US09362711B2
A tunable laser comprises a first tuner configured to select an emission wavelength of the laser; a second tuner configured to adjust a cavity mode of the laser by modifying the cavity optical path length. The second tuner is constrained by a finite tuning range. The tunable laser also comprises a controller configured to control the first and second tuners to select the emission wavelength and adjust the cavity mode in synchronization to perform phase-continuous tuning across a range larger than supported by the finite tuning range of the second tuner.
US09362710B1
An output characteristic of a monotonic system is controlled using a plurality of adjustable inputs. The adjustments are controlled using a set of setpoints and a set of dither magnitudes. Each input's adjustment is controlled simultaneously using a setpoint and a dither around the setpoint. The dither values for each input have a zero mean and there is zero correlation between the dithers applied to different inputs. The changes in the output characteristic that result from the dithers are measured, and are used to create an adjustment value. The adjustment value is used to create a set of adjusted dither magnitudes. The set of adjusted dither magnitudes are added to a set of integrated prior adjusted dither magnitudes to create a set of setpoint adjustments. Adding the setpoint adjustments to corresponding setpoints creates a set of updated setpoints. This process is repeated so that the setpoints converge on a value that maximizes the output characteristic being controlled.
US09362705B2
A laser system includes a laser element, a pump source configured to input light to the laser element, a first heat exchanger, a pump source heat exchanger, a laser element heat exchanger, and a pump. The first heat exchanger is configured to cool a first flow of cooling liquid. The pump source heat exchanger is configured to remove heat from the pump source using the first flow of cooling liquid. The laser element heat exchanger is configured to remove heat from the laser element using a second flow of cooling liquid. The pump is configured to drive the first and second flows of cooling liquid.
US09362702B2
A system for the optical amplification of high-energy ultrashort light pulses, includes: an oscillator that can emit light pulses of sub-picosecond duration τ0, a pre-compensator, and a solid optical amplifier that can amplify the chirped light pulses. The pre-compensator has a negative group velocity dispersion, the pre-compensator being capable of generating negatively chirped light pulses, and the optical amplifier has a positive group velocity dispersion, the optical amplifier being disposed such as to receive and amplify the negatively chirped light pulses. The optical amplifier is configured such that the light pulses can induce a broadening of the spectral gain band Δν by self-phase modulation, such as to generate amplified, time-compressed light pulses of duration τ3, which is shorter than the duration τ=1/Δν of the bandwidth limitation of the optical amplifier.
US09362693B2
A header assembly includes a header housing having a cavity configured to receive a receptacle connector therein. The header housing has at least one cartridge latch in the cavity. A signal header cartridge is received in the cavity and locked in the header housing by the at least one cartridge latch. The signal header cartridge has a plurality of signal contacts extending between mating portions and mounting portions that extend from the signal header cartridge. A power header cartridge is received in the cavity and locked in the header housing by the at least one cartridge latch. The power header cartridge has a plurality of power contacts extending between mating portions and mounting portions that extend from the power header cartridge.
US09362689B2
A circuit for detecting the position of the signal MIC-IN and GND on the audio plug of a mobile phone includes two comparators and two switches. The comparators compare the voltage difference between the two contact points representing MIC-IN and GND of the audio plug of a mobile phone, and through this comparison the ground signal of the mobile phone is identified. The circuit then connects the ground of the accessory and the mobile phone properly, by activating the appropriate switch.
US09362685B2
A system including a base mountable to a rail, the base including a receptacle for receiving an input/output (I/O) module, and an (I/O) module attachable to the base, the I/O module including communication circuitry disposed within a housing of the I/O module configured to communicate, via a terminal block, with one or more field devices configured to monitor and/or control an industrial automation process. The base and I/O module include mating male and female components, and the mating male and female components have a cross-sectional shape having a wedge portion and a radius portion, the wedge portion extending along a major portion of a midpoint axis bisecting the wedge portion and the radius portion.
US09362684B2
Methods and systems may include an input/output (IO) interface that has an integrated buffer, a housing and a substrate disposed within the housing. The substrate may include a first side, a second side and a connection edge. The integrated buffer can be coupled to at least one of the first side and the second side of the substrate. A plurality of rows of contacts may be coupled to the first side of the substrate. Each row of contacts can be stacked substantially parallel to the connection edge. The substrate may have power outputs coupled thereto and the integrated buffer can include a voltage regulator that has a supply output coupled to the power outputs.
US09362681B2
An electrical connector includes a first terminal module, a second terminal module, a shielding shell and a metallic shielding plate. The first terminal module includes a first mating tongue and first terminals insert molded thereamong. The first mating tongue has a first mating face on which the first terminals are exposed. The first terminals have first connecting sections extending in a vertical direction. The second terminal module includes a second mating tongue and second terminals insert molded thereamong. The second mating tongue has a second mating face directly facing to the first mating face and a third mating face. The second terminals are disposed in the second and third mating faces and have second connecting sections extending in the vertical direction. The metallic shielding plate is disposed between the first and second connecting sections and has a plurality of hooked shrapnels elastically contacting with the shielding shell.
US09362680B2
An electrical plug connector includes a metallic shell, and two conductive contact members. The two conductive contact members are respectively received in a top concave region and a bottom concave region of the insulated housing. When the electrical plug connector is inserted into a metallic shell of the electrical receptacle connector, each conductive contact members of the electrical plug connector comes in contact with the inner surface of the metallic shell of the electrical receptacle connector and a low-impedance grounding path is established between the metallic shell of the electrical plug connector and the metallic shell of the mating electrical receptacle connector through each conductive contact member.
US09362677B1
In accordance with a non-limiting example, a connector mates to a circuit board at a connector interface. The connector often introduces an undesirable level of crosstalk between pairs. Traces are formed on the circuit board in a “compensation region” that also introduces crosstalk between pairs. The “compensation region” is created in a geometrically controlled fashion such that the crosstalk in the compensation region is of equal magnitude, but opposing phase to the crosstalk introduced by the connector. Thus, the overall crosstalk is minimized.
US09362676B2
A connector assembly including a first connector having a primary locking lever that is configured to mate with a second connector having a primary striker. The primary locking lever includes a beam extending along a mating axis and a primary latch configured to engage the primary striker. The connector assembly includes a connector position assurance (CPA) device slideably mounted to the first connector. The primary latch blocks movement of the CPA device from an initial position to a final position until the first connector and the second connector are fully mated. The CPA device defines a lateral flange that inhibits movement of a secondary latch of the CPA device under the primary latch that would allow the CPA device to move from the initial position prior to the full mating of the first connector and the second connector.
US09362675B2
A connector assembly includes a receptacle connector and a plug connector. The plug insulative housing includes a body portion having a mating surface, a number of cavities extending through the mating surface and a number of contact-receiving slots. The number of male contacts are divided into groups each of which includes two male contacts in parallel relationship. Each male contact includes a contacting portion residing in corresponding cavity, a mounting portion perpendicular to the contacting portion and an inclined portion connecting the contact portion and the mounting portion. In each group, a distance between the contacting portions is larger than a gap between the inclined portions, and the gap between the inclined portions is no less than a gap between the mounting portions.
US09362662B2
A connector for connecting power or control systems infrastructure such as for example subsea infrastructure, said connector comprises a male component and a female component, the male and female components comprising cooperating mating surfaces and means for locking the male and female components together, the locking means being retractably mounted within one of the male or female components but extendible from that component into the other of the male or female components to lock the two components together against axial and rotational movement while providing a snag free release when the locking means is in the retracted position. The means for locking includes pivotal levers with free ends that are to enter recesses of the male component and that are to be held in locking position by a moveable control coupler. An electrical coupler located within the female component is to be raised to engage a corresponding coupler on the locked in position male component.
US09362656B2
An insulating part for a plug connector having a base with a bore for receiving an internal conductor of the plug connector, and an aperture which opens in radial direction into the bore, via which the internal conductor can be inserted into the bore, wherein a cover connected to the main body is provided, which in a first position releases the aperture and in a second position covers the aperture.
US09362650B2
An illumination device may include at least one light source; and at least two printed circuit boards arranged at least partially one above the other; wherein the at least two circuit boards are connected by means of at least one plug-connection element, with the plug-connection element being embodied on at least one side as a press-fit plug.
US09362641B2
According to some embodiments of the invention a device includes a first circuit board having a hollow slot, wherein a longitudinal length of the hollow slot is greater than a transverse length of the hollow slot, wherein a longitudinal axis of the hollow slot is parallel to a first edge of the first circuit board, wherein the hollow slot causes a gap at a second edge of the first circuit board, and wherein the hollow slot is adapted to accept a second circuit board that is oriented orthogonally to the first circuit board. The device may further include a first data transferring connector coupled to the first circuit board at a longitudinal terminus of the hollow slot, wherein the first data transferring connector is adapted to connect to a second data transferring connector that is coupled to the second circuit board.
US09362639B2
An audio jack includes an insulated base including an upper plate and a lower plate connected to the upper plate, wherein a connecting portion between the upper plate and the lower plate forms a socket for plugging an audio plug, and a slot, formed between facing surfaces of the upper plate and the lower plate, is configured for installing a circuit board in a plugging manner; and a metal contact terminal configured to electrically connect the audio plug plugged into the socket to a corresponding conductive trace on the circuit board installed in the slot.
US09362629B2
Enclosures for radios, parabolic dish antennas, and side lobe shields are provided herein. A dish antenna includes a parabolic circular reflector bounded by a side lobe shield that extends along a longitudinal axis of the dish antenna in a forward direction forming a front cavity, and a sidewall that extends along the longitudinal axis of the dish antenna in a rearward direction forming a rear cavity.
US09362618B2
Clothing for shielding a person from radio frequency energy relating to an electronic device includes a garment adapted to be worn by the person that includes at least one pocket having an inner panel and an outer panel. The pocket is sized to bold the electronic device. The inner panel of the pocket includes an electrically conductive shield material.
US09362617B2
A multi-band antenna includes at least one structure useable at multiple frequency ranges. The structure includes at least two levels of detail, with one level of detail making up another level of detail. The levels of detail are composed of closed plane figures bounded by the same number of sides. An interconnection circuit links the multi-band antenna to an input/output connector and incorporates adaptation networks, filters or diplexers. Each of the closed plane figures is linked to at least one other closed plane figure to exchange electromagnetic power. For at least 75% of the closed plane figures, the region or area of contact, intersection, or interconnection between the closed plane figures is less than 50% of their perimeter or area. Not all of the closed plane figures have the same size, and the perimeter of the structure has a different number of sides than its constituent closed plane figures.
US09362615B2
A radome is provided and includes a dielectric wall and metallic layers embedded within and/or disposed on the monolithic wall. Each of the metallic layers is configured to act as a sub-resonant reactive impedance surface at a lower frequency and as a frequency selective surface at an upper frequency.
US09362607B2
This topic is related to a waveguide propagation apparatus, converting microstrip propagation to waveguide propagation, providing hermeticity on the mounting area, eliminating the cabling component causing degradation on the overall performance, involving at least a microwave module (2), and comprising a combination of a base part (3) and a cover part (4).
US09362598B2
A traction battery assembly includes cells stacked in an array and a thermal plate positioned against the array. An interior of the thermal plate defines a C-channel formed from several chambers spanning a length of the array and configured to circulate fluid therein to facilitate heat transfer with the cells.
US09362592B2
Provided are a method of preparing a gel polymer electrolyte secondary battery, and a gel polymer electrolyte secondary battery prepared by the method. The gel polymer electrolyte secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode, a separator and a gel polymer electrolyte in a battery case. The method includes (S1) coating a polymerization initiator on a surface of at least one selected from a group consisting of a cathode, an anode, a separator of a non-woven fabric, and a battery case, the surface needed to be contacted with a gel polymer electrolyte; (S2) putting an electrode assembly including the cathode, the anode, the separator of a non-woven fabric into the battery case; and (S3) forming a gel polymer electrolyte by introducing a gel polymer electrolyte composition including an electrolyte solvent, an electrolyte salt and a polymer electrolyte monomer into the battery case, and polymerizing the monomer.
US09362587B2
In a rectangular battery, a lead 9L connected to an electrode plate having a first polarity is connected to a battery case 1 which is an external terminal having the first polarity. A lead 11L connected to an electrode plate having a second polarity is connected to an external terminal 25 having the second polarity, through a connection plate 29. A distance between the battery case 1 and the connection plate 29 at at least one end of the battery case 1 in a long-side direction is equal to or less than the half of the width of the battery case 1 in a short-side direction thereof.
US09362574B2
A method for forming variable section thicknesses from a uniformly thick resinous sheet in a PEM fuel cell. A method for forming a seal in a fuel cell includes a step of providing a sheet including a layer of resinous material. A first fold is formed in the sheet. The first fold extends from a substantially planar section of the sheet having a first side section and a second side section opposing the first side section and connected by a top section. A gasket is formed by folding the first fold over towards the planar section to form a compound fold. The compound fold is placed between a first fuel cell component and a second fuel cell component to form the seal therein. A fuel cell incorporating the gasket is also provided.
US09362571B2
A biodegradable battery is provided. The battery includes an anode comprising a material including an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein electrochemical oxidation of the anode material results in the formation of a reaction product that is substantially non-toxic and a cathode comprising a material including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the cathode being in direct physical contact with the inner surface of the anode, wherein electrochemical reduction of the cathode material results in the formation of a reaction product that is substantially non-toxic, and wherein the cathode material presents a larger standard reduction potential than the anode material.
US09362569B2
A membrane electrode assembly includes a proton exchange membrane having two surfaces, and two electrodes separately located on the two surfaces. At least one of the two electrodes comprises a carbon nanotube composite structure, the carbon nanotube composite structure includes a carbon nanotube structure and a catalyst material dispersed in the carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure is a planar structure including a plurality of carbon nanotube wires located side by side, crossed, or weaved together to form the carbon nanotube structure. Each of the plurality of carbon nanotube wires includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes aligned around an axis of the carbon nanotube twisted wire in a helix way.
US09362566B2
An anode composite material for lithium ion battery and a preparation method thereof. The composite material is a composite material formed by compounding at least one of SiCO, SiCNO, SiCN and SiBCN with LiaMbPO4, wherein 0.95≦a≦1.1, 0.95≦b≦1.1, and M is at least one of Fe, Co, Ni and Mn. The content of at least one of SiCO, SiCNO, SiCN and SiBCN in the anode composite material is in a range of 1-20 wt % of the total weight of the composite material. The composite material formed by compounding at least one of SiCO, SiCNO, SiCN and SiBCN with LiaMbPO4 is obtained by adding LiaMbPO4 into at least one organosilicon polymer of polysiloxane, polysilazane, and polyborosilazane, and then curing, crosslinking, and pyrolyzing. Compared with LiaMbPO4, the composite material has a notable improvement in electrochemistry performance and tap density.
US09362548B2
The invention provides a solid-state battery electrode formed of a lithium ion conductor, an active material, and a solid electrolyte and including a granule that contains a plurality of lithium ion conductors and a plurality of active materials, as well as a method of producing a solid-state battery electrode that has a step of preparing a granule that contains a plurality of lithium ion conductors and a plurality of active materials and a step of uniformly mixing the granule with a solid electrolyte.
US09362542B2
One example of a lithium ion battery component is a lithium ion battery separator including a planar microporous polymer membrane and a chelating agent bonded to the planar microporous polymer membrane through a linking group. The chelating agent is bonded such that the permanent dipole moment of the chelating agent is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the planar microporous polymer membrane.
US09362535B2
A battery assembly includes a cold plate and a plurality of battery cells arranged in an array. Each of the cells has a bottom in contact with the cold plate and is encased in a dielectric jacket. The dielectric jacket surrounds side portions and the bottom of the cell. The jacket has seams on the side portions of the cells but not on the bottom. The seamless bottom forms a continuous and uninterrupted panel over the bottom to provide a seamless interface between the bottom and cold plate. A method of installing the cell into the jacket is also disclosed.
US09362527B2
To provide a functional film having excellent bending resistance and stability under high temperature and high humidity conditions, a method for producing the same, and an electronic device including the functional film. A functional film including a resin base, a functional inorganic layer arranged on the resin base, and a hybrid layer arranged on at least one surface of the functional inorganic layer, in which the hybrid layer contains a polysiloxane and fine resin particles.
US09362506B2
A heterocyclic compound represented by Formula 1 below and an organic light-emitting device including the heterocyclic compound: wherein R1 to R12 are defined as in the specification.
US09362503B2
A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus including preparing a mother substrate that includes a plurality of display areas; forming a plurality of pixel electrodes on each of the display areas of the mother substrate; preparing a donor mask that includes a base substrate having a plurality of display transferring areas corresponding to the plurality of display areas, the base substrate including a groove between the display transferring areas, a light-to-heat conversion layer on the base substrate, and a reflective layer between the base substrate and the light-to-heat conversion layer and being patterned to include through holes in each of the display transferring areas; depositing a transferring layer on the light-to-heat conversion layer of the donor mask; aligning the mother substrate and the donor mask; and transferring portions of the transferring layer that overlie the through holes onto the pixel electrodes on the mother substrate.
US09362501B2
A metal mask is provided. The metal mask includes a mask portion and an end portion. The mask portion has a mask body and an outer frame surrounding and being connected to the mask body. The end portion connects one end of the mask portion. At least one of the mask portion and the end portion has at least one recessed portion located outside the mask body. The ratio of a total capacity of the at least one recessed portion to a total volume of the mask portion and the end portion is between 0.087 and 0.667.
US09362498B2
A method of forming a memory includes forming a first electrode and a second electrode within a first layer over a semiconductor substrate, forming a resistive-switching memory element and an antifuse element over the first layer, wherein the resistive-switching memory element includes a metal oxide layer and is electrically contacting the first electrode, wherein the metal oxide layer has a first thickness and a forming voltage that corresponds to the first thickness, wherein the antifuse element includes a dielectric layer and is electrically contacting the second electrode, and wherein the dielectric layer has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness and a dielectric breakdown voltage that is less than the forming voltage, and forming a third electrode and a fourth electrode within a second layer over the resistive-switching memory element and the antifuse element, wherein the third electrode is electrically contacting the resistive-switching memory element and the fourth electrode is electrically contacting the antifuse element.
US09362488B2
A method for manufacturing a spin injector device, comprising the following steps of: a) forming a metal protection layer on a face of a substrate, so as to restrict or prevent oxidation and/or contamination of said face by its environment, the face being magnetic and electrically conductive, the protection layer being of a diamagnetic or paramagnetic nature; b) forming an upper layer onto the protection layer, able to promote a spin bias of electronics sates in the vicinity of the Fermi level of the interface between the protection layer and the upper layer according to an amplitude and a spin referential frame which are defined by the magnetism of the substrate and/or of the face of the substrate, the upper layer being an organic layer of which one or more molecular sites have, in contact with the protection layer, a paramagnetic moment.
US09362480B2
The present invention relates to an energy harvester device comprising an elongate resonator beam extending between first and second ends. A base connected to the resonator beam at the first end with the second end being freely extending from the base as a cantilever. A mass is attached to the second end of the elongate resonator beam. The elongate resonator beam comprises either: (1) a first oxide layer on a first piezoelectric stack layer over a cantilever layer on a second oxide layer over a second piezoelectric stack layer on a third oxide layer or (2) a first oxide layer on a first piezoelectric stack layer over a second oxide layer on a cantilever layer over a third oxide layer on a second piezoelectric stack over a fourth oxide layer. Also disclosed is a system comprising an electrically powered apparatus and the energy harvester device, as well as methods of making and using the energy harvester.
US09362477B2
Provided is a method of forming a ceramic wire. In the method, a ceramic precursor film is deposited on a wire substrate. Then, the wire substrate on which the ceramic precursor film is deposited is treated by heating. For treating the wire substrate by heating, a temperature of the wire substrate and/or an oxygen partial pressure of the wire substrate are controlled such that the ceramic precursor film is in a liquid state and an epitaxy ceramic film is formed from the liquid ceramic precursor film on the wire substrate.
US09362476B2
A method of forming a superconductive device of a single layer of (BETS)2GaCl4 molecules on a substrate surface which displays a superconducting gap that increases exponentially with the length of the molecular chain is provided.
US09362468B2
Provided are a curable composition and its use. The curable composition having excellent processability, workability, heat resistance, and light resistance, and having no problem of discoloring despite using for a long time may be provided. The curable composition which may scatter light and disperse linearity of light when used as an encapsulant of an optical semiconductor such as an LED may be provided.
US09362462B2
Disclosed is a light emitting device package. The light emitting device package includes a body part provided therein with a cavity, a light emitting chip in the cavity, a cover part to cover the cavity, and a light conversion part provided on a bottom surface of the cover part while being separated from the light emitting chip.
US09362461B2
Disclosed are a light emitting device and a lighting system which uses a light emitting diode. The light emitting device includes a body which has a first and a second sidewall. The sidewalls have a first length and a corresponding third and fourth sidewalls. The third and fourth sidewalls are close to the first and second sidewalls and have a second length shorter than the first length, and a concave portion which has an open upper portion. A first lead frame is disposed in the concave portion of the body which includes a first cavity having a depth lower than a bottom of the concave portion. Also, a second lead frame is disposed in the concave portion of the body and includes a second cavity having a depth lower than the bottom of the concave portion. There is a gap part between the first and second lead frames. In the first cavity is a light emitting chip, and in the second cavity there is a light emitting chip.
US09362460B2
The invention is directed to an integrated polarized light emitting diode device that has a light emitting diode, a metal grating, an oxide layer, and a built-in photonic crystal rotator. Additional teachings include a method for making the integrated polarized light emitting diode, a method for improving the polarization selectivity and energy efficiency of a light emitting diode, and a method for rotating polarization of a light emitting diode.
US09362457B2
A light emitting device (LED), an LED package, and a lighting system including the LED package are provided. The light emitting device (LED) may include a light emitting structure, a carrier injection layer, and an electrode layer. The light emitting structure may include a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer. The carrier injection layer may be positioned over the light emitting structure, and the electrode layer may be positioned over the carrier injection layer.
US09362454B2
A light emitting diode includes a first conductive type semiconductor layer; at least one InxGa1−xN layer (0
US09362439B2
A film of material may be formed by providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface region and a cleave region located at a predetermined depth beneath the surface region. During a process of cleaving the film from the substrate, shear in the cleave region is carefully controlled. According to certain embodiments, an in-plane shear component (KII) is maintained near zero, sandwiched between a tensile region and a compressive region. In one embodiment, cleaving can be accomplished using a plate positioned over the substrate surface. The plate serves to constrain movement of the film during cleaving, and together with a localized thermal treatment reduces shear developed during the cleaving process. According to other embodiments, the KII component is purposefully maintained at a high level and serves to guide and drive fracture propagation through the cleave sequence. In one embodiment, the high KII component is achieved by adiabatic heating of silicon through exposure to E-beam radiation, which imparts a highly abrupt thermal gradient and resulting stress at a precisely defined depth in the silicon.
US09362435B2
Disclosed are a solar cell apparatus and a method of fabricating the same. The solace cell apparatus includes a solar cell on a support substrate; a polymer resin layer on the solar cell; a protective panel on the polymer resin layer; and a composite protective layer at each lateral side of the support substrate, the solar cell, the polymer resin layer, and the protective panel.
US09362434B2
A back side protective sheet for a solar cell, which is capable of enhancing performance of adhesion to an EVA resin as a filler used to seal solar cell elements, maintaining weather resistance for a long period of time, and reducing weight thereof; and a solar cell module including the back side protective sheet for a solar cell. The back side protective sheet is disposed on a back side of the solar cell module and includes: a first film fixedly attached so as to abut a surface of a filler and containing linear low-density polyethylene having a density greater than or equal to 0.91 g/cm3 and less than or equal to 0.93 g/cm3; and a second film laminated to the first film and disposed in an outermost layer of the back side protective sheet, the second film containing polyvinylidene fluoride and polymethyl methacrylate.
US09362430B2
Disclosed are a solar cell and a solar cell module using the same. The solar cell module includes a glass frit provided on a support substrate and including sodium, a first solar cell comprising a first back electrode layer, a first light absorbing layer, and a first front electrode layer which are sequentially arranged on the support substrate, and a second solar cell comprising a second back electrode layer, a second light absorbing layer, and a second front electrode layer which are sequentially arranged on the glass frit. The first solar cell is electrically connected to the second solar cell on the glass frit.
US09362427B2
Approaches for the metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell involves forming a barrier layer on a semiconductor region disposed in or above a substrate. The semiconductor region includes monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon. The method also involves forming a conductive paste layer on the barrier layer. The method also involves forming a conductive layer from the conductive paste layer. The method also involves forming a contact structure for the semiconductor region of the solar cell, the contact structure including at least the conductive layer.
US09362425B2
In order to provide a solar cell device having increased reliability, the present invention is provided with: a substrate having a semiconductor region containing silicon at one primary surface side; a first electrode provided on the one primary surface and containing silver as the primary component; and a second electrode connected to the first electrode on the one primary surface and containing aluminum as the primary component. The first electrode is a solar cell device containing elemental tin.
US09362416B2
One object is to provide a semiconductor device with a structure which enables reduction in parasitic capacitance sufficiently between wirings. In a bottom-gate type thin film transistor including a stacked layer of a first layer which is a metal thin film oxidized partly or entirely and an oxide semiconductor layer, the following oxide insulating layers are formed together: an oxide insulating layer serving as a channel protective layer which is over and in contact with a part of the oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with a gate electrode layer; and an oxide insulating layer which covers a peripheral portion and a side surface of the stacked oxide semiconductor layer.
US09362409B2
A manufacturing method of a display device having an array substrate includes the steps of forming a projection of an organic material in a pixel on the array substrate by patterning a photosensitive material or by inkjet, forming a TFT on the array substrate, wherein a source electrode of the TFT is formed to extend on at least part of the upper surface of the projection, forming an inorganic passivation layer over the TFT and over at least part of the upper surface of the projection, forming an organic passivation layer over the inorganic passivation layer, forming an upper insulating layer over at least part of the organic passivation layer, forming a contact hole in the inorganic passivation layer and the upper insulation layer over the upper surface of the projection, and forming a pixel electrode on the upper insulation layer which contacts the source electrode.
US09362405B1
One method of forming epi semiconductor cladding materials in the channel region of a semiconductor device is disclosed which includes forming an initial epi semiconductor cladding material around the exposed portion of a fin for an entire axial length of the fin, forming a sacrificial gate structure around a portion of the fin and the initial cladding material, removing the sacrificial gate structure so as to thereby define a replacement gate cavity, performing an etching process through the replacement gate cavity to remove at least the exposed portion of the initial cladding material and thereby expose a surface of the fin within the replacement gate cavity, forming at least one replacement epi semiconductor cladding material around the exposed surface of the fin, and forming a replacement gate structure within the replacement gate cavity around the at least one replacement epi semiconductor cladding material.
US09362402B2
A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate; and forming a first gate structure on the semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming offset spacers doped with a certain type of ions to increase an anti-corrosion ability of the offset spacers on both sides of the first gate structure by a stability doping process; and forming trenches in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the first gate structures. Further, the method includes forming stress layers in the trenches.
US09362401B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a buffer layer provided on the substrate, a channel layer provided on the buffer layer, an electron supply layer provided on the channel layer, a first contact hole provided on the electron supply layer, a source electrode that is formed within the first contact hole, and electrically connected to the electron supply layer, a second contact hole provided on the electron supply layer, a drain electrode that is formed within the second contact hole, and electrically connected to the electron supply layer, a gate electrode provided between the source electrode and the drain electrode, a second insulating film that is formed to cover the gate electrode, a strain relaxation film that is formed over the second insulating film above the gate electrode, a third insulating film that is formed to cover the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the strain relaxation film, and an organic film that is formed over the third insulating film.
US09362394B2
Power device termination structures and methods are disclosed herein. The structures include a trenched-gate semiconductor device. The trenched-gate semiconductor device includes a semiconducting material and an array of trenched-gate power transistors. The array defines an inner region including a plurality of inner transistors and an outer region including a plurality of outer transistors. The inner transistors include a plurality of inner trenches that has an average inner region spacing. The outer transistors include a plurality of outer trenches that has an average termination region spacing. The average termination region spacing is greater than the average inner region spacing or is selected such that a breakdown voltage of the plurality of outer transistors is greater than a breakdown voltage of the plurality of inner transistors.
US09362390B2
Inverter circuits and NAND circuits comprising nanotube based FETs and methods of making the same are described. Such circuits can be fabricating using field effect transistors comprising a source, a drain, a channel region, and a gate, wherein the first channel region includes a fabric of semiconducting nanotubes of a given conductivity type. Such FETs can be arranged to provide inverter circuits in either two-dimension or three-dimensional (stacked) layouts. Design equations based upon consideration of the electrical characteristics of the nanotubes are described which permit optimization of circuit design layout based upon constants that are indicative of the current carrying capacity of the nanotube fabrics of different FETs.
US09362384B2
The present invention discloses a double diffused metal oxide semiconductor (DMOS) device and a manufacturing method thereof. The DMOS device includes: a first conductive type substrate, a second conductive type high voltage well, a gate, a first conductive type body region, a second conductive type source, a second conductive type drain, a first conductive type body electrode, and a first conductive type floating region. The floating region is formed in the body region, which is electrically floating and is electrically isolated from the source and the gate, such that the electrostatic discharge (ESD) effect is mitigated.
US09362381B2
The present invention discloses an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and a manufacturing method thereof. The IGBT includes: a gallium nitride (GaN) substrate, a first GaN layer with a first conductive type, a second GaN layer with a first conductive type, a third GaN layer with a second conductive type or an intrinsic conductive type, and a gate formed on the GaN substrate. The first GaN layer is formed on the GaN substrate and has a side wall vertical to the GaN substrate. The second GaN layer is formed on the GaN substrate and is separated from the first GaN layer by the gate. The third GaN layer is formed on the first GaN layer and is separated from the GaN substrate by the first GaN layer. The gate has a side plate adjacent to the side wall in a lateral direction to control a channel.
