US09412818B2
An apparatus comprises a first fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device extending from a surface of a first etch stop layer. The apparatus also comprises a second FinFET device extending from a surface of a second etch stop layer. A first compound layer is interposed between the first etch stop layer and the second etch stop layer.
US09412808B2
A silicon carbide device includes an epitaxial silicon carbide layer including a first conductivity type and a buried lateral silicon carbide edge termination region located within the epitaxial silicon carbide layer including a second conductivity type. The buried lateral silicon carbide edge termination region is covered by a silicon carbide surface layer including the first conductivity type.
US09412804B2
The present invention is directed to a light emitting device structured so as to increase the amount of light which is taken out in a certain direction after emitted from a light emitting element, and a method of manufacturing this light emitting device. An upper end portion of an insulating material 19 that covers an end portion of a first electrode 18 is formed to have a curved surface having a radius of curvature, a second electrode 23a is formed to have a slant face as going from its center portion toward its end portion along the curved surface. Light emitted from a light emitting layer comprising an organic material 20 that is formed on the second electrode 23a is reflected at the slant face of the second electrode 23a to increase the total amount of light taken out in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1A.
US09412803B2
A display device is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes a substrate including a display area and a non-display area and a pad electrode unit formed in the non-display area. The pad electrode unit includes a plurality of first metal layers respectively including a plurality of terminals arranged in substantially parallel to each other and a plurality of wirings extending from the terminals and covered by an insulating layer. The pad electrode unit also includes a plurality of second metal layers formed over the insulating layer and connected to the terminals. The pad electrode unit further includes a plurality of dummy metal layers formed between the terminals and the second metal layers or on the top of the insulating layer covering the wirings.
US09412800B2
Thin film transistor array substrate and organic light-emitting display apparatus including the same
A substrate includes a driving transistor, a capacitor, a driving voltage line, and a connection line. The driving transistor has a gate electrode overlapping a channel region of a curved active layer. The capacitor has a first electrode is formed of the gate electrode of the driving transistor and a second electrode overlapping the first electrode. The driving voltage line includes driving voltage line portions on the capacitor and connected to edges of the second electrode of the capacitor. The first connection line is located at a portion of a region on the capacitor separated from the driving voltage line. A via hole is on the first connection line.
US09412797B2
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a technical field of display and provides an array substrate and a method for producing the same and a display apparatus that may simplify the layer arrangements and producing process of the array substrate, reduce the difficulty for producing the array substrate and improve the product yield of the array substrate. The array substrate comprises: a substrate base; and a thin film transistor unit and a color film on the substrate base, wherein the color film is conductive and electrically connected with a drain electrode of the thin film transistor unit.
US09412788B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface facing each other, the semiconductor substrate having an element region in which a transistor is provided on the first surface, and a separation region in which an element separating layer surrounding the element region is provided; a contact plug extending from the first surface to the second surface, in the element region of the semiconductor substrate; and an insulating film covering a periphery of the contact plug.
US09412787B2
A magnetic element and a magnetic memory utilizing the magnetic element are described. A contact is electrically coupled to the magnetic element. The magnetic element includes pinned, nonmagnetic spacer, and free layers and a perpendicular capping layer adjoining the free layer and the contact. The free layer has an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy corresponding to a perpendicular anisotropy energy that is less than the out-of-plane demagnetization energy. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the pinned and free layers. The perpendicular capping layer induces at least part of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The free layer is switchable between magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element. The free layer includes ferromagnetic layers interleaved with capping layer(s) such that a ferromagnetic layer resides at an edge of the free layer. The capping layer(s) are configured such that the ferromagnetic layers are ferromagnetically coupled.
US09412785B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus comprising forming an electrode on a structure provided on a substrate, the structure including a wiring pattern and an interlayer insulation film, forming a first film covering the electrode and the structure, forming an opening in a portion of the first film inside an outer edge of a convex portion formed by steps between upper faces of the electrode and the structure so as to expose a first portion as a portion of the upper face of the electrode, forming a second film covering the first film and the first portion, forming a protective film covering the first portion, the convex portion, and a periphery of the convex portion by patterning the second film, and forming a third film on the first film and the protective film by spin coating.
US09412780B2
An image sensor has photodiodes formed in a Si substrate and configured to prevent carriers generated at a deep position of the Si substrate from affecting adjacent photodiodes due to lateral diffusion (crosstalk between pixels). A modified layer is formed between adjacent photodiodes and at a depth below that of the photodiodes by a laser to generate a recombination level to thereby suppress crosstalk between pixels.
US09412778B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a silicon compound layer containing nitrogen on a substrate where a silicide layer and an element isolating portion have been formed, forming an opening in the silicon compound layer, and forming an interlayer insulating film which covers the silicon compound layer and the opening. The opening is formed to lie within an area of the silicon compound layer that overlaps the element isolating portion.
US09412777B2
An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor including a plurality of image forming pixels and a lens which is arranged for the plurality of image forming pixels. Each of the image forming pixels includes a plurality of divided photo-electric conversion units, and the plurality of photo-electric conversion units have a function of photo-electrically converting a plurality of images having passed through different exit pupils of the imaging optical system, and outputting focus detection signals. Each of the image forming pixels includes a first light guide and a second light guide. The first light guide is arranged on a side of the lens, and the second light guide is arranged on a side of the photo-electric conversion unit, and a division count of the second light guide is larger than the division count of the first light guide.
US09412772B1
An electronic device comprises a display stack that includes an active matrix display operable using thin film transistor (TFT) circuitry. The display stack also includes a light guide layer capable of illuminating the active matrix display. A glass substrate of the active matrix display has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the glass substrate includes the TFT circuitry disposed on the first side and one or more through-glass vias that electronically connect portions of the TFT circuitry disposed on the first side of the glass substrate to one or more electronic connectors or electronic circuitry disposed on the second side of the glass substrate.
US09412764B2
To prevent an influence of normally-on characteristics of the transistor which a clock signal is input to a terminal of, a wiring to which a first low power supply potential is appled and a wiring to which a second low power supply potential lower than the first low power supply potential is applied are electrically connected to a gate electrode of the transistor. A semiconductor device including the transistor can operate stably.
US09412758B2
A disclosed embodiment is a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) structure comprising a buried oxide layer over a bulk semiconductor layer, and a device layer over the buried oxide layer. At least one transistor is fabricated in the device layer, wherein a source/drain junction of the transistor does not contact the buried oxide layer, thereby causing the source/drain junction to have a source/drain junction capacitance. The SOI structure also comprises at least one trench extending through the device layer and contacting a top surface of the buried oxide layer, thereby electrically isolating the at least one transistor. In one embodiment the at least one trench is formed after fabrication of the at least one transistor and is filled with only dielectric. In one embodiment, one or more wells may be formed in the device layer. In one embodiment the bulk semiconductor layer has a high resistivity of typically about 1000 ohms-centimeter or greater.
US09412750B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device with good write/erase characteristics is provided. A selection gate is formed on a p-type well of a semiconductor substrate via a gate insulator, and a memory gate is formed on the p-type well via a laminated film composed of a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, and a silicon oxide film. The memory gate is adjacent to the selection gate via the laminated film. In the regions on both sides of the selection gate and the memory gate in the p-type well, n-type impurity diffusion layers serving as the source and drain are formed. The region controlled by the selection gate and the region controlled by the memory gate located in the channel region between said impurity diffusion layers have the different charge densities of the impurity from each other.
US09412747B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a non-volatile memory cell includes forming first insulating films with first conductive films arranged therebetween, recessing the first insulating films using the first conductive films as a mask, so that heights of top surfaces of the first insulating films are lower than heights of top surfaces of the first conductive films, forming a second insulating film over the first conductive and insulating films, forming a second conductive film over the second insulating film, and patterning the first and second conductive films, and the second insulating film. A length of the floating gate in a second direction is larger than a maximum length of the floating gate in a first direction, and a length from a top surface of the second insulating film to a top surface of the floating gate is larger than a length of a space between a plurality the floating gates.
US09412746B2
A device includes a substrate, isolation regions at a surface of the substrate, and a semiconductor region over a top surface of the isolation regions. A conductive feature is disposed over the top surface of the isolation regions, wherein the conductive feature is adjacent to the semiconductor region. A dielectric material is disposed between the conductive feature and the semiconductor region. The dielectric material, the conductive feature, and the semiconductor region form an anti-fuse.
US09412729B2
A semiconductor package includes a first package comprising a circuit board and a first semiconductor die mounded on the circuit board, and a second package comprising a mounting board. At least one second semiconductor die may be mounted on the mounting board, and one or more leads may be electrically connected to the mounting board and/or the second semiconductor die. An adhesion member may bond the first package to the second package, and an encapsulant may encapsulate the first package and the second package. the circuit board, the mounting board, and the one or more leads may be arranged to surround the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die, and the plurality of leads may be electrically connected to the circuit board and to a constant potential or ground, to reduce the effects of external electromagnetic interference upon the semiconductor package.
US09412722B1
The present invention relates to a multichip stacking package structure and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the multichip stacking package structure comprises a substrate including a plurality of electrical connecting pad; a first chip with a lower surface stacked on the substrate; a second chip stacked on an upper surface of the first chip by a interlaced reciprocation stacking way; a spacer stacked on an upper surface of the second chip by the interlaced reciprocation stacking way; and third chip stacked on the an upper surface of the spacer by the interlaced reciprocation stacking way, so that a first spacing is formed between an end of the third and an end of the spacer. Thereby, a position of a stress point is changed to reduce a risk of the chip crack during wire bonding.
US09412710B2
In order to prevent a crack from developing in an interlayer insulating film formed under a bonding pad due to impact forces, the bonding pad is formed so that small diameter metal plugs and large diameter metal plugs are arranged between a first metal film and a second metal film as an uppermost layer. Holes are formed in the centers of the larger diameter metal plugs and recessed portions are formed in surface areas of the second metal film above the large diameter metal plugs.
US09412701B2
The present invention provides a non-insulated type DC-DC converter having a circuit in which a power MOS•FET for a high side switch and a power MOS•FET for a low side switch are connected in series. In the non-insulated type DC-DC converter, the power transistor for the high side switch, the power transistor for the low side switch, and driver circuits that drive these are respectively constituted by different semiconductor chips. The three semiconductor chips are accommodated in one package, and the semiconductor chip including the power transistor for the high side switch, and the semiconductor chip including the driver circuits are disposed so as to approach each other.
US09412693B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a transistor area, a gate structure disposed on the transistor area of the substrate, a first interlayer insulating layer covering the gate structure, a blocking pattern disposed on the first interlayer insulating layer, and a jumper pattern disposed on the blocking pattern. The jumper pattern includes jumper contact plugs vertically penetrating the first interlayer insulating layer to be in contact with the substrate exposed at both sides of the gate structure, and a jumper section configured to electrically connect the jumper contact plugs.
US09412690B2
A package substrate includes a substrate body and a plurality of patterns disposed on the substrate body. The substrate body has a first region including a chip attachment region and a second region adjacent to the first region. The plurality of patterns are disposed on the substrate body in the second region. Each of the plurality of patterns extends in a first direction to have a stripe shape, and the plurality of patterns are spaced apart from each other in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Related fabrication methods, electronic systems and memory cards are also provided.
US09412689B2
A system and method for packaging semiconductor dies is provided. An embodiment comprises a first package with a first contact and a second contact. A post-contact material is formed on the first contact in order to adjust the height of a joint between the contact pad a conductive bump. In another embodiment a conductive pillar is utilized to control the height of the joint between the contact pad and external connections.
US09412685B2
A semiconductor device having a substrate including a plurality of external terminals on a rear surface and a plurality of bonding terminals electrically connected to the plurality of external terminals on a front surface, a semiconductor chip mounted on the front surface of the substrate, a surface of the chip including a plurality of bonding pads, a plurality of bonding wires connecting between the plurality of bonding pads or between the plurality of bonding terminals and the plurality of bonding wires respectively, a first sealing layer sealing the front surface of the substrate, the plurality of bonding wires and the semiconductor chip, and a second sealing layer comprised of the same material as the first sealing, the second sealing layer being formed above the first sealing layer.
US09412679B1
An insulating substrate includes a base portion that is made of metal and serves as a radiating surface, an insulating layer, and a circuit pattern. The insulating substrate has convex warpage in the radiating surface at ambient temperature. A power semiconductor element is mounted on the circuit pattern. A sealing material has a thickness greater than a thickness of the insulating substrate. The sealing material has a linear expansion coefficient greater than a linear expansion coefficient of the insulating substrate in an in-plane direction of a mounting surface of the insulating substrate. A heat conduction layer is located on the radiating surface of the base portion and is solid at ambient temperature and is liquid at a temperature higher than or equal to a phase-change temperature higher than ambient temperature.
US09412678B2
A chip package may include: a first die; a second die; an underfill disposed between and in physical contact with the first die and the second die; and one or more conductive elements encapsulated in the underfill and coupling the first die and the second die to each other.
US09412676B2
A ceramic package includes a package main body which is formed of a ceramic material, which has a front surface and a back surface having a rectangular shape in plan view, and which has a cavity opening toward the front surface; a first metalized layer which has a frame shape in plan view and is formed on the front surface; and a second metalized layer which is formed on the front surface of the first metalized layer so as to assume a frame shape, and which has a width smaller than the width of the first metalized layer, wherein the width of the second metalized layer at each corner portion of the front surface in plan view is smaller than the width of the second metalized layer in a region other than the corner portion in plan view.
US09412664B2
A semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the device are provided. The semiconductor device has a substrate having a first device region and a second device region. A p-type fin field effect transistor is formed in the first device region. The p-type fin field effect transistor has a first fin structure including a first semiconductor material. An n-type fin field effect transistor is formed in the second device region. The n-type fin field effect transistor has a second fin structure including a second semiconductor material that is different than the first semiconductor material. To fabricate the semiconductor device, a substrate having an active layer present on a dielectric layer is provided. The active layer is etched to provide a first region having the first fin structure and a second region having a mandrel structure. The second fin structure is formed on a sidewall of the mandrel structure.
US09412663B1
Deep reactive ion silicon etching of a device wafer, laser-induced release of individual dies, and individual placement of the dies on flexible substrates facilitate formation of circuits having relatively large external inductors for powering devices such as RFID devices. Small flexible tabs enable die-inductor connection. The absorption properties of both an adhesive layer and an ablation layer may be employed to facilitate debonding of individual dies from a glass handler without damaging integrated circuits associated with the dies. Die packs including cavities for accepting individual dies facilitate fabrication processes using dies having small dimensions.
US09412653B2
A through silicon via structure is located in a recess of a substrate. The through silicon via structure includes a barrier layer, a buffer layer and a conductive layer. The barrier layer covers a surface of the recess. The buffer layer covers the barrier layer. The conductive layer is located on the buffer layer and fills the recess, wherein the contact surface between the conductive layer and the buffer layer is smoother than the contact surface between the buffer layer and the barrier layer. Moreover, a through silicon via process forming said through silicon via structure is also provided.
US09412652B2
An aluminum (Al) layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate. A selective portion of the Al layer is removed to form openings. The Al layer is anodized to obtain an alumina dielectric layer with a plurality of pores. The openings are filled with a conductive interconnect material. The pores are widened to form air gaps and a top etch stop layer is formed over the alumina dielectric layer.
US09412644B2
A first wafer is provided that includes an insulating layer, a first active layer, and a handle layer. The insulating layer has a first surface and a second surface. The first active layer contacts the first surface of the insulating layer. The handle layer contacts the second surface of the insulating layer. A second wafer is provided that includes a substrate and a second active layer. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The second active layer contacts the first surface of the substrate. The second wafer is bonded to the first wafer by physically connecting the first active layer to the second surface of the substrate. The handle layer is removed. A metal bond pad is formed on the second surface of the insulating layer. The metal bond pad is electrically connected to the first active layer.
US09412641B1
Embodiments are directed to a method of forming a dielectric region of a fin-type field effect transistor (FinFET). The method includes forming at least one fin, and forming a dielectric region adjacent a lower portion of the at least one fin, wherein the dielectric region includes a top surface. The method further includes forming a blocking layer on the top surface of the dielectric region, wherein the blocking layer is configured to prevent at least one subsequent FinFET fabrication operation from impacting the top surface of the dielectric region.
US09412634B2
The present invention provides an atmosphere replacement apparatus capable of replacing the atmosphere on the surface of a wafer with a small amount of gas. The apparatus is configured to have a cover capable of facing and covering the wafer to be transported, and a gas supply means that supplies gas having properties different from a surrounding atmosphere from the cover, and replaces the atmosphere on the surface of the wafer by the gas.
US09412633B2
The present application provides a workpiece transfer system in which a production efficiency of a production line to be used can be improved. For example, a workpiece transfer system 1 includes: robots 11 & 12 placed in front of process modules 4 & 6 for conducting a predetermined processing operation on a workpiece W, the robots 11 & 12 bringing the workpiece W into the process modules 4 & 6 and taking the workpiece W out of the process modules 4 & 6; a workpiece storage unit 13 for storing the workpiece W to be brought into the process modules 4 & 6 and the workpiece W taken out of the process modules 4 & 6; and a transfer mechanism 14 for transferring the workpiece storage unit 13 in a direction almost perpendicular to a direction of bringing in and taking out the workpiece W for the process modules 4 & 6.
US09412626B2
A method for manufacturing a chip arrangement, including disposing a chip over a carrier, wherein the bottom side of the chip is electrically connected to the first carrier side via one or more contact pads on the chip bottom side, disposing a first encapsulation material over the first carrier side, wherein the first encapsulation material at least partially surrounds the chip, and disposing a second encapsulation material over a second carrier side, wherein the second encapsulation material is in direct contact with the second carrier side.
US09412624B1
An integrated circuit packaging system, and a method of manufacture thereof, including: a substrate including: a first trace layer, an encapsulation on the first trace layer, the first trace layer having a surface exposed from the encapsulation with a rough texture characteristic of removal of a conductive carrier coating, a second trace layer on the encapsulation and over the first trace layer, the second trace layer connected to the first trace layer; and an integrated circuit die attached to the substrate.
US09412622B2
An epitaxial silicon wafer cut from a silicon single crystal grown by the Czochralski method, and having a diameter of 300 mm or more. In this epitaxial silicon wafer, the time required to cool every part of the silicon single crystal during the growth from 800° C. down to 600° C. is set to 450 minutes or less, the interstitial oxygen concentration is from 1.5×1018 to 2.2×1018 atoms/cm3 (old ASTM standard), the entire surface of the cut silicon wafer is composed of a COP region, and the BMD density in the bulk of the epitaxial wafer after a heat treatment at 1000° C. for 16 hours is 1×104/cm2 or less. In this epitaxial silicon wafer, even if the thermal process in a semiconductor device fabrication process is a low temperature thermal process, epitaxial defects do not occur, as well as sufficient gettering capability being obtainable.
US09412615B2
A patterning method is provided. A substrate including a material layer thereon is provided. A patterned hard mask layer, having a plurality of first holes, is formed on the material layer. Afterward, a mask layer, including a plurality of line pattern masks extending in a direction and dividing each first hole into a second hole and a third hole, is formed. The material layer is patterned using the patterned hard mask layer and the mask layer as masks to form a patterned material layer having a plurality of fourth and fifth holes. Furthermore, a semiconductor structure is provided.
US09412611B2
A method for forming a patterned topography on a substrate is provided. The substrate is initially provided with an exposed plurality of lines formed atop. An embodiment of the method includes aligning and preparing a first directed self-assembly pattern (DSA) pattern immediately overlying the plurality of lines, and transferring the first DSA pattern to form a first set of cuts in the plurality of lines. The embodiment further includes aligning and preparing a second DSA pattern immediately overlying the plurality of lines having the first set of cuts formed therein, and transferring the second DSA pattern to form a second set of cuts in the plurality of lines. The first and second DSA patterns each comprise a block copolymer having a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) morphology and a characteristic dimension Lo that is between 0.9 and 1.1 times the spacing between individual lines of the plurality of lines.
US09412603B2
Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods of forming sub-10 nm node FinFETs. Various processing steps are performed on a substrate to provide a trench defining a mandrel structure. Sidewalls of the mandrel structure and a bottom surface of the trench are oxidized and subsequently etched to reduce a width of the mandrel structure. The oxidation and etching of the mandrel structure may be repeated until a desired width of the mandrel structure is achieved. A semiconducting material is subsequently deposited on a regrowth region of the mandrel structure to form a fin structure. The oxidizing and etching the mandrel structure provides a method for forming the fin structure which can achieve sub-10 nm node dimensions and provide increasingly smaller FinFETs.
US09412596B1
A method of reducing a migration of oxygen into a high-k dielectric layer of a semiconducting device is disclosed. An oxide layer of the semiconducting device is deposited on a substrate. A chemical composition of a top portion of the oxide layer is altered. The high-k dielectric layer is deposited on the top portion of the oxide layer to form the semiconducting device. The altered chemical composition of the top portion of the oxide layer reduces migration of oxygen into the high-k dielectric layer.
US09412592B2
According to one embodiment, an imprint mask includes a quartz plate. The quartz plate has a plurality of concave sections formed in part of an upper surface on the quartz plate, and impurities are contained in a portion between the concave sections in the quartz plate.
US09412591B2
Spacers are formed by pitch multiplication and a layer of negative photoresist is deposited on and over the spacers to form additional mask features. The deposited negative photoresist layer is patterned, thereby removing photoresist from between the spacers in some areas. During patterning, it is not necessary to direct light to the areas where negative photoresist removal is desired, and the clean removal of the negative photoresist from between the spacers is facilitated. The pattern defined by the spacers and the patterned negative photoresist is transferred to one or more underlying masking layers before being transferred to a substrate.
US09412590B1
A manufacturing method of an oxide semiconductor device includes the following steps. A barrier layer is formed on a substrate. An annealing process is performed after the step of forming the barrier layer. A first oxygen treatment is performed on the barrier layer after the annealing process for forming a first oxygen provider layer on the barrier layer. An oxide semiconductor layer is then formed on the first oxygen provider layer.
US09412588B2
A method of growing a nitride semiconductor layer includes forming a plurality of nano-structures on a substrate, forming a first buffer layer on the substrate such that upper portions of each of the nano-structures are exposed, removing the nano-structures to form voids in the first buffer layer, and growing a nitride semiconductor layer on the first buffer layer including the voids.
US09412578B2
A method of separating charged particles using an analyzer is provided, the method comprising: causing a beam of charged particles to fly through the analyzer and undergo within the analyzer at least one full oscillation in the direction of an analyzer axis (z) of the analyzer whilst orbiting about the axis (z) along a main flight path; constraining the arcuate divergence of the beam as it flies through the analyzer; and separating the charged particles according to their flight time. An analyzer for performing the method is also provided. At least one arcuate focusing lens is preferably used to constrain the divergence, which may comprise a pair of opposed electrodes located either side of the beam. An array of arcuate focusing lenses may be used which are located at substantially the same z coordinate, the arcuate focusing lenses in the array being spaced apart in the arcuate direction and the array extending at least partially around the z axis, thereby constraining the arcuate divergence of the beam a plurality of times as it flies through the analyzer.
US09412573B2
An improved method of extraction, detection, and characterization of a vapor from an explosive, a taggant in an explosive, a controlled substance, a biohazard, and mixtures thereof uses a new and improved SPME device for extraction and ion mobility spectrometry for detection and characterization. The new and improved SPME device has an increased capacity to sorb a target vapor. The increased sorption of vapor provides for more accurate detection by an ion mobility spectrometer. A SPME device having increased surface area may be exposed to an atmosphere in an enclosure containing a test object or a volume of gas that was in contact with the test object to allow for sorption of the target vapor and then introduced into an IMS for more accurate detection and characterization of the vapor due to the increased sorption of the vapor by the SPME device described herein.
US09412568B2
In various embodiments, joined sputtering targets are formed at least in part by spray deposition of the sputtering material and/or welding.
US09412563B2
An RF plasma source has a resonator with its shorted end joined to the processing chamber ceiling and inductively coupled to two arrays of radial toroidal channels in the ceiling, the resonator having two radial zones and the two arrays of toroidal channels lying in respective ones of the radial zones.
US09412560B2
To reduce artifacts in a surface exposed by a focused ion beam for viewing, a trench is milled next to the region of interest, and the trench is filled to create a bulkhead. The ion beam is directed through the bulkhead to expose a portion of the region of interest for viewing. The trench is filled, for example, by charged particle beam-induced deposition. The trench is typically milled and filled from the top down, and then the ion beam is angled with respect to the sample surface to expose the region of interest.
US09412559B2
A method and apparatus for performing a slice and view technique with a dual beam system. The feature of interest in an image of a sample is located by machine vision, and the area to be milled and imaged in a subsequent slice and view iteration is determined through analysis of data gathered by the machine vision at least in part. A determined milling area may be represented as a bounding box around a feature, which dimensions can be changed in accordance with the analysis step. The FIB is then adjusted accordingly to slice and mill a new face in the subsequent slice and view iteration, and the SEM images the new face. Because the present invention accurately locates the feature and determines an appropriate size of area to mill and image, efficiency is increased by preventing the unnecessary milling of substrate that does not contain the feature of interest.
US09412558B2
A method for performing high resolution electron microscopy of a soft matter object is described. The method comprises irradiating a soft matter object using an electron microscope having a spherical aberration correction with a substantially constant transfer function in a frequency band of thermal diffuse scattered electrons scattered at the soft matter object. The method comprises detecting the thermal diffuse scattered (TDS) electrons scattered at the soft matter, and using the detected thermal diffuse scattered electrons for deriving therefrom an image of the soft matter object.
US09412557B2
The movement distance of a second adjustment slider 204 is made shorter than that of a first adjustment slider 205 if the first adjustment slider 205 is positioned in a displayed range, except at both ends thereof, of a set value adjustment axis 203 in a first set value adjustment axis display part 202. The first adjustment slider 205 is kept unmoved while the second adjustment slider 204 alone is moved in the direction of one of both ends of the displayed range if the first adjustment slider 205 is positioned at least at the one of both ends of the displayed range of the set value adjustment axis 203 in the first set value adjustment axis display part 202, if the second adjustment slider 204 is also positioned in the displayed range except at the both ends thereof, and if the first adjustment slider 205 is to be selectively operated by a cursor 220. This structure allows coarse and fine adjustments of set values for operation control to be carried out easily and accurately.
US09412554B2
An Anode for an X-ray tube, comprising an anode disk comprising a circular focal track region being adapted to, upon impact of accelerated electrons, emit X-rays in an emission direction transverse to an impacting direction of the electrons; a ring-like modulating absorption grid; wherein the modulating absorption grid encloses the focal track region; wherein the modulating absorption grid comprises wall portions of X-ray absorbing material, the wall portions being arranged such as to absorb X-rays emitted from the focal track region in the emission direction; wherein the modulating absorption grid comprises slits between neighboring wall portions, the slits being arranged along a circumferential direction of the modulating absorption grid at spacings (s) of less than 100 μm and the slits having a width (ws) in the circumferential direction of less than 50 μm.
US09412552B2
In a multi-source radiation generating apparatus including a plurality of combinations of a cathode and a target, an extraction electrode is disposed for a plurality of cathodes in common. When a potential of the extraction electrode is constant, potentials for the cathodes are selectively switched between a cutoff potential which is higher than the potential of the extraction electrode and an emission potential which is lower than the potential of the extraction electrode.
US09412550B2
An electron beam device has a body provided with an exit window, said body is forming or is at least partly forming a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber comprising therein a cathode housing and at least one electron generating filament. At least one getter sheet is provided between the cathode housing and the filament. The invention is further comprising a getter sheet for use in an electron beam device and a method of manufacturing an electron beam device comprising at least one getter sheet.
