US09327464B2
An intermediate transfer belt used for an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic system includes: an elastic layer; and a surface layer formed on the elastic layer, wherein stress relief time τ [ms] of a material used for the elastic layer and hardness H [MPa] of the surface layer satisfy a first condition that 0.48<τ<0.75 and 50
US09327463B2
A device for producing tubes for packaging tubes, comprising an elongated mandrel (3), around which a substrate web can be formed in order to produce a tubular form (4) that surrounds the mandrel (3) and can be conveyed along the mandrel (3) in a conveying direction (R), as well as welding means (9) for welding the substrate web along a welding region in order to produce a welding seam (11) and at least one first welding belt (34) that can be conveyed together with the tubular form (4) and fixes the tubular form in a contact region of the substrate web with itself by clamping the substrate web between the first welding belt (34) and a clamping partner, wherein means (13) are provided for expanding the tubular form (4) fixed by the first welding belt (34) and the clamping partner by plastically elongating the substrate web in the circumferential direction, wherein said means can be adjusted into a position, in which they radially protrude over the outer surface (14) of the mandrel section (31) of the mandrel (3) that is arranged upstream of the means (13) referred to the conveying direction (R).
US09327460B2
A method manufactures an optical element having a surface that includes cells filled with an aerogel that does not crack during its manufacture or during a subsequent step of impregnating the aerogel with a liquid. The disclosure also relates to the optical elements that can be obtained using the method.
US09327444B1
Apparatuses for expanding tubing and methods of use are provided herein. An exemplary process may include heating tubing to an expansion temperature, expanding the heated tubing within an expansion chamber by injecting a first fluid within the heated tubing to expand the heated tubing, and constraining expansion of the heated tubing within the expansion chamber by introducing a second fluid between an outer sidewall of the heated tubing and an inner sidewall of the expansion chamber.
US09327432B2
A pouch for a rechargeable battery having stability by ensuring durability, a manufacturing method thereof, and a rechargeable battery including the same. The pouch includes a case having an opening and including a bottom surface portion, a side portion located along a periphery of the bottom surface portion and including at least one step portion, and a sealing portion located along a periphery of the side portion, and a cover configured to cover the opening of the case.
US09327425B2
The invention comprises a shaping process for making pellets of a thermoplastic extrudable resin composition. The resin composition comprises a thermoplastic polymer, plasticizer and optionally further additives. The plasticizer comprises a component which is solid at room temperature. The process is run at a temperature above the melting point of the plasticizer and below the melting/plastification temperature of the thermoplastic polymer.
US09327417B2
A cutter apparatus for cutting a workpiece of an absorbent article that is being transported in a transport direction, includes: a cutter roller having a cutter blade projecting from an outer circumferential surface thereof; and an anvil roller that receives the cutter blade at an outer circumferential surface thereof disposed to face the outer circumferential surface of the cutter roller. While rotating mutually in the transport direction, the cutter roller and the anvil roller cut the workpiece by allowing the workpiece to pass between the rollers. In at least one of the cutter roller and the anvil roller, a dynamic-balance correction section is provided which corrects the dynamic balance of the roller so that the sum of the values of balance quality (mm/sec) defined in JIS B 0905 at one end and the other end of the roller in a rotational-axis direction is 6 or less.
US09327414B2
A razor having a pivotable blade unit which is biased into a rest position by a biasing plunger. The razor includes a stabilizing bore in which a penetrating portion of the biasing plunger is configured to reciprocate. The largest cross-section of the penetrating portion has a shape which differs from the shape of the smallest cross-section of the stabilizing bore in order to lower the contact area between the penetrating portion of the biasing plunger and the stabilizing bore.
US09327410B1
A method of operation of a stepper motor, especially as used in connection with a picker assembly employed in a data storage library and a picker assembly that may utilize the stepper motor.
US09327409B2
A robot includes a base, a first arm which is rotatable around a first rotating axis with respect to the base, a second arm which is rotatable around a second rotating axis orthogonal to the first rotating axis, a third arm which is rotatable around a third rotating axis parallel to the second rotating axis, a first angular velocity sensor provided in the first arm, and a second angular velocity sensor provided in the third arm. The angle between a detection axis of the first angular velocity sensor and the first rotating axis is a predetermined first angle. The angle between a detection axis of the second angular velocity sensor and the second rotating axis is a predetermined second angle.
US09327405B2
A robot apparatus that performs the work of attaching a cable includes a gripper that grips the cable having first and second ends, the first end being fixed; an arm main body that guides the second end of the cable being gripped by the gripper to the interior of a guide area; a force sensor that is provided on the arm main body and detects that the gripper has come into contact with the second end of the cable; a camera that captures an image of the guide area when the force sensor detects that the gripper has come into contact with the second end of the cable; and an image processor that detects the posture of the second end of the cable based on the captured image. The robot apparatus performs the work of attaching the cable in accordance with the detected posture of the connector.
US09327399B2
A prediction model for predicting a mobile robot state is constructed to represent a state change of the mobile robot in a prediction interval of a predetermined duration; time-series data on a control input to ensure stability of the mobile robot is obtained in the prediction interval using a predetermined stability evaluation criterion and a constraint condition based on a mechanical balance; a center-of-gravity trajectory of the mobile robot is obtained based on the time-series data and prediction model; a slack variable for relaxing a constraint is introduced into a constraint condition; a slack variable is introduced into the stability evaluation criterion such that the variable becomes zero when a solution to a stable trajectory is obtained under the constraint condition and a slack variable value is generated when the trajectory diverges under the constraint condition; and positions of contact points are changed so as to cancel the generated value.
US09327394B2
A shock-reducing claw hammer includes a hammerhead, a handle and a restraining element. The hammerhead includes a hitting portion formed at an end and two claws formed at another end. The handle is connected to the hammerhead and formed with a bore, a gap in communication with the bore, and a reduced portion so that the bore is located between the gap and the reduced portion. The restraining element includes a flat body and two end tabs extending from the flat body. The flat body is supported on the handle. One of the end tabs is movably inserted in the wide slit. The other end tab is fitted in the narrow slit.
US09327390B2
An electronic torque wrench includes: a wrench main body including ahead section and a shank body, at least one recess being formed on a wall face of one side of the shank body, a top face of the shank body being inward depressed to form a platform, a rear end of the shank body being inward recessed to form a cavity for placing cells therein, a through hole being formed on the shank body in communication with the platform and the cavity; at least one torque sensor disposed in the recess; and an electronic operation/control device disposed on the platform. The outward protruding volume of the operation/control device is reduced to minify the total volume of the wrench and the platform and the recess enhance the flexion of the shank body.
US09327386B2
A bench vice includes a fixed vice body, a movable vice body, a screw rod, a screw nut, a quick-action mechanism, and an operating handle. The quick-action mechanism controls the screw rod and screw nut to engage or disengage so as to move slowly or quickly. The operating handle operates the quick-action mechanism. The movable vice body is assembled with the screw rod into an assembly, and both the quick-action mechanism and the operating handle are arranged on the front end of the fixed vice body. Since the quick-action mechanism and the operating handle are arranged on the front end of the fixed vice body, the operator can operate more conveniently, and thereby the working efficiency is improved.
US09327375B2
To provide a machine tool capable of coping with both a workpiece requiring a small driving force, for example, having good machinability and a workpiece requiring a large driving force, for example, having poor machinability. The machine tool includes a coupling mechanism 9 which couples a first tool post (first tool driving mechanism) 5 and a second tool post (second tool driving mechanism) 6 so that a driving force of the second tool post 6 is added to a driving force of the first tool post 5.
US09327370B2
An assembly mechanism for assembling an annular workpiece to a fixture, includes a base seat, a fetching assembly, a guiding assembly, and a releasing assembly. The base seat defines a feeding hole and an uploading groove. The fetching assembly includes a first driving member and fetching subassembly. The fetching subassembly includes a sliding member and a fetching member, the handing member defines a fetching hole. The guiding assembly includes a guiding rod. The releasing assembly latches with the handing member. Wherein the first driving member drives the sliding member to slide from the uploading groove to the feeding hole, thereby fetching the workpiece from the uploading groove to the feeding hole, the guiding rod extends into the workpiece to position it, the releasing assembly releases the workpiece, then the workpiece is blown away from the guiding rod and is positioned on a top of the fixture.
US09327358B2
A method for processing a gear includes a first cutting process starting the cutting of a work by moving a cutter in a first cutting direction while maintaining a cutting depth of the work at a setting value and reducing the cutting depth of the work before a first cutter portion reaches an end portion of a cutting area in the first cutting direction and a second cutting process synchronously rotating the work and the cutter in a reverse direction of rotational directions of the work and the cutter in the first cutting process, maintaining the cutting depth of the work at the setting value, and cutting the end portion of the cutting area by moving the cutter in a second cutting direction.
US09327356B2
A tooth flank machining device includes a helical teeth grinding wheel, a position adjusting unit] capable of moving a relative position of a rotational axis of the helical teeth grinding wheel to a rotational axis of a work gear, and a controlling unit having a relative position controller activating the position adjusting unit to adjust the relative position of the rotational axis of the helical teeth grinding wheel to the rotational axis of the work gear so that the helical teeth grinding wheel engages the work gear with a grinding wheel tooth flank of the helical teeth grinding wheel abutting on only one of work tooth flanks forming a tooth of the work gear, a grinding wheel rotating unit controller activating a grinding wheel rotating unit, and a torque controlling unit controller activating a rotational torque controlling unit to adjust rotational torque within a predetermined range.
US09327352B2
A cubic boron nitride sintered body with excellent wear resistance and fracture resistance. The cubic boron nitride sintered body includes 85 to 95% by volume of cubic boron nitride, and 5 to 15% by volume of a binder phase and inevitable impurities. The binder phase has at least three compounds selected from carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, oxides and mutual solid solutions thereof of Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Nb and Mo. An amount of an aluminum element contained in the cubic boron nitride sintered body is 0.5 to 5% by mass based on a total mass of the cubic boron nitride sintered body. The binder phase is essentially free of both pure metals and alloys consisting of pure metals.
US09327349B2
An endplate for a hot isostatic pressing canister comprises a central region, and a main region extending radially from the central region and terminating in a corner about a periphery of the endplate. The thickness of the endplate increases along the main region, from the central region to the corner, defining a taper angle. The corner includes an inner surface comprising a radiused portion by which the main region smoothly transitions into the lip. A hot isostatic pressing canister including at least one of the endplates also is disclosed, along with a method of hot isostatic pressing a metallurgical powder using the hot isostatic canister.
US09327347B2
Devices may be in contact with molten metals such as copper, for example. The devices may include, but are not limited to, a die used for producing articles made from the molten metal, a sensor for determining an amount of a dissolved gas in the molten metal, or an ultrasonic device for reducing gas content (e.g., hydrogen) in the molten metal. Niobium may be used as a protective barrier for the devices when they are exposed to the molten metals.
US09327345B2
Various embodiments include methods and related systems for laser-assisted casting. Some embodiments include a method including: performing laser ablation on a preliminary wax casting model to form a modified wax model including at least one additional feature absent from the preliminary wax casting model; coating the modified wax model to form a mold shape around the modified wax model; removing the modified wax model to leave a casting mold including the at least one additional feature; forming a shape from a casting material using the casting mold having the at least one additional feature; and scanning the modified wax model to image the at least one additional feature after the performing of the laser ablation.
US09327341B2
A method of fabricating an integrally bladed rotor of a gas turbine engine according to one aspect, includes a 3-dimensional scanning process to generate a 3-dimensional profile of individual blades before being welded to the disc of the rotor. A blade distribution pattern on the disc is then determined in a computing process using data of the 3-dimensional profile of the individual blades such that the fabricated integrally bladed rotor is balanced.
US09327338B2
A knockout has a support surface and the support surface has: (i) a first knockout outer diameter capable of supporting the first inner diameter of a container side wall when the knockout is inserted into an opening of the metal container and when the metal container is being necked with a necking die; and (ii) a second knockout outer diameter capable of supporting the second inner diameter of the container side wall when the knockout is inserted into the opening of the metal container and when the metal container is being necked with the necking die, and wherein the first knockout outer diameter is larger than the second knockout outer diameter.
US09327337B2
An expansion head for expansion tools for hollow work-pieces, particularly for the ends of plastic pipes and metal-plastic composite pipes, comprising a union cap having a guide flange directed radially inward, and a set of expandable jaws of sector-shaped design, each received individually by an inner flange sector overlapping the guide flange so that they are radially movable in the union cap, wherein the set of sector-shaped expandable jaws is movable between a closed state and an expansion state, and in a closed state, an approximately cylindrical lateral area is formed by an envelope of the outer walls of the set of expandable jaws, wherein characterized in that each expandable jaw is provided with at least one recess extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the expandable jaws so that in a closed state of the expansion head, the surface of the outer walls of the set of expandable jaws corresponds to 25% to 75% of the surface of the envelope of the outer walls of the set of expandable jaws.
US09327334B2
A stretching device has a housing, a first clamping member attached to a first portion of the housing, a second clamping member attached to a second portion of the housing, a first insert mounted to the first clamping member, and a second insert mounted to the second clamping member. The first insert and the second insert protect workpieces to be clamped and gripped therebetween. The inserts are releasably mounted to gripping surfaces of the clamping members.
US09327320B1
An apparatus and a method for dedusting coal or other material are described. The apparatus and method involve the coal or other material moving down a declined sliding bed composed of slats through which air or gas is blown to provide an air or gas cushion. Dust particles are lofted so as to separate dust from the material. Either or both of the dust and the resulting dedusted material can be collected.
US09327313B2
A method and apparatus for acquiring a nanostructured coating on a metal surface by using an intense shock wave generated by continuous explosion of a laser-induced plasma is provided. The method comprises: irradiating a laser beam on a black paint surface of an upper opening of a high pressure resistant glass pipe having a black paint strip arranged therein; the black paint absorbing the light energy and producing a plasma; generating an initial plasma explosion shock wave; transmitting the initial plasma explosion shock wave in the high pressure resistant glass pipe; generating a plasma cloud reaching a lower opening of a glass catheter; and, the shock wave pressure outputted embedding nanoparticles into a surface of a workpiece. The apparatus comprises the high pressure-resistant glass pipe with a zigzagging switchback shape or a spiral and inverted cone shape.
US09327312B2
A resin coating apparatus includes a display panel disposed on a stage. A plurality of nozzles correspond to the display panel. The nozzles have a plurality of outlets configured to discharge a first resin and a second resin to the display panel. The second resin has different viscosity from the first resin. A connecting member holds the plurality of nozzles. A first supply unit is connected to the nozzles, and the first supply unit is configured to supply the first resin. The second supply unit is connected to the nozzles, and the second supply unit is configured to supply the second resin.
US09327309B2
Processes for recovering inorganic powder materials from polymer-based coating compositions used to deposit a polymer-based coating. The process includes combining a polymer precursor, first solvent, and inorganic powder material to form a suspension, and applying the suspension to a substrate to form a layer. At least a portion of the suspension that did not adhere to the substrate is then collected. Residual portions of the first solvent and polymer precursor are at least partially removed from this portion of the suspension to yield a crude inorganic powder material comprising a residual portion of the inorganic powder and optionally a partially-cured polymer precursor, the latter of which can be removed by treating the crude inorganic powder material with a second solvent.
US09327306B2
An apparatus that dispenses a fluid onto a substrate includes a nozzle located in a position relative to the substrate to dispense the fluid onto the substrate and a blocking plate selectively disposed between the substrate and the nozzle.
US09327292B2
The present invention refers to a system and method for the totally dry treatment of iron-ore wastes from previous mining operations, suitable for both the processing of ore wastes deposited in barrages and wastes stored in piles. The present invention solves the problems of magnetic separation processes that employ the wet and waste-dewatering way, eliminating the risks which throwing solid wastes into retention barrages bring by a system and method wherein the moisture degree of the ore is reduced by means of a mechanical stir dryer (using natural gas to prevent contamination), which is then sorted into various factions and finally separated magnetically, with the important difference of being an entirely dry process.
US09327290B2
The invention relates to the devices for dry and wet fine and ultrafine grinding in a wide range of materials, including organic and cellulose-containing, in a mill and can be used in powder metallurgy, radiochemical, medical, agricultural and other industries.The mill has a body having oppositely charge and discharge pipes. The rotor in form of a disc with grinding elements, mounted on a drive shaft within the body with clearance relative to its lateral surface. The body is freely oriented in the diametric plane of the axis of rotation of the rotor with the possibility of its fixing in the shifted position. The rotor from the side of discharge pipe has blades that perform the functions of the classifier. The charge pipe is equipped with a device to control a supply of air or water to the central part of the rotor.
US09327289B2
A mineral material processing plant includes a frame having two or more upper support surfaces and a jaw crusher including a crusher body having at least two bottom support surfaces at a distance from each other. The processing plant further includes at least one damper to be arranged in between the bottom and upper support surfaces which damper includes a first counter surface for the bottom support surface and a second counter surface for the upper support surface and an elastic material layer between the counter surfaces and preferably a slide joint between the first counter surface and the bottom or upper support surface. A method for damping a jaw crusher in a mineral material processing plant is also disclosed.
US09327282B2
Described herein is a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst treatment system that includes a vanadium-based SCR catalyst contaminated with a water-soluble contaminant. The SCR catalyst treatment system also includes a water delivery system that is configured to apply water to the vanadium-based SCR catalyst to remove the water-soluble contaminant from the vanadium-based SCR catalyst.
US09327277B2
The present invention provides a fibrous IM-5 molecular sieve and the preparation process thereof. According to the process according to the present invention, by adding an appropriate amount of a quaternary ammonium salt with a long carbon chain to the preparation system so as to occur a synergistic action with the organic templet agent, an IM-5 molecular sieve which would be otherwise a rodlike form is converted into the fibrous form. The IM-5 molecular sieve according to the present invention has an aspect ratio greater than that of the rodlike IM-5 molecular sieve obtained according to the prior art, such that the proportion of the exposed periphery crystal face is higher, which benefit to increasing the selectivity of the catalytic reaction for the corresponding crystal face.
US09327276B2
The present invention relates to a catalyst for glycerin dehydration, a preparation method thereof, and a preparation method of acrolein, and more particularly, to a catalyst for glycerin dehydration which minimizes by-product formation during glycerin dehydration to improve acrolein selectivity and maintains high catalytic activity during reaction.
US09327269B2
A stationary phase that increases the number of column stages and that exhibits an excellent molecular discrimination ability is realized by a stationary phase that contains a polymer having, in main chain repeat units, an aromatic ring that forms a portion of the main chain and a bipolar atomic group that forms a portion of the main chain, wherein the stationary phase has a specific surface area of 5 to 1000 m2/g.
US09327265B2
Methods and systems are provided for converting methane in a feed stream to acetylene. The hydrocarbon stream is introduced into a supersonic reactor and pyrolyzed to convert at least a portion of the methane to acetylene. The reactor effluent stream may be treated to convert acetylene to a process stream having aromatic compounds. The acetylene stream can be reacted to generate larger hydrocarbon compounds, which are passed to a cyclization and aromatization reactor to generate aromatics. The method according to certain aspects includes controlling the level of carbon oxides in the hydrocarbon stream.
US09327255B2
By situating a mixing pot in a junction of a first solution and a second solution or after the junction in a channel to temporarily retain these solutions, and situating an analysis sensor downstream from the mixing pot to detect the result of reaction of the first solution and second solution, heterogeneous solutions are mixed so as to react within the channel, and chemical analysis of one of the solutions is performed. According to this system, before the solutions have fully flowed through the remainder of the channel following the junction, the solutions are mixed uniformly at once by the turbulent and vortex flow generated within the mixing pot.
US09327254B2
A mixing process is provided for the valorization of used cooking oils. The mixing process takes place in a particularly efficient way and includes supplying a given load (A) of used cooking oils and a corresponding load (B) of a solidifying composition to a mixing device. Thermal energy is supplied and in particular, an initial amount of thermal energy is supplied to cause the mixing temperature to reach a given temperature level. An additional amount of thermal energy is also supplied during a given mixing period. The solidifying composition includes a processing compound that includes at least two substances, one of which is of a wax type and the other is one of stearic acid, aromatic, coloring substances and additives.
US09327251B2
The invention provides a microbubble generation system with increased efficiency and flexibility compared to known systems. Further, the invention provides a method of microbubble generation. In particular, invention relates to increasing the efficiency of a fermentation reaction by reducing bubble size and increasing gas absorption into a liquid fermentation broth.
US09327244B2
In a first aspect, a method for forming a ionic polymer membrane, comprises: (i) polymerising a mixture of one or more first monomers to form an ionic polymer membrane; (ii) soaking the polymer membrane of (i) into a mixture of one or more second monomers, for a sufficient length of time to allow the solution to penetrate through the entire polymer membrane; and (iii) polymerising the monomer-coated polymer of step (ii) to form an essentially homogenous ionic polymer. In a second aspect, a method for forming a catalyst-coated ionic polymer membrane, comprises: (i) polymerising a mixture of one or more first monomers to form an ionic polymer membrane; (ii) dipping the polymer of (i) into a mixture of one or more second monomers; (iia) depositing a catalyst onto the monomer-coated polymer; (iii) polymerising the monomer-coated polymer of step (iia). The present invention also includes membranes formed using these methods.
US09327243B2
An aircraft fuel tank flammability reduction method includes feeding pressurized air into an air separation module containing an oxygen separation membrane. The method includes contacting the separation membrane with the air feed, permeating oxygen from the air feed through the separation membrane, and producing nitrogen-enriched air from the air separation module as a result of removing oxygen from the air feed. The NEA from the air separation module is substantially cooled in a NEA flow heat exchanger and the substantially cooled, nitrogen-enriched air is fed into the fuel tank on board the aircraft. An aircraft fuel tank flammability reduction system includes a NEA flow heat exchanger configured to cool substantially the nitrogen-enriched air from the air separation module and a fuel tank on board the aircraft configured to receive the cooled nitrogen-enriched air.
US09327241B2
A method for treating a contaminated alkaline amino acid salt solution is provided. First, carbon dioxide is introduced into the amino acid salt solution, with the result that carbonate or carbonate salts is or are precipitated, these being filtered off. The remaining filtrate is then cooled, amino acid or amino acid salts being crystallized out and likewise being filtered off. The amino acid or amino acid salt is then dissolved again, with the result that a treated amino acid salt solution is recovered.
US09327236B2
A wet type flue-gas desulfurization apparatus, into which exhaust gas containing mercury goes, includes an upstream absorption tower, an upstream absorbent spray nozzle and a make-up water supply unit on an upstream side of a desulfurization apparatus body in a flow direction of the gas. The upstream absorption tower has a circulation tank reserving absorbent slurry. The make-up water supply unit supplies make-up water into the circulation tank to keep the chloride ion concentration of the absorbent in the circulation tank not lower than 50,000 ppm. Thus, it is possible to provide a wet type flue-gas desulfurization apparatus by which Hg can be prevented from being released again from the desulfurization apparatus, the purity of recovered gypsum can be increased and the usage of industrial water can be reduced.
US09327227B2
Various examples of the inventive subject matter include a method and corresponding system for fabricating a combination paint arrestance filter for use in the painting industry. Embodiments of the system include a single-stage combination filter having a number of first layer media pockets and a number of second layer media pockets arranged downstream of the first layer pockets. An opening of each of the first layer media pockets is arranged in parallel with one another to receive an incoming airflow into the single-stage combination filter. Each of the second layer media pockets is at least 99.97% efficient at removing 0.3 micron and larger particles at a face velocity on the filter of about 37 meters per minute.
US09327222B2
A sealed honeycomb structure which can suppress increase of pressure loss and improve durability favorably is disclosed. A sealed honeycomb structure 100 including includes a honeycomb structure having porous walls dividedly forming inlet cells and outlet cells, an outlet side sealing portion, and an inlet side sealing portion, wherein an opening area of the inlet cell is larger than an opening area of an outlet cell on a cross-section of the honeycomb structure, wherein at least one outlet cell is a reinforced cell where a reinforcing part for reinforcing the outlet cell is formed at at least one corner portion at which the walls on a cross-section vertical to an extending direction of the cell cross each other, and wherein the inlet cell is a non-reinforced cell where the reinforcing part is not formed at all the corner portions at which the walls on the cross-section vertical to the extending direction of the cell cross each other.
US09327211B2
One exemplary embodiment can be a process for removing carbonyl sulfide in a gas phase hydrocarbon stream. The process may include combining the gas phase hydrocarbon stream with another stream including an alkali and an alkanolamine, and passing the combined stream to a prewash zone including a vessel. The gas phase hydrocarbon may include carbonyl sulfide, and the alkali can include at least one of potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, and ammonia. Usually, the vessel contains a contacting zone and a coalescing zone for removing the carbonyl sulfide.
US09327208B2
Disclosed is a process/system for the fractionation of bio-oil, produced from the thermo-catalytic conversion of biomass, into boiling point fractions. The fractionation of the bio-oil is performed using molecular distillation under conditions which minimize the thermal stress to the bio-oil and fractions obtained therefrom.
US09327205B2
A kinetic entertainment device comprises one or more elongated flexible strips anchored to a surface either directly or via a base. As a result, the strip can be modified into a desired static shape and, upon excitation, a corresponding kinetic (i.e., motion) shape.
US09327199B2
Some implementations may include one or more servers to host multiple game instances of game modules. The one or more servers may determine whether a difference between a total rendering time to render output data for the multiple game instances and a rendering capacity of the one or more processors is less than a predetermined rendering threshold. In response to determining that the difference between the total rendering time and the rendering capacity of the one or more processors is less than the predetermined rendering threshold, the one or more servers may adjust a rendering complexity associated with one or more of the plurality of game instances.
US09327198B2
A method and system for managing a challenge event. At least two participants are selected to participate in the challenge event based on determining that the participants are expected to perform well in the challenge event. Selection of the participants utilizes data elements provided for managing the challenge event. Assets of computer code are provided to the participants for assisting the participants to deliver respective submissions as outcomes of participation by the participants in the challenge event. The challenge event is conducted with the participants.
US09327197B2
A method and system for conducting a challenge event. The challenge event is communicated to at least two participants in a form of an event specification. A proposal for a solution that meets the specification is received from each participant. Only one participant is chosen from the at least two participants, based on the proposal previously received from each participant. The solution is received in a form of a document or computer code from the chosen only one participant.
US09327195B2
Disclosed systems and methods facilitate a server-based gaming environment. In one implementation, a method includes transmitting a video stream of a gaming environment and a region definition for an object in the gaming environment to a client device. A result of a comparison of a location of a selection input in the gaming environment to the region definition is received from a client device. The result indicates that the location of the selection input identifies an area within the region definition. The object is selected based on the selection input corresponding to the region definition.
US09327191B2
A pivoting camera viewpoint is provided so that when an animated game character uses a bow and arrow or other weapon, the camera adopts a third person 3D view based on the relative position of the game character and the target that game character is aiming his bow at. The user positions a target cursor on the desired target. This causes an imaginary line segment or plane to be drawn in 3D space between the desired target and the game character (or possibly the game character's bow). The imaginary line segment or plane continues through and past the game character, and the character keeps the weapon, if it is a missile weapon, pointed along this line segment. Additionally, the player can lock onto a target, and freely move a character around. While in lock-on mode, the camera automatically repositions itself to keep both the character and the target visible to a player.
US09327189B2
An in-vehicle gaming system may be played by a driver alone, or simultaneously or individually by a driver and/or one or more other users. The in-vehicle gaming system may be activated or controlled by, for example, touch, voice, or gesture. Gameplay is dynamically adjusted based at least in part on environmental factors such that the driver is not distracted from driving the vehicle. Game content is generated based at least in part on environmental factors and user data.
