plurality of reels, a first driver, a rendering device, a second driver, and a controller is provided. Each of the reels spins and rearranges a plurality of symbols in a game, and the first driver drive the reels. The rendering device renders a visual effect in synchronization with an operation of the reels, and the second driver drives the rendering device. The controller controls the reels and the rendering device and synchronizes the operation of the reels and an operation of the rendering device.
US09076284B2
A method is described for presenting video signals from a first video source and one or more second video sources on a single touch screen display. The method includes: enabling display of primary content from a first video signal and secondary content from a second video signal on the touch screen display, using a display manager, in an adjacent or overlapping condition by scaling or shifting one of the first video signal(s) or the second video signal(s) to alter the size and to render the first video signal with the second video signal(s); and calculating a coordinate transformation, using a touch router device, on coordinates received from the touch screen display that correspond to the presentation at the touch screen display of the video signals and to accommodate any scaling or shifting performed on the first video signal(s) or the second video signal(s).
US09076283B2
Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting wagering games, and computer programs for executing wagering games are disclosed. A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes an input device, a display device, a processor, and a memory device. The memory device stores instructions which cause the processor to operate with the display device to: randomly determine an outcome of the wagering game; display symbols indicative of the wagering-game outcome; determine if the displayed symbols include to an expected-value (EV) enhancement symbol combination or an EV-elimination symbol combination, the EV-enhancement and EV-elimination symbol combinations both including a common symbol arranged in a common manner; activate, responsive to the displayed symbols including the EV-enhancement symbol combination, an EV-increasing opportunity that modifies a wagering-game parameter thereby increasing the EV of the wagering game; and deactivate, responsive to the displayed symbol-combination corresponding to the EV-elimination symbol combination, one or more EV-increasing opportunities.
US09076280B2
A method for completing at least one portable data carrier connected to a completion device, wherein a completion data set that is present on the completion device is introduced into the data carrier. A security module is connected to the completion device and different authorization data sets are provided on the security module. The security module includes a management application for managing the different authorization data sets. Each of the authorization data sets exactly specifies one completion, and each of the authorization data sets is exactly associated with one completion data set. The managing application on the security module monitors the completion of the at least one data carrier according to the specification in an authorization data set selected from the different authorization data sets.
US09076267B2
To aim to achieve addition of blur to an image based on distance information of a subject and to appropriate determination of a block size that is a unit for coding. Blur is added to the image with use of one of disparity information for each pixel unit and distance information for each pixel unit and arbitrary blur conditions. A block size of each region of the image that are to be divided into blocks for coding is determined based on a blur value of the region. The image is divided into blocks based on the determined block sizes and coded in units of blocks. By increasing a block size with respect to a region included in an image having a high blur value, it is possible to reduce processing amount of reference block searching, thereby achieving speed-up of processing and reduction in processing amount.
US09076265B2
Embodiments of a system and method including graphics processing of a pixel sample are described. According to an embodiment, a first depth test processes a value, such as a z/stencil value, of a pixel sample and determines whether the value of the pixel sample satisfies the first depth test. If the value of the pixel sample satisfies the first depth test, the value of the pixel sample is not immediately written to storage, such as a Z-buffer. That is, if the value of the pixel sample satisfies the first depth test, the depth processing logic prevents or delays a write operation for the value of the pixel sample to storage at that time. A second depth test is performed on the value of the pixel sample if the value of the pixel sample satisfied the first depth test. If the value of the pixel sample satisfies the second depth test, the value of the pixel sample is then written to storage.
US09076260B2
Techniques described in the disclosure are generally related to determining the manner in which to connect points that reside along an outer ring edge and an inner ring edge for purposes of tessellation. For example, a two-dimensional (2D) stitching table may define the manner in which points along the edges should be connected together to form a plurality of primitives. The techniques may index the 2D stitching table to retrieve entry values that define the manner in which the points along the edges should be connected together.
US09076255B2
Approaches are described for addressing artifacts associated with iterative reconstruction of image data acquired using a cone-beam CT system. Such approaches include, but are not limited to, the use of asymmetric regularization during iterative reconstruction, the modulation of regularization strength for certain voxels, the modification of statistical weights, and/or the generation and use of synthesized data.
US09076254B2
A texture unit may be used to perform general purpose mathematical computations such as dot products. This enables some general purpose computations and operations to be offloaded from a central processing unit to the texture unit. The texture unit may use linear interpolators in order to perform the dot product calculations.
US09076250B2
An apparatus for 3D reconstruction based on multiple GPUs and a method thereof are disclosed. The 3D reconstruction apparatus according to the present invention includes a 3D reconstruction apparatus, comprising: a camera configured to generate depth data for 3D space; a first GPU configured to update first TSDF volume data with first depth data generated for a first area and predict a surface point of an object which is present in the space from the first updated TSDF volume data; a second GPU configured to update second TSDF volume data with second depth data generated for a second area and predict a surface point of an object which is present in the space from the second updated TSDF volume data; and a master GPU configured to combine a surface point predicted from the first TSDF volume data and a surface point estimated from the second TSDF volume data.
US09076247B2
A computer-implemented method for visualizing an object includes the steps of providing a simulated environment; rendering, with at least one processor, at least one virtual object based at least partially on the simulated environment, a viewable angle of the at least one virtual object, and object characteristics associated with the at least one virtual object, the object characteristics comprising at least one of the following: reflectance, transmittance, attenuation, or any combination thereof, and changing a viewable angle of the at least one virtual object in response to user input. A system and a computer program product for implementing the aforementioned method includes appropriately communicatively connected hardware components.
US09076246B2
Systems and methods of overlaying a three-dimensional image of a tissue and an image of the tissue from an imaging transducer, having a field of view are disclosed. The method includes determining pixel dimensions of the field of view in the second co-ordinate space, scaling the three-dimensional image in the first co-ordinate space to match the pixel dimensions of the field of view in the second co-ordinate space, and displaying an overlaid image comprising the three-dimensional image and the field of view of the imaging transducer.
US09076238B2
Ultrasound images are stitched together by extracting target image regions within each ultrasound image, identifying interest points for the extracted target images and then identifying interest point correspondences between the interest points of all the extracted target image regions. The interest point correspondence is used to define a common, word coordinate for all extracted target images, and the extracted target images are warped onto the world coordinates. A distance weight, w1, gradient weight w2, and histogram weight w3 is then determined for each pixel of the warped, target images. The three weights are then combined and normalized across all the warped, target images. The combined, normalized weights are used in the blending and stitching of the warped, target images.
US09076236B2
A method of increasing resolution of an image includes generating vector contours associated with a first image and scaling the vector contours to a second resolution. The first image has a first resolution, and the second resolution is greater than the first resolution. The vector contours are rendered to generate a guiding image at the second resolution, and a second image is generated from the first image based on the guiding image, by using joint upsampling. The second image is generated at the second resolution. The vector contours can be generated by bitmap tracing binary images at different quantization levels. An apparatus and computer readable device implementing the method of increasing the resolution of an image are also provided.
US09076231B1
Techniques for displaying content on a display to reduce screenshot quality are described herein comprising generating a set of degradation frames based on a source frame, with each degradation frame in the set of degradation frames based on applying one or more alterations to the data in the source frame based on a set of degradation parameters. A frame display order is determined and at least a subset of the degradation frames is displayed, corresponding to the frame display order.
US09076220B2
A method for processing an image divided into blocks of pixels is described. The method includes detecting a largest sub-block whose pixels have an equal luminance value and identifying if the detected largest sub-block is or is not a natural texture. Thereafter, a weighted luminance difference is calculated between the detected largest sub-block and neighboring pixels and a block blockiness level is determined on the basis of the number of pixels within the detected largest sub-block, of the identification step and of the weighted luminance difference. The image is then processed on the basis of the block blockiness level.
US09076210B2
Methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding an image in which a block is searched for based on a representative value, rather than being searched for on a pixel-by-pixel basis, thereby search speed may be increased and computational complexity of a search operation may be reduced.
US09076208B2
In one aspect, a method related to imagery processing. In addition to the foregoing, other method and system and program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.
US09076199B2
This invention provides a system and method for determining and controlling focal distance in a lens assembly of a vision system camera using an integral calibration assembly that provides the camera's image sensor with optical information that is relative to focal distance while enabling runtime images of a scene to be acquired along the image axis. The lens assembly includes a variable lens located along an optical axis that provides a variable focus setting. The calibration assembly generates a projected pattern of light that variably projects upon the camera sensor based upon the focus setting of the variable lens. That is, the appearance and/or position of the pattern varies based upon the focus setting of the variable lens. This enables a focus process to determine the current focal length of the lens assembly based upon predetermined calibration information stored in association with a vision system processor running the focus process.
US09076197B2
A PDF estimator for determining a probability that a detected object is a specific type of object is provided. Training data from a known set is used to functionally describe the relevant neighborhood for specific representation points. The neighborhood is selected based on the measured features of the object to be classified and weights are calculated to be applied to the representation points. A probability is determined based upon the stored training data, the measured features of the object to be classified, and the weights.
US09076182B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for data aggregation. The methods, systems, and apparatus include determining whether a site-specific script for extracting financial data from a particular financial institution website is available; in response to determining that a site-specific script for extracting financial data from the particular financial institution website is not available, generating a site map of web pages and web page segments in the financial institution website, wherein the site map is generated based on at least in part on a statistical analysis of web pages and web page segments that are not in the financial institution website; generating, based on the site map of the financial institution website, a site-specific script for extracting financial data from the financial institution website; and extracting, for one or more users, financial data from the particular financial institution website using the generated site-specific script.
US09076159B2
Systems and methods are described for collecting data at a merchant's point of return for use in processing a merchandise return transaction that is being requested by a customer. In various embodiments, the data may be collected using a wide variety of data collection technologies and may be used in conjunction with stored data, including data collected from other merchants, by a return authorization system to make a determination whether to accept or deny the requested merchandise return and whether to provide a coupon to the customer. The data may additionally or alternatively be used to determine whether to issue a warning to the customer about limitations on future return transactions presented by the customer. Examples of data categories that may be collected include, but are not limited to, information about: the merchant, the customer, the requested transaction, the merchandise being returned, one or more receipts, a clerk processing the transaction, and other general applicable information.
US09076158B2
A networked electronic coupon management system is disclosed for managing electronic coupons. The system includes tightly integrated database, application server, and client components facilitating performing electronic coupon definition, issuance, and redemption operations. The operations include creating electronic coupons, wherein each electronic coupon includes a unique coupon ID, creating customer accounts, wherein each customer account comprises a unique customer ID; creating manufacturer accounts, wherein each manufacturer account comprises a Unique ID; and creating retailer accounts, wherein each retailer account comprises a unique retailer ID; and assigning a unique electronic coupon ID to a unique customer ID. Thereafter the system validates the electronic coupon with a product purchase transaction by a customer associated with the unique customer ID. Furthermore, funds transfers associated with the product purchase transaction are tracked, and historical transactional level data is maintained for all customer, manufacturer and retailer accounts.
US09076155B2
Entertainment systems interact with users to provide for social networking and/or other services. For instance, an entertainment system may be configured to provide jukebox-related and entertainment system mediated services that are accessible from within and from outside of the location, coordinating social networking services among and between patrons, while also providing for advertisement opportunities. The entertainment system within the location may be connected to one or more client devices, one or more displays, one or more bar-top or hand-held gaming devices, etc. The jukebox-related and entertainment system mediated services may provide mechanisms for enhancing patrons' experiences, creating a sense of ownership and/or belongingness to a connected community of entertainment system users.
US09076139B2
An apparatus for the delivery of a product having a delivery outlet, a delivery control device, a remote command device, and a mobile communications device is disclosed. The delivery control device is connected to the remote command device via a communications network and is adapted to activate the delivery outlet when in receipt of an activation signal from the remote command device. The mobile communications device is connectable to the remote command device via a communications network. The remote command device is adapted to send the activation signal to the delivery control device when in receipt of an activation request signal from the mobile communications device.
US09076134B2
A computerized money transfer system implements a money transfer service for trasferring money from a sending entity to at least one receiving entity. A plurality of agent terminals operable by agents of the money transfer service are interconnected by a communications network. A money transfer control system is connected to the communications network for controlling the implementation of the money transfer service. The money transfer control system includes an agent account data store storing account data for each agent and a transaction data store storing transaction data for transactions by agents implementing money transfers from a sending entity to at least one receiving entity. When data is input to an agent terminal by a sending agent instigating a money transfer requested by a sending entity to at least one receiving entity, the data is transmitted to the money transfer control system. The input data identifies the sending and receiving entities, sending agent and at least one receiving agent that is to remit the money transferred thereto to the or each receiving entity. The money transfer control system records the input data in the transaction data store as a transaction from a sending agent to at least one receiving agent for a sending entity and at least one receiving entity and updates the agent account data in the agent account data store for the sending and receiving agents.
US09076132B2
A system and method may respond to a fraudulent attack, such as a Phishing attack. The system and method may send a number of responses to party committing fraud, the responses designed to mimic the responses to a Phishing attack. The responses may include codes or marked information designed to entrap or detect the party committing fraud.
US09076127B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a system that enables financial services companies to manage and track information about a sales force. The system includes components for managing distributors information, for validating and tracking licenses and credentials, for creating customized contracts, and for maintaining compensation structures. The system allows for configuring compensations, providing financial services companies a toolkit for creating and modeling their complex commission schedules used to compensate their sales force. The system also provides modeling tools for agreements and contracts between a financial services company or provider and the distributors who sell products. The system has a multi-component architecture comprising multiple modules, multiple data processing engines, a backbone and multiple data sources. The processing modules carry out information processing using one or more data processing engines. The data processing provides the tools to fetch data from the databases and process it.
US09076122B2
Picking facilities are flexibly configured so that a desired article can be accurately picked from a storage location in a short time. A picking system is configured to include a container of which the upper surface is opened to contain the article; a caster rack of which the front surface is opened and where upper and lower plural stages of shelves on which the container is mounted are installed; a picking gate where upper and lower plural stages of horizontal bars attached with indicators of picking information are installed between vertical posts; and a picking information processing apparatus which processes the picking information and includes a management computer, a controller which controls operations of the indicators, and a handy terminal and an inspection processing terminal which transmit and receive information with the management computer.
US09076117B2
A system and method for monitoring device usage are described. The system includes an enterprise service bus configured to receive a request to transmit media to a device and route the media to a device and network appliance as a service (NAaaS) server-side application configured to log device usage entries for a second device, determine usage information based on the device usage entries, perform a comparison between a life expectancy associated with the second device and the usage information and responsive to the comparison being within a threshold value, generating a notification.
US09076109B2
A method, mobile terminal and server for controlling authenticity of a product. Authenticity control includes accessing a database using a unique code provided with the product; providing a secure code related to said product, and receiving authentication information about said product based on said secure code.
US09076108B2
Described herein are methods for identifying situations. The methods receive samples, each comprising a temporal window of token instances to which a user was exposed and an affective response annotation. One embodiment clusters the samples into a plurality of clusters utilizing a distance function that computes a distance between a pair comprising first and second samples. Another embodiment utilizes an Expectation-Maximization approach to assign situation identifiers. And still another embodiment involves training, utilizing the samples, a machine learning-based classifier to assign situation identifiers.
US09076106B2
A system includes a risk assessment system. The risk assessment system includes a risk calculation system configured to calculate a risk based on one or more static inputs and one or more dynamic inputs. The one or more dynamic inputs includes a location of a human resource, a mobile resource, or a combination thereof. The risk assessment system further includes a decision support system (DSS) configured to use the risk to derive one or more decisions based on the risk, the one or more static inputs, and the one or more dynamic inputs. The one or more decisions are configured to aid in operating an industrial facility.
US09076103B2
A device management system that manages specific information for specifying a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are the object of management, manages identification information corresponding to the image forming apparatus by association with the specific information, requests information related to power consumption of the image forming apparatus from the power management system by use of the identification information that is managed by a second management unit and manages information related to acquired power consumption by association with the specific information for the image forming apparatus.
US09076101B1
A printer cable that is configured for coupling to a printer having an enclosure and a printer port. The printer cable includes a first connector for connecting to the printer port and a second connector for coupling to a host device (e.g., a personal computer (PC)). The printer cable includes a printer formatter for providing formatting services to the printer via the first connector. Since the printer formatter is integrated into the printer cable, the printer formatter is external to the printer enclosure and is easily removable and configurable by a user.
US09076098B2
A rendering process is not distributed in units that take into consideration an object construction. The rendering process divides printing data into page units, generates a plurality of divided printing data, merges divided printing data related to the same double spread page from the plurality of divided printing data, and converts each of the merged divided printing data into bitmap data by a plurality of rendering units.
US09076092B2
The present application provides a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder and a method for fabricating the same. The RFID transponder, comprising: a microchip which is arranged to communicating with a reader; a battery which is arranged to provide an electrical power for operating the transponder, and is attached to the microchip by means of a conductive path; an antenna which is arranged to receive and backscatter radio frequency interrogation radiation; and a substrate, on which the microchip, the battery and the antenna are arranged.
US09076085B2
A scroll distance in a scroll display performed during a preview display of a print job to which a specific printing method is specified is set to be shorter than a scroll distance in a scroll display performed during a preview display of a print job to which the specific printing method is not specified.
US09076083B1
Technologies are provided in embodiments to enable secure one-time printing for electronic coupons. The embodiments are configured to provide, for display on a display screen of a user device, one or more coupon offers, to receive information indicating at least one offer is selected by a user, to communicate a unique identifier of the user device and an indication of the at least one selected offer to a coupon platform, and to receive the at least one selected offer to be printed if the at least one selected offer is available. Embodiments are also configured to bypass a print dialog box to provide the at least one selected offer directly to a default printer associated with the user device. Specific embodiments are configured to communicate to the coupon platform whether the print was successful. In specific embodiments, coupon codes are not displayed with the one or more coupon offers.
US09076082B1
A computer program product includes computer readable program code embodied on a computer readable storage medium. The computer program product comprises computer readable program code for beginning a print job on a three-dimensional printer to manufacture an object, computer readable program code for pausing the print job while the object is incomplete, computer readable program code for determining the state of the print job when the print job was paused, and computer readable program code for printing information onto the incomplete object, wherein the information includes an identification of the print job. The information preferably takes the form of a matrix barcode printed on a surface of the incomplete object that will later be overwritten.
US09076080B1
An information processing system is configured for automated diagnostic analysis of digital images. The system comprises an image classifier implementing an image processing engine for performing at least a portion of a classification operation on at least a portion of an image. The image processing engine comprises an interconnection of at least one image planner element, a plurality of image scrutinizer elements and at least one image aggregator element. The image planner element is configured to organize the plurality of image scrutinizer elements into two or more logical groups of image scrutinizer elements based at least in part on one or more criteria to be used in performing the classification operation.
US09076075B2
A method for following an object in a sequence of at least two images, termed previous and current, comprises a step of forming a first set Ep of points E p={Pp(1), . . . , Pp(i), . . . , Pp(N)} by extracting N characteristic points Pp(i) of the object present in the previous image and of forming a second set Ec of points Ec={Pc(1), . . . , Pc(i), . . . , Pc(M)} by extracting M characteristic points Pc(j) of the object present in the current image. The method further comprises a step of estimating the parameters of a model of movement of the object between the two images on the basis of pairs of matched points thus formed, and a step of selecting the pairs of matched points used to estimate the parameters of the movement model. The pairs of matched points may be selected solely from among those which are related to points of the first set of points which are singular.
US09076066B2
A computerized method determines a similarity between a first image and a second image. The first image is converted into a first grayscale image, and the second image is converted into a second grayscale image. A first feature vector of the first grayscale image and a second feature vector of the second grayscale image are extracted. A similarity value is calculated indicating the similarity between the first image and the second image according to the first feature vector and the second feature vector. If the similarity value is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the first image is similar to the second image and a determination result is outputted denoting the first image is similar to the second image.
US09076057B2
A handwritten-information processing apparatus includes a handwritten-information acquisition unit and a handwritten-information insertion unit. The handwritten-information acquisition unit acquires a handwritten information item which has been handwritten by a user on a medium having a region inside a writing frame and a region outside the writing frame. The region inside the writing frame includes division regions. The region outside the writing frame is located outside the region inside the writing frame. When the handwritten-information acquisition unit has acquired an insertion mark which is a handwritten information item extending across a boundary between the region inside the writing frame and the region outside the writing frame, the handwritten-information insertion unit inserts, on the basis of the insertion mark, into the region inside the writing frame, a handwritten information item which has been handwritten in the region outside the writing frame.
US09076054B2
An apparatus for use in optical reading can comprise an image sensor and a circuit board, and can further comprise a support assembly. An apparatus for use in optical reading can also comprise a light source and imaging optics.
US09076053B2
A method of operating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag assembly having a a predetermined operating frequency with a body composed of an absorbing material coupled to a first side of the an RFID semiconductor chip, absorbing a substantial amount of a received energy in the absorbing material body, receiving at a second side of an antenna coupled to the RFID semiconductor chip mounted a first portion of the radio energy as transmitted from a remote base station transceiver, the receiving being at the first side being oriented away from the operating surface, receiving at a second side of the two-sided planar antenna a second portion of the radio frequency energy transmitted from the base station transceiver following the absorbing, the second side being oriented towards the operating surface and towards the absorbing material body, and processing the received first and second portions of the radio frequency energy.
US09076052B2
A fixed reader in communication with a portable reader includes an induction circuit and a microcontroller. The induction circuit receives wireless signals sent by the portable reader, and outputs control signals according to the received wireless signals. The microcontroller is electronically connected to the induction circuit, and activates the fixed reader according to the control signals, to allow the fixed reader to enter into a working state or an idle state.