US09412548B2
Circuit breakers with handles having a handle bearing sleeve that contacts an upper end portion of a moving arm and allows the arm to rotate to “OFF”, “ON” and “TRIP” positions, typically with about 90 degrees of rotation.
US09412547B2
A contactor includes a contact portion and an actuation portion. The contactor further includes a keeping portion. The keeping portion includes a capacitor structure and uses an electrostatic force between opposite plates of the capacitor structure to keep the contact portion in a contact state or a disconnection state. The electrostatic force generated by an electrostatic latch is used to keep the contactor in a switched-to static state. The contactor has reduced energy consumption in the static state, is convenient to manufacture, and has a low cost.
US09412541B2
A circuit breaker including an ejection device with a compartment, in which an arc-extinction medium for improving circuit breaker operation is contained, and having an ejection orifice through which the arc-extinction medium is to be ejected, wherein the ejection orifice opens out into an injection zone of the circuit breaker in which the pressure is lower than in an arcing zone when an arc is present, and wherein the arc-extinction medium and/or exhaust-cooling medium is at least partially present in liquid form, when it is contained in the ejection device.
US09412538B2
An easy-to-design rotary operation type electronic component is provided. The component includes a columnar control shaft; a shaft supporter having a circular through shaft hole; an electrical signal control section which is attached to one end of the shaft supporter and allows an electrical signal to be controlled by rotary operation of the control shaft; and a cylindrical spring which is held in a spring holding space formed between the outer periphery of the control shaft and the inner periphery of the through shaft hole, and has a ring shape with an opening cut in the direction of the central axis. The cylindrical spring includes a plurality of leaf spring portions which extend in the direction of the central axis of the control shaft, are connected together in the circumferential direction of the control shaft, and are arranged on the outer periphery of the control shaft.
US09412537B2
This is directed to a bend switch constructed from two substantially co-linear elongated bodies having opposing contact surfaces. In an open switch position, the contact surfaces remain apart, preventing electrical coupling. To close the switch, a user can bend the elongated bodies relative to each other to cause the contact surfaces to meet, thus creating an electrical coupling. Each elongated body can have several independent conductive portions. The bend switch can include a movable space member placed between the elongated bodies to maintain the contact surfaces a predetermined distance apart in the open switch position. The movable space member can include preferred or non-preferred bending orientations, equilibrium positions, and/or a potentiometer for closing the switch. The bend switch can control one or more functions (e.g., microphone, volume, or playback controls) of an electronic device (e.g., portable media device or cellular telephone) coupled to the bend switch.
US09412534B2
A pushbutton compact component is shown, including an actuating button having a basic body, on which at least one guide projection is arranged, and a sleeve, in which a locking slide is arranged by way of a spring element. In an embodiment, the guide projection engages the locking slide such that the locking slide is positioned in the sleeve under spring pressure.
US09412530B2
A switch device includes a holder (2), an operation knob (3) that has a display and is held in the holder so as to be movable forward and rearward, a ring-like coil antenna (15), a circuit board (7) on which a detection means for detecting the operation of the operation knob is disposed, LEDs (light source) that are disposed on the circuit board and illuminate the display on the operation knob, and a slider (5) that is stored in the holder 2 so as to be movable forward and rearward integrally with the operation knob and has light guide paths for the LEDs, a center axis of the coil antenna is offset from an operational center line of the operation knob, and the light guide paths of the slider and the display on the operation knob are disposed opposed to a center hole of the coil antenna.
US09412524B2
A method for forming conductive electrode patterns of a solar cell is provided. The method includes preparing a glass substrate and forming a transparent conductive oxide film (TCO) on the glass substrate. Then, a titanium oxide (TiO2) layer and a silver (Ag) electrode are formed on the glass substrate. A nickel (Ni) layer is formed on the Ag electrode and a copper (Cu) layer is formed on the Ni layer. In addition, a tin (Sn) layer is formed on the Cu layer.
US09412522B2
The hollow tubular capacitor includes one side electrode connecting portion having an inner peripheral tubular portion and one side surface portion, the other side electrode connecting portion having an outer peripheral tubular portion and the other side surface portion and an electrostatic capacitance portion having one side electrode plate, the other side electrode plate and a dielectric body, wherein the electrostatic capacitance portion is accommodated in an annular space formed at the inner peripheral tubular portion, the one side surface portion, the outer peripheral tubular portion and the other side surface portion in a high density to reduce inside inductance component. The inverter device is formed such that the hollow tubular capacitor and an annular inverter circuit portion having three-phase upper and lower arms are integrally arranged coaxially on the central axis line.
US09412519B1
A method is provided for concurrently forming terminals on a multilayer capacitor having a first plurality of interior plates with edges that are brought to and exposed upon a first surface and a second plurality of interior plates, interleaved with the first plurality of interior plates, and spaced from the first plates by a dielectric. The second plurality of interior plates has edges that are brought to and exposed upon a second surface, which is not adjacent to the first surface. A first terminal is formed by plating a layer of electrically-conductive first metal directly onto the first surface including where the edges of the first plates are exposed upon the first surface and concurrently forming a second terminal by plating a layer of electrically-conductive first metal directly onto the second surface including where the edges of the second plates are exposed upon the second surface.
US09412518B2
A mounting arrangement for a capacitor package is disclosed. The capacitor package is suitable for use in electric drive traction applications that are subjected to high vibration. Such a capacitor package is relatively large and requires a unique mounting arrangement in order to account for a large mass and high vibration environment. The mounting arrangement provides a clamp load plane that is near the center of mass of the capacitor package.
US09412511B2
A transformer includes a primary coil, a secondary coil, and a core. The core is to be used in combination with the primary coil or the secondary coil, and includes a conductor storage part and a central part. The conductor storage part is a concave recess formed in an annular manner and configured to store a conductor of the coil therein. The central part is a region inward from the conductor when the core is used in combination with the coil. The central part has a recessed shape having an opening that opens toward a direction opposite to a direction of an opening of the concave recess. The central part has an end, at a side opposite to a side of the opening of the central part, which is generally flat so as to be contiguous with an inner opening edge of the conductor storage part.
US09412500B2
A time period required for replacement work of a divided cable is shortened. An electrostatic coating cable (6) includes a power supply line (12) that supplies power to a high voltage generator (2), a signal line (14) that controls the high voltage generator (2), and a ground line (16). The power supply line (12) and the ground line (16) are connected by a first inspection line (18), the signal line (14) and the ground wire (16) are connected by a second inspection line (20), a first diode (22) is interposed in the first inspection line (18), and a second diode (24) is interposed in the second inspection line (20). The first and the second diodes (22) and (24) inhibit a current from flowing through the first and the second inspection lines (18) and (20) during an operation of the electrostatic coater (1). The first and the second inspection lines (18) and (20) and the first and the second diodes (22) and (24) are contained in a cable connecting section (8) that connects divided cables (10) adjacent to each other. During stoppage of the electrostatic coater (1), a voltage for inspection is applied to the ground line (16).
US09412497B2
An object of the invention is to provide a cable capable of matching exposed dimensions of conductors with a predetermined dimension to perform good processing at the time of distal end processing. In a cable (10) in which a pair of insulated wires (1) each of which is formed by covering a conductor (4) with an insulator (5) is mutually stranded and a periphery of these stranded insulated wires (1) is covered with a sheath (6) made of an inner sheath (2) and an outer sheath (3), the conductor (4) is formed by assembling a plurality of stranded wires (4a) each of which is formed by wholly stranding a plurality of wires (4b), and by further wholly stranding the stranded wires (4a).
US09412481B1
A method and device is disclosed for the generation of high-contrast, localized sinusoidal patterns or stepped-intensity modulated patterns from spatially non-coherent or coherent illumination, and using such patterns for imaging the internal features of objects.
US09412476B2
Systems, devices, methods, and compositions are described for providing an x-ray shielding system including a flexible layer including a support structure having a plurality of interconnected interstitial spaces that provide a circulation network for an x-ray shielding fluid composition.
US09412474B2
A compressor assembly and the method of using the same which includes an elongated spiral passageway within which a compact toroid plasma, such as a compact toroid plasma structure, can be efficiently compressed to a high-energy state by compressing the compact toroid plasma structure by its own momentum against the wall of the spiral passageway in a manner to induce heating by conservation of energy. The compressor assembly also includes a burn chamber that is in communication with the spiral passageway and into which the compressed compact toroid plasma structure is introduced following its compression.
US09412465B2
An integrated circuit includes fuse readout logic and first and second sets of fuses. One of the sets includes one or more primary fuses whose burn states represent respective bit values, and the other of the sets includes one or more secondary fuses whose burn states are indicative of the bit values stored in the primary fuses. The fuse readout logic is configured to read the bit values by sensing the burn states of the primary fuses, and to conditionally correct the read bit values by sensing the burn states of one or more of the secondary fuses.
US09412459B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells (1). Each of the nonvolatile memory cells comprises a MOS type first transistor section (3) used for information storage, and a MOS type second transistor section (4) which selects the first transistor section. The second transistor section has a bit line electrode (16) connected to a bit line, and a control gate electrode (18) connected to a control gate control line. The first transistor section has a source line electrode (10) connected to a source line, a memory gate electrode (14) connected to a memory gate control line, and a charge storage region (11) disposed directly below the memory gate electrode. A gate withstand voltage of the second transistor section is lower than that of the first transistor section. Assuming that the thickness of a gate insulating film of the second transistor section is defined as tc and the thickness of a gate insulating film of the first transistor section is defined as tm, they have a relationship of tc
US09412458B2
A semiconductor memory device has a memory block including memory strings with first and second selection transistors at opposite ends of the memory strings. A bit line is connected to the first selection transistor of each memory string and a sense amplifier is connected to the bit line. The memory block includes word lines connected to each memory cell transistor in the memory strings. The memory device also includes a controller to control an erase operation that includes applying an erase voltage to the word lines, addressing a first memory string by applying a selection voltage to a gate electrode of first and second selection transistors of the first memory string, then applying an erase verify voltage to the word lines and using the sense amplifier to read data of memory cell transistors in the first memory string, then addressing a second memory string without first discharging the word lines.
US09412455B2
According to one embodiment, a data transfer control device complying with a communication protocol which executes an update of information from an attachment device in a predetermined area of a system memory, the device includes a receiving part receiving the information from the attachment device, a transferring part transferring the information in the predetermined area, the information from the transferring part overwritten in the predetermined area sequentially, and a determining part inhibiting a transfer of the information in the transferring part to omit the update of the information in the predetermined area.
US09412452B2
A semiconductor device includes a first memory string and a second memory string. The first memory string includes a plurality of first main memory cells formed on a pipe transistor of a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of first dummy memory cells connected between the first main memory cells and a common source line. The second memory string includes a plurality of second main memory cells formed on the pipe transistor and a plurality of second dummy memory cells connected between the second main memory cells and a bit line. The number of the second dummy memory cells is greater than the number of the first dummy memory cells.
US09412451B2
Apparatuses and methods for reducing capacitive loading are described. An example apparatus may include a plurality of memory subblocks of a memory block. A plurality of word lines may be associated with the plurality of subblocks. The word lines may be further associated with multiple strings within the subblocks. A subset of the word lines may be dummy word lines. The cells of the dummy word lines may be programmed to a plurality of states. The states may be configured to deactivate and/or float unselected strings in the subblocks during certain memory operations.
US09412447B1
A high-speed memory circuit architecture for arrays of resistive change elements is disclosed. An array of resistive change elements is organized into rows and columns, with each column serviced by a word line and each row serviced by two bit lines. Each row of resistive change elements includes a pair of reference elements and a sense amplifier. The reference elements are resistive components with electrical resistance values between the resistance corresponding to a SET condition and the resistance corresponding to a RESET condition within the resistive change elements being used in the array. A high speed READ operation is performed by discharging one of a row's bit lines through a resistive change element selected by a word line and simultaneously discharging the other of the row's bit lines through of the reference elements and comparing the rate of discharge on the two lines using the row's sense amplifier. Storage state data are transmitted to an output data bus as high speed synchronized data pulses. High speed data is received from an external synchronized data bus and stored by a PROGRAM operation within resistive change elements in a memory array configuration.
US09412441B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a cell string including dummy memory cells and a plurality of memory cells in which n bit data is stored, and a peripherial circuit configured to store the n bit data in first memory cells, among the memory cells, store n−1 bit data in the rest of second memory cells, and store data which is not stored in the second memory cells in at least one of the dummy memory cells, among the dummy memory cells.
US09412432B2
A semiconductor storage device is provided with a memory cell array comprising a plurality of word lines including word lines that are adjacent to one another; and a TRR address conversion unit that selects the word line in response to the input of an address signal indicating a first value while in a first operation mode and selects the word line in response to the input of an address signal indicating a first value while in a target row refresh mode. Due to the fact that address conversion is performed on the semiconductor storage device side in the present invention, it is sufficient for a control device to output, for example, the address of a word line having a high access count to the semiconductor storage device during a target row refresh operation. As a result, control of the target row refresh operation on the control device side is facilitated.
US09412428B2
A first timing reference signal and a second timing reference signal are sent to a memory device. The second timing reference signal has approximately a quadrature phase relationship with respect to the first timing reference signal. A plurality of serial data patterns are received from the memory device. The transitions of the first timing reference and the second timing reference determining when transitions occur between the bits of the plurality of data patterns. Timing indicators associated with when received transitions occur between the bits of the plurality of data patterns are received from the memory device. The timing indicators are each measured using a single sampler. Based on the timing indicators, a first duty cycle adjustment for the first timing reference signal, a second duty cycle adjustment for the second timing reference signal, and a quadrature phase adjustment are determined and applied.
US09412423B2
A memory module includes a command/address (CA) register, memory devices, and a module resistor unit mounted on a circuit board. The centrally disposed CA register drive the memory devices one or more internal CA signal(s) to arrangements of memory devices using multiple CA transmission lines, wherein the multiple internal CA transmission lines are commonly terminated in the module resistor unit.
US09412422B2
In various embodiments, a memory device includes at least one memory cell and at least one virtual supply line coupled to the at least one memory cell. The memory device is designed in such a way that a voltage potential present on the virtual supply line is altered after an active access to the memory cell by virtue of a charge stored within the memory device during the active access being re-stored in such a way that a state of the memory cell with a reduced leakage current consumption is achieved.
US09412410B1
In one embodiment, a tape drive includes a magnetic head having a plurality of read sensors, each read sensor being configured to read data simultaneously, a controller, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller. The logic is configured to read, using the plurality of read sensors, encoded data from a plurality of tracks of a magnetic tape medium simultaneously. The logic is also configured to perform track-dependent erasure decoding on the encoded data based on detection of one or more time-varying signal quality issues associated with at least one of the plurality of tracks read simultaneously from the magnetic tape medium.
US09412409B2
Provided are a storage device, method, and program for controlling a tape speed to manage a tape drive buffer. A tape speed is increased from a current tape speed to a target tape speed on a predetermined speed-change timing to control the reading or writing of data between the buffer and the tape medium.
US09412406B2
A tracking control device includes a signal detector that detects a tracking error signal, and a crossing direction, a crossing period and a crossing velocity of an objective lens from a detection signal of an optical detector, a tracking drive signal generator that generates a tracking drive signal on the basis of the tracking error signal, a velocity-reduction drive signal generator that generates a velocity reduction drive signal for converging the crossing velocity into a vicinity of zero on the basis of the crossing direction and the crossing period, a loop switch, and a system controller that causes to executes velocity reduction driving for driving the objective lens actuator on the basis of the velocity reduction drive signal and that controls each of the members so as to switch from the velocity reduction driving to driving for driving the objective lens actuator on the basis of the tracking drive signal.
US09412405B2
According to one embodiment, disclosed is a pattern forming method including preparing a second dispersion by adding a second protective group and second solvent to fine particles including a first protective group whose surface polarity is close to that of the substrate, the fine particles containing, at least on the surface thereof, a material selected from Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Zr, Sn, Mo, Ta, W, Au, Ag, Pd, Cu, Pt, and an oxide thereof, modifying the fine particles including the first protective group with the second protective group, adding a viscosity adjustment agent to the dispersion containing the fine particles to prepare a coating solution, and applying the coating solution on the substrate to form a fine particle layer thereon.
US09412395B1
A content exchange server facilitates the identification of potential narrators of content. The content exchange server receives audio samples from narrators and extracts recording features of the narrators from the samples, which can be associated with narrator profiles. A rights holder can submit preferred recording features for a work to the content exchange server. The content exchange server can compare the preferred focal features with the recording features extracted from the voice samples of the potential narrators to identify potential narrators for the work.
US09412388B1
A method for generating a reconstructed audio signal having a baseband portion and a highband portion is disclosed. The method includes deformatting an encoded audio signal into a first part and a second part and extracting, from the first part, temporal envelope information and spectral components of the baseband portion. The method further includes decoding the first part to obtain a decoded baseband audio signal. The decoding includes filtering in a frequency domain at least some of the spectral components of the baseband portion with the reconstruction filter using the temporal envelope information to shape a temporal envelope of the baseband portion. The method also includes extracting, from the second part, a noise parameter and an estimated spectral envelope of the highband portion and obtaining a plurality of subband signals by filtering the decoded baseband audio signal. The method further includes generating a high-frequency reconstructed signal by copying a number of consecutive subband signals of the plurality of subband signals and obtaining an envelope adjusted high-frequency signal by adjusting, based on the estimated spectral envelope of the highband portion, a spectral envelope of the high-frequency reconstructed signal.
US09412378B2
Equipment includes a first interface intended to be connected to a sound reproduction device and at least one second interface intended to be connected to at least one microphone, an acoustic processing unit adapted for delivering an audio signal filtered by attenuation or suppression of a reference audio signal from an audio signal received via the second interface. In an initialisation phase, the equipment determines a propagation latency; configures a buffer with a reading-triggering threshold defined according to the determined propagation latency. In a nominal operating phase, the equipment transmits a third audio signal via the first interface, the third audio signal being the reference signal after passing through the buffer.
US09412376B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identifying a user in a multi-user environment. One of the methods includes receiving, by a first user device, an audio signal encoding an utterance, obtaining, by the first user device, a first speaker model for a first user of the first user device, obtaining, by the first user device for a second user of a second user device that is co-located with the first user device, a second speaker model for the second user or a second score that indicates a respective likelihood that the utterance was spoken by the second user, and determining, by the first user device, that the utterance was spoken by the first user using (i) the first speaker model and the second speaker model or (ii) the first speaker model and the second score.
US09412374B2
In a method for speech recognition in a motor vehicle, speech inputs from a user are received and at least one of them is supplied to a vehicle-internal onboard speech recognition system without raising a query with the user. The speech recognition system generates a first recognition result, which, however, is not necessarily always correct and thus it has often been necessary up to now to raise a query with the user or allow the user to make corrections. The method provides reliable speech recognition that distracts the user in the motor vehicle as little as possible from the traffic. To this end, a processing unit supplies all or part of the speech input also to a vehicle-external offboard speech recognition system, which transmits a second recognition result to the processing unit. Depending on the first and the second recognition results, the speech text is then determined.
US09412367B2
Apparatus useful for obtaining and displaying information. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a network interface, display device, and speech recognition apparatus configured to receive user speech input and enable performance of various tasks via a remote entity, such as obtaining desired information relating to directions, sports, finance, weather, or any number of other topics. The downloaded may also, in one variant, be transmitted to a personal user device, such as via a data interface.
US09412365B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, relating to enhanced maximum entropy models. In some implementations, data indicating a candidate transcription for an utterance and a particular context for the utterance are received. A maximum entropy language model is obtained. Feature values are determined for n-gram features and backoff features of the maximum entropy language model. The feature values are input to the maximum entropy language model, and an output is received from the maximum entropy language model. A transcription for the utterance is selected from among a plurality of candidate transcriptions based on the output from the maximum entropy language model. The selected transcription is provided to a client device.
US09412362B2
Systems and methods of script identification in audio data obtained from audio data. The audio data is segmented into a plurality of utterances. A script model representative of a script text is obtained. The plurality of utterances are decoded with the script model. A determination is made if the script text occurred in the audio data.
US09412361B1
A system that configures a device's operation based on the device's environment. The system may receive scene data describing a scene in which the device will operate. The scene data may include image data, audio data, or other data. A feature vector comprising the scene data may be processed to identify one or more categories to be associated with the scene. Various processing techniques, such as using Bayesian nonparametric models, may be used to categorize the scene data. The device may then adjust its operation based on the one or more selected categories.
US09412357B2
Ultrasound transducers may be mapped by varying a focus-affecting parameter and adjusting the parameter so as to improve focus quality. In some embodiments, mapping involves successively varying the phase of one transducer element, or group of elements, with respect to a constant phase of the other transducer elements, and determining the phase at which a tissue displacement in the ultrasound focus is maximized.
US09412356B1
Non-occluding active noise suppression apparatus and methods are disclosed. A housing includes an inlet to admit ambient sound and an outlet to output personal sound to the ear of a user. An acoustic path and an electronic path are provided from the inlet to the outlet within the housing. For a predetermined frequency range, a phase difference between the acoustic path and the electronic path is substantially 180 degrees.
US09412341B2
The present invention discloses an electronic device and an information processing method in the electronic device. The electronic device comprises a flexible display unit on which a first content is displayed. The method comprises: detecting whether a preset deformation of the flexible display unit occurs; and when the preset deformation of the flexible display unit occurs, displaying a second content which may or may not be related to the first content on the flexible display unit.
US09412340B2
Some embodiments enable a first electronic device (e.g., a notebook computer) to obtain state information directly from another electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) so that the first electronic device may replicate a state of content of the other computing device. This is useful when a user of an electronic device desires to switch between one device and another device such that the user may continue an activity (e.g., playing a video game) on another device without having to restart the activity. This is also useful when a user of a first electronic device attempts to replicate the state of the activity on a second device from another user such that both users may participate in the same activity. In some embodiments, a user of a device may obtain content from a server and state information from another device to replicate the state of content on the other device.
US09412329B2
Methods and apparatuses for per display scale factors within a multiple display system are described.In one aspect of the invention, a machine implemented method includes setting a scale factor for each window buffer equal to an extreme scale factor among a plurality of displays. The method further includes transferring data from each window buffer into a corresponding frame buffer for one of the plurality of displays by setting a scale factor of each frame buffer equal to the scale factor of the corresponding display.In one example according to this aspect, the method further includes displaying on a high resolution display and a low resolution display an image, stored in the corresponding frame buffers, with substantially the same physical size even though the displays have different scale factors and pixel densities. Also, the extreme scale factor is one of the largest scale factor or the smallest scale factor.
US09412326B2
A display substrate includes a pixel electrode disposed in a display area, a first pad part disposed in a first area of a peripheral area which is disposed adjacent to the display area, where the first pad part is electrically connected to a driver circuit, a second pad part disposed in a second area of the peripheral area facing the first pad part, where the second pad part is electrically connected to a flexible circuit film which transfers a transmission signal to the driver circuit, and a connection line part disposed in an area between the first and second pad parts as a vertical line type, where the connection line part connects the first and second pad parts to each other.
US09412325B2
An array substrate is provided comprising a base substrate; an array of pixel electrodes formed on the base substrate; a plurality of gate lines, each of which is formed corresponding to each row of pixel electrodes; a plurality of data lines, each of which is formed corresponding to each odd number column of pixel electrodes and the next adjacent even number column of pixel electrodes; a plurality of first switching devices, each of which is connected with each odd-number-column pixel electrode, and the data lines charging the corresponding odd-number-column pixel electrodes via the corresponding first switching devices under driving control in corresponding time sequence; a plurality of second switching devices, each of which is connected with each even-number-column pixel electrode, and the data lines charging the corresponding even-number-column pixel electrodes via the corresponding second switching devices under driving control in corresponding time sequence.
US09412314B2
An electro-optic display, having at least one pixel capable of achieving any one of at least four different gray levels including two extreme optical states, is driven by displaying a first image on the display, and rewriting the display to display a second image thereon, wherein, during the rewriting of the display, any pixel which has undergone a number of transitions exceeding a predetermined value without touching an extreme optical state, is driven to at least one extreme optical state before driving that pixel to its final optical state in the second image.
US09412312B2
A one-pixel structure of a display panel included in an auto-stereoscopic image display device adopts an in-plane switching mode. Transparent counter electrodes that are not provided in a liquid crystal panel of a normal in-plane switching mode are formed correspondingly to pixel peripheral regions on a second transparent substrate side and, in 3-dimensional image display, a vertical electric field is forcibly generated between the transparent counter electrodes and the comb-shaped electrodes, which causes the liquid crystal molecules to rise to show black display in the pixel peripheral regions. In 2-dimensional image display, meanwhile, the transparent counter electrodes are set to be floating, and the display panel is caused to have a structure substantially equivalent to a structure in which the transparent counter electrodes are not provided, to thereby make the display in pixel peripheral regions identical to the display (brightness) in a pixel main region.
US09412311B2
A backlight module and a display device comprising the backlight module, the backlight module, including: a backlight source, including a plurality of backlight lamps (5); and a backlight source control device, including: a backlight source driving device, configured to provide a driving signal to the backlight source; a 2D/3D backlight switching unit; and a first switch, connected with the 2D/3D backlight switching unit, wherein the 2D/3D backlight switching unit (4) is configured to control switching-on and switching-off of the first switch while a displaying mode is switched between a 2D displaying mode and a 3D displaying mode, and the backlight source driving device is directly connected with a part of the plurality of backlight lamps of the backlight source, and the remaining backlight lamps in the backlight source are connected with the backlight source driving device via the first switch. By flexibly controlling over the backlight source, the brightness of the backlight source can be flexibly controlled while a display device is switched between the 2D displaying mode and the 3D displaying mode.
US09412310B2
An image processing apparatus includes a signal generation section that generates a drive signal to drive a light attenuation member that attenuates light radiated from a light source based on a difference between first transmittance and second transmittance, the first transmittance being a target value calculated based on image data and the second transmittance being detected based on the position of the light attenuation member, an expansion factor calculation section that calculates an expansion factor based on the first transmittance and the second transmittance, an expansion section that expands the range of the distribution of luminance values in the image data based on the expansion factor calculated by the expansion factor calculation section, and an output section that outputs the image data expanded by the expansion section to a driver that drives a light modulator that modulates light incident thereon.
US09412303B2
An active matrix organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device includes an array of pixels, each pixel including an OLED, a driving transistor (DT) coupled to drive current through the OLED, a storage capacitor, and a scanning transistor (ST) coupled to control charge on the storage capacitor corresponding to a data voltage for said pixel. The display device also includes a timing controller configured to control the ST of each pixel to update the charge stored on the storage capacitor of each pixel at a frame rate including at least one frequency within a range of 1-10 Hertz (Hz).
US09412300B2
A pixel compensating circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a driving transistor, a first capacitor, and an organic light emitting diode element. The first transistor controls transmission of a data signal to a first electrode plate of the first capacitor. The second transistor controls transmission of a reference voltage signal to the first electrode plate of the first capacitor. The driving transistor determines an amount of a driving current. The third transistor controls connection and disconnection between the gate electrode and a drain electrode of the driving transistor. The fourth transistor transmits the driving current from the driving transistor to the organic light emitting diode element. The fifth transistor controls transmission of a supply voltage to the source electrode of the driving transistor; and the organic light emitting diode element emits light in response to the driving current.