US09327181B2
A ski system includes a ski, a heel binding provided on an upper surface of the ski, a toe binding mount provided on the upper surface of the ski forward of the heel binding, a toe binding releasably mounted to the toe binding mount, and a quick-release locking mechanism for locking the toe binding to the toe binding mount. The quick-release locking mechanism is configured for release by hand.
US09327175B2
A baseball training device for batting with a level swing called a Swing Plane. It relates to a product that is developed as a training device for a large number of swing repetitions in order to create muscle memory. The device is built with a frame having a spreader base, vertical telescoping members and a top structure for hanging flexible cords and a baseball.
US09327172B2
The golf club head has a body comprising a crown portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, heel portion, hosel portion, rear portion, and a front portion including a striking face. At least one or more portions of the body of the golf club head is made out of at least one or more mid-density materials. The at least one mid-density material or composite of mid-density materials have a density within a range from about 4.5 g/cm3 to 7.9 g/cm3. The mid-density material or composite of mid-density materials provide sufficient stiffness at a reduced weight to optimize the center of gravity and moment of inertia of the golf club head. Also, by using mid-density materials, discretionary weight of the golf club head is increased which can be used to position higher density weights at selective portions of the golf club head.
US09327157B1
A manually controlled and driven resistance exercise machine is provided. The exercise machine enables a user to stimulate his/her muscles by various concentric, isometric and/or eccentric exercises. The machine has a generally horizontal platform and a vertical tower wherein both the generally horizontal platform and the vertical tower have an interior which contain a rope, gears and/or a pulley. A second person manually controls the resistance and velocity of the rope by controlling a crank or wench on the vertical tower. The person exercising consistently pushes up on the bar, handles, straps, hooks or the like while the second person alters the downward force of the bar, handles, straps, hooks or the like by controlling the crank or wench.
US09327156B2
Disclosed is a muscle toning garment with detachable, interchangeable resistance elements. The garment provides resistance training throughout an angular range of motion. The garment may be low profile, and worn by a wearer as a primary garment or beneath conventional clothing. Toning may thereby be accomplished throughout the wearer's normal daily activities, without the need for access to conventional exercise equipment. Alternatively, the device may be worn as a supplemental training tool during conventional training techniques.
US09327154B2
An exercise equipment for pace training may include a connecting unit and an extension rod. The connecting unit is square has four side surfaces and a top surface, and a connecting opening is formed on each of the side surfaces, and the top surface has four restricting openings connecting with the connecting opening. The connecting portion is formed at one end of the extension rod and the connecting portion has a resilient piece with a reverse hook, and the connecting portion is configured to plug into the connecting opening of the connecting unit, while the resilient piece is configured to engage with the restricting opening to connect the connecting unit and the extension rod.
US09327152B2
A fire extinguisher system comprising a conduit and at least one storage, with at least one valve connected to the at least one storage responsive to a heat event within the conduit.
US09327141B2
Systems, methods, and related computer program products for image-guided radiation treatment (IGRT) are described. Provided according to one preferred embodiment is an IGRT apparatus including a barrel-style rotatable gantry structure that provides high mechanical stability, versatility in radiation delivery, and versatility in target tracking. Methods for treatment radiation delivery using the IGRT apparatus include conical non-coplanar rotational arc therapy and cono-helical non-coplanar rotational arc therapy. A radiation treatment head (MV source) and a treatment guidance imaging system including a kV imaging source are mounted to and rotatable with a common barrel-style rotatable gantry structure, or alternatively the MV and kV sources are mounted to separate barrel-style rotatable gantry structures independently rotatable around a common axis of rotation. Methods for intra-fraction target tracking in a gantry-style IGRT system based on comparisons between a pre-acquired planning image and intrafraction x-ray tomosynthesis images and/or intrafraction cone beam CT (CBCT) images are also described.
US09327140B2
A beam data processing apparatus has a plurality of channel data conversion units that convert a plurality of analogue signals outputted from a position monitor into digital signals, a position size processing unit that calculates a beam position, based on voltage information items obtained through processing by the plurality of channel data conversion units, an abnormality determination processing unit that determines the beam position and generates a position abnormality signal, and an integrated control unit that controls the plurality of channel data conversion units in such a way that while a beam is stopped at an irradiation spot, digital signal conversion processing is implemented two or more times; the channel data conversion unit has a plurality of A/D converters, a demultiplexer that distributes analogue signals, and a multiplexer that switches respective digital signals processed by the A/D converters so as to output them to the position size processing unit.
US09327136B2
A magnetic device for magnetic therapy, the device comprising a magnetic drum having an inner surface and an outer surface, a plurality of permanent magnets, a hollow safety sleeve, and an electric motor for powering the magnetic device by means of a power source. The plurality of permanent magnets is positioned on the inner surface of the magnetic drum so as to form a helical pattern thereon. The magnetic drum is positioned in the hollow safety sleeve and connected to an output shaft of the electric motor by means of a plurality of bearings. The electric motor rotates the magnetic drum and the plurality of permanent magnets to produce an oscillating magnetic field for use in magnetic therapy.
US09327134B2
An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats a medical condition of a patient through application of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation pulses applied at a target tissue location, such as an acupoint. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates EA stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.
US09327129B2
Techniques for classification of a posture state of a patient using multiple posture state definitions, and for delivering therapy according to the patient's classified posture state. Detected parameter values describing a patient's posture state are compared to posture state definitions. This comparison is used to determine similarity values describing how similar the patient's posture state is to each of the posture states described by the posture state definitions. Weighting factors may be determined from the similarity values and used to weight therapy parameter values that are associated with each of the posture state definitions. The resulting weighted therapy parameter values may be used to derive a blended therapy parameter value for use in delivering therapy to the patient. The patient's posture state may be expressed in terms of a blending of the multiple posture state definitions.
US09327118B2
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating bronchial constriction related to asthma, anaphylaxis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The treatment comprises transmitting impulses of energy non-invasively to selected nerve fibers that are responsible for smooth muscle dilation. The transmitted energy impulses, comprising magnetic and/or electrical, mechanical and/or acoustic, and optical and/or thermal energy, stimulate the selected nerve fibers.
US09327110B2
Devices, systems and methods are provided for the targeted treatment of movement disorders. Typically, the systems and devices are used to stimulate one or more dorsal root ganglia while minimizing or excluding undesired stimulation of other tissues, such as surrounding or nearby tissues, ventral root and portions of the anatomy associated with body regions which are not targeted for treatment. The dorsal root ganglia are utilized in particular due to their specialized role in movement. It is in these areas that sensory fibers are isolated from motor fibers. Sensory fibers are involved in a variety of reflexes that are involved in movement control, and these reflexes can be utilized in the treatment of various movement disorders. Thus, by stimulating sensory fibers in these areas, fundamental reflexes can be affected to lessen the symptoms of movement disorders.
US09327106B2
An implantable portal includes a septum that has embedded therein a plurality of formations that together form an indicia adapted to identify at least one characteristic of the portal. The formations are configured from impressions formed on different layers of the septum spatially separated along the vertical axis of the septum. The impressions are filled with a radiopaque material. The superposed formations do not overlap when viewed from atop the septum. When viewed under radiographic imaging from the top of the septum, a 3-D identification indicia is presented to the viewer. The 3-D indicia may be used as a 3-D marker to focus the location of the septum where a needle to access the fluid reservoir of the portal may be inserted.
US09327100B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for selective drug or fluid delivery in a lumen through a coating or fluid delivery channels. One system includes an elongate catheter having a proximal end and a distal end with an axis therebetween, the catheter having a radially expandable balloon near the distal end and an energy delivery portion proximate the balloon for transmission of energy, a thermally changeable coating having a releasable drug coupled to the balloon, the thermally changeable coating being oriented to be urged against the body tissue when the expandable balloon expands and an energy source operatively coupled to the energy delivery portion configured to energize the energy delivery portion to heat and liquefy the thermally changeable coating to release the drug to the body tissue.
US09327098B2
Provided is a fixation device for retaining a skin penetrating medical device, such as a cannula, on the skin of a patient. The fixation device includes a retaining component including a support layer having an adhesive coating, and a landing zone component, including a support layer having an adhesive coating, the landing zone component being adapted to be adhesively attached to the skin around the point of penetration. The retaining component acts as a skin-contacting component and is adapted to be applied on top of the landing zone component, and at least partially cover the medical device, such that the adhesive coating of the retaining component is applied to the support layer of the landing zone component. The adhesive coating of the retaining component includes a first adhesive, and the adhesive coating of the landing zone component includes a second adhesive, the first adhesive being different from the second adhesive.
US09327089B2
A method for ventilating a patient with a ventilator includes consecutively delivering a plurality of substantially equal volume amounts into a closed ventilator circuit during a ventilator self-test, receiving a pressure measurement for each volume delivery, calculating a change in pressure for each volume delivery, consecutively releasing a plurality of substantially equal volume amounts from the closed ventilator circuit during the ventilator self-test, calculating a change in pressure for each volume release, fitting the calculated change in pressure data for volume delivery and volume release to an inhalation non-linear model equation and an exhalation non-linear model equation, respectively, deriving one or more inhalation tubing compliance compensation coefficients from the inhalation non-linear model equation, and deriving one or more exhalation tubing compliance compensation coefficients from the exhalation non-linear model equation.
US09327085B2
A used needle is inserted in a housing of a needle apparatus disabling device. As the needle is pushed downwards sealing a collar opening and bears against a stationary cutter blade. The needle is pushed further into the device where it contacts upper and lower electrodes. An electric current passes through the needle, which causes it to become heated resistively to destruction. A voltage drop between the electrodes is detected by a processor activating a motor driven movable cutter blade which then severs a remaining stub or remnant of the needle portion and simultaneously urges the severed stub downwardly onto the electrodes to ensure its complete destruction. During this process any sparks or airborne contaminants, or combustion gases are prevented from escaping through the opening by the sealing action of the apparatus.
US09327080B2
A piston for a medical hollow body such as a syringe or a carpule includes at least one sliding surface for contact with the hollow body. The piston has at least one receiving area in which a lubricant can be received, and at least one dispensing mechanism for dispensing the at least one lubricant from the at least one receiving area to the at least one sliding surface.
US09327077B2
A system includes a medicament delivery device and a container configured to receive at least a portion of the medicament delivery device. The medicament delivery device includes an actuator and a first electronic circuit system. The actuator is configured to initiate delivery of a medicament into a body when the actuator is moved from a first position to a second position. The first electronic circuit system is configured to output a first electronic signal when the actuator is moved from the first position to the second position. The container includes a second electronic circuit system configured to receive the first electronic signal. The second electronic circuit system is configured to output a second electronic signal associated with the first electronic signal.
US09327068B2
An improved intravascular blood pump and related methods involving the broad inventive concept of equipping the intravascular blood pump with guiding features such that the intravascular blood pump can be selectively positioned at a predetermined location within the circulatory system of a patient.
US09327062B2
The present invention provides an implantable device having a biosoluble coating comprising a polyelectrolyte and a counterion and the methods of making and using the same.
US09327059B2
Biocompatible intraocular implants include a steroid and an auxiliary agent, where the auxiliary agent is present in an amount sufficient to lessen the severity of at least one side effect compared to the use of an otherwise identical implant lacking said auxiliary agent. The steroid and the auxiliary agent may be present on the same intraocular implant or on different implants. The steroid and auxiliary agent may be associated with a biodegradable polymer matrix, such as a matrix of a two biodegradable polymers. Or, the steroid may be associated with a polymeric coating having one or more openings effective to permit the steroid to be released into an external environment. The implants containing the steroid and an auxiliary agent may be placed in an eye to treat one or more ocular conditions while reducing the side effects otherwise accompanying steroid use.
US09327057B1
An MRI compatible medical device includes a non-magnetic metal alloy portion having a bulk portion including a first and a second metal. A surface of the metal alloy portion includes an integral MRI heating resistant surface structure having a thickness ≧3 nanometers. The non-magnetic metal alloy portion is structurally different from the bulk portion and includes a lamellar nanostructure or microstructure. The MRI heating resistant surface structure can include (i) a matrix phase including the first and second metal having nanometer or micron scale particles, precipitates and/or inclusions that differ in chemical composition and physical characteristics of the matrix phase and are discontinuously distributed therein; (ii) a level of crystallinity at least 5% less than the bulk portion; and/or (iii) metal atoms different from the first and second metal having a concentration profile evidencing diffusion into the metal alloy portion.
US09327054B2
The embodiments herein relate to a conduit comprising an insulating material in a form of a tube having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface having carbon nanotubes.
US09327038B2
The present invention provides radiotherapeutic agents and compositions and methods for making and using the same. In some embodiments, the radiotherapeutic agent is a nanoparticle comprising a radionuclide and a carrier moiety. In some embodiments, the radionuclide is produced by activating a stable activatable particle via neutron activation.
US09327015B2
A method of correcting spinal deformity, which includes locating pharmaceutical-loaded implants adjacent to targeted spinal growth plates, and then eluting the pharmaceutical onto the growth plates. Preferably, the method involves correcting spinal deformity by simply inserting a pharmaceutical-eluting pedicle screw onto the concave side of a scoliotic curve. In some embodiments, the screw has a cannulated internal reservoir that contains a growth-inhibiting pharmaceutical (such as a tetracycline) and at least one fenestration that allows the pharmaceutical to elute onto the vertebral body growth plate.
US09326997B2
A kit for treating Oligoovulation and/or Oligomenorrhea and/or Amenorrhea comprising a menstruation inducing composition comprising effective amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-1, Vitamin B-2, Vitamin B-3, Vitamin B-5, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-7, Vitamin B-9, Vitamin B-12, Iron, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Molybdenum, Boron, and Choline; and an ovulation regulating composition comprising effective amounts of calcium citrate, and magnesium citrate/aspartate.
US09326994B2
Amine functional polyamides comprise amine and ammonium groups along the polymer chain. Amine functional polyamides can be used as pharmaceutical agents and in pharmaceutical compositions. The amine functional polyamides are particularly useful in the treatment or prevention of mucositis and infection, specifically oral mucositis, surgical site infection, and lung infection associated with cystic fibrosis.
US09326993B2
Reduction of HSP27 expression is in beneficial in the treatment of pleural and pulmonary fibrosis and in particular subpleural fibrosis and IPF. Pharmaceutical compositions for this purpose contain an inhibitor of HSP27 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
US09326985B2
Heteroaryl pyridone and aza-pyridone amide compounds of Formula I are provided, and various substituents including stereoisomers, tautomers, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, useful for inhibiting Btk, and for treating cancer and immune disorders such as inflammation mediated by Btk. Methods of using compounds of Formula I for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis, and treatment of such disorders in mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions, are disclosed.
US09326979B2
An object of the invention is to provide a transdermal absorption preparation capable of sustaining the blood morphine concentration at an effective level over at least 48 hours, etc. This transdermal absorption preparation comprises a medicinal composition for transdermal absorption in which an active ingredient selected from morphine and salts thereof is blended in such an amount as corresponding to the saturation solubility or more in an active ingredient-holding vehicle having fluidity at a temperature around the human skin surface temperature and at least a portion of the active ingredient is held in a crystalline form, characterized in that, in the case where a preparation obtained from the above-described medicinal composition for transdermal absorption is applied to the uninjured skin of the back of a white rabbit having been shaven with electrical clippers for 72 hours, the available amount of the active ingredient per single dose of the preparation is from 10 mg to 400 mg in terms of morphine base, and the plasma concentrations of the active ingredient 24 hours and 48 hours after the application of the preparation under the above-described conditions are each at least 40 ng/mL in terms of morphine base, and so on.
US09326967B2
A composition is provided that includes a cannabinoid capable of inducing a pharmacological effect, an ester, a condensation aerosol, and a carrier liquid solution of food grade materials. The cannabinoid may include a bio-active ingredient receivable by a cannabinoid receptor and/or an acetylcholine receptor. The pharmacological effect may be produced by reception of tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, or mixtures thereof. The composition may also include ethanol, flavoring agents, and aromatherapy agents. The composition is deliverable to a user via vaporization. A method is provided for creating a pharmacological effect using the composition.
US09326965B2
Described herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising fumarate esters, methods for making the same, and methods for treating subjects in need thereof. In particular, oral pharmaceutical compositions comprising controlled release fumarate esters are described.
US09326961B2
This invention provides a method of improving mood and learning capacity in a mammal by giving the mammal a meal of low protein food, followed by a second meal of high glycemic index carbohydrate. A composition to be given to a mammal to improve mood and learning capacity and to reduce aggressive behavior contains at least one tyrosine uptake competitive amino acid in a ratio of 0.5% to 2% to protein. The tyrosine competitive amino acid preferred is leucine, isoleucine or valine.
US09326958B2
The present specification discloses pharmaceutical compositions, methods of preparing such pharmaceutical compositions, and methods and uses of treating a chronic inflammation and/or an inflammatory disease in an individual using such pharmaceutical compositions.
US09326956B2
Disclosed are methods for enhancing neural function in an individual, such as an older adult. The methods include administering nutritional compositions comprising HMB to the individual. The nutritional compositions provide benefits for individuals that have or may be at risk of having cognitive decline, cognitive impairment, and neural dysfunction, typically resulting from cognitive diseases associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
US09326950B2
The invention provides a method of handling a hydrophobic agent, which method comprises (a) combining in an aqueous solution (i) a hydrophobic agent and (ii) an isolated peptide that is a structural analog of a transmembrane domain of an integral membrane protein, wherein one terminus of the peptide has one or more negatively charged residues, and (b) allowing the peptide to self-assemble into nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles comprise the hydrophobic agent.
US09326949B2
Biocompatible intraocular implants, such as microparticles, include a prostamide component and a biodegradable polymer that is effective in facilitating release of the prostamide component into an eye for an extended period of time. The prostamide component may be associated with a biodegradable polymer matrix, such as a matrix of a two biodegradable polymers. Or, the prostamide component may be encapsulated by the polymeric component. The present implants include oil-in-oil emulsified implants or microparticles. Methods of producing the present implants are also described. The implants may be placed in an eye to treat or reduce a at least one symptom of an ocular condition, such as glaucoma.
US09326947B1
Described herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising fumarate esters, methods for making the same, and methods for treating subjects in need thereof. In particular, oral pharmaceutical compositions comprising controlled release fumarate esters are described.
US09326946B2
According to the present invention, a multilayer tablet showing suppressed layer separation and a production method thereof are provided. A concave portion having a depth of not less than 0.1 mm Ka is formed on at least one surface Sa of the both front and back surfaces (Sa, Sb) of a multilayer tablet. Particularly, a multilayer structure obtained by, in tableting, forming a convex portion for forming the concave portion on at least the upper punch, and preliminarily compressing all layers in the multilayer tablet with the upper punch to form a concave portion having the same shape with a depth of not less than 0.1 mm on the upper surface of all layers, wherein the powder materials of the next layer are protruding into the concave portion, is a preferable embodiment.
US09326943B1
A body compatible and resorbable prosthesis has a tubular body incorporating denatured gelatin sponge material, either as a unitary gelatin sponge or as fragmented or powdered sponge material dispersed throughout a structurally self supporting medium. One version of the prosthesis uses the fragmented or powdered form of the gelatin sponge and is substantially homogeneous. An alternative prosthesis employs an inner tubular layer of gelatin film. The gelatin film layer is surrounded by an outer tubular layer, formed either of the gelatin sponge or the fragmented medium incorporating the gelatin sponge dispersion.
US09326939B2
The present invention provides liposome targeting compounds for targeting cells expressing sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin (Siglec). The liposome compounds typically comprise a binding moiety that is a glycan ligand of the Siglec on the target cell. The liposome compounds also incorporate or encapsulate a biological agent (e.g., an antigen or a therapeutic agent) that can be delivered to the target cell to modulate or kill the target cell. The invention also provides methods of using the liposome targeting compounds for targeted delivery of antigen and for modulating immune cells or immune responses.
US09326938B2
An oligomer-contained nanoparticle complex is provided. The oligomer-contained nanoparticle complex of the invention comprises (a) a nanoparticle, (b) a polymer with high molecule weigh, (c) a target molecule, (d) an oligomer, wherein the oligomer is crosslinked with the polymer by the intermolecular hydrogen bonds or electron bonds, and e) a space for active substances, wherein the space for active substances is encapsulated by the nanoparticle. The oligomer-contained nanoparticle complex of the invention has the high stability and fast drug release rate, and would not be largely accumulated in normal tissues. The invention also provides a method for preparing the oligomer-contained nanoparticle complex and the method for releasing drug.
US09326936B2
The present invention relates to the field of antimicrobial agents. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of aerosolized fluoroquinolones formulated with divalent or trivalent cations and having improved pulmonary availability for the treatment and management of bacterial infections of the lung and upper respiratory tract.
US09326928B2
A thick cleaning composition, comprising a long-chain fatty acyl acidic amino acid ester; a fatty compound of fatty acid, fatty alcohol, fatty alcohol ether or polyol fatty acid ester; a surfactant; a solvent composed of water, lower alcohol, polyol and polyol ether; and further comprising a beautifying and cleaning adjuvant for skin, eyes, teeth and hair. The cleaning composition can achieve satisfactory thick appearance when used for cleaning skin and hair, and maintain stable viscosity at different temperatures. In use, the composition can be easily daubed, and foams quickly with good foaming quality.
US09326927B2
The invention relates to the nontherapeutic cosmetic use of at least one cannabinoid compound chosen from the compounds corresponding to general formula (I): and also the geometric isomers and optical isomers thereof, the cosmetically acceptable acid or base salts thereof, and the hydrates thereof; in which compounds of formula (I): R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-C30 alkyl group; it being possible for said alkyl group to be optionally substituted with a hydroxyl (OH) group; R2 represents a halogen atom or a group chosen from hydroxyl, thiol (SH), and amino optionally substituted with one or two C1-C6 alkyl groups; R3 and R4 form, together with the carbon atom which bears them, an oxo group or else R3 and R4 represent a hydrogen atom; R5 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-C6 alkyl group; X represents a heteroatom chosen from oxygen and sulfur atoms and the divalent group —N(R6)—, with R6 representing a hydrogen atom or a C1-C6 alkyl group; represents a single or double bond; n is 1, 2 or 3, preferentially 1 or 2; it being understood that, when R3 and R4 together form an oxo group with the carbon atom which bears them and X represents an oxygen atom, then R1 cannot represent a hydroxymethyl group, as an agent for coloring keratin materials. It also relates to one of these specific cannabinoid compounds for use thereof in the treatment of vitiligo or pityriasis versicolor, to nontherapeutic cosmetic processes for coloring the skin or for treating canities, comprising the topical application to the skin and/or head hair, or the oral administration, of a composition comprising, in a physiologically acceptable medium, one of these cannabinoid compounds, and to a process for selecting an active agent which promotes the pigmentation of keratin materials.
US09326919B2
This patent application is for Enamel Bond, a chemical solution for creating tooth enamel that successfully bonds to the dentin layer and provides both structure and composition of true, natural enamel.
US09326914B2
Device (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d; 40) for extracting, storing and/or processing blood or other substances of human or animal origin, and for applying blood compounds or other biological compounds, which comprises a body (2; 41) inside which a piston (3; 42) is capable of moving longitudinally and is separable at least in part, where the body (2; 41) is provided with an internal space (9; 51) that may be connected to the outside by means of a conduit (6; 50) at a first end (4; 48) of the body (2; 41), where the body (2; 41) and the piston (3; 43) may be blocked longitudinally in at least one position to allow the creation of different degrees of vacuum. The device has multiple uses and is extremely versatile.
US09326911B2
A compression integument for applying controllable intermittent sequential compression to the limbs of a user comprises an elongated fabric body sized to encircle a limb of a user, one or more compressible pads affixed to a surface of the fabric body facing the limb when the fabric body is wrapped around the limb; one or more tensioning elements integrated into the fabric body or compressible pads and arranged to encircle the limb when the fabric body is wrapped around the limb, and a micro-processor based actuator for selectively actuating the one or more tensioning elements to reduce the effective diameter of the tensioning elements encircling the limb, to thereby apply pressure to the limb by way of the compressible pads.
US09326909B2
A therapeutic device for improving voluntary control of paretic muscles in a patient extremity is provided. The therapeutic device is designed to be portable and may be strapped onto a patient's wrist or ankle. The device employs a plurality of micro-motors configured to deliver vibratory sensations to a patient extremity as somatosensory inputs. Each micro-motor is dimensioned to reside on a patient's respective finger or along their foot. The therapeutic device also includes a micro-processor programmed to actuate the micro-motors for designated times and in pre-programmed sequences, and a housing containing the micro-processor. A method of using somatosensory input as a functional guidance to improve motor function in a patient extremity is also provided.
US09326901B2
A motor power device for wheelchairs of disabled users is removably mounted on the front of the wheelchair-in order to be controlled by the user while sitting on the wheelchair. The device has a motor unit provided with an electrical motor, an intermediate frame disposed between the motor unit and the wheelchair, first inclination adjusting means between the motor unit and the intermediate frame and second inclination adjusting means between the intermediate frame and a bearing frame of the wheelchair. The intermediate frame and the motor unit are mounted and dismounted easily and rapidly.
US09326899B2
An absorbent article comprises first and second substrates and one or more elastic elements disposed at least partially intermediate the substrates. The second substrate is attached to the first substrate and/or to portions of the elastic elements. The absorbent article comprises an adhesive having a first and second pattern of elements disposed on first substrate, and first and second texture zones. The first texture zone comprises a first portion of the substrates, a first portion of the elastic elements, and the first pattern of elements of the adhesive and forms a background pattern in the first portion of the substrates. The second texture zone comprises a second portion of the substrates, a second portion of the one or more elastic elements, and the second pattern of elements of the adhesive and forms a macro pattern in the second portion of the substrates.
US09326898B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include an array of front-fastenable disposable wearable absorbent articles with differing ear shapes. Each different ear shape corresponds to a body shape and activity level for a particular wearer. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first article, sized for a wearer of a first size, has a first side ear with a first side ear upper edge with concave portions, and a second article, sized for a wearer of a second size that is greater than the first size, has a second side ear with a second side ear upper edge with convex portions.
US09326896B2
The present disclosure relates to a process for making an absorbent core comprising a nonwoven core cover that offers improved performance on holding back fine particulate material after having been exposed to external strain.
US09326894B2
A material for use as a wound dressing, the material being in the form of a roll and comprising gel forming fibers and the material having lines of longitudinal stitching.
US09326886B2
An implant for treating obstructive sleep apnea includes a flexible chamber, a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the flexible chamber, and a fluid transfer assembly in communication with the fluid reservoir and the flexible chamber for transferring fluid therebetween for selectively modifying the rigidity of the flexible chamber. The flexible chamber is implantable within the soft tissue of an oropharyngeal airway of a patient, such as within the tongue, the soft palate, or the pharyngeal wall. The fluid reservoir and the fluid transfer assembly are implantable within the inframandibular region of the patient. The fluid transfer assembly is selectively engageable by the patient for transferring fluid between the two chambers for modifying the rigidity, flexibility, and/or shape of the flexible chamber with minimal or no change to the volume of the implant.
US09326877B2
An intragastric balloon and method of adding and/or removing fluid therefrom are disclosed. The intragastric balloon includes a shell, a grasping tab, and a self-sealing portion. A gastroscopic instrument which includes a grasping tool is inserted into the stomach of a patient and used to grasp the grasping tab located on the surface of the shell. Using the grasping tool, the intragastric balloon is securely fastened to the gastroscopic instrument. A filling instrument, such as a needle, is advanced through the self-sealing portion of the shell for the filling or deflating of the intragastric balloon. After inflation or deflation is complete, the filling instrument is then withdrawn from the balloon and the gastroscopic instrument withdrawn from the stomach.