US09076051B2
A collision detection method for a radio-frequency SIM card with low-frequency magnetic communication comprises: transmitting by a card reader low-frequency card seeking characteristic information; determining by a radio-frequency SIM card A whether an intensity of a low-frequency magnetic induction signal reaches a preset threshold value; if yes, receiving low-frequency card seeking characteristic information and transmitting card seeking response information through a radio-frequency channel; receiving by the card reader the card seeking response information, establishing a radio-frequency connection with the radio-frequency SIM card A, and opening a preset time window; when the preset time window closes, interrupting by the card reader a transaction process with the radio-frequency SIM card A and re-transmitting the low-frequency card seeking characteristic information; if receiving by the card reader card seeking response information transmitted by another radio-frequency SIM card B, ascertaining that a radio-frequency SIM card collision exists.
US09076050B2
An enhanced smartcard reader having a row of first reading contacts, a row of second reading contacts, and a row of third reading contacts. The first reading contacts have arm portions that are cantilevered off a first mounting member of the reader, the second reading contacts have arm portions that are cantilevered off a second mounting member of the reader, and the third reading contacts have arm portions that are cantilevered off a third mounting member of the reader. The third mounting member is located vertically distanced from the second mounting member, and the arm portions of the third reading contacts directly overlay the arm portions of the second reading contacts.
US09076039B2
Systems, methods and computer program products, for identification of materials based on hyperspectral imagery, are disclosed. An example system comprises one or more processors, a memory, a library of spectral signatures, a receiver, a model generator, and a material identifier. The receiver module is configured to receive a first spectral signature corresponding to a region of interest contained in the hyperspectral image. The model generator is configured to create a model search space including one or more model signatures based on the spectral signatures in the library, wherein each of the one or more model signatures approximate the first spectral signature. The material identifier is a material identifier configured to calculate a probability associated with a presence or absence of a material within the first spectral signature, based on the first spectral signature and the model search space and determine the presence or absence of the material in the region of interest based on the probability.
US09076038B2
Apparatus for detecting non-compliance patterns on a series of used blister sheets previously returned by the same patient, reads a code (2) on each blister sheet (1) providing, inter alia, information relating to the position of each blister on the blister sheet. This information is passed by the code reader (4) through a key (15) to an image (5) of the blister sheet appearing on one-half (14) of a split screen (6). The screen (14) displays a picture of a blister sheet with its blister positions marked by dots or rings (8). By means of the key (15), which may take the form of a joystick, an image of a disc (9) can be placed over each of the blister positions where an unopened blisters occurs. The image of the blister sheet together with the discs is then transferred by operation of a key (10) to the second half (11) of the split screen (6) screen where it is superimposed on a slightly offset stack (13) of used blister sheets previously returned by the same patient. The positions of the discs (9) are compared by the apparatus with corresponding positions on previously returned blister sheets and, if a coincidence is detected, the apparatus produces a change in the appearance of the corresponding disc on the blister sheet on the top of the stack. A change in a disc appearance suggests that there may be a pattern of non-compliance that can then be investigated further.
US09076035B2
A registration image including a desired target can easily be registered. A domain near an assigned position assigned by a user on a photographed image is extracted from the photographed image to generate a search image, a classifier performs the processing to the generated search image, and a processing domain having the largest number of hierarchies to which a weak classifier can perform the processing is extracted from the photographed image to generate the registration image.
US09076034B2
A symmetric object in an image is identified by (a) converting an edge map of the acquired image into a binary image map including binary pixel values; (b) dividing the binary image map within a scanning window into multiple bins; (c) summing binary pixel values in each bin; and (d) identifying the symmetric object based at least in part on the summed binary pixel values in the bins.
US09076028B2
Aspects herein describe new methods and systems of receiving one or more images by one or more cameras. Each of the one or more images is acquired by one or more cameras in which the one or more images comprise facial images corresponding to persons. In one embodiment, aspects of the disclosure describe a method for extracting each of the facial images from each of the images in which each of the facial images corresponds to each of one or more sets of extracted facial images. The method further includes sorting each of the extracted facial images per each set into separate groups of one or more groups wherein each group corresponds to facial images of each person. The method further includes selecting a preferred facial image from each group of the one or more groups to generate preferred facial images for transmission to a client using a display server.
US09076026B2
A biometric information processing apparatus includes: a biometric information acquiring unit which generates a biometric image representing biometric information of a plurality of fingers of a user; and a processor adapted to extract a biometric region capturing biometric information of each of the plurality of fingers in the biometric image; obtain the first distance between the biometric regions corresponding to two adjacent fingers of the plurality of fingers; and estimate an angle of spread between the two adjacent fingers according to a ratio of a value obtained by subtracting a distance between bases of the two fingers from the first distance, to a length from a base of one of the two adjacent fingers to the biometric information.
US09076024B2
In an anti-counterfeiting system and method, a set of identification codes are generated from data associated with units of a line of items. A manufacturer affixes machine readable forms of such identification codes to units of an item, and scans or reads the affixed identification codes before distribution of the units in order to flag only affixed identification codes as “active”. Thereafter, when a user scans or reads the machine readable form of an affixed identification code from a unit of some item, such as by using a “smart phone”, the identification code value is transmitted for verification and validation, and subjected to selected computer based tests to determine the authenticity of the identification code and thus of the associated unit. The user is provided with feedback as to the genuineness of the unit, or is contacted by or directed to contact a representative of the manufacturer if doubt exists.
US09076020B2
An electronic device includes at least one memory unit, a plurality of applications residing on at least one of the memory units and a database residing on at least one of the memory units. The database is configured to store a record specifying a subset of the plurality of applications that are to be inaccessible to a user when in a protected mode of operation. The protected mode is designed for a user (e.g., child or friend borrowing the device) who can potentially use the device with setting that are configured under the primary user's (e.g. parent, device administrator) supervision. The device also includes a user interface through which a primary user and not other users can specify the subset of the plurality of applications to be included in the record. A processor is operatively associated with the memory unit, the database and the user interface. The processor is configured to switch, in response to a request from the primary user and not other users, between a normal mode operation in which all of the applications in the plurality of applications are available for use and the protected mode of operation.
US09076018B2
A system and method of generating an encryption key in a self-encrypting mass storage device that includes using a manual input device as input for a micro-controller that contains a cyclic counter. An input device event triggers the micro-controller to read the current state of the cyclic counter. An accumulation of cyclic counter values is used as a source of entropy to seed a deterministic random number generator. The output of the deterministic random number generator is used as an encryption key for encryption/decryption processes within the mass storage device.
US09076014B2
Embodiments are directed to providing a plurality of data provisioning tiers for datasets and to throttling access to dataset data based on the dataset's data provisioning tiers. In an embodiment, a computer system receives an input that specifies a maximum number of queries that a user is allowed to perform on a given dataset over a specified period of time. The computer system generates data provisioning tiers for the dataset based on the received input. Each data provisioning tier indicates a maximum number of queries that the user is allowed to perform on a given dataset over a specified period of time. The computer system also applies the generated data provisioning tiers to the dataset so that the user is limited to the maximum number of queries specified in the data provisioning tier.
US09076012B2
A lease system is described herein that allows clients to request a lease to a remote file, wherein the lease permits access to the file across multiple applications using multiple handles without extra round trips to a server. When multiple applications on the same client (or multiple components of the same application) request access to the same file, the client specifies the same lease identifier to the server for each open request or may handle the request from the cache based on the existing lease. Because the server identifies the client's cache at the client level rather than the individual file request level, the client receives fewer break notifications and is able to cache remote files in more circumstances. Thus, by providing the ability to cache data in more circumstances common with modern applications, the lease system reduces bandwidth, improves server scalability, and provides faster access to data.
US09076009B2
Techniques to provide a secure, shared personal map layer include determining a geographic location. The geographic location is associated with operation of a device. The techniques also include determining indication that describes a relationship between the geographic location and a first user of the device. The techniques also include determining a privacy level for the indication. Then, the first user of the device is associated with the indication and the geographic location and the privacy level. In some embodiments, the techniques also include determining a personal description vocabulary word based, at least in part, on the geographic location and a context for the device. Then it is determined to present on the device a prompt that includes the personal description vocabulary word.
US09075995B2
A “Secure Code Launcher” establishes platform trustworthiness, i.e., a trusted computing base (TCB), and uses hardware or firmware based components to securely launch one or more software components. The Secure Code Launcher measures and loads software components by interfacing with security extension functionality integral to one or more hardware or firmware-based components in the computing device. For example, various embodiments of the Secure Code Launcher include firmware-based components that interface with security extension functionality integral to the computing device to measure and load boot managers, operating system (OS) loaders, or other OS components including OS kernels. Similarly, the Secure Code Launcher is capable of measuring and loading software components responsible for installing an instance of an OS. In addition, various embodiments of the Secure Code Launcher provide a hypervisor loader that measures and loads a hypervisor which in turn measures and loads operating system components including virtual machines.
US09075991B1
Security of sensitive information stored on a computing system is protected by monitoring a set of performance indicators of the computing system and executing remedial measures to protect the sensitive information when the set of performance indicators indicates a likelihood of malicious activity. A particular technique involves limiting the amount of sensitive information looted during a malicious attack on a computing system. The technique includes monitoring a set of performance indicators of the computing system. The set of performance indicators provides a measure of sensitive information being accessed on the computing system. The technique further includes testing whether the monitored set of performance indicators indicates a likelihood of looting, and temporarily reducing access to the sensitive information on the computing system in response to the act of testing indicating a likelihood of looting.
US09075989B2
A query is received from a client device regarding an object. The query includes an identifier of the object and a set of associated usage attributes describing a usage of the object on the client device. A set of usage facts associated with the identified object is identified. The set of usage facts describe typical usages of the object on a plurality of client devices. A determination is made whether the usage of the object on the client device is suspicious based on the set of usage facts associated with the object and the set of usage attributes included in the query. A report is provided to the client device based on the determination.
US09075988B2
Inferring security decisions from trusted users, including: identifying, by a security inference module on a computing device, a candidate application to be installed on the computing device; identifying, by the security inference module, one or more trusted users; identifying, by the security inference module, trusted user installation activity associated with the candidate application; and determining, by the security inference module, whether to install the candidate application in dependence upon the trusted user installation activity associated with the candidate application.
US09075983B2
A more secure CAPTCHA makes use of a distorted alphanumeric character string or strings that include one or more glyphs, pictures or symbols foreign to a target audience. Adding at least one of a glyph, picture or symbol makes recognition of the distorted string trivial since humans who would know which of the character set to expect, but a very difficult decision for a computer already struggling to decide where a character begins and ends, let alone identifying the character as being valid.
US09075978B2
Secure configuration of a mobile application (“app”) includes sending the required configuration data for the app to the user's mobile computing device in a communication, for example an email with an attachment. A verification value is included in the attachment to protect the authenticity and integrity of the configuration data. A challenge code is issued to the user (or group of users). The challenge code is used to verify the configuration data.
US09075977B2
Voice verification systems for controlling access to electronic accounts using spoken utterances are disclosed. These systems include a database of words and a sentence synthesis engine that uses the dictionary to construct challenge sentences. A challenge logic routine selects a challenge sentence and processes a spoken response from an entity to determine if the entity is authorized to access an electronic account. Both human and machine spoken utterances can be processed as responses, and in some embodiments, the entity may be an automated agent authorized by a human to conduct transactions in said electronic account.
US09075964B2
Distribution of content stored on read only media, and a system and method by which a consumer who purchased content stored on read only media implements a process in the field by which they alter the storage media. A system and tools are used by the consumer to identify, authenticate, disable, and confirm alteration in exchange for compensation, the acquisition of new usage rights to content, or the ability to restore access to or copy content to new media. The process may be conducted by the consumer in the field without assistance and or visual inspection, or be partially conducted in conjunction with an authorized intermediary. Furthermore, the process may restore access to content stored on new media without the need to transfer copies of content.
US09075963B2
A system, computer readable media, GUI, and apparatus are provided that are configured to generate and display an intellectual property rights profile for a media presentation. Information to be included in an intellectual property rights profile may be entered into a provided data entry template by, for example, a user or administrator of the media presentation. Uploaded documents may be added to an intellectual property rights profile and later accessed by a subsequent user. In some cases, a status, for example, complete or incomplete, may be determined for an intellectual property rights profile and an action may be initiated based on the status.
US09075957B2
A third party facilitates preparation of a backup SSD for backing up a source SSD. Digital data of the source SSD, which includes protected and sensitive data and information, is copied to the backup SSD either by and via the third party or directly from the source SSD but under supervision of the third party. The digital data of the source SSD is copied to the backup SSD under stringent rules and only if each party (i.e., the source SSD, destination SSD, and third party) proves to a counterpart device with which it operates that it is authorized to send to it digital data or to receive therefrom digital data, depending on the device with which that party operates.
US09075956B2
A control device having a graphical user interface for controlling the operation of a transport refrigeration unit is disclosed. The graphical user interface may include a menu structure having multiple levels of menu options, executable functions and data items that may be navigated and viewed by a user. Access to the various menus may be user-specific and controlled so that a subset of the information in the menu structure is available to normal users, and larger subsets of the information are available to advanced users having higher levels of authorization to the menus and information contained in the graphical user interface device. The graphical user interface may also include programmable soft keys that may take users directly to frequently viewed menu options, functions and data items without the necessity of navigating through the levels of the menu structure.
US09075948B2
Optimizing circuits having a congested placement with a timing critical placement map includes identifying critical circuit components in the placement map and determining failing circuit components in the placement map; determining “non-critical” circuit components safe to be moved; removing selected non critical from the placement map; and optimizing the critical circuit components in a new partial placement image of said map; and reinserting the “non -critical” circuit components back into said placement image. The optimization is performed by circuit transformation operating in congested regions of the placement image enabling cell insertion and modifications that increase cell size.
US09075945B1
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable program code which, when executed on a computer system, causes the computer system to perform steps is disclosed. The steps include receiving a portion of a source code including a first program model defining an element of an integrated circuit, generating a first register-transfer level (RTL) description based on the portion of the source code, defining a library component based on the first RTL description, receiving the source code including a second program model defining the integrated circuit, replacing the portion of the source code corresponding to the first program model with the library component, and generating a second RTL description based on the source code.
US09075937B2
The present disclosure relates to tools in a system for the design of customized three-dimensional models of dental restorations for subsequent manufacturing. Dental restorations such as implant abutments, copings, crowns, wax-ups, bridge frameworks. Moreover, the disclosure relates to a computer-readable medium for implementing such a system on a computer.
US09075928B2
A coherence maintenance address queue tracks each memory access from receipt until the memory reports the access complete. The address of each new access is compared against the address of all entries in the queue. This check is made when the access is ready to transmit to the memory. If there is no address match, then the current access does not conflict with any pending access. If there is an address match, the current access is stalled. The multi-core shared memory controller would then typically proceed to another access waiting a slot to the endpoint memory. Stored addresses in the coherence maintenance address queue are retired when the endpoint memory reports completion of the operation. At this point the access is no longer a hazard to following operations.
US09075927B2
A method includes asserting a physical presence signal to a trusted platform module of a compute node in response to detecting a change in the physical connection of a hot pluggable device to a port of the compute node. The change in the physical connection of the hot pluggable device to the port is selected from physically connecting the hot pluggable device to the port, physically disconnecting the hot pluggable device from the port, and combinations thereof. Optionally, the compute node has a USB port and the hot pluggable device has a USB connector that is selectively physically connectable to the USB port. In one example, detecting a change in the physical connection of the hot pluggable device to the compute node includes detecting a voltage change on the USB port.
US09075921B2
An error simulation module may receive an indication of an external function call made by a computer application program. In response to the function call, the error simulation module may provide a simulated output parameter to the computer application program. The error simulation module may receive an indication of a behavior of the computer application program in response to the simulated output parameter.
US09075920B1
A dynamic-bridge connects a collection of tests (e.g., proprietary tests) to a testing-framework and effectively allows the collection of tests to interface with the testing-framework, thereby allowing the development environment and tools that support the testing-framework to also support the collection of tests. The dynamic-bridge provides a dynamic test wrapper which can be dynamically constructed for a test and present it as a test which conforms to or is compatible with the testing-framework and executed within the testing-framework. Test results are reported in a form that is expected or acceptable by the framework. In effect, the dynamic test wrapper simulates executing the test in the testing framework. As a result, tools which have been integrated with the testing-framework can be used to support tests which may originally not conform or be compatible with the testing-framework.
US09075906B2
A medical equipment case is provided for containing and transporting at least one article of medical equipment and a two-way audio-visual system. Such equipment may be used, for example, for telemedicine applications by a patient discharged from a hospital, or other subject in need of remote health care monitoring. The medical equipment case may include features that provide for security and facilitate return of the medical equipment case and medical equipment and audio-visual system contained therein, such as machine-readable indicia encoding information for return of the case from a usage location. The medical equipment case and contained medical equipment and two-way audio visual system together form a medical support system that can be used by a patient discharged from a hospital. Methods of controlling the medical support system are also described.
US09075895B2
A case data visualization application is provided that, when executed on a device, allows a user to visualize a chronology of events associated with a case, view a summary of one or more supporting details of an event, and drill-down to view specific case data of each supporting detail of an event. Thus, the case data visualization application provides a way of collecting, organizing, visualizing, and sharing data associated with a case. Furthermore, the case data visualization application allow a plurality of users to collaborate on the case, and synchronizes a plurality of supporting details created by a plurality of users that are associated with an event.
US09075891B2
Method for editing an object represented in a page of a Web site, the method comprising a step of sending, by the server to said application, through a browsing link established between a server of said site and a terminal, first description data describing said object for a display of a graphical representation of said object in a user interface of said application and a set of program instructions, specific to a category of object to which said object belongs, said instructions being designed for execution by said application of functions for editing said graphical representation.
US09075890B2
Systems, devices, and methods for using an application program interface (API) client controller to build a model view include a requestor, an executor, a converter, and one or more web APIs. Developers can create web pages that are a collection of references to API queries. The requestor maps an API path to an API request or an API call. The executor executes the API request to an API to retrieve content data. The converter then converts the retrieved content data returned by the API request to a data structure. The retrieved content data (structure) can be stored in a memory device. Multiple content data structures may be requested and stored. The data structure or data structures are then inserted in a web page template to create a model view.
US09075885B2
A method and apparatus for receiving a request for a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), determining the URL is broken, retrieving query data from a first database mapping the broken URL to the query data and retrieving one or more substitute URLs from a second database mapping the broken URL to the query data.
US09075883B2
A server arrangement for managing observation data of wireless devices, including data input logic for obtaining observation data from wireless devices, the obtained data including behavioral and contextual raw data relative to the wireless devices, data mining logic for establishing a number of derived data elements, on the basis of processing and analyzing the obtained observation and optional supplementary data, the processing and analyzing incorporating aggregation procedures. At least one derived data element includes usage metrics with contextual dimension relative to applications or other features of wireless devices and users, data storage for storing the obtained data and the number of derived information elements, and a data distribution logic providing derived data. The distribution logic may serve a data query constructed by an external entity through provision of derived information from derived data elements according to the query parameters. A corresponding method for execution by the server arrangement is presented.
US09075876B2
The present invention provide an automatic, frame-by-frame, rapid, and accurate search method for video clip. It comprises the following steps. First, acquire and store a plurality of videos to a storage unit. Each video comprises a plurality of frames, respectively. Then, a processing unit extracts the characteristics of the plurality of frames and gives a plurality of characteristic values. Next, the processing unit calculates a plurality of difference values between the characteristic value of each frame and that of the previous frame and between the characteristic value of the subsequent frame and that of the current frame. Store a data set, which is produced by corresponding the plurality of difference values between all frames of each video to the time axis, to the storage unit. Finally, the processing unit compares a data set of any video with a plurality of data sets of other videos and gives a search result.
US09075874B2
Methods and arrangements for creating and building subcategories in a user-based voice application. User posts are appended to a category in a voice application and subdivision of the category is prompted upon satisfaction of a first condition. The category is designated as a parent category, and at least one subcategory nomination are solicited from users. User input is solicited on appending at least one nominated subcategory to the parent category, and a nominated subcategory is appended to the parent category upon satisfaction of a second condition. User input is solicited to reassign a user post from the parent category to at least one subcategory.
US09075869B1
Systems and process for performing analytical processes on the health-related data for a person include components and steps for processing system multiple files from multiple sources containing health-related data for numerous individual. Such processing may include: staging health-related data; matching pieces of staged data to a person using one or more matching rules; compressing the matched staged data for the person into a compressed file through assignment of a universal identifier which is associated with the person; providing the compressed file to an analytics engine; and decompressing the at least one analytics results file using universal identifier to access the analytics results for the person. Additionally, the analytics results for the person may be provided to a user for intervention into the health of the person.
US09075868B2
Information may be presented to a user by using a first application to receive a character stream of one or more noncompletion characters. The noncompletion characters indicate that additional characters may be received. The character stream is exchanged with a host that analyzes the character stream to generate results that are responsive to the user's predicted interest. Results are received and displayed so that the user may select one of the results to launch a code segment related to the selected result.
US09075867B2
Information may be presented to a user by using a first application to receive a character stream of one or more noncompletion characters. The noncompletion characters indicate that additional characters may be received. The character stream is exchanged with a host that analyzes the character stream to generate results that are responsive to the user's predicted interest. Results are received and displayed so that the user may select one of the results to launch a code segment related to the selected result.