US09412297B2
An organic light emitting diode display includes a pixel portion displaying an image and a peripheral portion surrounding the pixel portion, a semiconductor layer including a pixel switching semiconductor layer on the pixel portion on the substrate, a being driving semiconductor layer, and a peripheral switching semiconductor layer on the peripheral portion, a first gate insulating layer on the semiconductor layer, a peripheral switching gate electrode on the first gate insulating layer of the peripheral portion, a second gate insulating layer covering the peripheral switching gate electrode and the first gate insulating layer, a pixel switching gate electrode and a driving gate electrode on the second gate insulating layer of the pixel portion, and a third gate insulating layer covering the pixel switching gate electrode, the driving gate electrode, and the second gate insulating layer.
US09412296B2
A display comprising an array of pixels having individually adjustable brightness levels; an array of light sensors fixed relative to the pixel array; and a brightness controller for estimating a glare footprint on the pixel array from light level data provided by the sensor array and for adjusting the relative brightness levels of pixels that fall in the estimated glare footprint.
US09412269B2
Video analytics is used to track an object of interest represented in video data representing the field of view of a scene observed by a video camera. A multidimensional virtual beam is used to detect whether the tracked object of interest is continually present in a detection zone within the field view of the scene. An occurrence of an event is signaled when the tracked object of interest is continually present in the detection zone during a period beginning when the tracked object of interest enters the detection zone and ending when the tracked object of interest leaves the detection zone through the opposite side, after having completely crossed through the detection zone. Use of a virtual beam detection zone reduces false alarms as compared to the numbers of incidences of false alarms of traditional detection methods, while adding several features and benefits.
US09412264B2
A trainable transceiver having an integrated interface connections with various vehicle modules for use with various remote electronic devices and a method of programming and using the same. The wireless trainable transceiver is in a vehicle with an integrated interface allowing connection to a human to machine interface and vehicle position determination device, such a navigation system and compass and the wireless trainable transceiver has the ability to change functions associated with preset buttons on the trainable transceiver, depending upon the location of the vehicle.
US09412261B2
A system and method for using an RFID tag to automatically setup and configure a universal remote control to command appliances of various types and various manufacturers.
US09412257B2
A first data taking section takes first detection results from a first wireless tag reader which detects the come and go of an electronic cassette into and out of a first service zone, and also takes second detection results from a second wireless tag reader which detects the come and go of an electronic cassette into and out of a second service zone. A first alert controller drives a first speaker to start an alert when the first alert controller determines on the basis of the first detection results that the electronic cassette has gone out the first service zone. After the start of alerting, the first alert controller stops driving the first speaker to interrupt the alert when first alert controller determines that the electronic cassette has come in either the first service zone or the second service zone.
US09412250B2
An alert method and an alert system thereof. The alert method includes: detecting, by a turn detector installed on a steering wheel, a first turn and a second turn of the steering wheel in a predetermined period; generating, by a controller, a first alert signal based on the first and second turns; and when receiving the first alert signal, generating, by an alert device, a first alert message.
US09412249B2
A variety of styles and designs of ornamental enclosures and/or attachments and distinguished by being constructed with one or more of the following products: durable metals, alloys, plastics, composites, ceramics, enamels, similar materials or other durable products or combinations thereof which may be adorned with precious, semiprecious or costume jewels or other decorations and considered as jewelry and will be adapted to enhance the appearance of monitored common emergency alert devices. A free-floating actuator button in the jewelry would be depressed over an common emergency alert device button summoning assistance. Another embodiment of Lovely Life Jewelry could be made with generic internal emergency alert circuitry to connect with existing or future emergency alert services. The purpose of the designer or costume jewelry is to make emergency alert devices more attractive and, therefore, enhance the health, safety and security of the wearer.
US09412246B2
Systems (100) and methods (1800) for determining where an object or person is located in an EAS detection zone. The methods involve: simultaneously emitting a first signal from a first emitter and a second signal from a second emitter; concurrently detecting the first and second signals during a first period of time by each of a first detector and a second detector; and determining where the object or person is within the EAS detection zone based on a pattern of a signal output from at least one of the first and second detectors which reflects that at least one of the first and second signals is blocked by the object or person during at least one of a second period of time and a third period of time in which the object or person is traveling through the EAS detection zone.
US09412243B2
A portable alarm system designed for unoccupied unsecured locations, such as construction sites, machinery, campsites and the like. The alarm system defines a continuous monitoring line about the perimeter of the unsecured location using a plurality of wireless sensors attached to a flexible non-stretchable tape suspended between to vertical poles. The system has motion-sensing/detecting capabilities such that any movement of a housing where the microprocessor of the system is located generates audible/visual alarm. Each of the wireless sensors has a magnet and a transmitter positionable within a predetermined distance from the magnet. If the intruder tampers with the tape and increases the distance between the magnet the transmitter, the alarm is activated as well.
US09412242B2
A point of sale system capable of operating in an indicia-reading mode or a verification mode is disclosed. In the indicia-reading mode, the point of sale system configures its illumination, imaging, and processing to read indicia as part of a normal checkout process. If triggered by a user or by an event, the point of sale system may operate in a verification mode. In the verification mode, the point of sale system enables the necessary illumination, imaging, and processing to verify an item. This verification includes illuminating the item in a way that causes a noticeable response from a security mark (or marks) on the item. An image of the response may be captured and processed to authenticate/verify the item. The point of sale system may then respond to the verification and/or may store the image/results as a record of the verification.
US09412236B2
Some embodiments include a computer-implemented method for enabling a player to configure and initiate multiplayer wagering games. The computer-implemented method can include presenting, on a display device of a wagering game machine, a graphical user interface including social contact icons representing social contacts associated with the player, and a multiplayer wagering game icon associated with a multiplayer wagering game. The method can also include detecting input indicating selection of the multiplayer wagering game icon and the social contact icons. The method can also include transmitting, to the social contacts via a network, invitations to participate in the multiplayer wagering game. The method can also include detecting acceptance of the invitations from at least one of the social contacts, and conducting the multiplayer wagering game involving the player and the at least one of the social contacts.
US09412235B2
A gaming system having a plurality of gaming devices linked to a game controller. The linked game controller conducts a linked game in which eligible ones of the gaming devices participate and any award is shared between the participating gaming devices. The linked game controller conducts the linked game by generating at least one game outcome, and evaluating each game outcome based on the number of participating gaming devices.
US09412233B1
A computerized method for an electronic casino game includes starting a round of play of the electronic casino game, and monitoring a user's brain activity. The method includes determining whether at least one component of the user's brain activity exceeds a threshold level, and changing a chance of winning the round of play if the at least one components of the user's brain activity exceeds the threshold level. Changing the chance of winning the round of play may include increasing the chance of winning the round of play.
US09412230B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of determining the performance of a gaming device by analyzing the incremental revenue generated by the gaming device. This method may include identifying an analysis period, recording game performance data for a set of gaming devices and a test gaming device during the analysis period, and comparing the recorded data to historical gaming data for the set of gaming devices. Some examples of this method may also include developing parameters for the analysis period and using those developed parameters to normalize the recorded game data for the analysis period prior to comparing the recorded data to the historical gaming data.
US09412212B2
An unexpectedness prediction sensitivity determining apparatus determines, for each of temporary stop intersections, a standard driving operation level of a driver when entering the each of temporary stop intersections, based on intersection travel information received from plural vehicles. Subsequently, the unexpectedness prediction sensitivity determining apparatus determines the unexpectedness prediction sensitivity of the driver when entering the temporary stop intersection based on the intersection travel information associated with the temporary stop intersections where determined standard driving operation levels of the drivers are identical to one another.
US09412207B2
An electronic device includes a communication unit that performs communication with an external apparatus; a timekeeping unit that performs timekeeping of time; and a control unit, after completion of a connection with the external apparatus using the communication unit, updates time of the timekeeping unit using time information when being in a state where time can be set by obtaining the time information from the external apparatus.
US09412204B2
An image generation apparatus, system, and method that include an image recording unit that records at least one image containing photography position information corresponding to a photography position of the image, an input unit for selecting a selected image from the at least one image recorded in the image recording unit, a map-image unit that acquires at least one map image corresponding to the photography position information of the selected image, a direction detection unit that detects a photography direction of the selected image from the photography position information and acquires at least one surrounding map image viewable from the photography position when the selected image was recorded, and a virtual image generation unit that generates at least one virtual image of a scene viewable from the photography position when the selected image was recorded based on the photography position information and the at least one surrounding map image.
US09412196B2
A method for regional compositing includes compositing a plurality of video planes and at least one graphics plane. Graphics elements of the at least one graphics plane may be stored into a single graphics plane. A rectangle may be associated to one or more graphics elements of the single graphics plane. A Z-order of the plurality of video planes and the at least one graphics plane may be determined according to rectangular regions defined by rectangles associated with graphics elements of the single graphics plane. A pixel-by-pixel Z-order may be performed based on the determined Z-order of the plurality of video planes and the at least one graphics plane.
US09412193B2
Systems, methods, and computer readable media for generating optimized shader programs (e.g., vertex and fragment) at run-time are described. In general, techniques are disclosed for determining when an executing graphics program (a “client”) issues a command that, to be carried out, would require a significant change in the currently executing shader program (a “shader”). When this is detected, the client's specified change may be used to identify a minimal set of shader instructions that can provide the client's designated effect. The instructions so identified, may be used to generate a shader optimized for that effect.
US09412182B2
A computer implemented method, system and computer program product for identifying the Main Colors and the matching colors of a visual object, and then viewing on a mobile device select items comprising the matching colors, such as from a merchant's catalog. A visual object is analyzed for color content, and the results are stored on a system database located on the device or on a remote server. The color analysis of the objects comprise advanced image processing techniques, such as Main Color extraction using color space transformation comprising HSV, RGB and CYMK to map between pixels in the image. The user can subsequently view a display on their mobile identifying the visual object's Main Colors and at least one Harmonic Color; and then select and view all items (i.e. products in a database) comprising one Harmonic Color, and/or all items of a specific type and Harmonic Color.
US09412181B1
The present invention provides a method and apparatus to enhance the image contrast of a digital image device while simultaneously compensating for image intensity inhomogeneity, regardless of the source. The present invention corrects intensity inhomogeneities producing a more uniform image appearance. Also, the image is enhanced through increased contrast, e.g., tissue contrast in a medical image. The method makes no assumptions as to the source of the inhomogeneities, e.g., physical device characteristics or positioning of the object being imaged. In the method, the error between the histogram of the spatially-weighted original image and a specified histogram is minimized. The specified histogram may be selected to increase contrast generally or particularly for accentuation, e.g., on localized regions of interest. The weighting is preferably achieved by two-dimensional interpolation of a sparse grid of control points overlaying the image. A sparse grid is used rather than a dense one to compensate for slowly-varying image non-uniformity. Also, sparseness reduces the computational complexity, as the final weight set involves the solution of simultaneous linear equations whose number is the size of the chosen grid.
US09412175B2
In an example embodiment, a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes facilitating receipt of a plurality of superpixels of an input image and an object selection input for selecting part of a foreground object in the input image. The method includes determining first set of superpixels as first set of foreground seeds and second set of superpixels as first set of background seeds. The method includes filtering the first set of background seeds to generate second set of background seeds based on geodesic distances. The method includes adding superpixels of first set of unclassified superpixels to the second set of background seeds to generate third set of background seeds, and adding superpixels of second set of unclassified superpixels to the third set of background seeds to generate fourth set of background seeds based on applying a classifier on the second set of unclassified superpixels.
US09412173B2
A method for mapping an environment comprises moving a sensor along a path from a start location (P0) through the environment, the sensor generating a sequence of images, each image associated with a respective estimated sensor location and comprising a point cloud having a plurality of vertices, each vertex comprising an (x,y,z)-tuple and image information for the tuple. The sequence of estimated sensor locations is sampled to provide a pose graph (P) comprising a linked sequence of nodes, each corresponding to a respective estimated sensor location. For each node of the pose graph (P), a respective cloud slice (C) comprising at least of portion of the point cloud for the sampled sensor location is acquired. A drift between an actual sensor location (Pi+1) and an estimated sensor location (Pi) on the path is determined. A corrected pose graph (P′) indicating a required transformation for each node of the pose graph (P) between the actual sensor location (Pi+1) and the start location (P0) to compensate for the determined drift is provided. The sequence of estimated sensor locations is sampled to provide a deformation graph (N) comprising a linked sequence of nodes, each corresponding to respective estimated sensor locations along the path. For at least a plurality of the vertices in the cloud slices, a closest set of K deformation graph nodes is identified and a respective blending function based on the respective distances of the identified graph nodes to a vertex is determined. Transformation coefficients for each node of the deformation graph are determined as a function of the 20 required transformation for each node of the pose graph (P) to compensate for the determined drift. Tuple coordinates for a vertex are transformed to compensate for sensor drift as a function of the blending function and the transformation coefficients for the K deformation graph nodes closest to the vertex.
US09412169B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products provide near real-time feedback to a user of a camera-enabled device to guide the user to capture self-imagery when the user is in a desired position with respect the camera and/or the display of the device. The desired position optimizes aspects of self-imagery that is captured for applications in which the imagery is not primarily intended for the user's consumption. One class of such applications includes applications that rely on illuminating the user's face with light from the device's display screen. The feedback is abstracted to avoid biasing the user with aesthetic considerations. The abstracted imagery may include real-time cartoon-like line drawings of edges detected in imagery of the user's head or face.
US09412165B1
A NB-cam module calibration method is provided. The method includes the following steps: an image which the optical lens of each NB-cam module spotlights onto a light sensor of each NB-cam module is calibrated to generate a compensation parameter set corresponding to each NB-cam module; a color temperature table within the compiled lens-driver firmware is modified according to each compensation parameter set; and the compiled and modified lens-driver firmware is directly burned to each NB-cam module.
US09412159B2
Disclosed is a method for inspecting a flat panel. The method for inspecting the flat panel includes the steps of: arranging a camera at a measurement location of the flat panel by horizontally moving at least one of the flat panel and the camera; automatically focusing the camera with respect to a measuring target of the flat panel at the measurement location; acquiring a plurality of images for the measuring target by vertically moving the focused camera within a set region on the basis of the present location of the camera when focusing the camera; selecting the image having the most definition for the measuring target among the acquired images; processing the selected image; and determining whether the measuring target is defective or not.
US09412153B2
An inpainting apparatus and method are described for infilling of blank areas from which an image object or area has been missing, removed, or moved from. Structure regions that reach the edge of the removed object area are identified and then prioritized as to fill order based on depth (distance) from the camera. Then these structure regions are filled in prioritized fill order, followed by remaining (homogeneous) areas to generate the inpainted image. The method may be performed on any desired computer-enabled electronic device, including cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, tablets, personal computers and other processor-equipped electronic devices.
US09412142B2
An intelligent video/audio observation and identification database system may define a security zone or group of zones. The system may identify vehicles and individuals entering or exiting the zone through image recognition of the vehicle or individual as compared to prerecorded information stored in a database. The system may alert security personnel as to warrants or other information discovered pertaining to the recognized vehicle or individual resulting from a database search. The system may compare images of a suspect vehicle, such as an undercarriage image, to standard vehicle images stored in the database and alert security personnel as to potential vehicle overloading or foreign objects detected, such as potential bombs. The system may further learn the standard times and locations of vehicles or individuals tracked by the system and alert security personnel upon deviation from standard activity.
US09412131B2
In a method for specifying services provided by a franking machine, a program code is loaded into a data processing device via and, a first communication channel to a remote data center, authorization to access the franking machine is requested using an authorization request message. In response, via a second communication channel, data are provided from the remote data center to the franking machine. In response, the franking machine enables access for executing a specification process via a third communication channel via which communication between the data processing device and the franking machine is established using the program code executed by the data processing device. The specification process is executed using the program code to set at least one feature of at least one service provided by the franking machine.
US09412130B2
A mobile computerized apparatus or method configured to coordinate towing facilities and roadside assistance providers and their available capacity to tow and provide roadside assistance and match users with those towing facilities and roadside assistance providers is disclosed. The apparatus or method may be configured to consider the following factors in matching the towing facilities/roadside assistance providers and users: (a) availability of nearby towing facilities; (b) telematics information from the vehicle to assist with the diagnosis/repairs; (c) preset preferences of the user; (d) insurance information (such as the type of the vehicle the user has and the user's home address); and (e) the capabilities of the towing facility.
US09412122B2
Disclosed is a method for transferring user data objects, wherein a data providing component provides user data objects. According to the method, the data providing components are called up by a first telecommunication device in order to transfer a selection of certain user data objects to a second telecommunication device. The data providing component transmits a transfer offer message to the second telecommunication device in order to inform the latter on the user data objects that are to be transferred. At least one useful data object is then selected in a second telecommunication device, whereupon the user data object is transferred from the data providing component to the second telecommunication device. The user data object which is transferred to the second telecommunication device is then charged to the first telecommunication device.
US09412117B2
A system including a remotely-located service provider server receives one or more product specification data sets. A metrics application invokes an evaluation service and obtains metric data including market reference price data for responsive items at a current time or period of time. Attributes for each responsive item are evaluated to dynamically discover relations within the attribute data that enable a metric server adapter to contextually determine which of the predefined instructions are applicable to the responsive item. One or more adjustment values are generated and applied to the market reference price data for a responsive item that differs by at least one parameter value, transforming the current market reference price data into transaction-specific market reference price data values that are used to generate one or more evaluation metrics. One or more of the received product specification data sets and evaluation metrics are communicated to a user-agent controlled computing device.
US09412114B2
An exemplary system includes an automated banking machine which is operable to conduct transactions including cash dispensing for users responsive to communication with a transaction host. The machine is also operative to provide output signals which drive external displays which are separate from the machine. The machine is operable to receive visual and audio content from one or more broadcast content sources and to store the content in the machine. The content is then output through the external displays. The machine is also operative to receive and store a plurality of advertising messages. The advertising messages are output in a targeted manner to users of the machine.
US09412112B1
An interactive display platform is provided for generating and displaying a sponsored message within a message group, including previously received messages from users. A first group of users having user information corresponding to information received from a first user is determined. A selection representing a user is received, and a modified first group is determined including by adding the selected user to the first group. Advertiser(s) meeting a threshold of targeting criteria is selected for displaying a message with at least two previously received messages from a second group of users that is based at least on a previously received message from someone of the modified first group by a point in time. A unique information assembly is generated by integrating information from previously received messages from the second group and a message from the advertiser(s), which is provided for display for the first user.
US09412108B2
A method and system for detecting fraud in a payment card network using a pattern of transaction ticket size are provided. The method including receiving transaction information, for a current financial transaction, from at least one of a merchant point of sale (POS) device and a merchant website, the transaction information including a current transaction amount, the transaction information associated with a single payment card cardholder, retrieving a predetermined number of historical transactions for the single cardholder based on the transaction information, and generating a historical spend ticket size pattern based on average ticket size and dispersions for at least one of the same store, similar stores, and relevant merchant categories. The method further including comparing the current transaction amount to the historical spend ticket size pattern and generating a recommendation for approval or decline of the current financial transaction based on the comparison.
US09412105B2
A mobile checkout system and method for completing a purchase transaction to purchase items from an internet merchant. A user browses and selects items for purchase from the merchant through a shopping application or browser. During the processing of the transaction, a checkout application installed on a mobile communication device is launched. The checkout application receives a checkout token created by a checkout server that identifies the purchase transaction. The checkout application uses this token and communicates with the checkout server to cause the checkout server to complete the purchase transaction. When the transaction is complete, the shopping application or browser is relaunched and a results page is displayed.
US09412099B1
A retail checkout system includes a camera, a database, a processor, and a memory. The camera outputs an image of a purchase item. The database contains features of known items. The processor performs operations to extract features of the purchase item from the image of the purchase item, and identifies matches between the features of the purchase item and the features of known items. The processor identifies a group of candidate items among the known items responsive to insufficient matches between the features of the purchase item and the features of any one of the known items. The processor displays information identifying the candidate items, receives a command selecting one of the candidate items as matching the purchase item, and adjusts information in the database that defines the features of the selected one of the candidate items based on the features of the purchase item.
US09412096B2
Techniques to detect spam using language and a country of origin of an e-mail may include receiving an e-mail message for a recipient, detecting a country of origin for the e-mail message and detecting a language of the e-mail message. A technique may further include determining a country frequency with which the recipient communicates with the country of origin by e-mail, and a language frequency with which the recipient communicates in the language by e-mail. A technique may assign a first score to the message according to the country frequency, and a second score to the message according to the language frequency. The scores may used to determine whether the e-mail message is spam. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09412094B2
The different illustrative embodiments provide a computer program product and apparatus for managing user identifiers presented in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. In an illustrative embodiment, a determination is made whether the new user identifier matches an existing user identifier according to a policy for a minimum degree of character variation between the new user identifier and the existing user identifier responsive to receiving a request to store a new user identifier. The request to store the new user identifier is rejected responsive to a determination that the new user identifier matches the existing user identifier according to the policy. The request is approved responsive to an absence of a determination that the new user identifier matches the existing user identifier according to the policy.
US09412091B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for generating a routing slip for a message. A computer system determines an appropriate sub-flow for the message. The sub-flow dictates a sequence of processing steps for the message. The computer system generates a routing slip for the message based on the appropriate sub-flow. The routing slip provides an order for executing one or more processing steps of the sub-flow. The computer system associates the routing slip to the message. The processing steps of the sub-flow are executed by the computer system according to the routing slip. In an embodiment, the message is a financial message describing at least one financial transaction.
US09412090B2
A system, a mobile communication terminal, and a method for providing information. The system for providing information includes: a tag configured to store tag information; a mobile communication terminal configured to obtain the tag information using short-range communication and to calculate position information of the mobile communication terminal when the tag information is obtained; and an information providing server configured to receive the tag information and the position information from the mobile communication terminal, extract service address information which provides information for connecting to a service identified by the tag information and based on the position information, and provide the extracted service address information to the mobile communication terminal. The mobile communication terminal is connected to the service based on the service address information.
US09412085B2
A method and associated system for managing an item in a place. The method detects that: (i) the item in the place is being moved, (ii) an operating object inside the place is moving, and (iii) the operating object inside the place and the item in the place are within a previously specified distance of each other. Responsive to the previous detections, it is determined that the operating object does not have a reservation for borrowing the item, from which it is determined that the operating object has illegitimately taken the item, which triggers preventing the operating object from removing the item from the place.
US09412078B2
An online performance venue system and method including a central server and a plurality of user terminals allows users to meet, communicate, learn, and perform. Users may perform live, record their performances for later playback or download, such as for a fee. Users may further create groups or bands and perform and record together. The system includes a number of additional features to foster an online community of system users.
US09412076B2
A volumetric segmentation method is disclosed for brain region analysis, in particular but not limited to, regions of the basal ganglia such as the subthalamic nucleus (STN). This serves for visualization and localization within the sub-cortical region of the basal ganglia, as an example of prediction of a region of interest for deep brain stimulation procedures. A statistical shape model is applied for variation modes of the STN, or the corresponding regions of interest, and its predictors on high-quality training sets obtained from high-field, e.g., 7 T, MR imaging. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) method is applied to induce the spatial relationship between the region to be predicted, e.g., STN, and its predictors. The prediction accuracy for validating the invention is evaluated by measuring the shape similarity and the errors in position, size, and orientation between manually segmented STN and its predicted one.
US09412074B2
Operators such as unitary operators common in quantum mechanical applications may be approximated by a Trotter-like approximation. An operator may be decomposed and terms of the operator may be grouped, or assigned into levels. The levels may be scaled and applied at unique intervals of calculational steps. A quantum device may have circuitry for applying levels of the operator at the unique intervals.
US09412072B2
The present invention relates to a system for improving the flight safety, comprising: a prediction component which predicts behaviors of an aircraft; and an indication component which indicates adjustment of an operation of the aircraft to reduce the possibility of occurrence of abnormal flying behaviors.
US09412064B2
Apparatus and methods for event based communication in a spiking neuron network. The network may comprise units communicating by spikes via synapses. The spikes may communicate a payload data. The data may comprise one or more bits. The payload may be stored in a buffer of a pre-synaptic unit and be configured to accessed by the post-synaptic unit. Spikes of different payload may cause different actions by the recipient unit. Sensory input spikes may cause postsynaptic response and trigger connection efficacy update. Teaching input spikes trigger the efficacy update without causing the post-synaptic response.
US09412062B2
In various embodiments, a Radio Frequency Identification apparatus includes a coupling body having a metal material and a transponder chip configured to contactlessly transmit data. The transponder chip is physically coupled to the coupling body, has a storage element which stores the data, and has a first electrode which is at a distance from the coupling body. The coupling body is in the form of a second electrode for the transponder chip configured to couple the transponder chip to an external Radio Frequency Identification reader for reading the data.
US09412054B1
A system and method for estimating a size of an object in an image is provided. A tissue model may be provided. Points in an image may be selected. A distance or estimated distance of the points from an imaging device may be determined based on the tissue model. A geometrical relation associating the point, distances and an object may be derived. A size parameter of the object may be calculated based on the geometrical relation. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09412051B1
Neuromorphic image processing employs neuromorphic neurons arranged as relay neurons, interneurons and reticular neurons to process image data. A neuromorphic image processing channel includes relay neurons and interneurons to receive spiking input signals. The interneurons provide feed-forward inhibition to the relay neurons. The neuromorphic image processing channel also includes reticular neurons to receive output spiking signals from and to provide feedback inhibition to the relay neurons. A neuromorphic image processing system includes a first neuromorphic image processing (NIP) channel to receive a first set of spiking input signals and a second NIP channel to receive a second set of spiking input signals. The neuromorphic image processing system also includes reticular neurons to receive output spiking signals from and to provide feedback inhibition to both the first and second NIP channels.
US09412050B2
A produce recognition method which uses hierarchical Bayesian learning and kernel combination, and which offers classification-oriented synergistic data integration from diverse sources. An example method includes providing a classifier having a plurality of inputs, each input being adapted to receive produce data of a different modality; mapping the produce data to the respective input of the classifier by a computer; for each input, independently operating on the data relating to that input to create a feature set by the computer; comparing each feature in the feature set to respective pre-trained data for that feature to produce a similarity description set; combining all similarity description sets using a dedicated weighting function to produce a composite similarity description by the computer; and deriving a plurality of class values from the composite similarity description to create a recognition result for the produce item by the computer.
US09412043B2
A system, method, and computer program product for assigning an aesthetic score to an image. A method of the present invention includes receiving an image comprising a set of global features. The method includes extracting a set of global features for the image. The method further includes encoding the extracted set of global features into a high-dimensional feature vector. The method further includes reducing the dimension of the high-dimensional feature vector. The method further includes applying a machine-learned model to assign an aesthetic score to the image, wherein a more aesthetically-pleasing image is given a higher aesthetic score and a less aesthetically-pleasing image is given a lower aesthetic score.
US09412037B2
A method for processing an image, including: identifying a group of keypoints in the image; for each keypoint, calculating a corresponding descriptor array including plural array elements, each array element storing values taken by a corresponding color gradient histogram of a respective sub-region of the image in the neighborhood of the keypoint; for each keypoint, subdividing the descriptor array in at least two sub-arrays each including a respective number of elements of the descriptor array, and generating a compressed descriptor array including a corresponding compressed sub-array for each of the at least two sub-arrays, each compressed sub-array obtained by compressing the corresponding sub-array by vector quantization using a respective codebook; exploiting the compressed descriptor arrays of the keypoints for image analysis. For each keypoint of the group, the subdividing is based on correlation relationships among color gradient histograms with values stored in the elements of the descriptor array of each keypoint.
US09412034B1
Disclosed are a system, apparatus, and method for performing occlusion handling for simultaneous localization and mapping. Occluded map points may be detected according to a depth-mask created according to an image keyframe. Dividing a scene into sections may optimize the depth-mask. Size of depth-mask points may be adjusted according to intensity. Visibility may be verified with an optimized subset of possible map points. Visibility may be propagated to nearby points in response to determining an initial visibility of a first point's surrounding image patch. Visibility may also be organized and optimized according to a grid.