US09326874B2
A stent introducer apparatus comprises a sheath for surrounding a stent member, with the sheath having a longitudinal slit extending from one end along at least a substantial part of the length thereof, and a sheath withdrawal device comprising a reel for winding up the sheath. A second sheath may surround the slit portion of the sheath. An intermediate guide member can smooth the withdrawal procedure and flatten the sheath before it is wound on the reel. The intermediate guide member may include at least one of a second reel or a slot-defining member. The reel may be operated by means of a gear system. A method of deploying a stent member is also provided.
US09326873B2
A valve loading system is provided that uses a valve loader to transfer a valve or other medical device from a storage cartridge into a deployment catheter. The valve or other medical device can be implanted or positioned within a patient using the catheter after the valve or other medical device has been compressed and loaded into the catheter using the valve loader. The process then can be repeated by using the valve loading system to load or introduce another valve or other medical device into the catheter.
US09326861B2
An intervertebral spacer and stabilization implant includes a plate having sockets configured for retaining a fastener passable through the socket and into an adjacent vertebral body. One or more connecting projections extend from a side of the plate, to mate with projections extending from a spacer body. A plurality of teeth project from at least one of the upper or lower surfaces of the spacer body, and a chamber is formed through the spacer body to enable bone fusion between the vertebrae. The combined plate and spacer may be inserted to lie completely within the intervertebral space, or a portion of the plate may overlie a vertebral body.
US09326859B2
A delivery device for an annular implant that includes a balloon expansion mechanism and an annular implant having an adjustable dimension. The balloon expansion mechanism includes an inflation tube attached to a non-occluding balloon collar which is supported by trusses radially extending from a trocar. The annular implant further includes a flexible ring core, contiguous coiled spacers, and anchoring blocks. The flexible ring core is adjusted via a cinching mechanism. The anchoring blocks are spaced along the ring core by the contiguous coiled spacers, which keeps the distance between each pair of anchoring blocks equidistant as the ring core diameter is manipulated by the device user. The annular implant can also include gunbarrel elements housed in the trocar. Each gunbarrel element contains a gunbarrel pusher which drives an attachment element into the annular implant and annular tissue.
US09326857B2
An implantable device system for controlling the dimensions of internal anatomic passages corrects physiologic dysfunctions resulting from a structural lumen which is either too large or too small. Implantable devices are disclosed which employ various mechanisms for adjusting and maintaining the size of an orifice to which they are attached. Systems permit the implants to be implanted using minimally invasive procedures and permit final adjustments to the dimensions of the implants after the resumption of normal flow of anatomic fluids in situ.
US09326850B2
A prosthetic device for use in an anatomical orifice or lumen of a patient includes an expandable first stent structure coupled to a valve support structure having at least one leaflet. The stent structure includes a collar provided with at least one groove or opening adapted to engage a tab extending from the valve support structure. Rotation of the stent structure and valve support structure relative to one another assembles the prosthetic valve device. The prosthetic valve device may be used for sutureless treatment of various valvular conditions such as aorta stenosis and mitral valve replacement.
US09326842B2
A blood filter delivery system for delivering a filter into a vein from either a femoral or jugular access. The preferred system includes an introducer and a push-rod with a spline member disposed along the push-rod and a pusher member disposed on a distal end. The spline member has a main body, first and second boss portions spaced apart along the longitudinal axis to provide a gap for retaining anchor members of the filter during delivery via the introducer. In an alternative embodiment, a preferred filter includes first and second filter structures diverging in opposite directions. A link is connected to portions of each of the first and second filter structures so that each filter structure can be independently collapsed into a generally cylindrical shape.
US09326839B2
Disclosed is a tension delivery device for preventing urinary incontinence, which includes: Retzius space-insertion portions which are respectively to be inserted into the Retzius spaces positioned on the left side and right side of the urethra and move in response to the pressure or the Retzius spaces; and a urethral support portion which extends convergently from the Retzius space-insertion portions and serves to support the urethra upward, wherein the lateral cross section of the urethral support portion becomes thinner from Retzius space-insertion portions toward the distal end, and a mesh structure may be provided along the outer surface of the tension transfer device. The device can sufficiently inhibit urinary incontinence, and is minimally invasive so that damage associated with an invasive method can be reduced.
US09326825B2
A patient mountable robot includes a four link mechanism, three actuators, and a first robot base. The mechanism includes four links that form a closed loop structure. The four links include a base link that includes a spherical joint. The mechanism provides two rotational degrees of freedom about the spherical joint for a needle that is configured to pass through the spherical joint. A first actuator is attached to the mechanism and moves the mechanism to provide the first of the two rotational degrees of freedom. A second actuator is attached to the mechanism and moves the mechanism to provide the second of the two rotational degrees of freedom. The base link of the mechanism passes through the first robot base. A third actuator is attached to the first robot base and linearly translates the base link so that a translational degree of freedom is provided for the needle.
US09326822B2
An instrument driver comprises a base and a jaw assembly coupled to the base. The jaw assembly includes a first jaw having a gripping surface and a second jaw having a gripping surface. The instrument driver further comprises a driver assembly operably coupled to the jaw assembly to advance an elongated member relative to the base by translating the first and second jaws toward each other, thereby closing the jaw assembly and gripping the member between the respective gripping surfaces of the first and second jaws, translating the jaw assembly in a first axial direction when the jaw assembly is closed, translating the first and second jaws away from each other, thereby opening the jaw assembly and releasing the member from between the respective gripping surfaces of the first and second jaws, and translating the jaw assembly in a second axial direction when the jaw assembly is opened.
US09326821B2
A medical device assembly includes a tunneler having a proximal end and a distal end and a carrier element fixed to the distal end of the tunneler. In various embodiments the carrier element is configured to be slidably disposed within a lead connection lumen. In various embodiments the carrier element includes a plurality of recesses configured to engage a lead extension set screw. In various embodiments the carrier element can freely rotate relative to the rest of the tunneler.
US09326819B2
An ablation system which transmits radio frequency (RF) energy for the ablation of biological tissues has a transmission line and an RF antenna disposed at the distal portion of the transmission line. An RF signal generator supplies RF energy to the proximal end of the cable for transmission to the antenna, and an electrically tunable transformer is connected between the signal generator and the antenna. The transformer is tuned based on detection of the reflected power level from the antenna so as to reduce or minimize reflected power, thereby increasing RF energy coupling between the antenna and tissue.
US09326816B2
Neuromodulation systems with nerve monitoring assemblies and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. A neuromodulation system configured in accordance with some embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a generator, a nerve monitoring assembly configured to detect electroneurogram (ENG) signals, and a neuromodulation catheter. The neuromodulation catheter can include an elongated shaft with a distal portion and a proximal portion. The distal portion of the shaft can include an array of electrodes configured to detect nerve activity from within a blood vessel of a human. The proximal portion of the shaft can include at least one connector that operably couples the electrodes to the generator and to the nerve monitoring assembly.
US09326813B2
A method for ablating tissue in or around the heart to create an enhanced lesion is provided. The distal end of a catheter including a needle electrode at its distal end is introduced into the heart. The distal end of the needle electrode is introduced into the tissue. An electrically-conductive fluid is infused through the needle electrode and into the tissue. The tissue is ablated after and/or during introduction of the fluid into the tissue. The fluid conducts ablation energy within the tissue to create a larger lesion than would be created without the introduction of the fluid.
US09326804B2
A bone anchoring element comprising a shaft (2) for anchoring in a bone, with a plurality of barb elements (7) arranged in at least one helical line around the shaft axis (M) is described, wherein said barb elements are elastically movable relative to the shaft. The bone anchoring element (1) is easy to press into a core hole bore in a bone. The barb elements (7) act in a similar manner as do the threads on a conventional bone screw and thus provide for depth positioning. Moreover, the barb elements at the same time secure the bone anchoring element and prevent it from sliding-out.
US09326801B2
A fenestrated bone screw and method of use is disclosed in which a bone cement injection tube may be readily and sealably connected to the head of the bone screw by means of a bayonet connector so that bone cement from a cement pump may be forced into a cannula of the bone screw and into the bone structure proximate the fenestrations of the bone screw. Upon completion of the injection of the bone cement, the cement tube may be readily disconnected from the bone screw in such manner that leakage of bone cement is minimized. A surgical method of injecting bone cement into bone structure using such a cannulated, fenestrated bone screw is also disclosed.
US09326799B2
Methods and apparatus for treating bones, including, in one or more embodiments, methods and apparatus for treatment of vertebral fractures that include a containment assembly for cement containment and/or a balloon assembly for maintaining vertebral height. A containment assembly comprising a containment jacket adapted to be deployed inside bone; and a dividing wall that separates the interior of the containment jacket into a proximal region and a distal region, the dividing wall having an opening for providing access to the distal region from the proximal region.
US09326797B2
The present invention relates to an interspinous implant, intended to be implanted between two adjacent dorsal spines, each including an upper edge, a lower edge and two opposed lateral faces, wherein the implant includes at least one body with dimensions arranged so as to maintain or restore a distance between the adjacent edges of the two spinous processes and including at least two wings extending so that at least a part of each wing lies along at least a part of one lateral face of one of the two spinous processes and, additionally, at least one retainer for the implant, designed to retain the body of the implant between the two spinous processes and to be inserted from the same lateral face as the body.
US09326793B2
A pericardial needle that punctures a pericardial membrane to attain access into a pericardial space of a heart by advancing a sharp tip until the sharp tip is adjacent to or in contact with a parietal pericardium of the heart such that the puncturing does not damage the heart muscle. The pericardial needle punctures the parietal pericardium when the heart muscle moves towards the pericardial needle, away from the pericardial needle, is at rest and/or is in synchronization with the systolic contraction period of the cardiac cycle of the heart. The synchronization may be provided based on a surface electrocardiogram, an arterial pressure, or a sensing pressure at the tip of the pericardial needle when the pericardial needle is adjacent into the parietal pericardium of the heart.
US09326784B2
A minimally invasive surgical assembly broadly includes an outer hollow needle which has an outer diameter of approximately 2 mm or smaller, and a coaxial surgical instrument having a shaft which extends through the outer hollow needle. The coaxial surgical instrument includes end effectors at the end of the shaft which are biased to an open position such that when the end effectors of the surgical instrument extend out of the needle they open, and they are closed by relative movement of the needle over them. The assembly preferably includes a first fixing element which is used to fix the relative location of the surgical instrument and the needle. The assembly also preferably includes a second fixing element which moves relative to the needle and is located on the outside thereof and which is used to fix the relative location of the needle to the patient.
US09326773B2
The present disclosure provides a surgical stapling device and a method for joining tissue portions. The surgical stapling device includes a handle assembly and a tubular body portion supported on a distal end of the handle assembly having a staple cartridge assembly containing a plurality of surgical staples in an annular array. An anvil assembly is at a distal end of the stapling device and has a shaft for removably connecting the anvil assembly to the tubular body portion. The anvil assembly and tubular body portion are juxtaposed with respect to one another along the shaft and are arranged so as to be approximated with respect to one another. A support member extends from the tubular body portion towards the anvil assembly and a buttress material is supported by the support member and removably attached to the support member.
US09326768B2
A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions is disclosed. Various embodiments of the present invention include a cartridge body that movably supports first and second staple drivers. The staple drivers each support a staple thereon and serve to drive the staples into forming contact with the anvil upon actuation by the actuator. The various embodiments of the present invention enable the final formed heights of the staples to be varied without the need to use different sizes of staples.
US09326766B2
A needle driver, comprising a first elongated body having a substantially hollow interior portion and a first and second end, a second elongated body having a substantially hollow interior portion slideably disposed in the first elongated body, a clamping device having a clamping end and a connected end, the clamping device at least partially disposed in the first elongated body and in the second elongated body, wherein the connected end is affixed to the first elongated body, and a slideable actuator affixed to the second elongated body.
US09326765B2
A device for suturing tissue includes a handle that has a proximal end and a distal end. The device also includes a generally hollow suturing needle including a pointed distal end, an opposite proximal end and an inner lumen having an suture exit port through which the suture exits. The device further includes a suture dispensing mechanism disposed within the handle and including an actuator which when manipulated by a user is configured to advance suture material within the handle such that the suture material is guided into the inner lumen of the hollow suturing needle and exits through the suture exit port. The device includes a safety mechanism that shields at least a portion of the needle.
US09326758B2
The invention pertains to a system, and related methods, for the percutaneous transluminal delivery and retrieval of a prosthetic occluder through a front-end loader. The prosthetic occluder may be, for example, an intracardiac occluder for a patent foramen ovale. The system includes, in one embodiment, a front-end loader having a beveled distal end. In another embodiment, the system includes a front-end loader having a chamfered rim at the beveled distal end.
US09326742B2
A hazardous fluid handling system which includes a housing having a radiation shielded internal chamber disposed therein which may accommodate a container holding a radioactive fluid, one or more radioactivity detectors positioned within the shielded internal chamber in operational proximity to the radioactive fluid in the container, and a dosimeter control device electronically coupled to the radioactivity detector(s) is disclosed. The dosimeter control device is operational for determining information regarding the radioactive fluid in the container based on individual measurements received from the one or more radioactivity detectors. The hazardous fluid handling system may be integrated into a patient support platform which includes a patient stimulus apparatus, an imager proximate the patient support platform, a radiopharmaceutical fluid delivery system for infusing a radiopharmaceutical fluid into a patient, a patient monitor to be associated with the patient, and an integrated system controller.
US09326740B2
A radiographic system is provided that can shorten the work time required for adjusting the initial values. The radiographic system comprises: an X-ray tube controller; an initial value calculator; and a storage. The X-ray tube controller is configured to control a filament current flowing through a filament of the X-ray tube for stabilizing the tube current at a desired value, the tube current otherwise tending to fluctuate at activation. The initial value calculator is configured to calculate an initial value for the filament current that is to be applied at next activation, based both on a stable value of the filament current while the tube current has been stable and on the image-capturing conditions at the time. The storage configured to store the calculated initial value, the image-capturing conditions, and a radiographic history that includes radiographed dates.
US09326732B2
An electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor includes an analog front end device configured to remove a DC offset in a first ECG signal received from a measuring electrode, and adjust a gain amplification value based on the first ECG signal. The analog front end device is configured to output an adjusted first ECG signal, the adjusted first ECG signal being based on the adjusted gain amplification value and the removed DC offset in the first ECG signal. The ECG sensor includes a digital signal processor configured to analyze and process the adjusted first ECG signal based on an algorithm and to output information. The analog front end device is configured to remove the DC offset in the first ECG signal during a first period, and remove a DC offset in a second ECG signal and simultaneously adjust a gain amplification value for the second ECG signal during a second period.
US09326728B2
Electronic devices, apparatus, systems, and methods of operating and constructing the devices, apparatus, and/or systems include a wireless sensor configured to measure strain of hardware implanted in a subject. In various embodiments, temporal measurement of the hardware strain includes monitoring changes of the resonant frequency of the sensor. The sensor can be realized as an inductively powered device that operates as an all-on-chip resonator, where the components of the sensor are biocompatible. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09326720B2
An electro-encephalography system includes an internal device for implantation below a scalp and above a skull of a patient, and an external device to be worn or carried outside the patient's body. The internal device includes a first electrode for receiving neurological signals originating from the patient's brain and a second electrode for receiving artifacts originating from sources other than the patient's brain. The external device includes a processing unit for receiving data from the internal device, mitigating the effects of the artifacts, and determining a neurological state of the patient. A therapy device is included to provide a therapy to the patient based on the patient's neurological state.
US09326717B2
Methods and systems for determining the concentration of one or more analytes from a sample such as blood or plasma are described. The systems described herein can be configured to withdraw a certain volume of sample from a source of bodily fluid, direct a first portion of the withdrawn sample to an analyte monitoring system and return a second portion of the sample to the patient. The analyte monitoring system can be connected to the source of bodily fluid via a connector that is configured to maintain uniform velocity across the connector and reduce the dead space volume.
US09326713B2
This invention relates to a system and method that can quickly and accurately detect and measure ethyl alcohol in the blood of a motorized vehicle driver transdermally and non-invasively within minutes of ethanol consumption and in the presence of interferents. The system includes an array of sensors embedded into the steering mechanism of a motorized vehicle, a data base of patterns produced through empirical testing of various analytes in various combinations and concentrations, neural net based pattern recognition algorithms to ascertain the driver's transdermal alcohol concentration and a database derived from human testing, correlating the driver's transdermal alcohol concentration with the driver's blood alcohol concentration. The detection system is integrated with a motor vehicle decision module which can prevent the operation of a motorized vehicle by a driver whose BAC exceeds a preset limit.
US09326708B2
A first sensor may be configured to measure a sensed amount of a physiological parameter and to generate a first signal based on the sensed amount of the physiological parameter measured by the first sensor. A second sensor may be configured to measure a temperature and to generate a second signal based on the temperate measured by the second sensor. A housing may have heat-generating electronics including a processor that may be configured to determine an overall amount of the physiological parameter based on the first signal generated from the first sensor and the second signal generated from the second sensor. The second sensor may be thermally insulated from the heat-generating electronics.
US09326706B2
Examples of systems and methods for profiling the hearing ability of a consumer are disclosed. One example includes a personal computer and a handheld device configured to produce calibrated acoustic output at suprathreshold levels above 20 db HL, and at step levels of 10-20 decibels, and presented test frequency bands across an audiometric frequency range from 400 to 8000Hz. The consumer's minimal audibility levels are registered, and a hearing profile score is presented to indicate hearing ability and hearing aid candidacy. In some embodiments, band-limited natural sounds are presented. Systems and methods disclosed herein, with considerations for noise present in the consumer's environment, allow for rapid calibrated hearing profiling, using a standard personal computer and minimal hardware, thus particularly suited for self-testing outside clinical environments such as at home or the office.
US09326695B1
The present invention relates to an electrode harness and more particularly to an electrode harness with various features, which enhance the use and performance of the electrode harness. The present invention further relates to a method of taking biopotential measurements. The electrode harness and methods of the present invention allow for use with most applications where biopotential measurements are taken. The electrode harness can be used in ECG (or EKG), EEG, EMG, and other such biopotential measurement applications. Because of the versatility of various embodiments of the present invention, preferably the electrode harness can be adjusted for different applications or for application to various sized and shaped subjects. The electrode harness is further preferably part of a system, which includes either wireless or tethered bridges between the electrode harness and a monitor, and preferably includes various forms of processors for analyzing the biopotential signal.
US09326692B2
A blood pressure measurement device is characterized in that the said device is designated to arithmetically apply to the computed blood pressure value a correction value that is in accordance with the difference in atmospheric pressure between the position of the blood pressure transmitting part and the position of the heart of the subject wearing the blood pressure transmitting part as obtained from the sensor signal, on the basis of the internal pressure variation of the blood pressure transmitting part.
US09326686B2
A system including a sensor and a device coupled to the sensor. The sensor is configured to detect in Animalia tissue (i) a first electromagnetic radiation extinction dominated by absorption of a first wavelength and (ii) a second electromagnetic radiation extinction dominated by scattering of a second wavelength. The device is configured to aid in diagnosing at least one of infiltration and extravasation in the Animalia tissue based on the first and second electromagnetic radiation extinctions detected by the sensor.
US09326675B2
The virtual vision correction technique described herein pertains to a technique for determining a user's vision characteristics and/or adjusting a display to a user's vision characteristics. The virtual vision correction technique described herein provides vision correction for people with vision problems by making the video displayed adapt to the person's vision correction needs. In one embodiment of the technique, the user can state their vision prescription needs and the video displayed is processed to appear “20/20” to that person. Alternatively, the video display, for example, video display glasses, can “auto-tune” a representative image (such as an eye chart) to determine the appropriate video processing for that person.
US09326673B2
A diagnostic device detects a layer boundary which facilitates the determination of layer thicknesses in the human eye. The device has a light source with a beam path which is designed to guide at least one measuring beam of the light source from the object plane of the light source into an intersecting region of the measuring beam with an optical axis in the eye, and an actuator designed to move the intersecting region along the optical axis. The beam path guides the measuring beam from a layer boundary into the sensor unit. An evaluation unit is designed to estimate and/or determine a layer thickness between a first and a second layer boundary.
US09326672B2
A device has a capacitive surface and a light source. A user of the device uses the capacitive surface to change the intensity of light emitted by the light source. To increase and decrease the intensity of the light emitted by the light source, the user touches the capacitive surface with one or more fingers.
US09326667B2
An apparatus and method for warming a medical scope to a temperature at or near body temperature in order to prevent fogging and remove debris. A system for warming medical scopes and a variety of other medical items is to be used in conjunction with a liquid warming device for heating sterile fluids. The anti-fogging apparatus is described with emphasis on the properties of said apparatus and its interaction with a liquid warming device with a removable basin. Also disclosed are various desirable aspects for an apparatus used to warm and clean medical scopes and other medical items before, during and after medical procedures.
US09326661B2
Endoscope imaging apparatus, including an endoscope, which is configured to be inserted into a body cavity of a patient and an image sensor configured by means of the endoscope to form an image of the body cavity, and to transmit image signals in response to the image formed. The apparatus further includes an optical transmitter, physically connected to the endoscope, and configured to receive the image signals, to encode the image signals, and to transmit optical radiation comprising the encoded image signals. An optical receiver with a mounting fixture is configured for connection to a light boom, and is also configured to receive the optical radiation, to decode the optical radiation to recover the image signals, and to transmit the recovered image signals. A camera control unit is configured to receive the recovered image signals and in response to display the image on a screen.
US09326655B2
A cleaning device includes a refillable handle, a scrubbing member, a plurality of bristles, and a squeegee. The refillable handle includes first and second end portions and a hollow interior configured to hold a cleaning fluid. The scrubbing member is positioned at the first end portion of the handle and arranged in flow communication with the hollow interior. The plurality of bristles are mounted to the handle. The squeegee is mounted to the second end portion of the handle.
US09326654B2
A roller brush for a cleaning appliance that includes a brush core defining a longitudinal axis of rotation and three or more dual rows of bristles disposed on and equidistantly spaced along a circumference the brush core. Each dual row of bristles includes a first bristle row of a first bristle composition and having a first height and a second bristle row of a second bristle composition stiffer than the first bristle composition and having a second height. The second bristle row is circumferentially spaced from the first bristle row by a gap less than or equal to 10% of the first height. Also, the first height is less than or equal to 90% of the second height.
US09326647B2
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus for dispensing absorbent sheet material from a roll. The apparatus includes a roll holder for rotatably supporting said roll, and a roll fill level indicator arrangement. The roll fill level indicator arrangement includes a pivoting arm and a moveable first indicator device. The pivoting arm includes roll engagement device for engagement with an outer peripheral surface of said roll. A position of said first indicator device is continuously responsive to an angular position of said pivoting arm, such that said roll fill level indicator arrangement is able to provide a gradual roll fill level indication.
US09326642B1
The handheld scrubbing assembly for selectively dispensing a detergent includes a reservoir that may contain a detergent. A brush is operationally coupled to the reservoir. The detergent is dispensed onto the brush. A tubular handle is operationally coupled to the reservoir. The tubular handle may be gripped. A cap is operationally coupled to the tubular handle. The cap is removed so the detergent is poured into the tubular handle. The detergent is stored in the reservoir.
US09326639B2
An oven comprising a housing, a cavity located within the housing, and a rotator having a first food loading section and a second food loading section is disclosed. The cavity includes a single opening for loading a food item into the cavity. If one of the first food loading section and the second food loading section is located outside of said cavity, then the other of the first food loading section and the second food loading section is located within said cavity. A first cook setting of the oven when the first food loading section is within the cavity and a second cook setting of the oven when the second food loading section is within the cavity are independently controllable. The first food loading section and the second food loading section may be separated by a divider, which prevents heat from escaping from the cavity through the opening.
US09326638B2
A bottle warmer includes a flexible tubular sleeve having a closed lower end and an open upper end. The open upper end is to receive a bottle therethough, and the closed lower end is to receive a bottom of the bottle thereagainst. An elastic band is carried by a medial portion of the flexible tubular sleeve to secure the medial portion to an adjacent portion of the bottle, and permit the open upper end to be folded back adjacent the closed lower end to define a pocket. A chemical heat source element is to be received by the pocket for warming the bottle.
US09326635B2
A beverage brewing package includes a cup and a filter bag. The filter bag is supported in an interior region formed in the cup.
US09326626B2
A tray for picnics and buffets that secures and stabilizes (anchors) tableware items is described that has a planar tray top with crossing inverted T-slots openings that accommodate anchoring slider tabs that present top attachment surfaces adapted for securing and anchoring tableware placed on the tray top at variable positions along the inverted T-slots. The bottom of the describe tray has an integral downturned peripheral rim sized slightly greater than the planar tray tops enabling a number of such trays to be stably stacked and stored.
US09326625B1
The present fliptop plates apparatus relates generally to a mateable plate apparatus and more particularly to an improved plate apparatus comprising a working surface of a first plate which complimentarily and lockingly can be mated with a working surface of a companion plate to form a receptacle, wherein preferably both plates have identical working surfaces, the plates may provide tactile feedback to users of the mateable plate apparatus, and the plates may be easily and optimally both stacked and unstacked.
US09326621B1
A food shield has shield panels that are location adjustable and angularly adjustable in respect of support structures (posts) that are coupled to a mounting surface, such as a surface of a buffet table or cart. For vertical or location adjustment of a shield panel in relation to a post, a bracket assembly includes outer and inner collar portions, a grip element positioned between the outer and inner collar portions, and a tightening element that tightens the connection of the assembled collar against support posts. For angular adjustment, each bracket assembly includes an indexing base, a rotatable arm assembly with an indexing hub, and a removable or retractable coupling element.
US09326609B2
Disclosed is a chair chassis, wherein a seat bearing plate is disposed above a main tray base, for bearing a seat, a front end of a movable support member is pivotally connected to the seat bearing plate, a lower end thereof is pivotally connected to the main tray base, the movable support member is pivotable, a pair of movable supporting plates are located in front of the movable support member, upper and lower ends of each movable supporting plate are respectively pivotally connected to the seat bearing plate and the main tray base, and a pivot where the movable support member and the main tray base are connected is mounted with an elastic member for resisting the movable support member from rotating rearward. A user is subject to appropriate pressure when leaning back against the backrest, and friction between the backrest and the user's back may be reduced.
US09326608B1
A seating device such as a chair or sofa. The seating device includes a frame, a seat platform supported by the frame, and a backrest attached to the seat platform. The seat platform has opposite front and rear ends. The backrest has a first backrest portion extending upwardly from proximate the rear end of the seat platform. A lower end of the first backrest portion is positioned adjacent to an upper surface of the seat platform. The first backrest portion is capable of being moved forwardly and rearwardly along the upper surface of the seat platform while the lower end remains proximate the upper surface of the seat platform. A backrest-adjustment powered actuator operates the backrest for moving at least the first backrest portion forwardly and rearwardly partially along the upper surface of the seat platform to adjust an effective depth of the seat platform.
US09326606B2
A furniture member having a tilt position mechanism includes a base frame positioned on a floor surface. A first operating mechanism is connected to the base frame defining a tilt mechanism. The tilt mechanism includes a tilt motor connected to a rear member of the base frame. A torque tube positioned forward of the tilt motor is displaced by operation of the tilt motor. First and second rotation links are rotatably connected to the base frame and fixed to the torque tube. A pivot tube is positioned rearward of the torque tube and connected by first and second journal links to the support frame. The journal links are shorter than the rotation links such that torque tube forward and upward displacement forwardly rotates the journal links and displaces the pivot tube, creating a furniture member rear tilt position having the torque tube elevated above the pivot tube.
US09326605B2
A merchandiser including a case that has a base and side walls extending upward from the base to at least partially define a product display area. The merchandiser also includes a bracket that is coupled to the base, and a bumper assembly that is coupled to an exterior surface of the base. The bumper assembly includes a shock absorber that has at least one end removably coupled to the base by a quick release mechanism engaged with the bracket and the shock absorber, and a bumper coupled only to an outermost portion of the shock absorber.