US09362377B1
Methods for forming a semiconductor gate electrode with a reflowed Co layer and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include forming a trench in an ILD on a substrate; forming a high-k dielectric layer, a WF layer, and a Co layer sequentially on sidewall and bottom surfaces of the trench; reflowing a portion of the Co layer from the WF layer on the sidewall surfaces of the trench to the WF layer on the bottom surface of the trench; removing a remainder of the Co layer from the WF layer on the sidewall surfaces of the trench, above an upper surface of the reflowed Co; recessing the WF layer to the upper surface of the reflowed Co layer, forming a cavity above the reflowed Co layer; and filling the cavity with metal to form a gate electrode.
US09362351B2
A field effect transistor (“FET”), a termination structure and associated method for manufacturing. The FET has a plurality of active transistor cells and a termination structure. The termination structure for the FET includes a plurality of termination cells arranged substantially in parallel from an inner side toward an outer side of a termination area of the FET. Each of the termination cells comprises a termination trench lined with a termination insulation layer and filled with a termination conduction layer. The innermost termination cell is electrically coupled to gate regions of the active transistor cells while the rest of the termination cells are electrically floating.
US09362350B2
A MOS P-N junction diode includes a semiconductor substrate, a mask layer, a guard ring, a gate oxide layer, a polysilicon structure, a polysilicon oxide layer, a central conductive layer, ion implantation layer, a channel region, and a metallic sputtering layer. For manufacturing the MOS P-N junction diode, a mask layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A gate oxide layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a polysilicon structure is formed on the gate oxide layer, and a polysilicon oxide layer formed on the polysilicon structure. A guard ring, a central conductive layer and a channel region are formed in the semiconductor substrate. An ion implantation layer is formed within the guard ring and the central conductive layer. Afterwards, a metallic sputtering layer is formed, and the mask layer is partially exposed.
US09362346B2
Disclosed is an organic light emitting display device that includes a first substrate; at least one pixel formed on the first substrate; a first power line formed on the first substrate, the first power line supplying a first voltage to the pixel; a second power line formed on the first substrate, the second power line supplying a second voltage to the pixel, the second voltage being different from the first voltage; and a second substrate formed over the first substrate, the second substrate including a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and an insulating layer formed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the insulating layer insulating the first metal layer and the second metal layer from each other, wherein the first metal layer is electrically connected with the first power line and the second metal layer is electrically connected to the second power line.
US09362343B2
There is provided a light emitting device which enables a color display with good color balance. A triplet compound is used for a light emitting layer of an EL element that emits red color, and a singlet compound is used for a light emitting layer of an EL element that emits green color and a light emitting layer of an EL element that emits blue color. Thus, an operation voltage of the EL element emitting red color may be made the same as the EL element emitting green color and the EL element emitting blue color. Accordingly, the color display with good color balance can be realized.
US09362334B2
A double-sided display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The double-sided display apparatus includes a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to each other; a first transparent electrode and a second reflective electrode arranged on the first substrate; a first reflective electrode opposed to the first transparent electrode on the first substrate and a second transparent electrode opposed to the second reflective electrode on the first substrate arranged on the second substrate; and a quantum light-emitting layer arranged between the respectively corresponded transparent electrodes and reflective electrodes, the quantum light-emitting layer including charge transport particles and QD light-emitting material mixed therein. The provided double-sided display apparatus is lighter, thinner, more portable, and of low cost.
US09362333B2
Semiconductor packages are provided. A semiconductor package may include a semiconductor chip. The semiconductor package may include a substrate and first and second conductive regions on the substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate may be a flexible substrate, and the first and second conductive regions may be on the same surface of the flexible substrate. Display devices including semiconductor packages are also provided. In some embodiments, a display device may include a flexible substrate that is bent such that first and second conductive regions thereof are connected to each other via an intervening third conductive region.
US09362328B2
The invention relates to a semiconductor device having a vertical transistor bipolar structure of emitter, base, and collector formed in this order from a semiconductor substrate surface in a depth direction. The semiconductor device includes an electrode embedded from the semiconductor substrate surface into the inside and insulated by an oxide film. In the surface of the substrate, a first-conductivity-type first semiconductor region, a second-conductivity-type second semiconductor region, and a first-conductivity-type third semiconductor region are arranged, from the surface side, inside a semiconductor device region surrounded by the electrode and along the electrode with the oxide film interposed therebetween, the second semiconductor region located below the first semiconductor region, the third semiconductor region located below the second semiconductor region. The electrode is insulated from the first to third semiconductor regions, and current gain is variable through application of voltage to the electrode.
US09362316B2
Disclosed is a display device which includes: a plurality of gate lines arranged in a first direction; a plurality of data lines arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction; a plurality of jumping electrodes each disposed a first edge portion of each of the data lines; and a plurality of shield portions disposed between the jumping electrodes. Such a display device allows the shield portions to be disposed between the jumping electrodes. As such, the display device can prevent a light leak phenomenon due to an electric field which is generated by the shortened distance between the front edge portions of the data lines.
US09362308B2
A semiconductor device and method making it comprises pFETs with an SiGe channel and nFETs with an Si channel, formed on an SOI substrate. Improved uniformity of fin height and width is attained by forming the fins additively by depositing an SiGe layer on the SOI substrate and forming first fins from the superposed SiGe layer and underlying thin Si film of the SOI substrate. Second fins of Si can then be formed by replacing the upper SiGe portions of selected first fins with Si.
US09362307B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor which enables heat treatment aimed at improving characteristics of a gate insulating film such as lowering of an interface level or reduction in a fixed charge without causing a problem of misalignment in patterning due to expansion or shrinkage of glass. A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor of the present invention comprises the steps of heat-treating in a state where at least a gate insulating film is formed over a semiconductor film on which element isolation is not performed, simultaneously isolating the gate insulating film and the semiconductor film into an element structure, forming an insulating film covering a side face of an exposed semiconductor film, thereby preventing a short-circuit between the semiconductor film and a gate electrode. Expansion or shrinkage of a glass substrate during the heat treatment can be prevented from affecting misalignment in patterning since the gate insulating film and the semiconductor film are simultaneously processed into element shapes after the heat treatment.
US09362303B2
Semiconductor devices are provided including an active pillar protruding from a substrate; a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode adjacent to a sidewall of the active pillar and vertically overlapping with each other, the first and second gate electrodes being insulated from each other; a first intergate insulating layer covering a first surface of the first gate electrode; and a second intergate insulating layer covering a second surface, opposite the first surface, of the second gate electrode and spaced apart from the first intergate insulating layer. The first intergate insulating layer and the second intergate insulating layer define an air gap therebetween.
US09362300B2
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having multiple decks of memory cells and associated control gates. A method includes forming a first deck having alternating conductor materials and dielectric materials and a hole containing materials extending through the conductor materials and the dielectric materials. The methods can also include forming a sacrificial material in an enlarged portion of the hole and forming a second deck of memory cells over the first deck. Additional apparatuses and methods are described.
US09362296B2
The disclosed technology generally relates to memory devices, and more particularly to memory devices having an intergate dielectric stack comprising multiple high k dielectric materials. In one aspect, a planar non-volatile memory device comprises a hybrid floating gate structure separated from an inter-gate dielectric structure by a first interfacial layer which is designed to be electrically transparent so as not to affect the program saturation of the device. The inter-gate structure comprises a stack of three layers having a high-k/low-k/high-k configuration and the interfacial layer has a higher k-value than its adjacent high-k layer in the inter-gate dielectric structure. A method of making such a non-volatile memory device is also described.
US09362287B2
A semiconductor device includes: a first transistor and a second transistor disposed in or on a silicon substrate; an element isolation structure that isolates the first transistor and the second transistor, the element isolation structure comprising at least one of a first element isolation film disposed in a region of a first well disposed in a formation area of the first transistor, or a second element isolation film disposed in a region of a second well disposed in a formation area of the second transistor, and a third well disposed under the first well in the silicon substrate and is electrically connected to the second well. The first element isolation film or the second element isolation film has a portion that does not extend over a boundary between the first well and the second well.
US09362286B2
Various embodiments provide semiconductor devices and methods for forming the same. A first fin and a second fin are formed on a semiconductor substrate. A first dielectric layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate and has a top surface lower than a top surface of both of the first fin and the second fin. A gate structure is formed on the first dielectric layer and covering across a first portion of each of the first fin and the second fin. A second portion of the first fin on both sides of the gate structure is removed, forming a first recess. A first semiconductor layer is formed in the first recess. A second dielectric layer is formed on the first dielectric layer and the first semiconductor layer, and exposes a top surface of the second fin. A second semiconductor layer is formed on the exposed top surface of the second fin.
US09362281B2
A method of forming a structure that can be used to integrate Si-based devices, i.e., nFETs and pFETs, with Group III nitride-based devices is provided. The method includes providing a substrate containing an nFET device region, a pFET device region and a Group III nitride device region, wherein the substrate includes a topmost silicon layer and a <111> silicon layer located beneath the topmost silicon layer. Next, a trench is formed within the Group III nitride device region to expose a sub-surface of the <111> silicon layer. The trench is then partially filled with a Group III nitride base material, wherein the Group III nitride material base material has a topmost surface that is coplanar with, or below, a topmost surface of the topmost silicon layer.
US09362280B2
An integrated circuit with devices having dielectric layers with different thicknesses. The dielectric layers include a high-k dielectric and some of the dielectric layers include an oxide layer that is formed from an oxidation process. Each device includes a layer including germanium or carbon located underneath the electrode stack of the device. A silicon cap layers is located over the layer including germanium or carbon.
US09362275B1
A semiconductor and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device are provided. A semiconductor substrate is provided. A first oxide layer is formed over an active region. A first STI is formed to adjoin a first side of the active region, and a second STI is formed to adjoin a second side of the active region. A gate layer is formed over the first STI, the second STI and the first oxide layer. A masking element is formed over the gate layer. The gate layer is etched using the masking element to form a first gate electrode over the first oxide layer, a first dummy gate electrode over the first STI, and a second dummy gate electrode over the second STI. A width of the first gate electrode is smaller than a width of the first dummy gate electrode and a width of the second dummy gate electrode.
US09362270B2
An integrated circuit containing CMOS gates and a counterdoped polysilicon gate material resistor which has a body region that is implanted concurrently with the NSD layers of the NMOS transistors of the CMOS gates and concurrently with the PSD layers of the PMOS transistors of the CMOS gates, and has a resistor silicide block layer over the body region which is formed of separate material from the sidewall spacers on the CMOS gates. A process of forming an integrated circuit containing CMOS gates and a counterdoped polysilicon gate material resistor which implants the body region of the resistor concurrently with the NSD layers of the NMOS transistors of the CMOS gates and concurrently with the PSD layers of the PMOS transistors of the CMOS gates, and forms a resistor silicide block layer over the body region of separate material from the sidewall spacers on the CMOS gates.
US09362264B2
A well potential supply region is provided in an N-type well region of a cell array. Adjacent gates disposed in both sides of the well potential supply region in the horizontal direction and adjacent gates disposed in further both sides thereof are disposed at the same pitch. In addition, an adjacent cell array includes four gates each of which is opposed to the adjacent gates in the vertical direction. In other words, regularity in the shape of the gate patterns in the periphery of the well potential supply region is maintained.
US09362258B2
An optoelectronic component includes a carrier, a first optoelectronic semiconductor chip arranged on the carrier, a first conversion element arranged on the first semiconductor chip, a second optoelectronic semiconductor chip arranged on the carrier and a second conversion element arranged on the second semiconductor chip. The optoelectronic component also includes an insulation material arranged on the carrier. The insulation material surrounds the first and second semiconductor chips and the first and second conversion element. The first conversion element is embodied in a stepped fashion and has a first and a second section wherein the first section projects laterally beyond the second section.
US09362255B2
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer strucute on a first substrate, the method including: using the first substrate made of a first material having a Young's modulus Ev and a thickness ev, and using a second substrate covered by the multilayer structure, the second substrate being made of a second material having a Young's modulus Es that is different from the Young's modulus Ev and a thickness es, the thicknesses es and ev complying, plus or minus 10%, with the relation (I); molecularly bonding the first substrate and the multilayer structure together; and removing the second substrate.
US09362254B1
A wire bonding method includes the following steps. First, a substrate including at least one metal finger is provided. Next, a first chip including at least one first boding pad is disposed on the substrate. Next, a metal ball bump is formed on the corresponding metal finger. Next, a first wire is formed from the metal ball bump toward the corresponding first boding pad. Next, a first free air ball is formed on the first wire by electronic flame-off process. Then, the first free air ball connected to the first wire is pressed on the corresponding first boding pad, such that the first wire is located between the first free air ball and the corresponding first boding pad. A package structure using the wire bonding method is also provided.
US09362247B2
A method of ultrasonically bonding semiconductor elements includes the steps of: (a) aligning surfaces of a plurality of first conductive structures of a first semiconductor element to respective surfaces of a plurality of second conductive structures of a second semiconductor element, wherein the surfaces of each of the plurality of first conductive structures and the plurality of second conductive structures include aluminum; and (b) ultrasonically bonding ones of the first conductive structures to respective ones of the second conductive structures.
US09362232B2
According to various aspects of the present disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a small form factor mobile platform including a system-on-package architecture, the system-on-package architecture arranged as a stack of layers including: a first layer having a first conformable material; a second layer having a second conformable material; a third layer having a third material; and one or more electronic components embedded within the stack of layers, wherein the first conformable material, the second conformable material, or both are configured to allow high frequency signal routing.
US09362208B2
Packaged semiconductor components having substantially rigid support member are disclosed. The packages can include a semiconductor die and a support member proximate to the semiconductor die. The support member is at least substantially rigid. The packages can further include an adhesive between the support member and the semiconductor die and adhesively attaching the support member to the semiconductor die. The packages can also include a substrate carrying the semiconductor die and the support member attached to the semiconductor die.
US09362204B2
A composite interposer can include a substrate element and a support element. The substrate element can have first and second opposite surfaces defining a thickness of 200 microns or less, and can have a plurality of contacts exposed at the first surface and electrically conductive structure extending through the thickness. The support element can have a body of at least one of dielectric or semiconductor material exposed at a second surface of the support element, openings extending through a thickness of the body, conductive vias extending within at least some of the openings in a direction of the thickness of the body, and terminals exposed at a first surface of the support element. The second surface of the support element can be united with the second surface of the substrate element. The terminals can be electrically connected with the contacts through the conductive vias and the electrically conductive structure.
US09362197B2
Presented herein are a package-on-package device having a molded underfill and a method for forming the same, the method comprising applying a package mount mounting a die to the first side of a carrier package. A molded underfill may be applied first side of the carrier package, and be in contact with a portion of the package mount a portion of a sidewall of the die. A top package having at least one land may be mounted to the first side of the carrier package above the die, and, optionally separated from the top of the die. The package mount may be coined prior to, during or after applying the molded underfill to optionally be level with the underfill surface. The underfill region contacting the package mount may be below or above the surface of the underfill region contacting the die sidewall.
US09362184B2
A semiconductor device having Cu wiring including a basic crystal structure which can reduce surface voids, and an inspecting technique for the semiconductor device. In the semiconductor device, surface voids can be reduced down to 1/10 or less of a current practical level by specifying a barrier layer and a seed layer and setting a proportion (frequency) of occupation of a coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundary having a grain boundary Sigma value 27 or less to all crystal grain boundaries of a Cu wiring to 60% or higher. Alternatively, a similar effect of surface void reduction can be obtained by specifying a barrier layer and a seed layer and setting a proportion (frequency) of occupation of a coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundary having a grain boundary Sigma value 3 to all crystal grain boundaries of a Cu wiring to 40% or higher.
US09362182B2
A method, and the resulting structure, of forming two fins with different types of strain and material on the same substrate.
US09362180B2
In one aspect there is set forth herein an integrated circuit having a first plurality of field effect transistors and a second plurality of field effect transistor, wherein field effect transistors of the first plurality of field effect transistors each have a first gate stack and wherein field effect transistors of the second plurality of field effect transistors each have a second gate stack, the second gate stack being different from the first gate stack by having a metal layer common to the first gate stack and the second gate stack that includes a first thickness at the first gate stack and a second thickness at the second gate stack.
US09362177B1
A method for forming a nanowire device comprises forming a fin on a substrate, depositing a first layer of insulator material on the substrate, etching to remove portions of the first layer of insulator material to reduce a thickness of the first layer of insulator material, epitaxially growing a first layer of semiconductor material on exposed sidewall portions of the fin, depositing a second layer of insulator material on the first layer of insulator material, etching to remove portions of the second layer of insulator material to reduce a thickness of the second layer of insulator material, and etching to remove portions of the first layer of semiconductor material to expose portions of the fin and form a first nanowire and a second nanowire.
US09362169B2
The present disclosure describes methods for transferring a desired layout into a target layer on a semiconductor substrate. An embodiment of the methods includes forming a first desired layout feature as a first line over the target layer; forming a spacer around the first line; depositing a spacer-surrounding material layer; removing the spacer to form a fosse pattern trench surrounding the first line; and transferring the fosse pattern trench into the target layer to form a fosse feature trench in the target layer, wherein the fosse feature trench surrounds a first portion of the target layer that is underneath a protection layer. In some embodiments, the method further includes patterning a second desired layout feature of the desired layout into the target layer wherein the fosse feature trench and the protection layer serve to self-align the second desired layout feature with the first portion of the target layer.
US09362162B2
Methods are provided for fabricating an interlayer structure useful in, for instance, providing BEOL interconnect for circuit structures. The method includes, for instance, providing an interlayer structure, including: providing an uncured insulating layer above a substrate structure; forming an energy removal film over the uncured insulated layer; forming at least one opening through the energy removal film and extending at least partially into the uncured insulating layer; and applying energy to cure the uncured insulating layer, establishing a cured insulating layer, and decomposing in part the energy removal film, establishing a reduced thickness, energy removal film over the cured insulating layer, the interlayer structure including the cured insulating layer, and the applying energy decreasing an aspect ratio(s) of the one opening(s). In one implementation, the uncured insulating layer includes porogens which also decompose partially during applying energy to further improve the aspect ratio(s).
US09362149B2
Provided is a method of etching a silicon oxide film, which includes supplying a mixture gas of a halogen element-containing gas and a basicity gas onto a surface of the silicon oxide film; modifying the silicon oxide film to produce a reaction product; and heating the reaction product to remove the reaction product. Modifying the silicon oxide film and heating the reaction product are performed using one chamber. In heating the reaction product, the reaction product is selectively heated by a heating unit.
US09362141B2
Microelectronic devices, stacked microelectronic devices, and methods for manufacturing such devices
Stacked microelectronic devices and methods for manufacturing such devices are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a stacked microelectronic device assembly can include a first known good packaged microelectronic device including a first interposer substrate. A first die and a first through-casing interconnects are electrically coupled to the first interposer substrate. A first casing at least partially encapsulates the first device such that a portion of each first interconnect is accessible at a top portion of the first casing. A second known good packaged microelectronic device is coupled to the first device in a stacked configuration. The second device can include a second interposer substrate having a plurality of second interposer pads and a second die electrically coupled to the second interposer substrate. The exposed portions of the first interconnects are electrically coupled to corresponding second interposer pads.
US09362136B2
In a manufacturing process of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, oxygen doping treatment is performed on the oxide semiconductor film, and then heat treatment is performed on the oxide semiconductor film and an aluminum oxide film provided over the oxide semiconductor film. Consequently, an oxide semiconductor film which includes a region containing more oxygen than a stoichiometric composition is formed. The transistor formed using the oxide semiconductor film can have high reliability because the amount of change in the threshold voltage of the transistor by a bias-temperature stress test (BT test) is reduced.
US09362130B2
Methods of etching a patterned substrate may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a first remote plasma region fluidly coupled with a substrate processing region. The oxygen-containing precursor may be flowed into the region while forming a plasma in the first remote plasma region to produce oxygen-containing plasma effluents. The methods may also include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a second remote plasma region fluidly coupled with the substrate processing region while forming a plasma in the second remote plasma region to produce fluorine-containing plasma effluents. The methods may include flowing the oxygen-containing plasma effluents and fluorine-containing plasma effluents into the processing region, and using the effluents to etch a patterned substrate housed in the substrate processing region.
US09362116B2
Provided are a method of forming an oxide thin film and an electrical device and thin film transistor using the method. The method includes forming an oxide thin film on a substrate by applying a precursor solution; and performing a thermal treatment process on the substrate under a pressurized atmosphere using a gas at about 100° C. to about 400° C.
US09362110B2
A first nitride semiconductor layer contains Ga. The first nitride semiconductor layer is, for example, a GaN layer, an AlGaN layer, or an AlInGaN layer. Then, an aluminum oxide layer has tetra-coordinated Al atoms each surrounded by four ◯ atoms and hexa-coordinated Al atoms each surrounded by six ◯ atoms as Al atoms in the interface region with respect to the first nitride semiconductor layer. The interface region is a region apart, for example, by 1.5 nm or less from the interface with respect to the first nitride semiconductor layer. Then, in the interface region, the tetra-coordinated Al atoms are present by 30 at % or more and less than 50 at % based on the total number of Al atoms.
US09362099B2
Ion filter for FAIMS fabricated using the LIGA technique. The ion filter is manufactured using a metal layer to form the ion channels and an insulating support layer to hold the structure rigidly together after separation of the metal layer into two electrodes.
US09362097B2
An ionic liquid ion source can include a microfabricated body including a base and a tip. The body can be formed of a porous material compatible with at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt. The body can have a pore size gradient that decreases from the base of the body to the tip of the body, such that the at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt is capable of being transported through capillarity from the base to the tip.
US09362085B2
A charged-particle beam lithographic system (100) delineates a pattern on a substrate (2) by directing a charged-particle beam (L) at the substrate. The system (100) includes a substrate stage (10) on which the substrate (2) is disposed and a substrate cover (20). The cover (20) has a frame portion (22) that covers an outer peripheral portion of the substrate (2) as viewed within a plane. The frame portion (22) has a first part (22a) disposed on the stage (10) and a second part (22b) capable of being loaded and unloaded on and from the stage (10) by a transport portion (40). When the second part (22b) is loaded on the stage (10), it is electrically grounded.
US09362083B2
There is provided a charged particle beam apparatus having the function of permitting observation of a sample in a gas atmosphere or in a liquid state, the apparatus being intended to let a dry sample be observed as it is getting saturated with an introduced liquid and to prevent a charged particle beam from getting scattered by an unwanted liquid introduced between a diaphragm and the sample. This invention provides a structure including an inlet-outlet part (300) that brings in and out a desired liquid or gas in the direction of the underside or the side of the sample (6), the structure being arranged so that the sample (6) is irradiated with a primary charged particle beam while the sample (6) and the diaphragm (10) are kept out of contact with each other.
US09362079B2
An electron emission source includes a first electrode, an insulating layer, and a second electrode stacked in that sequence, wherein the first electrode is a carbon nanotube composite structure comprising a carbon nanotube layer and a semiconductor layer stacked together, and the semiconductor layer is sandwiched between the carbon nanotube layer and the insulating layer. A method for making the electron emission source is also related.
US09362074B2
Nanowire-based mechanical switching devices are described. For example, a nanowire relay includes a nanowire disposed in a void disposed above a substrate. The nanowire has an anchored portion and a suspended portion. A first gate electrode is disposed adjacent the void, and is spaced apart from the nanowire. A first conductive region is disposed adjacent the first gate electrode and adjacent the void, and is spaced apart from the nanowire.
US09362061B2
A switching device including a breaker electrically connectable to an electrical conductor, and an at least partially electrically conductive housing to which the breaker is mounted, the housing having an outer surface. The breaker includes an electrically conductive first contact and an electrically conductive second contact, the second contact being movable and in relation to the first contact and in relation to the housing, and when the first and second contacts are in contact the breaker is in a closed position, and when the first and second contacts are separated the breaker is in an open position. The switching device is arranged to provide a current path between the breaker and the electrical conductor, and the housing houses a guiding member for operating the second contact, the guiding member being movable in relation to the housing, wherein the guiding member includes a biasing assembly.
US09362057B2
An electrolyte mixture for electrolytic capacitor is disclosed. The electrolyte mixture includes a conductive polymer and a nitrogen-containing polymer. The nitrogen-containing polymer includes a cyclic nitrogen-containing polymer, a polymer with primary amine group, a polymer with secondary amine group, a polymer with tertiary amine group, a polymer with quaternary ammonium group, or a combination thereof.
US09362049B2
An inductive power receiver configured for receiving power transferred from an inductive power outlet having a primary coil includes a secondary coil configured to form an inductive couple with the primary coil thereby facilitating the power transfer. The inductive power receiver further includes a transmission circuit having a variable amplifier configured to vary the voltage of the power drawn by the secondary coil, and a modulator configured to control the variable amplifier. The inductive power receiver is configured to modulate a signal by the varying of the voltage. An inductive power outlet configured for transferring power to the inductive power receiver includes a primary coil and a receiving circuit configured to detect changes in voltage of the power transferred and to produce an output signal based on the changes.
US09362044B1
A magnetic component apparatus includes a bobbin having a bobbin body, a first pin rail, a second pin rail, and a longitudinal axis. First and second pin rows are located on the first pin rail. The second pin row is located at an exterior position from the first pin row. A third pin row is located on the second pin rail. The first, second, and third pin rows can be oriented in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. A plurality of windings can be located on the bobbin body. Some embodiments can include a fourth pin row located on the second pin rail, the fourth pin row located at an exterior position from the third pin row. In some embodiments one or more wire guide channels can be defined in the first or second pin rails to help keep breakout wires from the plurality of windings separate.
US09362043B2
A magnetic substrate has such a shape that ridges extending between principal surfaces are cut away by cutout portions. A multilayer body has corners arranged so as to overlap the cutout portions. A coil includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. A coil is combined with the coil to constitute a common mode choke coil and includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. Connecting portions connect external electrodes to the lead portions and are provided at the cutout portion.
US09362041B2
Disclosed herein is a common mode filter that comprises a drum core including a winding core portion and a pair of flange portions provided at both ends of the winding core portion, and first and second wires wound around the winding core portion so as to form a pair-wire for each turn. The first and second wires includes one or a plurality of sparsely-wound portions in which the first and second wires are wound with adjacent pair-wires spaced from each other, and one or a plurality of closely-wound portions in which the first and second wires are wound with adjacent pair-wires in close contact with each other.
US09362016B2
A cathode active material of a lithium ion battery includes a number of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles and an AlF3 layer coated on a surface of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles. A method for making the cathode active material is provided. In the method, a number of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles are provided. The LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles are added to a trivalent aluminum source solution to form a solid-liquid mixture. A fluorine source solution is put into the solid-liquid mixture to react and form an AlF3 layer coated on the surface of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles. The coated LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles are heat treated to form the cathode active material. A lithium ion battery including the cathode active material is also provided.
US09362015B2
Growth and characterization of low cost, and high efficiency micro- and nanostructured p-n heterojunction solar cells through eutectic solidification are provided. Eutectic solidification results in self-assembly of lamellar or rod-like domains with length scales from hundreds of nanometers to micrometers that can be used for efficient extraction of minority carriers in metallurgical-grade materials. The material having a eutectic or near-eutectic composition can be used in making a low-cost and efficient inorganic solar cell.
US09362002B2
A stacked semiconductor device is disclosed that includes a plurality of semiconductor dies. Each die has oppositely disposed first and second surfaces, with pads formed on each of the surfaces. A plurality of through-vias connect respective pads on the first surface to respective pads on the second surface. The through-vias include a first group of through-vias coupled to respective I/O circuitry on the semiconductor die and a second group of through-vias not coupled to I/O circuitry on the semiconductor die. The plurality of semiconductor dies are stacked such that the first group of through-vias in a first one of the plurality of semiconductor dies are aligned with respective ones of at least a portion of the second group of through-vias in a second one of the plurality of semiconductor dies.
US09361997B2
A method of operating a storage device may include receiving a read command and a read address, performing a read operation on selected memory cells corresponding to a selected string selection line and a selected word line based on the read address and performing a reliability verification read on unselected memory cells. Data read by the read operation may be output to an external device, and data read by the reliability verification read may be not output to the external device.
US09361992B1
A semiconductor device for storing data includes a memory cell. The memory cell comprises a plurality of transistors. A trimmable sense amplifier is electrically connected to the memory cell. The trimmable sense amplifier is configured to provide variable current to said memory cell. A charge pump is also electrically connected to the memory cell. The charge pump includes a plurality of diodes disposed in series with one another. The charge pump includes an input for receiving an input voltage and an output for providing an output voltage greater than the input voltage to the memory cell.
US09361991B1
A method of searching for a boundary between a written portion and an unwritten portion of an open block may include performing a word line by word line binary search of a first physical area of the open block to identify a last written word line of the first physical area of the block, and subsequently, searching in at least a second physical area of the open block based on the last written word line of the first physical area of the block as identified by the binary search.
US09361981B2
Methods of programming and forming memory devices. Methods of programming include biasing a control gate of a selected memory cell of the memory device to a first voltage, the control gate being over a first conductive region having a first conductivity type and the first conductive region being over a second conductive region having a second conductivity type different than the first conductivity type; biasing the second conductive region to a second voltage to forward bias the junction from the second conductive region to the first conductive region; and injecting electrons into a charge-storage node of the selected memory cell from the second conductive region. The first conductive region and the second conductive region are contained within a dielectric isolation structure in which at least the selected memory cell is contained.
US09361973B2
An integrated circuit (IC) can include M memory banks, where M is greater than 2, and each memory bank is separately accessible according to a received address value; N channels, where N is greater than 2, and each channel includes its own a data connections, address connections, and control input connections for executing a read or write access to one of the memory banks in synchronism with a clock signal; and a controller subsystem configured to control accesses between the channels and the memory banks, including up to an access on every channel on consecutive cycles of the clock signal.
US09361961B2
A memory device may include a plurality of memory banks, a row control signal input unit suitable for receiving a plurality of row control signals, a column control signal input unit suitable for receiving a plurality of column control signals, a row control unit suitable for selecting a memory bank and a row in response to the row control signals, and controlling a row operation for the selected row, and a column control unit suitable for selecting a memory bank and column in response to the column control signals, and controlling a column operation for the selected column.