US09412028B2
Described embodiments include a system and method. A digital imaging device is configured to capture images of a region of a contact between a wheel of a terrestrial vehicle and a surface (“contact region”). A correlator is configured to correlate a first digital image of the contact region captured at a first time with a second digital image of the contact region captured at a second time. A kinematics circuit determines an incremental slide or slip of the wheel relative to the surface. A fraction status circuit combines at least two instances of the incremental slide or slip into data indicative of a slide or slip by the terrestrial vehicle relative to the surface. A communications circuit outputs an electronic signal indicative of the data indicative of a slide or slip by the terrestrial vehicle.
US09412020B2
Most of large-scale image retrieval systems are based on Bag-of-Visual-Words model. However, traditional Bag-of-Visual-Words model does not well capture the geometric context among local features in images, which plays an important role in image retrieval. In order to fully explore geometric context of all visual words in images, efficient global geometric verification methods have been attracting lots of attention. Unfortunately, current existing global geometric verification methods are either computationally expensive to ensure real-time response. To solve the above problems, a novel geometric coding algorithm is used to encode the spatial context among local features for large scale partial duplicate image retrieval. With geometric square coding and geometric fan coding, our geometric coding scheme encodes the spatial relationships of local features into three geo-maps, which are used for global verification to remove spatially inconsistent matches. This approach is not only computationally efficient, but also effective in detecting duplicate images with rotation, scale changes, occlusion, and background clutter.
US09412018B2
Techniques for creating and manipulating software notes representative of physical notes are described. A note management system comprises a note recognition module configured to receive image data capturing a note having a plurality of color segments, wherein the note recognition module is further configured to generate a plurality of indicators, each indicator indicative of a color class of a pixel or group of pixels within the image data and based on color values of the pixel or group of pixels; and a note extraction module configured to determine general boundaries of the color segments of the note based on the plurality of indicators and extract content using the general boundaries, the content comprising a plurality of content pieces, each of the content pieces corresponding to one of the color segments of the note.
US09412017B1
A computing device acquires a video of a tax document utilizing a video camera such as a webcam. The video is analyzed to detect a first motion of the tax document, such as sufficient shaking or movement of the tax document, satisfying first pre-determined criteria that results in the computing device being prompted or requested by the user to take an image of the tax document. After the first pre-determined criteria has been satisfied, the user is instructed to hold the tax document steady. Subsequent video frames are analyzed to detect a second motion or the tax document being sufficiently still or steady, in response to which an image of the tax document is acquired and processed to extract data of the tax document from the acquired image and populate corresponding fields of the electronic tax return.
US09412014B2
A biometric information process device includes: a biometric sensor obtaining a plurality of biometric images of a user; a detection portion detecting a surface reflection region of the plurality of biometric images; and a storage portion storing biometric information obtained from biometric images included in the plurality of biometric images, the biometric images having a different surface reflection region from each other.
US09412009B2
A method and system for matching an unknown facial image of an individual with an image of a celebrity using facial recognition techniques and human perception is disclosed herein. The invention provides a internet hosted system to find, compare, contrast and identify similar characteristics among two or more individuals using a digital camera, cellular telephone camera, wireless device for the purpose of returning information regarding similar faces to the user The system features classification of unknown facial images from a variety of internet accessible sources, including mobile phones, wireless camera-enabled devices, images obtained from digital cameras or scanners that are uploaded from PCs, third-party applications and databases. Once classified, the matching person's name, image and associated meta-data is sent back to the user. The method and system uses human perception techniques to weight the feature vectors.
US09412006B1
A method for a continuous scoring scheme used for the assessment of biomarker expressions in the analysis of tissue sections, and digital images thereof, is based on cell classifications.
US09411998B2
A method for glare reduction may be implemented by a graphical code reader. The method may include illuminating a target area using a plurality of light sources. The method may also include capturing images of the target area using at least one image sensor. The method may also include determining that glare is present in at least one captured image. The method may also include determining glare information that indicates which of the light sources are responsible for the glare. The method may further include taking corrective action to reduce the glare in subsequent images based on the glare information that is determined.
US09411994B2
A system and method are provided for managing the safety of a plurality (10) of personal protection equipment items (11). The system and method assign unique identifiers (12) to each of the items (11) and encodes the identifiers (12) into Ultra High Frequency RFID chips (18) attached to each of the items (11). A user (29) can identify the specific items (11) in the user's inventory by scanning the chips (18) and the system can provide safety information relevant to each of the specific items (11) based on the chips (18) that are scanned, including training information specific to each item (11), training information specific to each worker (34) assigned to each item (11) by a user (29), and maintenance and/or inspection protocols in the form of images (60) illustrating the steps of the protocols and text (62) explaining the steps.
US09411985B2
An electronic device (22) includes a communication interface (36) and a processor (30), which is configured to store and process secret information and to communicate with a host device (24) via the communication interface. An environmental detector (38) is configured to detect a change, relative to a baseline, in an operating environment of the electronic device, and in response to the detected change, to initiate a secure communication between the processor and the host device when the detected change is in a predefined first range, and to invoke a countermeasure against tampering with the device when the detected change is in a predefined second range, disjoint from the first range.
US09411984B2
A process mode of either of an encryption process and a decryption process is set for at least one of a plurality of pieces of key data, in association with the key data. Then, a mode specifying command for specifying a process mode in association with key data is received from another apparatus, and if the received process mode and the process mode associated with the key data coincide with each other, the process in the process mode using the key data is permitted.
US09411980B2
A service provider can maintain one or more host computing devices that can be accessed as host computing device resources by customers. A hosting platform includes components arranged in a manner to limit modifications to software or firmware on hardware components. In some aspects, the hosting platform may include a master latch that indicates whether the components may be configured, and the master latch may be set once and only reset upon completion of a power cycle. In another aspect, the hosting platform can implement management functions for establishing control plane functions between the host computing device and the service provider that is independent of the customer. Additionally, the management functions can also be utilized to present different hardware or software attributes of the host computing device.
US09411974B2
Embodiments of the invention relates to tracking changes made to a document, and embedding the changes in the document while limiting access to the embedded changes. A log of the revisions is retained in a revision history, which is stored in an object library of alternative storage. Access to the document with acceptance of the changes is enabled. Markings associated with deletions and additions to the document, the revision history, or an alternative view showing the changes made is limited based upon a security protocol.
US09411963B2
An identity management system is augmented to enable a manager to associate “risk” metadata with different types of access requests representing computer system accounts that can be requested by authorized users. When an authorized user then requests access to a particular account, any “risk” associated with that access is shown to the user, typically in the form of a visual “badge” or other such indicator. The badge includes an appropriate informational display (e.g., “High Risk” or “Regulated”) that provides an appropriate risk warning. The risk metadata badge information preferably also is displayed for risk-based access request approval routing; in such context, the risk metadata may also determine the risk approval workflow itself. Thus, for example, if the risk metadata is present when the authorized user requests access, an approval workflow may be modified so that the request approval is routed appropriately.
US09411958B2
A computer-implemented method includes identifying, in web code to be served to a client, presence of code for generating a form; generating additional, executable code to be run on the client device, the additional, executable code being arranged to identify user input on the client device and modify the form so that data from the user input is received into one or more alternative fields of the form other than a first field to which a user performing the input directed the input; receiving a request from the client device based on completion of input into the form; and converting data from the received request so that data for the one or more alternative fields of the form is directed to the first field of the form for processing by a web server system that initially generated the web code.
US09411956B2
A printing device includes a user interface, a print module and a locked print module. The locked print module is configured to examine a plurality of print data received by the printing device to determine whether locked printing is specified for any electronic documents contained in the plurality of print data. If locked printing is specified for any of the electronic documents contained in the plurality of print data, then the corresponding print data is stored on the printing device and not processed for printing. The locked print module is further configured to verify password data with respect to user identification data. If the password data is not successfully verified with respect to the user identification data, then the locked print module causes print data that is both stored on the printing device and associated with the user identification data to be deleted from the printing device.
US09411953B1
Injected threads are tracked to detect malware that injects malicious code into the address space of a legitimate process. Relationships between threads of processes executing on a client and files stored by the client are mapped to identify files that create threads in executing processes. The address space of a process is analyzed to identify legitimate memory regions in the address space. A suspicious thread referencing a suspicious memory region of the address space outside of the legitimate memory regions is identified. The suspicious memory region is scanned to identify malware. The mapped relationships are used to identify the file that created the thread that referenced the address space in which the malware was identified. The malware in the file is remediated.
US09411947B2
Techniques for managing security of a data processing system are described herein. According to one embodiment, in response to a request for modifying a security settings of a data processing system, a message is displayed on a display of the data processing system to request a user who operates the data processing system to perform a physical action to prove that the user was physically present to issue the request for modifying the security settings. It is verified whether a user action physically performed by the user conforms to the requested physical action. The security settings of the data processing system is modified, in response to determining that the user action conforms to the requested physical action.
US09411943B2
An authentication method authenticates a first party to a second party, where an operation is performed on condition that the authentication succeeds. If the first party is not authenticated, then if the first party qualifies for a sub-authorization, the operation is still performed. Further, a device that includes a first memory area holding a comparison measure, which is associated with time, and which is also used in said authentication procedure, a second memory area holding a limited list of other parties which have been involved in an authentication procedure with the device, and a third memory area, holding compliance certificates concerning parties of said list.
US09411936B2
Systems, devices and methods transmit data from a patient device to a location, for example a remote location, where the patient is monitored. The system may comprise a server system, for example a backend server system, a gateway and the patient worn device. The gateway can be configured to communicate with the patient worn device in response to a list transmitted from the server, for example an approved patient device list transmitted from the server to the gateway. The gateway may exclude communication with patient worn devices that are not on the list. This use of the list can control data throughput from the patient device to the gateway and also from the gateway to the server, such that the communication from the device on the list to the server is maintained and appropriate information can be reliably sent from the patient device to the server.
US09411927B2
A method and apparatus for identifying a potential movement of a part containing features. First lines are formed by a computer system on a plane extending from a rotation point on the plane to centers of the features in a feature pattern. Second lines are formed by the computer system on the plane extending from the centers of the features in which the second lines are substantially perpendicular to corresponding first lines. Third lines are formed by the computer system extending from ends of the second lines in which the third lines are substantially perpendicular to the plane. Elongate volumes are formed by the computer system extending from the centers of the features to ends of the third lines. An intersection of the elongate volumes is formed by the computer system. The potential movement of the part containing the features is identified using the intersection.
US09411926B2
A method of generating, based on a first netlist of an integrated circuit, a second netlist includes generating layout geometry parameters for at least a portion of the first netlist of the integrated circuit, the portion including a first device. A third netlist is generated based on the first netlist and the layout geometry parameters. A description in the third netlist for modeling the first device is decomposed into a description in a fourth netlist for modeling a plurality of secondary devices. The second netlist is generated based on the fourth netlist.
US09411924B2
The present disclosure relates to a method of improving pattern density with a low OPC (optical proximity correction) cycle time, and an associated apparatus. In some embodiments, the method is performed by forming an integrated chip (IC) design that is a graphical representation of an integrated chip. One or more low-pattern-density areas of the IC design are identified having a pattern density that results in a processing failure. The low-pattern-density areas are a subset of the IC design. The pattern density is adjusted within the low-pattern-density area by adding one or more dummy shapes within the low-pattern-density areas. A data preparation process is then performed on the IC design to modify shapes of the one or more dummy shapes within the low-pattern-density areas. By introducing dummy shapes into a local area, rather than into an entire integrated chip design, the demands of the subsequent data preparation process are reduced.
US09411918B1
A system, method, and computer program product for extending device model parameter specification flexibility when using a subcircuit wrapper. Embodiments facilitate device modeling by allowing a modeling engineer to eliminate the explicit specification of a large set of wrapped device instance parameters as parameters to the subcircuit wrapper itself. A circuit designer may now use the subcircuit wrapper to specify an instance of the subcircuit without having to explicitly provide values for all such parameters. The simulator program's built-in device model calculates its default parameter values, which are often the result of complex expressions involving the other parameters, resulting in more accurate simulations. Subcircuit wrappers no longer need to be explicitly regenerated when a new version of the wrapped device model becomes available for the simulator (e.g., one that supports additional instance parameters that were not present on the earlier version when the subcircuit wrapper was created).
US09411913B2
A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for determining a lifespan of an electronic component in a downhole environment is disclosed. A first wear-out model is created that is related to a selected electronic component. A physical condition of the selected electronic component is examined at a selected examination time. The physical condition is generally due to the downhole environment in which the electronic component is disposed. A second wear-out model for the selected electronic component is created from the first wear-out model and the examined physical condition of the selected electronic component.
US09411910B2
A system for designing the dentition of a patient, comprising a first input for providing an image of the smile of the patient to the system, an output, a processor for computing and applying a first set of visual indicators onto the image of the smile of the patient through the output, the first set of visual indicators indicating ideal positioning of the teeth of the patient, and for computing and applying a second set of visual indicators onto the image of the smile of the patient through the output, the second set of visual indicators providing adjustment of positioning of the teeth of the patient, a memory having stored therein a library of 2D digital images of smiles and associated 3D dentition models, a user interface for selecting a desired 2D digital image to be applied to the image of the smile of the patient and adjusting the second set of visual indicators, the adjustment of the second set of visual indicators modifying the 2D digital image, wherein the processor modifies the 3D dentition model associated with the 2D digital image and provides a virtual wax-up of a dental restoration of the dentition of the patient.
US09411906B2
Systems and methods to generate modified/refined user inputs based on the original user input, such as a search query, are disclosed. The method may be implemented for Roman-based and/or non-Roman based language such as Chinese. The method may generally include receiving an original user input and identifying core terms therein, determining potential alternative inputs by replacing core term(s) in the original input with another term according to a similarity matrix and/or substituting a word sequence in the original input with another word sequence according to an expansion/contraction table where one word sequence is a substring of the other, computing likelihood of each potential alternative input, and selecting most likely alternative inputs according to a predetermined criteria, e.g., likelihood of the alternative input being at least that of the original input. A cache containing pre-computed original user inputs and corresponding alternative inputs may be provided.
US09411903B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a faceted browser for decision-making that enables interactive visualization of a decision space as choices are made. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises receiving a selection of a first choice from a user. The first choice is displayed in a user interface that includes a plurality of facets, each facet including a plurality of choices. The method further comprises disabling at least one second choice in response to the selection of the first choice, and determining a first result set in response to the selection of the first choice. The user interface is then updated in real-time to display the selected status of the first choice, the disabled status of the second choice, and the first result set to the user.
US09411894B2
Technologies related to observer filtered activity recommendations are generally described. In some examples, a computing device may collect activity and observer information for a device user, may identify limited observer activities, and may generate observer filtered activity recommendations for the device user, the observer filtered activity recommendations corresponding to the identified limited observer activities. Observer filtered activity recommendations may optionally be restricted in the presence of current observers outside a limited observer group. In some examples, the computing device may provide automated access to observer information and/or to observer filtered activity information to enable observer filtered activity recommendations by applications accessing the observer information and/or the observer filtered activity information.
US09411893B2
Traffic management reports are created from data provided by vehicle sensor devices placed at different fixed locations in a region. Data of vehicles that pass each of the vehicle sensor devices are captured and communicated to a central computer database. At the central computer database, a traffic priority enforcement report is created from the vehicle data. The traffic priority enforcement report incorporates vehicle data from a plurality of vehicles. The vehicle data is for a plurality of previous, non-current times so as to allow for analysis of past vehicle data.
US09411890B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating search query metadata for a graph search query for use in selecting web pages relevant to the graph search query. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a graph search query specifying user-selected graph search elements; generating graph search query metadata representing the graph search elements of the graph search query and relationships of the graph search elements; comparing the graph search query metadata to content metadata sets, wherein each content metadata set represents content elements of a content item presented on a respective web resource and relationships of the content elements; determining similarity scores between the content metadata sets and the graph search query metadata based on the comparison; and selecting web resources on which the content items are presented based on the similarity scores of the respective content metadata sets.
US09411885B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a processor and a display processor. The processor stores a plurality of clip data items in storage, each of the plurality of clip data items including a clip and one or more tags associated with the clip, the clip corresponding to at least a part of a document. The display processor displays one or more first tags on a screen if a first clip is selected from a first document displayed on the screen, the first clip corresponding to at least a part of the first document, wherein the one or more first tags are related to the first clip and extracted from the plurality of clip data items.
US09411877B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for name searching in mixed-entity lists is provided which comprises dividing a mixed list of entities into a plurality of entity-specific lists. A name to be searched is then categorized into a category and a specialized search logic is applied to the name to be searched. The specialized search logic is selected to be adapted to the category and uses a one of the entity-specific lists that corresponds to the category of the name to be searched. A shared search logic may also be employed, which is used for all names to be searched.
US09411871B2
Responsive to an instruction to collapse a derivative version of an ancestor data volume into the ancestor data volume, it is determined if a characteristic of the derivative version of the ancestor data volume satisfies a criteria relative to a characteristic of the ancestor data volume. If the characteristic of the derivative version satisfies the criteria, the ancestor data volume is merged into the derivative version of the underlying data to form an updated derivative version. The updated derivative version is established as the ancestor data volume.
US09411866B2
Data replication in a database includes identifying a source database system. The source database includes a main index file and a delta log file. To create a replica, one or more symbolic links to the source database system are generated. The symbolic links identify a path to a physical location of the source database. A replica of the source database is generated based on the symbolic links. The replica includes a copy of the main index file and delta log file. Information associated with the replica and the symbolic links is stored in a recovery log. Replica are provided transparently to most database engine components by re-using partitioning infrastructure. Components “see” replica as tables with a single partition; that partition is a local replica.
US09411865B2
A method of and system for data analysis, including interrogating a plurality of computer systems to generate for each computer system at least one dump file, each dump file including configuration and state information; extracting predetermined configuration and state information from the respective dump files; and storing the extracted configuration and state information in a database in a normalized format.
US09411864B2
Remote data collection systems and methods retrieve data including financial, sales, marketing, operational and the like data from a plurality of databases and database types remotely over a network in an automated, platform-agnostic manner. An Extract Transform and Load (ETL) data replication method for Chart of Account (COA) standardization includes receiving a request for remote data collection to extract data from a data source; extracting data in a non-intrusive manner from the data source, wherein the data comprises non-standard COA data; and transforming one of an entire set or a subset of the extracted data based on the request based on a template or a standardized form desired for comparisons.
US09411863B2
A method performed by a mobile communications device, including: populating a central database on the device with a title for each of a plurality of software modules installed on the device and associating each title with its software module; populating the central database with at least one keyword associated with each of the plurality of software modules and associating each keyword with its software module; receiving at the device a search query; displaying at the device a search result identifying at least one of the software modules installed on the device having either a title or one or more associated keywords matching the search query; and in response to receiving at the device a selection of a software module identified in the search result, activating the selected software module.
US09411859B2
Certain implementations of the disclosed technology include systems and methods for external linking based on hierarchal level weightings. The method may include associating external query data having one or more query field values with a record in a linked hierarchical database. The linked hierarchical database may include a plurality of records, each record having a record identifier and representing an entity in a hierarchy, each record associated with a hierarchy level, each record including one or more fields, each field configured to contain a field value. The associating may include receiving the external query data, wherein the external query data includes one or more search values; and identifying, from the plurality of records in the linked hierarchical database, one or more matched fields having field values that at least partially match the one or more search values.
US09411854B2
Disclosed is an information processing apparatus, wherein, upon defining an judgment method of determining the timing for presenting information, an appropriate judgment rule can be defined without any need for specialized knowledge, and without putting in much effort in setup work thereof. The information processing apparatus is provided with: an judgment-rule candidate generating unit for generating judgment rule candidates, which are combinations of a plurality of conditions combined on the basis of a rule; a materialization-estimate calculation unit for calculating judgment-rule materialization estimate values that indicate estimates of materialization frequencies for each of the judgment rule candidates, on the basis of a sensor availability rate within a period of time; and an judgment rule selection unit for selecting an judgment rule from among the judgment rule candidates, on the basis of the judgment-rule materialization estimate value and a notification amount that indicates the desired notification frequency of information.
US09411853B1
An in-memory aggregation (IMA) system having a massive parallel hardware (HW) accelerated aggregation engine uses the IMA for providing maximal utilization of HW resources of any processing unit (PU), such as a central processing unit (CPU), general purpose GPU, special coprocessors, and like subsystems. The PU accelerates business intelligence (BI) application performance by massive parallel execution of compute-intensive tasks of in-memory data aggregation processes.
US09411851B2
Techniques are disclosed for retrieving both data stored in relational form and data stored in XML form responsive to a single XQuery query. The techniques allow applications to retrieve relational data residing in various relational database management systems by using XQuery and XQuery for Java. In one such embodiment, an embeddable serverless computer component implements the techniques, and includes a combination of one or more relational adaptors and a mediator to access relational data and transform it into appropriate XML. The techniques are embeddable, and can be standards-based, database-independent, and operating-system independent. Optimized performance and scalability from desktop to enterprise applications are enabled as the number of users and/or database size increases.
US09411849B2
A method, system and computer storage medium for visual searching based on cloud service is disclosed. The method includes: receiving, from a client, an image recognition request of cloud service, the request containing image data; forwarding, according to a set classified forwarding rule, the image data to a corresponding classified visual search service; recognizing, by the respective corresponding classified visual search services, corresponding classified type information in the image data, and determining a corresponding name of the image data in accordance with the respective classified type information, and obtaining a classified visual search result; summarizing and sending, to a client, the classified visual search result of the corresponding classified visual search service. By detection and recognition of the classified type information of the image data, the comprehensive feature information of a picture is obtained, based on which further applications are allowed, and thus the user experience is improved.
US09411844B2
A computer-implemented method and system for distributed concurrent data updating of a business object having a structured format.
US09411837B2
The present disclosure generally relates to database management and, more particularly, to systems and methods for optimizing memory utilization of the database. In one embodiment, a method for optimizing memory utilization in a database is disclosed. The method comprises designating a first quantitative value of the plurality of quantitative values as a first epoch associated with a first tuple; determining a first difference between a second quantitative value of the plurality of quantitative values and the first epoch; storing the first difference as a second delta value associated with a second tuple when an absolute value of the first difference is less than a threshold; designating the second quantitative value as a second epoch associated with the second tuple when the absolute value of the first difference is greater than or equal to the threshold; and generating a master tuple.
US09411833B2
A method and associated system for generating a service specification of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) solution. Each process of at least one process is decomposed into at least one atomic service process. The service specification of the SOA solution to be compatible with both a process model framework that includes the at least one process and a data model framework that includes at least one data element that is indirectly matched to the at least one process. The service specification represents a respective process interface of each atomic service process that performs a respective atomic service in the SOA solution. The customized service specification is stored in a database.
US09411830B2
A facility for visual search on a mobile device takes advantage of multi-modal and multi-touch input on the mobile device. By extracting lexical entities from a spoken search query and matching the lexical entities to image tags, the facility provides candidate images for each entity. Selected ones of the candidate images are used to construct a composite visual query image on a query canvas. The relative size and position of the selected candidate images in the composite visual query image, which need not be an existing image, contribute to a definition of a context of the composite visual query image being submitted for context-aware visual search.
US09411822B2
A method and system for generating and using open sky data is described. A vehicle equipped with a range-finding device travels on a road network in a geographic region. The range-finding device transmits a pulse at a given position and obtains range data associated with the position. The system uses the range data to generate data representing visibility of open sky at the given position and at other positions along the road network. For example, the system may determine transmission angles of pulses transmitted at positions that did not encounter a physical object and then use the determined transmission angles to generate data representing visibility of open sky at these positions. The system then stores the data representing the visibility of open sky. The system then associates the data representing the visibility of open sky with data representing physical features.
US09411820B2
Methods and systems for modeling a replication topology involve, for example, representing a plurality of replication components of a replication topology in a first binary matrix using a processor coupled to memory and generating a result matrix based at least in part on the first binary matrix likewise using the processor. Thereafter, also using the processor, replication components of the replication topology may be identified that are either enabled or non-enabled to receive replications from other replication components of the replication topology based at least in part on the result matrix.
US09411816B2
A method is provided for maintaining a list of content channels that a user of a multi-channel content service subscribes to or has followed, and a client device for operation by the user to receive the content. If a list on the user's device has been modified, the device (e.g., an applet provided by the service) informs a synchronization server by uploading the list. The server synchronizes it with a master list and downloads a copy to the device. A channels list includes an entry for each channel the user follows (and possibly channels he has deleted), which includes an index or ordinal position of the channel among all the user's channels, an identifier of the channel (e.g., a URL), identifiers of sub-lists the channel has been assigned to, and a timestamp identifying the last time the entry changed (e.g., when the channel was added, removed, assigned to a sub-list).
US09411811B2
Coordinating point-in-time snapshots among multiple computing platforms by receiving a notification from a first computing platform agent indicating a first computing platform snapshot time, receiving a notification from a second computing platform agent indicating a second computing platform snapshot time, determining that second computing platform snapshot time is later than the first computing platform snapshot time, notifying the first computing platform agent of the second computing platform snapshot time, and receiving from the first computing platform agent a report of any location in the first computing platform's data storage to which data were written after the first computing platform snapshot time and responsive to a write request that was made prior to or including the second computing platform snapshot time.
US09411810B2
A method for execution by a DS processing unit begins with the DS processing unit receiving a plurality of integrity data, which was generated by a plurality of DS storage units regarding one or more data slices of one or more pluralities of data slices. The method continues with the DS processing unit evaluating the received integrity data. The method continues with the DS processing unit requesting naming information of the one or more pluralities of data slices when the evaluation of the received integrity data yields unfavorable results. The method continues with the DS processing unit receiving the naming information from the plurality of DS storage units. The method continues with the DS processing unit evaluating the received naming information to identify at least one data slice of the one or more of pluralities of data slices having a data inconsistency.
US09411803B2
Disclosed herein are a system, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and method for responding to natural language queries. Keywords likely to appear in a natural language query are determined and each likely keyword is associated with a module. A response to a natural language query comprises information generated by each module associated with a likely keyword appearing in the natural language query.
US09411798B1
The disclosed embodiments enable a report to be generated using a template. The template may include one or more properties for which for which corresponding values are to be inherited by each copy of the template. A value of a property that is inherited may be overridden by modifying the inherited value. A copy of a template may be incorporated into a report design. Conversely, at least a portion of a report design may be saved as a template.
US09411786B2
A computer implemented method and apparatus for determining the relevancy of hyperlinks. The method comprising determining at least one relevant link on a current page presented to a user, wherein the relevancy of the link is based on content retrieved from one or more pages selected by the user for presentation previous to the current page; and indicating the at least one relevant link.
US09411784B2
A method and computer readable medium for defining pagination preferences that control pagination of dynamic-length presentations. In an embodiment, a computer implemented method for specifying pagination preferences comprises, identifying pagination preferences for each page of an original presentation, recording the starting point and ending point within the primary text flow that appear on each page, associating the elements with the page on which the elements are located and storing the pagination preferences, starting and ending points in the primary text flow, and page elements as metadata associated with each page.
US09411782B2
Elements of the geometry of the image of a webpage as rendered on at least one target browser are compared with elements of a baseline geometry of the webpage to determine the differences between elements of the baseline geometry of the webpage and elements of the respective geometries of the image of the webpage as rendered on the at least one target browser. The elements of the image may be determined by a software tool for determining elements of a document geometry, such as a DOM geometry service. Code such as JavaScript may be injected into the webpage for use in determining the elements of the geometry of the image of the webpage. A list of issues that web developers face may be generated and the above differences between respective elements may allow arriving at a solution for at least some of the issues in order to provide testing of webpage information in real time.