US09326593B2
A toothbrush includes a housing having a handle and a toothbrush head, a pump having a pump chamber and a pump impeller or pump gear arranged in the pump chamber, and a motor driving the impeller or pump gear. An input port and an output port are connected to the chamber, the impeller causing a flow of a working fluid through the output port when the impeller is driven by the motor and the working fluid is supplied through the input port. The pump chamber has a circumferential wall defining a transverse cross section, the output port being connected to the pump chamber through the circumferential wall.
US09326590B2
A molded cosmetic applicator head having a core that supports an array of semi-conical bristles arranged in rows and columns, such that the surfaces of the bristles assume certain orientations, and wherein at least some of the bristles have at one or more prominent depressions and/or prominent protrusions located on a curved surface. A mold for an injection molded applicator head is also described.
US09326583B2
The present invention generally relates to an applicator system and in particular, relates to an applicator system capable of moving the applicator head in an irregular motion. The applicator system is provided with a mechanism that gives the applicator an irregular motion during usage thereby resulting in better application. The applicator system of the present invention is configured to move in an irregular motion that has no obvious pattern and may be used for cosmetic and care applications such as mascara application, scrubbing of lips, cleaning of nails, etc.
US09326574B2
A suitcase with a hollow container body defining an internal compartment and having: a supporting wall; an upper wall opposite to the supporting wall; a first opening, closable, for accessing the compartment. The upper wall has two edges adjacent each other and delimiting a second opening closable and central to said top wall. The suitcase further comprises a support having two flaps folded one over the other to form a U-shaped pocket which divides the compartment in two half-compartments. Each of the flaps is associated with a corresponding edge of the top wall and at least a first flap is slidable with respect to its corresponding first edge to reduce or extend the depth of the pocket for the extraction/housing of a product in the latter.
US09326573B1
An umbrella clamping system for clamping an umbrella to a chair includes an umbrella having a canopy, selectively movable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration, and a vertical shaft supports the canopy and has a base attachment member at a bottom end thereof. A clamp assembly securely receives the umbrella base attachment member and is configured for attachment to an external horizontal structural element. The clamp assembly includes a body, an upper clamp affixed to an upper end of the body for receiving the umbrella base attachment member and is selectively adjustable between an opened release position and a closed gripping position. A lower clamp is affixed to a bottom end of the body and has opposed first and second jaws defining a horizontally oriented gripping opening therebetween and adjustable one with respect to the other for attachment to the external horizontal structural element.
US09326572B2
An improved crutch assembly and walking aid is provided. The crutch assembly can be retrofitted to an existing walking aid and provides spring assisted motion. The assembly includes a ball-in-socket joint and a spring operably connecting the joint to a walking aid shaft.
US09326568B2
The present invention discloses a method and machine for automatically fabricating zippers. The method comprises steps: parallel placing two tapes on the machine, injection-molding a plurality of plastic teeth on two opposite edges of the tapes, leaving untoothed blank regions on the tapes periodically, and applying plastic films onto the tapes; transporting the filmed tapes to a punching device to punch a positioning hole on each blank region; inserting each section of the plastic teeth, which is between two adjacent blank regions, into at least one slider, and using the positioning holes as reference points to injection-mold a plurality of bayonets on the blank regions respectively, wherein each positioning hole corresponds to a set of bayonets; and cutting off the tapes at the blank regions to obtain a plurality of zippers.
US09326564B2
An article of footwear may incorporate a chamber with an outer barrier and a tether element. The barrier may be formed from a polymer material that defines an interior cavity, and tether element may be located within the interior cavity and joined to opposite sides of the barrier. Upon pressurization of the chamber, the tether element may extend across the interior cavity and be placed in tension by the outward force of a pressurized fluid within the interior cavity. The tether element may have a variety of configurations. For example, the tether element may have a diagonal orientation, or different tether elements may have different lengths. A tether element may also have plates or tie pieces secured to opposite sides of the chamber, with one or more tethers extending between. Also, the tether element may include one of more sheets that extend across the interior cavity.
US09326562B2
The present invention relates to an outsole for a shoe, the outsole including a sole plate, extending from a heel part, via a midfoot part, into a forefoot part of the outsole, at least one first reinforcing rib integrated into the sole plate, and a reinforcing plate disposed above or below the at least one first reinforcing rib. The present invention also relates to a shoe, including a shoe upper including a closure region and a sole region, and at least one reinforcing element attached to the inside of the shoe upper, arranged in a midfoot part of the shoe upper, and including a plurality of flexible bands extending between the closure region and the sole region.
US09326561B2
A football helmet with shell, faceguard, padding and comfort liner system, has replaceable nose bumpers for connecting a top center of the faceguard to the shell, button and keyhole connectors connecting the liner to an inner surface of the padding and T-nut connectors for connecting the padding to an inner surface of the shell. Front portions of the comfort liner have harder foam cushions than other portions of the liner to improve impact absorption. Selected areas of the padding system contain pads with inner and outer molded thermoplastic urethane parts of different durometer, each including a sheet with plural alternating hollow protrusions. The faceguard has an upper bar with raised ends above a lower edge of the front portion of the shell that form a face opening and on either side of the nose bumper.
US09326558B2
An applicator for dispensing false eyelashes includes a supply wheel and a take-up wheel, the supply wheel comprising a tape having a plurality of pockets, where the pockets secure individual or clusters of false eyelashes until they are dispensed from a dispensing pivot. The spent tape is returned to the take-up wheel.
US09326551B2
An electronic cigarette includes a battery assembly, an atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. An external thread electrode is located in one end of battery assembly. An internal thread electrode is located in one end of atomizer assembly. The battery assembly and the atomizer assembly are connected by the screwthread electrode. The cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into the other end of the atomizer assembly and both form a cigarette type or cigar type body.
US09326545B2
The coating composition of a low ignition propensity cigarette paper according to an exemplary embodiment includes pregelatinized starch, maltodextrin, resistant maltodextrin and ethanol.
US09326543B2
Thorough spraying and draining freshly cut produce and the equipment processing it in a one-pass system that uses a dilute solution of chilled ultrapure water and chlorine dioxide or chlorine or both significantly reduces bacterial counts. Raw produce is sprayed as it is conveyed to cutting heads and as the cut pieces fall into a hopper above a conveyor. The conveyed cut produce is vibrated and tumbled while being sprayed from above. At the end of the process, the cut produce is sprayed with potable water and deposited in a dryer basket. Drainage from the equipment is collected and processed through a multi-stage water filtration system to potable quality. The near freezing water temperature, its ultra-purity, and the concentrations of biocides in the sanitizing spray are carefully established, monitored and maintained by a process controller.
US09326539B2
This invention relates to fat containing consumable food products comprising α-cyclodextrin. The food products have reduced levels of bioavailable fat but have substantially the same fat, cholesterol and caloric content as a like food without α-cyclodextrin. The invention also relates to methods for reducing the bioavailability of fats in fat containing food products without reducing caloric intake as determined by bomb calorimetry and to methods for increasing high density lipoproteins in a subject and reducing or controlling weight by administering the food products of this invention.
US09326538B2
A chewy and intermediate moisture bar is provided that uses a dairy-based binder generally without the need to employ gums, humectants, and sugar syrups as a binder to achieve the moist and chewy texture. In one aspect, the bar includes a dry base uniformly blended with a dairy-based binder that uses high levels of dairy proteins as the main binding component. A method of forming the chewy and intermediate moisture bar is also provided that may use a lay or delay period to allow moisture equilibration or migration from the binder to the dry base.
US09326529B2
A beverage dispenser for partially frozen beverages includes at least one bowl for storing a beverage product, with a freezing cylinder positioned in the bowl. The beverage dispenser further includes a cooling system for supplying a cooling medium to the freezing cylinder to cool the beverage product when stored in the bowl, along with a dispenser assembly for dispensing the beverage product from the bowl. The beverage dispenser includes an auger which rotates about the freezing cylinder. A driven hub is positioned on and rotates with respect to the freezing cylinder, and the driven hub engages a rear end portion of the auger. A driver hub is positioned inside of the freezing cylinder and is magnetically coupled to the driven hub, such that rotation of the driver hub causes a corresponding rotation of the driven hub, and thus, rotation of the auger.
US09326524B1
The present invention generally includes a blend of a blend of cedar oil, geranium oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, and lavender oil together with inert ingredients including water, vegetable glycerin, and isopropyl alcohol. The general mixture is enhanced for use on humans with the addition of clove oil, lemongrass oil, citronella oil, and lemon eucalyptus oil. It is, alternatively enhanced for use on dogs with the addition of soybean oil and thyme oil. Zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide may also be added to the mixture.
US09326523B2
The disclosure provides lantibiotics geobacillin I and geobacillin II from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans, compositions comprising the lantibiotics, and methods of use of the lantibiotics. Further disclosed are the sequences of lantibiotics geobacillin I and geobacillin I, and alternative structures of geobacillin I and geobacillin II comprising amino acid substitutions. Antimicrobial compositions comprising one or more isolated geobacillins and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and methods of reducing reproduction of bacteria comprising administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of the antimicrobial composition are also provided.
US09326506B2
The present invention provides extraction methods and uses of brassinolide analogs extracted from a plant, including the uses for the promotion of growth, resistance to low temperature and salt tolerance of a plant. Furthermore, the present invention also provides agricultural compositions comprising the brassinolide analogs.
US09326500B2
A platform is provided with a ladder to allow the user to easily ascend to the platform. A pair of stabilizing arms and jaws provides lateral stability to the ladder. A climbing stick has a pair of vertical posts attached between the front and rear walls of steps to provide a secure connection. The upper and lower ends extend inwardly and away from each other to provide a gripping surface. A tree stand has a male adapter with a bracket for securing a strap. The strap is used to secure the male adapter in place. Once secured to the tree, the platform area can be attached to the male adapter using a female adapter. The ability to first secure the smaller, lighter bracket and male adapter to a tree before attaching the platform using a female adapter increases the ease in securing the tree stand to a tree.
US09326488B2
The present invention is a tether for a toy with a safety feature to prevent entanglement of an animate object, such as a pet or a child, the feature comprising a stiff proximal element. Innovative features provide both for interactive play and containment of the play area by coupling an elastic cord with a rope of selected length.
US09326487B2
A pet toy makes a sound when bitten or squeezed by an animal. The toy contains a resilient shell that substantially surrounds the sound-producing material. The toy also contains a core constructed of an elastic material located beneath the sound-producing material. The sound-producing material is a plastic material such as polyethylene terephthalate, which deforms when external pressure is applied to it, creating sound and vibration. In an embodiment of the invention, air permeates the sound-producing material, the core is hollow, and acoustic ports are located at each end of the toy, all to enhance its sound generating characteristics. In another embodiment, a strand is attached to or passes through the core of the pet toy. In another embodiment, an elastic outer sleeve is attached to the sound-producing material at various locations between their surfaces, to reposition the sound-producing material to its original orientation after an external pressure of force is released.
US09326461B2
An irrigation management system includes a water pump, at least one mobile irrigation system, and a pump controller. The mobile irrigation system includes a water pressure sensor for generating water pressure data indicating water pressure in the irrigation system. The pump controller is configured to receive the water pressure data generated by the water pressure sensor, to compare a target water pressure with the sensed water pressure data to determine a difference between the target water pressure and the sensed water pressure, and to adjust operation of the water pump to increase or decrease water pressure to the irrigation system in a manner that resolves the difference between the target water pressure and the sensed water pressure.
US09326457B2
A micro layering pest control system that includes combining generally immiscible ingredients in a container, maintaining the ingredients in a combined state by substantially continuously agitating and homogenizing the combined ingredients under pressure, and discharging the combined ingredients in one or more applications. The system further includes selecting an insecticide for controlling certain insects and selecting an oil, based on predetermined conditions, for mixing and applying to animals via the micro layering pest control system.
US09326455B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for plants, said apparatus that features a planter with a closed bottom, sidewalls, and an open top, wherein a protruding lip is defined on an exterior surface of the sidewalls in proximity to the open top; and a first cover with an open bottom, sidewalls, and a closed top, wherein a set of clasping mechanisms are located on two opposing sidewalls in proximity to the open bottom, and wherein the clasping mechanism reversibly attaches the cover to the lip of the planter. The invention further provides a second, insulating cover with an open bottom, sidewalls, and a closed top, wherein the second cover is received by the first cover after the first cover is reversibly attached to the planter.
US09326449B2
A binding apparatus for a baling machine includes a dispensing mechanism for dispensing at least two strips of binding film and guiding the strips of film simultaneously onto the surface of a rotating bale. The dispensing mechanism lays the strips of film side-by-side on the bale surface to form a combined strip having a width greater than the width H of each individual strip of binding film.
US09326447B2
An air intake system supplies cooling air to at least one heat exchanger and includes a sieve through which the cooling air flows. The air intake system is equipped on the inlet side with a device for removing and shredding components of the cooling air adhering on the inlet-side surface of the sieve. The device is formed with a suction device and a cutting device. The cutting device is formed of comb-like elements on a surface of the sieve and on a surface section of the suction device facing the surface of the sieve. The comb-like elements disposed on the surface of the sieve are designed as knives disposed on support or knife strips oriented transversely thereto. These support or knife strips extend with separations therebetween. At least one of the support strips is equipped with first knives, the knife-edges of which implement a pulling cut, while the comb-like elements on both end faces of the suction device or of the front element attached thereto are designed as second knives, knife-edges of which implement a pulling cut.
US09332681B2
In a case where a solder amount of a solder portion printed on an electrode does not meet a reference amount, solder is additionally applied to a center position of the electrode by a control section. With respect to a component mounting position to which the solder is not additionally applied, correction from a component mounting position of a substrate to a corrected mounting position is performed and an electronic component is mounted at the corrected mounting position. The electronic component corresponding to another component mounting position with the solder additionally applied thereto is mounted at the design component mounting position in the positioned substrate.
US09332671B2
A cooling unit in a transport unit includes power electronics; a heat exchanger for thermally coupling a cooling agent of a central cooling system of the transport unit with air of the cooling unit to cool one or more generating devices; and a heat pipe for heat dissipation of the power electronics. At a first portion of the heat pipe, at least some of a working agent is in the liquid phase and, at a second portion of the heat pipe, at least some of the working agent is in the gas phase. In the first portion of the heat pipe, heat from the power electronics is absorbed by evaporating the working agent in the liquid phase. In the second portion of the heat pipe, heat is released to the cooling agent by condensing the working agent in the gas phase.
US09332666B2
An electrical connector for electrically connecting an IC package to a substrate, includes an insulating housing (21), a stiffener (20) located on one side of the insulating housing (21) and a load plate (22) assembled to the stiffener (20) and being rotated between an opened position and a closed position, the stiffener (20) includes a first end (203) and an extending portion (208) extending upwardly and then horizontally in a direction far away from the insulating housing (21) from the first end (203), the extending portion (208) includes a receiving hole (209), the load plate (22) includes a body portion (220) and a hook (223) extending from on end of the body portion (220), the hook (223) is assembled to the receiving hole (209) and interlocks with the extending portion (208) to position the load plate (22) on the stiffener (20).
US09332665B2
A display apparatus includes a display panel including lower and upper substrates confronting each other, and a film member combined with the upper substrate; and a panel support member to support the display panel to expose the front and lateral sides of the display panel to the outside.
US09332662B2
The ventilation member of the present invention includes: a support having a through hole serving as a part of an air passage between an interior space and an exterior space of a housing when the support is attached to an opening of the housing; an air-permeable membrane disposed on the support to cover one end of the through hole that opens into the exterior space; and a cover member covering the support over the air-permeable membrane so as to form, between the cover member and the support, a ventilation space serving as a part of the air passage. The support includes a first oil-repellent portion formed around the air-permeable membrane. The first oil-repellent portion is formed by oil-repellent treatment of a part of a first surface of the support. The present invention provides a ventilation member suitable for preventing adhesion of oil to the air-permeable membrane even if the oil enters the inside of the cover member.
US09332647B2
A solution is characteristic in being an etching method that processes a surface of a target object by corroding the surface by a corrosive, and the etching method includes: a resist forming step of forming a resist on the surface using resist liquid by ink jet printing the resist liquid on the surface; a surface corroding step of corroding a portion of the surface where the resist is not formed by bringing the corrosive into contact with a surface side of the target object where the resist has been formed in the resist forming step; and a resist detaching step of detaching the resist from the surface after the surface corroding step, wherein the resist forming step is a step of forming the resist by the resist liquid containing monofunctional monomers or monofunctional oligomers, and polyfunctional monomers or polyfunctional oligomers.
US09332646B2
An electronic package module includes a circuit board having a supporting surface, at least one first electronic component, at least one second electronic component, and at least one molding compound. The first and second electronic components are mounted on the supporting surface. The molding compound is disposed on the supporting surface and covers the supporting surface partially. The molding compound encapsulates the first electronic component yet not the second electronic component.
US09332643B2
Stacked flex cable assemblies and their manufacture are described. One assembly includes a first flex cable and a second flex cable electrically coupled to the first flex cable. The assembly also includes a connector electrically coupled to the first flex cable. The first flex cable is positioned between the connector and the second flex cable. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09332626B1
An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source is provided. The EUV light source comprises a spray nozzle array having a plurality of spray nozzles configured to spray a plurality of rows of droplets to an irradiating position. The EUV light source also includes a laser source having a first reflective mirror and a second reflective mirror configured to generate a first laser beam and a second laser beam, and to cause the first laser beam and the second laser beam to sequentially bombard the plurality of droplets arriving at the irritating position to generate EUV light with increased output power. Further, the EUV light source includes a light focusing device a light focusing device comprising a first partial focusing mirror and a second partial focusing mirror configured to perform a rotating scanning to collect EUV light and focus the collected EUV light at a central focusing point.
US09332616B1
A path light that utilizes an ambient light sensor to determine the lighting conditions may experience feedback from its light source if it determines that the lighting conditions are appropriate to illuminate the path light's light source. The path light, as disclosed herein, may compute an offset value to ascertain the amount of feedback from the light source. Upon learning the offset value, the path light may subtract the offset value from a detected amount of light to determine whether the lighting conditions of its surroundings still meet a threshold level of darkness for the path light to illuminate.
US09332589B2
A first wireless transceiver communicates pre-association data via a first wireless network, the pre-association data relating to a second wireless network, wherein the first wireless network supports communication via a first wireless protocol and wherein the second wireless network supports communication via a second wireless protocol that is different from the first wireless protocol. A second wireless transceiver communicates the pre-association data with the first wireless transceiver via a transceiver interface and processes the pre-association data to support an association by the second wireless transceiver with the second wireless network.
US09332586B1
A method and system is disclosed for a local approach within a distributed multi-hop radio environment that switches between a stronger and weaker preamble acquisition. The robustness of the preamble acquisition plays a large part in the performance of a given Signal-in-Space (SiS) modulation scheme. A more robust preamble acquisition can result in a higher packet completion rate at a receiver free of interfering signals. A less robust preamble acquisition can result in less chance that an interfering signal will be acquired, thereby allowing increased spatial reuse and network throughput. To maximize network capacity, the disclosed method leverages both cases by dynamically switching between the less and more robust preamble acquisitions depending on the topology of the distributed multi-hop radio environment and desired quality of service.
US09332583B2
There is provided a method of switching from multipoint communication to point-to-point communication while a device performs the multipoint communication with a plurality of participant devices. The method comprises: sharing, by the device, peer-to-peer (P2P) connection information of the device and P2P connection information of each of the plurality of participant devices, with the plurality of participant devices; and switching by the device, from the multipoint communication to the point-to-point communication using the P2P connection information of remaining participant devices of the plurality of participant devices in the multipoint communication when a total number of the remaining participant devices of the multipoint communication decreases to two.
US09332575B2
A method and apparatus for providing connectivity with a public communication services network (204) for a mobile terminal (200). A temporary connectivity identity and associated security parameters are obtained from the network (2:1) and loaded into the mobile terminal from a connectivity providing unit (202) over a local communication link (2:2). When the mobile terminal (2:3) later sends an access request to the network including the temporary connectivity identity, the mobile terminal is registered with the network based on the temporary connectivity identity and associated security parameters. If the network can validate the temporary connectivity identity by means of the associated security parameters (2:5), a connection can be set up with the mobile terminal (2:6) for communication services in the network.
US09332572B2
Systems and methods of pre-allocating identifiers to wireless devices for use in requesting resources over a random access channel are described. A wireless communication system includes a random access channel over which wireless devices can anonymously send requests for resources. The base stations receiving and processing the anonymous requests reduces the probability of random access channel collisions and conserves the resources needed to support the anonymous requests by pre-allocating one or more identifiers to select wireless devices. The wireless devices having the pre-allocated codes can transmit a particular code over the random access channel as a request for resources that uniquely identifies the requester.
US09332559B2
In a method for selecting an operation channel, a wireless network connecting apparatus is configured to: identify at least one preoccupied channel; determine a plurality of available channels; evaluate a channel quality of each of the available channels; select one of the available channels based on the channel quality thereof as the operation channel, and to switch to the operation channel; transmit an evaluation packet through the operation channel; determine whether the operation channel needs to be replaced, based on a number of data retransmissions; and exclude the operation channel from the available channels when the determination is affirmative.
US09332556B2
A method of operating a mobile telecommunications device including cellular communication means operable to communicate with a cellular telecommunications network base station and white space communication means operable to communicate with a non-cellular white space access point, the method including determining the availability of white space and selectively enabling white space communication in dependence upon the determination. Controlling transmission of user data in the white space may be by exchanging control data with the cellular telecommunications network base station such that the control data controls the transmission of user data in the white space. White space communication need not be implemented in uplink and may be used in the downlink alone.
US09332552B2
A method for frequency agility in a wireless embedded system, the wireless embedded system comprising a WAP and a WEP communicating on a current channel, includes determining a first channel table comprising an order of available channels for the WAP; determining a second channel table for WEP, wherein the first channel table and the second channel table list the available channels in the same order; in the event interference is detected by the WAP on the current channel, determining a new current channel by testing the available channels for interference in the order listed in the first channel table; and in the event the WEP does not receive an acknowledgement from the WAP of a message sent by the WEP to the WAP, resending the message on each of the available channels in the order listed in the second channel table until an acknowledgement is received from the WAP.
US09332539B2
A communication system, cache, computer readable medium and method for preventing a packet channel in the communication network to time out. The method includes sending data from a cache (18) to a user terminal (16d), wherein the cache (18) is located at an interface device (12a-c); determining that the data is sent to the user terminal (16d) from the cache (18) without passing a core network (14); and generating and sending a dummy message (20) through the core network (14) to a device (22) having an internet protocol, IP, address.
US09332534B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for transmitting data by a terminal in a mobile telecommunication system, the method including transmitting a scheduling request for requesting resources for transmitting the data, monitoring a control channel to receive resource allocation information, continuously monitoring the control channel during a first period if the resources are allocated, transmitting the data based on the allocated resources, and monitoring the control channel to receive feedback information corresponding to the data during a second period following the transmission of the data.
US09332532B2
Instead of adding control information that should be passed on to two or more RLC entities or two or more PDCP entities on the counterpart side to data respectively in two or more RLC entities or two or more PDCP entities at the sending end, control information is added in MAC entity and then distributed to two or more RLC entities in MAC entity on the counterpart side.
US09332526B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus monitors a page during a current paging cycle on a first frequency. In addition, the apparatus switches to a second frequency after the current paging cycle to receive multicast/broadcast information on the second frequency. Furthermore, the apparatus attempts to receive the multicast/broadcast information on the second frequency before a predetermined time.
US09332525B2
An aspect provides a method, including: detecting, at an information handling device, an event that causes a notification to occur; providing, using a notification modality of the information handling device, the notification of the event; sensing, using at least one sensor of the information handling device, a condition existing while the notification is provided; determining, using a processor, that the condition conflicts with the notification modality used to provide the notification; and thereafter providing an additional notification of the event. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US09332520B2
An apparatus for detecting and timing a transmitting device is disclosed. The device includes a receiving system receiving a signal containing at least a preamble code of a known length and at least one pulse within a receive window after the preamble code, a circuit receiving the at least one pulse comprising a zero-crossing circuit for indicting a zero-voltage crossing of the at least one pulse and a trigger device for latching the indication of zero-voltage crossing, and a ripple circuit counter, receiving the latched indication of said zero-voltage crossing and associating a time to the receipt of the latched indication. A system for detecting and locating a transmitting device is further disclosed. The system includes a plurality of sensor apparatus each determining a reception time of a signal and a processor for determining a location based on groups of the reception times.
US09332510B2
A method for controlling inter-cell interference may include receiving a measured uplink interference level through a first backhaul link; determining a transmit power level based on the measured uplink interference level; and sending through a second backhaul link the transmit power level for reconfiguring either a user equipment or a femtocell eNodeB. From the downlink perspective, it may include measuring a downlink interference; and reporting the level of the downlink interference to an ICIC server using a backhaul link. In one example, it may include receiving a measured downlink interference through a first backhaul link; determining a transmit power level based on the measured downlink interference; and sending a message comprising the transmit power level to a femtocell eNodeB using a second backhaul link.
US09332493B2
A method for communication performed by a station in a wireless local area network system is provided. The method includes receiving a first change sequence from an access point, transmitting a probe request frame to an access point in order to request updated system information, the probe request frame including the first change sequence, and receiving a probe response frame from the access point in response to the probe request frame. The probe response frame includes a second change sequence. The first change sequence and the second change sequence indicate a change of system information within a basic service set (BSS).
US09332478B2
A method includes transmitting communications information from a first DMA gateway of a DMA gateway communication network to a second DMA gateway of the DMA gateway communication network. The communications information is associated with a communication network that is accessible to the first DMA gateway. The method includes receiving a communication from the second DMA gateway via the DMA gateway communication network. The communication network and the DMA communication network are different. The communication is associated with a destination device that is indicated by the communications information to be served by the communication network that is accessible to the first DMA gateway. The method includes routing the communication to the destination device.
US09332477B2
A method may determine the location and/or motion of a client device. Based on these determinations, the method may 1) delay a potential move of the client device to a new access point until the client device reaches a non-transitional or less dense area or is stationary, 2) delay a potential move of the client device to a new access point while the client device is on the edge of the network environment, 3) compute a probable destination of the client device and wait until this destination is reached before triggering movement to a new access point, 4) reduce the effects caused by shadowing, 5) guide the client device to more proximate access points, and 6) guide the client device to dedicated proximate access points when client devices are relatively motionless. Accordingly, the method dynamically leverages client device location and motion to intelligently assign client devices to access points.
US09332473B2
A method for re-establishing a connection by a user equipment (UE) is described. The method includes establishing a first connection between the UE and an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN). The method also includes establishing a second connection between the UE and the E-UTRAN. The method also includes informing the E-UTRAN of a failure of the second connection when a failure of the second connection is detected.
US09332466B2
A user equipment (UE) determines an uplink timing advance of a target NodeB, such as an uplink dedicated physical channel (DPCH) transmit timing, during handover transition when the UE receives a handover command without a random access configuration. In one instance, the UE modifies a current timing advance of a source eNodeB based on a difference between an uplink timing of the source eNodeB and a downlink timing of the source eNodeB and a difference between an uplink timing of the target NodeB and a downlink timing of the target NodeB. In another instance, the UE determines the uplink timing advance of the target NodeB based on the modified current uplink timing advance of the source eNodeB.
US09332462B2
In a mobile communications system exclusive location areas comprising exclusive cells are defined in order to separate cells from the mobile stations not belonging to the user group allowed to camp in the cell and still to allow emergency calls for all mobile stations in these cells. During location update it is checked whether the cell belongs to an exclusive location area (202) and if it does, it is determined whether or not the subscriber is allowed to camp in the cell.