US09075866B2
A method and system for providing a search keyword list are provided. The search keyword list providing system includes an initial letter receiving unit to receive at least one initial letter from a user terminal; a list providing unit to provide a first search keyword list that contains at least one automatically completed search keyword related to the at least one initial letter; and a middle letter receiving unit to receive a middle letter related to any one of the at least one initial letter from the user terminal, wherein the list providing unit provides the user terminal with a second search keyword list that contains at least one automatically completed search keyword related to the at least one initial letter and the middle letter when receiving the middle letter.
US09075864B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a computer-implemented method and system for implementing the method. The method comprises: preliminarily analyzing at least one corpus of natural language text comprising for each sentence of each natural language text of the corpus, performing syntactic analysis using linguistic descriptions to generate at least one syntactic structure for the sentence; building a semantic structure for the sentence; associating each generated syntactic and semantic structure with the sentence; and saving each generated syntactic and semantic structure; for each corpus of natural language text that was preliminarily analyzed, performing an indexing operation to index lexical meanings and values of linguistic parameters of each syntactic structure and each semantic structure associated with sentences in the corpus; and searching in at least one preliminarily analyzed corpora for sentences comprising searched values for the linguistic parameters.
US09075862B1
System, methods, and apparatus for attribute-based rating of authors and content. In some methods, first content authored by a first author having an attribute that is common to other authors is received. A second author having the attribute is identified as well as content authored by the second author. A user feedback base rating that is assigned to the second author is identified. An initial rating for the first content is generated based on the user feedback based rating that is assigned to the second author, and the initial rating is assigned to the first content.
US09075858B2
Systems and methods for non-disruptive cache startup, shutdown, data partition movement, and node rebalancing for a data fabric within a data grid in a database environment. The data grid is a clustered in-memory database (IMDB) cache comprising one or more data fabrics including multiple IMDB cache nodes. The method takes a time tag and moves data from source to destination nodes while allowing updates to data on the source nodes. The method propagates updates occurring after the time tag to destination nodes from source nodes and switches applications and ownership to the destination nodes. Another method slices data for a partitioned fabric and stores slices on nodes. Another method starts a data fabric by moving data from a grid backend to the nodes. In an embodiment, another method rebalances nodes in a non-disruptive manner. When a fabric is shutdown, the method saves data from the nodes to the grid backend.
US09075849B2
In one embodiment a method for probabilistically quantifying a degree of relevance between two or more citationally or contextually related data objects, such as patent documents, non-patent documents, web pages, personal and corporate contacts information, product information, consumer to behavior, technical or scientific information, address information, and the like is provided. In another embodiment a method for visualizing and displaying relevance between two or more citationally or contextually related data objects is provided. In another embodiment a search input/output interface that utilizes an iterative self-organizing mapping technique to automatically generate a visual map of relevant patents and/or other related documents desired to be explored, searched or analyzed is provided. In another embodiment, a search input/output interface that displays and/or communicates search input criteria and corresponding search results in a way that facilitates intuitive understanding and visualization of the logical relationships between two or more related concepts being searched is provided.
US09075845B1
A system includes a memory operable to store instructions and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable, upon executing the instructions, to determine that first probe information is associated with first device information based on the first probe information, determine that second probe information is associated with the first device information and second device information based on the second probe information, and determine that third probe information is associated with second device information based on the third probe information. The processor may be further operable, upon executing the instructions to modify the first device information to include particular information from the first probe information and particular information from the second probe information, and modify the second device information to include particular information from the second probe information and particular information from the third probe information.
US09075844B1
A system includes a memory operable to store instructions and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable, upon executing the instructions, to receive first probe information from a first probe installed on a first device, compare the first probe information to first device information in a database, and determine that the first probe is associated with the first device. The processor may be further operable, upon executing the instructions, to receive second probe information from a second probe installed on the first device, compare the second probe information to the first device information in the database, and determine that the second probe is associated with the first device. The processor may be further operable, upon executing the instructions, to generate a relationship between the first probe information and the first device information and generate a relationship between the first probe information and the first device information.
US09075841B2
The subject disclosure relates to a distributed transaction management technique that ensures synchronization between participating nodes in a global or distributed database transaction. The technique leverages a commit protocol that uses local clocks at the respective participating nodes. Participants in a global transaction are configured to utilize the same commit timestamp and logical read time and can advance their respective local clocks to establish this synchronization. In one embodiment, distributed commit utilizes a modified version of two-phase commit that includes an extra phase to collect commit timestamp votes from participants. Additionally, a heartbeat mechanism can be used to establish loose synchronization between nodes. In another embodiment, a node can respond to a remote transaction request by returning a list of nodes involved in generating the result of the transaction and the types of access used by such nodes in addition to the transaction result itself.
US09075838B2
A method and apparatus for of storing data comprising monitoring a plurality of storage units within a mass storage area and detecting when a storage unit within the mass storage area is overloaded. The method further comprising randomly distributing the data on the overloaded storage unit to the other storage units within the mass storage area.
US09075829B2
A technique extracts an object that is characteristic although the number of appearances is less demanded. A clustering apparatus includes: a similarity degree calculating section calculating a similarity degree of a combination of optional two of objects to store the calculated similarity degree in a similarity degree table, excluding a combination of one of the optional two and itself; a merging object selecting section selecting as merging objects, two objects related to the similarity degree which satisfies a predetermined reference; a new object generating section generating a new object from the merging objects; a merging object removing section removing from the similarity degree table, a similarity degree between each of the two objects selected as the merging objects and each of the objects; and a new object adding section calculating a similarity degree between the new object and each of the plurality of objects other than the new object.
US09075826B2
A method performed by a system. The method includes comparing at least one query image received from a mobile device with a plurality of planes stored in a memory, matching the query image with at least one of the plurality of planes, and determining a location based on the matching of the query image with the at least one plane. Comparing the at least one query image with the plurality of planes includes executing a warping function between the at least one query image and the plurality of planes to determine at least a first matching score for matching the at least one query image with at least one of the plurality of planes.
US09075822B2
A navigation system utilizes a testing package tailor made for an incremental update to a map database. An incorrect incremental update may corrupt a navigation database. Testing an incrementally updated database after updating allows a corrupted database to be detected before the corrupted database is used by the map database system. Map tiles associated with a list of recompiled objects are used to populate a table. A test script is created from the list map tiles and, when executed, checks the validity of references in the map database associated with the map tiles. The test script generates a return value that indicates whether errors occurred, the type of the errors, the quantity of errors, or any combination thereof. The navigation system analyzes the errors and determines whether to finalize or roll back the update.
US09075816B2
A compressed font file including compressed data is received. The compressed data is decompressed to generate decompressed data. An attempt to validate the decompressed data is made. Within the decompressed data, a predetermined pattern of invalid data corresponding to an element of a font file is detected. The font file is reconstructed by replacing at least some of the invalid data with the element.
US09075813B2
A mechanism for saving a snapshot of free space of a file system on persistent storage is disclosed. A method of the invention includes determining whether generation numbers stored in each of a free space cache inode of an on-disk free space cache of a block group, a free space cache item, and a free space cache header are valid, determining whether a checksum generated for a first page of the free space cache matches a checksum stored in the file system and associated with the free space cache, and adding entries stored in the on-disk free space cache to an in-memory free space cache for the block group kept in volatile memory of a computing device, wherein the on-disk free space cache is stored in persistent data storage indexed by a file system of the computing device.
US09075805B2
In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses synchronizing and tracking content receive a request corresponding to a specific content; review a record associated with the specific content in response to the request; selectively transmit a confirmation for the request based on the reviewing; and perform the request based on receiving the confirmation.
US09075804B2
Some embodiments of on-the-fly pattern recognition with configurable bounds have been presented. In one embodiment, a pattern matching engine is configured based on user input, which may include values of one or more user configurable bounds on searching. Then the configured pattern matching engine is used to search for a set of features in an incoming string. A set of scores is updated based on the presence of any of the features in the string while searching for the features. Each score may indicate a likelihood of the content of the string being in a category. The search is terminated if the end of the string is reached or if the user configurable bounds are met. After terminating the search, the scores are output.
US09075790B2
The invention generally relates to analytical and monitoring systems useful for analyzing and measuring cells and biological samples. More particularly, the invention provides systems and methods for internal calibration and focus reference for cytometry imaging.
US09075789B2
Methods and apparatus for interleaving priorities of a plurality of virtual processors are disclosed. A hypervisor assigns a base priority to each virtual processor and schedules one or more virtual processors to execute on one or more physical processors based on the current priority associated with each virtual processor. When the hypervisor receives an indication from one of the virtual processors that its current priority may be temporarily reduced, the hypervisor lowers the current priority of that virtual processor. The hypervisor then schedules another virtual processor to execute on a physical processor instead of the virtual processor with the temporarily reduced priority. When the hypervisor receives an interrupt for the virtual processor with the lowered priority, the hypervisor raises the priority of that virtual processor and schedules the virtual processor with the restored priority to execute on a physical processor so that processor can handle the interrupt.
US09075788B1
Methods and apparatus for an account state simulation service for cloud computing environments are disclosed. A system includes a plurality of service managers coordinating respective distributed network-accessible services, and a metadata manager. The metadata manager receives an account state change simulation request, indicating (a) an initial account state of a client account and (b) a collection of operations to be simulated. The metadata manager generates a response to the account change state simulation request, comprising at least one of (a) a representation of an expected end state of the client account reachable as a result of performing the collection of operations (b) an indication of an expected failure of a particular operation of the collection of operations or (c) an estimate of an expected billing amount associated with an implementation of the collection of operations.
US09075787B2
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for displaying data values calculated by a spreadsheet-function, the method comprising: Specifying one or more formal output parameters by specifying, for each formal output parameter, a first cell of a spreadsheet document, Specifying one or more formal input parameters by specifying, for each formal input parameter, a second cell, Specifying a spreadsheet-function body, wherein the specified spreadsheet-function in operation provides a user with the option for: Calculating a first output parameter value, Displaying the one or more first output parameter values or a data value having been derived thereof in a 3rd cell, Calculating a second output parameter value, and Displaying the one or more second output parameter values or a data value having been derived thereof in a 4th cell, wherein the 3rd cell and the 4th cell display their respective data content within the spreadsheet document at the same time.
US09075786B2
A user interface features a single, generic input field configured to receive multiple types of available input information. In various embodiments, the generic input field of the interface may include a drop-down menu offering user selection from a plurality of available input types. The interface may reduce an amount of time consuming, error-prone manual activity required to navigate between, select, and enter data into multiple fields located in different regions of a screen. Embodiments may be particularly suited for interfaces with portable devices having small displays and cramped input environments (e.g. small keys, touchscreens, touchpads).
US09075784B2
There is provided a communication device which communicates with a target communication device, including: a communication controller, a general-purpose processing unit, a data transfer processing unit and a starting unit. The general-purpose processing unit communicates with the target communication device via the communication controller. The data transfer processing unit receives data from the target communication device via the communication controller. The starting unit starts up the data transfer processing unit. The general-purpose processing unit receives a data transfer start request from the target communication device. The starting unit starts up the data transfer processing unit when the general-purpose processing unit receives the data transfer start request. The general-purpose processing unit or the data transfer processing unit notifies a data transfer start response to the target communication device after the data transfer processing unit is started up.
US09075775B2
The system relates to identifying critical textual passages that influence the pagination of electronic documents such that the addition or removal of text to these critical passages will have the effect of shortening or lengthening the document.
US09075772B2
An apparatus including: a first storage for storing first data;second storages for storing the first data; a storage controller for storing the first data stored in the first storage into the second storage; a third storage for saving data including second data; a saving device for reading the data and saving the data in the third storage; a data set output device for outputting the data to a copy destination device; a restoration device for storing the data saved in the third storage into available ones of the second storages; and a suspending device for causing the data set output device to output all of the data stored in the second storage to the copy destination device and then suspending the output of the data by the data set output device to the copy destination device to place the data set output device in a suspend state.
US09075768B2
A multi-core processor includes a tree-like structure having a plurality of computing cores arranged in hierarchical levels, the cores all having the same logical architecture. Each core can include computing, interconnecting, and/or storage elements. The functionality of an individual element can be supplied by an entire core in a lower level. A method for programming the processor includes hierarchically decomposing an application into interconnected sub-functions, mapping the sub-functions onto groups of cores at appropriate levels of the processor, and interconnecting the mapped sub-functions so as to hierarchically compose the complete application. Sub-functions can be sequential, concurrent, and/or pipelined. Interconnections can be static or dynamically switchable under program control. Interconnect elements can also be used to implement flow control as needed in pipelined operations to maintain data coherency. The decomposing and mapping process can be iterated on sub-functions so as to optimize load balancing, software performance, and hardware efficiency.
US09075756B2
A method for detecting color temperature and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. According to the present invention, the apparatus for detecting color temperature converts RGB color information, generated by interpolating an image signal sequentially inputted in units of pixel from an image sensor, to a three-dimensional coordinate value of luminance, R-G color difference information, and B-G color difference information, and then renews the added value per color, if included in a filtering zone corresponding to a characteristic curve of the image sensor. Then, an average value per color is generated in units of frame, and the compensation rate per color is determined such that the average value per color becomes identical to each other. With the present invention, accurate colors can be displayed by detecting the color temperature of the current light source and correcting the distorted color information.
US09075752B2
An information processing apparatus which includes at least two controllers and is capable of positively detecting a startup error. Memory devices are connected to the controllers, respectively. A CPU of each controller accesses the memory device connected to the other controller via a bus bridge, identifies a startup stage to which the startup process has proceeded during the start of the self-controller, writes the identified startup stage as startup information into the memory device connected to the other controller, and detects whether or not an abnormality occurs during the startup of the other controller with reference to the startup information written into the memory device connected to the self-controller.
US09075746B2
Embodiments of the invention describe an apparatus, system and method for utilizing a utility and lifetime based cached replacement policy as described herein. For processors having one or more processor cores and a cache memory accessible via the processor core(s), embodiments of the invention describe a cache controller to determine, for a plurality of cache blocks in the cache memory, an estimated utility and lifetime of the contents of each cache block, the utility of a cache block to indicate a likelihood of use its contents, the lifetime of a cache block to indicate a duration of use of its contents. Upon receiving a cache access request resulting in a cache miss, said cache controller may select one of the cache blocks to be replaced based, at least in part, on one of the estimated utility or estimated lifetime of the cache block.
US09075743B2
Management of access to shared resources within a system comprising a plurality of requesters and a plurality of target resources is provided. A separate arbitration point is associated with each target resource. An access priority value is assigned to each requester. An arbitration contest is performed for access to a first target resource by requests from two or more of the requesters using a first arbitration point associated with the first target resource to determine a winning requester. The request from the winning requester is forwarded to a second target resource. A second arbitration contest is performed for access to the second target resource by the forwarded request from the winning requester and requests from one or more of the plurality of requesters using a second arbitration point associated with the second target resource.
US09075742B2
According to one embodiment, a memory device comprises a writing device that writes data bits, check bits for error corrections, and overhead bit(s) into a memory, each bit of the overhead bit(s) corresponding to each group of bit group(s) including at least one bit of the data bits and/or the check bits, each bit of the overhead bit(s) indicating whether the corresponding bit group has been inverted, a reading unit that reads the data bits, the check bits, and the overhead bit(s) from the memory, a correcting unit that corrects an error in the data bits and overhead bit(s) read from the memory, based on the check bits, and an inverting unit that inverts the data bits contained in the bit group corresponding to the overhead bit and outputs the inverted data bits as data read from the memory when the error-corrected overhead bit indicates that inversion has been performed.
US09075741B2
Embodiments of an invention for dynamic error correction using parity and redundant rows are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a storage structure, parity logic, an error storage space, and an error event generator. The storage structure is to store a plurality of data values. The parity logic is to detect a parity error in a data value stored in the storage structure. The error storage space is to store an indication of a detection of the parity error. The error event generator is to generate an event in response to the indication of the parity error being stored in the error storage space.
US09075740B2
A memory system (10) is disclosed, which comprises a flash-EEPROM nonvolatile memory (11) having a plurality of memory cells that have floating gates and in which data items are electrically erasable and writable, a cache memory (13) that temporarily stores data of the flash-EEPROM nonvolatile memory (11), a control circuit (12, 14) that controls the flash-EEPROM nonvolatile memory (11) and the cache memory (13), and an interface circuit (16) that communicates with a host, in which the control circuit functions to read data from a desired target area to-be-determined of the flash-EEPROM nonvolatile memory and detect an erased area to determine a written area/unwritten area by using as a determination condition whether or not a count number of data “0” of the read data has reached a preset criterion count number.
US09075739B2
According to one embodiment, a storage device performs error correction processing of a code of which the maximum correction performance is T bits, the decoding device including an error correction processor for performing error correction processing using calculating devices capable of handling errors of J bits (J is an integer equal to or more than one and less than T), wherein an initial value of an error number expectation value is set to I (I is an integer equal to or more than one and less than T), and execution of increment of the error number expectation value and execution of the error correction processing is repeated until no error is detected or the error number expectation value becomes T bits.
US09075735B2
A computer-implemented method of accessing data comprises resetting the value of a register of a first processing core of a multi-core processor, copying the bits of a compressed pointer into the lowest order bits of the register, left shifting the register a predetermined number of bits, and executing on the first processing core a first instruction referencing memory at a virtual address specified by the register.
US09075728B2
A disk array device includes, a cache memory, a plurality of types of disk drives of which data transfer capacity are different, redundant transmission paths that are data transfer paths between the cache memory and the disk drives, and a controller to divide the disk drives into two groups based on the data transfer capacity and allocate each of the two groups to each of the redundant transmission paths when the disk drives have three types.
US09075723B2
A plurality of tracks is examined for meeting criteria for a discard scan. In lieu of waiting for a completion of a track access operation, at least one of the plurality of tracks is marked for demotion. An additional discard scan may be subsequently performed for tracks not previously demoted. The discard and additional discard scans may proceed in two phases.
US09075708B1
The present disclosure is directed to managing write commands for a storage system implementing address indirection. In some storage systems, a mapping table that provides logical-to-physical mapping may have individual entries that each references a logical address size that exceeds the size of an atomic write to the storage media. In such systems, a write to a logical address is not atomic as it may require several discrete physical writes that may individually fail. The techniques presented employ several pre-commit and post-commit actions to save data that enables the storage system to make writes to these logical addresses atomic and prevent undue delay on powerup.
US09075707B2
The invention provides a data writing method for a memory. In one embodiment, the memory comprises a data area and a spare area, the data area comprises a plurality of data blocks storing data, and the spare area comprises a plurality of spare blocks having no data stored therein. First, a write command for writing a write data to a first data block of the memory is received from a host. The spare blocks of the spare area are then sorted according to the erase counts of the spare blocks. A first spare block with the least erase counts is then selected from the spare blocks of the spare area. The write data is then written to the first spare block. Data is then erased from the first data block to convert the first data block to a spare block.
US09075705B2
An information processing apparatus which is capable of reducing operational costs required for the information processing apparatus equipped with HDDs having a mirroring function and a self-diagnosis function. Status information indicative of statuses of the HDDs is obtained by the self-diagnosis function which the HDDs have. Based on the obtained status information obtained, whether or not the HDDs will fail is predicted. When a failure of the HDDs is predicted, and the mirroring function is disabled, an electronic device determined in advance is notified that replacement of the HDDs is necessary. When a failure of the HDDs is predicted, and the mirroring function is enabled, the electronic device is not notified that replacement of the HDDs is necessary.
US09075703B2
To provide a vehicle state amount estimating device capable of suppressing sudden change in behavior at the time of behavior control of the vehicle, in a vehicle state amount estimating device that estimates a target lateral acceleration used in a behavior control of a vehicle based on a lateral acceleration actual measurement value and a lateral acceleration estimated value at time of traveling of the vehicle; when estimating the target lateral acceleration based on the lateral acceleration actual measurement value and the lateral acceleration estimated value, the target lateral acceleration is estimated by performing weighting on the lateral acceleration actual measurement value and the lateral acceleration estimated value according to a state of side slipping of the vehicle.
US09075699B2
A utility vehicle comprises a plurality of ground engaging members and a frame supported by the plurality of ground engaging members. The frame includes a front frame portion, a mid-frame portion, and a rear frame portion. The utility vehicle further comprises an attachment supported at the front frame portion. Additionally, the utility vehicle includes an operator area supported by the frame and including an operator seat and an adjacent passenger seat spaced apart from the operator seat. The operator seat and the passenger seat are in a side-by-side arrangement. The utility vehicle also comprises an auxiliary power assembly having an attachment shaft configured to be operably coupled to the attachment. The attachment shaft extends in a generally longitudinal direction of the utility vehicle and projects outwardly from the front frame portion.
US09075697B2
An electronic audio apparatus is described that uses a digital audio filter in which a splitter separates an input frame of discrete time audio into different time interval portions. Separate digital filter blocks then operate in parallel upon those time interval portions, respectively. A combiner merges the filtered portions into a single audio channel signal. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US09075695B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, system, and computer program product for version conflict checking of installable units (IUs). The method includes receiving a request for version conflict checking of specified IU, the request including a version dependency relationship between IUs that are in a dependency relationship with the specified IU. A version dependency relationship between installed IUs is obtained. The version dependency relationship between the installed IUs is updated according to the version dependency relationships between the IUs that are in a dependency relationship with the specified IU. It is checked whether the specified IU has a version conflict with the updated version dependency relationship between the installed IUs.