US09411776B2
A method and apparatus for switching a data packet between a source and destination in a network. The data packet includes a header portion and a data portion. The header portion includes routing information for the data packet. The method includes defining a data path in the router comprising a path through the router along which the data portion of the data packet travels and defining a control path comprising a path through the router along which routing information from the header portion travels. The method includes separating the data path and control path in the router such that the routing information can be separated from the data portion allowing for the separate processing of each in the router. The data portion can be stored in a global memory while routing decisions are made on the routing information in the control path.
US09411772B2
An electronic device including a multi-protocol serial nonvolatile memory interface is disclosed. The interface includes: a first line operative to perform functions of a first chip select line when the interface operates as a SPI of the electronic device; a second line operative to perform functions of a second chip select line when the interface operates as the SPI of the electronic device; a third line operative to perform functions of a clock line when the interface operates as either the SPI or an I2C interface of the electronic device, and a fourth line configured to perform functions of a mast-out-slave-in (MOSI) line and a master-in-slave-out (MISO) line when the interface operates as the SPI of the electronic device, the fourth line further operative to perform functions of a serial data line when the interface operates as the I2C interface of the electronic device.
US09411765B2
Methods of using a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) device in a virtual environment are disclosed. Two operating systems operate on a primary device. One operating system acts as a guest in a virtual environment within the primary device. A peripheral device is coupled to the primary device through a wireless connection. In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless connection is a PCIe bridge. The host operating system interfaces directly with the memory elements and hardware of the primary device. The guest operating system interoperates with the memory elements and hardware of the peripheral device. The use of the PCIe wireless link allows the guest operating system to interface with the elements of the peripheral device with relatively little latency.
US09411757B2
The present disclosure provides a method for processing memory access operations. The method includes determining a fixed response time based at least in part, on a total memory latency of a memory module. The method also includes identifying an available time slot for receiving return data from the memory module over a data bus, wherein the time difference between a current clock cycle and the available time slot is greater than or equal to the fixed response time. The method also includes creating a first slot reservation by reserving the available time slot. The method also includes issuing as read request to the memory module over the data bus, wherein the read request is issued at a clock cycle determined by subtracting the fixed response time from a time of the first slot reservation.
US09411753B2
System and methods are provided for dynamically managing a first-in/first-out (FIFO) command queue of a system controller. One or more commands are received into the command queue, a command being associated with a priority parameter. A current command first in line to be executed in the command queue is determined, the current command being associated with a first priority parameter. A second command associated with a second priority parameter is determined, the second priority parameter being largest among priority parameters associated with the one or more commands. A final priority parameter for the current command is computed based at least in part on the second priority parameter.
US09411747B2
A protection unit of a subroutine stack accessible by a CPU controlled by one main software program, for storing and removing stack frame(s), the stack protection unit being coupleable to the stack and the CPU, comprising: a processor coupled to a first and a second address register; wherein, when a first stack frame is stored onto the stack and the execution of the main software program is suspended by the CPU due to the execution of a subroutine; the processing unit is adapted to set one access rule based on the first and second address registers, preventing: the ongoing subroutine, from accessing a hardware-protected region of the stack, comprising at least one stack frame associated with a return address from which the main software program resumes execution after termination of the execution of the subroutine. A processor, a method and a computer program are also claimed.
US09411746B2
In the computer system, a storage system provides a storage level virtual volume based on thin provisioning technology, to a physical server on which a virtual machine is defined. The storage system releases the area of the logical volume corresponding to the storage level virtual volume accessed by a virtual machine which is specified to be deleted, on the basis of storage level virtual volume conversion information which is managed by the storage system.
US09411741B2
The disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for application level caching and more particularly to dynamically applying caching policies to a software application. In one embodiment, an application level caching method, comprising: monitoring, using a utility executed by a processor, run-time data access operations corresponding to an application; identifying, using the processor, at least one characteristic associated with the run-time data access operations; triggering, using the processor, a caching rule based on the at least one characteristic associated with the run-time data access operations; and providing, using the processor, a memory access instruction according to the caching rule.
US09411733B2
A method and directory system that recognizes and represents the subset of sharing patterns present in an application is provided. As used herein, the term sharing pattern refers to a group of processors accessing a single memory location in an application. The sharing pattern is decoupled from each cache line and held in a separate directory table. The sharing pattern of a cache block is the bit vector representing the processors that share the block. Multiple cache lines that have the same sharing pattern point to a common entry in the directory table. In addition, when the table capacity is exceeded, patterns that are similar to each other are dynamically collated into a single entry.
US09411731B2
A method for writing data, the method may include: receiving or generating, by an interfacing module, a data unit coherent write request for performing a coherent write operation of a data unit to a first address; receiving, by the interfacing module and from a circuit that comprises a cache and a cache controller, a cache coherency indicator that indicates that a most updated version of the content stored at the first address is stored in the cache; and instructing, by the interfacing module, the cache controller to invalidate a cache line of the cache that stored the most updated version of the first address without sending the most updated version of the content stored at the first address from the cache to a memory module that differs from the cache if a length of the data unit equals a length of the cache line.
US09411724B2
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there are provided methods, systems, mechanisms, techniques, and apparatuses for implementing and using a partial-address select-signal generator with address shift. For example, in one embodiment, such means may include receiving a plurality of address lines; splitting the plurality of address lines into a first sub-set of the plurality of address lines and a remaining sub-set of the plurality of address lines; passing the first subset of the plurality of address lines to an upper processing path; passing the remaining sub-set of the plurality of address lines to a lower processing path in parallel with the upper processing path; generating intermediate code on the upper processing path from the first sub-set of the plurality of address lines and from an intermediate carry result from the remaining sub-set of the plurality of address lines on the lower processing path; passing a hot signal type to a decoding unit on the upper processing path, wherein the hot signal type designates a decode scheme; generating specific hot-signal select line code based on the intermediate code and the hot signal type; and adopting decode scheme of the hot-signal select lines according to information from the lower processing path. Structure for performing the same are further disclosed.
US09411710B2
A method for testing a computer application includes identifying components of a version of the application, said components including one or more components that are one of new and modified, generating a keyword matrix of the identified application components. A search is performed in a test script repository with respect to components listed as at least one of the first and second dimensions of the matrix. The keyword matrix is populated with test case identification numbers in the search result. Based on the populated keyword matrix, one or more of (a) gaps in test case coverage for the version of the application, and (b) one or more test cases covering the version of the application are identified.
US09411708B2
This disclosure generally relates to application development platforms, and more particularly to systems and methods for log generation and log obfuscation using software development kits (SDKs). In one embodiment, an application logging configuration method is disclosed, comprising: obtaining, for an application, a developer-specific log generation schema specifying at least a developer-specific set of variables to be logged and associated code line numbers; obtaining a developer-independent log generation schema specifying at least a developer-independent set of variables to be logged and associated code line numbers; extracting the specifications of the developer-specific and developer-independent sets of variables to be logged and associated code line numbers; generating an application logging schema specifying at least a combination of the developer-specific and developer-independent sets of variables to be logged and associated code line numbers; and storing the application logging schema.
US09411698B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for a computer program product, system, and method for determining an availability score based on available resources of different resource types in a distributed computing environment of storage servers to determine whether to perform a failure operation for one of the storage servers. A health status monitor program deployed in the storage servers performs: maintaining information indicating availability of a plurality of storage server resources for a plurality of resource types; calculating an availability score as a function of a number of available resources of the resource types; and transmitting information on the availability score to a management program. The management program uses the transmitted information to determine whether to migrate services from the storage server from which the availability score is received to at least one of the other storage servers in the distributed computing environment.
US09411694B2
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for correcting recurring errors in memory. A number of embodiments include determining whether a first subset of a group of memory cells has a recurring error associated therewith using a second subset of the group of memory cells, and responsive to a determination that the first subset of the group of memory cells has a recurring error associated therewith, correcting the recurring error using the second subset of the group of memory cells.
US09411693B2
Technologies are generally described that relate to processing cache coherence information and processing a request for a data block. In some examples, methods for processing cache coherence information are described that may include storing in a directory a tag identifier effective to identify a data block. The methods may further include storing a state identifier in association with the tag identifier. The state identifier may be effective to identify a coherence state of the data block. The methods may further include storing sharer information in association with the tag identifier. The sharer information may be effective to indicate one or more caches storing the data block. The methods may include storing, by the controller in the directory, replication information in association with the sharer information. The replication information may be effective to indicate a type of replication of the sharer information in the directory, and effective to indicate replicated segments.
US09411688B1
In some disclosed implementations, a system-on-chip on a first IC die includes a boot loader circuit configured to search a first boot device, of a plurality of boot devices coupled to and external to the first IC die, for an uncorrupt boot image. The boot loader circuit is configured to search a second boot device of the plurality of boot devices for an uncorrupt boot image, in response to failing to find an uncorrupt boot image in the first boot device. The boot loader is also configured to load a set of instructions included in the uncorrupt boot image into a memory circuit of the SOC, in response to finding an uncorrupt boot image.
US09411687B2
Methods and apparatus to restore resources to a device according to an order of the resources requested by a user are described. The restoration may be interrupted in response to a user request to update an order to restore remaining resources yet to restore. The remaining resources may be restored according to the updated order.
US09411682B2
A method is provided for scrubbing information stored in a data storage system where the information is stored as a plurality of encoded fragments across multiple storage devices. The method includes maintaining on a first storage device a list of metadata entries corresponding to values that are stored in the data storage system at an At Maximum Redundancy (AMR) state, verifying that encoded fragments associated with each of the metadata entries are stored on a second storage, verifying that a corresponding metadata entry is stored on the first storage device for each encoded fragment that is stored on the second storage device, and scheduling for recovery any missing encoded fragments and/or any missing metadata entry.
US09411674B2
Power management functionality is described for implementing an application in an energy-efficient manner, without substantially degrading overall performance of the application. The functionality operates by identifying at least first data and second data associated with the application. The first data is considered to have a greater potential impact on performance of the application compared to the second data. The functionality then instructs a first set of hardware-level resources to handle the first data and a second set of hardware-level resources to handle the second data. The first set of hardware-level resources has a higher reliability compared to the second set of hardware-level resources. In one case, the first and second hardware-level resources comprise DRAM memory units. Here, the first set of hardware-level resources achieves greater reliability than the second set of hardware-level resources by being refreshed at a higher rate than the second set of hardware-level resources.
US09411673B2
It is provided a management server is configured to store an access log including a monitoring subject ID, or a monitoring item ID when a request for outputting a historical data is inputted, an incident data including a time, a monitoring subject ID, or a monitoring item ID when an incident indicating a failure in the each of the devices; associate the incident data with the access log; update data included in the access log to a string of characters abstracted; generate an abstract access log; identify first abstract access log from the generated abstract access log based on the first incident data when a value indicating first incident data is inputted; identify a condition for the historical data to be outputted based on the first abstract access log and the first incident data; and output the identified condition for the historical data.
US09411670B2
Example methods and apparatus to detect transport faults in media presentation systems are disclosed. An example method comprises decoding a media stream to form audio data and pixel data, computing a first value representative of the media stream using pixel data associated with a first set of the video frames, computing a second value representative of the media stream using pixel data associated with a second set of the video frames, computing a third value representative of first speech in a first segment of the audio data, computing a fourth value representative of second speech in a second segment of the audio data, determining a fifth value representative of a likelihood that a transport failure has affected the media stream, the fifth value determined using the first, second, third and fourth values, and comparing the fifth value to a threshold to determine whether to generate a transport failure alert.
US09411669B2
Data stored in a nonvolatile memory is selectively sampled based on write-erase cycle counts of blocks. Blocks with the lowest write-erase cycle counts are sampled to determine an error rate which is compared with a limit. If the error rate exceeds the limit then the sample is expanded to include blocks with the next lowest write-erase cycle counts.
US09411666B2
Anticipatory protection of critical jobs in a computing system, including: identifying, by a system management module, a problem computing component in the computing system; identifying, by the system management modules, all proximate computing components in the computing system, wherein each proximate computing component is within a predetermined physical proximity of the problem computing component; determining, by the system management module, whether the proximate computing components are executing one or more critical jobs; and responsive to determining that the proximate computing components are executing one or more critical jobs migrating, by the system management module, the one or more critical jobs to distant computing components in the computing system, wherein each distant computing component is not within the predetermined physical proximity of the problem computing component.
US09411661B2
A transaction processing system is operated. A first resource is locked as a shared resource by a first task executing on a computing device. The first task attempts to lock a second resource as an exclusive resource. The occurrence of a deadlock is ascertained. A second task that wishes to use the locked first resource is identified. A current position of the first task with respect to the first resource is stored. The lock on the first resource is removed. The second task is prompted to use the first resource. The first task locks the first resource as the shared resource. The first task is repositioned with respect to first resource according to the stored position. The first task locks the second resource as the exclusive resource. The first task is performed.
US09411655B2
A datacenter management server includes a datacenter operations manager and a datacenter infrastructure manager with an infrastructure viewer and an asset deployment tool. The datacenter operations manager compiles datacenter hierarchy information for a datacenter, including identity information for a virtualized environment and identity information for a virtualization capable system. The virtualization capable system is deployed as a stand-alone system of the datacenter. The datacenter infrastructure manager receives the datacenter hierarchy information, directs the infrastructure viewer to display a hierarchical overview of the datacenter, including depictions of the virtualized environment and the virtualization capable system. The hierarchical overview is based on the identity information. The datacenter infrastructure manager also receives a selection of the depictions from a user and directs the asset deployment tool to deploy the virtualization capable system to the virtualized environment.
US09411653B2
Providers of Internet based services must handle requests from many different customers. However, to make the experience simple and effective, a system for allowing a user to enter a simple Uniform Resource Locator based upon the user's identifier is provided that re-directs the user to a server cluster allocated to that user. The system is capable of periodic load re-balancing and can handle many different types of services for each user.
US09411652B2
Sharing tasks among compute units in a processor can increase the efficiency of the processor. When a compute unit does not have a task in its task memory to perform, donating tasks from other compute units can prevent the compute unit from being idle while there is task in other parts of the processor. It is desirable to share tasks among compute units that are within defined scopes of the processor. Compute units may share tasks by allowing other compute units to access their private memory, or by donating tasks to a shared memory.
US09411648B2
In an embodiment, a method includes maintaining a pool of server resources, maintaining a pool of storage resources, maintaining a pool of network resources, and initializing, via a meta-cluster software manager, a multi-function cluster associated with a first customer of a datacenter including the pools. This multi-function cluster may include first servers of the pool of server resources, first storage devices of the pool of storage resources, and first network devices of the pool of network resources, and may be managed by the meta-cluster manager.
US09411645B1
A method for scheduling MapReduce tasks includes receiving a set of task statistics corresponding to task execution within a MapReduce job, estimating a completion time for a set of tasks to be executed to provide an estimated completion time, calculating a soft decision point based on a convergence of a workload distribution corresponding to a set of executed tasks, calculating a hard decision point based on the estimated completion time for the set of tasks to be executed, determining a selected decision point based on the soft decision point and the hard decision point, and scheduling upcoming tasks for execution based on the selected decision point. The method may also include estimating a map task completion time and estimating a shuffle operation completion time. A computer program product and computer system corresponding to the method are also disclosed.
US09411640B2
A method for managing an application is provided. The method includes executing a master application loaded into a first memory, executing a member application of the master application loaded into the first memory, and determining whether there is a shortage of an available space in the first memory, and changing if there is an available space shortage in the first memory, a priority of the master application, the master application not being closed in the first memory.
US09411633B2
A computing system for handling barrier commands includes a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory is configured to store a pre-barrier spreading range that identifies a target computing system associated with a barrier command. The interface is coupled to the memory and is configured to send a pre-barrier computing probe to the target computing system identified in the pre-barrier spreading range and receive a barrier completion notification messages from the target computing system. The pre-barrier computing probe is configured to instruct the target computing system to monitor a status of a transaction that needs to be executed for the barrier command to be completed. The processor is coupled to the interface and is configured to determine a status of the barrier command based on the received barrier completion notification messages.
US09411632B2
The disclosure is directed to clustering a stream of data points. An aspect receives the stream of data points, determines a plurality of cluster centroids, divides the plurality of cluster centroids among a plurality of threads and/or processors, assigns a portion of the stream of data points to each of the plurality of threads and/or processors, and combines a plurality of clusters generated by the plurality of threads and/or processors to generate a global universe of clusters. An aspect assigns a portion of the stream of data points to each of a plurality of threads and/or processors, wherein each of the plurality of threads and/or processors determines one or more cluster centroids and generates one or more clusters around the one or more cluster centroids, and combines the one or more clusters from each of the plurality of threads and/or processors to generate a global universe of clusters.
US09411631B2
The present invention is intended for properly receiving set data in setting items of a series of processes. The present invention solves the problem by controlling to determine whether the setting item of the unique processing information and the setting item of the shared processing information are identical, to generate, when the setting items are determined to be identical and when a setting item for which set data is different in the unique and shared processing information is identified, template processing information including information indicating the identified setting item and the setting item of the shared processing information, and to store the template processing information, and by displaying a user interface receiving the set data of the identified setting item from among the setting items of the template processing information at the time of generating new unique processing information by using the template processing information.
US09411630B1
A method for reducing virtual machine preemption in a virtualized environment is provided. The method includes dispatching a virtual central processing unit (CPU) to run in an emulation mode on a real CPU until the real CPU exits the emulation mode, determining whether the virtual CPU has loaded a wait state, determining whether a remaining time slice of the virtual CPU as a result of the dispatching is below a predefined threshold in an event that the virtual CPU has loaded the wait state and rescheduling the virtual CPU with a full time slice in an event the remaining time slice of the virtual CPU is below the predefined threshold.
US09411622B2
A system and method for managing resources in a distributed computer system that includes at least one resource pool for a set of virtual machines (VMs) utilizes a set of desired individual VM-level resource settings that corresponds to target resource allocations for observed performance of an application running in the distributed computer system. The set of desired individual VM-level resource settings are determined by constructing a model for the observed application performance as a function of current VM-level resource allocations and then inverting the function to compute the target resource allocations in order to meet at least one user-defined service level objective (SLO). The set of desired individual VM-level resource settings are used to determine final RP-level resource settings for a resource pool to which the application belongs and final VM-level resource settings for the VMs running under the resource pool, which are then selectively applied.
US09411614B2
Systems and methods provide re-configurable functionality within components of I/O devices without the need of disconnecting the components from each other. For example, in certain embodiments, when certain types of components are connected to each other, certain functionality sets within the components may be activated to provide combined functionality sets between the components. The combined functionality sets may, for example, be preferred functionality sets to be used when the particular types of components are connected to each other. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, functionality activation keys may be physically inserted into (or electronically communicated to) the components of the I/O device to activate certain functionality sets within the component into which the functionality activation key is inserted (or electronically communicated to), as well as within the other components of the I/O device to which the component is connected.
US09411612B2
Certain example embodiments described herein relate to techniques for creating and maintaining scalable heterogeneous read-only federations of registries, e.g., for use in service-oriented architectures. Federation of heterogeneous registries can be achieved with any types of registries (e.g., UDDI, ebXML, OSGi, ESB, proprietary, etc.), while at the same time avoiding the need to have target registries implement extra protocols or layers. In certain example embodiments, gateway registries may implement translation layers appropriate for the types of registries thereunder so as to provide a scalable and flexible solution. Optionally, registries may be grouped based on type so that messages may be translated only once per group, while avoiding tight couplings with registries and the services they provide.
US09411608B2
Before hibernating a computing device (102), system software components (116) are notified of an upcoming hibernation process. The notifications are conveyed through an application program interface (API) (114). At least a portion of the system software components (116) can perform one or more pre-hibernation activities to place that system software component (116) in a ready-to-resume state. Each system software component indicates when it is ready for hibernation. Responsive to receiving the indication from each of the system software components (116), the hibernation process can complete. The completed hibernation process creates a snapshot (122) in nonvolatile memory. The snapshot (122) saves state information (124) for each of the system software components (116). The state information (124) is for the ready-to-resume state of the system software components (116). The computing device (102) can be restored after hibernation using a resume process (130), which reads the state (124) information from the snapshot (122).
US09411607B2
Fast computer startup is provided by, upon receipt of a shutdown command, recording state information representing a target state. In this target state, the computing device may have closed all user sessions, such that no user state information is included in the target state. However, the operating system may still be executing. In response to a command to startup the computer, this target state may be quickly reestablished from the recorded target state information. Portions of a startup sequence may be performed to complete the startup process, including establishing user state. To protect user expectations despite changes in response to a shutdown command, creation and use of the file holding the recorded state information may be conditional on dynamically determined events. Also, user and programmatic interfaces may provide options to override creation or use of the recorded state information.
US09411604B2
In a method for booting a computing device to have a predefined functionality, in which the computing device has stored thereon a limited functionality operating system (OS) having an operating file system, the limited functionality OS is booted and a characteristic file system with a predefined functionality is located. In addition, the characteristic file system is merged into the operating file system and the limited functionality OS is implemented with the merged file system to cause the computing device to have the predefined functionality.
US09411593B2
An instruction processing apparatus of an aspect includes a plurality of operation mask registers. The apparatus also includes a decode unit to receive an operation mask consolidation instruction. The operation mask consolidation instruction is to indicate a source operation mask register, of the plurality of operation mask registers, and a destination storage location. The source operation mask register is to include a source operation mask that is to include a plurality of masked elements that are to be disposed within a plurality of unmasked elements. An execution unit is coupled with the decode unit. The execution unit, in response to the operation mask consolidation instruction, is to store a consolidated operation mask in the destination storage location. The consolidated operation mask is to include the unmasked elements from the source operation mask consolidated together. Other apparatus, methods, systems, and instructions are also disclosed.
US09411588B2
A Conditional Transaction End (CTEND) instruction is provided that allows a program executing in a nonconstrained transactional execution mode to inspect a storage location that is modified by either another central processing unit or the Input/Output subsystem. Based on the inspected data, transactional execution may be ended or aborted, or the decision to end/abort may be delayed, e.g., until a predefined event occurs. For instance, when the instruction executes, the processor is in a nonconstrained transaction execution mode, and the transaction nesting depth is one at the beginning of the instruction, a second operand of the instruction is inspected, and based on the inspected data, transaction execution may be ended or aborted, or the decision to end/abort may be delayed, e.g., until a predefined event occurs, such as the value of the second operand becomes a prespecified value or a time interval is exceeded.
US09411580B2
A code annotating system includes a code wrapper engine, an annotator engine, and a memory device. The code wrapper engine receives an output stream produced by a source code of a generator. The code wrapper engine also wraps the output stream to produce a copy of the output stream. The annotator engine automatically annotates the copy with source information. The source information maps a relationship between data in the output stream and the source code of the generator. The memory device stores the source information.
US09411577B2
A method for visualizing a congruency of versions of an application across phases of a release pipeline includes a selecting engine to select a phase from a number of phases; a representing engine to represent, via a user interface (UI), a congruency for a number of versions of an application compared against a target version of the application across the phases of a release pipeline, the congruency for the number of versions of the application represented with identifiers; a differentiating engine to differentiate a latest-deployed version of the application against a planned version of the application in a particular environment; and a comparing engine to compare, based on a selection, properties of the versions of the application.
US09411564B2
Extraction of functional semantics and isolated dataflow from imperative object oriented languages, in one aspect, may include identifying one or more methods and/or classes associated with one or more of a plurality of property labels in a computer code written in object oriented language to extract functional and isolation characteristics in the computer code. The plurality of property labels supported by one or more checking rules, are used to verify that the one or more methods and/or classes identified with the plurality of property labels have isolation characteristics. An object oriented language compiler is provided for supplying the plurality of property labels and checking rules. The object oriented language compiler further may include capability to transform methods into compute tasks and connect the compute tasks so as to create a dataflow graph.
US09411557B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generated aggregated dependencies between software elements in a code base. One of the methods includes receiving a user-specified model architecture of software elements in a project, wherein the model architecture is a hierarchy graph having leaf nodes that represent user-selected portions of the project, and one or more non-leaf nodes, wherein each non-leaf node is a parent node of a user-specified group of leaf nodes, non-leaf nodes, or both. An aggregated dependency graph is generated from the user-specified model architecture. A presentation is generated of the aggregated dependency graph for the model architecture, wherein the presentation displays aggregated dependencies between the user-selected nodes of the model architecture.
US09411554B1
A signed multiplier circuit includes a two-dimensional array of substantially similar logic blocks. Each of the logic blocks is programmable to implement any of four multiply functions of first and second inputs, in which: the first and second inputs are both signed; the first and second inputs are both unsigned; the first input is signed and the second input is unsigned; and the first input is unsigned and the second input is signed. Each logic block includes rows and columns of sub-circuits, e.g., logical AND gates and full adders. One row and one column of each logic block include a programmably invertible AND gate, with the row and column being independently controlled. The ability to program the logic block to perform all four of these functions enables the combination of rows and columns of the logic blocks to build large signed multipliers of virtually any size.
US09411552B2
A multi-panel display system includes an array of display panels arranged to be viewed as a multi-panel display. The multi-panel display includes a bezel pixel layer covering a bezel region of the multi-panel display. The bezel region is between pixel regions of the display panels in the array. The multi-panel display system also includes a display engine communicatively coupled to drive the display panels to display image sections and communicatively coupled to drive the bezel pixel layer to display a bezel shaped image section. The image sections and the bezel shaped image sections are subsections of a unified overall-image to be displayed on the multi-panel display.
US09411539B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for providing access information to a storage controller to determine a storage tier for storing data. Access information is maintained for each data record in a data store, wherein the access information indicates a level of access to each data record in the data store. A write request directed to a data record in the data store is received. A command is generated identifying the data record and including the access information for the data record. The command is transmitted to the storage controller, wherein the storage controller uses the access information to determine one of the plurality of storage tiers on which to store the data record.
US09411537B2
An embedded multimedia card (eMMC), and a method of operating an eMMC, determine whether a vendor mode is to be entered by parsing a command argument of a command received from a host or a pattern of write data received from the host; receive vendor mode attribute information for the vendor mode, based on a result of determining whether the vendor mode is to be entered; and performing a vendor mode operation in the vendor mode based on the vendor mode attribute information.
US09411532B2
An array data processor employs a plurality of address generators for communicating between groups of the data processors and external devices. In another aspect, the data processor employs a buffer system having a plurality of pointers that allow for retransmission of data from the buffer upon transfer failure.
US09411531B2
Processing a plurality of data units to generate result information, includes: performing a data operation for each data unit of a first subset of data units from the plurality of data units, and storing information associated with a result of the data operation in a first set of one or more data structures stored in working memory space of a memory device; after an overflow condition on the working memory space is satisfied, storing information in overflow storage space of a storage device; and repeating an overflow processing procedure multiple times during the processing of the plurality of data units, the overflow processing procedure including: updating a new set of one or more data structures stored in the working memory space using at least some information stored in the overflow storage space.
US09411529B2
The present disclosure includes methods and apparatuses for mapping between program states and data patterns. One method includes mapping a data pattern to a number of program state combinations L corresponding to a group of memory cells configured to store a fractional number of data units per cell. The mapping can be based, at least partially, on a recursive expression performed in a number of operations, the number of operations based on a number of memory cells N within the group of memory cells and the number of program state combinations L.