US09332459B1
A method and system for setting a hold-timer duration is disclosed. The method involves a first network initially serving a user equipment device (UE), wherein serving the UE comprises allocating at least one resource to the UE and using the at least one resource to serve the UE. The method also involves detecting transition of the UE from being served by the first network to being served by a second network. The method further involves, after the UE transitions to the second network, applying a hold-timer having a hold-timer duration for release of the at least one resource. Further, the method involves, before setting the hold-timer duration, the first network receiving from the UE a report including an indication of radio frequency (RF) quality of the second network. The method also involves using the reported indication of RF quality as a basis to set the hold-timer duration.
US09332458B2
A communication apparatus and method are provided for predicting effects of changes in at least one radio network parameter on a cellular network which comprises a processor which is adapted to: (a) select a source cell in a cellular network; (b) select from among a first plurality of cells being neighbors of that source cell, a second plurality of neighboring cells and define a reference cluster that includes the source cell and the second plurality of cells; and (c) use the reference cluster to predict the effects of carrying out one or more changes in at least one radio network parameter on at least one network performance indicator of the reference cluster, and based on that prediction, establishing an expected impact of the one or more changes in the at least one radio network parameter on a cellular network performance.
US09332450B2
Method and system for a test process. The method may include performing tests on one or more units under test (UUTs). At least one test on one or more UUTs may be performed. A signal may be acquired from the UUT. A reference signal may be retrieved. The reference signal may be derived from a transmitted signal characteristic of the UUT. The signal may be analyzed with respect to the reference signal. Results, useable to characterize the one or more UUTs, from performing the at least one test on the one or more UUTs may be stored. The reference signal may be derived from an initial test and may be stored for subsequent retrieval. A respective reference signal may be retrieved for all UUTs of the one or more UUTs for a respective test. The signal may be a radio frequency signal. The UUT may be a wireless mobile device.
US09332448B2
An apparatus has a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver and one or more sensors. The sensors are monitored. From time to time, a mitigation level applicable to the apparatus is determined as a function of output from the one or more sensors. The mitigation level is one of multiple mitigation levels, each mitigation level corresponding to a set of configuration changes for a Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the WLAN transceiver. Responsive to determining that the applicable mitigation level has increased from a most recent previously determined mitigation level, the MAC layer is configured to effect a decrease in a transmit duty cycle of the WLAN transceiver. Responsive to determining that the applicable mitigation level has decreased from a most recent previously determined mitigation level, the MAC layer is configured to effect an increase in the transmit duty cycle of the WLAN transceiver.
US09332446B2
The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for self-configuring a physical cell identify (PCI) at a cell upon detecting a PCI confusion at a neighbor cell. For example, the method may include detecting that a PCI confusion exists at a second cell based on a message (e.g., configuration update message or a X2 setup response message) received from the second cell. The first cell may initiate a timer that is selected from a first timer and a second timer, the first timer longer in duration than the second timer. The first cell then configures a new PCI for the first cell when the timer expires or maintains a current PCI for the first cell when the timer is reset prior to expiration. As such, self-configuration of PCI at a cell may be achieved.
US09332440B2
A method of assigning a frequency channel using efficient spectrum sensing in a multiple Frequency Assignment system includes a channel sensing process, wherein a base station of a secondary user classifies multiple frequency channels licensed to a primary user into a plurality of channel state sets according to usage states, periodically senses channel states by changing a sensing period according to the types of classified channel state sets, and manages the sensed channel states as frequency channel state set information; a channel state set broadcasting process; and a channel assigning process. Accordingly, a frequency channel can be assigned to a secondary user requesting channel assignment using frequency channel state set information without a primary user experiencing interference noise.
US09332438B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for updating a group temporal key, a related apparatus and system. A method includes: An access point AP sets an updating period of a group temporal key GTK; the access point updates the GTK whenever the updating period of the GTK arrives; the access point receives a GTK request that is sent by a mobile station STA in an association list within a preset delay time period after arrival of the updating period of the GTK, where the association list records all mobile stations communicating with the access point, and the preset delay time period is shorter than the updating period of the GTK; and when the preset delay time period after the arrival of the updating period of the GTK arrives, the access point sends the updated GTK to the mobile station in the association list according to the GTK request.
US09332434B1
Improved techniques are directed to a method performed by a computing device of authenticating a mobile client device to a resource using location services. The method includes (a) receiving authentication requests from the mobile client device, the authentication requests each including a location freshness value indicating a respective amount of time that has passed since the mobile client device last determined its location, (b) testing the location freshness value received in each authentication request against a location freshness policy to generate a freshness result indicating whether the location freshness value complies with the location freshness policy, (c) generating an authentication response for each authentication request based at least in part on the location freshness result for that authentication request, and (d) directing the authentication response to be sent to the resource. A computerized apparatus and a computer program product for performing methods similar to that described above are also provided.
US09332428B2
Disclosed is a radio system, method, and device for a mobile station to indicate to an authentication controller, in an authentication response message, which of a plurality of group key link layer encryption keys (GKEK)s it currently has in its possession, and to work with the authentication controller to more intelligently manage multiple GKEKs. The authentication controller can use the information obtained from the authentication response message to determine which of a plurality of GKEKs to advertise in a key announcement broadcast. Furthermore, individual requests for a future LLE key (LEK) to be used for link layer encryption (LLE) encrypting and decrypting inbound and outbound group communications between base station(s) and mobile station(s) are responded to with a broadcast GKEK-encrypted transmission including the future LEK. Only the requesting mobile station transmits an acknowledgment packet in response to the broadcast.
US09332423B2
A method (600) of providing device updates or personalization to a mobile communication device (706) operating in an informationally restrictive mode is provided. The method can include querying 707 a plurality of mobile communication devices 701,702,703,704,705,706 operating in a distributed system 700. Information from mobile communication devices operating in a less informationally restrictive mode is clustered 708. Each cluster 718 includes a representation of device usage, device configuration, or combinations thereof. Indicia 709,710 are transmitted 711 to mobile communication devices operating in the more informationally restrictive mode. Matching cluster 713 from at least one mobile communication device 706 is received 714, optionally with operational information 715. Operations 717 can be executed 716 in response to the operational information 715.
US09332421B2
A multimedia contents random access method for a wireless communication system is provided. The live content access method of a client in a wireless communication system according to the present invention includes receiving a request for playing a content, receiving content structure information on the content from a content transfer server, receiving content segments and random access informations of the content segments from a content provision server using the content structure information, and performing, when a random access request is received, random access to the content segments using the random access information. The content random access method of the present invention is capable of accessing the content in unit of content segment such that it is possible to access a past time point in the content even before all of the content segments are received completely.
US09332419B2
A coordinator device receives registration data regarding user devices and determines a group that includes two or more of the user devices based on registration data. The coordinator device receives a request, related to receiving a good or service, from a first user device included in the group. The registration data may include financial data for a user of the first user device, and the coordinator device uses the financial data to verify that the user has sufficient funds to pay a fee for the request. Based on verifying the sufficient funds, the coordinator device determines status data for other user devices included in the group and selects a second user device from the group based on the status data. The status data identifies, for example, locations associated with the group. The coordinator device then causes data associated with the request to be forwarded to the selected second user device.
US09332417B2
A wireless communications device is provided with a plurality of card slots, a first wireless communications module, and a second wireless communications module. The card slots are inserted with at least one subscriber identity card. The first wireless communications module performs wireless transceiving in compliance with at least a first wireless technology. The second wireless communications module determines at least a first subscriber number and a second subscriber number from the at least one subscriber identity card, and enables the wireless transceiving of the first wireless communications module using the first subscriber number. Also, the second wireless communications module performs wireless transceiving in compliance with at least a second wireless technology using the second subscriber number.
US09332414B2
A method for providing cellular access to a mobile device when the device is out of a home network operated by a home wireless service provider. The method includes presenting an option to initiate a process to establish a temporary roaming agreement between the home wireless service provider and a foreign wireless service provider operating a foreign network in a location of the mobile device outside of the home network. The method also includes receiving a selection of the option, accessing a web application associated with a negotiation server in response to the selection, providing subscriber credentials to the negotiation server for use by the negotiation server to negotiate the temporary roaming agreement, and allowing the mobile device to access a foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider in accordance with the temporary roaming agreement.
US09332413B2
A method and apparatus for providing a service at an incident scene is provided herein. During operation, a device will enter a geographic area (e.g., an incident scene), join a local-area network (LAN), and determine what services are presently being offered by other devices on the LAN. From a list of services deployed on the device, a determination is then made as to what services the device will run, and those services are then offered to all devices on the LAN.
US09332406B2
A communication connection is established with an information sending terminal. A short message sent from the information sending terminal is received. The short message is displayed on a display page. The short message is analyzed to identify whether a contact information field is in the short message by using a contact information determination condition. The contact information field is extracted from the short message when an identification result shows that the contact information field is in the short message. A box is displayed on the display page on which the short message is displayed to prompt a user to make a selection from function items to process the contact information field. The address book of the terminal device is updated by using the contact information field based on a function item selected by the user.
US09332404B2
A server abstracted messaging system interfaces to networking services such as SMS, UDP and IP, using internally implemented protocols or third-party tools. All connections, disconnections, errors or intricacies in service decoding are abstracted by the messaging system. To interface to an LBS device, the messaging system uses a special language to communicate with that device, leaving the actual translation of the command to the device until the very end, thereby abstracting the communication to the device by any application. All new commands for the LBS device are implemented in the abstracted language.
US09332402B2
One embodiment is directed to a system for use with a coverage area in which one or more wireless units wirelessly transmit using a wireless radio frequency spectrum. The system comprises a first unit, and a plurality of second units communicatively coupled to the first unit using at least one communication medium. Each of the plurality of second units generates respective digital RF samples indicative of a respective analog wireless signal received at that second unit. Each of the plurality of second units communicates the respective digital RF samples generated by that second unit to the first unit using the at least one communication medium. The first unit digitally sums corresponding digital RF samples received from the plurality of second units to produce summed digital RF samples. The system is configured so that an input used for base station processing is derived from the resulting summed digital RF samples.
US09332393B2
Systems and methods are described relating to accepting an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device; and presenting an indication of location of the at least one mobile device at least partially based on accepting the indication of the inertial impact associated with the at least one mobile device. Additionally, systems and methods are described relating to means for accepting an indication of an inertial impact associated with at least one mobile device; and means for presenting an indication of location of the at least one mobile device at least partially based on accepting the indication of the inertial impact associated with the at least one mobile device.
US09332390B1
A mobile device case for functional connection and physical attachment to a mobile device, the mobile device case comprises an application adapted to run in the mobile device and a cradle configured for removable attachment with the mobile device, the cradle comprising a controller capable of functional connection with the application, where the cradle is adapted to protect the mobile device while attached to the mobile device and the cradle is adapted to functionally pair with the application to create at least a portion of a mesh network.
US09332387B2
When a mobile device is positioned in a first coverage area with first service parameters, it is determined that the mobile device is likely to enter a second coverage area with second service parameters. The mobile device has access to map data while in the first coverage area and the second coverage area. If it is determined that the first coverage area is more favorable to data transfer than the second coverage area using the service parameters, a request for map data for rendering a map of the second coverage area is generated when the mobile device is within the first coverage area, and prior to receiving a request to view the map of the second coverage area on the mobile device. The map data is received and stored on the mobile device for subsequent rendering.
US09332384B2
A method obtains a geographical position of a mobile device, which comprises a Bluetooth transceiver and a storage unit for storing an offline map. The mobile device establishes Bluetooth capability in order to enable a Bluetooth connection with the mobile device. The mobile device, via the Bluetooth connection, requests geographical coordinates using two bits of a Frequency Hopping Synchronization data packet of the Bluetooth protocol. The mobile device, via the Bluetooth connection, receives geographical coordinates, and maps the received geographical coordinates to the offline map in order to obtain the geographical position of the mobile device in the offline map.
US09332380B2
The disclosure provides a method and device for recommending a candidate word according to a geographic position. The method may include receiving a coded character string of a user by a computing device. The computing device may collect geographic position information corresponding to the coded character string, and then determine a geographic area in which the geographic position information is located. The computing device may obtain a geographic candidate word corresponding to the coded character string according to a geographic word stock of the determined geographic area. The geographic word stock of the geographic area may store the coded character strings and a corresponding geographic word according to the geographic area. As compared to current technologies, complexity of input can be reduced and intelligence of an input method can be improved.
US09332374B2
A communication interface method for an SE equipped on a mobile terminal and an SE using the same are provided. The communication interface method includes: connecting, by a communication manager installed in an SE equipped on a mobile terminal, to a server via the mobile terminal; and executing, by the communication manager, communication processes between an applet which is installed in the SE separately from the communication manager, and the server. Accordingly, since the communication processes between the applet and the server are executed by the separate communication manager other than the applet, the processing function is omitted from the applets so that the applets can be simplified.
US09332373B2
An audio depth dynamic range enhancement system and method for enhancing the dynamic range of depth in audio sound systems as perceived by a human listener. Embodiments of the system and method process an input audio signal by applying a gain function to at least one of a plurality of sub-signals of the audio signal having different values of a spatial depth parameter. The sub-signals are combined to produce a reconstructed audio signal carrying modified audio information. The reconstructed audio signal is output from the system and method for reproduction by the audio sound system. The gain function alters the gain of the at least one of the plurality of sub-signals such that the reconstructed audio signal, when reproduced by the audio sound system, results in modified depth dynamic range of the audio sound system with respect to the spatial depth parameter.
US09332368B1
A device is provided that includes a microphone, a surface, an accelerometer or transducer, and a processor. The surface may be substantially transparent and have a side that is exposed to an external environment. The accelerometer or transducer may be coupled to the side of the surface that is exposed to the external environment and it may be utilized to obtain at least one measurement of acceleration of the surface based on an acoustic vibration. The processor may receive the accelerometer's or transducer's measurement and an input from the microphone. The processor may generate an output based on the accelerometer or transducer measurement and microphone input.
US09332364B2
An electronic audio device for use with at least one earpiece or a pair of earpieces, or a pair of earpieces in a headphone, each earpiece having a microphone and a speaker located therein, including circuitry operatively coupled to the microphone and speaker, and a processor operatively coupled to evaluate a seal quality of the earpiece to a user's ear based on seal quality measurements made while driving or exciting a signal into the speaker located in the earpiece and then to adjust the circuitry coupled to the microphone and speaker according to the evaluated seal quality.
US09332363B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing portable device presence utilizing environmental ambient audio fingerprints. Portable devices provide media exposure data and environmental ambient fingerprints to a processing device, where the environmental ambient signatures provide at least one characteristic of the ambient audio surrounding each portable device. The environmental ambient signatures are then processed to determine if they match. Portable devices associated with matching signatures are identified. Ambient fingerprints may also be used to establish a logical location where media exposure took place. The ambient signatures are alternately combined with monitored data to provide more robust data sets for contextual processing.
US09332362B2
An acoustic monitoring system includes a portable acoustic detection device, a sound analysis device and a confidence level device. The portable acoustic detection device is capable of receiving sound at one or more locations near a sound-producing device. The sound analysis device receives the sound from the portable sound detection device, determines a diagnosis based on a comparison between the sound and pre-recorded sound data, and outputs the diagnosis to the portable acoustic detection device. The sound analysis device also determines a corrective action for inhibiting the sound, which is also output to the portable sound detection device. The confidence level device determines a confidence level of the diagnosis indicating a likelihood that the diagnosis is successfully diagnosed.
US09332356B2
A hearing aid of the present invention is convenient to repair and replace. The hearing aid includes: (i) an out-of-canal assembly comprising a power source (e.g., a battery) and a processor, and (ii) an in-canal assembly comprising a microphone and a receiver. The out-of-canal assembly is selectively, removably, electrically coupled to the in-canal assembly. Sound perceived by the in-canal assembly is processed by the out-of-canal assembly and transmitted to the user's eardrum. The in-canal assembly is conveniently, selectively decoupled from the out-of-canal assembly for convenient replacement or repair.
US09332354B2
A micromechanical structure for a MEMS capacitive acoustic transducer, has: a substrate made of semiconductor material, having a front surface lying in a horizontal plane; a membrane, coupled to the substrate and designed to undergo deformation in the presence of incident acoustic-pressure waves; a fixed electrode, which is rigid with respect to the acoustic-pressure waves and is coupled to the substrate by means of an anchorage structure, in a suspended position facing the membrane to form a detection capacitor. The anchorage structure has at least one pillar element, which is at least in part distinct from the fixed electrode and supports the fixed electrode in a position parallel to the horizontal plane.
US09332349B2
The present disclosure relates to a sound image localization apparatus that includes head related transfer function (HRTF) filters that receive a monaural audio signal and generate a first channel output signal using a first head related transfer function describing a change in sound at right/left eardrum caused when a sound occurs from a first direction; low-pass filters that cut high frequency components of the monaural audio signal and pass low frequency components of the monaural signal; delay circuits that delay an output of the low-pass filters by first/second delay amount; and mixers that mix an output of the HRTF filters and an output of the delay circuits and output an audio signal.
US09332348B2
In an example implementation, a media playback system receives input data indicating selection of a particular zone, where the media playback system includes one or more zones, and where the one or more zones include respective playback devices. The media playback system sends, to a service provider, (i) zone data that identifies the particular zone of the media playback system, wherein the zone data indicates that the particular zone is selected and (ii) a request to identify audio content based on the zone data and receives, from the service provider, an indication of audio content identified based on the zone data.
US09332347B2
A loudspeaker control system is disclosed. The loudspeaker control system includes a loudspeaker, a sensor for measuring a voltage and current and a processor. The processor is adapted to calculate an input-voltage-to-excursion transfer function over time from an admittance function, blocked electrical impedance and force factor, use the input-voltage-to-excursion transfer function over time to predict an excursion and use the excursion to control audio processing of the loudspeaker.
US09332346B2
It is inter alia disclosed to select, by a first apparatus (21), one or more recording devices (20) to obtain a set of selected recording devices, or to receive, at the first apparatus (21), information on a set of one or more selected recording devices. The selected recording devices in the set of selected recording devices are selected from a set of recording devices at least based on relevance levels determined for the recording devices of the set of recording devices. A combination of audio signals recorded by the selected recording devices of the set of selected recording devices in an audio scene to obtain one or more combined audio signals for rendering is performed or caused by the first apparatus (21).
US09332344B2
A emitter circuit for providing a bias voltage is disclosed. The emitter circuit can comprise an emitter. The emitter circuit can comprise a transductor that includes a primary winding and a secondary winding. The secondary winding can be operable to receive an alternating current (AC) carrier signal. The emitter circuit can comprise a voltage multiplier operable to receive the AC carrier signal from the secondary winding and generate a DC bias voltage. The emitter circuit can comprise a zener diode to limit an amplitude of the DC bias voltage applied across the emitter. The emitter circuit can comprise a filter capacitor operable to smooth the DC bias voltage applied across the emitter.
US09332342B2
The invention provides a microphone amplifier circuit which enhances the SNR (signal noise ratio) and expands the dynamic range by reducing the noise level. A microphone amplifier circuit includes a preamplifier which amplifies an audio signal from a capacitor microphone, a level detection circuit which outputs a level detection signal when the level of the audio signal is in the vicinity of the noise level of the microphone amplifier circuit, and an attenuator which attenuates the level of the audio signal outputted from the preamplifier in response to the level detection signal. The preamplifier includes an operational amplifier, a feedback capacitor and a feedback resistor.
US09332335B2
The present invention relates to a cable collector for collecting and managing a cable, for connecting an audio device to user equipment, by means of a connection plug fixed to one end of the cable. The cable collector comprises: a) a main body having a first end portion to which the connection plug is intended to be attached, protruding from a surface thereof; b) a second end portion having a through passage with inner dimensions smaller than a largest outer diameter of the connection plug, enabling secure retaining of the latter therein in an active cable collecting state; c) a foldable middle portion joining the two end portions; and d) a cable passage formed within the first and second end portions as well as the middle portion of the main body, said passage being adapted to at least partially accommodate a portion of a cable nearest to the connection plug. The present invention also relates to a cable and cable collector unit.
US09332326B2
An optical transmission device includes: a reception unit configured to receive a plurality of light beams and wavelength allocation information of optical signals included in each of the light beams; a demultiplexing unit configured to demultiplex the plurality of light beams received; a plurality of switches configured to switch between transmitting or blocking with respect to the demultiplexed plurality of light beams; a multiplexing unit configured to multiplex light beams transmitted from the plurality of switches; a monitoring unit configured to monitor an intensity of the multiplexed light beams; and a controller configured to, based on the wavelength allocation information, obtain a combination of the light beams not including the optical signals having overlapping wavelengths, and control the plurality of switches in accordance with the combination.
US09332320B2
A system and method are disclosed for creating a secure video content path, or a protected media content bus, within an unsecure personal computer. A portable security module, or electronic key safe, may be inserted into a personal computer that has different internal components for processing secure and unsecured content. The security module may establish a secure encrypted link with a secure video processor of the personal computer, and may use the personal computer's network interface to request authority to receive secured content. The security module may provide content keys to the secure video processor to access secured content received over an external network.
US09332318B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving content metadata related to content items provided by a content provider; retrieving additional metadata from one or more external sources, the additional metadata including language variations of the content metadata; storing the content metadata with the additional metadata in a storage device, wherein the content metadata is stored in association with the additional metadata; receiving a search request from a user, the search request including one or more search terms expressed in a first language variation; identifying, among the content metadata or the additional metadata, relevant metadata matching the one or more search terms; identifying additional relevant metadata stored in association with the relevant metadata, the additional relevant metadata including language variations of the relevant metadata; and adding one or more additional search terms to the search request, the one or more additional search terms corresponding to the additional relevant metadata.
US09332306B2
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for reducing spillover in a media monitoring system are disclosed. An example method includes determining an actual frequency spectrum of the media monitored by a meter, and determining absolute values of differences between amplitudes of corresponding frequency components of the actual frequency spectrum and an expected frequency spectrum, the expected frequency spectrum stored in a database in association with a media identifier corresponding to the media. An example method also includes determining whether spillover occurred based on a summation of the absolute values satisfying a threshold, crediting the media with a media exposure if spillover did not occur.
US09332305B1
Methods and apparatus to generate threshold values for state detection are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a collection of audio data elements each representative of a sound level present in an environment at a time of an ON-indication, an oldest one of the audio data elements to be replaced in response to detection of an ON-indication in the environment; and a selector to select, for a value of a threshold condition of a state detection analysis, one of the audio data elements corresponding to a quietest sound level.
US09332301B2
Disclosed are a multimedia device that may simultaneously display advertisement broadcasting of a current viewing channel and another channel broadcasting when advertisement broadcasting starts in the current viewing channel, and a method for displaying advertisement broadcasting thereof. The multimedia device, which includes a display screen of a predetermined picture ratio, comprises a receiver receiving a digital broadcast signal that includes a broadcasting program and an advertising program; a decoder decoding the digital broadcast signal; and an advertising/broadcasting program switching module splitting the display screen into a first screen and a second screen if the advertising program is detected from a current channel, displaying the advertising program of the current channel on the split second screen and at the same time displaying a predetermined content on the first screen, incorporating the split first and second screens into one screen if the advertising program ends from the current channel, and displaying the broadcasting program of the current channel on the one screen.
US09332300B2
An apparatus for a television includes an on-screen display (OSD) generator, a first interface to receive signals for controlling a television, a first storage area to store information relating to a plurality of channels, a second interface to receive data from a social network service (SNS), and a second storage area to store the SNS data. A controller of the apparatus controls the OSD generator to simultaneously output for display program information of the plurality of channels. The program information is output based on the stored SNS data, and the stored SNS data is based on a plurality of members of the social network service.
US09332296B2
Live streaming video content is processed and stored for real-time delivery of the content, future VoD viewing of the content, and time-shifted viewing of the content, by manipulating a common manifest or playlist. Previously stored content may be reordered and/or recombined in order to provide a personalized content viewing experience.
US09332291B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for enforcing publisher content item block requests. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a set of declared network locations for a content item and rendering the content item. A request is initiated for a resource that is referenced by the content item, and network locations fetched in response to the request are logged. A composite set of network locations that includes the fetched network locations and declared network locations is generated. The composite set of network locations is used to enforce publisher block requests.
US09332288B2
A video processing system includes a video device that generates a request corresponding to video content. A conditional access module generates a video signal for transmission to the video device during a first time period, and terminates transmission of the video signal when the request is not authenticated during the first time period. In a further embodiment, the conditional access module generates a video signal for unscrambled transmission to the video device during a first time period, terminates the unscrambled transmission of the video signal at the expiration of the first time period, and continues with scrambled transmission of the video signal after the first time period.
US09332283B2
Signaling of prediction size unit in accordance with video coding. In accordance with video coding, various binarization may be performed. In accordance with coding related to different types of slices (e.g., I, P, B slices), one or more binary trees may be employed for performing various respective operations (e.g., coding unit (CU) prediction and prediction unit (PU) partition mode operations). In one implementation, a common or singular binary tree is employed to encode jointly CU prediction and PU partition mode in a single syntax element for both P slices and B slices. That is to say, in such an implementation, instead of employing different respective binary trees for at least these different respective processes/operations, a common or single binary tree may be employed for them both. Appropriate coordination between and encoder/transmitter device and a decoder/receiver device may be performed to ensure appropriate handling of different respective phases of video coding.
US09332280B2
Exemplary embodiments disclose an image processing method which includes obtaining a binary value by quantizing a value obtained by summing at least one pixel value of an input image and a quantization error value of a neighboring pixel; determining a pixel in which a detail intensity is to be inserted according to the binary value of each pixel; determining the detail intensity to be inserted in the determined pixel; and inserting the determined detail intensity in the determined pixel, wherein the quantization error value of the neighboring pixel is a difference value between an original pixel value of the neighboring pixel and a pixel value quantized with respect to a predetermined constant value.
US09332274B2
Video data for a high resolution image unit is coded with regard to both a low resolution reference image unit and a high resolution reference image unit. In an example encoding implementation, both low pass information and high pass information of residue data for a current image are generated. In an example decoding implementation, a current image is reconstructed by synthesizing both low pass information and high pass information for the reconstructed image.
US09332267B2
According to an example, after a terminal X joins in a multi-party video communication, a number of important video encoders in use and a number of common video encoders in use of the terminal are respectively determined; according to a processing capability of the terminal and a newest determining result, an encoding parameter is respectively determined for an important video and a common video, and each important video encoder in use and each common video encoder in use are informed to perform video encoding according to the newly determined encoding parameters.
US09332264B2
A motion estimation engine may be implemented to include a skip checking module, an integer search module, a macroblock partitioning module, a fractional search module, a bidirectional motion estimation refinement module, and an intra search module. The motion estimation engine may perform fractional search/bidirectional motion estimation refinement and intra search in parallel. Additionally, modules in the motion estimation engine may be partially or fully turned on or off to accommodate different motion estimation requirements. Furthermore, the motion estimation engine may implement early exit strategy to further save computation.
US09332262B2
According to the present invention, an image encoding/decoding method comprises the steps of: performing an intra prediction on a current block so as to generate a prediction block; performing filtering on a filtering target pixel in the prediction block on the basis of the intra prediction mode of the current block so as to generate a final prediction block; and generating a reconstructed block on the basis of a reconstructed differential block corresponding to the current block and on the final prediction block. According to the present invention, image encoding/decoding efficiency can be improved.
US09332257B2
Systems, methods, and devices for video coding that may obtain a rectangular chroma block having first and second square sub-blocks are disclosed. These systems, methods, and devices may also decode a first coded block flag (CBF) for the first square sub-block to indicate whether the first square sub-block includes at least one nonzero transform coefficient. These systems, methods, and devices may also decode a second CBF for the second square sub-block to indicate whether the second square sub-block includes at least one nonzero transform coefficient and not decoding a CBF for the rectangular chroma block.