US09075694B2
Automating processes in an automation platform. Specifying a program that when executed by the platform implements the process. The program including process description, process components. The description including component initialization instructions having input parameter(s) and initialized component execution instructions having an execution state. Components having an initialization interface, an execution interface, and at least one of simulation instructions and operation instructions. Components characterized by output parameters, and operative upon receiving input parameters via the initialization interface to initialize the component. Initialized components operative upon receiving an execution state via the execution interface to execute the initialized component in accordance with the execution state, and in absence of operation instructions, to return a simulated output in the format of the output parameters in accordance with the simulation instructions. Executing the instructions by initializing each component in accordance with the component initialization instructions, executing each initialized component in accordance with the instructions.
US09075692B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, a device and a system for activating an on-line patch. The method comprises: positioning an address of a patch function and an entry address of a to-be-patched function; writing, in a middle segment, a long-jump instruction for jumping to the patch function based on the address of the patch function and the entry address of the to-be-patched function, where the middle segment is a storage space, which is located before or after the entry position of the to-be-patched function and can at least store one long-jump instruction; and modifying an instruction at the entry position of the to-be-patched function to a short-jump instruction for jumping to the middle segment, so as to jump to the middle segment after the short jump instruction is executed, and then to jump to and execute the patch function through that instructions in the middle segment are executed.
US09075672B2
Embodiments enable the evaluation of injected queries within a monad. One or more operators with closures are received from a first process. The operators with closures represent one or more functions to be applied by a second process. The second process evaluates the received operators with closures to apply the functions within the monad. During evaluation, the second process converts the closures to simply typed closures. Further, the second process binds the converted closures within the monad to restrict execution of the functions. In some embodiments, the queries (e.g., sequences of one or more operators with closures) are composed using a set of query operators from the language integrated query (LINQ) framework encoded in uniform resource locators (URLs) in the representational state transfer (REST) style.
US09075671B2
An operating system for an aircraft according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a core services layer and a hardware interface layer that is time and space partitioned from the core services layer. The hardware interface layer is operable to control communications with hardware in a computer.
US09075667B2
A static type, called “dynamic”, is introduced into a statically bound programming language. An expression or subexpression that is defined as a static type called “dynamic” in the source code of a program written in the statically bound programming language, is bound based on its runtime type instead of on its compile time type. Binding can be performed based on a mixture of compile time and runtime types that are based on the specification of types of expressions in source code. This type of binding is called hybrid binding. Operations are bound using the runtime type of constituent expressions (i.e., the runtime type of a receiver, an argument, or an operand) typed as dynamic and the compile time type of static constituents. If any constituent expression of an operation is dynamic, binding occurs at runtime instead of at compile time.
US09075663B2
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, web workers and local storages can be extended to a cloud-based environment. This allows web workers to be executed on any of a number of different cloud platforms located in a cloud, leveraging available resources to provide a quicker and more efficient processing environment for the various web workers. The present invention also provides these functionalities in a way that is transparent to not just the user, but also to the web page developer as well, eliminating the need for the web page developer to be aware of the cloud-based environment and design the web page for use therewith.
US09075662B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include a method for providing stream processing with runtime adaptation includes registering one or more events, wherein each of the events is associated with a stream processing application. The method also includes monitoring, by a processor, for an occurrence of the one or more events associated with the stream processing application, wherein each of the one or more events is associated with one or more runtime metrics. The method further includes receiving an event notification, wherein the event notification includes event identification and an event context and executing an adaptation of the stream processing application.
US09075661B2
Objects are placed on hosts using hard constraints and soft constraints. The objects to be placed on the host may be many different types of objects. For example, the objects to place may include tenants in a database, virtual machines on a physical machine, databases on a virtual machine, tenants in directory forests, tenants in farms, and the like. When determining a host for an object, a pool of hosts is filtered through a series of hard constraints. The remaining pool of hosts is further filtered through soft constraints to help in selection of a host. A host is then chosen from the remaining hosts.
US09075660B2
A capability is provided for improving service availability experienced by a user requesting access to a service via a user device, where the service has multiple service instances available from multiple data centers. A set of servicing data centers is selected for the user device. The set of servicing data centers is selected from a set of candidate data centers. The set of servicing data centers is selected from the set of candidate data centers in a manner for maximizing the independence/orthogonality of the network paths between the user device and the servicing data centers. The set of servicing data centers includes two or more of the candidate data centers from which the user device may access the service, thereby providing the user device with a primary service instance and one or more backup service instances which may be used to access the service.
US09075658B2
A management node at first extracts free computation nodes executing none of jobs in order to assign a new job to any one of computation nodes, and specifies a communication target computation node when executing an execution target job. Subsequently, the management node calculates, with respect to all of the computation nodes executing none of the jobs at that point of time, a determination value Vi on the basis of a power saving mode transition rate Si and an average value Di of distance counts from the communication target node, and specifies the free computation node having the maximum determination value Vi as the execution target job assignment destination.
US09075654B1
Systems and methods are provided for performing tasks in a machine having constrained resources for performing the tasks. A map is generated between desired tasks to be performed and resources of the machine that can be used to perform the desired tasks. The resources are sorted based on a number of the desired tasks that can be performed by each resource using the map. A first task to be performed is selected by the machine, and a first resource of the machine is selected to perform the selected first task based on the sorted order of the resources. The machine performs the selected first task using the selected first resource.
US09075648B2
Technologies related to virtual machine switching based on measured network delay are generally described. A network delay aware Virtual Machine (VM) may be configured to adapt a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) to delay switching back to the network delay aware VM by a delay amount determined using a measured network delay. The measured network delay may comprise a delay between sending a network communication and receiving a network response. By delaying switching back to the network delay aware VM, additional processing resources are freed for other VMs managed by the VMM, thereby increasing efficiency of computing devices including network delay aware VMs, and correspondingly increasing efficiency of data centers including such computing devices.
US09075646B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium for providing application isolation to one or more applications. The system may include an isolated environment including application files and executables, and an interception layer intercepting access to system resources and interfaces. The system may further include an interception database maintaining mapping between the system resources inside the isolated environment and outside, and a host operating system, wherein the isolated environments are saved on at least one of a local and remote storage.
US09075643B2
A method, system and computer program product for selecting an optimal transport protocol in a cloud computing environment. An application creates a socket to communicate with a destination Virtual Machine (VM). The application requests a daemon agent to query a virtual machine manager to determine if the destination VM is on the same hypervisor as the application. The daemon agent receives a VMCI address (“context ID”) and an indication of the hypervisor associated with the destination VM from the virtual machine manager. The daemon agent enables the transport layer to route traffic over the VMCI protocol to the destination VM using its context ID in response to the destination VM being on the same hypervisor as the application. In this manner, the application is able to route traffic using an optimal transport protocol, including VMCI, depending on peer hypervisor association without requiring any code modifications to the application.
US09075639B1
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for simulating a software design that is to be implemented in a system. A co-simulation platform comprising a physical link coupling a first physical component with a models module is provided. The models module emulates one or more other physical components of the system, and such models module includes a processor model associated with an interrupt service routine (ISR) for handling an interrupt on an interrupt line of the first physical component. Via a physical link, an interrupt request from the interrupt line of the first physical component is received into the models module. In response to the received interrupt request, the ISR associated with the processor model is initiated. Prior to exiting the ISR, an interrupt line de-assert request is sent from the models module to the first physical component via the physical link. Prior to exiting the ISR and prior to receiving a physical de-assertion of the interrupt line from the first physical component via the physical link, the models module generates a premature de-assertion of the interrupt line and causes such premature de-assertion to be received by the processor model.
US09075635B1
A method for merging virtual layers may include creating a virtual merger layer. The method may further include identifying a first virtual layer to be added to the virtual merger layer, the first virtual layer being programmed to execute within a process space of the first virtual layer. The method may also include identifying a second virtual layer to be added to the virtual merger layer, the second virtual layer being programmed to execute within a process space of the second virtual layer that is distinct from the process space of the first virtual layer. The method may also include linking the first and second virtual layers to the virtual merger layer such that when the virtual merger layer is activated, the first and second virtual layers execute within a process space of the virtual merger layer. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09075631B2
A user interface (UI) is presented in which a UI client engine is associated with an application, and a UI rendering engine is associated with the client engine. The UI rendering engine receives the scene graph and data items associated with elements of the scene graph, and processes a rendering thread to render a UI in accordance with the scene graph and the data items, independently of further input from the client UI engine.
US09075629B2
Resume of a computing device from hibernation may be performed in multiple phases. Each phase may partially restore a state of the computing device to an operational state and may establish an environment in which another phase of the resume is performed. The hibernation information may be partitioned to store separately data to be used at each resume phase. The information may be stored in a compressed form. In a first phase, a boot-level resume loader may restore a portion of the operating system based on a portion of the hibernation information. The restored portion may be used in a second phase to retrieve hibernation information from another portion through the operating system (OS). Multiple processors supported by the OS may read and decompress the hibernation information that is then moved back to operational memory. The operating system may support asynchronous disk input/output or other functions that accelerate the resume process.
US09075617B2
Establishing an external agent interface on an external agent interface platform. Defining, on an executing platform, a prepared element hierarchy on an executing platform as a function of at least an execution state of the executing platform. Transforming, on an executing platform, the defined prepared element hierarchy into an external agent interface element hierarchy as a function of at least the execution state. Exporting, from the executing platform, the external agent interface element hierarchy to an external agent interface platform.
US09075612B2
A device includes a display screen that may be directed to function in one of multiple modes. The device may be configured to direct the display to shift between modes. In one mode, first information is displayed in an available display area including a first portion of a display screen in a display screen mode having a set of portions of the display screen. The set of portions may include the first portion of the display screen, which is configured in a powered-on state to perform display functions and receive user input, and a second portion of the display screen, which is configured in a powered-off state. In another mode, the entire screen may function in a powered-on state. One of the particular modes may be selected by swiping on object displayed by the screen to select a particular mode while the display is in a sleep mode.
US09075603B2
A method for waking a device from a power save mode to an active mode includes: transmitting, by a first device, a magic packet through a predetermined channel to a second device, which operates in the power save mode by repeating a doze state and an awake state according to a predetermined period of time, for notifying the second device to switch to the active mode; and retransmitting the magic packet to the second device through the predetermined channel if a response to the magic packet has not been received from the second device and a predetermined time has not elapsed after transmitting the magic packet through the predetermined channel.
US09075599B2
Due to the ever expanding number of registers and new instructions in modern microprocessor cores, the address widths present in the instruction encoding continue to widen, and fewer instruction opcodes are available, making it more difficult to add new instructions to existing architectures without resorting to inelegant tricks that have drawbacks such as source destructive operations. The disclosed invention utilizes specialized decode and address calculation hardware that concatenates a fixed number of least significant bits of the instruction address onto the most significant side of each register address portion contained in the instruction, yielding the full register address, instead of providing the full register address widths for every register used in the instruction. This frees up valuable opcode space for other instructions and avoids compiler complexity. This aligns nicely with how most loops are unrolled in assembly language, where independent operations are near each other in memory.
US09075591B2
An integrated interface system for a power-system monitoring and control system is provided. The integrated interface system includes an input and output (I/O) interface unit 220 performing data transmission to and reception from the external data source system; and a data exchange unit exchanging data by using the naming of a fixed electrical bus number for data exchange between a power-system monitoring and control system and the external data source system having a DB different from the power-system monitoring and control system.
US09075588B2
An example circuit includes a voltage regulator, a controller, and a chain of switches. The voltage regulator is configured to generate a supply voltage, the supply voltage connected to each switch in the chain of switches, and generate a supply voltage status signal, the supply voltage status signal indicating a status of the supply voltage. The chain of switches includes a first switch configured to switch the supply voltage to a first subcircuit of a plurality of sub circuits based on the supply voltage status signal and one or more second switches configured to switch the supply voltage to one or more respective subcircuits of the plurality of subcircuits.
US09075581B2
A plenum for guiding a flow of cooling air through the interior of a computer is designed to maximize the airflow over those electrical components within the computer which are most sensitive to temperature, and/or which require the greatest amount of cooling. The plenum is designed to be mounted over top of a computer motherboard which includes a plurality of electrical components mounted thereon. One or more apertures are formed in the lower wall of the plenum so that electrical components mounted on the computer motherboard can protrude through the apertures and into the interior of the plenum. The lower surface of the plenum is designed to prevent the flow of cooling air passing through the plenum from escaping through the apertures on the lower wall. Also, upper and lower protrusions on the plenum can extend into the interior of the plenum to concentrate the flow of cooling air onto the electrical components which are protruding through the apertures and into plenum.
US09075569B1
A device includes one or more actuatable elements that are actuated upon coupling of an element to the device at one or more positions with respect to the device. One or more device characteristics such as a device state or device settings may be established based on actuation of the actuatable elements.
US09075562B2
A driving method of a display panel includes the following steps: driving the display panel to display a first image frame and providing display data of a second image frame, and each of the first and the second image frames has a first area and a second area for respectively displaying two different display contents, the positions of the two corresponding first areas overlap, and the positions of the two corresponding second areas overlap; determining whether display content differences exist between the two corresponding first areas, and determining whether display content differences exist between the two corresponding second areas, and driving the area where display content differences exist in the two areas of the first image frame to display a first-color display content when display content differences exist between the two corresponding first areas or the two corresponding second areas. Furthermore, a corresponding electrophoresis display apparatus is also provided.
US09075555B2
An information processing apparatus includes an application execution portion to generate application data, a print command portion to transmit a print command, a related information storage portion to store related information related to the application data, and a distant control portion, and the image forming apparatus includes an image forming control portion to form an image of print data included in the print command, and a remote control operation portion, and the remote control operation portion includes a remote control operation transmission portion to transmit to the information processing apparatus a remote control operation command, and a screen display control portion to display a remote control operation screen received from the information processing apparatus, and the distant control portion includes a screen generating portion to generate a remote control operation screen based on the related information associated with the application identification information included in the remote control operation command.
US09075554B2
In a communication system, an image forming apparatus sends an address of a receiving section to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives a selection of an image data among plural thumbnails displayed on a display section, and wirelessly sends the selected image data to the image forming apparatus with the address. The image forming apparatus receives the selected image data sent with the address by the mobile terminal, and prints an image based on the selected image data. A communication between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is performed wirelessly with an IEEE 802.11 standard. The image forming apparatus rejects a connection establishment request from another mobile terminal except for the mobile terminal, when the wireless communication with the mobile terminal is established.
US09075553B2
A sheet size of a sheet to be used when data generated by an application is printed is specified. A page size is set of a page in which the data generated by the application is arranged, in a page size setting of the application, so that an aspect ratio of the page size fits to an aspect ratio of the specified sheet size. A setting is set for performing scaling of the page from the page size to the specified sheet size.
US09075552B2
A method is disclosed managing at least one print media database server for print media attributes of print media, which includes hosting print media attributes for a plurality of image forming apparatuses on the at least one print media database server, and the at least one print media database server contains print media attributes for a plurality of print media; receiving, by the at least one print media database server, additional print media attributes from one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses; confirming accuracy of the additional print media attributes; and releasing, by the at least one print media database server, the additional print media attributes in the print media database to the plurality of image forming apparatuses after the accuracy of the additional print media attributes is confirmed, thereby sharing the additional print media attributes in the print media database among the plurality of image forming apparatuses.
US09075550B2
A printing apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store print data including a password upon receipt of the print data, a receiving unit configured to receive a print instruction for the stored print data from a user, an authentication unit capable of performing user authentication, and a printing unit configured to perform printing without causing an authenticated user to enter a password in a case where an owner of the print-instructed print data matches the authenticated user, and to perform printing in response to a match between a password received from a user and the password included in the print data in a case where the owner of the print-instructed print data differs from the authenticated user, or in a case where a print instruction is received without user authentication by the authentication unit.
US09075547B2
A non-transitory recording medium stores a print job creating program, which when executed by a processor causes a computer to execute a process. The process includes generating with a first print job generator a temporary print job based on a change of a setting value associated with printing received from a user, determining with a line breaking rule check unit whether execution of a post-process recorded in the temporary print job is acceptable in a printer, based on a definition of a line breaking rule representing acceptability of the post-process according to a combination of setting values that are not processed by the printer, presenting with a line breaking rule check result presenting unit a result of the determination to the user, and generating with a second print job generator a print job based on determination of a setting value associated with the printing received from the user.
US09075544B2
A computer-implemented method for managing user story requirements includes collecting, by a processor, a plurality of requirements, creating, by the processor, a plurality of content space specification files that includes the plurality of requirements, processing, by the processor, the plurality of content space specification files to generate a plurality of content space-based testable units, and managing, by the processor, the plurality of requirements to reduce gaps and overlap between individual content space testable units in the plurality of content space-based testable units.
US09075541B2
Systems, methods and media for providing to a plurality of WPARs private access to physical storage connected to a server through a VIOS are disclosed. In one embodiment, a server is logically partitioned to form a working partition comprising a WPAR manager and individual WPARs. Each WPAR is assigned to a different virtual port. The virtual ports are created by using NPIV protocol between the WPAR and VIOS. Thereby, each WPAR has private access to the physical storage connected to the VIOS.
US09075539B2
Systems, methods and media for providing to a plurality of WPARs private access to physical storage connected to a server through a VIOS are disclosed. In one embodiment, a server is logically partitioned to form a working partition comprising a WPAR manager and individual WPARs. Each WPAR is assigned to a different virtual port. The virtual ports are created by using NPIV protocol between the WPAR and VIOS. Thereby, each WPAR has private access to the physical storage connected to the VIOS.
US09075529B2
A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for data replication. The mechanism divides a set of data to be replicated into a plurality of slices. Each slice of the plurality of slices is to be copied from a primary site to a master secondary site within a plurality of secondary sites. The plurality of secondary sites comprises the master secondary site and at least one subsidiary peer site. The mechanism copies the plurality of slices from the primary site to the plurality of secondary sites such that the master secondary site stores a first slice of the set of data and each of the at least one subsidiary peer site stores a corresponding slice of the set of data. Responsive to completion of copying the plurality of slices to the plurality of secondary sites, for each of the at least one subsidiary peer site, the mechanism initiates copying of the corresponding slice of the set of data to the master secondary site.
US09075528B2
A virtual disk management system used in a diskless PC network communication agent system consisting of storage media, storage servers and a user-end computer for creating virtual disks having a dynamic space allocation function at the storage media and storing data into and fetching data from the virtual disks. The virtual disk management system uses a physical block index table, a storage media group record table, a virtual disk physical block occupation table and a differential disk relation table for virtual disk control, allowing physical and virtual space address translation to be done at one time to improve virtual disk access performance.
US09075527B2
In a computer, a logical partition for calculation in which an OS and an application operate and a logical partition for storage for providing a storage function are constructed. In the logical partition for calculation, a device corresponding to a storage device is provided, while the logical partition for storage provides a volume. A memory space that can be shared by the both logical partitions is prepared, and management information describing a sorting destination or a sorting method of an I/O request issued by an application is provided in the memory. If the logical partition for calculation receives an I/O request from the application, the partition refers to the management information and sorts the I/O request to the storage device or the logical partition for storage. The logical partition for storage processes the received I/O request by the storage function and transmits the result to the storage device.
US09075526B2
A capacitive touch keyboard includes an insulating substrate that defines a plurality of press key zones, and a first and a second conductive layers, both disposed on the insulating substrate. Each conductive layer includes a plurality of electrode lines arranged in two different directions. Each electrode line includes a plurality of electrode units connected in series. Each electrode unit is disposed at a position corresponding to a respective one of the press key zones. For each of the press key zones, the electrode units of the first the second conductive layers that are disposed therein are adjacent to each other and cooperate to form a touch sensing structure.
US09075521B2
An electronic chalkboard system including a plurality of display panels, a pointing device which touches the plurality of panels, an image processor which processes an image to be displayed on one of the plurality of panels that is drawn by the pointing device, a controller which selects one of the plurality of panels based on a first panel of the plurality of panels if the first panel is touched by the pointing device, and controls the image processor to display on the selected panel a menu related to the image displayed on the first panel, and, if a second panel of the plurality of panels is touched by the pointing device while the menu is displayed on the selected panel, the controller newly selects one of the plurality of panels based on the second panel and transfers the displayed menu to the newly-selected panel.
US09075515B2
A computing device including a display unit to display a screen, a touch input to receive a user's touch input on the display unit, and a controller to control the display unit to display at least a part of a plurality of user interface (UI) items on the screen with a predetermined degree of transparency, to scroll the UI items in a predetermined direction and to sequentially display the UI items on the screen according to the user's touch input, and to increase the degree of transparency of the UI items if the UI items are not scrolled any more.
US09075514B1
A finger of a user detected within a predetermined range from a surface of a display screen can be used to navigate through and select content in accordance with various embodiments. In response to detecting the finger within the predetermined range, a selection element can be positioned offset from the finger. The offset positioning keeps the selection element from being obscured by the finger and, thus, enabling it to remain visible to the user. In response to detecting the user's finger approaching the surface of the display screen, the selection element becomes fixed in its current location when the finger reaches a threshold distance from the surface. Accordingly, as the finger gets closer to the surface, it starts to converge with the selection element. Finally, the finger converges with the selection element when the finger reaches the surface of the display screen to select the desired content.
US09075510B1
Blocks in a graphical model of a system may be assigned aliases. A user may interact with the aliases. In one implementation, a method may include displaying the alias in a view of the model that does not include the block associated with the alias and modifying, in response to user interaction with the alias, a graphical view of the model or properties of the block associated with the alias.
US09075506B1
Systems and methods for providing real-time analysis of feature relationships are provided. In some aspects, a method includes receiving user activity data and user status data for users in the interactive network, the interactive network comprising at least two user features; generating a user dataset by associating, for each user, the user's activity data with the user's status data using a unique identification of the user and a timestamp; analyzing the user dataset using a statistical model; and providing, for display, an output of the analysis by the statistical model, the output including an indicator of a relationship between a use of one of the two user features with a use of the other of the two user features.