US09411527B2
Storage system comprises a second storage apparatus, which is coupled to multiple first storage apparatuses and is of a different type from the first storage apparatuses, and a first control device, which exists either inside or outside of the second storage apparatus. Row of stripes comprising multiple data elements obtained by segmenting a prescribed data unit, and a redundancy code for rebuilding the data elements, is distributively stored in multiple first storage apparatuses, which are more numerous than the total number of stripe data elements, which are either the data elements or redundancy code, in the row of stripes. The row of stripes is configured to enable the rebuilding of the stripe data elements even when a failure has occurred in up to a prescribed allowable number, which is two or more, of the first storage apparatuses storing the stripe data elements of the relevant row of stripes.
US09411525B2
A system for storing data includes a rack, one or more data storage modules coupled to the rack, and one or more data control modules coupled to the rack. The data storage modules may include a chassis, two or more backplanes coupled to the chassis, and one or more mass storage devices (for example, hard disk drives) coupled to the backplanes. The data control modules may access the mass storage devices in the data storage modules.
US09411524B2
Data processing and an accelerator system therefore are described. An embodiment relates generally to a data processing system. In such an embodiment, a bus and an accelerator are coupled to one another. The accelerator has an application function block. The application function block is to process data to provide processed data to storage. A network interface is coupled to obtain the processed data from the storage for transmission.
US09411517B2
Interfaces to storage devices that employ storage space optimization technologies, such as thin provisioning, are configured to enable the benefits gained from such technologies to be sustained. Such an interface may be provided in a hypervisor of a virtualized computer system to enable the hypervisor to discover features of a logical unit number (LUN), such as whether or not the LUN is thinly provisioned, and also in a virtual machine (VM) of the virtualized computer system to enable the VM to discover features of a virtual disk, such as whether or not the virtual disk is thinly provisioned. The discovery of these features enables the hypervisor or the VM to instruct the underlying storage device to carry out certain operations such as an operation to deallocate blocks previously allocated to a logical block device, so that the storage device can continue to benefit from storage space optimization technologies implemented therein.
US09411508B2
Some embodiments provide a touch-sensitive device that includes a handwriting area for receiving a handwritten input and a text area for displaying text characters that have been recognized for the handwritten input. As the device receives a subsequent handwritten input, it continuously removes portions of previously handwritten input from the handwriting area in order to allow the user to continue to provide handwritten input without having to clear the handwriting area. Some embodiments apply a fading mechanism for removing the handwritten input from the handwriting area. Different embodiments apply different factors for determining when and how to remove handwritten input from the handwriting area, including character based, word base, location based, and timer based thresholds.
US09411504B2
Techniques involving gestures and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe gestures that are usable to provide inputs to a computing device. A variety of different gestures are contemplated, including bimodal gestures (e.g., using more than one type of input) and single modal gestures. Additionally, the gesture techniques may be configured to leverage these different input types to increase the amount of gestures that are made available to initiate operations of a computing device.
US09411498B2
Techniques involving gestures and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe gestures that are usable to provide inputs to a computing device. A variety of different gestures are contemplated, including bimodal gestures (e.g., using more than one type of input) and single modal gestures. Additionally, the gesture techniques may be configured to leverage these different input types to increase the amount of gestures that are made available to initiate operations of a computing device.
US09411495B2
A centralized resource manager manages the routing of audio or visual information within a device, including a handheld device such as a smartphone. The resource manager evaluates data-driven policies to determine how to route audio or visual information to or from various input or output components connected to the device, including headphones, built-in speakers, microphones, bluetooth headsets, cameras, and so on. Among the data considered in the policies are connection status data, indicating if a device is connected, routing status data, indicating if a device is permitted to route information to or from a component, and grouping data, indicating logical relationships between various components. Components may be considered inherently routable, automatically mutable, or optionally routable. Numerous other uses exist for such data, including providing simpler and more logical management interfaces.
US09411493B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile terminal includes a touch screen configured to display a user interface of a multi-layered structure, the user interface including at least one layer stack having a plurality of layers, a command input unit configured to receive a command from a user, and a controller configured to display a first layer of a first plurality of layers in the first layer stack on a first zone of the touch screen, display the first plurality of layers in a spread mode in response to a first command to enter the spread mode, and in the spread mode, change a location of the first layer on the touch screen to a second zone of the touch screen and display the first plurality layers of the first layer stack except for the first layer on a third zone of the touch screen.
US09411492B1
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. A display for a particular contact record is presented. The display includes a name for a particular contact and a generic input area. Each of a plurality of contact records identifies a name for a contact, and each of the plurality of contact records is configured to store multiple entries that each include a value and a field type from a plurality of field types. User input of information using the generic input area is received. A field type from the plurality of field types is determined based on matching semantics of the received user input. The determining occurs without receiving user input specifically identifying the matching field type. The determined field type and the received user input is stored as an entry for the particular contact record.
US09411476B2
A touch detecting assembly, a touch sensitive device, and a portable electronic apparatus are provided. The touch detecting assembly (100) comprises: a substrate (1); and a plurality of induction units (2) disposed on the substrate (1) and not intersecting with each other, each induction unit (2) comprising an induction body (20), and a first electrode (21) and a second electrode (22) connected with the induction body (20) respectively. Each induction body (20) has a plurality of empty parts (24), and the plurality of empty parts (24) are arranged in a predetermined pattern to define a current passage (25) for increasing a resistance between the first electrode (21) and the second electrode (22).
US09411473B2
The present disclosure relates to a touch technology, especially to a touch device and a manufacturing method thereof. The touch device comprises a sensing electrode structure, a shielding layer, a plurality of peripheral connection wires and a grounding wire. The shielding layer surrounds the periphery of the sensing electrode structure. The plurality of peripheral connection wires are located under the shielding layer and electrically connected to the sensing electrode structure. The grounding wire is electrically connected to the shielding layer. Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, the touch device can shield external interference, and the reliability for operation of the touch circuit can be improved.
US09411468B2
Techniques for identifying irregular objects in contact with, or in close proximity to, a touch-surface are described. An irregularity measure is determined based on the regions intrinsic characteristics (e.g., energy content) rather than on the shape (or pattern) of the pixels within the region.
US09411463B2
Improved operability can be achieved in receiving a handwritten input via a touchscreen panel. An electronic device includes a touchscreen panel, a memory for storing content having at least one predetermined position set for the content, and a processor for obtaining a first touched position via the touchscreen panel, and causing the touchscreen panel to display the content thereon based on the first touched position and the predetermined position.
US09411462B2
A stylus having a transmit drive circuit configured to transmit a signal to a capacitance sensor via capacitive coupling between the stylus and a capacitive sense array which is coupled to the capacitance sensor, which is configured to synchronize to the stylus, the stylus being configured to act as a timing master.
US09411461B2
Techniques and systems for facilitating the creation of electronic content on an editing canvas are disclosed. One example involves displaying an editing canvas on a touch screen of an electronic device, displaying a touch block object overlaying a portion of the editing canvas, wherein the touch block object blocks unintentional touches in an area of the touch screen associated with the touch block object, and changing a position of the touch block object with respect to the editing canvas responsive to receiving touch input on the touch screen to change the position of the touch block object. The touch block object may provide easy and convenient access to one or more editing tools or other feature for editing content on the canvas.
US09411453B2
The present invention provides a touch-controlled display panel, which comprises an array substrate, a color filter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. The array substrate comprises a scan line, a data line, a pixel electrode, a first touch-controlled driving line, and a touch-controlled sensing line. The present invention further provides a touch-controlled display device. The present invention integrates the common line with the touch-controlled driving line and the touch-controlled sensing line, thereby improving the efficiency in manufacturing the touch-controlled display panel and reducing the manufacture cost thereof.
US09411449B2
Mobile terminal (1) includes touch panels 10a and 10b, one on each surface of housing (2). When touch operations are simultaneously performed on touch panels 10a and 10b, an action corresponding to combination of the touch operations is performed.
US09411443B2
A method and an apparatus for providing a function of a mouse, using a terminal that includes a touch screen, are provided. A first touch input is received and the first touch input is set as a first reference touch input. A first function is performed, when a touch input is received in a first direction relative to the first reference touch input while the first reference touch input is being received. A second function is performed, when the touch input is received in a second direction, which is opposite the first direction, relative to the first reference touch input while the first reference touch input is being received.
US09411441B2
A method of controlling a computer system is disclosed. The computer system is adapted to receive inputs from an interactive display surface and one or more other input devices. The computer system is further adapted to display images on the interactive display surface and a further display surface. The interactive display surface and the further display surface forms a contiguous desktop display for the computer system. The method includes receiving input data from the one or more input devices, where a foreground application is determined in dependence upon the input data from the one or more input devices and receiving input data from the interactive display surface, where the input data from the interactive display surface does not affect the determination of the foreground application.
US09411440B2
An acoustic tracking system is provided that includes receivers that detect first acoustic signals from a first set of transmitters disposed on a digital pen and second acoustic signals from a second set of transmitters disposed on a base station. The acoustic tracking system also includes a processing component that defines a two-dimensional plane on which the base station lies and determines a three-dimensional position of the digital pen relative to the base station. The processing component projects the three-dimensional position of the digital pen onto the two-dimensional plane and records, based on the projected three-dimensional position, the three-dimensional position of the digital pen relative to the base station, where the recorded three-dimensional position of the digital pen represents an object representative of movement of the digital pen.
US09411439B2
Certain embodiments of the invention include an input device (e.g., a computer mouse) including a processor, a housing including a top side, the housing configured to support a user's hand, and a detachable cover plate configured to attach to the top side of the housing and support a user's hand. The cover plate can include a shape memory polymer (SMP) disposed thereon, where the SMP is pliable and operable to conform to the user's hand when a temperature of the SMP is at or above a threshold value. Furthermore, the SMP can be firm and non-conforming when the temperature of the SMP falls below the threshold value. A heating unit controlled by the processor can be configured to control the temperature of the shape memory polymer. The detachable cover plate can include the shape memory polymer disposed in areas configured to contact a user's palm and thumb.
US09411437B2
A method for controlling movement of a computer display cursor based on a point-of-aim of a pointing device within an interaction region includes projecting an image of a computer display to create the interaction region. At least one calibration point having a predetermined relation to said interaction region is established. A pointing line is directed to substantially pass through the calibration point while measuring a position of and an orientation of the pointing device. The pointing line has a predetermined relationship to said pointing device. Movement of the cursor is controlled within the interaction region using measurements of the position of and the orientation of the pointing device.
US09411436B2
Input device backlighting techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a light guide configured to transmit light, a sensor assembly having a plurality of sensors that are configured to detect proximity of an object as a corresponding one or more inputs, a connection portion configured to form a communicative coupling to a computing device to communicate the one or more inputs received by the sensor assembly to the computing device, and an outer layer. The outer layer has a plurality of indications of inputs formed using openings in the outer layer such that light from the light guide is configured to pass through the openings to function as a backlight. The outer layer also has a plurality of sub-layers arranged to have increasing levels of resistance to transmission of the light from the light guide, one to another.
US09411435B2
Techniques are provided which facilitate mobile applications displaying advertisements on a larger screen space without worrying about screen clutter or interference with application functionality. Motion events are triggered once a computerized device detects a threshold magnitude of tilt along a first, second, and/or third coordinate axis. A graphical display is presented to the user which includes at least one advertisement. Several embodiments of the graphical display include a three-dimensional object and full-screen display which are maintained so long as a magnitude of tilt of the computerized device is detected.
US09411434B2
Switching between an arm's length user interface and a distance user interface is provided. A first user interface optimized to operate a computer from an arm's-length distance is presented on a display. A command is received. It is determined whether the command is from a wired device or a wirelessly-connected device. When the command is from a wired device, then the first user interface continues to be presented. When the command is from a wirelessly-connected device, then the display is toggled from the first user interface to the distance user interface. The distance user interface is optimized for operating the computer from a television-viewing distance. The television-viewing distance measured in feet is approximately half of a diagonal measure of the image displayed on the display device measured in inches.
US09411431B2
A tracking device is provided for tracking a position of the tracking device in relation to a surface. The tracking device has a first optical sensor to capture a primary image of the surface. A second optical sensor is provided to capture a secondary image of the surface. A processor evaluates the primary and secondary images to determine a movement of the tracking device in relation to the surface.
US09411430B2
A method for use by a touch screen in which light transmitted inside the screen is scattered by an object touching the screen from outside the screen, the method including activating emitter-receiver pairs for a plurality of emitters and receivers while an object is touching a screen from outside the screen, wherein light emitted by each emitter is transmitted inside the screen, wherein each emitter is associated with a limited number of receivers that detect significant light from such emitter while no object is touching the screen, and wherein the activated emitter-receiver pairs include pairs for which the receiver is not associated with the emitter in the pair, determining that receivers not associated with emitters detect significant light due to the object scattering the light emitted by the emitters, and deriving the location where the object is touching the screen from the determining.
US09411426B2
Disclosed are methods and systems for evaluating onscreen keyboards. The method comprises receiving a first set of parameters and a second set of parameter associated with a first onscreen keyboard and a second onscreen keyboard, respectively. The method further comprises determining a first cognitive score for the first onscreen keyboard using the first set of parameters. The method further comprises determining a second cognitive score for the second onscreen keyboard using the second set of parameters. The method further comprises validating the first cognitive score and the second cognitive score using an Electroencephalography (EEG) signal of the user. The EEG signal of the user is captured while the user is using the first onscreen keyboard and the second onscreen keyboard.
US09411424B2
An input device includes an input unit for inputting a predetermined motion image signal, a motion detector for detecting a motion on the basis of the motion image signal inputted into the input unit, a video signal processor for outputting a predetermined video signal, and a controller. The controller controls the video signal processor so that, when a motion detector detects a first motion, the video signal processor outputs a video signal to explain a predetermined second motion to be next detected by the motion detector after the detection of the first motion to a user.
US09411417B2
An eye gaze tracking system is disclosed. The system includes a gaze data acquisition system including a plurality of light sources and a plurality of image sensors. The plurality of light sources are arranged to emit light to a head of the user, and the plurality of image sensors are configured to receive the light. In an embodiment, the system further includes a gaze tracking module including an ocular feature extraction module, a point of regard (POR) calculation module and a POR averaging module. The ocular feature extraction module is configured to process the gaze data and to extract ocular features, and is configured to determine a confidence value associated with an accuracy of the parameters. The POR calculation module is configured to determine a POR from the ocular features. The POR averaging module is configured to determine an average POR.
US09411414B2
A method of providing immersive effects includes receiving data representative of at least one image. The image data is analyzed to locate at least one object identified within the image. A visual focus of attention of at least one subject able to observe the at least one image is estimated. At least one signal is provided in dependence on at least a position of the visual focus of attention relative to the location of the at least one object in the 5 at least one image to a system (16-19; 31-34) for providing an immersive effect to the at least one subject.
US09411413B2
The techniques disclosed herein may use various sensors to infer a frame of reference for a hand-held device. In fact, with various inertial clues from accelerometer, gyrometer, and other instruments that report their states in real time, it is possible to track a Frenet frame of the device in real time to provide an instantaneous (or continuous) 3D frame-of-reference. In addition to—or in place of—calculating this instantaneous (or continuous) frame of reference, the position of a user's head may either be inferred or calculated directly by using one or more of a device's optical sensors, e.g., an optical camera, infrared camera, laser, etc. With knowledge of the 3D frame-of-reference for the display and/or knowledge of the position of the user's head, more realistic virtual 3D depictions of the graphical objects on the device's display may be created—and interacted with—by the user.
US09411407B2
A computer program product includes computer usable program code for: identifying a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs) disposed in a rack, wherein each PDU receives power from a main power source and includes a circuit breaker; identifying a plurality of devices disposed in the rack, wherein each device receives power from one of the PDUs, and wherein the plurality of devices are selected from server nodes, network switches and external data storage devices; obtaining vital product data from a service processor in each device, wherein the vital product data identifies the device by a model identification code; and powering on, for each of the PDUs, the plurality of devices that are connected to the PDU in a sequence to prevent an inrush current from tripping the circuit breaker within the PDU, wherein the sequence powers on devices in order of ascending commonality of the model identification code.
US09411403B2
Various embodiments of methods and systems for dynamically adjusting operating frequency settings of one or more processing components in a portable computing device (“PCD”) are disclosed. One such method involves receiving a request to adjust an operating frequency setting of a processing component to a required frequency (“F_req”) to process a workload. Factor readings associated with the operating capacity of the processing component may be taken. Based on the readings, performance curves associated with the processing component may be queried. The performance curves are used to determine the optimal operating frequency (“F_opt”) for the processing component. The F_opt is compared to the F_req and, if the F_req is less than F_opt, the operating frequency setting of the processing component is set to F_opt. Advantageously, as compared to F_req, at F_opt workload processing may be more efficient and a low power mode may be entered sooner.
US09411402B2
A power control system and a power control method are provided. The power control system is adapted to a computer device. The computer device comprises an embedded controller and a power supply both coupled to each other. The power supply provides power to the embedded controller. The power control system comprises a device switch input terminal and a logic output terminal. The device switch input terminal receives a trigger signal from a component of the computer device to change a state of the computer system. The logic output terminal is coupled to the power supply and performs on-off control of the power supply to provide or stop power to the embedded controller when the switch input terminal receives the trigger signal.
US09411399B2
A portable electronic device is provided, and includes a function key that outputs a predetermined key signal; a key signal regulation unit that regulates a voltage of the predetermined key signal; a Power Management IC (PMIC) that powers on the portable electronic device and identifies a remaining amount of electric power of a battery when receiving the key signal of which a voltage is regulated by the key signal regulation unit in a power-off state; and a controller that controls to perform booting of the electronic device for displaying the remaining amount of electric power of the battery according to the power-on and to display the remaining amount of electric power of the battery.
US09411398B2
An electronic apparatus is provided that includes a processor, a voltage regulator, a battery controller and an embedded controller. The voltage regulator to receive an input voltage and to provide an output voltage to the processor. The battery controller to store electronic device information and to receive battery information related to a current battery power. The embedded controller to receive the electronic device information and the battery information from the battery controller, and the embedded controller to provide power information to the processor based on the received information.
US09411396B2
Adaptive data collection practices in a multi-processor device. The device may include a first processor and a second processor. The first processor may operate in any of a plurality of power states. The first processor may indicate to the second processor when it transitions to a different power state. The second processor may collect information relating to its operation. The second processor may collect the information according to different information collecting modes depending on in which power state the first processor is operating. Less information may be collected in an information collecting mode corresponding to a lower power state of the first processor than in an information collecting mode corresponding to a higher power state of the first processor.
US09411392B2
A system for storing data in a memory may include circuitry that may receive an address, a command and data. The circuitry may also determine a type of the command and generate a read control or write control signal dependent upon the type. The system may also include a plurality of sub-arrays and sense amplifiers. Each of the sub-arrays may include a plurality of memory cells. Each of the sense amplifiers may be coupled to a respective one of the plurality of sub-arrays and may read data stored in a first memory cell included in the respective sub-array. The system may also include one or more write driver circuits. A first write driver circuit may be coupled to at least two of the plurality of sub-arrays. The first write driver circuit may be configured to store data into a second memory cell in one of the at least two sub-arrays.
US09411384B2
A computer system including a heat sink including a peripheral portion and a middle portion, a circuit board, a first controller configured to be secured to the circuit board, one or more attachment devices configured to secure the heat sink to the circuit board at the peripheral portion of the heat sink, and a standoff component. The standoff component includes a first threaded section configured to secure the standoff component to the circuit board, and a second threaded section configured to secure the standoff component to the heat sink at the middle portion of the heat sink. The one or more attachment devices and the standoff component are configured to secure the heat sink to the circuit board and allow the heat sink to have thermal contact with the first controller.
US09411383B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a faceplate for a computing device. The faceplate includes a first side and a second side. The faceplate also includes a chamfer formed between the first side and the second side. The chamfer runs along at least a portion of the first side and the second side. The chamfer includes at least one hole extending through only the chamfer.
US09411381B2
A portable keyboard is disclosed, by which portability can be enhanced with a simple configuration. The present invention includes a plurality of key assemblies, a body part and a flexible connecting member. When the portable keyboard is carried, a plurality of the key assemblies are rolled up around an outer circumference of the body part in a manner that the flexible connecting member between a plurality of the key assemblies is folded. When the portable keyboard is used, a plurality of the key assemblies are unfolded by being rolled down centering on the body part in a manner that the flexible connecting member between a plurality of the key assemblies is unfolded.
US09411377B2
A flexible display device includes a flexible display panel, a touch sensing layer on the flexible display panel, and a window on the touch sensing layer. The window may include an elastic portion and a plurality of rigid portions at a surface of the elastic portion and separated from each other. The elastic portion may be made of a soft material having elastic characteristics, and the rigid portion may be made of a hard material. The rigid portion may have a checkered pattern or a striped pattern at the surface of the elastic portion. The flexible display device may also include a barrier film at a surface of the flexible display panel. The barrier film may protect the flexible display panel and the touch sensing layer from external impacts.
US09411375B2
A system includes, but is not limited to: obtaining and one or more physical status sending modules configured to direct sending one or more bendable electronic device physical status related information portions to the bendable electronic device based upon the obtaining of the first information. In addition to the foregoing, other related system/system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US09411367B2
A protective case for an electronic device includes a protective shell and a flexible portion. The protective shell has an inner surface, an outer surface, and side members that define a perimeter of the protective shell. The side members at least partially cover respective sides of the electronic device when the electronic device is in the protective shell. The protective shell also has cutouts extending from the inner surface to the outer surface. The flexible portion is disposed on the inner surface of the protective shell and extends through cutouts of the protective shell to at least the outer surface of the protective shell.
US09411362B2
A storage circuit and method are provided for propagating data values across a clock boundary between a first clock domain and a second clock domain. A storage structure is provided with at least one entry, and write circuitry performs write operations in the first clock domain, where each write operation writes a data value into an entry of the storage structure identified by a write pointer. The write circuitry alters the write pointer between each write operation. Write pointer synchronization circuitry then receives the write pointer and synchronizes the write pointer indication to the second clock domain over a predetermined number of clock cycles of the second clock domain. Read circuitry performs read operations in the second clock domain, with each read operation reading a data value from an entry of the storage structure identified by a read pointer. However, for a read operation to be performed, it is necessary that the synchronized write pointer indication indicates that there is a data value written into the storage structure that is available to be read. Early update circuitry is configured, for a write operation, to alter the write pointer indication provided to the write pointer synchronization circuitry a number of clock cycles of the first clock domain before the write operation is performed. That number of clock cycles is chosen dependent on the difference in clock speed between the first clock domain and the second clock domain, and the predetermined number of clock cycles of the second clock domain taken by the write pointer synchronization circuitry to synchronize the write pointer indication to the second clock domain. Such an approach enables at least a part of the latency of the write pointer synchronization circuitry to be hidden, thereby improving performance of the storage circuitry.
US09411360B2
A system for managing a change in a frequency of a clock signal, including a clock generator configured to output the clock signal, a clock divider coupled to the output of the clock generator, a processor configured to select the frequency of the clock signal, and a clock management circuit. The clock management circuit may be configured to set the clock generator to adjust the clock signal to the selected frequency. The clock management circuit may be further configured to adjust a divisor value of the clock divider in a plurality of steps in response to a determination the clock signal stabilized at the selected frequency. A new divisor value may be selected during each step in the plurality of steps and each step may occur after a given time period.
US09411354B2
A device of triggering and generating temperature coefficient current for generating a temperature coefficient current includes a positive temperature coefficient current generating unit, for generating a first positive temperature coefficient current, a negative temperature coefficient current generating unit, for generating a first negative temperature coefficient current, and a triggering unit, for triggering to generate the temperature coefficient current according to a triggering temperature and a current difference between the first positive temperature coefficient current and the first negative temperature coefficient current.
US09411346B2
An integrated circuit in which a voltage divider circuit is integrated comprises a first resistor, second resistor, control portion, switch, and switching portion. The first resistor and second resistor form a resistive voltage divider element for dividing a voltage obtained by rectifying an alternating-current voltage, or a direct-current voltage, supplied to a control portion. The switch is provided in series with the resistive voltage divider element, and passes or cuts off current passing through the resistive voltage divider element. The switching portion switches the switch so as to pass current during driving of the control portion, and cut off current during standby of the control portion.
US09411345B2
Provided is a voltage regulator capable of controlling an output voltage to a predetermined voltage quickly after an undershoot occurs in the output voltage. The voltage regulator includes: an undershoot detection circuit configured to detect a voltage that is based on an output voltage of the voltage regulator, and output a current corresponding to an undershoot amount of the output voltage; and an I-V converter circuit configured to control a current flowing through an output transistor based on a current controlled by an output of an error amplifier and a current flowing from the undershoot detection circuit.
US09411343B2
The present invention applies to the field of integrated-circuit control, and provides a temperature feedback control system and method for DVFS (Dynamic Voltage Frequency Scaling). In the present invention, a main processor sends a control data packet to a microprocessor according to a received temperature feedback trigger signal, and the microprocessor immediately triggers working of a temperature data acquiring module, and after the temperature data acquiring module acquires real-time temperature data of a chip, executes a temperature feedback algorithm on the real-time temperature data according to the control data packet to output a corresponding performance control parameter, so as to enable a DVFS circuit to adjust a working frequency and a working voltage of the chip, and further enable the chip to implement automatic frequency and voltage adjusting at a low voltage and a low temperature and at a high voltage and a high temperature.
US09411341B2
A vacuum pump controller and a method of making a devise using the same are presented. The vacuum pump controller comprises detectors for detecting whether a cassette is present in a semiconductor processing load lock; and controllers for sending control signals to a vacuum pump to control the speed voltage of the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump controller may further send control signals to control the supply of N2/H2 gas, cooling water and other vacuum pump accessories.
US09411331B2
An automatic programming device includes: a machining-area-shape generation unit that generates machining-area shape data that is a machining area shape machined on the basis of machining-area data; and a chamfering tool-path generation unit that, when the machining area shape is a chamfering target part, generates chamfering tool-path data for chamfering according to chamfering data including the machining-area shape data, data on tool-to-be-used, and data on machining condition. When performing chamfering on a boundary of the shaped raw material and the machining area shape defined on a curved surface that is a shaped raw material, the chamfering tool-path generation unit generates a machining path, as the chamfering tool-path data, for realizing chamfering by using 2-axis machining of a rotating axis parallel to a central axis of the shaped raw material and with a linear axis parallel to a bottom surface of the machining area shape.
US09411329B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides an energy-management system for managing energy within a predominantly closed power system. The system includes an upper-level energy-management module, at least one lower-level energy-management module coupled to the upper-level energy-management module, and at least one component coupled to the lower-level energy-management module. The component is configured to provide a performance model associated with the component to the lower-level energy-management module. The lower-level energy-management module is configured to provide an aggregated model to the upper-level energy-management module.
US09411323B2
A home energy management system includes a protocol conversion device configured to provide bi-directional communication between a networking device and one or more energy meters, wherein the protocol conversion device connects to the networking device via a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) and connects to one or more energy meters via one or more communication protocols supported by one or more energy meters. The home energy management system further includes the networking device, connected to the protocol conversion device via the TCP/IP connection, configured to receive, from the protocol conversion device, data packets generated by the one or more energy meters, and transmit the data packets to a remote server.
US09411322B2
Methods, systems, apparatus, devices and computer program products automatically package an object, such as, for example, whole muscle meat pieces, in a covering material. The devices include an automated compression assembly with an electric drive motor and a pusher assembly with an electric motor, preferably each electric motor is a servo motor. The systems/apparatus devices can include a programmably adjustable index and/or speed profile for the compression and/or pusher assembly.