US09361952B2
Disclosed herein is a storage controlling apparatus including: a decision portion configured to decide whether or not a bit number of a specific value from between binary values is greater than a reference value in at least part of input data to a memory cell, which executes rewriting to one of the binary values and rewriting to the other one of the binary values in order in a writing process, to generate decision data indicative of a result of the decision; and a write side outputting portion configured to output, when it is decided that the bit number is greater than the reference value, the input data at least part of which is inverted as write data to the memory cell together with the decision data.
US09361951B2
A method includes, in a storage system that includes multiple memory devices, holding a definition of a given type of storage command. Multiple storage commands of the given type are executed in the memory devices, such that an actual current consumption of each storage command deviates from a nominal current waveform defined for the given type by no more than a predefined deviation, and such that each storage command is preceded by a random delay.
US09361947B1
A hard disk drive assembly having a hard disk drive positioned within an enclosure. A shock support is interposed between the hard disk drive and at least one wall of the enclosure so that external shocks on the enclosure are transmitted through the shock support. The shock support can be either a rigid support made of metal or a resilient support made of elastomeric material.
US09361944B1
According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive including a disk including a plurality of track groups each including a first write track and a second write track partially overlapping the first write track, and a processor configured to count a write count corresponding to write processing of adjacent track groups for each of the plurality of track groups, and calculate an estimated time at which the write count reaches a particular value and, if a track group in which the estimated time is approximate is detected, read data of the approximate track group, and execute rewrite processing of writing the data to the track group in which the estimated time is approximate, at a time earlier than the estimated time.
US09361942B2
In some implementations, a user can play a music track from a dynamically generated playlist. The user can provide input indicating that the user likes or dislikes the music track and the playlist can be adjusted based on the user input. In some implementations, information can be presented to the user so that the user can preview changes to the playlist before the changes are made to the playlist. In some implementations, a user can adjust playlist criteria (configuration) by adjusting specific music characteristics. In some implementations, a user can adjust playlist criteria by manipulating a list of representative music tracks. In some implementations, a user can compare the user's playlist to playlists of other users.
US09361936B2
Data blocks to be stored on a disk-based data storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, etc.) are coded together to form a plurality of linearly independent network coded blocks. The network coded blocks are then stored on the data storage device. Coded seeking may then be used to retrieve the original data blocks from the data storage device in a time-efficient manner. A read request may be sent to the data storage device requesting an innovative coded packet associated with the original data blocks. In response to the read request, the data storage device may read an innovative coded packet from the disk that is closest to current position of a read element of the device.
US09361933B2
Provided is a technology to scan a document for file attachments, generate alternative file names corresponding to a particular attachment, determine whether or not the particular file attachment is the latest version of a file or has a name and/for file path that could he confused with the name and/or path of another file. In the event one or more of the above conditions is met, techniques are also provided to verify that the file attachment is the desired file and, if necessary, to select an alternative file for attachment.
US09361932B2
A fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) includes a groove configuration that includes a pressure-generating groove pattern, and additionally includes a circumferential groove adjacent to the pressure-generating groove pattern and a pumping groove pattern adjacent to the circumferential groove. The circumferential groove may be deeper than the associated pumping and pressure-generating groove patterns and may extend for 360 degrees, and the pumping groove may be positioned at or near the entry to the bearing journal area to help maintain fluid flow direction and minimum pressure. Such an FDB groove configuration is likely to provide improved damping characteristics while maintaining relative stiffness, thereby improving vibration response characteristics.
US09361928B2
A maximum velocity is dynamically determined during a tape drive operation to obtain a statistical standard deviation of a position error signal (PES) that yields an amount of stopwrite (SW) operations that avoids backhitching. The tape velocity is adjusted to the maximum velocity.
US09361907B2
An apparatus including a direction estimation unit detecting one or more direction points indicating a sound source direction of a sound signal for each of blocks divided in a predetermined time unit, and a direction tracking unit connecting the direction points to each other between the blocks and detecting a section in which a sound is active.
US09361902B2
The present technique relates to an earhole-wearable sound collection device, a signal processing device, and a sound collection method for realizing sound collection at a high S/N ratio with reduced noise influence, regardless of noise reduction methods such as the SS method.In the earhole-wearable sound collection device, a microphone that collects emitted speech voice is provided in a space that is substantially sealed off from outside and connects to an ear canal of the wearer, so that emitted speech voice propagating through the ear canal of the wearer is collected. A noise cancelling unit that reduces noise propagating in the internal space having the microphone located therein is further provided to improve the S/N ratio of emitted speech voice collection signals. Further, an equalizing process for reducing the muffled sound generated when the emitted speech voice propagating through the ear canal is collected is performed on the sound collection signal from the microphone. In this manner, higher sound quality is achieved.
US09361898B2
A method for encoding three dimensional audio by a wireless communication device is disclosed. The wireless communication device detects an indication of a plurality of localizable audio sources. The wireless communication device also records a plurality of audio signals associated with the plurality of localizable audio sources. The wireless communication device also encodes the plurality of audio signals.
US09361891B1
A system and method for extracting data values from a conversation to complete an electronic trade ticket over a communications network. The system comprises a plurality of client devices and a processor based server. A digital switchboard routes an incoming call from a first user to a second user to the server over the communications network. The telephone numbers of the users are verified against the stored telephone numbers in a database. A sample representing a predetermined period of the recorded conversation are utilized to identify the users. The conversation between the users are transcribed onto an electronic text file and processed to extract terms to populate data fields of an electronic trade ticket.
US09361890B2
For context-based audio filter selection, a type module determines a recipient type for a recipient process of an audio signal. The recipient type includes a human destination recipient type and a speech recognition recipient type. A filter module selects an audio filter in response to the recipient type.
US09361887B1
Systems and methods of providing text related to utterances, and gathering voice data in response to the text are provide herein. In various implementations, an identification token that identifies a first file for a voice data collection campaign, and a second file for a session script may be received from a natural language processing training device. The first file and the second file may be used to configure the mobile application to display a sequence of screens, each of the sequence of screens containing text of at least one utterance specified in the voice data collection campaign. Voice data may be received from the natural language processing training device in response to user interaction with the text of the at least one utterance. The voice data and the text may be stored in a transcription library.
US09361886B2
Systems, methods, and computer readable media providing a speech input interface. The interface can receive speech input and non-speech input from a user through a user interface. The speech input can be converted to text data and the text data can be combined with the non-speech input for presentation to a user.
US09361873B2
A spring-loaded bracket resiliently moves an item out of the way of an obstruction and resets its position back to its original position once clear of the obstruction. The bracket includes a first plate adapted to attach to an object, such as a boat transom, and a second plate that may resiliently pivot away from the first plate when a force is applied to the second plate and reset back to its original position when the force is removed. A device, such as a transducer, may attach to the second plate. When the first plate is attached to a boat transom and a transducer is attached to the second plate, when the boat moves through water and the transducer strikes an object, the transducer, with the second plate, may resiliently move out of the way and then reset back to its original position once the object has passed.
US09361871B1
A whistle that includes a pea formed of two semi-spheres coupled together to form a non-spherical shape. The non-spherical shape results in unpredictable movement of the pea in a chamber of the whistle so as to produce a trill. An interior surface of the chamber may include flat portions that further cause unpredictable movement of the pea to produce the trill.
US09361870B2
Electronic musical instruments as disclosed, include sensors to digitize and alter the sound using FSR sensors in the mouthpieces and other elements of the instrument to mimic the variations available in analog instruments.
US09361868B1
A cymbal storage and transport container which permits cymbals to be stored so they do not contact one another. The cymbals are stored with their centrally located mounting hardware attached which is used to mount each cymbal on a mounting stand. Each mounting hardware is located in the container to not be in contact with any other mounting hardware or cymbal.
US09361855B2
One exemplary embodiment involves a computer-implemented method that comprises rendering, by a processor, an interface comprising a synopsis node and a plurality of configurable component nodes, each of the component nodes corresponding to a respective color, and the synopsis node having a color that is a combination of the colors of the synopsis node. The method additionally includes, receiving, by the processor, input changing an influence of a first component node and determining, by the processor, a change in the color of the synopsis node based on the received input, wherein the change represents a combination of the colors of the component nodes. Additionally, the method includes rendering, by the processor, the changed synopsis node color in the synopsis node.
US09361853B2
An e-book reader in which destruction of a driver circuit at the time when a flexible panel is handled is inhibited. In addition, an e-book reader having a simplified structure. A plurality of flexible display panels each including a display portion in which display control is performed by a scan line driver circuit and a signal line driver circuit, and a binding portion fastening the plurality of display panels together are included. The signal line driver circuit is provided inside the binding portion, and the scan line driver circuit is provided at the edge of the display panel in a direction perpendicular to the binding portion.
US09361851B1
In one general aspect, a computing device can include a base, and a lid coupled to the base, the lid housing a display device that includes a first electrochromic material, a second electrochromic material, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. The OLED display can be located between the first electrochromic material and the second electrochromic material.
US09361850B2
A display device includes a panel displaying an image using image data and including a common electrode to which a common voltage is applied; a timing controller providing the image data to the panel and outputting a correction voltage corresponding to the image data; and a power supply unit generating a compensation voltage using a panel common voltage and the correction voltage and providing the compensation voltage to the panel, wherein the panel common voltage is a voltage measuring the common voltage applied to the panel.
US09361843B2
The present invention discloses an input buffer circuit capable of recognizing and driving a low-voltage signal, output from a low-voltage environment, in a high-voltage environment and a gate driver IC including the input buffer circuit. The input buffer circuit is configured to include two or more multi-stage inverters and to recognize and output a gate signal having a different voltage domain from an operating voltage. Accordingly, a signal interface environment between chips operating in different voltage domains can be provided.
US09361839B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a double-vision display device comprising a display panel and a grating, wherein the display panel includes a plurality of sub-pixels, and, the grating includes light shading regions and light transmittance regions alternately arranged in a first direction. A distance between midlines of two adjacent ones of the light transmittance regions in each row of the light transmittance regions along the first direction is at least four times as large as a length of one of the sub-pixels along the first direction. Meanwhile, embodiments of the present invention also provide a method for driving the abovementioned double-vision display device. With the abovementioned double-vision display device and the method for driving the same, the double-vision display function is guaranteed while allowing a greater distance between a plane where the grating is located and a plane where the sub-pixels are located.
US09361832B2
A display device includes: a display unit having m scanning lines and a first and a second scanning line drive unit for respectively applying scanning signals to one ends and the other ends of the scanning lines. The first scanning line drive unit performs a forward scanning signal output to sequentially select the scanning lines, while outputting scanning signals having a first blanking period from the odd-numbered output terminals and scanning signals having a second blanking period shifted from the first blanking period, from the even-numbered output terminals, and the second scanning line drive unit performs, in synchronization with the first scanning line drive unit, a reverse scanning signal output to sequentially select the scanning lines, while outputting scanning signals having the second blanking period from the odd-numbered output terminals and scanning signals having the first blanking period from the even-numbered output terminals.
US09361831B2
A display device including a substrate having a display region on which an image is configured to be displayed, a plurality of pixels on the display region of the substrate, and a plurality of common power lines on the display region of the substrate and configured to supply a common power voltage to the plurality of pixels, the plurality of common power lines including first and second common power lines extending in a first direction, the second common power line being connected to the plurality of pixels arranged along the first direction, and the first and second common power lines being connected to each other in a central portion of the display region.
US09361821B2
A display device includes: a display panel in which a plurality of data lines and a plurality of gate lines intersect in a matrix form and pixels are formed at intersecting points thereof; a data drive unit connected to the plurality of data lines and configured to output a black data voltage corresponding to a gradation level of 0 and expressing the black data voltage as a third voltage through the data lines, the third voltage greater than a first voltage, which is a minimum output value, and less than or equal to a second voltage corresponding to a gradation level of 0 when linearly extending data voltages of two or more low gradation levels; a gamma voltage supply unit outputting a gamma voltage for each gradation level to the data drive unit; and a timing controller generating a control signal to control driving of the display panel.
US09361810B2
A full scale uninhabited test facility is configured for building modular man made structures, evaluating modular man made structures, evaluating use of modular man made structures, and/or for other purposes. The structures may be located in a user configurable simulated environment. One or more structures may be configured to simulate use by inhabitants in a simulated environment. After testing, the constructed structure(s) may remain where built in the simulated environment(s) until such time as another user may reconfigure the environments or structures. As additional structures are built and/or modified, new and old structures may operate side by side, generating opportunity, for example, to test new and/or different technology on the same structures.
US09361808B1
The present simulated medical instrument is adapted for insertion in a channel of a body cavity simulator. The present simulated medical instrument comprises a tube and at least one tracking device. The tube comprises a proximal end and a distal end. The tube is sized and shaped for insertion in the channel of the body cavity simulator. The at least one tracking device is located in proximity of the distal end of the tube, the tracking device having a pattern detectable via camera.
US09361805B2
A system for page detection using light attenuators is applied in a book to detect an opened page of the book. The book has N pages and each page has a page detection area in which at most M light attenuators are installed in each page detection area. A light source passes through the at most M light attenuators for attenuating intensity of the light source. M light sensing devices are installed in an area of the book that corresponds to the page detection area. The M light sensing devices are used to detect attenuated intensities of the light source. A controller is connected to the M light sensing devices for detecting the opened page based on a ratio of the intensities of the light source detected by the M light sensing devices on each page.
US09361797B1
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for identifying anomalies or changes in road conditions on a roadway location. An initial low rank data matrix of initial vehicle probe data at a plurality of different times for a roadway location is provided, where the initial low rank data matrix represents a baseline of road conditions for the roadway location. A plurality of additional vehicle probe data from at least one vehicle at the roadway location is received. The additional vehicle probe data is added to the initial vehicle probe data of the initial low rank data matrix. The updated data matrix with the compiled probe data is decomposed into a low rank data matrix and a sparse data matrix. A change at the roadway location is identified based on the probe data in the sparse data matrix.
US09361793B2
Computer-implemented systems and methods are disclosed for distance and congestion-aware resource deployment. In some embodiments, a method is provided to estimate a vehicle deployment region. The method includes constructing a graph data structure using at least in part a single invocation of a form of Dijkstra's algorithm. The method additionally includes partitioning an angular space centered on a vehicle location into a plurality of angular space regions, the vehicle location corresponding to a current or potential location of the vehicle. The method also includes selecting, for at least three of the plurality of the partitioned angular space regions, a geographical location within the angular space region, wherein each selected geographical location in an angular space region is a geographical location furthest from the vehicle location, and wherein each selected geographical location was determined, using the graph data structure, to be reachable from the vehicle location within a specified maximum cost. The method further includes forming a polygon representing a vehicle deployment region from the selected geographical locations.
US09361791B2
A system and method for promoting enhanced healing of a medical patient includes a patient room having accommodations for the medical patient, a central computer connected to a media server, a main display located in the patient room, the main display connected to the central computer and including at least a navigation pane and a content pane, an audio system connected to the central computer and capable of providing sound to the patient room, and a remote unit directly accessible to the medical patient, the remote unit having a capability to control the central computer and a content of the main display and a content of the audio system.
US09361788B2
A receiver of a remote control device includes a receiver configured to receive by wireless communication, a packet including a count value of edges of pulse signals, which are output from an encoder, per a predetermined period and to obtain the count value from the received packet, a register configured to retain the count value based on a write signal input from the receiver, and a pulse regenerating circuit including a counter in which the count value of the register is set based on the write signal input from the receiver, and configured to regenerate the pulse signals at an edge period that corresponds to the count value set in the counter in the predetermined period that corresponds to the write signal. In a case where a new write signal is input before an end of the predetermined period that corresponds to a write signal input most recently, the pulse regenerating circuit is configured to reset the counter, to set in the counter, a count value newly set in the register, and to regenerate the pulse signal at an edge period that corresponds to the new count value.
US09361782B2
An article anti-lost device comprises a plurality of sensors and a host. Each sensor comprises a recognition module and a sensor signal transceiver module. The host comprises a control module, a host signal transceiver module, a host warning module, an operation module and a display module. In an article anti-lost method, the host and the sensor are firstly paired, and then the sensor is combined with a to-be-monitored article and a warning distance is set. When a distance between the sensor and the host exceeds the warning distance, a warning signal is outputted, and an orientation and a distance of the sensor are prompted on the host. With the structure and the method, when the article leaves the user by a predetermined distance, the user can be reminded to prevent the article from getting lost or stolen.
US09361775B2
Systems that can track an object as it moves across the field of view of the security device, integrate transaction data with the object information, and can identify events that trigger an alert and methods for using the systems.
US09361773B2
A window or door position detector includes an RFID tag attachable to the window or door, and a transceiver. The transceiver emits an activating signal to the tag. The tag in turn responds with an identifying RF signal indicative of a predetermined position of the window or door. The detector includes a transceiver which can communicate with both the tag and a displaced monitoring system control panel.
US09361751B2
A reel assembly for a gaming machine includes a central hub and a clip. The central hub defines an opening through an axial center of the central hub and includes two enclosed channels each positioned on an opposite side of the opening. Each of the two enclosed channels has an open end facing the opening. The clip includes a U-shaped main body and two opposing flanges. The U-shaped main body has opposing ends. The two opposing flanges each extend away from a different one of the opposing ends of the U-shaped main body. Each of the two opposing flanges of the clip fits through the open end of a different one of the two enclosed channels such that the clip is linearly slidable between the two enclosed channels while each of the two opposing flanges remains at least partially maintained with the corresponding different one of the two enclosed channels.
US09361749B2
A gaming machine includes a display device and a processor. The processor is programmed to cause the display device to display a first game in a first frame, detect a trigger condition during play of the first game in the first frame, based on the detected trigger condition, display a second game in a second frame on the display device, allocate a number of available credits from the first game to the second game, and enable play of the second game with the allocated number of credits.
US09361747B2
A serpentine dispenser and cartridge system provides simplified stocking and restocking of the dispenser, as well as jam-free dispenser feeding. Cartridge opening flaps allow a cartridge be inverted and inserted into a dispenser while products in the cartridge are prevented from falling out. A dispenser wedge applies pressure on rolling products as the cartridge is inserted into the dispenser, forcing a retaining flap open so that rolling products may exit the cartridge and enter the dispenser. The wedge may also constrain rolling products to exit the cartridge in an order that prevents jamming.
US09361738B2
A diagnostic tool that includes a smart camera. The smart camera can be used to capture an image of the part that needs to be replaced. The image can also include the bar code that may be attached to the part. The image can be used to search a parts information database for additional parts information such as part number, manuals, pictures, etc. A further search of a parts supplier's database can be conducted using a location of the diagnostic tool to determine the nearest parts supplier that has the part available and the best price.
US09361734B2
The present technique relates to an image processing device and an image processing method for realizing high-precision image generation of predetermined viewpoints by using depth images on the receiving end when the depth images with reduced resolutions are transmitted.A parallax image resolution increasing unit increases the resolution of each of the parallax images of auxiliary images having half the resolution of a compatible image. A parallax image warping unit generates parallax images of virtual viewpoints by performing a warping operation on the parallax images of the auxiliary images with the increased resolutions based on the positions of the virtual viewpoints. A smoothing unit corrects the parallax values of the occlusion regions in the parallax images of the virtual viewpoints. The present technique can be applied to decoding devices that decode glasses-free 3D images, for example.
US09361730B2
Method, computer program product, and apparatus for providing interactions of tangible and augmented reality objects are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for use with an augmented reality enabled device (ARD) comprises performing 3-dimensional tracking of one or more objects based at least in part on captured images of the one or more objects, detecting a state change of at least one object of the one or more objects based at least in part on the captured images, and causing an augmentation to be rendered in response to the state change of the at least one object, where a type of the augmentation is based at least in part on the state change of the at least one object.
US09361723B2
The invention discloses a method for real-time face animation based on single video camera. The method tracks 3D locations of face feature points in real time by adopting a single video camera, and parameterizes head poses and facial expressions according to the 3D locations, finally may map these parameters into an avatar to drive face animation of an animation character. The present invention may achieve a real time speed by merely adopting a usual video camera of the user instead of an advanced acquisition equipment; the present invention may process all kinds of wide-angle rotations, translation and exaggerated expressions of faces accurately; the present invention may also work under different illumination and background environments, which include indoor and sunny outdoor.
US09361722B2
A method of animating a computer generation of a head and displaying the text of an electronic book, such that the head has a mouth which moves in accordance with the speech of the text of the electronic book to be output by the head and a word or group of words from the text is displayed while simultaneously being mimed by the mouth, wherein input text is divided into a sequence of acoustic units, which are converted to a sequence of image vectors and into a sequence of text display indicators. The sequence of image vectors is outputted as video such that the mouth of said head moves to mime the speech associated with the input text with a selected expression, and the sequence of text display indicators is output as video which is synchronized with the lip movement of the head.
US09361720B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to image prioritization in a collage shape. In one embodiment, image positions are determined within a collage shape based on an importance level map of the collage shape and priorities of the images to be positioned within the collage shape. A collage may be created with the collage images in the determined positions.
US09361719B1
To place labels on a digital map, indications of dimensions and positions for candidate labels for placement within a bounded region of a digital map are received. The bounded region is partitioned into bands parallel to an axis. For each of the bands, a respective subset of the candidate labels is identified, such that such that each label in the subset is at least partially disposed in the band. Non-overlapping labels are iteratively selected from the subset based at least on one of the edges of the labels in the subset perpendicular to the axis. A result set if generated using the respective selections of non-overlapping labels for the bands. The labels in the result set are placed on the digital map.
US09361714B2
A method includes a computer creating scene description templates; the computer creating people profiles; analyzing video frames of a video to identify visual elements containing scenes and people; generating timelines for the identified visual elements; matching the identified visual elements with the scene description templates and the people profiles; and combining the matched identified visual elements and the timelines into the video.
US09361706B2
The present disclosure relates generally to optical flow algorithms. Section 1 of the present disclosure describes an optical flow algorithm with real-time performance and adequate accuracy for embedded vision applications. This optical flow algorithm is based on a ridge estimator. Sections 2 and 3 describe an obstacle detection algorithm that utilizes the motion field that is output from the optical flow algorithm. Section 2 is focused on unmanned ground vehicles, whereas section 3 is focused on unmanned aerial vehicles.
US09361702B2
A method and device for detecting images are used to improve a detection rate and accuracy rate of the image moving target detection, so that moving targets also can be accurately detected in a scenario with complicated illumination changes. The method for detecting the images includes: collecting an image, performing moving target detection on the image by using a preset mixed space-time background model, and determining a target image; wherein, the mixed space-time background model is obtained in advance by modeling according to a grayscale change trend of the image.
US09361693B2
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: display marine electronics data on a screen of a multi function display unit; receive a request to adjust the parameter of the marine electronics data; and display an object configured to adjust the parameter. The object includes a default value of the parameter.
US09361692B2
Provided is an image registration device including a first feature vector magnitude calculating unit calculating magnitudes of feature vectors corresponding to any one first feature point among feature points of a reference image to create a first magnitude value, a second feature vector magnitude calculating unit calculating magnitudes of feature vectors corresponding to any one second feature point among feature points of a target image to create a second magnitude value, a magnitude difference calculating unit receiving the first and second magnitude values and calculating a difference between the received first and second magnitude values to create a third magnitude value, a first threshold value creating unit creating a first threshold value on the basis of the first magnitude value and a magnitude ratio, and a magnitude difference determining unit receiving the third magnitude value and the first threshold value, and determining a magnitude difference.
US09361691B2
A system is provided for detecting misalignment between a helipad and a structure associated with the helipad. The system comprises a first database that includes first structure data, which data can comprise a location of the first structure. The system can further comprise a second database that can include second structure data, where the second structure data can comprise a location of the second structure. The second structure can comprise a helipad situated atop the first structure. The system can further comprise a processor coupled to receive the first structure data from the first database and the second structure data from the second database and can be configured, upon receipt of the first data structure and the second data structure: determine a correlation coefficient based upon a degree of overlap of the first volumetric model and the second volumetric model, and selectively generate an alert based upon the correlation coefficient.
US09361686B2
A method of determining the degree of uptake of a PET maker in an individual candidate PET scan, the method including the steps of: (a) calculating a series of representative matched controlled PET and MRI templates for a series of controlled sample scans of individuals; (b) computing a series of brain surfaces from the matched templates; (c) aligning the individual candidate PET scan with the candidate templates; (d) aligning the candidate PET images with the series of brain surfaces; (e) selecting a predetermined (M) best candidate templates for each surface location based on a similarity measure between the candidate PET values and the corresponding controlled PET scans; (f) computing M weights for each surface location, utilizing a corresponding MRI tissue map; (g) utilizing the M weights to combine a corresponding M template tissue indicators from corresponding MRI templates into an average brain surface indicator.
US09361685B2
There are provided an apparatus and a method for acquiring multi-parametric images from an MRI device. In one general aspect, the apparatus for acquiring multi-parametric images includes an image analyzer configured to determine a significance level of each of a plurality of multi-parametric images relating to a disease, and to determine an acquisition order of the multi-parametric images relating to the disease; and a model constructer configured to construct an acquisition model of the multi-parametric images based on the acquisition order and the multi-parametric images to be used in diagnosing the disease.
US09361684B2
During an analysis technique, the locations of a polyp candidate (and, more generally, a feature) in images of the colon acquired with different orientations of an individual are compared to determine if the polyp candidate is a true positive (an actual polyp) or a false positive (an artifact). In particular, the locations are compared for images when the individual is supine and prone. During this rotation by approximately 180° (and, more generally, a symmetry operation), an actual polyp is expected to also be rotated by approximately 180°. Consequently, the location change during the symmetry operation can be used to validate whether the polyp candidate is an actual polyp. Because the colon is a non-rigid object (with degrees of freedom including rotation, compression and expansion), reference markers (such as haustral folds) are used to assist in determining the location of the polyp candidate in the images acquired in the different orientations.
US09361683B2
The present invention relates to an imaging technique and an imaging system and more particularly to an automatic assessment of quantitative measure(s)/properties(s) of an object wherein, for example, an imaging system is used to capture an image, following which image properties are quantified using image processing techniques. An imaging technique obtains an image of an object along a first axis, or by way of a first technique, and subsequently obtains an image of the object along a second axis, or by way of a second technique. One or more pixels from the first image are selected and designated as reference pixels. An automated comparison between corresponding regions of the first and second images are then performed which is based upon the reference pixels, so as to indicate regions of interest.
US09361674B2
An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire an input image, an identifying unit configured to identify a distance from a reference point to a processing target pixel in the input image, a deformation unit configured to deform an image based on the distance, and a sharpening processing unit configured to perform sharpening processing on an image while changing a strength of the sharpening processing, the changing of the strength based on the distance.
US09361672B2
A system of estimating image blur in digital images stored in a digital file. The disclosed system may calculate a blur value and direction of motion causing image blur based on detected edges within an input image and spectral energy information of the input image in the frequency domain.
US09361667B2
The present technology relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, and particularly to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of suppressing an increase in a load on a subject and obtaining a captured image of the subject with higher image quality.An imaging unit reduces a light amount and performs a plurality of imagings of the fundus of the eye so as to generate a plurality of fundus images. A biological information alignment processing unit aligns the fundus images by using biological information of a subject. A super-resolution processing unit superimposes an aligned input image on a previous super-resolution result image so as to generate a new super-resolution result image. The super-resolution processing unit stores or outputs the super-resolution result image in a storage unit or from an output unit, and supplies the super-resolution result image to a super-resolution result image buffer so as to be stored. The present technology may be applied to, for example, an image processing apparatus.
US09361665B2
Instructions indicative of changing a view of a virtual object may be received by a device. At least a portion of the virtual object may be viewable from a viewpoint that is at a given distance from a surface of the virtual object. The device may cause a change of the view along a rotational path around the virtual object in response to the receipt of the instructions based on the given distance being greater than a threshold distance. The device may cause a change of the view along a translational path indicative of a shape of the surface of the virtual object in response to the receipt of the instructions based on the given distance being less than the threshold distance.
US09361659B2
Techniques to optimize the ordering of image transformations. Ordering cost functions are applied to possible transformation orderings of image transformations of a user-selected transformation ordering. Computing costs are calculated based on the cost functions. An optimal transformation ordering is selected from the possible transformation orderings based on the computing costs. In one embodiment, a first transformation and a second transformation of the user-selected transformation ordering are swapped. In one embodiment, at least one of the ordering cost functions is based on a per-pixel cost value. In one embodiment, a fidelity loss threshold representing an acceptable level of difference between a first image resulting from the optimal transformation ordering and a second image resulting from the user-selected transformation ordering is determined. In one embodiment, selection of the optimal ordering transformation is based on satisfaction of the fidelity loss threshold.
US09361658B2
A method of protecting use of an entity's identity is provided. The method comprises setting a status of the identity to a first state, the first state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity, changing, in advance of an intended use of the identity, the status to a second state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity that is different from the first state, requesting use of the identity after the changing; and returning, after the requesting, the state back to the first state.
US09361647B2
Example systems and methods that allow access to a value holding account are described. In one implementation, a method receives a first request for a second account code after activation of a selector on an account access object associated with a value holding account. The second account access code is associated with a first account access code that is associated with the value holding account. The first account code allows access to the value holding account for a first determinable period. The method generates a second request for the second account code and communicates the second request to the value holding account. The second account code is received from the value holding account and allows access to the value holding account for a second determinable period that differs from the first determinable period. The method provides the second account code to a user of the account access object.
US09361642B1
A system, method and program product that provides product evaluations. A system is disclosed that includes: a system for identifying a set of products based on an inputted query; a system for collecting structured and unstructured data associated with the set of products; a system for generating a composite feature list from the structured and unstructured data; a system for generating a matrix for each identified product, wherein the matrix provides a set of features and any known limitations and benefits determined from the structured and unstructured data for each of the features; and a rating system that analyzes a usage context in view of the known limitations and benefits to evaluate each product at a feature level.