US09075500B2
A method and system to define attributes of a plurality of interactive user interface elements, the attributes including, at least, a textual descriptor and a value representation of an associated data element; associate at least one of the interactive user interface elements into a group of user interface elements; and display, embedded in a user interface of a first application, the group including a presentation of the textual descriptor and the value representation of the associated data element for each interactive user interface element in the group.
US09075497B1
Selective projection of user interface elements between a host and a plurality of guests is provided according to a configurable policy. User interface elements generated by guests and/or the host are captured. It is determined whether to project captured elements into the user interface with which the user is currently interacting, based on the policy. In some cases, it is determined to project a captured element originating from a first user interface into a second user interface with which the user is currently interacting, based on factors such as source, destination, element attributes, element contents and/or element type. Responsive to such a determination, the captured element is projected into the current user interface, thereby presenting the projected element to the user.
US09075495B2
Systems and methods whereby, for example, one or more functional elements can be established and/or employed. Such functional elements might serve a number of purposes. For instance, such functional elements might be employable in interoperating with devices, software, and/or the like, in working with entities, and/or the like. Such functional elements may, for example, be arrangeable in an associative and/or hierarchical manner.
US09075487B2
A touch panel includes a substrate, a touch sensing element, a plurality of transmission lines, a first frame structure, and a second frame structure is provided. The touch sensing element is disposed on the substrate to define an active region. The transmission lines are connected to the touch sensing element. The first frame structure is disposed on the substrate and surrounding the active region to define a first periphery region. The transmission lines are at least partially located on a top surface of the first frame structure. The second frame structure is disposed on the substrate and surrounding the first frame structure, wherein the second frame structure is disposed at an outer border of the first periphery region. A material of the first frame structure is different from a material of the second frame structure.
US09075486B2
A transconductance amplifier mirror circuit is connected to an electrode for sensing the capacitance of the electrode with reference to ground, or the capacitance between the electrode and another electrode. A voltage level change is produced on the electrode connected to the transconductance amplifier mirror circuit to cause the transconductance amplifier mirror circuit to supply charges to or drain charges from a charge calculation circuit. The charge amount variation is converted to a signal for calculating the sensed capacitance.
US09075485B2
A touch display panel including a flat display panel and a touch sensing device disposed on the flat display panel is provided. The touch sensing device includes a plurality of the center sensing series and at least a margin sensing series corresponding to the display area of the flat display panel. Each center sensing series is formed by a plurality of center sensing electrodes serially connected. The margin sensing series disposed along the margin of the display area is formed by a plurality of margin sensing electrodes serially connected. Each of the margin sensing electrodes includes an inner portion and a rectangular outer portion. An area of the inner portion is substantially half of an area of the center sensing electrode. A parallel hemline is formed by the rectangular outer portions serially connected.
US09075481B2
A touch sensitive device that detects the occurrence of an electrostatic discharge event on the device by analyzing an acquired touch image for characteristics associated with the occurrence of an ESD event is provided. An acquired touch image is analyzed for characteristics that differentiate it from a touch image generated by a user input and are correlated with an expected touch image generated by an ESD event.
US09075477B2
Apparatus and methods process a set of calibration sample values acquired in response to a sequence of calibration touch events generated at known X-Y coordinate positions along a linear path across a touch panel surface. The set of calibration sample values is then curve-fitted to the path to create a characteristic model of the touch panel or a portion thereof. Run-time signals are acquired from X-Y nodes across the panel at the time of a touch event. One or more run-time signal values may be substituted into the panel characteristic model to determine a distance between an X-Y node most strongly associated with the run-time touch event and a point-of-projection of the touch event location onto the path.
US09075472B2
Disclosed are a display device comprising panel portions and a driving method thereof, which are capable of dividing the display panel into two or more panel portions and adding a touch mode between the display modes of each panel portion, thereby improving the frequency of the touch sensing or the touch report rate. The display device comprising panel portions and the driving method thereof can reduce the pulse width of the signals from 4H 8 phase to 2H 4 phase by using an oxide TFT and maintain or reduce the number of the signal lines applied to the gate driver of the partial display panel, thereby having the advantages in terms of the bezel.
US09075465B2
An exemplary method of identifying a touch event on a touch panel is provided. The touch panel includes a plurality of sensing blocks. The sensing blocks have a plurality of corresponding sensing values generated in response to the touch event. The exemplary method includes the following steps: selecting a processing region on the touch panel, wherein the processing region comprises at least a portion of sensing blocks each having a sensing value greater than a threshold; deriving a first value and a second value from sensing values of sensing blocks included in the processing region; calculating a ratio of the first value to the second value; and identifying the touch event according to at least the ratio.
US09075462B2
This specification describes apparatus, computer-implemented methods, and systems for interacting with computing systems using finger-specific input. In one general embodiment, a finger-specific input device can identify and differentiate each finger of a user. For example, the finger-specific input device may be able to detect features of each individual finger, such as fingerprints or detectable finger attachments, and to determine a set of fingers using the input device by camera or other visual cue, among others. A user can use multiple fingers to interact with a computing system and generate commands based on the use of a particular finger, a particular combination of fingers, and particular gestures of specific finger or combination of finger movements. In some implementations, specific commands are assigned to corresponding fingers and/or finger-specific multi-touch gestures in a program environment. In some implementations, users can define specific commands for specific fingers and/or finger-specific multi-touch gestures.
US09075460B2
A method of interacting with a user interface displaying content on a display of an electronic device is provided. A zoom gesture is detected to modify a zoom level of the content displayed on the user interface. A momentum or kinetic value for the zoom gesture is determined and a final zoom level based on the determined momentum value of the zoom gesture is determined. The animation of the transition to the final zoom level can be adjusted to display the content on the user interface at the determined final zoom level. The content may be a webpage in a web browser where the zoom gesture is performed on regions within the content. The momentum of the zoom gesture is utilized to determine a desired region and adjust a final zoom level to align the content.
US09075454B2
A control unit changes a display orientation of a display screen according to a tilt direction of a display unit when a display orientation detection unit detects the display orientation of the display screen coincides with, among orientations in which the display screen is allowed to be displayed, an orientation closest to a vertical downward direction in a state where the detected display orientation of the display screen is not changed according to the tilt direction of the display unit. The display orientation detection unit detects the display orientation of the display screen displayed on the display unit. A tilt detection unit detects the tilt direction of the display unit, which displays information, in relation to the vertical downward direction.
US09075450B2
The disclosed and claimed concept describes a handheld electronic device that has the capability to automatically prefer a preferred punctuation arrangement in response to determining whether a first output has a predetermined characteristic.
US09075441B2
Systems and methods are described for gesture-based control using three-dimensional information extracted over an extended depth of field. The system comprises a plurality of optical detectors coupled to at least one processor. The optical detectors image a body. At least two optical detectors of the plurality of optical detectors comprise wavefront coding cameras. The processor automatically detects a gesture of the body, wherein the gesture comprises an instantaneous state of the body. The detecting comprises aggregating gesture data of the gesture at an instant in time. The gesture data includes focus-resolved data of the body within a depth of field of the imaging system. The processor translates the gesture to a gesture signal, and uses the gesture signal to control a component coupled to the processor.
US09075440B2
An operation input device includes a coil, an operation part configured to be displaced in an axial direction of the coil by the action of an operation input, a core whose positional relationship with the coil is changed by the displacement of the operation part, a yoke placed outside the coil, and a magnet configured to generate a magnetic flux that flows through the core and the yoke. The coil is configured to output a signal corresponding to the amount of the displacement of the operation part. The operation part is caused to move by an electric current flowing through the coil and the magnetic flux of the magnet.
US09075437B2
Disclosed is a tactile presentation apparatus including a plurality of tactile cells. Each of the plurality of tactile cells includes a supporter for shielding magnetic force, a tactile feeder moving up according to the magnetic force in the supporter, and an electromagnet generating magnetic force depending on depth information of a pixel. The tactile presentation apparatus includes a permanent magnet, a vibration device that vibrates according to texture information, and a pressure sensor measuring pressure applied to the tactile feeder.
US09075425B2
An adjustable output power supply with a data communications connector that at least partially complies with physical specifications of a defined data interface standard connector, such as a USB connector. The data communications connector has a number of data contacts and power contacts coupled to and providing output electrical power from a programmable power supply. A controller receives an indication of a detection of a feature of a mating connector coupled to the data communications connector, determines, based on receiving the detection, at least one resistance value between a data contact and at least one power contact, and adjusts an output voltage of the programmable power supply based on the at least one resistance value.
US09075420B2
A method for monitoring the temperatures of at least two semi-conductor power switches that are arranged on a common cooling body. Temperature detection is carried out by means of a temperature model each allocated to a switch, in which switch and operating parameters as well as temperature measurement values are processed for calculating the temperature and/or a temperature difference in the relevant switch. A temperature measurement value from a temperature sensor is used as an input parameter for the temperature model, the temperature sensor being centrally positioned between at least two switches and standing in a heat conducting connection with the cooling body. A related apparatus is an electronic temperature emitting power switch arrangement, having a temperature sensor positioned centrally between the two or between two switches each, the same being coupled in a heat conducting way with the cooling body and with the output side of the calculator.
US09075408B2
Methods and apparatus for enhanced control, monitoring and recording of incoming chemical and power use, and emissions of electronic device manufacturing systems are provided. In some embodiments, integrated sub-fab system systems may monitor the energy usage of the sub-fab equipment. The tool can enter many different depths of energy savings modes such as idle (shallow energy savings where production equipment can recover to normal production with no quality or throughput impact in seconds), sleep (deeper energy savings where production equipment can recover in minutes), or hibernate (where production equipment may require hours to recover not to have impact on quality, or throughput) for the system. In some embodiments, the system may monitor and display all gas emissions in a sub-fab as well as the Semi S23 method reporting of CO2 equivalent emission. The system may monitor effluent process gases and energy use from the process tool and sub-fab equipment.
US09075402B2
A method includes identifying a simulated input flow stream associated with a chemical processing facility. The input flow stream includes an input component basis with multiple components having one or more properties that differ. The method also includes converting the input flow stream into a simulated output flow stream, which includes an output component basis that differs from the input component basis and comprises a single, active group of oil components and zero or more pure components. A pure component property of a pure component in the input flow stream could be combined with an oil component property of an oil component in the input flow stream. A pure component property of a pure component in the input flow stream could also be transferred to a pure component in the output flow stream without combination. An oil component property of an oil component in the input flow stream could further be mapped to an oil component property of the single output oil component.
US09075398B2
A wake up alarm providing device (10) is provided, comprising a sound producing unit (11) and a control unit (12), coupled to the sound producing unit (11). The sound producing unit (11) is arranged to provide an audible wake up signal during an alert period. The control unit (12) controls the wake up signal to comprise a diffuse sound during a first part of the alert period and to comprise a localized sound during a subsequent part of the alert period.
US09075396B2
A timer device includes a RES input terminal (first external terminal), an input time determination circuit that determines the time length relationship between an input time of a predetermined signal input to the RES input terminal and a given determination time, and a pre-settable down counter (counting circuit) that counts a given set value. The pre-settable down counter changes a process according to a determination result of the input time determination circuit.
US09075395B2
Pallet lever for an escapement mechanism including a balance with a pin of a given pin radius and oscillating over a given radius of gyration, this pallet lever including two horns for cooperation with a pin of this type. These horns are symmetrical to each other relative to a median plane passing through a pallet lever pivot axis, and each includes a concave inner profile over a first radius of curvature greater than or equal to the sum of this radius of gyration and this pin radius, this concave inner profile being adjacent to a convex outer profile over a second radius of curvature less than or equal to the difference between this radius of gyration and this pin radius.
US09075394B2
An escapement mechanism for a timepiece movement or timepiece including at least one balance and at least one escape wheel. A transmission of impulses between the balance and the escape wheel is achieved by a single-piece flexible mechanism including at least one feeler spindle cooperating with the escape wheel or, respectively, with the balance, and the single-piece, flexible mechanism is connected by at least one flexible blade to a fixed structure of the timepiece, or respectively to the escape wheel.
US09075392B2
Resilient timepiece hand including a first drive pipe integral with a flexible strip.The resilient hand is in a single-piece and this flexible strip includes a first flexible segment between this first pipe and a first tip which is at a variable distance from this first pipe according to stresses applied to this flexible strip.Timepiece display mechanism including a resilient hand of this type. The mechanism includes a first drive pinion for driving this first pipe of this resilient hand about a pivot axis, and a second pinion or a cam for stressing this resilient hand to vary the position of at least one this tip of this resilient hand with respect to this pivot axis.Watch including a display movement of this type.
US09075391B2
An image forming apparatus includes an ejection stacking section, a cooling target unit, and a cooling fan. The cooling target unit is disposed below the ejection stacking section. The cooling fan sends air to flow between the cooling target unit and the ejection stacking section. The ejection stacking section includes an opening, a movable member, and a biasing member. The movable member is movable between a closed position and an open position. The biasing member biases the movable member toward the closed position. In response to that the recording mediums are stacked on the ejection stacking section, the movable member moves toward the open position against a biasing force of the biasing member to allow the air sent from the cooling fan to flow through the opening so as to cool a lower surface of the recording mediums stacked on the ejection stacking section.
US09075387B2
A cartridge includes: a memory portion; a substrate having the memory portion and an electrical contact; a support portion for supporting the substrate with the electrical contact being exposed; a first movement regulation portion configured to regulate the movement of the substrate ; and a second movement regulation portion configured to regulate the movement of the substrate, wherein the movement regulation direction in which the movement of the substrate is regulated by the second movement regulation portion is the same as the movement regulation direction in which the movement of the substrate is regulated by the first movement regulation portion, and wherein the movement regulation distance that the movement of the substrate is regulated by the second movement regulation portion is shorter than or equal to the movement regulation distance that the movement of the substrate is regulated by the first movement regulation portion.
US09075384B2
A storage device includes a housing including a storage space that stores a structural member; a cover member that is mounted on the housing, and causes an entrance of the storage space of the housing to be in a covered state and an uncovered state; and a fixing mechanism that fixes the cover member to the housing that is in the covered state. The structural member is stored at a first position and at a second position in an unfixed state in the storage space that is caused to be in the covered state by the cover member. The second position is closer to the cover member than the first position is. When the structural member has moved from the first position to the second position, the fixing mechanism causes the cover member to be more firmly fixed than when the structural member is stopped at the first position.
US09075383B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming unit for forming a toner image and a toner pattern comprising toner not to be transferred onto a recording medium for adjustment of a density of toner on a surface of the image bearing member, a nip forming member contacting the surface of the image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween, a transfer bias applicator for applying a transfer bias in which an alternating current component and a direct current component are superimposed to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium in the transfer nip, a first cleaning device to mechanically remove toner remaining on the image bearing member after passing through the transfer nip. The transfer bias applicator applies a charge eliminating bias to remove charge from toner in the toner pattern when the toner pattern passes through the transfer nip.
US09075382B2
An image forming apparatus includes a pre-fusing paper sheet guide, a fuser unit and a control section. The pre-fusing paper sheet guide is disposed adjacent to the fuser unit on its upstream side. The fuser unit includes a pressing roller having, an electrically conductive surface, a grounding structure grounding a pressing roller's surface, and a cleaning mechanism cleaning the pressing roller's surface. The cleaning mechanism includes a web and a take-up roller. The control section sets a winding quantity x of the web to 0.7 mm when a setting for printing without margin is not made, and sets the winding quantity x to 2.1 mm when the setting for printing without margin is made. If the number of sheets accumulated through the image forming process becomes not less than 18, the control section causes the take-up roller to wind the web by the winding quantity x, and performs an image forming process.
US09075373B2
A data processing device transmits a control command and print data to an image forming device. When a main controller causes a communication controller to transmit the print data to the image forming device, the main controller causes a memory part to save a setting data at least until the main controller receives a notification of print process completion, and causes a display part to display, for example, a copy count change screen that displays settings of the print data that is changeable by the input part.
US09075369B2
An apparatus includes an image formation unit including a photosensitive drum and a motor for driving the image formation unit. The apparatus acquires a frequency generator signal, which is phase information output from the motor as the motor rotates. In addition, the apparatus corrects unevenness of the density that may occur due to the rotation of the motor according to the acquired phase information.
US09075356B2
In an image forming apparatus having a fixing unit for fixing a toner image on a printing medium, it is necessary to control a fixing temperature with high precision according to the content of an image. An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an input unit configured to input image data; and a controlling unit configured to control the fixing temperature of the fixing unit based on a size of a continuous region of pixels whose pixel values are equal to or larger than a predetermined pixel value in the image data.
US09075344B2
A developing device includes a developer housing which includes a container mounting portion and a toner supply opening, a developer shutter plate which is so held on the developer housing as to be movable in a direction parallel to a developing roller and is displaceable to a closing position for closing the toner supply opening and an opening position, and a biasing spring which biases the developer shutter plate to the closing position. The container main body includes a first pressing plate and the developer shutter plate includes an oblique elongated projection with which the first pressing plate comes into contact. The first pressing plate and the oblique elongated projection are formed to displace the developer shutter plate from the closing position to the opening position against a biasing force of the biasing spring as the toner container moves in an assembling direction in a mounting process.
US09075339B2
A polygon mirror assembly, a light scanning unit employing the polygon mirror assembly, and an image forming apparatus. The polygon mirror assembly includes a polygon mirror formed of a plastic material and having a plurality of reflection surfaces; and a motor unit to support and rotate the polygon mirror, where the polygon mirror is coupled to the motor unit by using an adhesive material.
US09075337B2
According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposure, an exposing device including a plurality of light sources and a plurality of lenses, which are provided along a longitudinal direction of the image bearing member, and configured to radiate light on the image bearing member, and a developing device arranged at a fixed distance apart from the image bearing member and configured to develop, according to application of a direct-current bias, the electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member into a visible image using a two-component developer.
US09075336B2
A blower pipe includes an inlet port, an outlet port, a flow path that connects the inlet port and the outlet port to cause air to flow therethrough and that are divided by a partition wall, and plural flow control members that are respectively provided in different parts in an air flow direction in each of divided passage spaces that are divided by the partition wall and that control the flow of the air, wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are constituted by plural opening portions, respectively, the plural opening portions that constitute the outlet port have elongated opening shapes divided by the partition wall, and a flow control member of the plural flow control members closest to the inlet port is provided in the vicinity of the bent portion.
US09075330B2
An image forming apparatus uses the difference in time taken for each patch to reach a color sensor, which occurs upon reversing the conveyance direction of a printing material. Due to this difference in time, the temperature of the printing material in detection by the color sensor differs among the respective patches. The error of a colorimetric value due to thermochromism is reduced by placing a patch with a colorimetric value which has a low temperature dependence so as to be detected earlier, and a patch with a colorimetric value which has a high temperature dependence so as to be detected later.
US09075329B2
A method of making toner particles that includes forming a pre-shell aggregate mixture by adding to a reactor pre-shell aggregate ingredients, the includes a latex resin, the reactor having a mixing impeller and a heating jacket; performing pre-shell aggregation while homogenizing the pre-shell aggregate mixture with the impeller at an initial tip speed to form pre-shell aggregates; decreasing the tip speed to a second tip speed when the pre-shell aggregates reach a target intermediate average particle diameter; and then decreasing the tip speed at one or more intervals between when the pre-shell aggregates reach the target intermediate average particle diameter and when the pre-shell aggregates reach a target final average particle diameter so that the tip speed meets the following formula: tip speed=1644ft/min−204.9(ft/(min*μm))*average particle diameter(μm).
US09075328B2
An object of the present invention is to suppress the increase of coarse particles due to the fusion of powder particles and reduce a ratio of particles that have been excessively spheroidized, when the powder particles are heat-treated. A heat treatment apparatus including a raw-material supply unit, a hot-air supply unit for heat-treating a raw material and a discharge portion for discharging the heat-treated powder particles, and supplying hot air toward a raw material to be supplied from the raw-material supply unit, wherein the hot-air supply unit has a first nozzle and a second nozzle which spread in the radial direction downward from an upstream side in a hot-air supply direction, the second nozzle is arranged in the inside of the first nozzle, the hot air passes through a space between the first nozzle and the second nozzle, and an air-flow adjustment unit section for rotating the supplied hot air spirally along an inner wall face of the apparatus is provided in an outlet portion of the hot-air supply unit.
US09075325B2
A photoreceptor includes a substrate a charge generating layer disposed on the substrate and a charge transport layer disposed on the charge generating layer, the charge transport layer includes a hole transport molecule, a fluorinated diol, and a leveling agent, the charge transport layer is substantially free of a polymer binder and catalyst, and has a post-discharge voltage of less than about 10 volts.
US09075324B2
A beam pointing and positioning system includes a first lens, movable in a first plane perpendicular to a nominal optical axis, which receives and positions a light beam. The system also includes a second lens, movable in a second plane perpendicular to the nominal optical axis, which receives and points the positioned light beam. The system is thereby capable of directing the light beam to a desired location at a desired angle. The system may also include a beam splitter that receives, transmits, and reflects the pointed light beam, one or more sensors that receive the reflected light beam, and a controller coupled to the sensor(s) and first and second lenses. The controller may control the positioning of the first and second lenses based on beam position and pointing data and/or signals received from the sensor(s). A method of positioning and pointing a light beam is also presented.