US09332253B2
An image coding method for coding an image on a block-by-block basis, includes: selecting, for each of a plurality of sub-blocks included in a coding-target block and each including a plurality of coefficients, a context for performing arithmetic coding on a parameter indicating a coding-target coefficient included in the sub-block from a context set corresponding to the sub-block, based on at least one reference coefficient located around the coding-target coefficient, the coding-target block being a transform unit; and performing arithmetic coding on the parameter indicating the coding-target coefficient using probability information about the selected context, wherein, in the selecting, the context is selected from the context set, the context set corresponding to a sum of (i) a value indicating a position in a horizontal direction of the sub-block in the coding-target block and (ii) a value indicating a position in a vertical direction of the sub-block in the coding-target block.
US09332252B2
The present invention relates to an automatic test system for a digital display system, which digital display system comprises display electronics configured to output a digital video stream, and a display screen connected to the display electronics to receive the digital video stream generated thereby and to display at least one image based on the received digital video stream. The automatic test system is designed to be connected to the digital display system to receive the digital video stream generated by the display electronics, and is configured to: reconstruct in memory an image based on the received digital video stream; compute a signature of the reconstructed-in-memory image; and test the digital display system by comparing the computed signature with a reference signature so as to thereby check whether the reconstructed-in-memory image completely matches an expected good display behavior, wherein said reference signature is indicative of said expected good display behavior.
US09332248B1
A spherical television system for displaying imagery on a sphere. The spherical television includes layered displays or a rotating disc display along with a coordinate system to allow the spherical television system to measure ambient light through light tubes and playback spherical imagery.
US09332245B2
A stereoscopic image display device comprising: a parallax information acquisition device configured to acquire parallax information for each of a plurality of face regions present in different view point images; a display method selection device configured to select a display method of the plurality of face regions; a face region selection device configured to select a specific face region out of the plurality of face regions according to the display method selected by the display method selection device; a parallax adjustment device configured to adjust a parallax amount of the specific face region in the view point image based on the parallax information of the specific face region selected by the face region selection device; and a display controller displaying a stereoscopic image on a predetermined display device based on the view point image in which the parallax amount of the specific face region is adjusted by the parallax adjustment device.
US09332242B2
Medical apparatus consisting of a first imaging device including a first image sensor having a first field of view, and a second imaging device including a second image sensor having a second field of view smaller than the first field of view. The apparatus also includes a processor configured to process a first image acquired by the first image sensor so as to generate a first processed image having a first image magnification, and to process a second image acquired by the second image sensor so as to generate a second processed image having a second image magnification. The processor is also configured to adjust the first image magnification to be equal to the second image magnification so as to form an adjusted first image, and to generate a stereoscopic image based on the adjusted first image and the processed second image.
US09332239B2
Systems and methods for processing image data in RGB format are provided. In one example, an electronic device includes memory to store image data in raw or RGB format, or both, and an RGB image processing pipeline to process the image data. Specifically, the RGB image processing pipeline may process the image data regardless of whether the image data is of raw or RGB format. The RGB image processing pipeline may include receiving logic to receive the image data in raw or RGB format and demosaicing logic to, when the receiving logic receives the image data in raw format, convert the image data into RGB format. The logic may include local tone mapping logic configured to apply spatially varying tone curves to the image data, a color correction matrix configured to correct color in the image data, and gamma logic configured to transform the image data into gamma space.
US09332233B2
Provided is an image processing device which includes a storage unit and a selection unit. The storage unit stores a plurality of data formats corresponding to different image qualities, as data formats specifying at least two elements from among resolution, color expression, update cycle, and gradation which are elements relating to the image quality of an image displayed by a display device which continuously subjects frame image data to display processing and displays images. Furthermore, the storage unit stores importance information indicating the importance of an element. If a detection unit detects that the communication environment has degraded, the selection unit selects, for an element selected based on the importance information stored in the storage unit, a data format having a lower quality specified format than the format specified by the data format currently selected.
US09332232B2
A display device may include: an acquisition unit acquiring transmitting terminal identification information that is identification information of a transmitting terminal transmitting image data by wireless communication, and receiving terminal identification information that is identification information of a receiving terminal receiving the image data by wireless communication; and an information display unit displaying the transmitting terminal identification information and the receiving terminal identification information.
US09332223B2
In an approach to determine a pre-recorded video for use in place of a video feed of a user in a video conference, a computer receives one or more pre-recorded videos of a user in which the pre-recorded videos include at least one visual representation of an emotional state. The computer determines a meeting tone of at least one meeting discussion in the video conference and determines a first video of the one or more pre-recorded videos of the user that corresponds to the meeting tone. The computer substitutes the first video into the video conference in place of a video feed in the video conference.
US09332218B2
A perspective-correct communication window system and method for communicating between participants in an online meeting, where the participants are not in the same physical locations. Embodiments of the system and method provide an in-person communications experience by changing virtual viewpoint for the participants when they are viewing the online meeting. The participant sees a different perspective displayed on a monitor based on the location of the participant's eyes. Embodiments of the system and method include a capture and creation component that is used to capture visual data about each participant and create a realistic geometric proxy from the data. A scene geometry component is used to create a virtual scene geometry that mimics the arrangement of an in-person meeting. A virtual viewpoint component displays the changing virtual viewpoint to the viewer and can add perceived depth using motion parallax.
US09332217B2
Embodiments of the disclosed invention include a method and apparatus for communicating data via a cable card having a network interface. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed for playing an external media content file routed through the network interface of the cable card. In another embodiment, a method is disclosed for utilizing a single cable card on multiple media devices for enabling access to protected media content on the multiple media devices.
US09332216B2
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods configured to adjust the timing of frame scanout in response to fluctuations in the source frame rate of graphics content rendered by a processing unit. In certain implementations, a vertical blanking interval generated during scanout of frames from a frame buffer may be adjusted in response to detected changes in the frame rate at which the source content is generated. In certain implementations, rendered graphics may be streamed over a network for display in real-time on a remote device, and the scanout out of frames may be adjusted in order to better match the rate of compression and streaming to a variable frame rate of the source content.
US09332199B2
An imaging device includes a photography optical system, and a single plate-type imaging element in which a plurality of pixels including two-dimensionally arranged photoelectric conversion elements and having a different underlayer layout are repeatedly arranged in a predetermined pattern, and color filters on the plurality of pixels, determination unit determines that a ghost is generated when an output level of one of the plurality of pixels and an output level of the same color pixel in the vicinity of the one pixel, which is the other pixel having a different underlayer layout from the one pixel, are different within a range in which the output levels do not exceed a predetermined threshold, and correction unit reducing a difference of the output level between the one pixel and the same color pixel in the vicinity when the determination unit determines that the ghost is generated.
US09332198B2
The present technology relates to an A/D converter, a solid-state image pickup device and a method of driving the same, and an electronic apparatus which are capable of reducing power consumption while reducing a circuit size. A comparator compares a reference voltage with an input voltage, the reference voltage having a ramp waveform whose voltage value varies with time, a lower-bit storage element holds a count value in a predetermined count pattern, based on an output signal from the comparator, a Gray code binary conversion circuit converts the count value in the count pattern held by the lower-bit storage element into binary data, and a storing operation control circuit supplies a pulse signal corresponding to the binary data obtained by conversion in the Gray code binary conversion circuit to a lower-bit U/D CNT. The present technology is applicable to, for example, an image sensor storing a count value in a storage element with use of a Gray code or a phase shift code as a clock signal.
US09332195B2
An image processing apparatus for adding a blur to an image in use of depth information corresponding to the image, comprising: a conversion unit configured to convert the depth information into blur size information; a division unit configured to divide the image into a plurality image areas having a same blur size; an image generation unit configured to perform blur processing on each of the plurality of image areas with the blur size to generate blurred images; and a synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the plurality of blurred images generated by the image generation unit.
US09332192B2
An image generating device includes an exposure timing control unit for controlling an electronic front curtain so as to adjust to a running characteristics of a mechanical rear curtain based on a plurality of the image data.
US09332191B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium for determining shutter fluttering sequence. The disclosed approach is based on the use of shutter flutter technology, which means that an image can be acquired in such a manner as to encode all information about the moving subject. The disclosed approach involves determining a shutter's fluttering pattern that optimally encodes information at all frequencies. The disclosed approach involves an optimization method for finding a shutter fluttering pattern that has several desired properties. These properties can be expressed in the context of a fitness function: given a fluttering pattern and the target subject's velocity, it produces the equivalent Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), measures three attributes, and produces a fitness score. These attributes are the minimum contrast, the variance in contrast across spatial frequencies, and the mean contrast. The objective of the disclosed approach is to determine the fluttering pattern that maximizes the fitness score.
US09332188B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical unit with camera-shake correction function capable of minimizing the load applied to a movable element from a flexible wiring substrate even when the movable element is oscillated, in order to correct camera shake. In an optical unit provided with a camera-shake correction function, a movable element can be oscillated about an oscillation support point by actuating a drive mechanism for camera-shake correction, and camera shake can therefore be corrected. In a flexible wiring substrate drawn out from the movable element, a folded part folded along the rear end portion of the movable element in the optical axis direction is formed in a drawn-out portion from the movable element, and in the optical axis direction, the oscillation support point is positioned between the surface of the folded part that faces the end part on the other side −Y in the Y-axis direction of the rear end portion of the movable element in the optical axis direction, and the surface that faces toward the rear in the optical axis direction at a fixed part of the flexible wiring substrate with respect to a fixed body.
US09332172B1
A terminal device, an information display system and a method of controlling the terminal device are disclosed. The terminal device includes a camera unit configured to capture a picture in which an external device connected with a network is included, a control unit configured to detect the external device from the captured picture, a communication unit configured to transmit and receive data and a display unit configured to display the captured picture. If the detected external device in the captured picture is selected, the control unit controls the communication unit to receive information on the external device based on a sensing history of the external device and can control the display unit to display the received information on the external device on the display unit.
US09332169B2
An apparatus (1) estimates control features of remote controls (10) comprising cameras (11) for detecting light points (51, 52) from beacons (31, 32) located at or near devices (20) that are to be controlled via the remote controls (10) by letting the cameras (11) further detect light points (61, 62) from non-beacons (41, 42). Processors (2) estimate the control features in response to information from the detections of the light points (51, 52, 61, 62). The non-beacons (41, 42) comprise noise sources or any other sources different from the beacons (31, 32). Memories (3) store per time-interval the information per detection. The light coming from the beacons (31, 32) may be modulated light and the light coming from the non-beacons (41, 42) may be other light. The information may comprise coordinates, sizes and intensities of light points (51, 52, 61, 62) per detection and per time-interval. The control feature may comprise a pointing position, a distance, a rotation, a tilt, a location, a speed, an acceleration, a movement and/or a zoom of the remote control (10).
US09332163B2
A bubble adapter for installed security cameras, such as Pan/Tilt/Zoom (“PTZ”) security cameras fits over the head of the PTZ camera, and attaches to a mounting region of a base of the security camera via a field-deployable attachment mechanism. The bubble of the bubble adapter protects and conceals the head of the PTZ camera and its components. Using the bubble adapter, service personnel add bubbles to existing PTZ camera installations that are lacking bubbles in the field. This avoids the expense and downtime associated with the current method for adding bubbles to PTZ camera installations lacking bubbles. The current method requires removing the installed PTZ cameras, and replacing them with PTZ cameras having factory-installed bubbles. In addition, the bubble adapter provides an integrated airflow system that allows the security camera to maintain thermal control when the bubble adapter is attached to the security cameras.
US09332155B2
A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first image as a continuous tone image, screening the image to render a second image as a (Halftone Image) HTI, selecting an area of the first image for enhancement, and iteratively processing the selected area of the first image to render a third image as a multibit HTI.
US09332150B2
A text scanning system includes a processor configured to extract character information from image data of an image, generate a two-dimensional code representing the extracted character information, and output the two-dimensional code, and a display unit configured to receive and display the two-dimensional code.
US09332148B2
A reader device includes a mounting surface on which a passport with a page to be read is placed, a light source for illuminating the page to be read, and a camera for picking up an image of the page to be read. The light source is arranged outside a front area of the page to be read. The page to be read contains a near-edge code positioned close to an edge of the page to be read. The light source includes an infrared LED array and a white LED array. An infrared LED and a white LED included in the infrared LED array and the white LED array, respectively, and located at a near-edge code position corresponding to the near-edge code are arranged closer to the page to be read than the other infrared LEDs and white LEDs in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface.
US09332142B2
A portable information device includes a first display portion in which a parameter that defines a color for displaying an image is set, and a remote operation portion to display a remote operation screen on the first display portion and transmit a remote operation to an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an apparatus-side display control portion to display an operation screen on a second display portion, and a remote control portion to transmit a remote operation screen to the portable information device and execute a process in accordance with a remote operation. One of the portable information device and the image forming apparatus acquires a distance between the image forming apparatus and the portable information device and determines an update parameter based on the acquired distance. The remote operation portion updates the parameter set in the first display portion with the update parameter.
US09332119B1
Caller ID authentication methodology is used to authenticate call destination and detect call forwarding in a telecommunication system. Call forwarding detection is performed by the called party authentication device transmitting an authentication request message to the authentication server. The authentication request containing the source telephone number of the call and the called party telephone number. The authentication server matches the authentication request message to a calling status message transmitted by the caller party authentication device. The calling status message containing the caller telephone number and the destination telephone number. If the two messages match, the server informs the caller authentication device that the call has reached the intended party and the call destination is authentic. If the two messages do not match or a valid authentication request message has not been received, the authentication server determines the call has not reached the intended destination and the call has been forwarded. Authentication device reputation scores are used to mitigate certain attacks against caller ID and call destination authentication.
US09332114B2
Mobile communication terminals and methods are provided. A mobile communication terminal includes a transceiver, audio processing unit, speaker, connecting unit, display unit, input unit, and control unit. The control unit is configured to control to display, while in a silent mode, a user interface for reproduction of a music file, in response to a user input while in the silent mode, control to reproduce the music file and to output audio signals corresponding thereto through the speaker, in response to receiving an incoming call in the silent mode, stop reproduction of a music file, and output an indication of the reception of the incoming call by vibration or without sound according to a setting of the silent mode, and while in the silent mode, control reproduction of a music file depending upon detection of a change of a connection state of an external audio output device.
US09332113B2
A mobile electronic device having a flexible display device is disclosed. A request to retrieve information from a server over a wireless network is triggered based on flexing the flexible display device and other gestures.
US09332112B2
A communications system for use in connection with a vehicle (1): a mobile handheld communication device (2); a handheld vehicle activation device (4); a communication module (6) arranged on the vehicle and able to establish wireless communication to the communication device (2). The communication device (2) includes a tracking device (8) for wireless vehicle identifying information (10) from the vehicle activation device (4), where the vehicle identifying information (10) identifies a specific vehicle. The system identifies a vehicle based on the information, and establishes a wireless communications link (12) between the communication device (2) and the communication module (6) in the identified vehicle (1).
US09332105B2
A communication connecting apparatus, a mobile terminal, and a method of communicating among the apparatus and the terminal are discussed. According to an embodiment, the apparatus includes a communication unit configured to receive key information relating to at least one key disposed on the mobile terminal, when the communication connecting apparatus is coupled with the mobile terminal; a display unit; and a controller configured to generate at least one key image corresponding to the at least one key based upon the received key information, and to display, on the display unit, at least one soft key having the generated at least one key image thereon.
US09332103B2
Portable communication device (100) generates a telephony audio stream and at least a second audio stream. Responsive to the occurrence of a telephony session, the second audio stream is re-routed from a loudspeaker (234) to a handset speaker (230) in the PCD (100) having a low capacity audio output capability. Upon termination of the telephony session, the second audio stream is re-routed from the handset speaker (230) to the loudspeaker (234). Subsequent to such re-routing, an audio output drive level of the second audio stream is caused to gradually increase over a period of time in accordance with a predetermined ramp function. A series of warning tones are reproduced to warn the user of the potential for high volume audio.
US09332095B2
A portable electronic device is provided, in which a region for joining a body to a member-to-be-fixed is designed to be narrow, and the body and the member-to-be-fixed are strongly joined together. The portable electronic device is provided with a body 2A and a member-to-be-fixed 3a, which is bonded and fixed to the body 2A by way of an adhesive 231. The body 2A has: a first face 22, on which the member-to-be-fixed 3a is mounted; and a second face 23, which is bonded to the member-to-be-fixed 3a, in a state where the second face 23 is at a distance from the member-to-be-fixed 3a by interposing the adhesive 231, and the second face 23 is in an intersecting positional relationship with the first face 22.
US09332082B2
One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to a system and method for instantaneously deploying packetized alert data in a one to many configuration or a many to many configuration where the data to be received by each recipient can be customized in a way that leaves a publisher with optimum control over the content or revenue generated from each deployment.
US09332081B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. Login credentials provided by a user are received when communicating through a first user device, and a temporal identifier is created for the user and provided to the first user device. Prior to expiration of the temporary key, login credentials provided by the user on a second different user device are received. The temporal identifier is re-created for the user and provided to the second different user device. A first request is received from the first or second different user device. The temporal identifier is stored and an identifier associated with the device. A second request is received from the other device. A device identifier for the first and second different user device are linked in association with the temporal identifier. The linking is used to respond to the second request.
US09332079B2
A system and a method are provided for managing network activation with a carrier and registration with a service provider. In one example, the method determines a network activation status. If the network is not activated, a utility is used to perform the activation. Further, the status of registration with a provider is determined. If not registered, a request is sent to a server of the service provider for a registration file configured to gather user registration information. The registration file is then received from the server. The registration file is executed on the personal computer. Data gathered by the registration file is then returned to the service provider's server to complete the registration procedures.
US09332073B2
The present disclosure relates to communication technologies, and particularly, to a method, apparatus and system for maintaining contact information. The embodiment of the present invention provides a method for maintaining contact information, including: acquiring address book information of a user and authorization settings of the address book information of the user and saving the acquired in an address book server, receiving a subscription request from a subscriber device, and establishing, according to confirmation information from the subscribed-for user regarding the subscription request from the subscriber device, a subscription relation list for a subscribed-for user and subscriber device and updating, by the address book server, address book information of the subscriber device according to a subscription relation and authorization in the subscription relation list when the subscribed-for user modifies the address book information of the subscribed-for user in the address book server.
US09332072B2
In one embodiment, an alternating circuit (AC) power connected node in a shared-media communication network (with knowledge of a current time) determines a time value of a particular zero-crossing event of the AC power, and sends a message to a neighbor node indicating the time value of the particular zero-crossing event to allow the neighbor node to synchronize its time by coordinating the time value to its detection of the particular zero-crossing event. In another embodiment, the neighboring node determines one or more local zero-crossing events of the AC power, such that upon receiving the message indicating a correct time value of the particular zero-crossing event, the neighboring node can synchronize its local time a current time by matching one of the one or more local zero-crossing events to the particular zero-crossing event and assigning the correct time value to the matched local zero-crossing event.
US09332063B2
Within a computing environment, an application may run in a variety of contexts, e.g., as a natively executable application, as a client-side interpretable application embedded in a web browser, or as a server-side application that communicates with the user through a web interface presented on a device. The application may also access resources of the computing environment stored on multiple devices. The configuration of the application to operate equivalently in these diverse environments may be facilitated by representing the application within an object hierarchy representing the computing environment. The application may be configured to operate on the objects of the object hierarchy regardless of the location of the stored objects, to execute on any device, and to execute upon a standard set of application programming interfaces. The configuration of the application in this manner promotes the versatility of the application in operating equivalently in different programming contexts.
US09332061B2
A device information acquisition unit acquires device information from a peripheral device via an ad hoc network. An integrated service determination unit determines an integrated service to be executed from among the integrated services defined by integrated service information based on an instruction from a user. A distribution script determination unit cross checks device information related to a client device and a specification requirement of the integrated service to be executed, and determines a client UI of the client device. A script distribution unit distributes, to each client device, the client UI that has been determined by the distribution script determination unit.
US09332057B2
Systems and methods for providing registration at a remote site that may include, for example, a monitoring module that may communicate with a remote site. A registration protocol may be used by the monitoring module and the remote site in generating the messages communicated during the registration process. The monitoring module may gather and generate various identification information to be included in the registration protocol messages. The registration information provided by the monitoring module maybe stored at the remote site in a database server having a database. A confirmation message may be communicated from the remote site to the monitoring module that may either acknowledge successful registration or report that an error occurred during the registration process.
US09332049B1
A system performs compression of real-time communications (“RTC”). The system establishes a tunnel with a user equipment (“UE”) by a tunneling server, and communicates encapsulated media with the UE over the tunnel. Subsequently, the system receives a request from a tunneling client at the UE to enable compression for the encapsulated media, determines a codec for transcoding the encapsulated media at the tunneling client and at the tunneling server, and sends a response back to the UE to indicate that compression is enabled for the encapsulated media. The system then communicates compressed encapsulated media with the UE over the tunnel.
US09332046B2
An edge server communicates with a client in a local network. The client displays a remote desktop image representative of a virtual desk image generated by a virtual desktop server (VDS). The edge server receives from the VDS a desktop image to be displayed on the remote desktop. The desktop image includes an incomplete window in which graphic media, such as video, is to be displayed. The edge server determines communication link conditions in the local network and a corresponding transmit data rate at which to transmit data to the client device and a suitable encoding rate at which the graphic media is encoded. The edge server downloads the graphic media from the content server, merges the downloaded graphic media into the incomplete area to produce a completed desktop image, and transmits the completed desktop image at the determined transmit data rate for display on the remote desktop.
US09332042B2
A social networking system may provide user metrics for unknown dimensions to an external system using received hash codes from user devices performing actions on the external system. Embodiments of the invention receive hash codes generated by external systems that are embedded in redirect Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that are executed by user devices. The social networking system may match the received hash codes to identifying information about users, e.g., user identifiers. The user profile information may be reported to external systems based on hash codes in an aggregated format without disclosing identifying information about users. In one embodiment, a hash code may include identifying information of an administrator of an external system to enable the administrator to merge information about users of the social networking system with other unknown dimensions of information about the users that is known by the external system.
US09332032B2
Implementing security in social applications includes inferring a closeness level of a connection to a user's profile of a social application based on a closeness policy and implementing a security level individualized to the connection based on the closeness level.
US09332031B1
Categorizing accounts based on associated images is described, including identifying information associated with an account associated with a user, the information includes an image associated with the user; producing data associated with the image; computing a threshold value associated with the account based at least on the data associated with the image, the threshold value is associated with a category of accounts; and performing an operation associated with the account based on the threshold value.
US09332013B2
In certain embodiments, a system receives a first request from a user to perform a function with an enterprise. The system communicates a second request for the user to provide a thought to facilitate authenticating the user with the enterprise. The system receives a string of characters corresponding to the thought. The string may be generated based at least in part upon electromagnetic signals, which the user generates by developing the thought. The system compares the received string to a stored string that corresponds to a thought of the user to authenticate the user. Based at least in part upon the comparison, the system determines whether the user is authenticated to perform the function.
US09332005B2
A system and method can provide switch based subnet management packet (SMP) traffic protection in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment includes a network switch that operates to receive at least one SMP destined for a subnet management agent (SMA). The network switch can check whether the at least one SMP includes a correct management key, and prevent the at least one SMP from being forwarded to the destined SMA when at least one SMP does not include the correct management key. Furthermore, the network switch can specify a different management key for each external port and can enforce separate restrictions on ingress and egress SMP traffic at a particular external port.
US09331994B2
Embodiments are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for providing user authentication based on transaction data. Embodiments receive from a user, a request to execute a user action associated with an application, wherein execution of the user action requires validation of authentication credentials; collect a transaction set of data comprising information related to transactions conducted by the user; collect a location set of data comprising information related to a physical location of the user; determine a transaction proximity score associated with the user and the transactions; determine a level of authentication associated with the determined transaction proximity score; determine which authentication types are associated with the level of authentication; request authentication credentials; receive authentication credentials from the user; validate the authentication credentials, thereby resulting in a successful validation of the authentication credentials; and, in response to the successful validation of the authentication credentials, execute the user action.
US09331988B2
A system and method can support device management. An authorization entity can pass one or more secrets that are wrapped with a first key to a communication entity. Furthermore, the communication entity can use a second key to establish a secure channel with an application on a device, and pass the one or more secrets that are wrapped with the first key to the application on the device using the secure channel. Then, the device can use the first key to unwrap the received wrapped secret.
US09331984B2
In a secret sharing process based on an improved threshold scheme, secret data is shared as shared data parts equal to or greater than a threshold value in number such that the secret data cannot be reconstructed from shared data parts less than the threshold value in number. Each of the shared data pieces is created essentially from a different combination of the secret data pieces and the data pieces for secret sharing computation. The secret sharing process allows an algorithm desired by the user to be freely incorporated, and can prevent the secret data to be easily reconstructed even when more shared data parts than the threshold value are acquired by a third party.
US09331983B2
A method and apparatus for content-based billing is provided. Techniques are provided for intercepting, modifying, and retransmitting a request between various entities engaged in content-based billing in the context of the World Wide Web. Various techniques such as HTTP proxy servers, wireless protocol gateways, routers, and level 41 switches may be used for intercepting the request. The request maybe modified based on numerous factors such as profile information, levels of service, and requested content. The entities that engage in content-based billing include but are not limited to users (including mobile users), content providers, access providers (including HTTP proxy servers).
US09331982B2
A system for filtering received data units comprises a memory structure adapted to store a plurality of P tables, each table comprising a plurality of filter-keys and corresponding indices, each filter-key comprising one or more key-bits each corresponding to a filter configurable by a corresponding filter configuration value; and at least one processing element connected to the memory structure and comprising a digesting module adapted to generate the one or more key-bits of each of the filter-keys of the tables by splitting the corresponding filter configuration value into P configuration-pieces each having a number of bits, and to use each configuration-piece as a first index for setting a corresponding key-bit in the corresponding table; and a filtering module adapted to receive and split the data units into P data-pieces each having the number of bits, for each data-piece use the data-piece as a second index for reading the corresponding filter-key from the corresponding table, and generate a pass-indication key from a bitwise logical conjunction between the read filter-keys.
US09331981B2
A method and an apparatus for filtering a uniform resource locator (URL). According to the method, a first category corresponding to a URL connection request can be found in a pre-stored category information table; when the first category conforms to a predetermined URL passing through policy, the URL connection request is allowed to pass through; the URL connection request is forwarded to a corresponding server; a second category corresponding to a URL is determined according to web page content returned by the server; if the second category conforms to the predetermined URL passing through policy, the web page content is sent to a client; if the second category does not conform to the predetermined URL passing through policy, the web page content is blocked. A category to which a URL belongs can be determined in real time, and implementing a function of accurate category filtration.
US09331980B2
An in-band signaling method that enables secure updates of a care-of-IP address for a mobile host that roams between access networks. In the illustrative embodiment described herein, a mobile host includes an intelligent interface that handles IP networking functions and tunnels IP packets between the mobile host and the mobile host's home agent/remote access server (HA/RAS) transparently, as if the mobile host established a connection to a communicating or destination host (DST) from the home network (where the HA/RAS resides). In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an in-band signaling method that employs encrypted three-way handshake signaling messages that are embedded in encapsulated IP packets to enable care-of IP address updates. This method can effectively protect mobile hosts from denial-of-service attacks and is transparent to NAT/NAPT firewalls. The signaling messages are communicated between the home agent and the mobile host, in a manner transparent to any NAT/NAPT firewall in the network.
US09331976B2
A method of request routing redirection includes: receiving, by a first content delivery network (CDN) among a plurality of CDNs connected by CDN interconnection (CDNi), a domain name system (DNS) request including a list of CDN-provider-identifications (IDs) of higher CDNs, from a client; determining whether the client's request is processable; and when the client's request is not processable, redirecting the request, while preventing a loop of the request routing on the basis of the list of the CDN-provider-IDs.