US09361634B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for redeeming a closed loop card/code funded with an amount of money. The system receives from a merchant point of sale an indication of use of a closed loop card/code not issued by the merchant and presented by a consumer, queries and receives a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the closed loop card/code, presents the consumer with an offer to buy the closed loop card/code at a discount price, and upon accepting the offer, closes out the closed loop card/code and pays the discount price to the consumer. Paying the discount price can include applying the discount price to a purchase by the consumer at the merchant. The merchant can provide cash back to the consumer for excess value of the discount price over the consumer's purchase. Merchants can apply more than the discount price.
US09361633B1
A user device acquires identifiers and signal strengths corresponding to detectable wireless devices. The user device associates one or more of the identifiers with one or more venues, assigning a confidence value to each association. A score value is also assigned to each association based on the signal strengths and the confidence values. One of the associations is selected based on the score values, and is designated as the most likely venue where the user device is located. Information may be accessed or requested, or one or more operations may be performed, in accordance with the most likely venue.
US09361631B2
A computerized system and techniques facilitate the monitoring and management of online behaviorally-targeted advertising. In certain embodiments, electronic notifications related to advertising practices of members of an online advertising ecosystem are presented to users based on the discovery of elements of online content aimed at delivering targeted advertising messages to viewers of the content.
US09361625B2
A game navigation interface for electronic content is described. A computer-implement system may comprise a content delivery platform operative to manage multimedia content. The computer-implemented system may further comprise a game navigation application operative to manage a game for the content delivery platform. The game navigation application may comprise a monitoring component operative to monitor navigation commands for navigating multimedia content provided by the content delivery platform, and output a game trigger signal based on the navigation commands. The game navigation application may further comprise a game navigation component operative to receive the game trigger signal, and select a game arranged to assist a user in navigating the multimedia content in response to the game trigger signal. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09361622B2
A dashboard application can enable a user to quickly view data (and, in a particular aspect, data from one or more business applications) in an efficient manner. The dashboard application can be used to view data about one or more metrics that reflect the performance of a business, as derived from data maintained (perhaps in an associated data store) by the business application(s). The dashboard application may be configurable by a user to allow the user to select one or more dimensions of the data in order to filter and/or categorize the data for display.
US09361621B2
A system and method are disclosed that separate control functionality from the management functionality for conducting electronic transactions. The control functions are performed by a third party resulting in a low overhead since significant overhead is incurred in response to an anomalous event, thus facilitating high throughput electronic transactions when anomalous events are infrequent. Further, the third party does not need to have access to confidential information since it only controls by observing, validating and certifying the observed communications in a specified manner to prevent confidential information from leaving the context of the transaction. Management of the transactions based on consideration of substantive information is provided by the participants. A preferred system of the invention comprises a validation authority, a logical boundary at which validation authority undertakes control of communications, and validation rules specifying parameters for observation and the nature of comparisons.
US09361620B2
A system for selling and administering the redemption of travel site access and other privileges to consumers has a computer connected to the Internet that pushes and pulls data to and from a database including site and privilege data, such as, description, cost, purchases, access code, privilege redemption and promotion data. The consumer may purchase access to sites and goods over the Internet and are provided with an access code which can be presented to the consumer in a variety of forms in accordance with the consumer's preference. In one embodiment, the code is sent to a mobile phone or computer. Optionally, the mobile device can communicate with a point of sale device to allow access to a given site. The mobile device may also be used to send promotions, such as discounts, to the consumer, which may be programmatically selected and sent based upon logistical, empirical, timing and marketing criteria. Point of sale devices and human representatives may facilitate non-technical consumer use by conducting selected functions, such as the sale and redemption of privileges and the communication of promotions.
US09361619B2
Security and convenience are provided by a system, apparatus, method, and computer program product that stores two or more encryption keys that correspond to two or more levels of authentication. The encryption keys may be encrypted and decrypted utilizing an endorsement key and trusted computing techniques. Or the encryption keys may be stored in a secure manner utilizing key protection techniques, such as cryptographic camouflaging. A first encryption key is recovered automatically for the first level of authentication. And input is requested to recover the second encryption key for the second level of authentication.
US09361615B1
A system and method provide for secure activation of physical credit cards from a display provided at a store. Temporary spending cards (TSP) for use as credit cards are provided in tamper evident packages found in the display. The TSPs are initially inactivated. Upon removal of the TSP from the package, a user may scan the QR code on the TSP to direct the user's mobile device to a secure location that prompts the user for credit related information. A credit card system evaluates the information using business rules to determine whether or not to approve the user for activation. If approved, then the user is prompted to enter a serial number found on the card to allow immediate spending. The serial number is different from an account number for the card. The TSP expires within a predetermined relatively short time period.
US09361613B2
A system for a baseband near field magnetic stripe data transmitter includes a mobile phone, a magnetic stripe transmission (MST) device and a payment button. The mobile phone includes a payment wallet application and is configured to transmit a stream of pulses including magnetic stripe data of a payment card. The MST device includes a driver and an inductor, and the MST device is configured to receive the stream of pulses from the mobile phone, to amplify and shape the received stream of pulses and to generate and emit high energy magnetic pulses including the magnetic stripe data of the payment card. The inductor is driven by a series of timed current pulses that result in a series of high energy magnetic pulses that resemble the fluctuating magnetic field created by a moving magnetic stripe. The payment button is programmed to be associated with a pre-selected payment card and activating of the payment button initiates the emission of high energy magnetic pulses including the magnetic stripe data of the pre-selected payment card.
US09361574B2
A wireless communication improving sheet capable of improving a possible communication distance of an IC tag for wireless communication, a wireless communication IC tag, and a wireless communication system are provided. A first spacer has an arrangement surface for arranging a wireless IC tag. An auxiliary antenna, which resonates with respect to an electromagnetic wave used for wireless communication, is provided on a surface opposite to the arrangement surface of the first spacer. A second spacer is provided on an opposite side to the first spacer with the auxiliary antenna interposed therebetween. The first spacer and the auxiliary antenna is formed with a groove (a hole) having the second spacer as the bottom.
US09361569B2
A card is provided, such as a credit card or security card, that may transmit information to a magnetic stripe reader via a magnetic emulator. The emulator may transmit the information serially in order to reduce the amount of circuitry needed to emulate a particular block of information. Additionally, for example, a serial encoder may send any amount of information through a single emulation segment. Such a magnetic emulator may be provided on a credit card. A dynamic credit card number may be provided by, for example, coding a number with a different coding scheme for different periods of time. The magnetic emulator may be utilized to transmit a particular coded number for a particular period of time. In this manner, a dynamic credit card number may be provided such that to help secure, and progress, a payment transaction.
US09361566B2
The invention relates to a method for reading an RFID token (106), having the following steps: converting an RFID read command (184) into a memory card command (192) by means of an electronic device (100, 101), which has an integrated memory card reader (182), transmitting the memory card command to an RFID card (107) by means of the memory card reader, wherein the RFID card contains a memory card interface (187) for the memory card reader and an RFID reader (188, 189, 190) that can be addressed via the memory card interface, sending the RFID read command (184) contained in the memory card command (192) from the RFID reader to the RFID token by means of an RFID read signal, receiving an RFID response (193) from the RFID token by means of the RFID reader, transmitting the RFID response (193) to the memory card reader of the electronic device via the memory card interface.
US09361565B2
A data communication device (1) for attachment to an object has a flexible substrate, a transmitter (3) adapted to transmit data in the form of electromagnetic radiation and a programmable memory (7). The device has a controller (5) for controlling the transmission of the data and a programming component for programming the device. A power source for the device comprises a power storage device (8) and a power extraction component (9) capable of extracting power from the environment in which the data communication device is located when in use. A data communication system includes the device and a reader for receiving electromagnetic radiation from the device. The reader includes a perceptive filter adapted to distinguish radiation received from the device from radiation received from other sources.
US09361557B2
This invention obtains a high-quality output image in which a jaggy or a disconnection of a thin line hardly stands out. An edge detection unit detects whether the pixel of interest is an edge pixel or a non-edge pixel. A screen processing unit performs screen processing for the pixel of interest to determine the output value of the N-level tone. A calculation unit performs filtering processing having a preset visual sense characteristic for an area including the pixel of interest to calculate the target value of the pixel of interest, and corrects the value of the pixel of interest so as to come close to the target value, thereby determining the output value of the N-level tone. The selector selects, according to the detection result by the edge detection unit, either the result from the calculation unit or that from the screen processing unit.
US09361541B2
A method for device pairing including displaying at least one image having a first characteristic using a first application by a first electronic device. It is determined if the image is recognizable. If the image is determined to be recognizable, pairing the first electronic device with a second electronic device.
US09361537B2
Techniques for reducing color artifacts in a digital image are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise logic, at least a portion of which is in hardware, the logic to determine a respective set of error values for each of a set of lens shading correction (LSC) tables, each set of error values describing error associated with application of its corresponding LSC table to a preprocessed image, determine a respective weight for each of the set of LSC tables based on the corresponding set of error values for that LSC table, and generate a composite LSC table for the preprocessed image as a weighted sum of the set of LSC tables, based on the respective weights for the set of LSC tables. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09361532B2
A label for enabling verification of an object includes a scannable region that enables determination of auto-acquired unique spatial orientation of the scannable region with respect to a reference thereby enabling determination of a spatial orientation of the label with respect to the reference. The label is applied onto the object and a change in the spatial orientation of the label indicates tampering of the label, thereby enabling verification of the object. Further, a method for detecting tampering of an object includes providing label on the object. The label has at least a portion which is scannable region with a plurality of patterns and is associated with an external reference point. Further, the method includes determining a first and a second spatial orientations of the label based on computation between the patterns and the reference point, and generating an alert on noticing a change between first and second spatial orientations.
US09361529B2
A parking area detecting method includes generating a top view image by capturing images of surroundings of a vehicle, detecting a first directional parking line from the top view image, detecting a second directional parking line having a direction different from a direction of the first directional parking line from the top view image, and detecting a parking area by combining the first directional parking line and the second directional parking line.
US09361525B2
A method identifies motion in an image sequence, which method involves an image processing device ascertaining a change of position of image features in a current image in respect of a reference image. In the method there is a paired association of corresponding image features, one of which can be found in the current image and one of which can be found in the reference image. Model parameters a determined, which describe the change of position for a motion model on the basis of the image features which are associated with one another. A static region is ascertained for the current image, in which static region the change of position of the image contents contained therein is smaller than a predetermined amount, and the model parameters are determined by using only image features which can be found outside the at least one static region.
US09361517B2
A representative feature extraction system which selects a representative feature from an input data group includes: occurrence distribution memory means for memorizing an occurrence distribution with respect to feature quantities assumed to be input; evaluation value calculation means for calculating, with respect to each of data items in the data group, the sum of distances to the other data items included in the data group based on the occurrence distribution, to determine an evaluation value for the data item; and data selecting means for selecting the data item having the smallest evaluation value as a representative feature of the data group.
US09361515B2
This disclosure provides methods and systems to classify handwritten words associated with an answer to a question. According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a reference dictionary is constructed as a function of a known answer to the question, the reference dictionary including handwritten characters which are used for comparison purposes to determine if the handwritten answer if correct or not.
US09361514B2
A forensic verification system (900) extracts a print signature via a print signature extractor (910) from a captured image of a printed halftone. The system (900) utilizes a comparator (920) to compare the print signature to a reference signature stored in a registry to determine differences between the print signature and the reference signature. The system (900) utilizes a forensic analyzer (930) to perform a forensic analysis on the signatures based on the comparison to authenticate the printed halftone.
US09361512B2
A computing device for identifying a gesture performed by a tracked object in an image stream, said computing device comprising a memory and a controller, wherein said controller is configured to: determine a movement vector for the tracked object, compare the movement vector against a reference library of gestures, and thereby identify a gesture matching the movement vector, wherein said movement vector comprises at least one partial movement having a direction being identified by a relative angle and wherein said comparison is based on said relative angle.
US09361503B2
Systems and methods for robust recognition of machine-readable symbols from highly blurred or distorted images. An image signal representation of a machine-readable symbol element is transformed into a different space using one or more transform operations, which moves an n-dimensional vector of measured light intensities into another n-dimensional space. The types of transform operations may include blur robust orthonormal bases, such as the Discrete Sine Transform, the Discrete Cosine Transform, the Chebyshev Transform, and the Lagrange Transform. A trained classifier (e.g., an artificial intelligence machine learning algorithm) may be used to classify the transformed signal in the transformed space. The types of trainable classifiers that may be used include random forest classifiers, Mahalanobis classifiers, support vector machines, and classification or regression trees.
US09361502B2
An imaging reader has an illuminating light assembly for illuminating a target with illumination light, and a solid-state image sensor with a rolling shutter for sequentially exposing an array of pixels to capture an image from the illuminated target. Target illumination is controlled by controlling an exposure time and a gain of the sensor, and by controlling an output power of the illumination light. The output power is maintained at a maximum level when the exposure time and/or the gain exceed a minimum threshold, and is lowered when the exposure time and/or the gain does not exceed the minimum threshold, while concomitantly maintaining the exposure time and/or the gain constant at the minimum threshold.
US09361500B2
An image processing apparatus includes: an obtaining unit configured to obtain an imprint image where an imprint is captured, the imprint having code information added to a frame portion; an identifying unit configured to identify a frame image area as a read area where the code information is read, the frame image area corresponding to an imprint of the frame portion in the imprint image obtained by the obtaining unit; and a reading unit configured to read the code information from the read area identified by the identifying unit.
US09361499B2
Systems and methods for decoding a barcode are disclosed. A scan signal for a first portion of the barcode is acquired. Integrated sub-character barcode feature evidence for the barcode is stored including evidence for a first plurality of possible sub-character barcode feature interpretations for a first plurality of sub-character barcode features. Sub-character barcode feature measurements are extracted for a second plurality of sub-character barcode features from the scan signal. Sub-character barcode feature evidence is determined for the second plurality of sub-character barcode features, including evidence for a second plurality of possible sub-character barcode feature interpretations for the second plurality of sub-character barcode features. Whether a portion of the integrated sub-character barcode feature evidence corresponds to a portion of the sub-character barcode feature evidence is determined. The sub-character barcode feature evidence is integrated into the integrated sub-character barcode. Character values are determined from the integrated sub-character barcode feature evidence.
US09361493B2
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system according to one embodiment includes a chain of radiating elements; a transmission line; and power dividers coupled along the transmission line, the power dividers coupling the transmission line to each of the radiating elements, the power dividers being configured such that each radiating element receives about a same amount of power from the transmission line.
US09361491B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with radio frequency identification (RFID) circuits are described. According to one embodiment, a radio frequency identification circuit includes an antenna network and an integrated circuit configured to operate as a reader and a tag in combination with the antenna network. The integrated circuit is configured to provide an output admittance determined by a ratio of current and voltage negative feedback signals such that a frequency response of the combined integrated circuit and antenna network is adjustable when operating as a reader.
US09361489B2
An electromagnetic transponder including a resonant circuit; a rectifying bridge having input terminals connected across the resonant circuit and having rectified output terminals providing an electronic circuit power supply voltage; and a device for limiting the voltage across the resonant circuit, connected between the input terminals of the rectifying bridge.
US09361487B2
A card reader may include a card passage, a magnetic head to abut with a magnetic stripe of the card, and an IC contact block having IC contact springs to contact with external connection terminals of an IC chip of the card. The magnetic head is disposed in a front side portion of the card reader so that a gap of the magnetic head faces the card passage from a lower side, and the IC contact block is disposed in a rear side portion of the card reader so that the IC contact springs face the card passage from an upper side. The card passage is formed in a straight shape but is inclined to a lower side as going to the rear side.
US09361485B2
A transmission device for two electric pulse measurement signals includes a first measurement signal input, a second measurement signal input, a differential measurement signal output and a signal converter. The first measurement signal input serves for receiving a first single-ended measurement signal, the second measurement signal input for receiving a second single-ended measurement signal, wherein the signal converter is implemented, when receiving a first one of the single-ended measurement signals, to convert either the first single-ended measurement signal or the second single-ended measurement signal into a combined differential measurement signal and provide the same at the differential measurement signal output. Here, the differential measurement signal includes a first differential portion which may be allocated to the first single-ended measurement signal and a second differential portion which may be allocated to the second single-ended measurement signal.
US09361478B2
Devices, systems, and methods are provided for managing personal information by providing a centralized source or database for a user's information and enabling the user to regulate privacy levels for each information item or category of information. Templates are provided as a table of hierarchies or an onion layers model. Private information may be stored in an inner layer while public information may be stored in an outer layer, and multiple layers and categories can be defined and customized within the template. A requesting entity requests information via a disseminating server that acts as a gateway for authenticating, authorizing, and providing access to the requesting entity. The user may therefore control and regulate their online presence simply by monitoring who requests their information and adjusting privacy levels accordingly.
US09361468B2
Techniques described herein can be implemented as one or a combination of methods, systems or processor executed code to form embodiments capable of improved protection of data or other computing resources based at least in part upon limiting access to a select number of delegates. Limited access to cloud data based on customer selected or other criterion, reducing the possibility of security exposures and/or improving privacy is provided for.
US09361460B1
A file on a computer system is evaluated against trust criteria to determine whether the file is compatible with the trust criteria. Responsive to the file being incompatible with the trust criteria, the file is assigned to a package. Files assigned to the package are tracked to determine whether the files collectively perform malicious behavior. The package is convicted as malware responsive to the files in the package collectively performing malicious behavior.
US09361453B2
A system that validates a native code module. During operation, the system receives a native code module comprised of untrusted native program code. The system validates the native code module by: (1) determining that code in the native code module does not include any restricted instructions and/or does not access restricted features of a computing device; and (2) determining that the instructions in the native code module are aligned along byte boundaries such that a specified set of byte boundaries always contain a valid instruction and control flow instructions have valid targets. The system allows successfully-validated native code modules to execute, and rejects native code modules that fail validation. By validating the native code module, the system facilitates safely executing the native code module in the secure runtime environment on the computing device, thereby achieving native code performance for untrusted program binaries without significant risk of unwanted side effects.
US09361450B2
Technologies are generally described for authentication systems. In an example, an authentication system can be built among devices by sharing an image that is virtually torn into pieces. Each participant in the authentication system receives a piece of the image. The participants are authenticated when the pieces are later joined to form the original image.
US09361446B1
Service providers may operate one or more services configured to detect requests generated by automated agents. A CAPTCHA may be transmitted in response to requests generated by automated agents. The CAPTCHAs may be included in a modal pop-up box configured to be displayed by a client application displaying a webpage to a customer of the service provider. Furthermore, the CAPTCHAs included in the modal pop-up box may be rendered inactive and caused not to be displayed by client application executing the webpage. Submitted solutions to CAPTCHAs may be presented with a cookie that enables access to resources of the service provider without restriction. Cookies may be tracked and their use may be used to detect automated agent activity.
US09361444B2
A smart card comprising: a memory for storing information; at least one transmitting or receiving antenna; and a low frequency circuit, for handling information associated with said antenna and said memory, which information is modulated at a modulation frequency of between 5 kHz and 100 kHz. Preferably the antenna is an acoustic antenna.
US09361431B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods to provide safe, secure and accurate point-to-point delivery of prescription and non-prescription drugs in the long-term home care or ambulatory care environment. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide for a low-cost, easy-to-use system comprised of a secure drug dispensing unit and medication enclosure combined with wireless connectivity and software based on smart mobile phone technology. Such systems and methods, referred to herein as a Secure, Control, and Enhance Medication Adherence (SCEMA) system, can mitigate the aforementioned risks associated with the use of prescription and non-prescription drugs. These risks can be significantly reduced for the elderly in the homecare environment, as well as the general public, without disrupting, or a significantly increasing the cost, to the existing prescription and non-prescription drug distribution infrastructure. In addition, the SCEMA system can provide a powerful platform for drug research.
US09361416B2
Technologies related to dynamic reconfiguration of programmable hardware are generally described. In some examples, coprocessor regions in programmable hardware such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) may be dynamically assigned to transition the FPGA from a starting arrangement of coprocessor regions to an efficient arrangement. A placement algorithm may be executed to determine the efficient arrangement, and a path finding algorithm may be executed to determine path finding operations leading from the starting arrangement to the efficient arrangement. The path finding operations may be performed to implement the transition.
US09361415B1
Various embodiments implement multi-fabric designs by using respective EDA tools associated with multiple design fabrics to access their respective native design data. Each EDA tool has access to and processes or manipulates its corresponding native design data; and no EDA tools have the visibility of the entire multi-fabric electronic design. Requests for actions are automatically transmitted among these EDA tools to instantiate desired EDA tools and to descend or ascend the multi-fabric design structure so that native design data in a particular design fabric are processed by the corresponding EDA tool(s) within the context of the other design fabrics. These techniques enable designers to implement, check, verify, simulate, analyze, probe, and netlist the entire electronic design across multiple design fabric.
US09361414B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for modeling a fractured medium. The method includes generating, using a processor, a grid for the fractured medium, the fractured medium defining a first fracture and a second fracture, with the first fracture and the second fracture each represented by fracture cells in the grid. The method also includes determining a location where the first and second fractures intersect, the location being at least partially represented by an intersection cell of the fracture cells of the grid. The method further includes redistributing areas of the intersection cell and at least one other fracture cell, such that a size of the intersection cell is increased.
US09361413B1
The method generates a simulated object represented by finite elements each comprising two or more nodes that represent a first physical object, the first simulated object comprising a plurality of segments placed adjacent to each other to form a surface of the first simulated object. The method further includes generating a second simulated object. The method determines the distance between individual segments of the first simulated object and the plurality of segments of the second simulated object. The method determines a stiffness matrix and force vectors for the at least one segment of the first simulated object that is in contact with at least one segment of the second simulated object. The method transforms the stiffness matrix and the force vector from the segments to determine a stiffness matrix and a force vector on the two or more nodes of the finite element representation of the physical objects.
US09361412B1
A method for simulating sensor range data includes providing a pulse model configured to generate a sequence of discrete energy pulses. A sequences of flashes associated with the pulse model are electronically generated. Each flash in the sequence of flashes has at least one range value. A sequence of scans is electronically generated from the sequence of flashes. Each scan in the sequence of scans has at least one flash. The sequences of scans is a simulation of sensor range data. The simulation of sensor range data is output in a tangible medium.
US09361409B2
Automatic driver modeling is used to integrate human-controlled vehicles into an autonomous vehicle network. A driver of a human-controlled vehicle is identified based on behavior patterns of the driver measured by one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. A model of the driver is generated based on the behavior patterns of the driver measured by the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle. Previously stored behavior patterns of the driver are then retrieved from a database to augment the model of the driver. The model of the driver is then transmitted from the autonomous vehicle to nearby vehicles with autonomous interfaces.
US09361407B2
A database language (e.g. SQL) is extended to define a transient field whose value is derived from data stored in a database. The value of the transient field is calculated by the database engine for consumption as needed by the application layer, for example as part of a particular data model. The value of the transient field may not be materialized as a persistent field in the underlying database table, or may be selectively materialized based upon a heuristic or hint. Certain embodiments may implement the transient field as a basic elaboration on standard SQL utilizing an identifier. Some embodiments may implement the transient field as an entity where SQL has been extended to accommodate concepts of a higher-level Entity Relationship Model (ERM). The use of constants and/or floating values (e.g. a current time) in connection with transient fields, is also disclosed.
US09361406B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for ranking query completions based on activity session data. One of the methods includes receiving a query prefix from a user. A reference parameter for the user is obtained. One or more likely queries that are likely to co-occur with the reference parameter in user activity sessions are identified, wherein each likely query has an associated prediction score. A ranking of the one or more likely queries is provided in response to receiving the query prefix.
US09361405B2
The present disclosure includes a system and method for a service recommendation service. A method for a service recommendation service includes determining one or more queries that do not expose additional data items stored in a data source of a participant in a collaborative information system than are exposed by queries already implemented on the participant's data source. Query services that are not authorized to involve the data source, but which use the determined one or more queries are identified. The identified query services are recommended to the participant.
US09361396B2
An adaptation system adapts a web page, which is developed to be displayed by a web browser, to be displayed by client-side code of an application. When a web server receives a request for a web page, it determines whether the request was sent from a client device executing client-side code or from a non-client device executing a browser. If the request is from a client, then the web server uses the adaptation system to adapt the web page to the environment of the application. The adaptation system may modify the web page so that the menus of the web page are not displayed when the web page is displayed within a window of the application. The adaptation system may also modify links of the content of the web page to reference forms of the application, rather than other web pages.
US09361395B2
A request for a document is received at a user device while in an offline state. The request includes a public uniform resource locator (URL) corresponding to a location remote from the user device. The user device launches an application that intercepts the request and selects one of multiple local caches based on the public URL. Each of the multiple local caches is associated with a private URL. The user device accesses the selected local caches via a corresponding private URL to retrieve an editor. The user device modifies a URL history to replace the private URL with a public URL and provides the document, via the editor, to the user device.
US09361392B1
In one implementation, data associated with user identities is extracted from an electronic social networking platform. Based on the extracted data, at least some of the user identities are classified as fitting one or more of multiple different profiles. A first subset of user identities classified as fitting a first profile is identified. A second subset of user identities classified as fitting a second profile is identified. In addition, values for a particular characteristic associated with user identities identified as belonging to the first subset are identified, and values for the particular characteristic associated with user identities identified as belonging to the second subset are identified. A display then is caused that reflects the identified values for the particular characteristic associated with user identities identified as belonging to the first subset and the identified values for the particular characteristic associated with user identities identified as belonging to the second subset.
US09361391B2
The invention relates to generating a web feed composed of content elements. A number of content elements to be added to the web feed is determined, according to a number of available content elements to be published and according to a predefined visibility period associated with the web feed and defining a minimal time period for which any content element has to remain present in the web feed, wherein the determining of the number of elements comprises estimating a predicted number of new content elements liable to arrive during said visibility period, from historical data of said web feed representing statistics of arrivals, during past visibility periods, of content elements to be published. From the number of available content elements to be published, the determined number of content elements are selected, and entries corresponding to the selected content elements are created in the web feed.
US09361390B2
A web page preview system comprising a web host for providing, in a run-time environment, a first version and a second version of a set of web pages and an interface for receiving requests from users for access to the different versions of the set of web pages. The system provides access to the first version of the set of web pages in the run-time environment to a general set of users and provides access to the second version of the set of web pages in the run-time environment to a restricted sub-set of users, so that the second version of the set of web pages may be previewed in the run-time environment by the restricted sub-set of users.
US09361388B1
A source system receives initial identification data of a listing related to an entity. The source system searches a provider system for one or more listings having identification data matching the initial identification data. The source system receives, from the provider system, a plurality of potential matching listings having identification data matching the initial identification data, wherein each listing of the plurality of potential matching listings has a corresponding confidence score assigned by the source system, and wherein each listing of the plurality of potential matching listings has a corresponding provider-supplied external identifier assigned by the provider system. The source system designates a representative listing of the entity located on a provider system from among the plurality of potential matching listings, the representative listing having the highest confidence score assigned by the source system. The source system transmits, to the provider system, a request to synchronize the representative listing having the highest confidence score assigned by the source system as the representative listing of the entity on the provider system, the request comprising a first provider-supplied external identifier. The source system receives, from the provider system, an indication that a second listing of the plurality of potential matching listings has been selected by the provider system as the representative listing of the entity on the provider system, the response comprising a second provider-supplied external identifier. The source system re-designates the second listing as the representative listing of the entity on the provider system and designating the remaining one or more remaining listing of the plurality of potential matching listings as one or more duplicate listings on the provider system. The source system transmits, to the provider system, a request to suppress the remaining one or more listings as one or more duplicate listings, the request to suppress the remaining one or more listings comprising one or more third provider-supplied external identifiers.
US09361387B2
Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing context-based services. In one embodiment, context-based output is provided. The context-based output can include context-based search results for a query. Contextual information can be used to improve access to real-time, social, and other content by enabling a search engine to better understand and/or to supplement queries based upon the context within which the query is received. The contextual information can include, but are not limited to, searches and content associated with the searcher, one or more locations associated with the searcher, the time of day at which a query is received, the device from which a query is received, an application running at the device from which the query is received, the capabilities of the device from which the query is received, and other variables. The contextual information can be used to manipulate the search query, the search results, the presentation of the search results, and/or the content surrounding the search results such as, for example, advertising, links, graphics, and other content.
US09361383B2
An apparatus, method and article of manufacture of the present invention detects the presence of references to the same concept in separate sections of text, and, with no input required from the reader, presents the reader with information concerning the detected references to the concept. The information provided may comprise information related to the location of the reference to the concept in other sections of text, and the reader also is provided the ability to move from one reference to a concept directly to another reference to the same concept.
US09361381B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media are provided. An example method includes receiving user input in a control, for example, one associated with a search engine. The user input includes a series of input characters that when completed would form a completed user request. The method further includes, while receiving the user input, evaluating the characters to identify completions for the completed request. The method further includes identifying, by one or more processors, a content item associated with the one or more completions and identifying display data associated with the content item for transmission to the user along with one or more completions in response to receiving the user input.
US09361379B1
Computer applications may generate event data based on a large volume of different types of record data. Described herein are systems, methods and devices for providing website recommendations using the event data. In one example, using the event data, a computing node generates the website recommendations within a designated amount of time after the generation of the record data.
US09361375B2
A system and method is described that maintains a record of research performed by a user of an information retrieval system in a manner that reduces the amount of work required by the user to maintain such a record. The system and method obtains information implicitly generated through the interaction of the user with the information retrieval system while performing research and uses such information to automatically construct a research document for the user about a particular research topic. The research document or a means of access thereto is then presented to the user. The research document is configured to maintain both the implicitly-generated data recorded by the system as well as data explicitly provided or collected by the user, such as retrieved document content and user notes, in a manner that is highly-organized and easy to access, augment, and maintain.
US09361360B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure set forth a method for retrieving information from a semantic database having a plurality of semantic data. The method includes selecting a hub that is resolved with a number of semantic data based on a resolution rule, when the number of the semantic data is greater than a threshold in an offline environment; calculating a semantic data set that is associated with the hub based on a searching approach and the resolution rule in the offline environment; indexing the semantic data set in the offline environment; modifying the semantic database to include the semantic data set in the offline environment; and retrieving information from the semantic data set in an online environment.