US09075321B2
An optical membrane element for an optical device in lithography, especially EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography, includes at least one membrane layer and a frame, which at least partially surrounds the membrane layer and at which at least part of the rim of the membrane layer is mounted. At least one tautening element is provided, which facilitates tautening of the membrane layer and wherein the optical membrane element can be used in a projection exposure system, especially for EUV lithography, such that the membrane layer of the membrane element can be adjustably tautened, such that the membrane layer is flat. A method for manufacturing a corresponding optical membrane element includes generating a tautening element lithographically together with the membrane layer.
US09075316B2
The present disclosure is directed to various masks for use during EUV photolithography processes. In one example, an EUV mask is disclosed that includes, among other things, a substrate, a multilayer stack comprised of a plurality of multilayer pairs of ruthenium and silicon formed above the substrate, wherein the mask is adapted to, when irradiated with EUV light, have an effective reflective plane that is positioned 32 nm or less below an uppermost surface of the multilayer stack and a capping layer positioned above the uppermost surface of the multilayer stack.
US09075315B2
The present invention is a reflective mask blank used to fabricate a reflective mask, which has a laminated structure of a multilayer reflective film, an absorber film and an etching mask film in this order on a substrate, wherein the etching mask film comprises a material containing chromium, the absorber film comprises a material containing tantalum, a highly oxidized layer is formed on the surface layer of the absorber film on the opposite side from the substrate, and a Ta 4f narrow spectrum of the highly oxidized layer when analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has a maximum peak at a binding energy of more than 23 eV.
US09075312B1
Monomeric formulations appropriate for creating self-propagating polymer optical waveguides, and methods for their fabrication, are disclosed. Multiple polymer waveguides can be fabricated simultaneously into a three-dimensional micro-truss structure, while avoiding significant polymerization outside the confines of the illuminated region. The formulations described to accomplish this controlled polymerization include species containing one or more unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds capable of being free-radical polymerized in the presence of photoinitiator and either a radical inhibitor species or a solvent, or both. The radical inhibitor and/or solvent are included to minimize heat buildup and thermal decomposition of initiator. This invention enhances the versatility of the chemistry by significantly increasing the number of chemical building blocks available for micro-truss fabrication.
US09075306B2
A chemically amplified negative resist composition comprises a polymer comprising recurring hydroxystyrene units and recurring styrene units having electron withdrawing groups substituted thereon. In forming a pattern having a fine feature size of less than 0.1 μm, the composition exhibits a high resolution in that a resist coating formed from the composition can be processed into such a fine size pattern while the formation of bridges between pattern features is minimized.
US09075288B2
A pan tilt zoom (PTZ) camera system implements a disc valve system to enhance the cooling of electronics. The disc valve system includes a static camera base and a rotating camera pan bearing. The static camera base has static base vent slots arranged along the perimeter of the static camera base. The rotating camera pan bearing includes at least one pan bearing vent slot that aligns with the static base vent slots. During rotation of the rotating camera pan bearing, the at least one pan bearing vent slot aligns with the static base vent slots enabling movement of air over electronics of the (PTZ) camera system.
US09075286B2
An electrically adjustable optical diffusion panel for use in film or video production having a frame, diffusion material affixed to the frame, where the transparency of the material is continuously and variably changeable between a substantially transparent state and a substantially opaque state in response to an electric potential applied to electrodes of the material and a controller and battery. The electrically adjustable diffusion panel eliminates the need for manually changing diffusion papers or other filters and provides a continuous range of selectable levels of transparency/diffusion.
US09075281B2
A colored composition includes: (A) a dye that is selected from the group consisting of a methine dye, an anthraquinone dye and an azomethine dye, and that is a mixture of stereoisomers; and (B) a non-polar solvent.
US09075275B2
There are provided an array substrate, a display device and a manufacturing method of the array substrate. The array substrate includes: a base substrate; a set of gate lines located over the base substrate; a black matrix that permeates into the base substrate around each of the gate lines. In technical solutions of the invention, the black matrix is located on the array substrate but not located on the color filter substrate, permeates into the base substrate around each gate line, and has a relatively high accuracy of alignment with the array substrate.
US09075270B2
A liquid crystal display device is discussed, which includes a substrate; gate and data lines crossing each other on the substrate to thereby define a pixel region; a thin film transistor connected to the gate and data lines; and a plurality of pixel electrodes and a plurality of first common electrodes alternating with each other in the pixel region and configured to induce an in-plane electric field, and each including a first layer and a second layer on the first layer, wherein the first layer is made of an opaque metal and has a first thickness, and the second layer is made of a transparent conductive material and has a second thickness.
US09075267B2
A liquid crystal display panel including a first substrate, an active device array, a gate driver on array (GOA), at least one signal transmission connection pad, a second substrate, an opposite electrode layer, conduction devices, and a display medium is provided. The active device array includes scan lines, data lines, and active devices. The GOA is electrically connected to the scan lines. The signal transmission connection pads are located respectively at a first side of the active device array and a second side of the active device array. The first side and the second side are corresponding to two opposite ends of the scan lines, respectively. The conduction devices and the display medium are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The signal transmission connection pads are electrically connected to the opposite electrode layer through the conduction devices.
US09075258B2
A display unit according to the present invention (100a) includes at least one display panel (10) and at least one light-transmitting cover (20) disposed on a viewer's side of the at least one display panel; the at least one light-transmitting cover includes a planar portion (24) having a viewer-side surface (24a) which is a plane, and a curved surface portion (22) adjoining the planar portion along a first axis, the curved surface portion (22) having a viewer-side surface (22a) which is a curved surface; and the planar portion includes a slope portion such that the distance between a viewer-side surface and a rear surface decreases away from the curved surface portion along the first axis. According to the present invention, a direct-viewing type display unit and display device which are thinner than conventional are provided.
US09075256B2
A method includes the steps of: (a) measuring a height of a pillar spacer after the pillar spacer is formed on a main surface of a CF substrate; (b) measuring a gap between a TFT substrate and the CF substrate after the TFT substrate and the CF substrate are bonded to each other; and (c) determining a quality of a liquid crystal panel based on the difference between the measured height of the pillar spacer and the measured gap.
US09075236B2
Provided is a laser sensor assembly and a method of controlling the laser sensor assembly. A laser sensor assembly includes a supporting unit; a rotary shaft unit formed onto the supporting unit, wherein the rotary shaft unit is rotatable, and has at least one bent portion to form a certain angle with respect to a rotational axis of the rotary shaft unit; and a laser sensor unit coupled with the bent part of the rotary shaft unit to form a certain angle with respect to the rotational axis of the rotary shaft unit.
US09075234B2
A plurality of movable units is arranged in a matrix. First and second electrodes are used in common in the movable units arranged in a column. A plurality of third electrodes, which commonly connects tabular members of the movable units arranged in a row, is formed for each row. The drive circuit selects, in order and one by one, the third electrodes. Subsequently, the drive circuit swings the tabular member by applying a bias voltage to the selected third electrode and applying an approach voltage or a separating voltage to a plurality of the first electrodes and second electrodes. During a predetermined period of maintaining a swinging posture, the voltage applied to the third electrodes is maintained as the bias voltage. The tabular member is returned to a non-swinging state by changing the voltage applied to the third electrodes to a reset voltage after the lapse of the predetermined period.
US09075233B2
An optical cell may include a first port coupled to a second port by an optical path. The optical cell may also include a compensator disposed in the optical path. The compensator may be rotatable about an axis. Rotating the compensator about the axis may vary a distance that the optical path passes through the compensator thereby changing the optical path length of the optical path.
US09075224B2
A zoom lens substantially consists of, in order from the object side: a first lens group that has a positive refractive power and is fixed during magnification change; a second lens group that has a negative refractive power and is moved along the optical axis during magnification change; a third lens group that has a negative refractive power and corrects for fluctuation of the image plane along with magnification change; and a fourth lens group that has a positive refractive power and is fixed during magnification change. Focusing of an object at a distance between infinity and a predetermined distance is achieved by moving a first-group second lens sub-group, which is a part of the first lens group, along the optical axis, and focusing of an object at a closer distance than the predetermined distance is achieved by moving the third lens group along the optical axis.
US09075222B2
An imaging lens substantially consists of a first lens-group, a stop and a second lens-group in this order from an object-side. The first lens-group substantially consists of three or less lenses including at least one negative lens and a positive lens. The second lens-group substantially consists of a 21st lens-group and a 22nd lens-group in this order from the object-side. The 21st lens-group substantially consists of three or less lenses and has positive refractive-power. The 22nd lens-group substantially consists of two lenses of a negative lens and a positive lens in this order from the object-side. Predetermined conditional formulas about distance on an optical-axis from a most-object-side lens surface in an entire system to an image-plane, maximum image height, distance on the optical-axis from a most-object-side lens surface in the first lens-group to a most-image-side lens surface in the second lens-group, and focal-length of the entire system are satisfied.
US09075213B2
Provided is a plastic optical fiber cable including a plastic optical fiber 12 comprising of a core 11A and a cladding 11B, and a jacketing layer covering the plastic optical fiber 12, in which the jacketing layer includes at least two layers of an inner layer 13 and an outer layer 14, the inner layer 13 is formed of a resin comprising of a copolymer of ethylene and a (meth)acrylic compound, and the outer layer 14 is formed of a fluorine-based resin. A plastic optical fiber cable excellent in flame retardance, appearance, and processability at the time of use is obtained from the plastic optical fiber cable described above.
US09075210B2
An optical-electrical conversion module includes a circuit board, a planar optical waveguide formed on the circuit board, two first lenses and two second lenses mounted above the planar optical waveguide, a base plate electrically connected to the circuit board, and an optical signal emitting member and an optical signal receiving member mounted on the base plate. The planar optical waveguide forms two inclined surfaces. The base plate is positioned above the second lenses. Optical signals are reflected by the inclined surface, and are transmitted to the optical signal receiving member. The optical signal receiving member converts the optical signals to electrical signals to transmit to the circuit board. Electrical signals of the circuit board are converted to optical signals via the optical signal emitting member, and then are transmitted to the planar optical waveguide. The present disclosure further provides an optical transmission connecting assembly using the optical-electrical conversion module.
US09075203B2
A fiber optic adapter block is disclosed. The fiber optic adapter block includes at least three fiber optic adapters provided in a stacked arrangement extending widthwise in a longitudinal direction, wherein every other adapter of the at least three fiber optic adapters is staggered in a front to back direction with respect to an adjacent adapter such that front ends of the every other adapter of the at least three fiber optic adapters are aligned at a first depth and a front end of the adjacent adapter is at a second depth that is different than the first depth.
US09075201B2
A polarization conversion mechanism for a touch screen display includes a crystal layer and a polarizing layer. The crystal layer includes a birefringent crystal for changing phase delay effect in accordance with the orientation of the crystal axis thereof. The polarizing layer includes at least one linear polarizer such that an incident light after hitting a display module of the display device reflects and emits out through the linear polarizer and the crystal layer sequentially as reflection light in form of circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light. The assembly of the crystal layer and the layer are installed to the display device and/or touch screen display in such a manner that the assembly is located on the display module thereof.
US09075198B2
A wavelength tunable interference filter, an optical apparatus, and an optical component include a first substrate, which includes a first optical film and a first driving electrode, and a second substrate, which includes a support portion that supports the first substrate, a second optical film, and a second driving electrode. The second substrate includes an external connection electrode extending to an outer side of the support portion, and includes an electrode forming surface on which the external connection electrode is disposed. A plurality of protruding portions protruding from the electrode forming surface are formed so as to be arrayed in a direction crossing the extending direction of the external connection electrode.
US09075196B2
An optical fiber jacket remover draws a glass fiber out from a coating by cutting the coating in a jacket removing portion and moving an optical fiber holding portion away from a jacket remover main unit in a heated state. The jacket removing portion is provided with a heater supporting member on which a heater is mounted. The heater supporting member is accommodated in a recessed receiving portion formed in a case. A heat insulating space is formed between the recessed receiving portion and the heater supporting member. A side surface of the heater supporting member and an inside surface of a lateral wall of the recessed receiving portion are brought into contact with each other via a lateral rib formed on the heater supporting member, and the heat insulating space is thereby blocked.
US09075190B2
An optical device with a deformable membrane (2) including an anchor area (2.3) on a support (1) entrapping a liquid or gas fluid, a central area (2.1) reversibly deformable from a rest position, actuating means for moving the fluid (4) biasing the membrane (2) into an intermediate area between the anchor area (2.3) and the central area (2.1), the actuating means include a piezoelectric continuous crown accommodating several actuators (5.1), this crown surrounding the central area (2.1), the actuating means (5) being anchored to the membrane (2) in at least the intermediate area (2.2), the actuating means (5) and the membrane (2) to which they are anchored, forming at least one piezoelectric bimorph (B), the actuating means (5) radially contracting or extending upon actuation so as to generate a movement of said fluid (4) from the intermediate area (2.2) to the central area (2.1) of the membrane (2) or vice versa, aiming at deforming the central area (2.1) with respect to its rest position.
US09075187B2
A substantially fully copolymerized UV blocking hydrogel lens demonstrating sufficient blocking of UV light to meet at least FDA Class II specifications for UV blocking formed from a reaction mixture comprising at least NVP and one other comonomer and a free-radical polymerizable, substituted or unsubstituted, Bis O-hydroxy benzophenone is provided herein.
US09075182B2
A camera module and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The camera module includes a lens structure and an image sensor device chip disposed under the lens structure. The lens structure includes a transparent substrate and a lens disposed on the transparent substrate. A spacer is disposed on the transparent substrate to surround the lens, wherein the spacer contains a base pattern and a dry film photoresist. The method includes forming a base pattern on a carrier and attaching a dry film photoresist on the carrier. The dry film photoresist is planarized by a lamination process and then patterned to form a spacer. A transparent substrate having a plurality of lenses is provided. The spacer is stripped from the carrier, attaching on the transparent substrate to surround each of the lenses, and then bonded with image sensor device chips.
US09075177B2
Various embodiments comprise light recycling films comprising an array of parallel ridges and grooves that form prisms that selectively reflect or transmit light. In some embodiments, the light recycling film may be used in displays that include spatial light modulators comprising a plurality of pixels. The light recycling film can limit the field-of-view of the display and enhance the luminance within that field-of-view. Various embodiments comprising multiple arrays of ridges and/or grooves can enhance uniformity of illumination of the pixels in the spatial light modulator and reduce Moiré effects.
US09075176B2
The light guide plate has a first light incidence surface and a second light incidence surface which are provided on end sides of a light exit surface and are orthogonal to each other. The light guide plate includes two or more layers superposed on each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the light exit surface and containing scattering particles at different particle concentrations. The thicknesses of the two or more layers in the direction substantially perpendicular to the light exit surface change so that a combined particle concentration of the light guide plate has, in directions perpendicular to the light incidence surfaces, a first local maximum value located on sides closer to the light incidence surfaces and a second local maximum value located at positions farther from the light incidence surfaces than positions of the first local maximum value and being larger than the first local maximum value.
US09075175B2
A light source module including a light guide plate, a light-collecting structure and a light emitting device is provided. The light guide plate has a first light emitting surface, a bottom surface, a first light incident surface connecting with the bottom surface and the first light emitting surface, and an optical microstructure unit. The optical microstructure unit includes at least two optical microstructures. Each optical microstructure has a recessing part and a protruding part on the bottom surface. The light-collecting structure has a second light emitting surface connecting with the first light incident surface, a second light incident surface and a reflecting surface connecting with the second light emitting surface and the second light incident surface. A sectional line obtained by sectioning the reflecting surface along a first reference plane includes a first parabola. The reference plane is parallel to the first light emitting surface.
US09075171B2
In a surface light source device, a light guide plate includes a light introduction part that traps the light emitted from a point light source and incident from a light incident surface, and a light guide plate body. The light introduction part includes an inclined surface inclined from a surface in a portion having a thickness larger than that of the light guide plate body toward an end of the surface of the light guide plate body. The light guide plate body includes a directivity conversion pattern located between an effective lighting region of the light guide plate body and the light introduction part. The directivity conversion pattern converts a directivity direction of the light from the light introduction part to the effective lighting region such that an angle formed by the directivity direction and a direction perpendicular to the light incident surface decreases when viewed from above.
US09075169B2
A brightness distribution of light emitted from one specific light source and outputted from the light outputting part of a light-guide part has a characteristic of having a mountain-shaped distribution increasing from a position of the specific light source, then reaching a maximum value, and then decreasing with distance from a specific light source, and a light source adjacent to the specific light source is disposed at a position where a brightness distribution decreases from the maximum value of the brightness distribution.
US09075168B2
A meteorological measurement system is disclosed having a meteorological mast which extends upwards from a base and supports one or more wind gauges. At least one of the wind gauges is disposed in the region of the upper tip of the mast and is designed as a remote wind gauge for measuring wind conditions at one or more remote measurement locations situated above the mast tip at a distance from the remote wind gauge. At least another wind gauge is disposed in the region of the upper tip of the mast in close spatial proximity to the remote wind gauge and is designed as a local wind gauge for measuring wind characteristics at the location of the remote wind gauge.
US09075161B2
The illumination/imaging of a theorized target horizon that is below a theorized velocity contrast horizon where the velocity contrast horizon may represent the bottom of a salt dome by assessing the path of seismic energy for critical angle reflection/refraction and tabulates the successful paths and unsuccessful paths. For some subsurface locations, seismic energy will not reach the surface above the velocity contrast due to the shapes of the velocity contrast horizon and target horizon and the velocity model through which the studied waves propagate. Displays may be prepared and used for understanding illumination/imaging of the geology for drilling, reacquisition, and reprocessing to elicit information about subsurface geology that may have been overlooked or ignored. Future surveys avoid expensive surveying which cannot obtain useful seismic data as determined by the velocity contrast for the target locations due to the shapes of the horizons and the velocity model.
US09075160B2
To perform inversion to produce a model of a structure, a filtering operator based at least on an angle between a propagating direction of a source wavefield and a propagating direction of a back-propagated receiver wavefield is computed. The filtering operator is used in performing the inversion to produce the model of the structure.
US09075154B2
A method for electromagnetic geophysical surveying according to one aspect of the invention includes disposing a plurality of electromagnetic receivers in a selected pattern above an area of the Earth's subsurface to be evaluated. An electromagnetic source is repeatedly actuated proximate the electromagnetic receivers. Signals generated by the receivers, indexed in time with respect to each actuation of the at least one electromagnetic energy source, are recorded. The recorded signals are processed to generate an image corresponding to at least one point in the subsurface. The processing includes stacking recordings from each receiver for a plurality of actuations of the sources and beam steering a response of the receivers such that the at least one point is equivalent to a focal point of a response of the plurality of receivers.
US09075153B2
A method, a circuit arrangement and an X-ray system, in particular a CT system, are disclosed wherein, in order to correct the count rate drift of a detector for ionizing radiation having quantum-counting detector elements which include a combination of at least two counters with significantly different energy thresholds, and on the basis of previously determined functional dependencies of count rates on one another and using at least one of the counters per detector element as the reference, the count rates of the respective other counters with different energy thresholds are corrected.
US09075136B1
An apparatus including a processing device which identifies a first travel route, on which first travel route a vehicle can travel to a destination, and which generates a first message containing information regarding the first travel route, and a transmitter which transmits the first message to a communication device located at the vehicle. The apparatus automatically detects a departure of the vehicle from the first travel route, identifies a second travel route in response to the detected departure of the vehicle from the first travel route, generates a second message containing information regarding the second travel route, and transmits the second message to the communication device.
US09075133B2
An object detection and tracking support system includes a setting unit, a transmission level obtaining unit, a propagation loss function estimating unit that, based on various information relating to a transmitter and a receiver stored in the setting unit, calculates the propagation loss as a propagation loss function expressed as a function of the distance and the direction viewed from the receiver, a target strength obtaining unit that, in regard to an object of object information stored in the setting unit, extracts a target strength of the object from an external database; and a detection signal level function estimating unit that, based on transmission level information obtained by the transmission level obtaining unit, a propagation loss function calculated by the propagation loss coefficient estimating unit, and a target strength extracted by the target strength obtaining unit, determines a detection signal level function, for display on an external display unit.
US09075129B2
A system and method for generating enhanced images of a target area using projection data obtained using an electromagnetic radiation source, the method comprising forming an initial aperture of data points containing positional information of the transmitter and receiver of the electromagnetic radiation; and an associated data record; randomly removing data points from the initial aperture to form subapertures with randomly missing data points; creating a subset of data points from each of the plurality of subapertures; the subsets containing data points containing image data for portions of the target area which are the same or overlapping; comparing the subsets of data points to determine variations in the data points indicative of transient data; based upon the comparison between overlapping subsets of image data, determining whether the subsets of data points comprise image data relating to physical objects or noise.
US09075128B2
A method that digitally distinguishes mainlobe detections from grating lobe and sidelobe detections without need for added antenna or receiver architecture. The method includes applying receive weights to return radar data for each radar receive element to steer each subarray of a array radar antenna to a direction other than the subarray transmit angle and includes applying a subarray weight to each subarray to generate the array radar antenna receive beam data having magnitude and phase components. The method includes applying predetermined scale factors to the subarray beam data magnitude for each subarray to generate scaled subarray beam data magnitudes. The method includes generating guard beam data for each subarray based on the scaled subarray beam data magnitudes. The method also includes determining if the return radar data corresponds to a mainlobe or a grating lobe or sidelobe based on the receive beam data and the guard beam data.