US09331974B2
In one embodiment, a method includes building an address resolution cache for a layer-3 router in a first layer-2 datacenter, where the address resolution cache includes a plurality of entries, each of the entries containing a host network address, a host hardware address, and a switch identifier for a switch serving a host, intercepting an address resolution flood within the first layer-2 datacenter that seeks address resolution for a host in a second layer-2 datacenter, and generating a response to the address resolution flood that indicates a source in the second layer-2 datacenter, where data indicating the source in the second layer-2 datacenter is accessed from the address resolution cache.
US09331967B2
In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system for real-time communication signaling protocol for use in a telecommunication network and communication in web-only Internet. The protocol facilitates adapting complex signaling on the server-side into simple operations towards the Web. In an embodiment the protocol is used to communicate between a server-side web signaling engine and a client-side communication controller. The client-side communication controller provides a JavaScript API to encapsulate the signaling layer. The web signaling engine includes a controller which terminates communications using the protocol, and normalizes communications into an internal protocol suitable for communication with telecommunications network systems. In an embodiment, the protocol utilizes JSON and a WebSocket connection and can be defined as a WebSocket subprotocol.
US09331957B2
Cache control for Web application resources can include receiving a cache manifest for a Web application, wherein the cache manifest specifies a Web page of the Web application, and determining, using a processor, a resource that is required by the Web page. A closure collection can be built that includes the resource required by the Web page. A reference to the resource can be written to the cache manifest.
US09331955B2
The embodiments described herein generally relate to a protocol for implementing data operations, e.g., a version of SMB, atop RDMA transports. In embodiments, systems and methods use the protocol definition, which specifies new messages for negotiating an RDMA connection and for transferring SMB2 data using the negotiated communication. A new protocol message may include new header information to determine message size, number of messages, and other information for sending the SMB2 data over RDMA. The header information is used to accommodate differences in message size requirements between RDMA and SMB2. The SMB Direct protocol allows SMB2 data to be fragmented into multiple individual RDMA messages that a receiver may then logically concatenate into a single SMB2 request or SMB2 response. The SMB Direct protocol also may allow SMB2 to transfer application data via efficient RDMA direct placement and to signal the application data's availability when the transfer is complete.
US09331953B2
Example embodiments of the present invention disclose a device management method, middleware, computer-program products, system, and apparatuses. The method includes: a resource access request is received by using a resource access interface, where the resource access request includes: a URI that is used to indicate a storage location of an accessed management object MO data resource; according to pre-created mapping between the resource access request of the MO data resource and a DM command, the resource access request of the MO data resource is converted into corresponding DM command, and according to pre-created mapping between the MO data resource and MO information, the MO information corresponding to accessed MO data is determined; and the DM command is sent to a target device corresponding to the URI to manage the MO information corresponding to the accessed MO data, so that the M2M applications may access different M2M platforms to manage devices, implementing end-to-end device management and related service applications.
US09331944B2
A system and a method are disclosed for selectively monitoring traffic in a service provider network. The system receives a notice for a beginning of a network data flow, which responds to a request from a user device for content at an origin server. The system then determines whether to monitor the data flow from the origin server to the user device. If so determined, the system collects statistic information of the data flow and stores the statistic information to a flow record in a database. The system also maps the flow record to a subscriber of the service provider network by analyzing the statistic information of the data flow and estimates bandwidth provided to the data flow by the service provider's network based on the analysis of the statistic information of the data flow.
US09331929B1
At a first time, a schedule module is configured to access a list of status indicators associated with a group of egress port indicators. The list of status indicators includes a set of status indicators each of which has a value greater than a threshold. The schedule module is configured to randomly select a status indicator from the set of status indicators and configured to reduce the value of the selected status indicator. The schedule module is then configured to send the egress port indicator associated with the selected status indicator such that a data cell is sent from an egress port associated with that egress port indicator. At a second time, when the value of every status indicator from the list of status indicators is not greater than the threshold, the schedule module is configured to increase the value of every status indicator above the threshold.
US09331928B2
One disclosed embodiment of an electronic device includes an electronic device comprising an interface for communicating with at least one remote server, and one or more processors operably coupled to the interface and to memory, the one or more processors operable to, at least, create at least one device management object in a device management tree in memory of the electronic device, wherein a value of the at least one device management object is representative of a level of performance of a layer of a data communication protocol, establish a session of communication between the electronic device and a second location using the data communication protocol, receive, during the communication session, a device management message according to a device management protocol standard from the at least one remote server, the device management message accessing the value of the at least one device management object, and send the value of the at least one device management object to the at least one remote server.
US09331911B2
Resizing resource allocation in a computing environment, including: displaying, within a graphical user interface, a graphical element representing allocation parameters, the allocation parameters indicating a user's current allocation of one or more resources of the computing environment; displaying, within the graphical user interface, a graphical element representing utilization parameters, the utilization parameters indicating the user's current utilization of the one or more resources of the computing environment; receiving, within the graphical user interface, user input to manipulate the graphical element representing the allocation parameters; and changing, based on the user input received within the graphical user interface, the allocation parameters.
US09331910B2
Described herein are methods and systems for automatically generating routing configuration files based on a network topology and a collection of routing configuration templates. Such automatically generated routing configuration files may be suitable for a network running one or more of the RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS and BGP routing protocols. The network topology may be specified in a graph description language, such as DOT, and/or a graph modeling language, such as GraphML. The routing configuration templates include certain routing protocol commands or sequence of commands that are frequently repeated in the configuration of a network device. Based on the network topology, the routing configuration templates are instantiated in a certain fashion, and any placeholders therein are replaced with information specific to the network topology.
US09331906B1
A device has physical network interface port through which a user can monitor and configure the device. A backend process and a virtual machine (VM) execute on a host operating system (OS). A front end user interface process executes on the VM, and is therefore compartmentalized in the VM. There is no front end user interface executing on the host OS outside the VM. The only management access channel into the device is via a first communication path through the physical network interface port, to the VM, up the VM's stack, and to the front end process. If the backend process is to be instructed to take an action, then the front end process forwards an application layer instruction to the backend process via a second communication path. The instruction passes down the VM stack, across a virtual secure network link, up the host stack, and to the backend process.
US09331891B2
Techniques for managing network traffic in a virtual consolidated appliance so as to avoid interruptions in existing network connections during reconfiguration of the virtual consolidated appliance are provided. In one aspect, a method for operating a virtual consolidated appliance having a plurality of servers is provided. The method includes the following steps. An assignment for load balancing is computed based on a status of the virtual consolidated appliance. A reconfiguration of the virtual consolidated appliance is discovered. A new assignment is computed for load balancing based on a new status of the virtual consolidated appliance based on the reconfiguration of the virtual consolidated appliance. Existing network connections are redirected according to the assignment during the reconfiguration of the virtual consolidated appliance. New network connections are served according to the new assignment.
US09331887B2
A peer-aware voice stream ranking method that makes decisions based on information about participants of a voice conference over a network. Whether to send a participant's own audio packet out on the network is based both on information about the participant's own voice packet and voice packets that the participant receives from other clients. A Voice Activity Score (VAS) is computed for each frame of a particular voice stream. The VAS includes a voiceness component, indicating the likelihood that the audio frame contains speech or voice, and an energy level component that indicating the ratio of current frame energy to the long-term average of energy for a current speaker. Using the VAS from the participants, the method also ranks the client's voice stream as compared to other clients' voice streams in the voice conference. If there are participants higher ranking, the client's voice stream is not sent.
US09331886B2
A magnetic field modem (26) includes an electro-magnetic radiation shielded (90) transmitter section (34) and a receiver section (36). The electro-magnetic radiation shielded (90) transmitter section (34) modulates data and transmits the data via a magnetic field through a radio frequency shield (20). The receiver section (34) receives the magnetic field through the radio frequency shield (20) and demodulates the data. The transmitter section includes an oscillator (40), a modulator (50), an amplifier (70), a magnetic transducer (80), and a non-ferrous magnetic shield (90). The oscillator (40) generates a carrier signal. The modulator (50) connects to the oscillator (40) and modulates the carrier signal with the data. The amplifier (70) connects to the modulator (50) and amplifies the modulated carrier signal. The magnetic transducer (80) connects to the amplifier (70) and converts the modulated carrier signal into a modulated magnetic signal. The non-ferrous magnetic shield (90) shields the magnetic transducer (80) and blocks emitted electro-magnetic radiation.
US09331884B2
An apparatus and a method for operating a transmission end in a wireless communication system that supports Frequency and Quadrature-Amplitude Modulation (FQAM) are provided. The method includes dividing an information bit stream into a plurality of portions, encoding each of the plurality of portions using different encoding schemes, and generating an FQAM symbol by combining result values of the encoding of each of the plurality of portions, wherein the encoding schemes are different according to at least one of an encoding order, an encoding rate, an input size, and an encoding technique.
US09331876B2
A method, an apparatus, and a system for controlling a carrier Power Amplifier (PA) of a Base Station (BS) in a network communication field are disclosed. The method includes: obtaining power control information of the carrier PA at a next timeslot; and adjusting working voltage of the carrier PA at the next timeslot according to the power control information. An apparatus and a system for controlling a carrier PA of a BS are also disclosed. The method, apparatus, and system can reduce energy consumption of the BS and improve energy efficiency of the BS.
US09331870B2
A switch receives a state change notice from a server via a port, the state change notice indicating that the state is changed. When a port receives a state change notice, the switch shifts the state of the port to a waiting-for-driver-start-up state to prevent execution of a process that corresponds to a signal that is received from the server. When the port receives, after it is shifted to the waiting-for-driver-start-up state, a signal that satisfies a predetermined condition from the server, the switch releases the port from the waiting-for-driver-start-up state.
US09331868B2
To reduce performance losses and costs associated with serializing parallel communications when communicating with other computing devices over a local area network (“LAN”) or a wide area network (“WAN”), bus virtualization is provided to maintain parallelization for inter machine communications over a network. Control lines and data lines associated with a parallel bus communication can be received by a network adapter, and instead of serializing the communications, the network adapter can map each of the control and data lines to respective virtual local area networks (“VLAN”). Multiple VLANs can exist together on a LAN or WAN while logically segmented, allowing the respective VLANs to facilitate communications for the control and data lines over the network.
US09331866B2
In one embodiment, a communication circuit is configured for automated addressing in a network of series connected communication circuits. The communication circuit includes a voltage source and a switch connected in parallel between first and second data ports of the circuit. While operating in an addressing mode, a first voltage is sampled from a first data port while the switch is closed. The switch is opened to provide a voltage potential between the first and second data port and a second voltage is sampled from the second data port. An address of the communication circuit in the network is determined based on a difference of the first and second voltages.
US09331864B2
This disclosure describes an audio video distribution system that uses a local area network to distribute a digital audio signal and that uses multiple network speaker nodes to broadcast the digital audio in a multi speaker session. The system includes a local area network that distributes the digital audio signal for the audio video distribution system. In addition, the system includes a first network speaker node participating in a multi speaker session and performing in a master mode, and where the first network speaker node calculates, originates, and controls a distributed multi session clock that is distributed over the network. The system further includes one or more additional network speaker nodes participating in the multi speaker session and perform in a slave mode, and where the additional network speaker nodes receive the distributed multi session clock from the first speaker node.
US09331862B2
A method for determining proximity of a mobile device to an appliance and for operating the appliance and the mobile device is provided. The method includes identifying the mobile device and/or the appliance with a Media Access Control or MAC header and establishing a proximity of the mobile device to the appliance based at least in part on a Received Signal Strength Indicator or RSSI. A service of the appliance can be executed if the RSSI is greater than a threshold value.
US09331858B2
Using persistent party rooms, including: initializing, via a computing device, a global array according to a hierarchical server architecture; determining, via the computing device, whether or not to create a new persistent party room or to join a previously bookmarked persistent party room; creating, via the computing device, the new persistent party room within a position indexed in the global array; and joining, via the computing device, the previously bookmarked persistent party room by searching for the previously bookmarked party room utilizing the global array.
US09331855B2
Described herein are an apparatus, system, and method for attribute identity control in a processor. The apparatus comprises a logic unit including a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a non-volatile memory; and a processor operable to access the non-volatile memory, wherein the non-volatile memory for storing an attribute identity associated with a group of processors, the attribute identity being different from an identity of the processor.
US09331846B2
An electronic device that digitizes a baseband signal obtained from a received high-frequency signal; specifies a position of a preamble included in the digitalized signal; calculates a square of the preamble; specifies a peak from a value obtained by the square of the preamble; performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the baseband signal using a position of the peak as a start of an FFT window; extracts phases of a plurality of frequency components for phase measurement from the baseband signal which has been subjected to the FFT; obtains a phase difference of the plurality of phases; and obtains a phase correction value of a reception signal using the phase difference and a phase reference.
US09331843B2
A quantum mechanical synchronization system for a classical distributed computing system. Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen links are established providing entangled photons to provide the quantum synchronization. In one embodiment, the system includes a laser oscillator pump, a spontaneous parametric down-conversion element coupled to the laser oscillator pump, the spontaneous parametric down-conversion element having a first optical output and a second optical output, a first photodetector coupled to the first optical output, a first clock coupled to the first photodetector, a second photodetector coupled to the second optical output by an optical link, and a second clock coupled to the second photodetector.
US09331838B2
A method for synchronizing clocks in nodes of a vehicle network of a motor vehicle corrects a time difference between a master clock and a slave clock, taking into account transmission delay for a message between a master node and a slave node. At least for a first synchronization of the master clock to a slave clock after the nodes of the vehicle network are started up, a default transmission delay in the slave node is used to correct the time difference, and/or the slave node sending out a Delay Request message, and recording in the master node the time at which Delay Request message is received and the master node sending the time, as a Delay Response message, back to the slave node. In the slave node, the transmission delay for a message between the master node and the slave node is determined.
US09331835B1
Radio frequency (RF) front-end circuitry and methods of operating the same are described. One apparatus includes multiple antennas and a RF front-end circuitry. The RF front-end circuitry includes: a selection switch coupled to a second antenna, a first RF transceiver coupled to a first antenna and selectively coupled to the second antenna via the selection switch; a second RF receiver coupled to the first antenna; and a third RF transceiver selectively coupled to the second antenna via the selection switch. The first antenna receives signals for the first RF transceiver and the second RF receiver. The selection switch selectively couples the second antenna to the first RF transceiver in a first mode of the RF front-end circuitry and selectively couples the second antenna to the third RF transceiver in a second mode of the RF front-end circuitry.
US09331832B2
An object of some embodiments is to enable more dynamic and flexible transmission of reduced-power subframes. Particular embodiments provide a method in a network node. The method comprises transmitting a downlink scheduling assignment for a subframe to a wireless terminal. The scheduling assignment is comprised in control information. The control information further comprises an indication of a power offset that is or will be used for data transmission in the subframe relative to reference signal transmission.
US09331825B2
A method for transmitting/receiving an additional control signal without any loss of bandwidth and power in an original Tx signal is disclosed. If the additional control signal is transmitted via the Tx signal composed of at least one of data and control signals, at least one of the amplitude and phase of the Tx signal of the time- and frequency-resource domain is modulated according to the additional control signal to be transmitted. The modulated Tx signal is transmitted to the receiver, so that the additional control signal can be transmitted irrespective of the original Tx signal. According to a modulation status of at least one of an amplitude and a phase of the Rx signal contained in the time- and frequency-resource domain, the additional control signal can be acquired.
US09331823B2
A wireless communication method for a wireless communication apparatus having multiple transceivers is provided. The multiple transceivers correspond to multiple component carriers. At least one transceiver connects to at least one first base station via at least one of the component carriers. The wireless communication method includes: performing communication according to multiple component carriers corresponding to the multiple transceivers; and while performing communication by simultaneously utilizing the multiple transceivers, selecting a first transceiver from the multiple transceivers to receive information of at least one second base station.
US09331822B1
A clock and data recovery circuit and a method for estimating jitter tolerance thereof are provided. A first phase signal is generated by a phase detector, and a second phase signal is used to generate a clock signal. The second phase signal is set to be identical to the first phase signal during an operation mode. A counting is started and the first phase signal is inversed to generate the second phase signal during a test mode. Whether a data signal has an error is determined. The counting is stopped to generate a count value when determining that the data signal has the error during the test mode. A tracing speed is computed according to the count value and a predetermined unit interval.
US09331819B2
Disclosed are a method for implementing HARQ feedback, and a method and device for allocating an uplink subframe. The method is: determining a TDD uplink/downlink reference configuration used for FDD PDSCH HARQ feedback, and allocating, according to the number of uplink subframes indicated by the TDD uplink/downlink reference configuration in a radio frame, an FDD downlink subframe corresponding to ACK/NACK information borne by an uplink subframe indicated by the TDD uplink/downlink reference configuration to the uplink subframe, so that numbers of FDD downlink subframes corresponding to ACK/NACK information borne by the uplink subframes indicated by the TDD uplink/downlink reference configuration are approximately equal. In this way, ACK/NACK information corresponding to downlink data can be timely and accurately fed back, so as to perform accurate data retransmission, thereby effectively ensuring the system performance.
US09331816B2
A method for transmitting information of resources for use in transmission of ACK/NACK signals in a mobile communication system is disclosed. An example method for receiving ACK/NACK signals in a mobile communication system is also disclosed. When resources for transmission of data and resources for transmission of control information of the data are scheduled through virtual unit resources, the method identifies information of resources for receiving an ACK/NACK signal for transmission data mapped to information of at least one of a virtual unit resource allocated to the transmission data and a virtual unit resource allocated to control information of the transmission data, and receives the ACK/NACK signal for the transmission data through the information of resources for receiving the ACK/NACK signal.
US09331782B2
An optical transmission system includes a lens wafer to couple light into an optical transmission medium. The lens wafer includes a set of collimating lenses on a first side of the lens wafer, the collimating lenses to collimate beams of light from a plurality of light sources. The lens wafer also includes a focusing element on a second side of the wafer opposing the first side. The focusing element is to focus the collimated beams of light into an optical transmission medium.
US09331779B2
An information communication method is provided for obtaining information from a subject. The information communication method includes transmitting position information indicating a position of an image sensor used to capture the subject, and receiving an ID list that is associated with the position indicated by the position information. The information communication method also includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that in a bright line corresponding to an exposure line included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The information communication method further includes obtaining a bright line image including the bright line, obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a cycle length or frequency of a stripe pattern of the bright line included in the obtained bright line image, and searching the ID list for identification information that includes the obtained information.
US09331776B2
A test and measurement system including an electro-optical voltage accessory with an electro-optical sensor configured to output a modulated output signal, a device under test connected to the electro-optical voltage accessory with a variable input signal that exceeds a linear input range of the optical sensor, and a processor. The processor is configured to modify the modulated output signal from the electro-optical voltage accessory to reconstruct the variable input signal of the electro-optical voltage accessory that exceeds the linear input range of the optical sensor.
US09331765B2
A method, system and device are provided for using an indexed list of linearly independent, predetermined vectors Vref={vref1,. . . , vrefM} and channel knowledge H, G from each transmitter to compute and feedback equivalent channel matrix information Hi,jeq to its affiliated transmitter based on the assigned/determined rank of the receiver. With this information, each transmitter selects Li receivers and constructs a transmitted signal by applying a selected precoding matrix to the mixed rank data, thereby eliminating interference to the rest of the receivers in the network.
US09331762B2
A wireless communication system is disclosed. The wireless communication system performs data transmission using spatially multiplexed streams from a first terminal including N antennas to a second terminal including M antennas (N and M are integers larger than or equal to 2 and N>M).
US09331757B2
Methods and apparatus for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmissions are disclosed. A base station may precode wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU)-specific reference signals and data that are transmitted to a WTRU using a randomly selected precoder. The precoder may be selected based on a predefined precoder selection sequence or by the base station. A different precoder may be applied to different resource blocks (RBs). In addition, a large delay cyclic delay diversity (CDD) or discrete Fourier transform (DFT) spreading may be applied on the WTRU-specific reference signals and the data. For heterogeneous deployed antennas, spatial diversity gain is achieved by dynamically scheduling resources between transmission points. A hopping scheme may be applied across the transmission points as the resources are dynamically partitioned between the transmission points. A different randomly selected precoder may be applied to each RB transmitted from a different transmission point.
US09331753B2
Provided are a radio communication terminal apparatus and a radio transmission method by which intersymbol interference of DM-RS of a CoMP terminal and a Non-CoMP terminal can be reduced. A CoMP set setting unit (102) sets the cell IDs of all cells in the CoMP set in a cell selection unit (104), and a serving cell setting unit (103) sets the cell ID of the serving cell in the cell selection unit (104). The cell selection unit (104) selects the cell ID having a number closest to the cell ID of the serving cell from the cells in the CoMP set. A sequence information calculation unit (106) derives a sequence group number from the selected cell ID, and the sequence information calculation unit (106) calculates a sequence number from the derived sequence group number and a transmission bandwidth of the DM-RS.
US09331750B2
A wireless power receiver, configured to receive power from a wireless power outlet and to communicate with a host for providing electrical power thereto, is provided comprising a secondary inductive coil configured to receive power from a primary coil of the wireless power outlet, and a host control interface configured to facilitate communication between the wireless power receiver and the host. The host control interface comprises contacts, one or more information-carrying contacts configured to conduct at least one of a clock and a data signal between the wireless power receiver and the host, supply input and power supply ground contacts configured to cooperate to provide current between the wireless power receiver and the host, an interrupt-signal contact configured to carry an INTERRUPT signal from the wireless power receiver and the host, and an enable-signal contact configured to carry an ENABLE signal from the host to the wireless power receiver.
US09331749B2
A first communication unit transmits, to an electrical home appliance, request information that requests electrical home appliance specifying information for specifying the electrical home appliance after an approach instructing screen is displayed on a display unit, and receives response information including at least the electrical home appliance specifying information from the electrical home appliance after the first communication unit and the electrical home appliance have approached each other within a communicable range, and a display control unit switches a display screen to a menu screen that is unique to the electrical home appliance on the basis of the response information received by the first communication unit.
US09331743B2
Biological entity communication channel techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes a signal conductor having a side that is configured to be disposed proximal to a surface of a biological entity to use at least a part of the biological entity as a transmission channel to transmit a signal received by the signal conductor from an electrical device. The apparatus also includes a ground layer configured to be disposed on an opposing side of the signal conductor from the side of the signal conductor that is configured to be disposed against the surface of the biological entity.
US09331739B1
A method and system for encoding ancillary information at a transmitter in a high-speed communications network, the method comprising: generating an electromagnetic interference (EMI) reduction signal; receiving an ancillary data symbol; generating an EMI reduction signal variation based on the ancillary data symbol; and varying a characteristic of the EMI reduction signal based on the generated EMI reduction signal variation to encode the ancillary data symbol in the varied EMI reduction signal.
US09331737B2
A wireless communication device includes, in part, at least one antenna for receiving or transmitting a signal, and a cancelation circuit adapted to cancel or reduce the self-interference signal. The cancelation circuit includes, in part, a control block, N delay and attenuation paths, a combiner, and a subtractor. Each path includes a delay element and a variable attenuator whose attenuation level varies in response to a control signal generated by the control block. Each path receives a sample of the transmit signal and generates a delayed and attenuated (weighted) version of the sample signal. The combiner combines the N delayed and weighted versions of the sample signal to construct a signal representative of the self-interference signal. The subtractor subtracts the constructed signal from the received signal thereby the cancel or reduce the self-interference signal therefrom.
US09331706B1
The present invention is directed to signal processing systems and methods thereof. In various embodiments, the present invention provides an analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) system that includes a flash ADC portion and a time-interleaved parallel SAR portion. For an n-bit ADC process, the flash ADC portion converts k MSBs of the n bits during a single cycle, and the SAR portion converts n−k LSBs in m number of cycles. The SAR portion includes a number of SAR channels that perform A/D conversion in parallel, and the k MSB from the course flash converter is verified for errors by the SAR portion and allows a net saving of the power consumption by reducing the number of fine resolution SARs. There are other embodiments as well.
US09331700B2
A metal-insulator phase transition (MIT) flip-flop employs a selected one of a pair of bi-stable operating states to represent a logic state of the MIT flip-flop. The MIT flip-flop includes an MIT device having a current-controlled negative differential resistance (CC-NDR) to provide the pair of bi-stable operating states. A bi-stable operating state of the pair is capable of being selected by a programing voltage. Once the bi-stable operating state is selected, the bi-stable operating state is capable of being maintained by a bias voltage applied to the MIT device.
US09331695B2
An object of the present invention is to realize an example of configuration that approximately represents a state of quantum spin in a semiconductor device where components as a basic configuration unit are arrayed so as to search a ground state of Ising model. There is disclosed a semiconductor device provided with plural units each of which is equipped with a first memory cell that stores a value which represents one spin of the Ising model by three or more states, a second memory cell that stores an interaction coefficient showing interaction from another spin which exerts interaction on the one spin and a logical circuit that determines the next state of the one spin on the basis of a function having a value which represents a state of the other spin and the interaction coefficient as a constant or a variable.
US09331690B2
A switching circuit may include a switching circuit unit; a reference voltage unit connected between the switching circuit unit and a signal input terminal and providing a preset reference voltage; and a voltage generating unit dividing a first control voltage provided to the switching circuit unit by a preset magnitude to generate a second control voltage corresponding to the reference voltage, and providing the second control voltage to bodies of the plurality of respective switching devices.
US09331689B2
A power supply circuit includes a first switch, a voltage regulator circuit connected to the first switch, and a control circuit for controlling the first switch. The control circuit includes a second switch, a third switch, and a voltage generation circuit. For controlling the first switch, first voltage output from the voltage generation circuit is applied to the first switch through the second switch, and second voltage output from the voltage generation circuit is applied to the first switch through the third switch. Power consumption of the power supply circuit can be reduced.
US09331679B1
A flying cap, level shifter has a capacitor with an upper plate connected to (i) a hybrid power supply (VDDH-VDDL) by an n-type transistor and (ii) a relatively high-voltage power supply VDDH by a p-type transistor. Both of the transistors are controlled by a voltage at the level shifter's output node, which is driven to either VDDH or ground. As such, one of the two transistors will always be on, such that the flying capacitor will be continuously recharged to a voltage difference that ensures that the level shifter will operate properly.
US09331676B2
The present invention relates to a pulse signal generation circuit for changing a pulse width of an input pulse signal and outputting an output pulse signal having the changed pulse width. In an aspect, the pulse signal generation circuit may include a control signal generator configured to generate at least one control signal according to a pulse width of a input pulse signal and a pulse signal generator configured to control a pulse width of an input pulse signal in response to a control signal and to generate an output pulse signal with the controlled pulse width. The control signal controls the pulse width of the output pulse signal.
US09331666B2
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus related to acoustic resonators that include composite transduction layers for enabling selective tuning of one or more acoustic or electromechanical properties. In one aspect, a resonator structure includes one or more first electrodes, one or more second electrodes, and a transduction layer arranged between the first and second electrodes. The transduction layer includes a plurality of constituent layers. In some implementations, the constituent layers include one or more first piezoelectric layers and one or more second piezoelectric layers. The transduction layer is configured to, responsive to signals provided to the first and second electrodes, provide at least a first mode of vibration of the transduction layer with a displacement component along the z axis and at least a second mode of vibration of the transduction layer with a displacement component along the plane of the x axis and they axis.
US09331664B2
A Marchand balun has a primary transmission line with a width smaller than the two secondary transmission lines. The two secondary transmission lines also have different widths and lengths. This arrangement provides an imbalance between the widths and lengths of the transmission lines. It has been found that this imbalance can enable improved amplitude unbalance and phase unbalance.