US09361358B2
The invention relates to systems and methods using a logical data model for aggregating data entities in a functional information system supported upon a computing platform, and also for providing systems and methods for analyzing economic information using a functional coordinate system.
US09361353B1
Through use of crowd sourced information, media files may be transformed into or used to create product files that are derived from the media files. A product file may be generated using feedback from the crowd sourced information received from an electronic device. The crowd sourced information may indicate one or more portions of the media file to exclude from the product file to create a consolidated product file. In some embodiments, the crowd sourced information may indicate supplemental material and/or portions of other media files that may be included in the product file.
US09361351B2
Aspects distribute database data to table space containers as a function of active and inactive node designations. Different groups of active and inactive logical nodes are created in response to integrating a relational database on one or more physical servers. Database node groups are created by marking the active nodes as available for use in data storage and distribution, and the inactive nodes as unavailable. Table space is created for the relational database by defining containers for each of the active and inactive nodes.
US09361345B2
A method and system for modifying web pages, including dynamic web pages, based on automated analysis wherein web pages are transformed based on transformation instructions in nearly real-time, and wherein analysis is performed and transformation instructions based on the analysis are prepared prior to a request for the web page. The system has two primary components, an analyzer which asynchronously and repeatedly analyzes web pages creating and updating transformation instructions relating to the web pages, and a transformer which intercepts traffic to a web server in response to a request for the web page, receives the returned web pages, and transforms them based on stored transformation instructions.
US09361341B2
Middleware is integrated within a database engine. The middleware is to execute a functional-form query representing a dataflow graph comprising queries and relation valued functions. The middleware is to interact with the database engine to cause the database engine to execute the queries. Each relation valued function receives a plurality of first relations as input and generates a second relation as output.
US09361339B2
A method and system to determine a q, θ-optimal histogram comprising a plurality of buckets over a data distribution where for any cardinality estimate made using the histogram the cardinality estimate is constrained to obey an acceptability criteria parameterized by q and θ that bounds a ratio error between the cardinality estimate and a true value of the cardinality, q being a factor by which the estimate deviates, at most, from a true value of the cardinality and θ being a threshold value which the cardinality does not exceed, wherein a maximum number of possible query intervals generated in determining the acceptability of the q, θ-optimal histogram is less than quadratic in the number of values.
US09361330B2
In accordance with an embodiment, described herein are systems and methods for providing an enterprise crawl and search framework, including features such as use with middleware and enterprise application environments, pluggable security, search development tools, user interfaces, and governance. The system includes an enterprise crawl and search framework which abstracts an underlying search engine, provides a common set of application programming interfaces for developing search functionalities, and allows the framework to serve as an integration layer between one or more enterprise search engine and one or more enterprise application. An application development framework allows an application developer to make searchable view objects that are associated with a plurality of enterprise applications. At runtime, a searchable object manager loads searchable objects from persistent storage, validates the searchable object definitions, and provides the searchable objects to the framework for use in searching across the plurality of enterprise applications.
US09361325B2
A method and system for governing information is provided. The method includes receiving, by a processor, data defining a scope and context of an information governance project and information requirements data associated with the data. The processor classifies the information requirements data into concepts in accordance with a meta-model profile. The processor generates conceptual models and realization models in accordance with the meta-model profile. Governance roles are defined and assigned to informational assets within the conceptual models The processor selects a final architecture option and generates policy models in accordance with the governance roles, the informational assets, the meta-model profile and user input. A final architecture option is deployed and monitored, and governance events triggered and reports generated in response to changes in this deployed architecture option.
US09361322B1
A real-time messaging platform allows advertiser accounts to pay to insert candidate messages into the message streams requested by account holders. To accommodate multiple advertisers, the messaging platform controls an auction process that determines which candidate messages are selected for inclusion in a requested account holder's message stream. Selection is based on a bid for the candidate message, the message stream that is requested, and a variety of other factors that vary depending upon the implementation. The process for selection of candidate messages generally includes the following steps, though any given step may be omitted or combined into another step in a different implementation: targeting, filtering, prediction, ranking, and selection.
US09361316B2
In one aspect, an information processing system for determining complimentary phrases to present to a recipient is provided. The information processing system may receive an input image depicting a subject. A difference in appearance between the subject depicted in the input image and a model subject may be determined. One or more phrases (e.g., complimentary phrases) may be selected from a plurality of categorized phrase candidates based on the identified difference in appearance between the subject and the model subject. The difference in appearance may be determined by comparing selected features (e.g., skin, hair, eyes) of the subject with one or more predetermined features of the model subject. The model subject may be the same or different than the subject depicted in the input image.
US09361315B2
An image display apparatus includes a location information generating unit that generates location information of index information stored in the server apparatus and location information of image data stored in the server apparatus; an index obtaining unit that obtains the index information from the server apparatus using the location information of the index information; a list screen generating unit that generates a list screen including information on the image data stored in the server apparatus using the index information and displays the list screen on a display unit; an image data obtaining unit that obtains the image data from the server apparatus using the location information of the image data that is selected by an operator from the list screen; and a display screen generating unit that generates a display screen of the obtained image data and displays the display screen on the display unit.
US09361310B1
Network user access impersonation for multi-threaded backup applications is described. A backup application receives a first user identity and a second user identity of a set of user identities. The backup application calls a network file system service. The network file system service applies the first user identity to a first thread of a set of threads of a backup application. The network file system service applies the second user identity to a second thread of the set of threads of the backup application. The network file system service enables the first thread to access a first backup file on a first network storage device based on the first user identity. The network file system service enables the second thread to access a second backup file on a second storage device based on the second user identity.
US09361308B2
In some examples, a method may include receiving a continuous query, the continuous query being identified based at least in part on an archived relation associated with an application. The method may also include generating a physical query plan for the continuous query. In some examples, the method may also include identifying a query operator in the physical query plan and/or constructing an archiver query for the identified query operator. In some aspects, the method may also include executing the archiver query to obtain a result set of data records related to the application and/or initializing a state of the query operator based at least in part on the result set of data records. Further, the method may also include generating a snapshot output of one or more data values related to the application based at least in part on the state of the identified query operator.
US09361299B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for RSS content administration for rendering RSS content on a digital audio player. Embodiments include retrieving, through an RSS feed, RSS content; extracting text from the RSS content; creating a media file; and storing the extracted text of the RSS content as metadata associated with the media file. Embodiments also typically include extracting one or more images from the RSS content; and storing the extracted images as metadata associated with the media file. Embodiments also typically include extracting text from the RSS content for audio rendering on the digital audio player; converting the text to speech; and recording the speech in the audio portion of the media file. Many embodiments also include storing the media file on a digital audio player; displaying the metadata describing the media file; and playing the audio portion containing the speech.
US09361293B2
Mechanisms are provided for generating a lexical resource for linguistic analysis. A document data structure is received that comprises a renaming directive and filter logic is applied to the document data structure to identify the renaming directive within the document data structure. The renaming directive is analyzed to identify a relationship between semantic concepts represented by the renaming directive that are to be used to update a lexical resource based on the renaming directive. The lexical resource is updated based on results of analyzing the renaming directive. The updated lexical resource is output to a linguistic analysis system which performs linguistic analysis of a portion of textual content based on the updated lexical resource.
US09361288B2
A system and method for processing templates using separate template processing instructions is disclosed. Two separate encapsulated sets of instructions are provided for operations upon a template. A separate first encapsulated set of processing instructions merges the template with first data set stored at a first computing device and the separate second encapsulated set of instructions merges the template with second data set stored at a second computing device. The first encapsulated set of instructions are executed at the first computing device to update the template with the first data set, and then deleted. The updated template and the second encapsulated set of instructions are then provided to the second computing device for execution of the second encapsulated set of instructions at the second computing device to update the template with the second data set.
US09361282B2
A method for user interface according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: displaying text on a screen; receiving a character selection command of a user who selects at least one character included in a text, receiving a speech command of a user who designates a selected range in the text including at least one character, specifying the selected range according to the character selection command and the speech command; and a step for receiving an editing command of a user for the selected range.
US09361281B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for a web page, sending a first response portion for generating the requested web page to a client computing device that includes a structured document including a page-assembling process, generating one or more second response portions each for generating a corresponding portion of the requested web page that each include a call to the page-assembling process, transmitting the second response portions to the client computing device, and wherein the page-assembling process is configured to, responsive to a call corresponding to a respective second response portion, insert, or cause to be inserted, content, resources, or calls to resources included in the respective second response portion into a model representation of the structured document generated by a client rendering application at a location in the model representation determined by a corresponding place-holder code segment included in the structured document.
US09361279B1
Server systems and methods to track digital content pertaining to real estate listings use markers embedded within digital media files. The digital media files are accessible for presentation to client computing platforms through real estate search servers. Responsive to a digital media file being presented, for example through a browser software application, on a client computing platform, information related to browsing activity on the client computing platform is transmitted to a server that associates individual ones of the digital media files with individual ones of the real estate search servers through which a digital media file is presented. A server determines information based on browsing activity pertaining to web pages served through a real estate search website. The web pages include real estate listing content. Providers of the real estate listing content are compensated accordingly.
US09361266B2
The invention refers to tightly coupled multiprocessor distributed computing systems. The proposed solution enables to develop distributed applications as usual monolithic applications with use of typical compilers and builders. These applications support complicated logic of interaction between elements executed in different nodes and, at that, have limited complexity of development. The invention determines requirements to a distributed application and a method of its execution, memory organization and system node interaction manner.
US09361264B2
Systems and methods are provided that enable seamless access and control of hardware device resources through a common, device-independent interface without the need for device-specific drivers. For instance, system and methods are designed to expose capabilities/functions of hardware devices as web-based services which can be invoked to provide specific services based on the capabilities of the hardware devices.
US09361257B2
A mechanism is described for facilitating customization of multipurpose interconnect agents at computing devices according to one embodiment of the invention. A method of embodiments of the invention includes enhancing a multipurpose interconnect agent by associating a customization block to the multipurpose interconnect agent at a computing system. Enhancing may include customization of one or more functionalities of the multipurpose interconnect agent. The method may further include customizing, via the customization block, the one or more functionalities of the enhanced multipurpose interconnect agent, wherein customizing includes enabling integration of two or more processor interconnects carrying data packets.
US09361239B2
A system on chip, includes a memory, a bus, a plurality of intellectual property (IP) blocks, and a unified input/output memory management unit (IOMMU) connected between the memory and the bus and configured to determine whether to perform address conversion for a transaction transferred from the bus based on transaction information.
US09361234B2
In an embodiment, a processor includes one or more cores including a first core operable at an operating voltage between a minimum operating voltage and a maximum operating voltage. The processor also includes a power control unit including first logic to enable coupling of ancillary logic to the first core responsive to the operating voltage being less than or equal to a threshold voltage, and to disable the coupling of the ancillary logic to the first core responsive to the operating voltage being greater than the threshold voltage. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09361233B2
An apparatus and method for implementing a shared unified cache. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: a plurality of processor cores grouped into modules, wherein each module has at least two processor cores grouped therein; a plurality of level 1 (L1) caches, each L1 cache directly accessible by one of the processor cores; a level 2 (L2) cache associated with each module, the L2 cache directly accessible by each of the processor cores associated with its respective module; a shared unified cache to store data and/or instructions for each of the processor cores in each of the modules; and a cache management module to manage the cache lines in the shared unified cache using a first cache line eviction policy favoring cache lines which are shared across two or more modules and which are accessed relatively more frequently from the modules.
US09361229B2
Systems and methods for distributed shared caching in a clustered file system, wherein coordination between the distributed caches, their coherency and concurrency management, are all done based on the granularity of data segments rather than files. As a consequence, this new caching system and method provides enhanced performance in an environment of intensive access patterns to shared files.
US09361224B2
A system, method, and techniques for managing memory are provided. An example method includes identifying a plurality of regions in a heap storing one or more objects of a first type and one or more objects of a second type. Each object of the first type includes application data and management data, and the management data is used by a managed runtime to manage the application data. The method also includes determining an object of the first type to read and computing, based on a last-known memory address of the object of the first type, a memory address of an object of the second type storing a current memory address of the object of the first type. The method further includes reading the current memory address stored in the object of the second type and locating the object of the first type at the read memory address.
US09361205B2
An information processing system records an execution of a program instruction. A determination is made that a thread has entered a program unit. Another determination is made that that the thread is associated with at least one attribute that matches a set of thread recording criteria. An instruction recording mechanism for the thread is dynamically activated in response to the at least one attribute of the thread matching the set of thread recording criteria.
US09361198B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for detecting compromised resources. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a resource; determining the resource is tainted based on one or more indications that the resource has been compromised; merging the tainted resource with previous versions of the resource that were tainted to generate a most recent tainted resource; determining the tainted resource is compromised by analyzing attributes of the most recent tainted resource that satisfy one or more threshold criteria that indicate the resource has been compromised; and identifying the tainted resource as compromised.
US09361196B2
A memory device with a background built-in self-repair module (BBISRM) includes a main memory, an arbiter, and a redundant memory to repair a target memory under test (TMUT). The memory device also includes a background built-in self-test module (BBISTM) to identify portions of memory needing background built-in self-repair (BBISR). The BBISRM or the BBISTM can operate simultaneously while the memory device is operational for performing external accesses during field operation. The BBISR can detect and correct a single data bit error in the data stored in the TMUT. The arbiter configured to receive a read or write access memory request including a memory address, to determine if the memory address of the read or write access memory request matches the memory address mapped to the selected portion of the redundant memory, and to read or write data from the selected portion of the redundant memory, respectively.
US09361192B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method for gracelessly rebooting a storage appliance. The method and system includes a storage appliance in association with an event that will result in the loss of a state table from volatile memory that halts changes to at least one state table of the storage appliance. The state tables describe a plurality of file system states of one or more clients connected to the first storage appliance. The state information is written to a persistent memory of the storage appliance. The state table may then be repopulated using the state table information stored in persistent memory.
US09361187B2
Example apparatus and methods create and maintain a functional mirror of file system metadata for an active file system. The functional mirror may be implemented as a set of database tables that allow a journal functionality for information received from the active file system. Example apparatus and methods also restore the file system metadata from the functional mirror. Mirror creation and maintenance can operate in parallel. Mirror maintenance and metadata restore can also operate in parallel. The functional mirror may be created primarily using a systematic, system-wide, multi-threaded crawler approach whose results are updated using an event-driven approach that accounts for changes that may make obsolete information acquired during the crawler approach. The metadata may be restored using a systematic, system-wide, multi-threaded crawler approach acting together with an event-driven approach that restores certain files out of order as they are needed.
US09361183B2
A method and a processing device are provided for sequentially aggregating data to a write log included in a volume of a random-access medium. When data of a received write request is determined to be suitable for sequentially aggregating to a write log, the data may be written to the write log and a remapping tree, for mapping originally intended destinations on the random-access medium to one or more corresponding entries in the write log, may be maintained and updated. At time periods, a checkpoint may be written to the write log. The checkpoint may include information describing entries of the write log. One or more of the checkpoints may be used to recover the write log, at least partially, after a dirty shutdown. Entries of the write log may be drained to respective originally intended destinations upon an occurrence of one of a number of conditions.
US09361182B2
When performing a read operation on a non-volatile memory device which includes a plurality of memory sections each corresponding to a plurality of data units, the read count of a specific memory section and the error bits of its corresponding data units are monitored for determining whether data relocation should be perform. When the read count of the specific section exceeds a read count threshold and the error bits of any corresponding data unit exceeds an error threshold, data is moved from the specific memory section to another memory section of the non-volatile memory device, thereby preventing read disturbance from occurring in the specific memory sections.
US09361163B2
A method of on-device access using a container application to manage a sub application provisioned on a computer device by set of stored instructions executed by a computer processor to implement the steps of: receive a communication for the sub application by a first service programming interface (SPI) of the container application, the communication sent by a on-device process over a first communication pathway of a device infrastructure of the computer device utilizing interprocess communication (IPC) framework of the device infrastructure, the first communication pathway provided external to the first SPI; retransmit the communication by the first SPI to a second SPI of the sub application over a second communication pathway that bypasses the IPC framework, the second communication pathway internal to the first SPI; receiving a response to the communication by the first SPU from the second SPI over the second communication pathway; and directing the response to the on-device process over the first communication pathway.
US09361160B2
A generic microprocessor architecture is provided with a set (e.g., one or more) of controlling/main processing elements (e.g., MPEs) and a set of groups of sub-processing elements (e.g., SPEs). Under this arrangement, MPEs and SPEs are organized in a way that a smaller number MPEs control the behavior of a group of SPEs using program code embodied as a set of virtualized control threads. The apparatus includes a MCP coupled to a power supply coupled with cores to provide a supply voltage to each core (or core group) and controlling-digital elements and multiple instances of sub-processing elements. In accordance with these features, virtualized control threads can traverse the physical boundaries of the MCP to control SPE(s) (e.g., logical partitions having one or more SPEs) in a different physical partition (e.g., different from the physical partition from which the virtualized control threads originated.
US09361156B2
An adaptive partition scheduler is a priority-based scheduler that also provides execution time guarantees (fair-share). Execution time guarantees apply to threads or groups of threads when the system is overloaded. When the system is not overloaded, threads are scheduled based strictly on priority, maintaining strict real-time behavior. When the system is overloaded, threads are scheduled based priority of threads that are in a ready state and based on the available guaranteed processor time budget of the adaptive partition associated with each thread.
US09361151B2
Exemplary controllers in a system are associated with technical entities and are configured to selectively execute tasks in a primary mode when the controllers interact with the associated technical entities with respect to the tasks, and to execute tasks in a secondary mode when the controllers do not interact with the associated technical entities with respect to the task. The system distributes task instructions of a first task to a first controller that is configured to execute the first task in the primary mode, and to distribute the task instructions of the first task to a second controller that is configured to execute the first task in the secondary mode. The system distributes task instructions of a second task to the second controller that is configured to execute the second task in the primary mode.
US09361136B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for separately loading and managing foreground work and background work of an application. In some embodiments, a method is provided for use by an operating system executing on at least one computer. The operating system may identify at least one foreground component and at least one background component of an application, and may load the at least one foreground component for execution separately from the at least one background component. For example, the operating system may execute the at least one foreground component without executing the at least one background component. In some further embodiments, the operating system may use a specification associated with the application to identify at least one piece of computer executable code implementing the at least one background component.
US09361131B1
Mobile device applications may be developed and distributed which include abbreviated, content-based references for one or more network resources. Network resource references may be identified by a native shell running on a mobile device, and a network resource lookup may be performed in order to resolve the network resource reference to the network resource. This allows for dynamic access to network-accessible resources such as catalog services, metric services, and advertising services. A mobile application may provide in-app access to such resources without requiring the application's developer to include detailed application programming interface functionality specific to a particular network resource.
US09361130B2
A method performed by a portable, processor-based device with a display screen is disclosed. The method includes rendering a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the display screen. The GUI includes a first scrollable column with a plurality of graphical elements arranged sequentially within the first column, each graphical element of the plurality of graphical elements associated with at least one article of a plurality of articles. The GUI also includes a second scrollable column with a plurality of independent text portions, each of the text portions corresponding to a respective article. The method further includes coordinating the first and second scrollable columns so that when a first article is selected a first text portion associated with the first article is displayed on the display screen, and a first graphical element associated with the first article is displayed next to the first text portion.
US09361129B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for using contracts in dynamic languages. For example, a contract can be directly associated with an object. The contract can then be used to provide type safety for the object. As another example, contracts can be used with mix-ins. A declaration for a contract is provided with a mix-in. The contract is associated with a target object at runtime when applying the mix-in. Conditions can be assigned to mix-ins that must be met before the mix-in can be applied to the target object. At runtime, if the target object meets the one or more conditions, then the mix-in can be applied to the target object.
US09361125B2
Dynamic reconfiguration of queue pairs in a data processing system is provided. A device driver determines whether a dynamic CPU reconfiguration has added one or more CPUs to the data processing system, wherein the data processing system comprises a number of CPUs and a number of queue pairs. Responsive to the dynamic CPU configuration adding one or more CPUs, the device driver allocates a portion of a memory corresponding to a queue pair, wherein each queue pair comprises a receive queue and a transmit queue, programs a receive side scaling mechanism in a network adapter to allow for dynamic insertion of a processing engine associated with the queue pair, and enables transmit tuple hashing to the queue pair.
US09361118B2
A method, computer program product, and system is described that determines the correctness of using memory operations in a computing device with heterogeneous computer components. Embodiments include an optimizer based on the characteristics of a Sequential Consistency for Heterogeneous-Race-Free (SC for HRF) model that analyzes a program and determines the correctness of the ordering of events in the program. HRF models include combinations of the properties: scope order, scope inclusion, and scope transitivity. The optimizer can determine when a program is heterogeneous-race-free in accordance with an SC for HRF memory consistency model. For example, the optimizer can analyze a portion of program code, respect the properties of the SC for HRF model, and determine whether a value produced by a store memory event will be a candidate for a value observed by a load memory event. In addition, the optimizer can determine whether reordering of events is possible.
US09361108B2
Instructions are grouped into instruction groups based on optimizations that may be performed. An instruction is obtained, and a determination is made as to whether the instruction is to be included in a current instruction group or another instruction group. This determination is made based on whether the instruction is a candidate for optimization, such as decode time instruction optimization. If it is determined that the instruction is to be included in another group, then the other group is formed to include the instruction.
US09361107B2
Augmented processor hardware contains a microcode interpreter. When encrypted microcode is included in a challenge from a service requiring authentication, the microcode may be passed to the microcode interpreter. Based on decryption and execution of the microcode taking place at the processor hardware, tampering by potentially abusive device software may be avoided.
US09361088B2
A system and method to effectively and efficiently update a version of firmware resident in a device memory is provided. A method of identifying one or more versions of firmware is provided by way of initializing a device memory with a known pattern. In addition, the amount of free unused memory space may be identified and calculated in a device memory. The system and method generates software update packages that are minimal in size providing cost benefit to a manufacturer and convenience to a user.
US09361084B1
Methods and systems for receiving applications are described. A device, such as a wearable computing device, may receive an input, which may be verbal, motion, or text, for example. The device may parse the input to recognize any keywords and may further identify applications associated with the recognized keywords. The device may determine a priority list for the identified applications based at least in part on a relevance associated with the recognized keywords. In addition, the device may provide for display the priority list of the applications. The device may receive a request to access an application from the plurality of applications, and in response to the request to access the application, install the application. The device may further execute the installed application to perform a function based at least in part on the verbal input, which may be executed without additional input after installation.
US09361078B2
A compiler method for exploiting data value locality for computation reuse. When a code region having single entry and exit points and in which a potential computation reuse opportunity exists is identified during runtime, a helper thread is created separate from the master thread. One of the helper thread and master thread performs a computation specified in the code region, and the other of the helper thread and master thread looks up a value of the computation previously executed and stored in a lookup table. If the value of the computation previously executed is located in the lookup table, the other thread retrieves the value from the table, and ignores the computation performed by the thread. If the value of the computation is not located, the other thread obtains a result of the computation performed by the thread and stores the result in the lookup table for future computation reuse.
US09361076B1
A healthcare information infrastructure stores and registers clinical documents. The infrastructure requires that the stored documents be registered using certain metadata. Metadata associated with legacy documents is reviewed to determine whether any required metadata is missing. Any required metadata that is missing is obtained. The metadata is augmented with the obtained metadata so that the document can be stored and registered in the healthcare information infrastructure.
US09361072B1
The present invention is a technique of displaying in actual 3D space (i.e. not merely a 3D representation on a 2D surface) any type of diagram relating to software or integrated circuits that requires depth perception in order to be fully comprehended. The 3D space can be manipulated as desired, including but not limited to rotation, collapse/expand, and the ability of the user to enter the 3D space and view it from within.
US09361067B1
In certain implementations, a software development kit to enable configuration of virtual counterparts of action figures or action figure accessories may be provided. As an example, the software development kit may enable a developer to associate a state or behavior of an action figure type with a virtual state or behavior of a corresponding virtual counterpart type in a virtual environment such that, when an action figure (of that type) exhibits the state or behavior, a corresponding virtual counterpart is caused to exhibit the virtual state or behavior in the virtual environment. The software development kit may, for example, enable the same state or behavior to be associated with different action figure types and/or different virtual states or behaviors such that, even when action figures of different action figure types exhibit the same state or behavior, their corresponding virtual counterparts may be caused to exhibit different virtual states or behaviors.
US09361066B2
Apparatus and method for a ring oscillator based random number generator with intentional startup delays timed for each ring to provide a uniform initial spreading of the ring oscillator transition edges. This invention adds a controlled incremental delay in the startup of each individual ring within the ring oscillator random number generator. Typically the delay units used in the ring oscillators themselves can be used to get a course delay between the start times of each ring. A subset of the rings start up with a particular course delay and different fine delays such that the transition edges of all the rings are spread out over the oscillation period. This spreading of the transition edges ensures the output of the random number generator are not a predictable sequence of ones and zeros based on a simultaneous startup of all rings at the same time.
US09361065B2
In a processor that includes a plurality of multipliers and a plurality of adders to execute matrix product processing, each data of input vector data involved in the arithmetic processing is used in two multipliers, whereby arithmetic processing of elements in different rows and different columns in a matrix product operation is executed with a single instruction, that enables the sharing of input data to reduce the number of times data are moved in the whole matrix product processing and reduce power consumption.
US09361064B2
Determination of digital compensation to compensate for non-linearity of stochastic system configured to sample a phase difference, based on statistical analysis of calibration data generated by the stochastic system in response to a linear phase ramp. The stochastic system may include a set of stochastic sampler circuits to sample a phase difference at periodic events, and calibration data may include a digital value of set of stochastic samples for each of multiple events. The calibration data may include sequences of the digital values in which the digital values increment over a range of the stochastic system (i.e., between saturation states of the stochastic system). Statistical analysis may include histogram analysis to estimate the probability distribution of the calibration data. The stochastic system may be configured as part of a time-to-digital converter, which may be configured within a feedback loop of a digitally controllable phase lock loop.
US09361062B2
A method of providing a voice-speech service in a mobile terminal is provided. The method includes receiving sensing information from a sensor unit, determining whether to set an operating mode of the voice-speech service as a driving mode according to the sensing information, and providing an audible feedback according to pre-stored driving mode setting information when an operating mode of the voice-speech service is set as the driving mode.
US09361059B2
Embodiments of systems and methods of seamless displays are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a backpanel device comprising display drive circuitry can be removably coupled with a display device via an array of contact members. The display device can include image-producing elements or pixels that can be selectively driven by the backpanel device via corresponding portions of the array of contact members. Multiple display devices can be disposed adjacently on one or more backpanel devices such that an image displayed across the multiple display devices appears seamless.
US09361057B2
An apparatus includes multiple image processing units configured to execute image processing on input data, which are connected in serial, and include two or more image processing units having the same image processing function. The image processing units include a transfer unit configured to transfer input first data to a next image processing unit without changing the data, and an image processor configured to execute image processing on the first data to output second data. At least one of the image processing units transfers the first data to the next image processing unit without changing the first data when the first data is input, and also outputs the second data.
US09361056B2
A client computer 1 performs a first print setting for each second page range included in a first page range to be subjected to print processing, generates a conflict confirmation job in which an execution result is used for executing conflict processing for detecting the combinations of print settings for which the network printer 3 is incapable of executing print processing, based on the first print setting, and transmits the conflict confirmation job to the network printer 3. The client computer 1 receives an execution result of the conflict confirmation job from the network printer 3, and executes conflict processing based on the execution result of the received conflict confirmation job.
US09361054B2
Initiating document management in an enterprise network from outside of the network can challenge information technology (IT) specialists because many solutions require altering security of the enterprise network. In an embodiment, a method includes polling, from an automated agent in an agent-side network, a server in a cloud-side network for a request to access a document management resource of the agent-side network via an interface between the agent-side network and cloud-side network The method further includes, responsive to the polling, downloading the request via the interface between the agent-side network and the cloud-side network. The method additionally includes issuing the request to the document management resource to cause the document management resource to access a document stored on a device of the agent-side network and perform an operation associated with the request. The method, therefore, enables a user access to the document management resource from outside of an enterprise network.
US09361047B2
In a memory system where memory units may be separated from each other so as to operate substantially independently, the coordination of related memory operations between such units may be by synchronization of an epoch of time and the start of an epoch of time with a common synchronization source. The source may be distributed directly to each of the memory modules of a memory unit, or through an intermediate synchronization circuit of a memory unit that is common to the modules. Where the data is stored as a RAID stripe on a plurality of synchronized modules, the read and write or erase operations performed by the modules may be arranged such that the write operations or erase operations may not substantially affect the ability to promptly read the stored data of a RAID stripe.
US09361045B1
Techniques for constructing virtual storage networks for tenants with quality-of-service delivery. In one example, a method comprises the following steps. One or more virtual storage networks are constructed respectively for one or more tenants of a data storage system. Each of the one or more virtual storage networks is tenant-managed and is configured such that logical resources of the tenant-managed virtual storage network are isolated from physical resources used to implement the logical resources.
US09361042B2
The present invention is a method for accelerating proxy Input/Output (proxyI/O). The method includes the step of receiving a command at a primary target storage system. The primary target storage system may be part of a clustered storage array. The command may be a command which was transmitted by an initiator system via a storage area network, and may include a request for data. The method further includes the step of forwarding the command to a session layer of the primary target storage system. Further, when a virtualization layer of the primary target storage system determines that a portion of the data requested in the data request is not stored by the primary target storage system, but is stored by a proxy target storage system included in the plurality of storage systems, the method further includes providing a proxyIO request to a proxy initiator of the primary target storage system. Further, the method may further include, based on the proxyIO request, generating a proxyDataIn request and providing the proxyDataIn request to an I/O controller for the primary target storage system.