US09411320B1
An intelligent watch includes a main body, a trigger switch, an inner-ring body and an outer-ring body. The trigger switch is disposed in the main body. The inner-ring body is pressably engaged on the main body to be pressed for trigger the trigger switch. The outer-ring body is rotatably engaged on the main body and surrounds the inner-ring body.
US09411318B2
When an operation button is pressed for three seconds, a second hand is reversed and fast-forwarded to the position of a currently set time difference. After the second hand stops, the second hand is moved stepwise to time difference display positions to continuously display time difference correction candidates. In this state, when the operation button is pressed, the second hand is caused to stop, and an hour hand is moved to the position of time determined in consideration of the time difference at which the second hand points. The time difference at which the second hand points is stored as a time difference set value, and an action mode is switched to a normal time display mode for time-difference time display based on the time difference set value.
US09411314B2
An integral assembly of a single or double hairspring and an unsplit collet including two portions opposite one another for receiving the balance staff, one portion including one of the bearing surfaces (2 or 3) for the balance staff and a point (10, 11) for attaching the hairspring, and the other portion including another bearing surface (4, 5 or 14) for the balance staff, the two portions being connected together by two linking portions that are less rigid than the receiving portions so as to be capable of elastically deforming during the fitting of a balance staff. According to another aspect, the invention also relates to an integral assembly of a hairspring and a collet, including at least two stages, as well as to a method for manufacturing such an assembly.
US09411303B1
A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing and a positioning stop on the housing that is translatable between a latching position and an unlatching position. The positioning stop limits the travel of the replaceable unit in the image forming device when the positioning stop is in the latching position. A compression spring that biases the positioning stop toward the latching position is positioned in line with the translation of the positioning stop between the positioning stop and a first side of a post on the housing. A deflectable arm extends from the positioning stop in line with the translation of the positioning stop proximate the compression spring. The deflectable arm includes a hook that wraps over the post in position to contact a second side of the post to limit translation of the positioning stop away from the post.
US09411295B2
The timing of obtaining an output value for use in a determination of a recording medium is generated from a received ultrasonic wave and a waveform generated by delaying the ultrasonic wave, whereby it is possible to reduce an influence of a reflection wave from the peripheral members and an influence of a change in the environment to improve the accuracy of determination of the recoding medium.
US09411285B2
A drive transmission device includes: a gear, provided with a shaft hole, for transmitting a driving force; a frame to which a fixing shaft for rotatably supporting the gear by engaging with the shaft hole is fixed, wherein during transmission of the driving force, the gear is urged in a radial direction of the shaft hole, and a predetermined region of an outer peripheral surface of the fixing shaft slides on an inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole; and a holding portion, provided in a position closer to a center of the fixing shaft than the predetermined region with respect to a radial direction of the fixing shaft, for holding a lubricant between itself and the shaft hole. The holding portion is disposed only in a position opposite the predetermined region with respect to the center of the fixing shaft.
US09411283B2
A fixing device includes a fixing unit including a first roller and a second roller which form a nip to fix a toner image on a sheet, the fixing unit being capable of fixing the toner image on a maximum width sheet and a small width sheet; a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the fixing unit in a widthwise direction; and an operating device for operating the reciprocating mechanism, wherein the operating device operates the reciprocating mechanism for a fixing operation on the small width sheet, and the operating device does not operate the reciprocating mechanism for the fixing operation on the maximum width sheet.
US09411282B2
A cylindrical film used in an image heating device heating a recording material, on which an image has been formed, has a resin layer, this resin layer being made from a resin in which a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin having a higher glass transition temperature than the crystalline resin are blended, wherein a volume ratio of the crystalline resin with respect to the amorphous resin in the resin layer is 70/30 to 99/1.
US09411273B1
A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring member, a heat source, a reflecting member, a supporting member and a retaining member. The pressuring member is configured to come into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. The heat source is arranged at an inside in a radial direction of the fixing belt and configured to radiate a radiant heat. The reflecting member is configured to reflect the radiant heat radiated from the heat source to an inner circumference face of the fixing belt. The supporting member is configured to support the reflecting member from a side of the fixing nip. The retaining member includes a contact part and a holding part. The contact part is configured to come into contact with the reflecting member from a side opposite to the fixing nip. The holding part is configured to hold the heat source.
US09411270B1
A cleaning device includes a removal member that forms piled bodies of residual objects at a contact location and removes residual objects from a surface of a target cleaning member by contacting with the surface in a linear manner and rubbing against the surface, and a smoothing member that smooths out the piled bodies by moving along the contact location.
US09411269B2
An image forming apparatus may include a casing, and a plurality of image carriers arranged in parallel along one direction in the casing and formed with an electrostatic latent image. The apparatus can further include a plurality of developing agent carriers opposed to the image carriers, for visualizing the electrostatic latent image by feeding a developing agent to the image carriers, and a plurality of developing agent cartridges, arranged in parallel in the one direction to be opposed to the developing agent carriers in the longitudinal direction of the developing agent carriers, and configured to be together attachable/detachable to/from the casing along the one direction, for accommodating the developing agent fed to the developing agent carriers.
US09411252B2
An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an undercoat layer containing a silane coupling agent having a divalent group represented by —NH— and an urethane resin. The modulus of elastic deformation (we/wt) of a surface of the undercoat layer satisfies formula (X), where the modulus of elastic deformation is measured by a universal hardness test.
US09411246B2
Projection optics for a lithographic projection system is provided that comprises a spatial light modulator (SLM) from which radiation is reflected and directed to a projection lens that projects the radiation to a substrate. The SLM is illuminated by non telecentric off axis illumination (e.g. from laser radiation that has a spectral bandwidth of the order of 1 picometer, and the projection optics is configured for significant reduction (e.g. at least 10× reduction, 20× reduction, or 50× reduction).
US09411239B2
An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography has a first and second facet mirrors, each with a plurality of reflecting facets on a support. The facets of the first facet mirror can be switched between various tilt positions. In each tilt position, the tiltable first facet is assigned to a second facet of the second facet mirror for deflecting EUV radiation in the direction of this second facet. Each of the first facets is assigned to a set of second facets by its tilt positions. The two facet mirrors are arranged so that an arrangement distribution of second facets, impinged upon via the first facets, results in an illumination-angle distribution of an illumination of an illumination field.
US09411231B2
Silane composition and cured film thereof, and method for forming negative resist pattern using same
A composition provided to contain: an alkoxysilane condensate obtained by the condensation of alkoxysilane A represented by general formula (1): (CH3)Si(OR1)3 (In the general formula (1), R1 mutually independently represents methyl group or ethyl group.), alkoxysilane B represented by general formula (2): (Ph)Si(OR1)3 (In the general formula (2), R1 mutually independently represents methyl group or ethyl group.), and alkoxysilane C represented by general formula (3): (CH3)2Si(OR1)2 (In the general formula (3), R1 mutually independently represents methyl group or ethyl group.) at an A:B:C mole ratio within the range of 30-70:10-50:20-60; and a polyether-modified polydimethylsiloxane.
US09411227B2
A polymeric compound having a structural unit represented by general formula (a0-1), and a resist composition containing the same (in which R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; Va01 and Va02 each independently represents a hydrocarbon group of 2 to 10 carbon atoms; Va01-La0— represents Va01-C(═O)O— or Va01-OC(═O)—; Ra0 represents an acid dissociable, branched hydrocarbon group of 8 or more carbon atoms, an acid dissociable, monocyclic hydrocarbon group of 4 or more carbon atoms, or an acid dissociable, polycyclic hydrocarbon group, provided that methyl adamantyl group is excluded.
US09411217B2
A projector includes a light source, a light control apparatus having a light shield portion that shields light emitted from the light source, the light control apparatus adjusting the amount of light that passes therethrough, an optical element that is disposed on the light exiting side of the light shield portion and optically converts light incident on the optical element, a cooling fan that sends cooling air, and a duct that guides the cooling air sent from the cooling fan to the light shield portion and the optical element which are the targets to be cooled, wherein the duct has a blowoff port off which the guided cooling air is blown toward each target to be cooled, and the light shield portion changes the amount of covered blowoff port in accordance with the amount of light that the light shield portion shields.
US09411209B2
An electrochromic cell includes a minimally color changing polymer (MCCP) and a non-color changing polymer (NCCP), where the neutral state or the oxidized state is highly transmissive in the NIR and the oxidized state or the neutral state, respectively, is significantly less transmissive in the NIR. An electrochromic device (ECD) can include the electrochromic cell, or a combination of electrochromic cells. The ECD can be part of a window or a laminate for a window to permit the control of IR transmittance through the window.
US09411207B2
There is provided a nematic liquid crystal composition that exhibits a negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈), the liquid crystal composition being useful as a liquid crystal display material, and a liquid crystal display element using the same. The liquid crystal composition has a large absolute value of the dielectric anisotropy thereof and a low viscosity. The liquid crystal composition can provide a liquid crystal display element which has a high contrast, high-speed responsiveness, and good display quality in which image sticking and display defects are not generated. The liquid crystal display element using the liquid crystal composition is a useful display element which realizes both high-speed response and suppression of display defects. In particular, the liquid crystal display element is useful as a liquid crystal display element for active-matrix driving, and can be applied to, for example, a VA-type or PSVA-type liquid crystal display element.
US09411196B2
This liquid crystal display device (100) includes: a vertical alignment liquid crystal layer (3); a pixel electrode (11) and a counter electrode (21) arranged on first and second substrates (1, 2), respectively, to front on the liquid crystal layer; and first and second alignment films (12, 22). Each pixel region (10) includes first, second, third and fourth liquid crystal domains (A, B, C, D) in which liquid crystal molecules (3a) are tilted in first, second, third and fourth predetermined directions, respectively, which are defined so that an angle formed between any two of them is approximately equal to an integral multiple of 90 degrees. The first liquid crystal domain is located close to at least a part of edges of the pixel electrode, which includes a first edge portion (EG1) where an azimuthal direction (e1) perpendicular to the part and pointing toward the inside of the pixel electrode defines an angle greater than 90 degrees to the first direction. The first substrate includes a first rib (14) which is arranged in a region corresponding to the first edge portion and under the pixel electrode.
US09411195B2
To increase production efficiency while retaining the display quality of a liquid crystal display apparatus. The apparatus comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, a first electrode on the first substrate extending in a first direction, a second electrode on the second substrate extending in a second direction which intersects to the first direction, a liquid crystal layer provided between the two substrates. A pixel is configured where the two electrodes intersect and an orientation process is performed perpendicular to the second direction on one of the substrates. The electrode edge shape of the second electrode includes lines that are obliquely crossed relative to the direction of orientation process and periodically bend back. The pixel edges of the pixel are demarcated including the lines obliquely crossed, and all change points where the lines of the electrode edge of the second electrode interconnects are disposed to superimpose with the first electrode.
US09411187B2
A display device includes a substrate including pixel areas, a thin-film transistor disposed on the substrate, a first insulating layer disposed on the thin-film transistor, a pixel electrode disposed on the first insulating layer and connected to the thin-film transistor, a liquid crystal layer filling a microcavity disposed on the pixel electrode, a common electrode spaced apart from the pixel electrode by the microcavity, a roof layer disposed on the common electrode, an injection hole disposed in the common electrode and the roof layer, the injection hole partially exposing the microcavity, a third insulating layer disposed on the roof layer, and an overcoat disposed on the third insulating layer and sealing the microcavity by covering the injection hole, wherein a first convex embossing pattern is formed on an upper surface of the third insulating layer.
US09411186B2
A liquid crystal display device provided with a liquid crystal display panel having a pair of transparent substrates disposed to face with each other via a liquid crystal layer, and a backlight unit disposed on a back surface of the liquid crystal display panel for radiating a backlight ray is configured to have a plate member opposite a side wall surfaces of the liquid crystal display panel and a side wall surfaces of the backlight unit. The plate member is fixed to the side wall surface of the liquid crystal display panel and the side wall surface of the backlight unit.
US09411182B2
A signal processing device, on the basis of signals that control voltages to be applied to pixels, a boundary between a first pixel corresponding to a first signal that applies a first voltage and a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel and corresponding to a second signal that applies a second voltage different from the first voltage at least by a predetermined threshold. The first signal is corrected to a third signal that applies a third voltage higher than the first voltage, and the second signal is corrected to a fourth signal that applies a fourth voltage higher than the second voltage. The second voltage is higher than the first voltage, the fourth voltage is higher than the third voltage, and a potential difference between the first voltage and the third voltage is larger than a potential difference between the second voltage and the fourth voltage.
US09411172B2
A lens system is presented having a diffractive optical power region. The diffractive optical power region has a plurality of concentric surface relief diffractive structures. A greater portion of light incident on a diffractive structure near the center point contributes to the optical power than light incident on a diffractive structure peripherally spaced therefrom.
US09411171B2
The invention is related to a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens having a layered structural configuration: a lower water content silicone hydrogel core (or bulk material) completely covered with a layer of a higher water content hydrogel totally or substantially free of silicone. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention possesses high oxygen permeability for maintaining the corneal health and a soft, water-rich, lubricious surface for wearing comfort.
US09411165B2
A display device has an NTSC ratio of higher than or equal to 80% and a contrast ratio of higher than or equal to 500 and includes a display portion. In the display portion, pixels are provided at a resolution of greater than or equal to 80 ppi, and the pixels each includes a light-emitting module capable of emitting light with a spectral line half-width of less than or equal to 60 nm in a response time of shorter than or equal to 100 μs. Further, transient characteristics of the emission intensity of the light-emitting module have a projecting portion higher than other portions in a portion rising in response to an input signal.
US09411163B2
A line-forming optical system and method are disclosed that form a line image with high-efficiency. A method includes forming a laser beam having a first intensity profile with a Gaussian distribution in at least a first direction and passing at least 50% of the laser beam in the first direction to form a first transmitted light. The method also includes: focusing the first transmitted light at an intermediate image plane to define a second intensity profile having a central peak and first side peaks immediately adjacent the central peak; then truncating the second intensity profile within each of first side peaks to define a second transmitted light; and then forming the line image at an image plane from the second transmitted light.
US09411162B2
To provide a function of easily preventing burn-in at low cost without disturbing mixed reality being experienced by a user, a mixed reality presenting system includes a display control unit configured to display a confirmation image on a display unit when a first time period has elapsed since the display control unit had performed control to start display on the display unit, and to control display on the display unit in response to an operation performed on the confirmation image by a user of the mixed reality presenting system.
US09411161B2
The general field of the invention is that of display systems comprising an image projector and an associated display screen, the said display system being designed to be used by an observer situated at a given location, the said display screen comprising two transparent and substantially parallel faces, the said display screen comprising, on at least one of its transparent faces, a plurality of regularly distributed light-scattering patterns. The image projector according to the invention illuminating the screen under a plurality of angles of incidence determined by the position and the size of the display screen, the said angles of incidence being centered on a mean angle of incidence, the scattering patterns comprise at least one scattering surface oriented in such a manner as to diffuse the light rays having at least the mean angle of incidence in one or more directions corresponding to the said given location of the observer. Several embodiments are described.
US09411160B2
A transmission type head mounted display includes an image display unit that forms an image on the basis of image data and allows the formed image to be visually recognized by a user as a virtual image in a state in which the image display unit is mounted on the head of the user, a position specifying unit that specifies a target position which is a position of a specific target object relative to the image display unit; and a control unit that causes the image display unit to form a target position display image indicating the target position and that sets a position of the target position display image in an image formation region which is a region where the image display unit forms an image, on the basis of the target position specified by the position specifying unit.
US09411153B2
The invention provides an illumination device comprising a pump light source and a phosphor wheel. The phosphor wheel comprises at least two segmented phosphor layers. The front surfaces of the phosphor layers do not form a common plane, but instead a kind of relief in which the surfaces of the phosphor layers extend in different imaginary planes. When the phosphor wheel rotates through a beam waist of the pump. light, in this way the size of the pump light spot and therefore also the power density distribution of the pump light on the respective phosphor layer are adapted.
US09411149B2
Micro-optical imaging is facilitated. According to an example embodiment, a micro-optical probe arrangement includes a GRIN-type lens probe to direct light to and from a specimen. Compensation optics tailored to the probe and aberrations introduced by the lens are located in a light path through the lens, and compensate for the introduced aberrations. A light detector detects light from the specimen, as facilitated by the compensation optics, and generates data characterizing an image of the specimen.
US09411138B2
Provided are a telephoto zoom lens system and an electronic apparatus including the telephoto zoom lens system. The telephoto zoom lens system includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power and is fixed when zooming and focusing, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a negative refractive power and performs focusing, a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, and a rear lens group comprising one or more lens groups located between the fourth lens group and an image side. At least one lens group of the rear lens group is fixed while zooming, and a focal length thereof is unchanged while zooming.
US09411126B2
A lens barrel which is capable of retracting a retractable lens group by a simple construction and realizing stable image quality. The lens barrel has a lens, a first lens holding member that holds the lens, a second lens holding member that holds the first lens holding member and moves in a direction of an optical axis in conjunction with the first lens holding member, a drive mechanism that moves the first lens holding member between a shooting position on the optical axis and a retracted position outside the optical axis, and a first guide bar and a second guide bar. The drive mechanism retracts the first lens holding member from the shooting position to the retracted position while holding the second lens holding member on the optical axis. The first and second guide bars guide the second lens holding member in the direction of the optical axis.
US09411123B2
An optical apparatus includes a base member (101) including a first rotation limiting end and a second rotation limiting end, a cylindrical member (113) rotatable relative to the base member in a circumferential direction, an abutting member (128) fixed on the cylindrical member, capable of abutting on each of the first and second rotation limiting ends, and rotatable, along with the cylindrical member, between the first and second rotation limiting ends, a first rolling support member (107) fixed on the base member to support the cylindrical member, rotatable around an axis that is parallel to a rotation center axis of the cylindrical member, and rotatable in a direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis, and the first rolling support member is disposed in a third region where a first region and a second region in a region around the rotation center axis overlap each other.
US09411115B2
An optical fiber ribbon according to the present invention includes a collective coating layer containing an ultraviolet curable resin containing amorphous PPG and an amorphous monomer, the collective coating layer formed around coated optical fibers. The collective coating layer has an equilibrium elastic modulus of 12 MPa to 20 MPa, both inclusive, and a yield point elongation of 5% to 9%, both inclusive, and the adhesion between the collective coating layer and the outermost layers of the coated optical fibers is 12 N/cm to 15 N/cm, both inclusive.
US09411114B2
According to one embodiment, loose-tube fiber optic cables may include a cable core and a jacket. The cable core may include a buffer tube and an optical fiber and the optical fiber may be positioned within the buffer tube. At least a portion of the buffer tube by include a first phase that includes a first polymer and a second phase that includes a second polymer, where the first polymer and the second polymer are different chemical compositions. The first phase and second phase may be disposed in at least a partially co-continuous microstructure.
US09411107B2
An N×M monolithic switch and a method of operating the switch. In one embodiment, the switch includes: (1) a monolithic refractive element, (2) N input/output ports coupled to the monolithic refractive element and configured to inject electromagnetic energy into a first set of planes in the monolithic refractive element at an angle that causes total internal reflection of the electromagnetic energy between first and second refractive surfaces of the monolithic refractive element, N being greater than one, (3) M input/output ports coupled to the monolithic refractive element and configured to extract electromagnetic energy travelling in a second set of planes in the monolithic refractive element, M being greater than one, the second set of planes being aparallel to the first set of planes and (4) a plurality of frustrating elements coupled to the monolithic refractive element and corresponding to the N input/output ports and the M input/output ports and configured to frustrate the total internal reflection selectively to cause the electromagnetic energy to travel from ones of the first set of planes to ones of the second set of planes.
US09411102B2
Device for emitting and guiding an infrared radiation comprising a waveguide (1) and means (5) for emitting an infrared radiation (R), characterized in that said means (5) for emitting an infrared radiation (R) are formed at the surface or inside the waveguide (1), in such a way that the radiation emitted is transmitted to the waveguide (1) which transports it.
US09411098B2
A polarization reducing apparatus includes a separating unit configured to separate input light into components having polarization directions orthogonal to each other; a winding waveguide of silicon formed on a silicon substrate in a winding manner, the winding waveguide transmitting a first component among the components separated by the separating unit; an optical path configured to have a shorter optical path length than the winding waveguide, the optical path transmitting a second component among the components separated by the separating unit; a combining unit configured to combine the first component and the second component; and an output unit configured to output light consisting of the first component and the second component combined by the combining unit.
US09411093B2
A display apparatus is disclosed. The display apparatus includes a transmissive image panel configured to display a multi-view image, and a first transmissive backlight panel and the second transmissive backlight panel arranged at a predetermined distance from the transmissive image panel, and the first transmissive backlight panel and the second transmissive backlight panel are in parallel to the transmissive image panel, wherein the first backlight panel distributes the multi-view image in a first viewing zone differently from the second backlight panel distribution of the multi-view image in a second viewing zone.
US09411088B2
The invention relates to an illumination module (1) comprising a plurality of light sources (2) distributed over a light guiding plate (3) accommodating said light sources and capable of guiding light of said light sources through at least a portion of said plate. The light guiding plate has one or more out-coupling structures (4), preferably arranged around each light source, so that at least a portion of the light emitted by a first light source (2A) and at least a portion of the light emitted by a second adjacent light source (2B) mix within said light guiding plate before leaving said illumination module as a single substantially collimated mixed light beam. The invention further relates to a lamp and a display apparatus comprising such an illumination module.
US09411087B2
Disclosed herein is a backlight unit in which a viewing angle of a liquid crystal display device may be easily enlarged or changed. The backlight unit includes a light source, a light guide plate formed below a liquid crystal panel and including a light emitting surface through which incident light supplied from the light source is emitted toward the liquid crystal panel, a prism sheet formed between the light guide plate and the liquid crystal panel, and a plurality of protrusion patterns formed on one surface of the light guide plate which is opposite to the light emitting surface thereof, each of the plurality of protrusion patterns including a first prism which extends in a first direction and at least one second prism which extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, comes into contact with the first prism, and is shorter than the first prism.
US09411079B1
A device comprising a light source such as an LED or fluorescent lamp, having disposed near the light source a panel or lens effectuated with a diffusion pattern for modifying the light emitted from the light source. The diffusion pattern may include an optical gradient wherein light emitted from the light source is substantially blocked at one end of the gradient and substantially passed at the other end of the gradient. In some embodiments the panel or lens is transparent or clear. Other embodiments include a diffusion pattern having a dot matrix pattern or an array of substantially circular opaque areas, which may be disposed near and edge of the panel or lens.
US09411076B2
Provided is a polymerizable composition including: (a) a polymerizable component; and (b) a pigment component the pigment component includes: (i) an ionic or amphoteric dispersant material; and (ii) pigment nanoparticles uniformly dispersed in the dispersant material (i). The nanoparticles have a particle size of up to 500 nanometers. Also provided is a polymerizable composition of: (a) a polymerizable component including: (i) diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate); and (ii) a radical initiator; and (b) a pigment component which includes: (i) an ionic or amphoteric dispersant material derived from polycaprolactone; and (ii) pigment nanoparticles of ultramarine blue having an average particle size of up to 500 nanometers, uniformly dispersed in the dispersant material.
US09411075B2
A display apparatus including a display unit including at least one pixel area and a non-pixel area, the non-pixel area dividing the at least one pixel area; and a metamaterial structure that controls a path of light emitted from the at least one pixel area.
US09411073B1
The calculation of the variance of a correlation coefficient matrix for a photovoltaic fleet can be completed in linear space as a function of decreasing distance between pairs of photovoltaic plant locations. When obtaining irradiance data from a satellite imagery source, irradiance statistics must first be converted from irradiance statistics for an area into irradiance statistics for an average point within a pixel in the satellite imagery. The average point statistics are then averaged across all satellite pixels to determine the average across the whole photovoltaic fleet region. Where pairs of photovoltaic systems are located too far away from each other to be statistically correlated, the correlation coefficients in the matrix for that pair of photovoltaic systems are effectively zero. Consequently, the double summation portion of the calculation can be simplified to eliminate zero values based on distance between photovoltaic plant locations, substantially decreasing the size of the problem space.
US09411067B2
A ground tracking system including a ground follower assembly for use with a locator or other device for determining position, motion, and/or orientation information is disclosed. The ground follower assembly may include a wheel assembly coupled to a locator and configured to swivel and/or pivot relative to an antenna node of the locator to generate signals for use in determining position information during a locate operation, such as from a sonde array.
US09411063B2
A method and apparatus are provided for managing the acoustic performances of a network of acoustic nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas. The network of acoustic nodes is adapted to determine inter-node distances allowing to locate the acoustic linear antennas. The method includes: obtaining a determined layout of the network of acoustic nodes; obtaining at least one marine environment property relating to an area of performance of a survey with the network of acoustic nodes; and quantifying the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, using a sound propagation model, the at least one marine environment property and the determined layout.
US09411060B2
A marine vibrator has a housing that comprises a displacement member, the displacement member having a first position and a second position, the housing and the displacement member together defining an internal volume. A linear electromagnetic motor interacts with the displacement member so as to move the displacement member between a first position and a second position and correspondingly strokes the displacement member to cover a volume. The linear electromagnetic motor comprises magnets and coils that when energized create an electromagnetic force there between, wherein the linear electromagnetic motor comprises a piston and a guide that substantially surrounds the piston. The piston has incorporated therein either the coils or the magnets, and the guide having incorporated therein the other of the coils or the magnets. The piston is in interaction with the displacement member.
US09411057B2
An X-ray imaging system can include an X-ray source that projects a beam of X-ray radiation and an X-ray detector positioned to receive the beam of X-ray radiation at a location. The X-ray detector can include: (i) a monolithic substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, (ii) a scintillation layer arranged upon the first side and including a first region and a second region, the first region having a first X-ray sensitivity and the second region having a second X-ray sensitivity different than the first X-ray sensitivity, and (iii) a photosensor array arranged upon the second side. The X-ray source and X-ray detector can be configured to adjust the location at which the X-ray detector receives the beam of X-ray radiation such that the location is primarily within the first region or the second region.
US09411054B2
In a preamplifier (amplifier) for detecting radiation, an output of the preamplifier is set as an output of the first amplifying circuit, a capacitor is connected in parallel to the first amplifying circuit, and the second amplifying circuit with a positive gain of less than onefold is connected between the output terminal and the input terminal of the first amplifying circuit through a switch. When the switch is closed, the capacitor is discharged and reset. As the gain of the second amplifying circuit is less than onefold, the gain of the preamplifier is less than the loop gain of the first amplifying circuit alone during the reset operation, making it harder for oscillation to occur. Accordingly, the preamplifier can reduce the compensation capacitance compared to a conventional case and can shorten the reset time, while preventing oscillation.
US09411047B2
A searchlight sonar is installed on a ship (11) and searches under water around the ship (11) while changing the transmitting direction of an ultrasonic beam (TB) at a predetermined split rotation (Mn) in the circumferential direction around the ship (11). The split rotation (Mn) is set to increase as the depression angle of the transmitting direction of the ultrasonic beam (TB) is increased.
US09411042B2
Multi-sensor compressive imaging systems can include an imaging component (such an RF, microwave, or mmW metamaterial surface antenna) and an auxiliary sensing component (such as an EO/IR sensor). In some approaches, the auxiliary sensing component includes a structured light sensor configured to identify the location or posture of an imaging target within a field of view of the imaging component. In some approaches, a reconstructed RF, microwave, or mmW image may be combined with a visual image of a region of interest to provide a multi-spectral representation of the region of interest.
US09411040B2
Systems and methods for acoustic windows are disclosed. An acoustic window may include a structural core and a non-structural tuning layer. The structural core may include a carbon reinforced composite, and the non-structural tuning layer may include an epoxy. The structural core may have local minima for insertion loss. The epoxy may increase a bandwidth about the minima of frequencies which are subject to relatively low insertion loss.