US09075119B2
In the magnetic resonance imaging device, the distance between the first and second coils is different in the circumferential direction and has a first region (A1) (θ=0, π) and a second region (A2) (θ=π/2) narrower than the first region (A1). In the first coil, wiring patterns (17a, 17b) on the side of a zero-plane (F0) passing through the center of the first coil and perpendicular to the axis direction (z-axis direction) meander in the circumferential direction such that the wiring patterns (17a, 17b) depart from the zero-plane (F0) in the first region (A1) and approach the zero-plane (F0) in the second region (A2). This provides a gradient magnetic field coil capable of configuring wiring patterns without using a loop coil that does not pass through the z-axis.
US09075117B2
Method for calibration of an electrochemical accumulator, characterized in that it comprises a phase (P2) for modelling the energy (Ed) available in the electrochemical accumulator representing the energy that would be obtained when the accumulator is completely discharged based on a given discharge power and on a given initial state of energy.
US09075094B2
The method is for measuring a physical parameter by an electronic circuit connected to a two differential capacitor sensor having two fixed electrodes and a common moving electrode. The electronic circuit supplies first and second digital measuring signals. Each measuring cycle consists on biasing the electrodes by the measuring voltage based on the first digital signal, connecting the fixed electrodes to a supply voltage source for a first biasing, biasing the electrodes by the measuring voltage based on the second digital measuring signal, and inversely connecting the fixed electrodes to a supply voltage source for a second biasing. In first successive measuring cycles, the first and second digital signals are adapted to each cycle by a large step value. In second successive measuring cycles, the first and second digital signals are adapted to each cycle by a small step value until the end of the conversion.
US09075086B2
A low-power method and apparatus is provided for adapting to time-varying limitations of a power source, such as a vehicle power source which is in a more-limited state when the engine is off. The supply voltage is monitored for changes using an unclocked, low-power first stage having an analog section, a voltage comparator. Upon detecting voltage changes reflective of a potential power source state change, the first stage generates an interrupt. In response, a second stage transitions from a low-power standby mode to a higher-power active mode. The second stage may include a microprocessor and is configured to confirm or disconfirm the state change. Upon confirmation, further operations are triggered. Upon disconfirmation, the second stage returns to standby mode. The first stage may include an operational amplifier whose two inputs are indicative of the supply voltage, one input having a different response rate to voltage variations than the other.
US09075084B2
A testing arrangement for testing the electrical circuits of a terminal block assembly, comprising a generally rectangular testing unit housing formed of insulating material and containing a chamber, at least one connection device mounted in chamber and having an elongated connector body formed of insulating material and including center and end portions. An integral measuring tab portion extends downwardly from the body center portion for insertion into a testing opening contained in the terminal block assembly, and a pair of coplanar measurement portions extend upwardly from the connector body ends and terminating at different elevations, thereby to afford a compact testing arrangement. Two electrical circuit connecting portions are mounted on the connector body, each including an input conductive contact plate mounted on one side of said measuring tab portion, and an output contact mounted within one of said measurement portions for connection with one end of a testing component.
US09075077B2
A device or system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a resonant structure having a plate, a mass and a set of electrodes. The plate can have an extensional mode at a frequency when excited. The set of electrodes can be used to measure an acceleration of the mass when the acceleration of the mass changes the frequency of the plate. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09075076B2
A sensor (1) for determining both a cadence of a crank and a travelling speed of a bicycle includes an accelerometer (4) providing a first signal dependent on a first acceleration along a first measurement axis (z) and a second signal dependent on a second acceleration along a second measurement axis (y) perpendicular to the first measurement axis. The accelerometer (4), a wireless transmitter (6) and a power source (8) are contained in a housing (2) that can be attached to a wheel of the bicycle. The sensor (1) determines the cadence from the rate at which consecutive changes of polarity occur in the first signal, or from the rate at which consecutive positive and negative extreme values occur in the first signal. The sensor also determines the travelling speed from the rate at which consecutive maximum and minimum extreme values occur in the second signal.
US09075071B1
Methods for diagnosis and treatment of a cancer treatable with a c-Abl inhibitor are provided. Methods for diagnosing a cancer treatable with a c-Abl inhibitor include providing a biological sample from subject, determining an amount in the sample of geminin, c-Abl, or both, and comparing the amount of geminin, c-Abl, or both, if present, to a control level to thereby diagnose a subject as having a cancer treatable with a c-Abl inhibitor if there is a measurable difference in the amount of geminin, c-Abl, or both in the sample as compared to the control level. Methods for treating a cancer include identifying a subject as having a cancer treatable with a c-Abl inhibitor by determining an amount of geminin, c-Abl, or both, and then administering an effective amount of a c-Abl inhibitor to the subject. Screening methods for identifying compounds useful for inhibiting c-Abl are also provided.
US09075068B2
A porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column includes capillary tubing; one or two particle traps disposed inside one or two end sections of the capillary tubing; and a stationary phase comprising a porous or non-porous material coated inside a main section of the capillary tubing. A method for preparing a porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column includes preparing one or two particle traps inside one or two end sections of a capillary tubing; and preparing a stationary phase comprising a layer of a porous material coated inside a main section of the capillary.
US09075066B2
The present invention relates to a biomarker for gastric cancer, CST1 (cysteine proteinase inhibitor, type 2 family), DCC1 (Defective in sister chromatid cohesion homolog 1), IFITM1 (interferon induced transmembrane protein 1) or MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase). More particularly, the present invention relates to a diagnostic composition for gastric cancer comprising an agent measuring the expression level of CST1, DCC1, IFITM1 or MELK, a kit comprising the composition, a method for detecting the marker, and a method for screening a therapeutic agent for gastric cancer using the marker.
US09075053B2
The present invention relates to a method and kit of detecting a target material using an aptamer, and more particularly to a method and kit for detecting a target material, in which a sample and a second aptamer are added to a first aptamer immobilized on a solid phase so as to form a bond sandwiched between the first aptamer, the target material and the second aptamer, to an FET sensor-based method and kit for detecting a target material, and to an AAO sensor-based method and kit for detecting a target material.The inventive method for a target material using an aptamer can detect even low-molecular-weight materials which were difficult to detect in the prior art, thereby enabling detection of disease-related metabolites, environmental pollutants and food toxins in solutions. In addition, the detection method of the present invention is a direct and simple method and is highly cost-effective, because it uses the aptamer which can be consistently reproduced and can be produced at low costs. Thus, the present invention is very useful.
US09075052B2
A biosensor system for the detection of particles includes a biosensor cartridge having a sensor surface. A biosensor magnet assembly is disposed on one side of the cartridge for generating a magnetic field effective at the cartridge and the sensor surface. The biosensor magnet assembly includes at least two magnetic sub-units separated by a gap. A first optical detection system detects the particles arranged at the same side of the cartridge as the magnet assembly. The magnet assembly and the first optical sensor are disposed such that the optical detection is accomplished through the gap of the magnet assembly.
US09075048B2
In an assay apparatus for performing an assay related to a specimen received from the outside thereof based on a reaction between the specimen and a reagent by using a reaction container that holds the reagent, the apparatus includes a detection means that detects a state in which an assay has ended before completion, and a mark providing means that provides a predetermined mark for the reaction container when the state in which the assay has ended before completion is detected by the detection means.
US09075034B2
A control method for a computer-controlled liquid handling workstation which comprises a work surface, a motorized liquid handling robot with at least two pipettes each having a cone, and a control computer, to which the liquid handling robot is connected. A control program, activated in the control computer, enables the pipetting robot to position the pipette at specific positions on the work surface. The pipettes and at least one position are visualized as icons, using a visualization device. Upon selecting at least one pipette and designating a position, using an input mechanism, the selected pipette is moved down and up immediately after its selection, and moved to the designated position immediately after designating the position. These movements are carried out prior to selecting at least one action and its execution, enabling the operator to confirm the selection of the pipette and the designation of the position.
US09075032B2
A transport apparatus for transporting a sample as an analysis objective in a state of being accommodated in a sample container comprises a judging unit which judges whether or not the sample container is positioned at each of first and second collection positions for collecting the sample from the sample container in order to perform each of first and second analysis processes and which outputs each of judgment results thereof as first and second collection position data; and a sample container identification unit which performs individual identification of the sample container in a transport route for the sample container and which outputs an identification result thereof as individual identification data. Further, it is confirmed whether or not the transport of the sample container to the second collection position is adequate on the basis of the first collection position data, the second collection position data, the individual identification data, and data to indicate a predetermined transport amount calculated in accordance with the first and second collection positions.
US09075028B2
An airborne substance detector includes an air intake that sweeps through a fixed area, and a fan that draws air toward an effluence detection device that analyzes the air for one or more substances, such as explosives. The air intake may be a series of tubes of a rotary gate, with multiple sets of tubes that rotate about a central axis. The fan or blower draws air through holes in the tubes, and through a manifold that directs air to the effluence detection device from a single set of tubes at a time. In addition the detector may include a heater that may enhance vaporization of substances to be detected. The effluence detection device, the manifold, and the fan may be located in an enclosure at the top of the rotary gate. After detection, a decontamination procedure may be initiated to purge the system of the substance that was detected.
US09075018B2
Microwave trigger metal-enhanced chemiluminescence (MT MEC) and spatial and temporal control of same
The present invention relates to a method of imaging structures and features using plasmonic emissions from metallic surfaces caused by chemiluminescence based chemical and biological reactions wherein imaging of the reactions is enhanced by the use of microwave energy and further enhanced by using metallic geometric structures for spatially and temporally controlling the biological and chemical reactions.
US09075007B2
An optical smoke detector designed for the mining industry that includes an active sampling component and a unique air flow system to reduce the environmental impact of underground mining. The active sampling smoke detector may include an intake fan, an optical sensing unit, an air path between the intake fan and the optical sensing unit, and a controller operatively connected to the intake fan and the optical sensing unit, the controller being configured to regulate fan speed and output at least one signal indicative of air quality passing through the optical sensing unit.
US09075001B2
An intracavity laser absorption infrared spectroscopy system for detecting trace analytes in vapor samples. The system uses a spectrometer in communications with control electronics, wherein the control electronics contain an analyte database that contains absorption profiles for each analyte the system is used to detect. The system can not only detect the presence of specific analytes, but identify them as well. The spectrometer uses a hollow cavity waveguide that creates a continuous loop inside of the device, thus creating a large path length and eliminating the need to mechanically adjust the path length to achieve a high Q-factor. In a preferred embodiment, the laser source may serve as the detector, thus eliminating the need for a separate detector.
US09074992B2
There is provided an X-ray diffraction apparatus comprising an X-ray topography device for providing a spatial geometric correspondence to an X-ray exiting from a planar region of a sample to detect the X-ray as a planar X-ray topograph, and outputting the X-ray topograph as a signal; a two-dimensional imaging device for receiving a light-image of the planar region of the sample and outputting the light-image as a signal specified by planar positional information; and a video-synthesizing arithmetic control device for generating synthesized video data on the basis of an output signal from the X-ray topograph and an output signal from the imaging device.
US09074990B2
An exemplary optical computing device includes an electromagnetic radiation source that optically interacts with a sample having a characteristic of interest, a first integrated computational element arranged within a primary channel to optically interact with the electromagnetic radiation source and produce a first modified electromagnetic radiation, wherein the first integrated computational element is configured to be positively or negatively correlated to the characteristic of interest, a second integrated computational element arranged within a reference channel to optically interact with the electromagnetic radiation source and produce a second modified electromagnetic radiation, wherein the second integrated computational element is configured to correlated to the characteristic of interest with an opposite sign relative to the first integrated computational element, and a first detector arranged to generate a first signal from the first modified electromagnetic radiation and a second signal from the second modified electromagnetic radiation.
US09074988B2
A system and method for controlling hydrogen concentration in optical sensing systems in subsurface wells. In an exemplary system the downhole optical fiber sensors are positioned within nested conduits and a controlled concentration hydrogen gas is flowed in a first direction through the first conduit, and flowed in a second direction through the annulus, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.
US09074977B2
An analytical device such as a flow cytometer is provided in which a fluid sample flowing through a channel is focused into multiple, parallel particle streams by an acoustic wave field extending across the channel. Each stream is then presented to an individual detector to allow for simultaneous interrogation of the multiple streams and thus, high-throughput analysis of the fluid sample.
US09074974B2
An apparatus for measuring viscosity includes a container in which an inlet radius of an inlet end is larger than an outlet radius of an outlet end. A fluid with a flow velocity is placed in the container. The fluid has a density value and a pressure gradient value. A pressure controller for controlling the pressure gradient value of the fluid is connected to the inlet end and the outlet end. A flow meter measures the flow velocity. A viscosity of the fluid is correlated with the density value, the pressure gradient value, the inlet radius, the outlet radius and the flow velocity. After being applied to various fluids, the present invention improves testability. Moreover, the measurement time is reduced due to simple structure. The maintenance is easy and the operation is not complicated. Furthermore, less space is required, the cost is down and the measurement error is reduced.
US09074970B2
The present invention related to a method, and an apparatus arrangement, for determining a fatigue limit for rolling contact initiated fatigue of a rolling bearing. The method comprises running a rolling bearing while being exerted to a load which generates sub-surface transformations in a rolling element contact zone of the outer or inner ring. Furthermore a set of sub-surface transformations in the contact zone along a raceway portion of the rolling bearing is identified and measured and used for generation of a parameter data set, wherein a fatigue parameter value representative of a predicted fatigue limit for the rolling bearing is determined based on the generated data set of sub-surface transformations.
US09074964B2
Provision of an intermediate shaft and a torque meter between a test product and a dynamometer in a transmission testing device in which the test product is set in an environmental chamber leads to a long axial length and thereby requires a large floor area for setting, and also causes a twisting of a shaft and leads to a poor rigidity. A hollow spacer is provided between a face plate of the environmental chamber and a test product attachment holder to which the test product is attached. A flange with an H-shape in side view is disposed in the hollow of the spacer. The flange has an end connected to an adaptor flange fixed to the test product, and another end connected to a rotating shaft of the dynamometer via the torque meter.
US09074963B2
An ultrasonic detector (10) suitable for mounting in a position for surveying an area for a source of airborne ultrasound, which detector comprises a sensor (20) for detecting an ultrasonic sound signal, characterized by a transducer (64) configured to produce a broadband ultrasonic sound signal for reception by said sensor (20) enabling said ultrasonic detector to perform a self-test.
US09074956B2
An unshielded strain gage sensor cable that is tightly sealed within an injection mold to prevent electromagnetic interference from interfering with the sensor signal. The use of the unshielded cable significantly reduces the cost and allows for quick installation and a mobility that does not exist with shielded cables.
US09074952B2
A sensor for measuring pressures in low-viscosity media for use in injection molding includes a housing with an axis A, a flat end face to be exposed to a pressure space, and a diaphragm that is arranged on the end face and is permanently connected to the housing. A measuring element that can infer a pressure prevailing in the pressure space on the basis of deflection of the diaphragm is arranged behind the diaphragm. A pressure sleeve that is tightly connected to the sensor on the end face and is arranged at a distance from the housing with a gap behind this connection is arranged coaxially with the housing axis A outside the housing. The gap extends axially further across the measuring element than the region of the force path in the direction away from the pressure space.
US09074951B2
A pressure sensor has a housing, a movable member and a vision sensor. The housing has an aperture configured to receive a fluid. The movable member is disposed in the housing and configured to move in response to a pressure of the fluid. The vision sensor is configured to detect the movement of the movable member.
US09074946B2
A thermometer with protective tube inner part for insertion into a protective tube, especially a protective tube of a thermometer, wherein the protective tube inner part serves for arranging conductor elements, and wherein the protective tube inner part is matched to the shape of the inside of the protective tube in the region of a closed, protective tube end, and wherein the protective tube inner part serves to arrange the conductor elements on the side of the protective tube inner part facing the protective tube in the installed state.
US09074945B2
A temperature measuring insert composed of ceramic or sintered materials of magnesium oxide or aluminum oxide accomodates, on its end facing the measured medium, temperature sensor elements, such as thermocouples and temperature measuring resistors, as a measuring tip, installable singly or with others in metal or ceramic protective tubes. The site of the measuring tip, a water adsorption behavior differing from the remaining measuring insert material is present, in order to protect the temperature sensor elements in the case of rapid process related temperature changes, in order to prevent, in the case of heating, effects due to superheated steam. A solution is provided by features including that the measuring insert has a jacketing comprising densified desiccant coatings, which have a gradient with a continuously or stepwise adapted water adsorptive behavior in the direction of the temperature sensor element, wherein, for example, a decreasing water adsorption is realized according to the invention by means of different fractions of modified and unmodified adsorbents as well as hydrophobic, super hydrophobic or hydrophobized ceramic parts.
US09074926B2
Brackets and are disposed on the back surface of an upper case on which a pair of molded members and constituting a cylindrical structure forming a rear wall of a windproof case are erected. At one end of each of the brackets, the bracket is electrically connected to the molded member and the bracket is electrically connected to the molded member by screws of the upper case, and the brackets are electrically connected to a lower case by screws. Further, a metal plate on the upper case is electrically connected via a metal member fixed to the cylindrical structure.
US09074923B2
Imperfections in conveyor belting and its supporting elements can adversely affect weighing accuracy of belt scales, particularly when weighing and/or metering low density materials, such as those encountered in the snack food industry. A system and methods for a belt conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention provide simultaneous benefits of both short and long weigh spans. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a virtual weigh span may be programmably set to adjust for variations in the belt conveyor weighing system. Advantages include, higher degrees of accuracy and calibration to account for changes in the belt or belting system over time using non-mechanical adjustments. In addition, weight measurement error producing effects, some that may not be particularly known, may be reduced.
US09074921B1
The invention proposed herein is a system and method for measuring the liquid level in a container that employs an optic fiber sensor which is heated using a simple power source and a wire and making an anemometry measurement. The heater wire is cycled between two levels of heat and the liquid level is obtained by measuring the heat transfer characteristics of the surrounding environment.
US09074913B2
An instrument driving device includes a magnet which rotates; a driving gear coaxial with the magnet; an output gear driven by the magnet; a needle pointer shaft which has a needle pointer mounted thereon and rotatably supports the output gear; a transmission gear which transmits rotation of the driving gear to the output gear; and a case which accommodates parts of the driving device elements, wherein a stopper and a bearing part which rotatably supports the needle pointer shaft are provided in the case, a protrusion which makes contact with the stopper is formed in the output gear, a contact point with which the needle pointer shaft makes contact is formed in the bearing part, and the end section at the protrusion side of the stopper is in the same position as the contact point in the axial direction of the needle pointer shaft.
US09074908B2
A cooperation system between an in-vehicle device and a mobile terminal includes: the in-vehicle device including a route search device; and the mobile terminal for communicating with the in-vehicle device and having a terminal-side destination setting device. After setting the destination, the terminal-side destination setting device transmits terminal-side destination information to the route search device. When the route search device receives the terminal-side destination information, the route search device searches the route based on the terminal-side destination information. When the terminal-side destination information further provides one or more stopovers, the route search device searches the route including the one or more stopovers and the destination.
US09074905B2
A route search device capable of searching for a route with the lowest energy cost at a high speed even if the distance between start and end points is long. The route search device includes: a long distance search attribute calculation section for calculating, as an attribute of one long distance search link, the sum of upslope elevation differences of a plurality of short distance search links and the sum of downslope elevation differences of the short distance search links corresponding to the one long distance search link; and a link cost calculation section for calculating, based on the attribute of the long distance search link and vehicle characteristics, a link cost that is an energy consumption at a time when a vehicle travels in the long distance search link.
US09074903B1
Improved methods and systems for position acquisition and/or monitoring are disclosed. The position acquisition and/or monitoring can be performed with improved intelligence so that data acquisition, transmission and/or processing is reduced. As a result, the position acquisition and/or monitoring is able to be performed in a power efficient manner.
US09074894B2
Vehicle range projection estimation is implemented by a computer processor of a vehicle having logic executable thereon. The logic receives vehicle range projection data from a remote system over a network as a network service. The vehicle range projection data represents a bounded geographic area in which the vehicle is capable of traveling. The bounded geographic area is defined by global positioning system coordinates attributable to the vehicle in conjunction with an available amount of remaining energy of the vehicle. The logic also stores the vehicle range projection data in a storage device. Upon determining an interruption in a network service has occurred, the logic retrieves stored vehicle range projection data from the storage device, scales the stored vehicle range projection data to a level commensurate with an updated amount of remaining energy of the vehicle, and displays a visual representation of scaled vehicle range projection data in the vehicle.
US09074892B2
In one or more embodiments, one or more systems, methods and/or processes may determine a location of a remote object (e.g., a point and/or area of interest, landmark, structure that “looks interesting”, buoy, anchored boat, etc.). For example, the location of a remote object may be determined via a first bearing, at a first location, and a second bearing, at a second location, to the remote object. For instance, the first and second locations can be determined via a position device, such as a global positioning system device. In one or more embodiments, the location of the remote object may be based on the first location, the second location, the first bearing, and the second bearing. For example, the location of the remote object may be provided to a user via a map. For instance, turn-by-turn direction to the location of the remote object may be provided to the user.
US09074888B2
Methods, devices, and systems are presented for compensating for gyroscopic drift in a stabilized gimbal system mounted on a vehicle. When the vehicle is parked and the gimbal is not being commanded to move by an operator, encoders or resolvers of the gimbal stabilized system are read and periodically read thereafter. When the vehicle begins to move or the gimbal is commanded to move, the last periodic reading of the resolvers is used to determine the amount that the gimbal has moved during the rest period. A gyroscopic drift rate is computed by dividing the amount of angular movement by the time period between the readings, and the gyroscopic drift rate is used for corrections while the vehicle is moving or gimbal is commanded to move. Each time the vehicle stops, the gyroscopic drift rate is re-computed and updated. The gyroscope can be heated until the drift rate is constant with respect to temperature, further helping the calibration.