US09361033B2
A shared device unit, which comprises a storage device, is coupled to a plurality of storage systems. The shared device unit provides a plurality of storage areas, which are based on the storage device, to the plurality of storage systems. Each storage system stores allocation management information which comprises an ID of a storage area provided to thereof among the plurality of storage areas, and provides the storage area corresponded to the ID included in the allocation management information to the host computer coupled thereto among the plurality of host computers.
US09361028B2
A computer-implemented method for increasing restore speeds of backups stored in deduplicated storage systems may include (1) identifying a backup that includes data stored in at least one data container within a deduplicated storage system, (2) detecting a subsequent backup that includes additional data, (3) calculating an amount of duplication between the additional data included in the subsequent backup and the data stored in the data container, (4) determining that the amount of duplication between the additional data and the data stored in the data container is below a predetermined threshold, (5) identifying at least one additional data container to store the additional data instead of deduplicating the additional data with respect to the data container, and then (6) storing the additional data in the additional data container to facilitate increasing a restore speed of the subsequent backup. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09361025B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes first, second, and third display controllers. The first display controller displays first information representing a storage device. The second display controller displays second information representing partitions of the storage device, if the one of the storage device is selected based on the first information. The third display controller displays third information representing a data file of the storage device.
US09361024B1
A memory cell programming method for a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. The method includes grouping physical erasing units of the rewritable non-volatile memory module at least into a first area and a second area, wherein a first programming parameter set is configured initially for writing a first kind of data into the physical erasing units of the first area and the upper physical programming units of the physical erasing units of the first area are not written with data. The method also includes adjusting the first set of programming parameters to obtain a second programming parameter set, and applying the second set of programming parameters to write a second kind of data into the physical erasing units of the second area, wherein the upper physical programming units of the physical erasing units of the second area are not written with data.
US09361016B2
A display and input device of the present disclosure includes a display unit which displays plural objects in array with a predetermined spatial interval, and a touch panel which identifies plural positions touched by a user. The display unit enlarges an interval between two objects longer than the predetermined spatial interval upon an interval enlargement operation to touch two positions which include a position in a display area of at least one of the two objects and then enlarge an interval between the two positions. Under a status that the interval between the two objects is enlarged, the touch panel unit receives a destination confirmation operation to touch a destination position of an object to be moved in order to set the touched destination position to a destination of the object to be moved.
US09361014B2
A graphical user interface, a display apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes: a display unit which displays thereon an image comprising a plurality of user interface (UI) objects and a pointer; a pointer adjuster which generates the pointer and moves the pointer based on a user command for moving the pointer received from an input device; and a controller which controls the pointer adjuster to adjust a moving speed of the pointer according to a density of the UI objects displayed on the display unit.
US09360992B2
Three dimensional, conditional formatting based data visualization is provided. Received underlying data may be analyzed and one or more portions of the underlying data that are of interest to a user determined. The portions may be selected actively by a user of automatically determined based on a variation of values in each portion, values of data points in each portion, a usage history of the user, and/or a credential of the user. A background image may be generated by converting the tabular data into a three dimensional image or selecting and image or a graphic associated with the underlying data. The visualization(s) may then be displayed over the background. Scenes may be selected for animated slide shows or movies.
US09360991B2
Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of three-dimensional icons that can be used to display a wide variety of information in an efficient manner and that can effectively organize a large number of applications on the display of a computing device (e.g., on the display of a mobile device). In one exemplary embodiment disclosed herein, an icon is associated with one or more applications, and a first panel of the icon is displayed. An update to the first application is received. Based on the update to the first application, the icon is rotated in three dimensions and a second panel of the icon is displayed with an indication of the update to the application.
US09360977B2
An input interface (3) comprises a display (23), a window (21) overlaid on the display (23), and a housing (13-15) supporting the window (21). A first sensor arrangement (31, 32) is configured to sense a position of a touch action on the window (21) in two dimensions. The first sensor arrangement (31, 32) comprises a first plurality of conductive traces (32). A second sensor arrangement (41-43) is configured to sense a magnitude of a force applied by the touch action onto the window (21). The second sensor arrangement (41-43) comprises a second plurality of conductive traces (41, 42) and a force sensing material (43). The first plurality of conductive traces (32) and the second plurality of conductive traces (41, 42) are positioned on an inner face (30) of the window (21) and attached to the inner face (30) of the window (21). The force sensing material (43) is attached to the inner face (30) of the window (21) such that the force sensing material (43) contacts the second plurality of conductive traces (41, 42).
US09360969B2
Provided is a method of fabricating a capacitive touch-screen panel. The method includes preparing first and second substrates having first lateral surfaces on which first and second transparent conductive layers for forming first and second transparent electrode pattern units are disposed. Each of the first and second substrates has a screen region and an inactive region. Second lateral surfaces of the first and second substrates are bonded to each other by an interlayer adhesive. First and second metal layers for forming first and second outer electrode interconnections are disposed on exposed surfaces of the first and second transparent conductive layers, respectively. Double-side exposure and etching processes are performed to form the first transparent electrode pattern unit and the first outer electrode interconnection on the screen region and the inactive region of the first lateral surface of the first substrate, respectively, and simultaneously, form the second transparent electrode pattern unit and the second outer electrode interconnection on the screen region and the inactive region of the first lateral surface of the second substrate, respectively. The first and second outer electrode interconnections are electrically connected to the first and second transparent electrode pattern units, respectively. The method can efficiently reduce the fabrication cost of a touch screen and greatly simplify the fabrication process of the touch-screen panel.
US09360967B2
A mutual capacitive touch sensing device is disclosed. The touch sensing device includes a mutual capacitive sensing controller having a plurality of distinct drive lines and a plurality of distinct sense lines; a source for driving a current or voltage separately though each drive line; and a mutual capacitance sensing circuit that monitors the capacitance at the sensing lines. The touch sensing device also includes a plurality of independent and spatially distinct mutual capacitive sensing nodes set up in a non two dimensional array. Each node includes a drive electrode that is spatially separated from a sense electrode. The drive electrode is coupled to one of the drive lines and the sense electrode is coupled to one of the sense lines. Each node is set up with a different combination of drive and sense line coupled thereto.
US09360965B2
Methods and systems according to one or more embodiments are provided for combining touch inputs and offset non-touch gestures. In an embodiment, a method includes concurrently capturing touch input data on a screen of a user device and non-touch gesture input data, the non-touch gesture input data being indicative of a gesture performed in an area offset from the screen of the user device to inhibit obstruction of a user's view of the screen. The method also includes determining an input command based at least in part on a combination of the concurrently captured touch input data and the non-touch gesture input data. In addition, the method further includes affecting an operation of the user device based on the determined input command.
US09360964B2
An optical touch apparatus and an optical touch method are disclosed. The optical touch apparatus comprises a touch panel, a first optical sensor, a second optical sensor and a processor. The first optical sensor senses a light pen to output a first sensing signal. The second optical sensor senses the light pen to output a second sensing signal. The processor decides a threshold value according to the second sensing signal, and determines whether the first sensing signal is greater than the threshold value. The processor determines that the light pen touches the touch panel if the first sensing signal is greater than the threshold value.
US09360953B2
The present invention provides a method and a system for unlocking a device having a touch screen. The method comprises the steps of: a client of the device obtaining a pattern of a logo from a network side; the client of the device monitoring an input of the touch screen; if the monitored input of the touch screen is matched with the pattern of the logo, the client of the device unlocking the device; and the client of the device obtaining updates of the pattern of the logo from the network side at a predetermined time.
US09360951B2
A support device for supporting a hand and a wrist of a user includes a body having a hand support portion, a first raised support portion extending from the hand support portion, a second raised support portion spaced apart from the first raised support portion and extending from the hand support portion, and a recess defined at one end by the hand support portion and extending between the first and second raised support portions. The hand support portion is configured to extend across the hand of the user to support the hand. The first and second raised support portions are configured to engage opposing sides of the wrist of the user such that a mid portion of the wrist is suspended above the recess.
US09360942B2
An approach for manipulating objects within a document whereby one or more objects are transposed between other objects in a display order. A first element of the plurality of elements is selected as the active element and a display interface is associated with the first element, and based on input received with respect to the interface element, the display order of the first element is changed in relation to the plurality of elements.
US09360933B2
Virtual links are used between two different displays to represent a single virtual object. In one example, the invention includes generating a three-dimensional space having a first display of a real first device and a second display of a real second device and a space between the first display and the second display, receiving a launch command as a gesture with respect to the first display, the launch command indicating that a virtual object is to be launched through the space toward the second display, determining a trajectory through the space toward the second display based on the received launch command, and presenting a portion of the trajectory on the second display.
US09360919B2
A processing device includes a plurality of input units configured to input a process request; a plurality of processing units configured to execute a process corresponding to the process request input by the plurality of input units; a power control unit configured to transfer the processing device into a power saving state and to transfer the processing device back to a regular state from the power saving state; and an operation suppression control unit configured to send an operation suppression request to the plurality of input units and the plurality of processing units before the power control unit transfers the processing device into the power saving state, and to send an operation suppression release request to the plurality of input units and the plurality of processing units when the power control unit transfers the processing device back to the regular state from the power saving state.
US09360910B2
Systems, computer readable media, and program code for systematically providing enhanced energy efficiency of mega industrial sites and synergy with the adjacent community through advanced hybrid inter-systems energy integration targeting and solutions generation to achieve desired best levels of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, are provided. An exemplary system includes a computer and computer readable code for performing the operations of determining possible inter-processes integration energy consumption targets, selecting an energy-efficient inter-processes integration energy consumption target, determining the inter-processes energy integration combination providing for the energy efficient inter-processes integration energy consumption target, generating a plurality of technically viable industrial site inter-processes heat exchange system design alternatives, and assisting a user to identify the technically viable industrial site inter-processes heat exchange system design substantially providing for optimal total waste heat recovery between the respective functional areas.
US09360909B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit device at least one compute engine and a control unit. Coupled to the compute engine(s), the control unit is adapted to dynamically control an energy-efficient operating setting of at least one power management parameter for the integrated circuit device after execution of Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) has already completed.
US09360902B1
A loading mechanism of a storage device for accommodating a hard drive has a loading body and a second supporting arm. The loading body includes a loading base, a first supporting arm extending from one end of the loading base, and an assembling part provided on the loading base. The second supporting arm is laterally and slidably connected to another end of the loading base, and is disposed correspondingly to the first supporting arm. One end of the second supporting arm includes a stand disposed on the loading base and a sliding member disposed on the stand. The sliding member has an elastic engaging part being able to detachably connect to the assembling part. Therefore, the goal of quickly replacing hard disk without using any screws can be achieved.
US09360898B2
A method of providing a user interface in a terminal equipped with a tilt sensor. The method includes sensing an input of a key. The method also includes sensing a tilt input by the tilt sensor after sensing the input of the key. The method further includes performing a function corresponding to a combination of the key and the tilt input, when the tilt sensor senses the tilt input.
US09360896B2
Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device, such as a notebook computer or laptop, that includes a circuit board coupled to a plurality of electronic components (which includes any type of components, elements, circuitry, etc.). One particular example implementation of the electronic device may include a low-profile hinge design that includes a first segment that connects to a first element using a first coupler and to a second segment that connects to the first segment using a second coupler, where the second segment connects to a second element using a third coupler. The first coupler, the second coupler, and the third coupler may each have a first coupling arm and a second coupling arm and the first coupling arm can be offset from a plane of the second coupling arm by about five degrees to about forty-five degrees.
US09360889B2
Embodiments of the invention describe a hinge assembly to rotatably couple a first housing to a second housing, wherein an interconnect extends through the hinge assembly as an incorporated portion of the hinge assembly, the interconnect to communicatively couple a component located in the first housing to a component located in a second housing.
US09360887B2
A display device includes a base (1) and a curvature-adjustable display screen (3) mounted on the base (1). The base (1) includes two supporting legs (11) and a connecting part (15) disposed therebetween. Each of the supporting legs (11) includes a placing part (111) and a mounting part (113) upwardly extending therefrom. The mounting parts (113) are respectively connected to two sides of the display screen (3). The connecting part (15) is disposed between the two placing parts (111) and capable of allowing the two placing parts (111) rotatable relative to each other along with a change of curvature of the display screen (3) and thereby resulting in the base (1) variable with the change of curvature of the display screen (3). Therefore, the curvature of the display screen (3) can be adjusted according to user's viewing needs and the convenience of product use is increased.
US09360882B2
A vehicle pedal comprising a housing for a pedal arm with a drum, a rotor coupled to the drum and including a contactor that slides against a strip of resistive material in the housing, and an assembly for setting and locking the index position of the rotor. In one embodiment, the rotor extends through a window that is defined in the housing and limits the movement of the rotor during the index setting operation. In one embodiment, a plastic pin that is either separate from or unitary with the rotor is fitted into a slot defined in the drum. In another embodiment, a potting material is deposited and cured in the slot in the drum for locking the pin in the slot. In another embodiment, the pin is unitary with the drum of the pedal arm and is press-fitted into a slot in the rotor. In a further embodiment, the drum and rotor include respective plates and the pin is a clip that locks the plates together.
US09360874B2
A method of managing at least one network device at a site includes providing a web-based control selector to manage a detection module to control the at least one network device at the site. The method includes enabling the detection module in response to an enabled setting of the web-based control selector, and initiating a change in an operating condition of the at least one network device at the site in response to the enabled detection module and based on a detected presence of a user at the site. The method proceeds by disabling the detection module in response to the disabled web-based control selector.
US09360873B2
A thermostat having improved reactivity may include a thermostat case having side connected to first and second passages, and a third passage formed between the first and second passages in a side direction, a valve body where first and second valves are formed to open/close the first and second passages, and a mounting space is formed in the valve body, an elastic member elastically pushing the valve body in a direction of the first valve such that the first valve closes the first passage, and a drive portion moving the valve body in response to contraction or expansion of a wax disposed in the mounting space. A flowing turn wall may be formed to correspond to the third passage such that a liquid flowing in through the second passage moves in a direction opposite to the third passage.
US09360871B1
An integrated fluid flow apparatus for managing the flow of a fluid through a conduit, includes a flow sensor configured to determine a velocity of a fluid flowing through the conduit. The apparatus includes a valve assembly positioned inline with the conduit that is movable between open and closed configurations. An electromagnet is selectively energized by a power source and situated proximate the valve assembly. A closure assembly is operatively coupled to the valve assembly and is magnetically connected to the electromagnet. The closure assembly holds the valve assembly to the open configuration when also magnetically connected to the electromagnet and moves the valve assembly to the closed configuration when the magnetic coupling is released. The apparatus includes a communications module that communicate with a homeowner or resident concerning water velocity, temperature, seismic activity, that the valve has been closed, and to solicit instructions on selected actions.
US09360870B2
Various embodiments are described herein for a system for controlling fluid systems and for remotely controlling fluid control devices. In some described embodiments, the system includes at least one fluid control device, a proportional valve driver coupled to the at least one fluid control device, a wireless network, and at least one user controller device coupled to the proportional valve driver through the wireless network. In some described embodiments, the proportional valve driver comprises a wireless transceiver, a proportional translation unit, and a parameter unit. The proportional valve driver comprises a wireless transceiver operable to establish a communication channel with a user controller, receive a request signal, transmit the request signal to a processor for deconstruction and execution, and transmit a response signal.
US09360869B1
Systems and methods for controlling aircraft obtain at least one of ground-referenced longitudinal movement data of the aircraft and ground-referenced lateral movement data of the aircraft. A round-referenced heading of the aircraft is obtained and a heading error is calculated based on a difference between the ground-referenced heading and a target heading. A lateral movement error value is generated based on at least one of the ground-referenced longitudinal movement data and ground-referenced lateral movement data, and based on the heading error.
US09360864B2
A system is provided. The system includes an industrial controller configured to control and obtain current parameter data from one or more components of an industrial system. Further, a storage is included and is configured to store historical data comprising parameter data from the one or more components. The system also includes a prediction controller configured to receive the current parameter data from the industrial controller, receive the historical data from the storage, and to generate an overall predictive score based at least in part upon the current parameter data and the historical data. The overall predictive score represents a likelihood of a fault within the industrial process control system.
US09360863B2
Various embodiments for determining parameters for wafer inspection and/or metrology are provided.
US09360845B2
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes: a substrate; and a laminated body which is provided over the substrate, wherein the laminated body includes a first mirror layer provided over the substrate, an active layer provided over the first mirror layer, and a second mirror layer provided over the active layer, in a plan view, the laminated body includes a first portion having a first width, a second portion having a second width, and a third portion which is provided between the first portion and the second portion and has a third width wider than the first width or the second width, and a resin layer which covers at least one portion of the first portion is provided.
US09360832B2
An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge with a developing roller for developing a latent image and a development coupling for receiving a driving force from a main assembly coupling for rotating the developing roller. The apparatus also includes a contacting and spacing member provided on a drum supporting frame, with the contacting and spacing member being movable between a first position for contacting the developing roller to a photosensitive drum and a second position for spacing the developing roller from the photosensitive drum. The developing cartridge is provided with a projection that the contacting and spacing member contacts, and the projection projects in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller.
US09360828B2
An image-forming device includes: a main body; a plurality of developing units; a holding unit; a guiding unit; and a lifting mechanism. Each developing unit is configured to accommodate developer, and has a developing roller. The holding unit is configured to hold the plurality of developing units. The guiding unit is configured to enable the holding unit to move between an inside position that is inside the main body and an outside position that is outside the main body. The lifting mechanism includes a door provided on the main body. The lifting mechanism is configured to allow the guiding unit to move up and down in association with opening and closing of the door.
US09360824B2
An image forming apparatus is provided which includes an image bearer, a charger, an irradiator, a developing device to develop an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with a toner to form a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a transfer medium, and a cleaner to remove toner particles remaining on the image bearer without being transferred. The toner includes a mother particle including a binder resin and a colorant and one or more external additives. At least one of the external additives includes primary particles having a number average particle diameter in the range of 0.05 to 0.30 μm. The cleaner includes an elastic body blade having a contact part with the image bearer. The contact part has a surface elastic modulus in the range of 15 to 25 N/mm2 and a surface friction coefficient in the range of 0.5 to 0.7.
US09360821B2
According to an embodiment, there is provided an image forming apparatus that forms a color image using a plurality of discolorable coloring materials and a plurality of non-discolorable coloring materials. In a case where insufficiency of at least one coloring material from among the plurality of discolorable coloring materials and the plurality of non-discolorable coloring materials is detected, the image forming apparatus performs color image formation using the plurality of discolorable coloring materials and the plurality of non-discolorable coloring material in combination.
US09360819B2
A printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a feeding unit, a conveying unit including a pair of rollers, a printing unit, a control unit and a determination unit. The control can execute successive overlapped conveyance and skew correction. In the skew correction a leading edge of the printing medium abuts against the pair of rollers in a stop state. The determination unit determines whether to execute the successive overlapped conveyance. The control unit executes the skew correction of the succeeding printing medium at a timing according to a determination result of the determination unit.
US09360814B2
The printed board includes a slit portion and a first conductive member that is provided straddling the slit portion. In a state in which the printed board is attached to an apparatus to which one end of a second conductive member having an elastic force is connected, another end of the second conductive member contacts the first conductive member, and the another end of the second conductive member passes through the slit portion.
US09360813B2
An image processing apparatus includes: an image processing unit; a discharge unit to which a recording medium is discharged; a first conveyance path for conveying the recording medium from the image processing unit to the discharge unit; a second conveyance path having a part overlapped with the first conveyance path and for reversing and conveying the recording medium from the overlapped part to the image processing unit through a path different from the first conveyance path; a first rotary member that is arranged at the overlapped part; and a control unit that controls the first rotary member, wherein the control unit makes the recording medium stand by at a position including at least the overlapped part before the recording medium is conveyed to the image processing unit through the second conveyance path.
US09360812B2
A method and a system for double-sided printing of a series of sheets is provided. First printing data for being printed onto a first surface of the series of sheets are provided. The first printing data comprise a plurality of first subsets, each first subset for being printed onto one sheet. Second printing data for being printed onto a second surface of the series of sheets are provided. The second printing data comprise a plurality of second subsets. Each second subset is associated with a respective first subset. A first print is printed in dependence upon the first printing data onto the first surface of the series of sheets. A second print is printed in dependence upon the second printing data onto the second surface of the series of sheets. The first print is scanned and first print data in dependence thereupon are provided. The second print is scanned and second print data in dependence thereupon are provided. For each sheet the first print data and the second print data are processed to determine if the second print data are associated with the respective first print data and data indicative thereof are stored in a database.
US09360810B2
According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes determination means for determining the size of a medium, heating means for including plural heat-generating members which are two-dimensionally arranged such that the heat-generating members are lined up along two parallel lines or more which are vertical to a transport direction of the medium and divided at locations on the parallel lines, and are disposed so as to come into contact with an inner side of the rotating body, and a switching unit which switches individual conduction, and heats the medium, pressing means for forming a nip by performing pressing and contact at a position of the plural heat-generating members, and heating control means for selecting a group of the heat-generating members which are lined up in the two-dimensional arrangement, conducting the selected group of the heat-generating members, and controlling the heating means.
US09360809B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet conveyance section configured to convey a long sheet; a toner image forming section configured to form a toner image on the long sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance section; a fixing section configured to fix the toner image formed by the toner image forming section on the long sheet; and an information presenting section configured to display information relating to sheet conveyance, the information relating to sheet conveyance including waste sheet information indicating a conveyance amount of the long sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance section during a non-image formation period.
US09360807B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer on which a toner image is formed, an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image transferred from the image bearer, a secondary transfer member, a guide assembly, and a biasing device. The secondary transfer member meets the intermediate transfer belt to form a secondary transfer nip in which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording sheet. The guide assembly disposed upstream from the secondary transfer member in a transport direction of the recording sheet guides the recording sheet at a position lower than the secondary transfer nip such that a leading end of the recording sheet contacts the secondary transfer member before entering the secondary transfer nip. The biasing device biases the secondary transfer member to move the secondary transfer member in one of a direction of bias and a vertical direction.
US09360781B2
A toner set is used in a printing system that is capable of recycling a print medium and includes a first image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a decolorable toner which is decolored by being heated at a temperature Te (° C.) or higher, a second image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a non-decolorable toner and forms an image on the medium with at least one of the toners, and a decoloring apparatus provided with a heating portion which heats the medium on which a toner image is formed by the image forming apparatus at the temperature Te (° C.) or higher. When heated by the decoloring apparatus, the decolorable toner may be decolored without causing hot offset.
US09360778B2
Disclosed is a lithography system. The lithography system includes a lithography exposure tool designed for performing an exposure process to a radiation-sensitive material layer coated on an integrated circuit substrate; an alignment module coupled with the lithography exposure tool, designed for alignment measurement, and configured for transferring the integrated circuit substrate to the lithography exposure tool; and an alignment calibration module designed to calibrate the alignment module relative to the lithography exposure.
US09360775B2
The disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a projection objective, and a projection objective, such as a projection objective configured to be used in a microlithographic process. The method can include defining an initial design for the projection objective and optimizing the design using a merit function. The method can be used in the manufacturing of projection objectives which may be used in a microlithographic process of manufacturing miniaturized devices.
US09360771B2
An electrostatic clamp for use in holding an object onto a supporting table, the electrostatic clamp comprising: a multi-layer film comprising an electrode defined in an electrically conducting layer which is positioned between electrically insulating layers.
US09360765B2
A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; a liquid supply system configured to provide liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate; and a shutter configured to isolate the space from the substrate or a space to be occupied by a substrate.
US09360757B2
A method of forming a three-dimensional object is carried out by providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating the build region through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid and advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object from the solid polymer, while also concurrently with the irradiating and/or advancing steps: (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with the build surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between the dead zone and the solid polymer and in contact with each thereof. The gradient of polymerization zone comprises the polymerizable liquid in partially cured form (e.g., so that the formation of fault or cleavage lines between layers of solid polymer in the three-dimensional object is reduced). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.
US09360745B2
A light source assembly includes a plurality of first light sources disposed on a first plane to emit light, a plurality of second light sources disposed on a second plane, the second plane spaced apart from the first plane with a preset interval, wherein each second light source emits light between the adjacent first light sources, and a lens configured to concentrate light emitted from the plurality of first and second light sources. A projector having the light source assembly is also provided.
US09360726B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display that enables to enhance the resolution of a display screen, to narrow a flame portion, and to simplify the production process of an array substrate. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display including an array substrate, wherein the array substrate comprises: an insulating substrate; a first conductive layer on the insulating substrate; a first insulating layer on the first conductive layer; a second conductive layer on the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer on the second conductive layer; a third conductive layer on the second insulating layer; a third insulating layer on the third conductive layer; a fourth conductive layer on the third insulating layer; a plurality of bus lines; a plurality of lead wires; a common electrode provided in the third conductive layer; a common trunk wiring provided outside a display region, crossing the lead wires, and transmitting a common signal; and a connection electrode provided outside the display region and connecting the common electrode with the common trunk wiring, the wiring being provided in the first conductive layer, the plurality of lead wires being provided in the second conductive layer above the common trunk wiring, the connection electrode being provided at least in the fourth conductive layer.
US09360720B2
A first semiconductor layer is formed in the shape of an island in an active area displaying images on an array substrate. A second semiconductor layer is formed in the shape of an island outside the active area. A first insulating film covers the first and second semiconductor layers. A gate line is formed on the first insulating film and extends in a first direction. The gate line includes a gate electrode crossing the first semiconductor layer and a crossing portion crossing the second semiconductor layer. A second insulating film covers the gate line. A source line is formed on the second insulating film and extends in a second direction. The source line includes a source electrode contacting with the first semiconductor layer. A drain electrode is formed on the second insulating film apart from the source line and contacting with the first semiconductor layer.
US09360713B2
A method for manufacturing a color filter, the color filter, and a display device. The method for manufacturing the color filter includes: forming multiple transparent columnar objects in a pixel area of a substrate; forming on the substrate having formed thereon the transparent columnar object a black array that encircles to form the pixel area; and forming pixel resin layers in the pixel area, where the transparent columnar objects protrude outwards from the pixel resin layers to serve as columnar spacers. This allows for accurate control of the aperture size and aperture area of pores in the pixel area of the color filter.
US09360709B2
A TFT substrate and a counter substrate are bonded via a seal material. Alignment films are applied to entire surfaces of the TFT substrate and the counter substrate so as to realize even thickness of the alignment film. This allows a display region to be formed up to the area around the seal material. The alignment film is photo-alignment processed. An organic film formed of the material which is not photo-aligned is interposed between the alignment film and the seal material. High bonding strength between the organic film and the seal material improves reliability of a seal portion as well as reduces a frame region.
US09360703B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes a backlight assembly with a light source between a liquid crystal panel and a bottom. A heat sink is disposed on the bottom case to irradiate heat out of the liquid crystal display device. The heat sink may be located where the heat is accumulated by thermal convection, or near the top of the LCD device.
US09360702B2
An array substrate and a transflective liquid crystal display panel. The array substrate includes: a plurality of sub-pixel areas defined by gate lines and data lines distributed across each other, each of the sub-pixel areas comprising a transmission area and a reflection area, wherein, the array substrate further comprises an adjustment module; the adjustment module is configured to transmit an adjustment signal to the reflection area and adjust the reflection area from opaque state to transparent state upon an external light intensity being smaller than a preset light intensity.
US09360693B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) that includes a plurality of segments, and a plurality of control lines to activate the plurality of segments. Each of the plurality of segments is associated with an intersection of two of the control lines, and each of the plurality of control lines intersects with each of the other plurality of control lines.
US09360685B1
An eyeglasses clip device for climbing has a body, two lens heads, and a pressing clamp. The body has a nose groove, two windows, two mounting recesses, and four guiding bars. The windows are formed through the body. The mounting recesses are formed in a front side of the body and are respectively formed around the windows. The guiding bars are forwardly formed on and protrude from the front side of the body respectively beside the mounting recesses. The lens heads are movably connected to the body respectively in the mounting recesses, and each one of the lens heads has an outer casing, a first lens, a second lens, and a mirror. The pressing clamp is detachably connected to the body between the lens heads and has a fixed frame and a pressing frame.
US09360677B2
A translucent liquid crystal display panel (2) includes pixel pairs as display units each formed by a left-eye pixel (4L) and a right-eye pixel (4R) and arranged in a matrix shape. A through hole (4Ld) arranged in a color layer (4Lc) of a color filter has a slit shape whose longitudinal direction is identical to the orientation direction of a cylindrical lens (3a) constituting a lenticular lens (3). Similarly, a through hole (4Rd) arranged in a color layer (4Rc) of a color filter has a slit shape whose longitudinal direction is identical to the orientation direction of the cylindrical lens (3a) constituting the lenticular lens (3). This suppresses the phenomenon that a hue is changed by a field-of-view angle and/or an external light condition on the translucent display panel capable of displaying an image directed to a plurality of viewpoints.
US09360676B2
The disclosure generally relates to highly efficient light duct light splitters that are capable of splitting the light propagating within a light duct into two different ducts, with nearly 100 percent efficiency. In particular, the described light splitters are configured in a “Tee” shape with a reflective splitter element.
US09360670B2
A display device includes a first display unit, a second display unit, and a first image acquisition unit, a second image acquisition unit, an image processing unit, and an image output unit. A display method includes acquiring a first image and a second image by first image acquisition unit and second image acquisition unit respectively, both of the first image and the second image include the target image; determining a display information in accordance with the target image; determining a first display position in the first image and a second display position in the second image in accordance with the target image; displaying the first display image corresponding to the display information at the first display position and the second display image corresponding to the display information at the second display position.
US09360669B2
A display device, particularly for a vehicle, includes a base element and a combiner. The combiner moves by a drive mechanism between a position for use, in which a virtual image can be projected onto the combiner, and a stowed position. The drive mechanism includes a translation mechanism.
US09360668B2
A head-up display system includes a display unit including a projection unit configured to be positioned adjacent to a windshield, a display screen, and a controller. The projection unit is operable to project a current image generated by the controller onto a display screen. A position sensor is electrically coupled to the display unit and is operable to detect a position of an object with respect to the display unit. The controller is configured to dynamically update the current image based upon the position. A method of detecting an object is also disclosed.