US09331660B2
A noise filter device has a coil formed by winding a conductive wire on a magnetic core. The noise filter device further has a bracket formed of a magnetic material and grounded. The bracket has a bottom plate and two end plates that project from the bottom plate. The end plates face opposite end surfaces of the magnetic core with predetermined gaps defined between the end plates and the end surfaces. The noise filter device further has capacitors that form part of a noise filter circuit together with the coil and that are connected to the bracket. A housing houses the coil, the capacitors and the bracket in an at least partly exposed state, and input and output terminals are provided for the noise filter circuit.
US09331657B2
A bus bar device with a noise filter includes a magnetic body, a bus bar and first to third capacitors. The bus bar has input and output ends and extends through the magnetic body. The capacitors are disposed on an electrical path between the bus bar and a ground conductor surface. The first capacitor is located at the input end side of the bus bar and the second and third capacitors are located at the output end side. The first capacitor has one end connected to the bus bar and the other end connected to the ground conductor surface in one of two regions divided by the bus bar. Each one of the second and third capacitors has one end connected to the bus bar and the other end connected to the ground conductor surface in the same region as the first capacitor or in the other region.
US09331656B1
Systems and methods for generating sound, detecting sound, and generating and detecting sound are provided. An array of audio transducers can be provided whereby each audio transducer in the array can be optimized for a narrow range of sound frequencies. When operating at or close to its resonant frequency, a transducer can generate (and/or detect) sound with a higher efficiency and less distortion as compared to other frequencies. Accordingly, sound may be divided into component signals such that each transducer is only responsible for generating (and/or detection) sound close to its resonant frequency. This sound reproduction (and/or detection) technique can increase efficiency, and therefore, can increase the total output volume that an array can generate using a given amount of input power when generating sound (and/or increase the total output power that an array can generate using a given amount of input volume when detecting sound).
US09331655B2
A device for grounding pop-click noise may include an output block configured to generate an output signal at an output node. A switch circuit coupled to the output node may be configured to be operable to couple the output node to a ground potential. The switch circuit may include a first and a second transistor. A drain, a source, and a gate node of the first transistor may be coupled to the output node, a drain node of the second transistor, and a first control signal, respectively. A drain, a source, and a gate node of the second transistor may be coupled to a source node of the first transistor, the ground potential, and a second control signal, respectively. The first and the second control signals may operate the switch circuit to couple the output node to the ground potential during a pre-determined period associated with the pop-click noise.
US09331654B2
An apparatus includes a first squelch circuit and a second squelch circuit. The first squelch circuit is configured to detect possible squelch signals in a communication signal. The second squelch circuit is configured to selectively detect the possible squelch signals in the same communication signal. The second squelch circuit is further configured to operate in a low-power state responsive to the first squelch circuit detecting none of the possible squelch signals in the communication signal. The second squelch circuit is further configured to operate in a high-power state responsive to the first squelch circuit detecting one of the possible squelch signals in the communication signal.
US09331651B1
A current mode receiver front end for a radio device converts a received signal into a current mode signal and applies automatic gain control by both shunting current of the current mode signal and providing an adjustable series resistance that further adjust the current level of the current mode signal that is output by the receiver front end. The shunt and series circuits can be controlled by a digital control word whose value represent a decibel value of adjustment, and which is used to drive the shunt and series circuits to achieve both coarse and fine adjustment of the current mode signal.
US09331649B2
A computer-implemented method comprising: determining one or more features of a subject signal; revising one or more control signals on the basis of the one or more features; modifying a level of the subject signals based on the control signals. At least one of the features is determined by: comparing a given one of the subject signals against a boundary signal to produce a corresponding given boundary comparison signal; and summarizing the behavior of the given boundary comparison signal over a time interval.
US09331646B2
Apparatuses and methods are disclosed, including an apparatus with a first differential amplifier to amplify an input signal into a first output signal, a second differential amplifier to amplify the input signal into a second output signal that is complementary to the first output signal, and a feedback resistance coupled between the first output signal and the second output signal. Additional apparatuses and methods are described.
US09331637B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for hybrid DC-DC converters. In one aspect, there is provided a method. The method may include tracking, by an envelope detector, an envelope of a signal being amplified by an amplifier. The method may further include supplying, by a first direct-current to direct-current converter, power to the amplifier, the power supplied by the first direct-current to direct-current converter including one or more high-frequency components of the envelope tracked by the envelope detector. The method may further include supplying, by a second direct-current to direct-current converter, power to the amplifier, the power supplied by the second direct-current to direct-current converter including one or more low-frequency components of the envelope tracked by the envelope detector. Related systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are also disclosed.
US09331632B2
An integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit includes millimeter-wavelength transceiver circuitry. The millimeter-wavelength transceiver circuitry includes a local oscillator that generates a millimeter-wavelength oscillator signal. The millimeter-wavelength transceiver circuitry also includes mixers coupled to the local oscillator. The mixers are within an area without millimeter-wavelength structures. The mixers convert signals based on the millimeter-wavelength oscillator signal.
US09331625B2
An electronic device for controlling and/or regulating a drive unit includes a memory configured to make available at least two at least partially different control parameter sets which are each usable to at least one of control and regulate one of at least two drive units. The electronic device further includes a control unit which is configured to select one of the at least two parameter sets of the memory unit as a function of at least one operating parameter of the drive unit.
US09331620B2
An electric motor control device that performs a voltage phase control includes a voltage generator configured to calculate a d-q axis voltage command value, a stabilization filter having first to fourth filters determined based on a transfer characteristic from an applied voltage to an output electric current and configured to remove resonance characteristics in the d-q axis electric current, and a voltage application unit configured to apply an AC voltage to the electric motor based on the final d-q-axis voltage command value. The stabilization filter is configured to generate the final d-axis voltage command value based on a result obtained by using the first and second filters for each of the d-axis and the q-axis voltage command values and generate the final q-axis voltage command value based on a result obtained by using the third and fourth filters for each of the d-axis and the q-axis voltage command values.
US09331611B2
A method for controlling synchronous switching in a medium voltage inverter is disclosed. The method includes lighting on a first lamp to notify that a switching operation is ready by ascertaining that the medium voltage inverter is in a normal operation, lighting on a second lamp to notify that a switching operation is under way when receiving an input of switching action, and lighting on a third lamp to notify that the switching operation is completed when the switching action is completed.
US09331609B1
Motors and method of operation thereof operable in a running mode wherein the motor operates at a constant speed, and operable in a park mode wherein the motor is dynamically parked. The motor is housed within a housing and includes a rotating park disk configured to cause the motor to dynamically park. A park wire electrically couples the park disk to a switch configured to selectively switch the motor between the running mode and the park mode, and a power wire electrically couples the park disk to a power source. The park disk is electrically isolated from the power source during operation of the motor in the running mode and the park wire is electrically connected to the power source through the park disk and the power wire during operation of the motor in the park mode.
US09331608B2
An actuator comprising a single actuator housing containing within it a motor, a controller, a memory, and a position sensor having an output, a user interface for causing a first threshold value to be stored in the memory, and the controller configured and arranged to stop the motor as a function of the position sensor output and the first threshold value.
US09331607B1
A large strain polymer nanocomposite actuator is provided that upon subjected to an external stimulus, such as a magnetic field (static or electromagnetic field), an electric field, thermal energy, light, etc., will deform to thereby enable mechanical manipulations of structural components in a remote and wireless manner.
US09331600B2
An electronic power circuit, electrical machine and a method for verifying the functionality of an electronic power circuit. The invention relates to an electronic power circuit, an electrical machine with the electronic power circuit and a method for verifying the functionality of the electronic power circuit. The electronic power circuit comprises a power unit with at least one power semi-conductor switch, which is equipped to generate a pulsed electrical voltage for an electrical consumer from an electrical voltage on the basis of an alternating powering on and off of the at least one power semiconductor switch, and control electronics equipped to control the power semiconductor switch for the alternating powering on and off.
US09331596B2
A boosting AC-to-DC converter An AC-to-DC converter may include a main rectifier, a first auxiliary rectifier, a second auxiliary rectifiers and a transformer assembly. The transformer assembly may include a set of primary windings arranged in a first multiphase configuration and connected to the main rectifier, a first set of secondary windings arranged in a second multiphase relationship and connected to the first auxiliary rectifier and a second set of secondary windings arranged in a third multiphase configuration and connected to the second auxiliary rectifier. The second multiphase configuration of the first set of secondary windings and the third multiphase configuration of the second set of secondary windings may be in phase shifting relationships relative to the first multiphase configuration of the set of primary windings.
US09331595B2
A multi-level inverter includes: a rectifying unit to rectify received a three-phase voltage; a smoothing unit to receive the rectified voltage and provide the rectified voltage as voltages having different levels to first to third different nodes; and an inverter unit including a plurality of switch units to transfer the voltages having three levels provided from the smoothing unit, wherein the inverter unit includes a first switch unit provided between the first node and a first output terminal, a second switch unit provided between the second node and the first output terminal, a third switch unit provided between the third node and the first output terminal, a fourth switch unit provided between the first node and a second output terminal, a fifth switch unit provided between the second node and the second output terminal, and a sixth switch unit provided between the third node and the second output terminal.
US09331589B2
The embodiments herein include a primary-side controller for a switching power converter that is capable of receiving a detection signal from a secondary-side detection circuit indicating that an output voltage has reached a condition. The controller determines the appropriate action once a detection signal has been received by distinguishing whether a dynamic load condition has been placed on the power supply versus other operating conditions.
US09331588B2
The present invention relates to control circuits and methods for a flyback converter and AC-DC power converters thereof. In one embodiment, a control circuit can include: (i) a turn-on signal generating circuit that is configured, in each switching cycle, to receive a drain-source voltage of a power switch of the flyback converter, and to activate a turn-on signal to turn on the power switch when the drain-source voltage reaches a valley value; (ii) a turn-off signal generating circuit that is configured, in each switching cycle, to activate a turn-off signal to turn off the power switch based on a power switch feedback error signal after a power switch conducting time interval has elapsed; and (iii) where input current and voltages of the flyback converter can be maintained as substantially in phase, and an output electrical signal of the flyback converter can be maintained as substantially constant.
US09331584B2
A switching power-supply device which includes a control unit configured to perform a switching control; and a resonance current detection unit configured to detect the resonance current flowing through the series resonance circuit.When an absolute value level of the resonance current exceeds a second threshold greater than a first threshold, the control unit inverts the turn on-and-off state of the first switching element or the second switching element at the time when the absolute value level reaches a third threshold between the first threshold and the second threshold. When the absolute value level of the resonance current exceeds the first threshold and does not exceed the second threshold, the control unit inverts the turn on-and-off state of the first switching element or the second switching element at the time when the absolute value level reaches the first threshold.
US09331580B2
A switching power supply system includes a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding and a tertiary winding, a switching device inputted to the primary winding carrying out switching operation on the basis of a first control signal or a second control signal, an output voltage producing section rectifying and smoothing a voltage generated in the secondary winding to produce an output voltage, an output voltage detecting section producing an output voltage detection signal based on a voltage generated in the tertiary winding, a checking pulse generator generating pulses of the first control signal, and a switching controlling section producing the second control signal on the basis of the output voltage detection signal. The switching power supply system is capable of carrying out stable control of the output voltage on the secondary winding side of the transformer with a low power loss.
US09331579B2
A power supply includes power modules. Each of the power modules includes an input stage configured to convert an input voltage into an intermediate voltage, and an output stage configured to output a DC supply voltage according to the intermediate voltage. Input terminals of the input stages in the plurality of power modules are electrically connected in series, and the input stages are configured to be controlled with at least one first common control signal having a common duty cycle. Output terminals of the output stages in the plurality of power modules are electrically connected in parallel, and the output stages are configured to be controlled with at least one second common control signal having a common duty cycle. A method of supplying power is also disclosed herein.
US09331577B2
A method is disclosed to operate a voltage conversion circuit such as a buck regulator circuit that has a plurality of switches coupled to a voltage source; a slab inductor having a length, a width and a thickness, where the slab inductor is coupled between the plurality of switches and a load and carries a load current during operation of the plurality of switches; and a means to reduce or cancel the detrimental effect of other wires on same chip, such as a power grid, potentially conducting return current and thereby degrading the functionality of this slab inductor. In one embodiment the wires can be moved further away from the slab inductor and in another embodiment magnetic materials can be used to shield the slab inductor from at least one such interfering conductor.
US09331574B2
A highly accurate control is achieved in such a way that a timing value is generated from a differential control amount calculation result and a filter calculation result at iteration intervals not exceeding the iteration intervals of the filter calculation and then the timing set value of a driving signal generation circuit is updated by this timing value. A device for controlling a power conversion circuit comprises an AD conversion circuit (22), a driving timing value generation circuit (23), and a driving signal generation circuit (24). The driving timing value generation circuit (23) includes a control amount calculation circuit (231) and a digital-digital addition circuit (232). The digital-digital addition circuit (232) generates a driving timing value for a switch of a power conversion circuit. The driving signal generation circuit (24) receives the driving timing value and generates a driving signal for the switch (11) of the power conversion circuit (1).
US09331572B2
A switching device includes a power semiconductor chip, and a drive circuit which drives the power semiconductor chip. In the power semiconductor chip, a path through which a main current flows is connected to a first source terminal, and a ground terminal of the drive circuit is connected to a second source terminal of the power semiconductor chip. As a result, a gate drive path is separated from the path through which the main current flows, and therefore, the influence of induced electromotive force which is generated due to source parasitic inductance, on a gate-source voltage, is reduced.
US09331568B2
A power control device can generate control signals to control operation of power sources. At least one of the control signals may be referenced to an internally provided reference voltage or an externally provided reference voltage. Additional control signals control operation of load switches that can be connected to the power sources to provide secondary sources of power. The load switches can be turned in a gradual manner at rates that depend on the power sources to which they are connected. The outputs of the load switches can be monitored for overvoltage and undervoltage conditions relative to the power sources to which they are connected.
US09331564B2
For connecting a PV array via an inverter to an AC power grid, at first a DC link at the input side of the inverter is pre-charged from the AC power grid. A link voltage of the DC link is adjusted to a pre-set value with the inverter connected to the AC power grid, the pre-set value being lower than an open circuit voltage of the PV array, and then the PV array at its open circuit voltage is directly connected to the DC link, while the link voltage is continuously adjusted to the pre-set value.
US09331562B2
The present invention provides a power-factor converter with nonlinear conversion ratio, wherein the power-factor converter includes a first inductor, a second inductor, a rectifier circuit and a switch circuit. The switch circuit is arranged to be switched to form a circuit equivalent to a parallel connection of the first inductor and the second inductor during an inductor-charging-phase for charging the first inductor and the second inductor in parallel by an AC power source, and form a circuit equivalent to a series connection of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 during an inductor-discharging-phase for discharging the first inductor and the second inductor to the rectifier circuit in series.
US09331552B2
An electric motor cooling system is provided in which at least one heat pipe is captured within at least one hollow region within the motor's rotor shaft. An end of the heat pipe that extends out and away from the end of the rotor shaft is coupled to a heat exchanger, for example a heat sink in which the fins of the heat sink are shaped as fan blades. During motor operation, as the rotor heats up thermal energy is absorbed by the heat pipe within the rotor shaft and transferred to the heat sink for efficient removal.
US09331551B2
A case of an electric rotating machine, includes: a cooling passage which is provided inside the case along a circumferential direction of the case and through which a cooling fluid is able to flow; a cooling fluid inlet and a cooling fluid outlet which communicate with the cooling passage; and a rib which is provided inside the cooling passage, connect a wall portion on an inside in a radial direction of the case and a wall portion on an outside in the radial direction of the cooling passage along the circumferential direction, are arranged to be separated from each other in an axial direction of the case, and partition the cooling passage into a plurality of cooling passages.
US09331550B2
A motor cooling system is provided comprising an electric motor including a rotor having first and second axial ends, and a stator having first and second axial ends, a motor housing surrounding the motor including an air chamber extending around the motor and axially along the motor length, a motor enclosure enveloping the motor housing, and a cooling fan radially mounted to the motor enclosure and adapted to operatively cool said electric motor.
US09331545B2
In a rotation apparatus including a motor and a speed reducer, the speed reducer includes a casing, an internal gear integrated with the casing, a planetary gear internally engaged with the internal gear, and a carrier body arranged in an axial side portion of the planetary gear, the motor and the speed reducer are connected with each other via an adapter, the adapter includes a motor-fixed surface fixed to the motor, a carrier-fixed surface fixed to the carrier body, and an externally fixed surface that is not parallel with the carrier-fixed surface and is fixed to an external member, a driven member is connected to the casing, the driven member, the speed reducer, and the externally fixed surface are overlapped with each other when viewed from a radial direction, and the driven member is rotated within a range of 180 degrees.
US09331540B2
An end winding corona protection including a winding of a rotating electric machine, having a conductor and a groundwall insulation surrounding the conductor, an end winding corona protection arranged on the outer surface of the groundwall insulation, the end winding corona protection comprising a first layer characterized in that the surface resistance of the first layer is in the range of 10 Ohm to 80 Ohm, and in that the end winding corona protection further comprises a second layer arranged on the outer surface of the first layer, wherein the second layer is made of semiconductive material, and wherein third layer is arranged on the outer surface of the second layer and made of medium resistive material.
US09331532B2
A rotor for a permanent magnet brushless motor includes a shaft, a rotor core fixed to the shaft, and magnets embedded in the rotor core. The rotor core defines a plurality of spaced first slots arranged in a circumferential direction thereof, and a plurality of spaced second slots, each second slot being located between two adjacent first slots and each first slot being located between two adjacent second slots. First permanent magnets are received in the first slots and second permanent magnets are received in the second slots. Each second magnet is located between two adjacent first magnets and each first magnet is located between two adjacent second magnets in the circumferential direction, and the first magnets are magnetized in radial directions of the rotor core and the second magnets are magnetized in the circumferential direction.
US09331515B2
The invention relates to a system for charging at least one energy storing cell (5) in a controllable energy store (2) that is used to control and supply electric energy to an n-phase electric machine (1), wherein n ≧1. The controllable energy store (2) has n parallel energy supply branches (3-1, 3-2, 3-3), each of which has at least two serially connected energy storing modules (4), each said energy storing module comprising at least one electric energy storing cell (5) with a corresponding controllable coupling unit (6). The energy supply branches (3-1, 3-2, 3-3) can be connected to a reference bus (T-), and each energy supply branch can be connected to a phase (U, V, W) of the electric machine (1). The coupling units (6) bridge the respective corresponding energy storing cells (5) or connect same into the respective energy supply branch (3-1, 3-2; 3-3) dependent on control signals. The aim of the invention is to allow at least one energy storing cell (5) to be charged. This is achieved in that a neutral point (S) of the electric machine (1) and the reference bus (T-) can be connected to a secondary side (9) of a charging transformer (10).
US09331507B2
A battery charging system includes a charging source, at least one battery cell, a battery internal temperature sensor configured to measure an internal temperature of the at least one battery cell responsive to charging of the at least one battery cell by the charging source, and a charge controller. The charge controller is configured to receive indications of the internal temperature of the at least one battery cell over time, to identify an indication that the at least one battery cell is at a point of full charge based on rate of change of the internal temperature, and to interrupt power delivery from the charging source to the at least one battery cell responsive to the indication that the at least one battery cell is at the point of full charge.
US09331503B2
A power exchange controller adjusts a power exchange rate between a plurality of batteries and an upper authority to modify a state-of-health of each of the plurality of batteries over time. The power exchange controller is operable to receive a total power demand from an upper authority and each of the plurality of batteries connected to a charging station and adjust the power exchange between the upper authority and each of the plurality of batteries by detecting a battery state-of-health of each of the plurality of batteries, determining the target state-of-health for the plurality of batteries based on the state-of-health of each of the plurality of batteries and determining a power exchange with each of the plurality of batteries based on the total power demand and a difference between the target state-of-health and the state-of-health of each battery.
US09331500B2
A method (200) of balancing ultracapacitor cells (102) is provided. The method may measure individual ultracapacitor cell voltages, select a balancing setpoint voltage, compare an actual voltage variation within each ultracapacitor cell (102) with a voltage variation threshold, and enable a balancing element (104) associated with the ultracapacitor cell (102) if the actual voltage variation exceeds the voltage variation threshold.
US09331496B2
Contactless power-feed equipment includes: a power-supply device that outputs an AC constant current having a predetermined oscillation frequency to a main induction line; a primary coil provided on the main induction line connected to the power-supply device; a secondary coil that forms an insulating transformer with the primary coil and is connected in parallel with the sub induction line, a resonance capacitor that is connected in parallel with the secondary coil and constitutes a parallel resonant circuit with the sub induction line, and a switch provided between the secondary coil and the parallel resonant circuit. In the parallel resonant circuit, the sub induction line and the resonance capacitor have constants such that the parallel resonant circuit has a resonance frequency equal to the oscillation frequency of the power-supply device.
US09331494B2
A battery system includes a battery panel which includes a battery pack including a plurality of secondary battery cells, and a battery management unit to monitor at least one of a voltage, a temperature and a degradation level of the secondary battery cell; and a DC/DC conversion device. The DC/DC conversion device includes an interactive DC/DC converter which converts power discharged from the battery pack into a prescribed voltage to output converted power, and converts power supplied from outside into a prescribed voltage to output converted power; a control unit which controls the interactive DC/DC converter; a communication unit which communicates with the battery management unit and the control unit; a control source unit; and a battery connected to a power supply line of the control source unit through a switch.
US09331490B2
The present invention provides a voltage-application drive system, including a power module, a switching module and a voltage-application module, wherein the switching module including a plurality of switches and the voltage-application module including a plurality of voltage-application units; switching module receiving selection of voltage driver manner from user and controlling the plurality of switches and selectively supplying drive voltage according to the selection of voltage-application drive manner; the voltage-application unit receiving the drive voltage and converting the drive voltage into voltage required by the selection of voltage-application drive manner. As such, the present invention can reduce manufacturing cost, improve production efficiency and improve the flexibility of manufacturing process.
US09331487B2
Methods and apparatus are presented for unintentional islanding detection for grid tie converters in which the phase angle disturbance is introduced by modification of grid side converter switching control signals and a mismatch of reactive power between generation and the grid load is formed upon the occurrence of unintentional islanding, where the applied phase disturbance is determined according to two pre-defined curves to form an equivalent positive feedback at different frequencies to prevent the converter from forming an island at a new stable frequency after the grid is disconnected.
US09331477B2
A cooling system includes a synthetic jet having a first synthetic jet lead and a second synthetic jet lead. The cooling system also includes a capacitor having a first capacitor lead and a second capacitor lead. The first capacitor lead is coupled to the first synthetic jet lead. The synthetic jet is configured to be powered via an alternating current (AC) power source coupled to the second capacitor lead and to the second synthetic jet lead.
US09331472B2
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit is provided. The ESD protection circuit includes an impedance device coupled between a pad and a power line and a clamp unit coupled between the pad and a ground line, wherein no ESD current flows through the impedance device when an ESD event occurs at the pad.
US09331470B1
A line-side circuit interrupter protection system monitors the current flowing in a circuit in order to determine whether any current is flowing outside of the circuit upstream of the point at which a power supply is connected to a plurality of circuits. The system is located between the power supply and the main circuit panel, which is advantageous in certain applications in which an auxiliary power supply is used when a utility power supply is unavailable. In the event that the system detects current flowing outside of the circuit, the circuit will be broken to eliminate any potentially unsafe conditions.
US09331468B2
Cable end section comprises end-parts of N electrical phases/neutral, and a thermally-insulation envelope comprising cooling fluid. The end-parts each comprises a conductor and are arranged with phase 1 innermost, N outermost surrounded by the neutral, electrical insulation being between phases and N and neutral. The end-parts comprise contacting surfaces located sequentially along the longitudinal extension of the end-section. A termination unit has an insulating envelope connected to a cryostat, special parts at both ends comprising an adapter piece at the cable interface and a closing end-piece terminating the envelope in the end-section. The special parts houses an inlet and/or outlet for cooling fluid. The space between an inner wall of the envelope and a central opening of the cable is filled with cooling fluid. The special part at the end connecting to the cryostat houses an inlet or outlet, splitting cooling flow into cable annular flow and termination annular flow.
US09331465B2
Aerial markers are disclosed for hanging on overhead support cables at discrete spaced apart distances to warn passersby, such as airplanes, helicopters, hang gliders, hot air balloons, and the like of the presence of the cables. The aerial markers can be made in multiple parts, having various parting lines, including a vertical parting line, and can be hung in a spaced relationship to the support cables. To space the marker body from the support wire, a support frame is used to enable hanging the marker body via one or more external clamps. Direct connection is also possible.
US09331463B2
A wire fixture for fixing an electric wire in a wire mounting hole formed in a panel includes: a fixing member to be wound and fixed around the electric wire; a first cable bushing including a first main body portion to be attached to the electric wire from one side in a radial direction; and a second cable bushing including a second main body portion to be attached to the electric wire from the other side in the radial direction. The first and second cable bushings each include a locking member that extends in one direction from each of the first and second main body portions in a longitudinal direction of the electric wire to lock the fixing member.
US09331461B2
It is an object of the exemplary embodiments to obtain a long electric-wire protection pipe having a flat outer shape, using a simple press working process, while reducing or even preventing warping problems. An electric-wire protection pipe is a metal pipe that surrounds an electric wire, and has a reinforced section (11) and a flat pipe section. The reinforced section is a section that is located at a part in the circumferential direction of the electric-wire protection pipe while extending along the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the electric-wire protection pipe, and that is thicker than other sections. The flat pipe section is a section that constitutes at least a part in the longitudinal direction of the electric-wire protection pipe, and is flattened by press working.
US09331460B2
An electric wire sheathing protection tube is formed from an insulation resin into a tubular shape, accommodates an electric wire in an interior thereof and is fixed to a predetermined position by a fixing member. Bendable portions which constitute bendable sections and non-bendable straight tube portions which constitute sections which are held into a straight tube shape are provided continuously and alternately along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire sheathing protection tube. A fixed attaching portion to which the fixing member is fixedly attached is provided integrally on at least one section in the non-bendable straight tube portions. A slidable attaching portion to which the fixing member is attached so as to slide in the longitudinal direction is provided integrally on at least one section in the non-bendable straight tube portions.
US09331458B2
An ignition system for an internal combustion engine includes a discharge portion of the center electrode in which a part thereof is surrounded by a bottom portion and a tubular tip portion of the center dielectric, the part of the discharge portion and the tubular tip portion are projected into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine from a substantially annular tip portion of the ground electrode that opens to the combustion chamber at a distal end of the ground electrode, a diameter-changing portion formed by reducing a diameter of a part of the tubular tip portion in a radial direction gradually as approaching toward a tip thereof, and a thin-walled portion formed by reducing a thickness of the tip of the tubular tip portion.
US09331455B1
A laser diode apparatus including a diode laser, optics efficiently collimate the diode laser beam, and a narrow band reflector to provide optical feedback for wavelength stabilization of the diode laser in an extended cavity configuration. The extended cavity laser diode assembly has a low reflectivity coating applied to the front facet, and a narrow-band reflectivity engineered to optimize the output power from the diode laser, leading to power penalty-free operation of the extended cavity laser diode assembly as compared to a free-running diode laser. The extended cavity laser diode assembly can equally applied to a plurality of laser diodes, with either a single or a plurality of optical feedback devices forming the extended cavity configuration.
US09331454B2
An external resonator type light emitting system includes a light source oscillating a semiconductor laser light and a grating device providing an external resonator with the light source. The light source includes an active layer oscillating the semiconductor laser light. The grating device includes an optical waveguide having an incident face to which the semiconductor laser is incident and an emitting face of emitting an emitting light of a desired wavelength, a Bragg grating formed in the optical waveguide, and a propagating portion provided between the incident face and the Bragg grating. Formulas (1) to (4) are satisfied.