US09074885B2
The present invention relates to a liquid capacitive micro inclinometer, comprising a pair of differential electrodes and a common electrode, all formed in the same plane in a sealed chamber. Immersing liquid is filled in the sealed chamber. The shape of the differential electrodes forms a sector of a circular plane. The inclinometer may further integrate a reading circuit. The present invention also discloses preparation method for the invented inclinometer.
US09074884B2
An electro-optical distance measuring device. Criteria are defined and stored which characterize a determined gesture for triggering the distance measurement, said gesture being carried out by a user using a test body that crosses the measuring light beam in an encoded manner. The analyzing and control unit is designed to carry out a measurement-triggering gesture mode in which reflected portions of the optical measuring light beam are continuously detected automatically and the continuously detected reflected portions are analyzed with respect to characteristic variables, the variables being dependent on a gesture that crosses the measuring light beam by means of a test body in an encoded manner. The characteristic variables are used to test whether the variables correspond to the defined criteria so that the gesture that is carried out by the user is identified as the gesture for triggering the distance measurement if the characteristic variables correspond to the criteria.
US09074881B2
The invention relates to a measurement system constructed and arranged to measure geometrical data from two pipe end bevels of two pipes that need to be joined. The measurement system being provided with a measuring device, wherein the measurement system is constructed and arranged so that the measuring device is moveable in between the two pipe end bevels and the measuring device has a part of a different one of the two pipe end bevels within its measurement angle.
US09074875B2
The invention provides a device and a method for relative positioning of an appliance having a shaft end in relation to fastening elements which are arranged at a distance to the longitudinal axis of the shaft end and at a distance in front of the end of the shaft end and is disposed for generation of a first and a second light fan which extend symmetrically along the longitudinal axis of the shaft end and form light lines extending over the end of the shaft end.
US09074868B2
Measurement accuracy of a remote visual inspection (RVI) system is tested using a test object including a test feature having a known geometric characteristic. Using a controller, attachment of a detachable measurement optical tip to an RVI probe is detected. A user is then prompted to perform testing of the measurement accuracy. When the user indicates the test feature is visible, the system captures one or more images of the test feature, determines coordinates of the test feature from the images, and measures a geometric characteristic of the test feature using the coordinates. An accuracy result is determined using the measured geometric characteristic and the known geometric characteristic, and an indication is provided, e.g., to the user, of the result of the comparison. An RVI system with a user-prompt device is also described.
US09074866B2
Rotational angle measurement apparatus measuring magnetic-field angle or rotational angle with sufficient accuracy wherein a non-magnetic conductor is arranged in the vicinity of the magnetic flux generator or the magnetic sensor, even when the magnetic flux generator rotates at high speed. The rotational angle measurement apparatus is configured with a magnetic sensor 70 which responds to a magnetic-field angle and a detection unit 302 which inputs an output of the magnetic sensor. The rotational angle measurement apparatus is employed with a rotatable body 121 provided with a magnetic flux generator 202. The output of the magnetic sensor is a raw-angle signal set 155 corresponding to the magnetic-field angle. The detection unit outputs a corrected angle after a non-magnetic conductor in the vicinity of the magnetic sensor is corrected, using a correction value outputted by a correction function with rotational velocity of the rotatable body as an argument.
US09074849B1
A garment assembly such as a uniform, a military uniform and a military combat uniform is presented. The garment assembly includes a helmet or head cover being cut from a fabric having a first camouflage pattern with a first set of intermixed colored blotches thereon. The colors of the first set of intermixed colored blotches being selected from a first group of colors including an Olive 527 color, a Dark Green 528 color, a Tan 525 color, a Brown 529 color, a Bark Brown 561 color and a Dark Cream 559 color. The uniform also includes a coat being configured to fit at least a portion of a human torso and a trouser configured to fit at least a portion of human legs, the coat and trouser each being cut from a fabric having a second camouflage pattern with a second set of intermixed colored blotches thereon, the colors of the second set of intermixed colored blotches being selected from a second group of colors comprising an Olive 527 color, a Dark Green 528 color, a Light Sage 560 color, a Tan 525 color, a Brown 529 color, a Bark Brown 561 color and a Dark Cream 559 color.
US09074847B1
A stabilized platform is provided with active sense and adaptive control is provided that allows an operator, during operation, to switch between an electrically assisted operational mode to a manual operational mode. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and articles are also described.
US09074837B2
An alignment tool may be used to align a nock with respect to an arrow having vanes. The alignment tool may include a body, a connection member extending from the body, and indicating surfaces that are spaced around the outer surface of the alignment tool body at a relative angular orientation that matches the angular orientation of the arrow vanes. The connection member may be attached to the nock and then both the tool and the nock may be rotated with respect to the arrow to align the nock with respect to the arrow by aligning the indicating surfaces with respect to the vanes.
US09074829B2
A heat exchanger including a casing including aluminum nitride impregnated alumina-silica cloth. The heat exchanger includes a hot fluid flowpath positioned inside the casing for carrying a hot fluid from an inlet to an outlet downstream from the inlet. The hot fluid flowpath is formed at least in part by a thermally conductive wall permitting thermal energy to transfer from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath. The heat exchanger includes a cold fluid flowpath for carrying a cold fluid from an inlet to an outlet downstream from the inlet. At least a downstream portion of the cold fluid flowpath is formed by the thermally conductive wall permitting thermal energy to transfer from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath to the cold fluid. At least a portion of the cold fluid flowpath upstream from the thermally conductive wall is formed by ceramic foam.
US09074828B2
Enhanced heat transfer by kinetic movement of boundary layer film by introducing particles with specialized surfaces. A boundary layer is stagnant, reducing heat transfer into a flowing fluid. Boundary layer heat transfer is primarily conduction. The introduction of specialized particles into fluid promotes boundary layer mixing, thereby converting conduction to convection through the film. Particles of the invention tumble while mixing the boundary layer, which provides low surface area energy sites around the particles. Kinetic movement increases nucleation formation for gas phase transfer during boiling. Metal and ceramic nanoparticles in fluids increase fluid thermal conductivity. By modifying surface characteristics of such nanoparticles to promote boundary layer mixing, fluid heat transfer and thermal conductivity will increase. Specialized surface characteristics of materials ensure that particles interface with the boundary layer to produce kinetic mixing and low surface area energy sites for accelerated nucleation, resulting in enhanced heat transfer of gas or liquid.
US09074827B2
A heat exchanger heat-utilization device is obtained that can efficiently store heat and dissipate heat in or from a chemical thermal storage medium, and a manufacturing method of the heat exchanger heat-utilization device. A heat exchanger heat-utilization device includes: chemical thermal storage medium composite molded formed by organizing chemical thermal storage medium particles into a porous structural body having flow channels; and a heat exchanger body. The heat exchanger body has thermal storage medium containing portions in which the chemical thermal storage medium composite molded bodies are accommodated, and fluid flow channels that are partitioned from the thermal storage medium containing portions by partition walls and through which a heat exchange medium flows for heat exchange with the chemical thermal storage medium composite molded bodies.
US09074819B2
An electrical heater has first and second heater elements, each having a hairpin-shaped metal tube with an upstream and a downstream leg and tube ends adjacent each other. An electrical resistance wire surrounded by insulation powder extends through the tube. Electrical terminals join to the wire and protrude from each of the tube ends. Conduits enclose the upstream and the downstream legs of the heater elements, providing a continuous annular flow path. A manifold has heater element passages for end portion of the legs. An inlet passage in the manifold leads from an exterior portion of the manifold to the annular flow path surrounding the upstream leg of the first heater element. A transfer passage within the manifold leads from the annular flow path surrounding the downstream leg of the first heater element to the annular flow path surrounding the upstream leg of the second heater element.
US09074818B2
A method and apparatus to increase the cooling rate of gas used in a batch annealing furnace of cold rolling mills under bypass cooling. The invention makes use of the higher heat transfer capacities of nanocoolants developed by a high-shear mixing of nanoparticles and stabilizers in a basic aqueous medium for cooling heated hydrogen flowing through a heat exchanger during bypass cooling of the batch annealing furnace. The nanofluid is prepared in a nanofluid preparation unit.
US09074811B2
The present invention relates to a refrigerator (1) wherein plastic liner sheets (6) are used in manufacturing the inner casings (2) of the body and/or the doors, the liner sheet (6) forming the inner casing (2) comprising a main layer (7) produced of HIPS (high impact polystyrene) material by extrusion process, and a protective layer (8) which is formed on the (inner) surface of the main layer (7) facing the compartment (4) by co-extrusion method, having a high chemical resistance and a gloss that is not decreased below a certain limit.
US09074809B2
A refrigerator capable of adjusting the height of a body independent of the height of a door, in which a lower portion hinge connecting the body to the door includes a fixed bracket having one portion fixed to a bottom surface of the body while having the remaining portion protruded to a front side of the refrigerator, a mobile bracket coupled to the fixed bracket so as to enable a sliding movement and allowing the door to placed thereon, in which a body supporting leg and a door supporting leg are screwed to a lower portion of the fixed bracket and a lower portion of the mobile bracket, respectively, to adjust the respective heights of the fixed bracket and the mobile bracket.
US09074805B2
An apparatus and method are developed to improve accuracy of diagnostic tests for A/C systems. In particular, a refrigerant recovery unit may have its hoses pre-charged with a refrigerant to a predetermined pressure or amount before performing the diagnostic tests on the A/C system of the vehicle. For example, a predetermine amount of refrigerant may be injected into the hoses of the refrigerant recovery unit to pre-charge them. The pre-charged hoses of the refrigerant recovery unit may prevent a refrigerant flow from the A/C system to the hoses connected thereto before the diagnostic tests are implemented and thus, improve the accuracy of the diagnostic tests.
US09074794B2
Systems include a well having a production casing and a production tubing positioned therein, forming an annulus there between. A packer is positioned in the annulus at a position sufficient to separate the annulus into a first portion and a second portion. The well further includes a tie-back conduit positioned in the first portion of the annulus and configured to allow heat transfer between a working fluid flowing through the first portion of the annulus and a production fluid flowing through the production tubing, thus separating the circulating working fluid from fluids in the second portion of the annulus. A working fluid loop is fluidly connected to the first portion of the annulus. Co-production methods, methods of modeling, and computer-readable media including the methods of modeling are disclosed.
US09074791B2
A condensate collector box includes a furnace mounting plate having a first edge portion, a second edge portion that extends from the first edge portion, at least one vent drain channel that extends along one of the first and second edge portions, and a heat exchanger condensate collection area. The condensate collector box also includes an inducer fan mounting member having a first surface and opposing second surface arranged upon the furnace mounting plate to form a condensate collection zone. The inducer fan mounting member includes at least one inducer fan drain passage that is fluidly connected to the at least one vent drain channel.
US09074790B2
The invention relates to a plenum box (1a, 1 b) configured for use in a ventilation system (2) with flowing air in order to be able to quickly regulate flows between the ventilation system (2) and a room. The plenum box (1) comprises a pressure distribution pipe (4) which is disposed in an inlet (3) to the plenum box (1) and which itself comprises a regulating damper (5), and an outlet (6a, 6b). The inlet (3) is configured to have an air flow (7) passing through it. The pressure distribution pipe (4) extends inside the plenum box (1a, 1b) from the inlet (3), and the surface of the pressure distribution pipe (4) has perforations (8) which allow the air flow (7) to pass through them between the inside (9) and outside (10) of the pressure distribution pipe (4). The regulating damper (5) is disposed adjustably in the axial direction (11) inside the pressure distribution pipe (4) whereby the total aperture cross-section (12) of the perforations (8) per unit length varies in the axial direction (11) of the pressure distribution pipe (4).
US09074784B2
Fan coil thermostats can provide energy savings by, for example, operating a fan coil system more efficiently. Fan coil systems employing such a fan coil thermostat may be more energy efficient. A fan coil system may include a fan coil that is configured for fluid communication with a source of heated fluid and/or a source of cooled fluid, a valve that controls fluid flow through the fan coil and a fan that blows air across the fan coil. The fan coil thermostat may include a controller that implements a control algorithm that calculates an error percentage value relating to a temperature difference between the current temperature and the temperature set point. The error percentage value may include a proportional term related to the temperature difference and an integral term related to the temperature difference. The controller may regulate the fan speed in accordance with the calculated error percentage.
US09074782B2
An air conditioner includes a heat generating member, an electromagnetic induction heating unit, an air conditioning target space temperature detecting unit, an outdoor air temperature detecting unit, and a control unit. The heat generating member thermally contacts a refrigerant piping and/or refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant piping. The electromagnetic induction heating unit includes a magnetic field generating part that generating part generates a magnetic field in order to heat the heat generating member by induction heating. The control unit, when the refrigeration cycle is performing heating operation or defrosting operation, inhibits the generation of the magnetic field by the magnetic field generating part when the temperature of the space to be air conditioned and the outside air temperature do not satisfy a first prescribed condition or when a difference between a target set temperature and the temperature of the space does not satisfy a second prescribed condition.
US09074781B2
A roof ventilation system operable based on environmental parameters is disclosed. The system includes a vent, a fan, a solar panel, a battery and a controller. The vent is positioned within a field of a roof, and includes a first opening configured to allow airflow between regions above and below the roof. The fan is positioned to generate an air flow through the vent. The solar panel is positioned on the roof in a location such that the solar panel receives solar radiation. The battery is electrically connected to the solar panel. The controller is in communication with the fan, and is configured to drive the fan based on at least one environmental parameter.
US09074780B2
An air conditioner is provided. A location of, an angle between, or a distance between, a heat exchanger and a blower may be varied based on whether or not the air conditioner is operating. A number of drivers for moving the heat exchanger and/or the blower may be reduced and reliability of the driver be enhanced. Size of the air conditioner may be reduced, and efficiency may be improved.
US09074773B2
A combustor assembly is disclosed. The combustor assembly may include an annular trapped vortex cavity located adjacent to a downstream end of a bundle of air/fuel premixing injection tubes. The annular trapped vortex cavity may include an opening at a radially inner portion of the annular trapped vortex cavity adjacent to the head end of the bundle of premixing tubes. The annular trapped vortex cavity may also include one or more air injection holes and one or more fuel sources disposed about the annular trapped vortex cavity such that the one or more air injection holes and the one or more fuel sources are configured to drive a vortex within the annular trapped vortex cavity.
US09074753B1
The present invention provides an adjustable street light having a pole having a first end and a second end, an anchor member, wherein the second end of the pole is attached to the anchor member. A sleeve member slidably mounted on said pole, a pair of opposing arms pivotally attached to the sleeve member, and a pair of light housings each attached to an end of the pair of opposing arms. The adjustable street light also includes a gear mechanism for rotating the sleeve member, and a gear mechanism for raising the sleeve member up and down along the pole.
US09074746B2
A rear combination lamp for a vehicle is disclosed, in which facets on a reflective surface impart relatively large angular deviations to their respective reflected beams. Reflected light from each facet is only visible over a particular angular range. The angular ranges for all facets overlap only in a predetermined manner, so that at a given viewing angle, light from only particular facets is visible. The appearance of the rear combination lamp varies as a function of viewing direction. As a viewing angle changes, light from certain facets becomes visible, and light from other facets becomes invisible. This changing subset of which facet reflections are visible produces a sparkling or twinkling effect from the rear combination lamp. In some designs, the sparkling can take on a pattern that moves across the rear combination lamp, as the viewing angle changes.
US09074745B2
A headlamp for a vehicle, includes: a lower lamp module configured to form a first beam pattern at a front close range region of the vehicle while being fixed; and an upper lamp module including an ADB (adaptive drive beam) lamp module and a low beam lamp module, which are rotatably installed at an upper portion of the lower lamp module, respectively, and configured to form a variable second beam pattern which is combined with the first beam pattern. Therefore, stable driving visibility may be secured at a region close to a driver, various beam patterns may be implemented, light blindness to a driver of an oncoming vehicle may be prevented, and thereby forward recognition of the driver and the opposite driver may be improved.
US09074743B2
A lighting assembly comprising a housing including a front surface and a back surface, a plurality of light emitting elements on a printed circuit board (PCB) within said housing, and a reflector proximate the light emitting elements. The reflector comprises a plurality of reflective cups, wherein each reflective cup is configured to receive a respective light emitting element. The reflector is adapted to reflect light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements in accordance with a desired light distribution pattern.
US09074739B2
A flashlight includes a housing for receiving a battery; a first light supported by the housing, the first light configured to emit light in a first direction; a second light supported by the housing, the second light configured to emit light in a second direction that is non-parallel with the first direction; and an actuation switch configured for selectively powering the first light and the second light with the battery received in the housing.
US09074737B2
LED lighting systems operate their LED above a junction temperature of 85° C. and space apart from the LED, components of the LED lighting system that reduce an expected lifetime of the LED lighting system to less than 25,000 hours as a result of operating the LED above the junction temperature of 85° C. Accordingly, the LED itself may be driven hotter than is conventionally the case, without impacting its lifetime. By allowing the LED to operate hotter, reduced heat sinking may be needed for the LED itself, which can decrease the cost, size and/or complexity of the thermal management system for the LED lighting system and/or can allow a thermal budget for the LED lighting system to be used elsewhere. Related structures are also described.
US09074730B2
Method for dispensing a compressed gas to receiving vessels wherein a threshold pressure of compressed gas needed to supply the dispensing system is calculated, the threshold pressure depending on the anticipated time-averaged dispensing rate for a time period. Compressed gas is passed from a plurality of supply vessels, for example a tube trailer, to a plurality of storage vessels, and dispensed from the plurality of storage vessels to a plurality of receiving vessels. The supply vessel providing the compressed gas is required to have a compressed gas pressure greater than the calculated threshold pressure.
US09074727B2
Embodiments of a safety guard, fit concentrically over a rotating member, such as a rod assembly, which extends outwardly from apparatus, such as a drive head. The guard may be restrained during normal operation for preventing entanglement of personnel or other apparatus with the rod assembly which continues to rotate within the tubular guard, or may be unrestrained during normal operation. When unrestrained, the guard is free to co-rotate with the rod assembly, but has a low moment of inertia such that the guard decelerates rapidly when restrained so as to prevent entanglement. An anti-friction interface between the guard and the rod assembly is formed by the material of manufacture of the guard itself or by bearings or bushings supported in an annulus between the guard and the rod assembly.
US09074722B1
A portable holder for removable attachment to a shelf is proposed, the portable holder for supporting an electronic device (such as, for example, a tablet, cell phone, e-reader or the like). The portable holder comprises a central support member for supporting the electronic device, a device retaining element coupled to a lower edge of the central support member and an upper attachment means coupled to a top edge of the central support member. The upper end termination is used to removably attach the portable holder to a shelf, and the holder is particularly formed to allow for the viewing angle of the device to be modified, as desired by the user. In one arrangement, the holder can be rotated while attached to the shelf, so as to be located in a preferred direction for the user.
US09074717B2
A highly reliable vacuum heat insulating material having excellent processability, usability and heat insulating performance and a heat insulating box using the vacuum heat insulating material are provided. A vacuum heat insulating material related to the present invention includes: a core material structured by a laminated structure of an organic fiber assembly formed by forming an organic fiber into a sheet shape and cutting an end face with a predetermined length, and having a core material opening portion formed by a through hole or a notch with cutting; a gas-barrier outer cover material containing the core material inside, having a sealing portion for sealing surrounding of the sheet-shaped organic fiber assembly and surrounding of the core material opening portion, and hermetically sealing an inside with almost vacuum status by sealing the sealing portion; and an outer cover material opening portion provided at the outer cover material under a status in which the sealing portion provided at the surrounding of the sheet-shaped organic fiber assembly and the surrounding of the core material opening portion is sealed, being a through hole or a notch which is smaller than the core material opening portion with a sealed amount, and a long fiber being equal to or longer than a length of the sheet is used for the organic fiber.
US09074709B2
This invention relates to sealing HVAC ductwork along its joints in order to reduce air leakage. The ductwork can be sealed by the combination of a gasket and mechanical locking mechanism.
US09074708B2
A double-pipe joint for connecting and coupling a double pipe consisting of outer and inner pipes made of a fluororesin tube. An inner joint portion for coupling the inner pipe is formed by: a sleeve which is to be pressingly fitted into an inner-pipe end portion; an inner-pipe joint body which is to be fitted onto the end portion; and an inner-pipe union nut. An outer joint portion for coupling the outer pipe is formed by: a sleeve which is to be pressingly fitted into an outer-pipe end portion; an outer-pipe joint body which is to be fitted onto the end portion; and an outer-pipe union nut. The inner-pipe union nut and the outer-pipe joint body are formed integrally into a nut-equipped body.
US09074704B2
A valve design that enables a positive shaft seal to be obtained in an inexpensive manner by reducing the need for close tolerances heretofore required in prior art designs. This unique valve design employs a shaft seal that is adapted for transverse and/or angular movement during assembly of the valve for aligning to the shaft at an alignment position in which it is held after assembly of the valve by a holding device such as a seal nut or spring.
US09074691B2
A fluid flow control adjuster device controls fluid flow ratios when placed in-line with a tube that runs from a toilet fill valve to the overflow tube of a flush valve. The device comprises an adjuster having an adjuster body with an inlet and an outlet. The body includes an adjuster knob and a receiver gap, which is a gap between a body rotation stop and another edge at a top surface of the adjuster knob. A key is also provided which can be inserted between the body rotation stop and the edge of the adjuster so that the installer can dial in the correct percentage of fill. The key is a hub-like planar structure that matches the curvature of the receiver and includes a plurality of key fingers with each finger including indicia that correlate to settings for selecting a proper toilet bowl refill range.