US09360664B2
A micromechanical component and a method for producing a micromechanical component are described. The component has: a frame; a plate spring that is connected to the frame and that has a front side and a rear side facing away from the front side; a mirror element that is situated on the front side of the plate spring and is connected to the front side of the plate spring in such a way that the mirror element is suspended on the frame so as to be capable of displacement; and at least one piezoelectric strip that is connected to the rear side of the plate spring; the plate spring being elastically deformable through the application of an electrical voltage to the at least one piezoelectric strip in order to displace the mirror element.
US09360656B2
An imaging lens is provided with: a first lens with negative power; a second lens with negative power; a third lens with positive power; and a fourth lens with positive power. The cemented fourth lens is formed from an object side lens with negative power and an image side lens with positive power. The thickness of a resin adhesive layer that bonds the object side lens and the image side lens is 20 μm or greater on the optical axis, and when Sg1H is the amount of sag in the image side lens surface of the object side lens and Sg2H is the amount of sag in the object side lens surface of the image side lens. The bonding operation is easy without damage occurring to the cemented surfaces, with a design that takes into account thickness of the resin adhesive layer; therefore various forms of aberration can be corrected.
US09360649B2
A fiber optic cable guide may have an elongated base member that is curved along at least a portion of its length to define and limit the amount of curvature to be applied to a portion of a fiber optic cable while also defining the angular offset applied to the cable. The guide may be releasably attachable to a cable, and may include a cable retention member at each end of the base member that retains the cable with the guide.
US09360642B2
In an embodiment, an optical receptacle includes a first lens face that is disposed on a first surface 2a on a photoelectric conversion device 3 side in an optical receptacle main body so that a portion of light of the light of a light-emitting element 7 is incident thereon, a first reflective surface 14 that is disposed on a second surface 2b on the side opposite to the first surface 2a and reflects the light that has been incident on the first lens face 11, and a second reflective surface 16 that is disposed on the first surface 2a continuously with the first lens face 11 so that a remaining portion of light of the light of the light-emitting element 7 is incident thereon and reflects the incident remaining portion of light towards a light-receiving element 8 as monitor light are included.
US09360637B2
In the optical connector plug, a length from the end face of the capillary of the ferrule to the front end surface of the flange in the axial direction is larger than a length from the front end of the forward portion of the first accommodation space of the plug frame to the rear end surface of the rearward portion of the plug frame in the axial direction, and in a state in which the front end surface of the flange is in contact with the rear end surface of the plug frame, the end face of the capillary is located in the second accommodation space.
US09360631B2
There is provided a high power laser rotational optical assembly for use with, or in high power laser tools for performing high power laser operations. In particular, the optical assembly finds applications in performing high power laser operations on, and in, remote and difficult to access locations. The optical assembly has rotational seals and bearing configurations to avoid contamination of the laser beam path and optics.
US09360606B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a color filter substrate which includes: a substrate having a surface; a light-shielding layer disposed on the surface; a first color filter layer; and a second color filter layer disposed on the surface, the light-shielding layer has a first sidewall in direct contact with the first color filter layer, the first sidewall and the surface form a first angle, the light-shielding layer has a second sidewall in direct contact with the second color filter layer, the second sidewall and the surface form a second angle, and the second angle is less than the first angle.
US09360604B2
The present invention provides polymeric materials arranged as photonic crystals, or portions of photonic crystals, having properties which can be easily tuned over a large range of wavelengths upon exposure to an external stimulus. In some embodiments, the photonic crystals comprise at least one portion which can undergo a change in a physical, chemical, dielectric, or other property upon exposure to an altering stimulus, resulting in a change in a diffracted wavelength of electromagnetic radiation (e.g, light) by the photonic crystal. Embodiments of the invention may advantageously exhibit large stop band tunability and rapid response times. Photonic crystals of the invention may be useful in a wide variety of applications, such as colorimetric sensors, active components of simple display devices, electrically controlled tunable optically pumped laser, photonic switches, multiband filters, and the like.
US09360603B2
A method of producing a Fresnel zone plate (15) comprising: making available a substrate (1, 4, 7) which is rotationally symmetrical with respect to its center axis (1a, 4a, 7a); applying layers (2a-d; 5a-d; 8a-d; 11) following in succession by means of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method to faces (1b-c; 4b-c; 7b-c) of the substrate (1, 4, 7) without rotation of the substrate (1, 4, 7) in order to form a coated substrate, and severing (3a, b; 6a, b; 9a, b) at least one slice (13) from the coated substrate (1, 4, 7), by the coated substrate (1, 4, 7) being divided at least once at a right angle to the center axis (1a, 4a, 7a).
US09360597B2
Optical devices including deterministic aperiodic patterning using spiral arrays exhibit circular symmetry in continuous Fourier space via polarization-insensitive planar diffraction. Far-field diffractive coupling in these structures leads to the formation of scattering resonances with circular symmetry and characteristic vortex behavior carrying orbital angular momentum. Plasmonic nanoparticle arrays with aperiodic spiral geometry can be used in fabrication of optical devices that benefit from polarization insensitive, enhanced light-matter coupling on planar surfaces, such as thin-film solar cells (enhanced light absorption and efficiency), photodetectors (enhanced light emission and efficiency), optical biosensors, and polarization devices.
US09360594B2
Silicone hydrogel contact lenses having a high water content are described. The lenses are derived from a polymerizable composition including a first siloxane monomer represented by formula (1): wherein m of formula (1) represents one integer from 3 to 10, n of formula (1) represents one integer from 1 to 10, R1 of formula (1) is an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and each R2 of formula (1) is independently either a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; the lenses also include units derived from a second siloxane monomer having a number average molecular weight of at least 7,000 daltons, and at least one vinyl-containing cross-linking agent. The lenses have average equilibrium water contents from about 30% wt/wt to about 70% wt/wt when fully hydrated. Batches of silicone hydrogel contact lenses and methods of making silicone hydrogel contact lenses are also described.
US09360591B2
Presently described are microstructured films, such as brightness enhancing films, having a microstructured surface. The microstructured surface comprises the reaction product of a polymerizable composition comprising at least 20 wt-% of inorganic nanoparticles and a non-aromatic multi-(meth)acrylate monomer comprising at least three contiguous alkylene oxide repeat units. The multi-(meth)acrylate monomer typically comprises two or three (meth)acrylate groups. The alkylene oxide repeat units have the formula —[O-L]- wherein each L is independently a C2-C6 alkylene. Also described is a polymerizable resin composition comprising at least 20 wt-% of inorganic nanoparticles having a refractive index of at least 1.68 and a non-aromatic multi-(meth)acrylate monomer comprising at least three contiguous alkylene oxide repeat units.
US09360583B2
Apparatus and methods are implemented to determine characteristics of geological formations in a well. One or more transmitters and receivers electrically imitate a moving antenna. The moving antenna produces a distribution of frequencies by utilizing the Doppler effect. Each anomaly in the well produces reflections with different frequency, amplitude and phase information. Location and characteristics of multiple anomalies can be identified simultaneously in a well.
US09360571B2
A system and method for correcting vignetting distortion in an imaging sensor of a multi-camera flat panel X-Ray detector. A scintillator converts X-Ray radiation generated by an X-Ray source into detectable radiation. A displacement unit generates, during a calibration phase, relative displacement between the X-Ray detector and an X-Ray source at a plane parallel to the scintillator. The imaging sensor acquires, during the calibration phase, a first and a second partial images, the first partial image is acquired before the relative displacement is generated, and the second partial image is acquired after the relative displacement is generated. A relative displacement measurement unit measures the relative displacement. Coefficients of a preliminary inverse vignetting function are calculated based on differences between corresponding pixels of the two partial images.
US09360566B2
Provided is a radiation detector, including: a two-dimensional light receiving element including a plurality of pixels; and a scintillator layer having multiple scintillator crystals two-dimensionally arranged on a light receiving surface of the two-dimensional light receiving element, in which: the scintillator crystal includes two crystal phases, which are a first crystal phase including a material including a plurality of columnar crystals extending in a direction perpendicular to the light receiving surface of the two-dimensional light receiving element and having a refractive index n1, and a second crystal phase including a material existing between the plurality of columnar crystals and having a refractive index n2; and a material having a refractive index n3 is placed between adjacent scintillator crystals, the refractive index n3 satisfying a relationship of one of n1≦n3≦n2 and n2≦n3≦n1.
US09360563B2
The present disclosure relates to a scintillation assembly. The assembly may include a scintillator having a surface, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer contacting at least a portion of said surface, and a reflector proximal to the scintillator surface and adhered to the scintillator surface by the pressure sensitive adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer exhibits a TTV of 0.01 mm or less.
US09360555B2
An apparatus for compensating for a beam angle of a multi-layer LiDAR includes: a beam angle calculation unit configured to calculate a distance d calculated by using ground data detected by a ground data detection unit and a beam angle of the multi-layer LiDAR by using a mounting height of the multi-layer LiDAR stored in a storage unit. When the beam angle calculated by a beam angle calculation unit is in a threshold range, a beam angle selection unit selects the calculated beam angle as the beam angle, when a beam angle compensation unit compensates for the initial beam angle by using the beam angle selected by the beam angle selection unit.
US09360554B2
LiDAR (light detection and ranging) systems use one or more emitters and a detector array to cover a given field of view where the emitters each emit a single pulse or a multi-pulse packet of light that is sampled by the detector array. On each emitter cycle the detector array will sample the incoming signal intensity at the pre-determined sampling frequency that generates two or more samples per emitted light packet to allow for volumetric analysis of the retroreflected signal portion of each emitted light packet as reflected by one or more objects in the field of view and then received by each detector.
US09360549B1
Methods and apparatus provide calibration of a system using a cable check configuration and a calibration test configuration. A short to ground reflects an injected signal to characterize a first signal path in the cable check configuration. Switch setting can then be adjusted to inject a signal that is coupled to an array element and received from a feed. The signal paths can be characterized to enable in-field calibration testing.
US09360548B2
A power-supply device for supplying electrical power to a radar device that transmits and receives a continuous wave and detects an object reflecting the continuous wave on the basis of a spectrum of a beat signal of the transmitted and reflected waves. The power-supply device includes a power supply section that generates electrical power in a predefined voltage range through a switching section being turned on and off in response to a switching signal, and a switching signal output section that, outputs the switching signal whose frequency is set within one of assignable bands. This leads to a radar system comprised of the radar device and the power-supply device, capable of securely preventing erroneous detection of a frequency peak of the switching signal as a frequency peak of the object.
US09360546B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for projecting an estimated direction of arrival of sound onto a plane that does not include the estimated direction are described.
US09360544B2
A medical apparatus (300, 400, 500, 600) includes a magnetic resonance imaging system (301). The medical apparatus further includes a memory (330) containing instructions (350, 352, 354, 456, 458, 460) for execution by a processor (324). Execution of the instructions causes the processor to acquire (102, 202) baseline magnetic resonance data (332) and reconstruct (104, 204) a first image (334) using the baseline magnetic resonance data. Execution of the instructions further causes the processor acquire (106, 212) undersampled magnetic resonance data (336), which is undersampled in k- space in comparison to the baseline magnetic resonance data. Execution of the instructions further causes the processor reconstruct (108, 214) a second image (338) using the undersampled magnetic resonance data and the first image. The second image is reconstructed using an image ratio constrained reconstruction algorithm (354). A temperature map (340) is calculated (110, 216) using the second image.
US09360540B1
A magnetic resonance imaging configuration and methodology to straighten and otherwise homogenize the field lines in the imaging portion, creating improved image quality. Through use of calibrated corrective coils, magnetic field lines can be manipulated to improve uniformity and image quality. Additionally, when the apparatus is composed of non-ferromagnetic materials, field strengths can be increased to overcome limitations of Iron-based systems such as by use of superconductivity. A patient positioning apparatus and methodology allows multi-positioning of a patient within the calibrated and more uniform magnetic field lines.
US09360531B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an accelerated lifetime estimation device for predicting the lifetime of a secondary battery, and a method thereof. The accelerated lifetime estimation device can accurately estimate a normal lifetime of the secondary battery while reducing an evaluation time period of the secondary battery.
US09360522B2
Techniques and mechanisms are provided to monitor signals including critical signals at the endpoints, or leaves, of one or more signal trees in an integrated circuit device. Sensors or layers of sensors may be configured in fault detection circuitry to monitor signals and compare them to static or dynamically varying values. The fault detection circuits may include OR-gate daisy chains that output a fault detection signal to control circuitry if any signal at a particular leaf deviates from an expected signal. Fault detection circuits may also be configured to identify instances where two or more or N or more signals deviate from an expected signal. Mechanisms may also be provided to assure the reliability of fault detection circuitry itself.
US09360504B2
An envelope detector circuit, suitable for use in RFID tags, includes a voltage doubler circuit and a biasing voltage generating circuit which comprises components matched respectively to rectifying components of the voltage doubler circuit. A rectifying component of this voltage doubler circuit is formed by a transistor controlled by the biasing voltage generating circuit which provides a biasing voltage to a control gate of this transistor, the biasing voltage generating circuit being arranged so as to permit a determined forward biasing current to flow through the transistor and further rectifying elements of the voltage doubler circuit. This embodiment provides fast, highly sensitive detection of envelope waveforms in input signals. Thanks to the matched rectifying components, efficiency variations due to variations in manufacturing process can be eliminated. The envelope detector circuit is further arranged for maintaining a stable detection independent of variations in temperature.
US09360501B2
An electric field sensor includes one or more sensing electrodes connected to an integrated amplifier that bootstraps all parasitic capacitances at the sensor input to provide for a very high input impedance without the need for neutralization or other adjustments and calibration. The integrated amplifier for the electric field sensor further includes low-noise ESD/biasing structures to stabilize the DC-potential of the sensor with a minimum amount of added noise, leakage and parasitic capacitance.
US09360498B2
The preferred embodiments are directed to a method of operating an SPM including providing probe cassette for a scanning probe microscope that includes a base having at least one probe storage receptacle, a lid mountable on the base with the probe storage receptacle at least substantially covering the at least one receptacle, and a probe retainer that retains a probe device of the scanning probe microscope in the receptacle under a compressive force. The probe cassette can be pre-loaded and shipped to a user site where the cassette can be loaded in an AFM without manual manipulation of the individual probe devices.
US09360489B2
This disclosure relates to methods and kits, systems for screening, diagnosing and prognosing a disease, disorder, or physiological state based upon temporal measurements and analysis of gene expression in a subject.
US09360488B2
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for monitoring, diagnosis, prognosis, and determination of treatment regimens in subjects suffering from or suspected of having a renal injury. In particular, the invention relates to using a measured urine concentration of one or more of TIMP2 and IGFBP7 in combination with one or more of a measured serum creatinine and a measured urine output, which results are correlated to the renal status of the subject, and can be used for diagnosis, prognosis, risk stratification, staging, monitoring, categorizing and determination of further diagnosis and treatment regimens in subjects suffering or at risk of suffering from an injury to renal function, reduced renal function, and/or acute renal failure.
US09360482B2
A process for the identification of compounds with a molecular weight in the range 100 to 750 which inhibit the binding of the first and/or second bromodomains of human BRD-2 to 4 to acetylated lysine residues of their physiological partner proteins which comprises selecting those compounds which are able to: a) form a hydrogen bonding interaction in which the compound accepts a hydrogen bond from the sidechain NH2 group of the asparagine residue found at: BRD-2BRD-2BRD-3 BRD-4BRD-4 BD1BD2BD1BRD-3 BD2BD1BD2 ASN156ASN429ASN116ASN391ASN140ASN433 or b) accept a water-mediated hydrogen bond in which the compound accepts a hydrogen bond from a water that is itself hydrogen-bonded to the sidechain hydroxyl of the tyrosine residue found at BRD-2 BRD-3 BRD-4 BD1BRD-2 BD2BD1BRD-3 BD2BD1BRD-4 BD2 TYR113TYR386TYR73TYR348TYR97TYR390 and c) which are also able to form a Van der Waals interaction with a lipophilic binding region of a binding pocket such that one or more heavy atoms of the said compounds lie within a 5 Å range of any of the heavy atoms of the following bromodomain residues which define the binding pocket: BRD-2BRD-2BRD-3 BRD-4BRD-4 BD1BD2BD1BRD-3 BD2BD1BD2 TRP97TRP370TRP57TRP332TRP81TRP374 PRO98PRO371PRO58PRO333PRO82PRO375 ASP161ASP434ASP121GLU396ASP145GLU438 ILE162VAL435ILE122VAL397ILE146VAL439 MET165MET438MET125MET400MET149MET442 pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, and their use in therapy.
US09360480B2
A method of assaying for peptide-specific T-cells comprises adding peptide to a fluid sample of fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and detecting a cytokine such as interferon-y produced by T-cells that have been pre-sensitized to the peptide. The assay method is quick and cheap and is expected to be useful for the study of various disease states including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and influenza.
US09360474B2
The invention relates to devices comprising a sensor layer capable of binding magnesium ions and a scavenging layer that preferentially binds to calcium ions in the presence of both magnesium ions and calcium ions. The sensor layers can comprise known or novel luminionophores. The invention further relates to methods of selectively detecting magnesium ion concentration in the presence of calcium ions.
US09360466B2
A total organic carbon meter including a sample introduction mechanism that includes a case in which a sample introduction and rod opening is formed; a sample introduction rod at the front end part of which a sample tray is arranged and which is inserted in the set direction through the sample introduction and rod opening; and a cover formed on the outer circumferential surface of the sample introduction rod, wherein the insertion of the sample introduction rod, on the front end part of which a sample tray has been arranged, through the sample introduction and rod opening, causes the gap between the sample introduction and rod opening and the sample introduction rod to be closed by the cover.
US09360462B2
A gas chromatograph mass spectrometer including: an oven for gas chromatography, a mass spectrometry part, a sample vaporization chamber, a gas supply part, and a control part. When the replacement operation of a septum or a glass insert begins, the control part controls the gas supply part so that the flow rate of a carrier gas has a constant pressure and then controls heaters so that temperature is equal to or less than a temperature at which replacement is possible. When temperature becomes equal to or less than the temperature at which replacement is possible and the replacement operation of the septum or the glass insert is completed, the control part controls the heaters so that the temperature is an analysis temperature and controls the gas supply part to employ the same control method for the flow rate of the carrier gas as that before the replacement operation is begun.
US09360458B2
The rotary transformer 5 includes a plate-shaped stator 51 having a coil arranged on one surface thereof, and a plate-shaped rotator 52 having a coil arranged on one surface thereof, in which the respective coil-arranged surfaces are disposed to face with each other so that signal transmission in a frequency range of 1 to 10 MHz is performed between the coils. The stator includes a substrate 512 on which a plurality of one-turn coils are formed into a concentric shape, and a supporting member 513. The rotator includes a substrate 522 on which one-turn coils 521 of same number are formed into a concentric shape, and a supporting member 523. Air or a material M which is an insulator and has a relative magnetic permeability substantially equal to 1 is lying between the substrate 512 and the supporting member 513, and between the substrate 522 and the supporting member 523.
US09360454B2
The invention provides methods for rapid and quantitative extraction and detection of coenzyme Q10 in a sample readily adaptable to high throughput screening methods. The invention further provides reagents and kits for practicing the methods of the invention.
US09360453B2
Probes for monitoring electrostatic phenomena in challenging environments, such as fluidized bed reactors. These probes include a coated or uncoated static probe for measuring electric field and or particle charge state, an oscillatory electric field probe for measuring electric field, a chopped electric field probe for measuring electric field, and a radio-frequency antenna probe for detecting electrostatic discharges.
US09360452B2
Electrophoresis tray arranged to support an electrophoresis cassette for miming electrophoresis experiments, the electrophoresis cassette comprising a gel member in a housing with a front and a back face, wherein the tray comprises a cassette support surface for supporting at least the separation zone of the electrophoresis cassette during electrophoresis, and wherein the cassette support surface is flanked by a pair of buffer pad holders each one arranged to hold a buffer pad in a mating position with respect to buffer connection sections at the back face of the electrophoresis cassette.
US09360446B2
Methods and systems for measuring and using the oxidation-reduction potential of a biological sample
Methods and systems for measuring and using the oxidation-reduction characteristics of a biological sample are provided. The system generally includes a test strip and a readout device. A fluid sample is placed in the test strip, and the test strip is in turn operatively connected to the readout device. The readout device provides a controlled current that is sent across the fluid in the sample chamber. In addition, the readout device identifies an inflection point or transition time at which the voltage between contacts of the test strip is changing at the highest rate. The oxidation-reduction capacity of the sample is taken as the integral of the current profile from the time at which current begins to be supplied to the sample to the identified transition time.
US09360445B2
A method and apparatus for measuring relative humidity including condensing environmental conditions using a circuit with a capacitive humidity sensor and a reference resistor each connected to an input of a switch device and thence a quadrature sampling circuit. A sinusoidal source is first connected to the reference resistor and secondly to the capacitive humidity while a signal ground is first connected to the capacitive humidity sensor and secondly to the reference resistor. This produces a first voltage and a second voltage that are each sampled in quadrature. A complex ratio of the sampled voltages is calculated and converted into a representation of relative humidity.
US09360443B2
A nano scale resonator, a nano scale sensor, and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The nano scale resonator includes a resonance unit of nano scale configured to resonate based on an applied signal, and an anchor on a substrate, the anchor being configured to support the resonance unit, the anchor having an air gap within boundaries of the anchor, the resonance unit, and the substrate, the air gap being configured to reflect a vertical wave occurring in the resonance unit.
US09360442B2
There is provided a detecting apparatus including one or a plurality of magnetic coupling elements that include a plurality of coils, and a detector that measures an electrical parameter related to the one or plurality of magnetic coupling elements or to a circuit that at least includes the one or plurality of magnetic coupling elements, and determines from a change in the electrical parameter whether a foreign matter that generates heat due to magnetic flux is present. In the one or plurality of magnetic coupling elements, the plurality of coils are electrically connected such that magnetic flux produced from at least one or more of the plurality of coils and magnetic flux produced from remaining coils of the plurality of coils have approximately opposing orientations.
US09360423B2
An optical system for a holographic microscope includes: a light source configured to emit a light beam; a grating configured to split the light beam into a reference beam and an object beam; a lens unit configured to irradiate a sample by the reference and object beams split by the grating; a spatial filter including a first region for the reference beam and a second region for the object beam; and a detector configured to detect an interference pattern caused by the reference and object beams.
US09360422B2
An optical probe with associated disposable polymer sheath for near-infrared optical interrogation of fluids within bioprocessing vessels by means of transmission or transflection spectroscopy provides for the determination of quantities and parameters of substances in fluids contained within bioprocessing vessels. Associated methods for use of the optical probe and associated sheath to determine quantities of substances in fluids and parameters of fluids during bioprocesses are provided.
US09360421B2
In one aspect, the disclosure provides methods for using NMR and NIR to evaluate biological samples. In some embodiments, the methods include a step of performing a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis on a sample to obtain an NMR spectrum, a step of performing a Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) analysis on the sample to obtain an NIR spectrum, and/or a step of performing a data fusion analysis to evaluate the NIR spectrum.
US09360419B2
A method of spectrometry on a spatially extensive sample with generation of a measure in respect of a match of a detected spectrum of a first generation with a single or a plurality of predetermined comparative spectra of chemical substances is disclosed. The method includes the steps: determining at least one location of the first generation on the sample, irradiating the sample with electromagnetic radiation with a plurality of frequencies or a frequency band between 1 GHz and 30 THz at the given location of the first generation of a first order on the sample, frequency-resolved detection of a measure in respect of the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation irradiated on to the sample at the location of the first generation and transmitted or reflected by the sample as the spectrum of the first generation, and calculating a respective measure in respect of a match of the detected spectrum of the first generation with one of the comparative spectra.
US09360416B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for twin-focus photothermal correlation spectroscopy for the characterization of dynamical processes in liquids and biomaterials with the help of absorbing markers. Thereby non-fluorescent absorbing nano objects are heated by an intensity-modulated heating laser which leads to a refractive index gradient lens around the object. This refractive index gradient is detected by a detection laser with a focal volume that, depending on the position of the heated object relative to the focal plane of the detection beam, splits into two-sub-volumes forming a twin-focus comprising two sharply separated parts of a focal volume showing no spatial overlap.
US09360411B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a containment system having a primary air inlet and an alternate inlet. In one embodiment, a containment system includes a housing configured to retain a main filter, the housing having a primary air inlet and an access door configured to access an interior of the housing. The access door has an alternate airflow inlet. In another embodiment, an air distribution plate includes a front surface having a first edge and an opposing second edge, wherein the front surface is configured to allow air to pass therethrough. Flow resistance through the front surface is greater proximate the second edge relative the first edge. In yet another embodiment, a method for testing a filter includes closing a damper and flowing air into a containment housing through an inlet formed though an access door and across an air distribution plate to a filter, and testing the filter.
US09360409B2
[Problem] A method for measuring a viscoelastic modulus of a substance and an apparatus for measuring the viscoelastic modulus of the substance are provided for allowing information on viscoelasticity of an adsorption substance to be expressed by moduli G′ and G″ which are generally used when expressing viscoelasticity, and for further allowing calculation of the viscoelastic modulus in real time.[Solution] In a system for forming a film by adsorbing a substance to the surface of a piezoelectric element or to a film fixed onto the piezoelectric element in a solution, at least two of N-th waves of the piezoelectric element are used, and at least two of a resonance frequency Fs, and half-value frequencies F1 and F2 (F2>F1) having half conductance values of a conductance value of the resonance frequency in each N-th wave are used to calculate a mass load term, a viscoelastic term (1), a viscoelastic term (2), and a viscoelastic term (3), and to calculate viscoelastic moduli G′ (storage elastic modulus) and G″ (loss elastic modulus) of the film.
US09360405B2
An instrument (10) for gravimetrically determining moisture content has a housing (20), with a weighing device (40) arranged inside. The weighing device (40) has a load receiver (60) onto which a sample (62) is placed. The housing has a stationary housing part (21) and a movable housing part (22), the movable housing part alternately occupying a measuring position and a loading position. In the loading position, the respective housing parts are spaced apart from each other, allowing a sample to be put on the load receiver. In the measuring position, the respective housing parts form an essentially enclosed testing compartment (30) that surrounds the load receiver. A means (70), arranged in the testing compartment, heats a sample that is placed on the load receiver. The movable housing part is moved between the respective positions by a position-changing device.
US09360403B2
The present invention provides a device and methods of use thereof in concentrating a species of interest and/or controlling liquid flow in a device. The methods make use of a device comprising a fluidic chip comprising a planar array of channels through which a liquid comprising a species of interest can be made to pass with at least one rigid substrate connected thereto such that at least a portion of a surface of the substrate bounds the channels, and a high aspect ratio ion-selective membrane is embedded within the chip, attached to at least a portion of the channels. The device comprises a unit to induce an electric field in the channel and a unit to induce an electrokinetic or pressure driven flow in the channel.
US09360400B2
In an embodiment, the present invention is an apparatus, configured to collect emitted sample dose from a drug delivery device, wherein the sample dose is an aerosol, wherein the apparatus comprises a collection assembly and a removable plunger.
US09360396B2
In a tire uniformity measurement, accurate tire uniformity is obtained from a measurement waveform immediately after a rotation of a tire is switched from a normal rotation direction to a reverse rotation direction. A tire uniformity testing device of the present invention includes a measurement unit 108 that obtains a force variation from a uniformity waveform corrected by a correction unit 109 that corrects the uniformity waveform so as to eliminate a shift gradient α existing in the uniformity waveform measured after a rotation of a tire T1 is reversed, and further includes an air-outflow regulation member 220 that regulates an from flowing into a tire T2 when a drum 205 retreats or advances.
US09360391B2
A system and method compensate for effects of gravity on the diaphragm of a capacitance diaphragm gauge (CDG). The CDG generates a measured absolute pressure value in response to an applied absolute pressure on an input of the CDG. The CDG is subjected to a variable orientation of the CDG with respect to the earth's surface that can cause inaccurate pressure measurements. A pressure measuring circuit generates a measured value of an applied absolute pressure provided to an input of the CDG. A tilt sensor generates at least one tilt sensor output value that is responsive to an orientation of the CDG with respect to the earth's surface. A processing system adjusts the measured absolute pressure value by a calibration factor to generate a calibrated absolute pressure value representing the applied absolute pressure, wherein the calibration factor is selected in response to the at least one tilt sensor output value.
US09360387B2
A pressure sensor chip is provided with first and second retaining members. The peripheral edge portions of the first and second retaining members are bonded to face one face and another face of a diaphragm, respectively. An inner edge of the peripheral edge portion of the first retaining member is positioned further to the outside than an inner edge of the peripheral edge portion of the second retaining member.
US09360383B2
Force and location sensing systems and methods are disclosed. A method comprises bending a L-beam at an initially unknown location on a force-supporting portion of the L-beam, the L-beam substantially having a tension side and a compression side, measuring a first local stress at a first location on the tension side, measuring a second local stress at a second location on the tension side, measuring a third local stress at a third location on the compression side, and measuring a fourth local stress at a fourth location on the compression side. A weight-sensing storage system capable of tracking removed items is disclosed with a product image captured via a camera, a plurality of sensors on an L-beam, a first signal from the plurality of sensors indicating a first state prior to change of the product image, and a second signal indicating lower strain on the L-beam than the first signal.
US09360380B2
A method and apparatus for monitoring waterbed environment are described. The method may comprise determining a first temperature at a location within the water column of a surface body of water that is representative of the upper thermal boundary condition between surface water and pore water environments, and determining at least a second temperature at the location at a first depth below a waterbed surface. The first and second temperatures are then used to monitor a waterbed environment. Certain embodiments are particularly useful for monitoring spatiotemporal variations of riverbed surface elevations, such as scour and deposition, over a time period. Probe/sensor assemblies are disclosed for practicing the method.
US09360375B2
A photon radiation detector including a support forming a plane spiral with at least four arms, each arm being suspended between a first end common to the four arms and a second end, each arm including a resistive material, the resistivity of which varies as a function of a temperature of the resistive material, and which is electrically connected to the first and second ends of said arm, and a first array of antennas sensitive to a first physical parameter of the photon radiation and in thermal contact with the resistive material of two of the four arms, called first arms, wherein the second end of said each arm of the at least four arms is electrically connected to a read circuit of the detector and thermally bonded to a first heat sink.
US09360373B2
A rear-surface-irradiation-type infrared sensor includes a substrate having a through hole passing through between an upper surface and a lower surface; an infrared absorption part on the substrate on a side of the upper surface separate from the substrate by the through hole; and a temperature sensor part detecting a change in a temperature of the infrared absorption part. The through hole includes a first through hole part having an opening on the upper surface and one or more second through hole parts having shapes different from the first through hole constituent part. The first through hole part and the second through hole part(s) communicate with each other. In a cross-sectional shape of the through hole on a plane perpendicular to the upper surface, an inside wall of the first through hole part is outside an inside wall of the of second through hole part(s).
US09360367B2
A handheld LIBS spectrometer includes an optics stage movably mounted to a housing and including a laser focusing lens and a detection lens. One or more motors advance and retract the optics stage, move the optics stage left and right, and/or move the optics stage up and down. A laser source in the housing is oriented to direct a laser beam to the laser focusing lens. A spectrometer subsystem in the housing is configured to receive electromagnetic radiation from the detection lens and to provide an output. A controller subsystem is responsive to the output of the spectrometer subsystem and is configured to control the laser source and motors. In this way, auto-calibration, auto-clean, and auto-focus, and/or moving spot functionality is possible.
US09360362B2
A force-measuring device (1) for a gravimetric measuring instrument has a stationary part (11) and a load-receiving part (12). Parallel guide members (14, 15) connect the receiving parts. The device also has at least one balance beam (19) connected to the load-receiving part through a coupling element (17) acting on a first lever arm (18) thereof, and which, at a second lever arm (20) thereof, is connected to a measurement transducer (22) which is arranged on the stationary part. Further levers (29, 30) can be arranged, respectively, between the first lever arm and the load-receiving part, and between the second lever arm and the measurement transducer. At least one sliding weight (23, 23A, 23B) is arranged on the at least one balance beam, wherein the position of each of the sliding weights present can be varied in a controlled way by means of at least one drive mechanism.
US09360361B2
There is disclosed herein a method of measuring and profiling a process liquid in a process vessel. The process liquid includes an emulsion layer between two media of differing dielectric constants. An electromagnetic signal is generated and transmitted along a probe, defining a transmission line, extending into the vessel. The transmission line comprises a conductor in contact with the process liquid with an insulating coating on the conductor to maximize signal penetration in the process liquid. A reflected signal is received from the transmission line and a programmed controller is operatively connected to the probe for measuring characteristics of reflected signal energy along the transmission line for profiling the emulsion layer.
US09360360B2
A system for measuring a level of dry bulk material within a container has a columnar device supported vertically within the container. The columnar device has a closed lower end and openings through a sidewall thereof for allowing dry bulk material within the container to flow into and out of the columnar device. A load cell is used to measure a weight of the dry bulk material within the columnar device, which is then correlated to the level of dry bulk solids within the container. The columnar device and the sidewall openings therein can be provided in various shapes and configurations.
US09360349B2
A capsule including two shells secured to each other so to be joined by a common closed surface and together defining, on both sides of the surface, a closed space delimited by the shells. At least one of the two shells is a flexible membrane configured to deform under effect of a physical magnitude. At least the membrane is made of at least partially amorphous metal alloy to optimize dimensions of the capsule.
US09360347B2
Two dimensional encoder system and method designed to improve accuracy, compactness, stability, resolution, and/or light efficiency of metrology carried out with such system and method. Embodiments employ a novel retroreflector which while particularly useful in present invention, is believed to have more general utility in optical imaging systems and methods.
US09360343B2
A method, system or computer usable program product for monitoring single arm walking aid use of a user including providing a sensor on at least one of a left shoe, a right shoe and a single arm walking aid, using the sensor, determining a relative position of a set of footsteps by a left foot, a set of footsteps by a right foot, and a set of placements of the single arm walking aid, and using the relative position data, determining whether the user is practicing correct single arm walking aid use.
US09360342B2
A system for navigation along a desired route on a desired future date may include a map interface operable to display a traffic condition and a travel time received via a communication network, and an automobile navigation network communicatively coupled to the communication network. The automobile navigation network may estimate the traffic condition and the travel time for travel along the desired route on the desired future date based on historical travel information, current traffic information and current weather information. Information regarding the estimated travel conditions may be automatically communicated to the map interface. The traffic condition may include geographic location information and/or route information. The historical travel information may include historical traffic information.
US09360341B2
A map preparation apparatus includes a position information acquisition section, an input information acquisition section, and a selection section. The position information acquisition section acquires position information of a user who is moving. The input information acquisition section acquires input information including a date and time when the user starts moving and a date and time when the user finishes moving. The selection section selects map information from preregistered map information on the basis of the position information acquired by the position information acquisition section and on the basis of the input information acquired by the input information acquisition section. The selected map information includes a route in a ratio equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio. The route is taken from the date and time when the user starts moving to the date and time when the user finishes moving.
US09360339B2
The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for rendering maps using canvasses. One method includes: presenting a portion of a first map in a first canvas of a user interface; receiving a user input to perform a function associated with changing a display presentation of the first map; populating a second canvas with a second map associated with the first map; exposing at least a portion of the second canvas; and hiding at least a portion of the first canvas.
US09360337B2
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for improved navigation using the global positioning system (GPS). A method of improved navigation includes transmitting a destination to a navigation server through a wireless communication channel. The method further includes transmitting position information from a GPS-enabled device to the navigation server through the wireless communication channel automatically at a time interval. The method further includes generating navigation information by the navigation server. The navigation information is based on the position information and the destination. The method further includes receiving navigation information on the GPS-enabled device from the navigation server through the wireless communication channel.
US09360332B2
In a method for determining a course of a traffic lane for a vehicle (10), structures that demarcate a trafficable space are detected in image data from an image acquisition unit (2), and these structures are plotted on a surroundings map (20) that subdivides the surroundings of the vehicle into a two-dimensional grid (20a) of cells (21). The position of the vehicle in the grid of the surroundings map is determined and updated by odometric data. The distance and the direction of the vehicle (10) relative to those cells (21b) of the grid (20a) having structures that demarcate the pavement and/or the traffic lane are determined. Brightness transitions in the image data are detected and are plotted on the cells (21) of the grid (20a). The course of the traffic lane (22) is determined from the cells with the detected brightness transitions.
US09360329B2
The present invention provides a navigation device which includes an obtaining unit that, when updating contents introduction data which introduces the latest updating contents of an arbitrary home page is sent from the outside, obtains the updating contents introduction data, a position information generation unit that generates position information according to the latitude and longitude information included in the updating contents introduction data, and a position registration unit that registers the position information in a predetermined storage unit.
US09360326B2
A turning progress display apparatus is provided. The turning progress display apparatus includes an azimuth information acquiring module configured to acquire azimuth information that is at least one of information of an orientation of a movable body, information of a traveling direction of the movable body, and information that changes cooperating with a change of the orientation of the movable body, a progress calculating module configured to calculate a progress of the turn based on the azimuth information acquired by the azimuth information acquiring module and a target value of the azimuth information, and a display unit configured to display the turning progress calculated by the progress calculating module.
US09360324B1
A user-heading determining system (10) for pedestrian use includes a multiple-axis accelerometer (110) having acceleration sensors; a device-heading sensor circuit (115) physically situated in a fixed relationship to the accelerometer (110); an electronic circuit (100) operable to generate signals representing components of acceleration sensed by the accelerometer (110) sensors, and to electronically process at least some part of the signals to produce an estimation of attitude of a user motion with respect to the accelerometer, and further to combine the attitude estimation (750, α) with a device heading estimation (770, ψ) responsive to the device-heading sensor circuit, to produce a user heading estimation (780); and an electronic display (190) responsive to the electronic circuit (100) to display information at least in part based on the user heading estimation. Other systems, circuits and processes are also disclosed.
US09360323B2
A method of computing an orientation of a mobile device in a vehicle includes collecting accelerometer data from the mobile device. The accelerometer data are subdivided into frames, each frame being a quantity of time in which a sample data point is taken. Statistics are calculated for each frame, including (i) a mean and (ii) a standard deviation of the magnitude of the acceleration vectors. Device usage delimiters, marking start and end points of a coherent block, are computed, the coherent block being consecutive frames in which the mobile device stays in the same orientation relative to the vehicle. A gravity vector is estimated using the statistics in coherent blocks. A nullspace is computed from the gravity vector, the nullspace being a plane orthogonal to the gravity vector. The accelerometer data is projected onto the nullspace, resulting in an estimated orientation of the mobile device in the vehicle.
US09360321B2
The invention relates to a method for navigation of an aerial vehicle. The method comprises providing a sensor image from an aerial vehicle sensor. The method also comprises to repeatedly, until at least one predetermined criterion is reached, perform the step of setting input data, where the input data comprises information related to pitch angle, roll angle, yaw angle and three-dimensional position of the aerial vehicle, the step of providing a two-dimensional image from a database based on the input data, where the database comprises three-dimensional geo-referenced information of the environment, and the step of comparing the sensor image and the two dimensional image from the database. The method further comprises using the input data for which the two images correspond best to each other for determining at least one of the following quantities pitch angle, roll angle, yaw angle and three-dimensional position of the aerial vehicle. The invention also relates to a system, a computer program and a computer program product.
US09360306B2
Disclosed are a three-dimensional profile measurement apparatus and method using the amplitude size of a projection grid wherein a periodic pattern of the projection grid is projected onto an object to be measured, the amplitude of the projection grid is obtained through the change of the pattern of the projection grid, and the amplitude size is continuously obtained while moving the object upwards and downwards, thus measuring the three-dimensional profile of the object.
US09360304B2
Under a known pressure is externally applied to a reference member to which an optical fiber is fixed, test light is allowed to enter the optical fiber, and at least one of a reference Brillouin measurement for determining a reference Brillouin frequency shift amount based on the Brillouin scattering phenomenon, and a reference Rayleigh measurement for determining a reference Rayleigh frequency shift amount based on the Rayleigh scattering phenomenon is performed. A Brillouin measurement coefficient or a Rayleigh measurement coefficient is determined from these calculation results. An optical fiber is fixed to a sample member, the volumetric change of which is unknown, and the same sample Brillouin measurement or sample Rayleigh measurement is performed to determine the frequency shift amount. The volumetric change of the sample member is determined from the sample Brillouin or the sample Rayleigh frequency shift amount, and from the Brillouin or the Rayleigh measurement coefficient.
US09360301B2
A method and system are provided for controlling a laser tracker remotely from the laser tracker through gestures performed by a user. The method includes providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and each of a plurality of user gestures. A gesture is performed by the user with the user's body that corresponds to one of the plurality of user gestures. The gesture performed by the user is detected. The gesture recognition engine determines a first command from one of the plurality of commands that correspond with the detected gesture. Then the first command is executed with the laser tracker.
US09360298B2
A surface emitting laser operable to change a wavelength of emitted light includes a first reflecting mirror, a second reflecting mirror, wherein a cavity is formed between the first reflecting mirror and the second reflecting mirror along the optical axis of the surface emitting laser, an active layer formed within the cavity, a region formed within the cavity, and a movable part situated within the region, the movable part having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the region. The wavelength of emitted light is changeable by changing the position of the movable part along the direction of the optical axis in the region.
US09360297B2
Provided is an optical tomographic device including a measurement optical system that irradiates light from a light source to inside a subject and guides reflected light therefrom; a reference optical system that guides the light from the light source as reference light; a calibration optical system that irradiates a calibration reflecting surface with light from the light source, and guides the reflected light reflected by the calibration reflecting surface; a light-receiving element that receives the interfering light for measurement formed by synthesizing the reflected light guided by the measurement optical system and the reference light, and the interfering light for calibration formed by synthesizing the reflected light guided by the calibration optical system and the reference light; and an arithmetic logic unit that corrects the received interfering light for measurement by using an analysis result obtained by analyzing the received the interfering light for calibration.
US09360296B2
A system for interpreting terahertz radiation includes a terahertz transmitter configured to output a pulse of terahertz radiation and a terahertz receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the pulse of radiation from the terahertz transmitter. The terahertz receiver is configured to output a signal based on the radiation received by the terahertz receiver.
US09360294B2
Among other things, the disclosure features a system comprising a sensor, a DC magnetic field source, an AC magnetic field source, and a receiver. The sensor has an aspect ratio of 10:1 or higher and comprises a ferromagnetic material. The ferromagnetic material has a non-linear magnetization response, and the response contains a maximum point of non-linearity. The DC magnetic field source is adjustable for providing a magnetic excitation field to excite a magnetic field within the sensor. The provided magnetic excitation field has a range such that the excited magnetic field within the sensor is near the maximum point of non-linearity. The AC magnetic field source is configured to generate an AC magnetic field to cause the sensor to generate even harmonics. The receiver is configured to receive the even harmonics from the sensor for determining a position of the sensor.
US09360289B2
A multi-purpose squaring and leveling tool comprising a generally trapezoidal body, angled corners, and leveling inserts. The tool may be used for tradesman, pipe fitters, and home carpenters as a means of setting joints and other construction or repair. The shape of the tool allows for the squaring and leveling of joints around obstacles which may present barriers to traditional squaring tools.
US09360275B2
A holster adapted worn by an individual as a means of containing an item. An exemplary embodiment comprises a containing means with an inside and an outside surface where the containing means may be selectively connected to a covering means via a securing means. In preferred exemplary embodiments, the covering means covers substantially all or a portion of the outside surface of the containing means so that it protects the containing means from wear. The covering means may be reversible offering users the ability to have different holster surfaces in the same unit.
US09360256B2
Disclosed in the present invention are a combustion furnace with coaxial staged hearth and heating method thereof, in which the combustion furnace comprises a metal furnace body (40) whose internal part is provided with a furnace chamber. The furnace chamber is divided into two sections at the middle by fire resistant material to form a left and a right independent combustion chambers (18, 19). Two independent combustion chambers (18, 19) are respectively connected with the ends of flue gas chambers (2, 60), while the other ends of the flue gas chambers (2, 60) are respectively connected with a burner (3). The peripherals of two independent combustion chambers (18, 19) are respectively provided with a flue gas heat radiation pipe (14). A middle flue gas chamber (100) is set in the middle position of the furnace chamber. Two ends of the flue gas heat radiation pipe (14) are respectively connected with the flue gas chamber (2, 60) and the middle flue gas chamber (100). Two independent combustion chambers (18, 19) are communicated with each other through the flue gas chamber (2, 60), the flue gas heat radiation pipe (14) and the middle flue gas chamber (100), and combust alternately. A suspension device including a portal frame (50) is provided for suspending the metal furnace body (40) horizontally or obliquely. The metal furnace body (40) is suspended on the portal frame (50) at a suspending point (41). A walking mechanism (20) and a feeding mechanism (9) are also set on the portal frame (50).
US09360254B2
A raku kiln has a fire ring with a cylindrical sidewall and bottom made of refractory material with a kiln shelf supported a few inches above the bottom to enclose a space that is superheated by burners. A firing-chamber rests on the fire ring and is lifted by a two aligned pulleys on top of a pole which rotates to move the chamber out of the way. A vertical pole mates with tubes on the chamber for vertical guidance during raising and lowering of the chamber. Flanges on the lower end of the chamber allow adding an extension chamber.
US09360240B2
A thermoelectric assembly is disclosed, the assembly having a cold side and a hot side, where the hot side comprises a single fan sink and the cold side comprises dual fan sinks. Thermoelectric modules may be between the hot side and cold side and arranged in one circuit or multiple parallel circuits, and in direct thermal contact with both the hot side and the cold side. The assembly may include one or more moisture barrier measures, including a wire seal, a series of screw O-rings, and a sealing layer.
US09360239B2
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. In the refrigerator, a water purifying unit including a filter unit to purify water supplied from a water supply source is arranged adjacent to a drawer type storage container in an otherwise useless space of a storage compartment.
US09360236B2
A thermal energy system includes a first thermal energy system, a closed loop geothermal energy system, an intermediate heat pump thermally coupling the first thermal energy system with the geothermal energy system, and a second thermal energy system thermally connected to the geothermal energy system. The first and second thermal energy systems have opposite net thermal energy demands from the geothermal system. The geothermal energy system has first and second groups of borehole heat exchangers and each borehole heat exchanger contains a working fluid. Each borehole heat exchanger includes an elongated tube having a closed bottom end and first and second adjacent elongated conduits interconnected at the bottom end. Each group of borehole heat exchanger is selectively and alternatively connectable to the intermediate heat pump. The first thermal energy system may be a refrigeration system having condensers and the closed loop geothermal energy system may provide cooling of the condensers.
US09360234B2
A hybridization system (15) for use in a hybrid energy plant (35, 50, 60, 70) that includes a first thermal energy unit (10) powered by solar energy and a second non-solar thermal energy unit (11) for providing thermal energy to a user (16) via first and second heat transfer fluids (HTF) respectively. The hybridization system includes a mixing unit (45) for mixing the thermal energy of the first and second heat transfer fluids either directly or indirectly so as to form a unified heat transfer fluid that is fed to the user. In some embodiments a thermal energy storage unit (28) and mixing unit (45) are coupled directly or indirectly to the first and second thermal energy units for receiving, storing and mixing thermal energy from the thermal energy units, so as to form either directly or indirectly a unified heat transfer fluid that is fed to the user.
US09360230B2
The present invention discloses removable air duct sealing systems for obstructing and directing airflow through portions of an air duct system. Some systems include a support plate having an opening and a flexible connector having a catch and a tail, the catch for connecting the connector to an air duct system component and the tail for passing through the opening in the support plate. Some systems include a fastener connected to the support plate, the fastener being capable of interacting with the connector in dependence upon the positioning of the fastener. In some systems, the fastener has a catch capable of being configured in a position that prevents the fastener from moving in a direction relative to the flexible connector but will allow the fastener to move in another direction. Some systems also include a gasket for restricting airflow when the gasket is pressed toward the air duct system component.
US09360227B2
A reservoir system for an operating unit, such as a humidifier, includes a removable water tank configured to provide the operating unit with water. The removable water tank includes a primary reservoir for holding water, with an opening in the removable water tank fluidically connecting the primary reservoir with a secondary reservoir in the operating unit. A plunger is slidably disposed in the opening and movable between an open position in which the opening fluidically connects the primary reservoir to the secondary reservoir, and a closed position that seals the opening to fluidically disconnect the primary reservoir from the secondary reservoir. A float member in the secondary reservoir includes a buoyant main body and is configured to generate a force upon the plunger to urge the plunger into the open position according to the height of water in the secondary reservoir.
US09360222B1
This invention is a shaped explosive device with a liner that produces a single combination jet consisting of a forward rod portion and rearward flattened spade shaped portion, this jet has a velocity gradient form tip to tail. The jet produced by the shaped charge is axisymmetric for the forward rod portion and planar symmetric for the aft wide spade portion somewhat like linear shaped charge, thusly termed the “Axi-Linear” shaped charge. The forward rod portion of each jet erodes a round hole in the target followed by the aft flattened spade portion of the jet creating a long slotted deep cavity centered on the round hole and in the lateral direction of the spade jet.
US09360220B2
The present application provides a micro-mixer combustion nozzle for mixing a flow of fuel and a flow of air in a gas turbine engine. The micro-mixer combustion nozzle may include a fuel plate with a number of fuel plate apertures and a fuel plate passage in communication with the flow of fuel and an air plate with a number of air plate apertures and an air plate passage in communication with the flow of air. The fuel plate passage and the air plate passage may align to mix in part the flow of fuel and the flow of air.
US09360219B2
A system includes a turbine engine with a fueling system including a valve fluidly coupled to a fuel supply on an upstream side and fluidly coupled to fueling passages on a downstream side. The valve maintains the fuel supply at a pressure greater than an ambient pressure. The system includes nozzle exits corresponding to the fueling passages, and the fueling passages flow fuel from the valve to each of the nozzle exits monotonically downward. The valve is a check valve or a controlled valve. The valve maintains the fuel supply at a pressure such that fuel in the fuel supply is a continuous fluid phase. The fuel leaves the nozzle exits to the combustion chamber of the turbine engine.
US09360218B2
A fuel injection device is provided. The device includes a pilot injector opening out into a venturi and an annular row of multipoint injection orifices opening out axially in a downstream direction and radially outside the venturi, the venturi being connected at its downstream end to a separation wall. The outer peripheral edge of the separation wall has a diameter greater than the diameter of the annular row of injection orifices, whereby the separation wall forms a thermal protection screen for these orifices against heat radiation coming from the chamber.
US09360214B2
A system for pre-heating a working fluid within a combustor includes a compressor for providing the working fluid to the combustor. An outer casing is disposed downstream from the compressor. The outer casing at least partially defines a high pressure plenum that at least partially surrounds the combustor. A combustion chamber is defined within the combustor downstream from the high pressure plenum. A catalytic combustor is disposed within the high pressure plenum upstream from the combustion chamber so as to provide thermal energy to the working fluid upstream from the combustion chamber.
US09360207B2
An assembly for detecting and measuring the fouling rate by deposits containing at least one ferromagnetic material, including a probe which can be continuously moved inside a tube and which has a body carrying on its outer surface at least one magnetized source for self-orientation of the body of the probe, at least three magnetic field emitters and at least three magnetic field detectors each positioned between two contiguous emitters.
US09360204B2
A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting element and a wavelength conversion layer. The light-emitting device further includes the translucent member having a translucent base and the wavelength conversion layer formed on the translucent base. The wavelength conversion layer does not contact the light-emitting element, and is sealed in the light-emitting device.
US09360198B2
A solid-state lighting device has user-engageable actuator physically manipulable by a user and accessible from an exterior of the device to adjust an amount of light output. The user-engageable actuator may take the form of a knob, slider, lever, or other manipulable surface or structure. The user-engageable actuator may extend partially or fully from a housing, or alternatively be recessed or otherwise within the housing with access provided via an aperture, slot or opening. Access may be directly by the user (e.g., finger) or via a tool (e.g., screw driver, Allen wrench, socket) manipulated by the user. The actuator may form part of an adjustment component (e.g., potentiometer, rheostat) which supplies an adjustable output to a drive circuit or electronics. The adjustment component may be electrically coupled to either a primary or secondary side of a transformer, which forms part of a power converter (e.g., flyback).
US09360192B2
An LED illuminating device includes a printed circuit board, at least one LED chip group arranged on the printed circuit board, and a lens assembly, wherein the LED illuminating device further includes a reflector provided between the LED chip group and the lens assembly, wherein the reflector is configured to diffusely reflect light from the LED chip group so that the light is uniformized and emerges in a direction of the lens assembly.
US09360187B2
This light source 1 is provided with a luminescent cylinder 3A housing a luminescent part 2 to generate light; a light guide cylinder 3B connected to the luminescent cylinder 3A on a one end side, and configured to guide the light generated by the luminescent part 2, to an exit window 4 provided on the other end side; and a cylindrical reflective cylinder 9 inserted and fixed between the exit window 4 of the light guide cylinder 3B and a portion connecting the luminescent cylinder 3A and the exit window 4, and having an inner wall surface as a reflective surface 9a to reflect the light.
US09360185B2
A directional lighting fixture having a variable beam angle that is easily adjusted. One or more lighting sources are disposed within a fixture housing. A removable cover is disposed over the open end of the housing. The cover comprises a micro lens structure that defines the beam angle of the light that is emitted from the fixture. The removable cover, or in some configurations portions of the cover, can be easily replaced by the end user to achieve a desired beam angle.
US09360184B2
A vehicle lighting system includes first and second lighting devices. The first lighting device has a first opening, and the second lighting device has a second opening. The first opening provides access to a first installation space on the first lighting device, and the second opening provides access to a second installation space on the second lighting device. The first and second installation spaces are essentially mirror images of one another. A first fan unit is located at the first opening and a second fan unit is located at the second opening. The first and second fan units are essentially mirror images of one another.
US09360181B2
An electronic flameless candle including a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a sidewall between the top surface and the bottom surface, and a cavity defined by the top surface, the bottom surface and the sidewall, the body configured in shape and size to simulate a true flame candle. The candle may also include a light source operably connected to the body, the light source electrically operated to illuminate in a way that simulates a natural flicker of a real candle flame. The candle may also include a scent component, operably connected to the body, the scent component configured to emit a scent when heated and/or a sensor component, operably connected to the body, the sensor component configured to sense an environmental condition and affect a mode of the light source upon the sensing of the environmental condition.
US09360180B2
Embodiments of the invention include a luminaire with an elongated luminaire body and at least one longitudinal luminaire flange each of which extend longitudinally from one end of the luminaire body. The luminaire body being shorter than the luminaire length measured from the ends of both longitudinal luminaire flanges. The luminaire body can include a channel with a plurality of light sources, optical elements, power lines, and/or control lines. A connector is also disclosed according to some embodiments of the invention that can be used to physically and/or electrically couple two luminaires together. The connector can couple the luminaires at a T-bar.
US09360173B2
An illumination tool has an LED light source; and a light reflecting part which is provided at a front of the LED light source. The light reflecting part is given a slant so as to approach the LED light source toward a center.
US09360172B2
An arrangement for emitting light comprising at least one LED-light source and at least one lens arranged in front of the LED light source in the light-emitting direction. A reflector is arranged in front of the lens in the light emitting direction for influencing the light emitted from the lens.
US09360168B2
An electrical interface module (EIM) is provided between an LED illumination device and a light fixture. The EIM includes an arrangement of contacts that are adapted to be coupled to an LED illumination device and a second arrangement of contacts that are adapted to be coupled to the light fixture and may include a power converter. Additionally, an LED selection module may be included to selectively turn on or off LEDs. A communication port may be included to transmit information associated with the LED illumination device, such as identification, indication of lifetime, flux, etc. The lifetime of the LED illumination device may be measured and communicated, e.g., by an RF signal, IR signal, wired signal or by controlling the light output of the LED illumination device. An optic that is replaceably mounted to the LED illumination device may include, e.g., a flux sensor that is connected to the electrical interface.
US09360166B2
A light emitting apparatus comprises: an LED-based light source; a spherical, spheroidal, or toroidal diffuser generating a Lambertian light intensity distribution output at any point on the diffuser surface responsive to illumination inside the diffuser; and a base including a base connector. The LED based light source, the diffuser, and the base are secured together as a unitary LED lamp installable in a lighting socket by connecting the base connector with the lighting socket. The diffuser is shaped and arranged respective to the LED based light source in the unitary LED lamp to conform with an isolux surface of the LED based light source. The base is operatively connected with the LED based light source in the unitary LED lamp to electrically power the LED based light source using electrical power received at the base connector.
US09360161B2
A compressed natural gas storage and dispensing system having bulk storage tanks in fluid communication with a natural gas supply source; a primary compressor delivering the natural gas to the bulk storage tanks; dispensing storage tanks in fluid communication with the bulk storage tanks and in fluid communication with fuel dispensers; a secondary compressor delivering the natural gas to the dispensing storage tanks from the bulk storage tanks; wherein when the pressure within the dispensing storage tanks falls below a predetermined minimum pressure, natural gas is delivered from the bulk storage tanks to the dispensing storage tanks, and wherein when the pressure in the bulk storage tanks falls below a predetermined minimum pressure, natural gas is delivered from the supply source to the bulk storage tanks.
US09360151B2
An adjustable supporting device includes a pivotal connection device and two supporting members individually pivotally connected to the pivotal connection device. The pivotal connection device includes a rotational restriction mechanism including a driving part and a restricting part connected to the driving part. The restricting part is capable of being driven by the driving part so as to move relative to the supporting members. Therein, the restricting part is capable of entering limitation ranges of rotational restriction structures of the supporting members simultaneously for individually limiting rotation ranges of the supporting members relative to the pivotal connection device according to the rotational restriction structures. Therefore, by designing the above rotation ranges, the adjustable supporting device can avoid damage to a user due to an unexpected folding of the supporting members, before the restricting part entirely departs from the limitation ranges of the rotation ranges of the supporting members.
US09360149B2
A fluid conduit dielectric nipple for securement to a tank wall of a fluid holding tank, such as a steel tank of a water heater is described. The fluid conduit dielectric nipple has a tank securement end and a cylindrical conduit connecting end specifically configured for receiving a push-fit quick connector to secure to a water supply line and a hot water return line. The fluid conduit dielectric nipple is fabricated from inexpensive metal, such as plated steel, and has a plastics liner to protect parts thereof intended to be exposed to water to prevent corrosion while providing a leak-proof connection. Accordingly, there is provided an inexpensive dielectric nipple which provides quick connection and disconnection.
US09360144B2
An exemplary embodiment provides a shrouded conduit joint assembly that includes a joint assembly and a boot shroud. The joint assembly includes a first ferrule having a first seal, and a second ferrule having a second seal. A clamp operatively engages the first ferrule and the second ferrule. The boot shroud surrounds the joint assembly and is spaced from the joint assembly to create a leak detection space between the joint assembly and the boot shroud.
US09360129B2
The present specification is directed to a valve that has an orifice closing member adjacent to an orifice through which fluid can flow, a displacement member having a first portion and a second portion, where the first portion is adjacent to the orifice closing member when the valve is in an open position, a first magnet and a second magnet where the first and second magnets are sufficiently proximate to the displacement member to exert a magnetic force on the displacement member, and an actuator for generating a magnetic field to move the displacement member toward the first magnet, cause the first portion to press against the orifice closing member, and cause the orifice closing member to close the orifice.
US09360119B2
The present invention relates to fluid delivery systems comprising valve assemblies that provide for a more stable and reliable delivery system for a fluid, for example a gaseous fluid, from a tank by utilizing vacuum to open the normally closed valves assemblies. The present invention also relates to methods of delivering a fluid from a tank, assembling and operating the valves assemblies, as well as retrofitting existing tanks with such systems.