US09411039B2
A phased-array receiver comprises a plurality of analog beamforming receive channels, each comprising an antenna element arranged to receive a radio frequency signal and a channel output arranged to provide an analog channel output signal. At least one of the plurality of analog beamforming receive channels comprises an in-phase downconversion mixing circuit connected to the antenna element and a local oscillator source and arranged to provide a downconverted in-phase signal to a phase rotation circuit, and a quadrature downconversion mixing circuit connected to the antenna element and the local oscillator source and arranged to provide a downconverted quadrature signal to the phase rotation circuit. The phase rotation circuit is arranged to provide to the channel output a phase-shifted analog output signal generated from the downconverted in-phase signal and the downconverted quadrature signal.
US09411037B2
In some implementations, video camera networks can be used to track people or objects and determine their locations. In some implementations, location accuracy better than one meter can be achieved using video cameras. According to some implementations, Wi-Fi localization and video localization systems can be fused together to perform calibration. In some implementations, by using the video network to continuously update the Wi-Fi localization calibration database, Wi-Fi location accuracy can be improved.
US09411029B2
A magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system has a receive apparatus disposed in a magnetic field, in which a receive coil is coupled to an input of an analog/digital converter. The analog/digital converter is configured for this purpose. A digital output of the analog/digital converter is coupled via a digital mixer device and a clock-rate-reduction device to a data output of the receive apparatus. The mixer device is configured to mix a predetermined frequency band of the MR signal downwards into an intermediate frequency range and create a digital IF signal.
US09411026B2
This computation device and method exponentially shortens a computation time of an NP-complete problem or the like mapped into an Ising model by exponentially shortening a computation time of the Ising mode. For each pair of a plurality of slave lasers, by controlling the intensity, the polarization, and the phase of light exchanged between two slave lasers using an attenuator and a wave plate, the magnitude and the sign of pseudo Ising interaction between two slave lasers are implemented. Then, after the plurality of slave lasers arrive at a steady state, by measuring the polarization of light generated by each slave laser with left-handed circular polarization and right-handed circular polarization used as bases, a pseudo spin of each slave laser is measured.
US09411023B2
A magnetic field sensor includes a circular vertical Hall (CVH) sensing element and at least one planar Hall element. The CVH sensing element has contacts arranged over a common implant region in a substrate. In some embodiments, the at least one planar Hall element is formed as a circular planar Hall (CPH) sensing element also having contacts disposed over the common implant region. A CPH sensing element and a method of fabricating the CPH sensing element are separately described.
US09411009B1
Some embodiments described herein include a system that collects and learns reference side-channel normal activity, process it to reveal key features, compares subsequent collected data and processed data for anomalous behavior, and reports such behavior to a management center where this information is displayed and predefine actions can be executed when anomalous behavior is observed. In some instances, a physical side channel (e.g. and indirect measure of program execution such as power consumption or electromagnetic emissions and other physical signals) can be used to assess the execution status in a processor or digital circuit using an external monitor and detect, with extreme accuracy, when an unauthorized execution has managed to disrupt the normal operation of a target system (e.g., a computer system, etc.).
US09411002B2
A thermal gradient is induced in a device-under-test (DUT) and used to determine the location of a defect. In one embodiment, a static thermal gradient is induced across at least a portion of the DUT along a first axis. The thermal gradient is incrementally walked along the first axis until the condition associated with the defect is triggered, thereby defining a first region. The thermal gradient is then induced along a second axis of the DUT and the process is repeated to define a second region. The location of the defect is determined to be the intersection of the first region with the second region.
US09411000B2
Methods and systems for measuring capacitance difference are disclosed. In one aspect, first and second capacitive elements are connected between voltage receiving nodes for receiving first and second DC voltages and nodes connectable to a third DC voltage via a first, resp. second switch. Further, in a first phase, a voltage difference is applied to charge the capacitive elements and the switches are alternately closed. First resulting currents are measured. Further, in a second phase, the first and second DC voltages are applied alternatingly and the switches are alternately closed. Second resulting currents are measured. The capacitance difference can be determined from the first and second resulting currents.
US09410996B2
A system is for a plurality of different electric load types. The system includes a plurality of sensors structured to sense a voltage signal and a current signal for each of the different electric loads; and a processor. The processor acquires a voltage and current waveform from the sensors for a corresponding one of the different electric load types; calculates a power or current RMS profile of the waveform; quantizes the power or current RMS profile into a set of quantized state-values; evaluates a state-duration for each of the quantized state-values; evaluates a plurality of state-types based on the power or current RMS profile and the quantized state-values; generates a state-sequence that describes a corresponding finite state machine model of a generalized load start-up or transient profile for the corresponding electric load type; and identifies the corresponding electric load type.
US09410978B1
A liquid sample loader for an analytical instrument includes a sample holder with a sample well for holding a liquid sample and a sample passageway extending upwardly at an inclined angle from a bottom portion of the well, a pump positioned upstream from the sample holder and an upstream passageway coupled between the sample and the pump. A controller controls the pump to push the sample in the sample well downstream through the sample passageway toward the measuring instrument.
US09410971B2
Provided are devices, systems and methods for evaluation of hemostasis. Also provided are sound focusing assemblies.
US09410970B2
A triple sensor structured for simultaneous measurement of glucose, oxygen, and pH. The sensor components are in thin film states such as sensing films or membranes, with a glucose probe associated with emission of radiation in the blue part of the spectrum, an oxygen probe associated with radiation in red portion of the spectrum, and a pH probe—with a green portion of the spectrum. The optical probes are chemically grafted or immobilized in a suitable polymer matrix, alleviating the leaching of the probes from the matrix, improving the thin film sensing stability, and enabling the repeatable use of the same sensing films.
US09410961B2
A method of indexing and excising a test sensor from a test-sensor cartridge including rotating an indexer in a first direction such that a flexible pawl thereon is positioned between a first and second notch of the test-sensor cartridge. Rotating the indexer in a first direction, but not in a second generally opposite direction, likewise rotates the cartridge. The method further includes rotating the indexer in the second direction such that the flexible pawl is positioned between the second notch and a third notch, and an aperture of the indexer face is generally aligned with a first cavity of the test-sensor cartridge. The method further includes moving an excise mechanism such that a push rod extends through the second aperture and through the first cavity until the first test sensor is excised through an opposing end of the first cavity into a read position.
US09410954B2
Methods of treating a head and neck cancer are disclosed.
US09410943B2
Methods and compositions are provided for treating human synovial sarcoma (SS). Also provided are screens to identify therapeutics for the treatment of synovial sarcoma. These methods, compositions, and screens are based on the discovery that promoting the assembly of wild type BAF (also called mSWI/SNF) complexes in SS cells by increasing levels of wild type SS18 and/or decreasing levels of SS18-SSX fusion protein leads to the cessation of proliferation of malignant cells in synovial sarcoma.
US09410940B2
A method of testing a system, which has at least one electrochemical sensor for detecting an analyte gas within a housing of the system, and the housing has an inlet, includes exhaling in the vicinity of the inlet of the housing of the system and measuring a response to exhaled breath to test one or more transport paths of the system. Measuring the response to exhaled breath may, for example, include measuring the response of a sensor within the housing of the system that is responsive to the presence of exhaled breath. The sensor responsive to the presence of exhaled breath may, for example, include an electrochemically active electrode responsive to a gas within exhaled breath. The electrochemically active electrode may, for example, be responsive to carbon dioxide or to oxygen.
US09410939B2
The invention provides methods and systems for assessing the developmental potential of mammalian embryos. The method of the invention comprises taking measurements of cytoplasmic movements in the embryo and/or periodic changes in the shape of the embryo at the single cell stage.
US09410933B2
An apparatus for determining the salinity of an ionic sample consisting essentially of: a single current probe having a central aperture large enough to accommodate a tube that contains the ionic sample; a network analyzer electrically coupled to the current probe, wherein the network analyzer is configured to transmit power into the ionic sample when the tube containing the ionic sample is positioned within the central aperture and then further configured to measure the return loss parameter of a signal voltage waveform reflected from the ionic solution; and a reference table of reference sample properties to which the measured return loss parameter may be compared to determine the level of salinity of the ionic sample.
US09410931B1
A low-power miniaturized photoacoustic sensor uses an optical microphone made by semiconductor fabrication techniques, and optionally allows for all-optical communication to and from the sensor. This allows integration of the photoacoustic sensor into systems with special requirements, such as those that would be reactive in an electrical discharge condition. The photoacoustic sensor can also be operated in various other modes with wide application flexibility.
US09410929B2
Provided are an inspection device and an inspection method capable of achieving improved magnetic field sensitivity by using a magnetic thin film of a small film thickness. A light-emitting unit 1 emits light of a first wavelength for acquiring magnetic field inspection information and a second wavelength for acquiring inspection object surface information. A selection unit 6 selects information from an inspection object 4 and information from a magnetophotonic crystal film 3 acquired by light irradiation performed by an irradiation unit 2. An image generation unit 9 generates image data based on the magnetic field inspection information acquired with the first wavelength and the inspection object surface information acquired with the second wavelength selected by the selection unit. Each of the generated image data is displayed on a display unit 10.
US09410912B2
A biological gas detection apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention includes: a sensor unit including plural types of gas sensors; a control unit of the sensor unit; a data recording unit; and a data analyzing unit, wherein the data recording unit includes a database on properties of sensitivities of the gas sensors for a single body of a desired gas component, a single body of an interference gas component, and a mixed gas of these that are included in the biological gas, and the data analyzing unit calculates concentration of the desired gas component based on sensitivities of the gas sensors output when detecting the biological gas and the database.
US09410897B2
The present invention provides a film edge detecting method and a film edge detecting device. The film edge detecting method is used for detecting a film edge of a film layer formed on a substrate, the film layer comprises a patterned film layer, the method includes: forming at least one scale pattern in the patterned film layer, a film edge of the patterned film layer corresponding to an edge of the scale pattern; obtaining a patterned film edge indication value of the edge of the scale pattern; and obtaining a second distance, which is a distance between the film edge of the non-patterned film layer and a corresponding edge of the substrate, based on the non-patterned film edge indication value and a preset reference value of the corresponding edge of the substrate.
US09410889B2
The present disclosure provides apparatus, systems and method for detecting separately and substantially simultaneously light emissions from a plurality of localized light-emitting analytes. A system according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure comprises a sample holder having structures formed thereon for spatially separating and constraining a plurality of light-emitting analytes each having a single nucleic acid molecule or a single nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme, a light source configured to illuminate the sample holder, an optical assembly configured to collect and detect separately and substantially simultaneously light emissions associated with the plurality of light emitting analytes. The system may further include a computer system configured to analyze the light emissions to determine the structures or properties of a target nucleic acid molecule associated with each analyte.
US09410887B2
Devices, systems, and methods for detection of an analyte in a sample are disclosed. In some embodiments, an optical sensor can include a metallic layer and a plurality of dielectric pillars extending through the metallic layer. A plurality of regions of concentrated light can be supported in proximity to the ends of the plurality of dielectric pillars when a surface of the metallic layer is illuminated. Concentrated light within one or more of these regions can interact with an analyte molecule, allowing for detection of the analyte.
US09410885B2
One embodiment is directed towards a physics package of an atomic sensor. The physics package includes a plurality of panes of optically transparent material enclosing a vacuum chamber and one or more wedges attached to an external surface of one or more of the panes. The physics package also includes at least one of a light source, photodetector, or mirror attached to the one or more wedges, the light source configured to generate an input light beam for the vacuum chamber, the photodetector configured to detect an output light beam from the vacuum chamber, and the mirror configured to reflect a light beam from the vacuum chamber back into the vacuum chamber, wherein the wedge is configured to oriented such a light source, photodetector, or mirror such that a respective light beam corresponding thereto transmits through a corresponding pane at an acute angle with respect to the corresponding pane.
US09410883B2
This disclosure concerns methods and apparatus for interferometric spectroscopic measurements of particles with higher signal to noise ratio utilizing an infrared light beam that is split into two beams. At least one beam may be directed through a measurement volume containing a sample including a medium. The two beams may then be recombined and measured by a detector. The phase differential between the two beams may be selected to provide destructive interference when no particle is present in the measurement volume. A sample including medium with a particle is introduced to the measurement volume and the detected change resulting from at least one of resonant mid-infrared absorption, non-resonant mid-infrared absorption, and scattering by the particle may be used to determine a property of the particle. A wide range of properties of particles may be determined, wherein the particles may include living cells.
US09410861B2
A pressure sensor may include an input for receiving an input pressure and a sense die having a sense diaphragm that is exposed to the input pressure and is configured to deflect in response to the input pressure. A diaphragm stop may be positioned adjacent to a first side of the sense diaphragm to limit deflection of the sense diaphragm towards the diaphragm stop. The diaphragm stop include a plurality of defined projections to help prevent stiction.
US09410860B2
A washer assembly is for use with a fastener. The washer assembly includes a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion, and an insulating portion disposed between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion. The first conductive portion, the second conductive portion, and the insulating portion form a variable capacitor having a capacitance based on an amount of force applied thereto by the fastener. A wireless transponder unit includes a control unit electrically connected to the variable capacitor and an antenna electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit is configured to sense the capacitance of the variable capacitor, to generate information representing the capacitance, and to output the information to a wireless reader unit via the antenna.
US09410855B2
A method for press forming analysis includes (1) performing a coordinate transformation to calculate a distribution of stress (a) before a release from the press die in a local coordinate system; (2) performing a springback analysis which includes (i) calculating a distribution of residual stress after the release and performing the coordinate transformation to calculate a distribution of residual stress (b) in the local coordinate system, and (ii) calculating shape data (d) after the release; (3) calculating a difference (a-b) as SB effective stress, performing a coordinate transformation to calculate a distribution of SB effective stress in a global coordinate system, changing or removing the SB effective stress in an analysis target region and performing the springback analysis to calculate a shape data (c) after the release; and (4) calculating a difference (c-d) to determine a degree of influence of the analysis target region.
US09410854B2
A core body temperature measurement device includes a plurality of electronic temperature sensors (12, 12f, 12b, 132) operatively coupled with or near a surface (STA, PAA, BTT) having a surface temperature approximating the core body temperature, and a readout controller (10, 48, 68, 90, 124) including a maximum temperature reading selector (14). The readout controller is configured to acquire temperature readings using the plurality of temperature sensors and to output a core body temperature based on a highest usable temperature reading of the acquired temperature readings as determined by the maximum temperature reading selector. A core body temperature measurement method includes: acquiring a plurality of temperature readings at and near a surface (STA, PAA, BTT) having a surface temperature approximating the core body temperature; generating a highest usable temperature reading from the acquired temperature readings; and outputting a core body temperature based on the highest usable temperature.
US09410849B2
A testing device for testing infrared OFDs is provided. The testing device may comprise a body, an infrared source, a controller and a user input. The infrared source may be housed with the body. The controller may be operatively coupled to the infrared source. The controller may also be integral to the infrared source. The user input may be operatively coupled to at least one of the controller and the infrared source. The testing device may be configured to produce infrared emissions to simulate flaming fire.
US09410838B2
A pit liner includes an upper section, a lower section, at least one pin wherein each pin is connected to one of the upper section and the lower section, and at least one notch defined in at least one of the upper section and the lower section the lower section and the upper section sized to adjust with respect to each other.
US09410835B2
The measuring transducer comprises: a transducer housing (71), of which an inlet-side, housing end is formed by means of an inlet-side, flow divider (201) having four flow openings (201A, 201B, 201C, 201D) and an outlet-side, housing end is formed by means of an outlet-side, flow divider (202) having four flow openings (202A, 202B, 202C, 202D); as well as a tube arrangement having four, curved, or bent, measuring tubes (181, 182, 183, 184) connected to the flow dividers (201, 202) for guiding flowing medium along flow paths connected in parallel, wherein each of the four measuring tubes opens with an inlet-side, measuring tube end into one of the flow openings of the flow divider (201) and with an outlet-side, measuring tube end into one the flow openings of the flow divider (202). The transducer further comprises an exciter mechanism for exciting oscillations of said measuring tube. The tube arrangement exhibits a natural bending oscillation mode, called V-Mode, and the exciter mechanism is adapted to excite bending oscillation in said V-mode.
US09410834B2
The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for verifying a performance of a mass flow controller or mass flow meter on a tool. For example, the disclosed embodiments include a method and a mass flow controller configured to perform, in-situ, by the mass flow controller, a rate of decay measurement during on-line operation of the tool to identify valve leak issues and/or for performing a flow measurement.
US09410833B1
A fluid flow meter estimates the velocity of water or another fluid flowing through pipe by comparing measurements of the water velocity to one or more pre-determined templates. The fluid flow meter may collect measurement signals from one or more flow sensors, estimate the fluid velocity or flow rate by comparing the measurement signals to the template, and either store the comparison results in local memory, transmit the results to a remote memory or server, or both. In some embodiments, the fluid flow meter transmits the results to a server via a wireless interface. The transducers and processing system can be powered by a battery, a power line, or, for manifolds installed outdoors, a solar cell. Example transducers and processing systems may also have a passive wake-up feature for power reduction; that is, they may only draw power when water or another fluid flows through the pipe.
US09410811B2
The invention relates to an automated guided vehicle, a system with a computer and an automated guided vehicle, a method of planning a virtual track and a method of operating an automated guided vehicle. The automated guided vehicle is to move automatically along a virtual track within an environment from a start point to an end point. The environment comprises sections connecting the start point the end point, and the intermediate point. A graph is assigned to the environment.
US09410810B2
A method and an apparatus provides a service using a sensor and image recognition in a portable terminal that supports Augmented Reality (AR). The method includes determining whether the portable terminal is parallel to ground using an acceleration sensor. When the portable terminal is parallel to the ground, either a map including nearby Point Of Interest (POI) information or constellation information is displayed.
US09410809B2
A method for determining an orientation of a portable or mobile electronic device includes determining an orientation of the device using at least a first inertial motion sensor (e.g., a gyroscope) with which the portable electronic device is equipped. A correction factor is provided to the orientation of the electronic device using a feedback control signal based on motion data obtained from at least a second inertial motion sensor (e.g. an accelerometer) to reduce drift in motion data obtained from the first inertial sensor. Responsive to a loss of valid motion data from the first inertial motion sensor, a rate at which the correction factor is provided to the orientation of the portable electronic device is increased.
US09410806B2
A circuit for processing signals from a gyroscope includes a first that generates an in-phase demodulated signal and a second demodulator that generates a quadrature-phase demodulated signal with reference to in-phase and quadrature-phase modulated signals, respectively, from the gyroscope. The circuit includes a digital processor that receives the demodulated in-phase and quadrature phase signals from the demodulators and generates an output signal corresponding to a rotation of the gyroscope along a predetermined axis with reference to the in-phase demodulated signal and the quadrature-phase demodulated signal to remove a portion of the quadrature-phase signal from the in-phase signal.
US09410803B2
The invention describes an observation device, having two tubular observation parts, wherein the longitudinal axes of the observation parts in the region of the ocular sides are spaced apart by a distance of at least 54 mm. At least one observation part has a flared portion on an external side, wherein the flared portion is located inside a subsection of between 20% and 80% of an overall length of the observation part. The flared portion lies in an annulus section having a normal distance to the optical axis of the objective of between 130% and 250% of the radius the objective lens.
US09410798B2
A strain measurement apparatus includes: a stereo camera device that produces a first stereo image and a second stereo image of a measurement object; an actual strain calculation portion configured to find a three-dimensional configuration of the measurement object from the first stereo image and the second stereo image to find actual strain of the measurement object; a temperature distribution detector that detects a temperature distribution of the measurement object; a free thermal strain calculation portion configured to find free thermal strain of the measurement object from the temperature distribution detected by the temperature distribution detector; and a constraint strain calculation portion configured to find as constraint strain of the measurement object a difference obtained by subtracting the free thermal strain found by the free thermal strain calculation portion from the actual strain found by the actual strain calculation portion.
US09410795B2
An inner diameter measuring device, comprising an image pickup unit (2) provided at a base end of a frame unit (6) and for picking up an image of a forward end side, a centering unit (4) provided at a forward end of the frame unit, a laser beam diffusing unit (5) provided on the centering unit and at a forward end side of the centering unit via a light transmitting window, a laser beam emitting unit (3) provided on a base end side of the centering unit, and a cone mirror (51) provided on the laser beam diffusing unit and having a conical reflection surface at a forward end, wherein a center line of the cone mirror coincides with an optical axis of the image pickup unit, and the centering unit is adapted to adjust a posture of the image pickup unit so that a laser beam (17) projected from the laser beam emitting unit enters a vertex of the cone mirror.
US09410793B2
A virtual laser projection system and method includes one or more measuring laser projectors, one or more non-measuring laser projectors, an array of reference targets, and a computing system. The one or more measuring laser projectors and one or more non-measuring laser projectors operate under common control of the computing system to register their respective locations using the array of reference targets, detect and locate features of a work object to be illuminated, convert all location information into a common coordinate system, and illuminate the work object with laser light beams using the common coordinate system.
US09410789B2
A method for using electromagnet arrays to determine a 3D relative position of an electronic device corresponding to an object is provided. The method includes: providing an object using an electromagnet array composed of a plurality of electromagnets, wherein each electromagnet corresponds to one of a plurality of XY plane position information; sensing, by a magnetic sensor of an electronic device, a magnetic signal generated by the electromagnet array; determining, by a processing unit of the electronic device, the XY plane position information of the electronic device corresponding to the object according to the magnetic signal and the XY plane position information; sensing, by the magnetic sensor, a magnetic variation corresponding to the magnetic signal; and obtaining, by the processing unit, a Z-axis position information of the electronic device corresponding to the object according to the magnetic variation.
US09410786B2
A coordinate measuring apparatus includes a base body, a delivery unit located on the base body, and a probing unit. The delivery unit includes a power assembly, a first lead screw assembly connected to the power assembly, and a second lead screw assembly connected to the first lead screw assembly and the probing unit. The power assembly is configured for driving the first lead screw assembly to move along a first direction. The first lead screw assembly is configured for driving the second lead screw assembly to move along a second direction. The second lead screw assembly is configured for driving the probing unit to move along a third direction.
US09410784B1
An initiator assembly that includes an initiator and a containment shell. The initiator has an initiator housing, an initiator device mounted inside the initiator housing, and an input charge that is formed of an energetic material. The initiator device is configured to initiate at least one of a combustion event, a deflagration event and a detonation event in the input charge. The containment shell is coupled to the initiator housing and defines a space into which gas and/or particles are ejected from the initiator housing if the initiator device is not activated and the input charge is cooked off.
US09410776B1
An arrow fletching apparatus for use in the sport of archery is provided. The fletching apparatus is used in place of conventional fletching and provides for adjustability and easy replacement of the apparatus itself or individual fletches in the field. The fletching apparatus comprises a body and a plurality of fletches. The body is kept in place on the arrow shaft by a friction fit and the fletches are likewise kept in place within a slot on the body by a friction fit.
US09410757B2
A heat dissipating and strength enhancing cover for a firearm gas tube includes a wire helix formed of closely adjacent coils having an inner diameter sized to closely fit over and in contact with an exterior surface of a gas tube. The wire of the gas tube cover may be made of a Beryllium-Copper alloy and have sufficient flexibility to accommodate at least one bend in the gas tube. The ends of the gas tube cover may be formed to a substantially flat surface that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the helix and may include caps covering first and second ends of the gas tube cover. The caps may prevent rotation of the cover when installed. The cover may extend substantially between a gas block and means for mounting a barrel when installed.
US09410754B2
An arm (1) comprises a main body (5), a tilting barrel group (2) fitted to the main body (5) and a locking device (10). The locking device (10) is acting between the main body (5) and the barrel group (2) and manually operable between a locked position, in which the tilting of the barrel group (2) is prevented, and a release position, in which the barrel group (2) is released from said body (5). Said locking device (10) comprises at least one sliding bolt (20) or plug, partially housed in the main body (5) so that, in the locked position, a portion thereof engages the barrel group (2). The device is further comprising a safety catch element (100), acting between the barrel group (2) and the main body (5), which acts in conjunction with the bolt (20) to maintain the locked position.
US09410746B2
The present invention provides a temperature-regulating element (1) having a thermally conductive surface (3) and a thermally insulating surface (5), said temperature-regulating element comprising a metallic plate (7) having elevations (9), a main body (11) composed of plastic and two connection components (17a, 17b) comprised of plastic. At least one continuous channel (13) for receiving a temperature-regulating medium is formed between the metallic plate (7) and the main body (11), said at least one continuous channel extending from one end face (15a) to an opposite end face (15b) of the main body (11) and being connected to a temperature-regulating medium circuit by the connection components (17a, 17b). The temperature-regulating element (1) is designed such that the main body (11) at least partly surrounds the metallic plate (7). A method for producing a temperature-regulating element, a use of the temperature-regulating element (1) in a lithium-ion battery (101), and a lithium-ion battery (101) comprising the temperature-regulating element (1) are furthermore specified.
US09410744B2
A system for removing molten metal from a vessel is disclosed. The system includes a pump and a refractory casing that houses the pump. As the pump operates it moves molten metal upward through an uptake section of the casing until it reaches an outlet wherein it exits the vessel. The outlet may be attached to a launder. Another system uses a wall to divide a cavity of the chamber into two portions. The wall has an opening and a pump pumps molten metal from a first portion into a second portion until the level in the second portion reaches an outlet and exits the vessel.
US09410743B2
A metal melting furnace vortex chamber body having a vortex chamber capable of communicating with a storage space of a furnace body having the storage space storing molten metal. The metal melting furnace vortex chamber body has a drop weir part which switches a communication state and an interruption state between the storage space and the vortex chamber. The drop weir part includes a blind drop weir and an opening type drop weir which are formed as separate members. At least the blind drop weir is movable up and down with respect to the vortex chamber body and is selectively positioned at an upward movement position and a downward movement position so as to switch the communication state and the interruption state.
US09410739B2
The invention relates to a method of preparation of lamellar porous microstructures and nanostructures of various density based on controlled vacuum freeze-drying of a liquid dispersion of nanoparticles.The liquid dispersion of particles is rapidly freezed into solid state inside a tightly closed volume. In this form it is submitted to vacuum freeze-drying with required rate of sublimation of molecules of a liquid dispersion medium, until their total removal, accompanied by the creation of lamellar microstructures and nanostructures.The orientation of the normal vector of the dominant surface of sublimation interface can be set with regard to the required properties of the final sublimate structure from vertically upwards to vertically downwards. The sublimation rate is adjusted by combination of vacuum depth and external heating of the sublimation interface of the frozen material.
US09410736B2
The systems and methods integrate energy storage with cryogenic carbon capture, providing effective grid management and energy-efficient carbon capture capabilities to power plants. The systems store energy during off-peak demand by using off-peak energy to compress natural gas to form liquefied natural gas (LNG) and storing the LNG for use as a refrigerant. The systems use the stored LNG as a refrigerant in a cryogenic carbon capture (CCC) process to isolate carbon dioxide from light gases in a flue gas. The systems supply energy during peak demand by burning the natural gas warmed by the CCC process to generate power.
US09410735B2
A refrigeration appliance includes a body having an interior sealed by a closeable door by a seal disposed between the door and the body, and at least one control unit for actuating an opening mechanism acting on the door, whose control signal, which triggers the opening of the door, is configured to be generated by at least one sensor cooperating with a plunger, wherein the plunger has a contact surface for engagement of the sensor, and the plunger is supported in a passage of the door or of the body so that it is configured to be movable, together with the sensor engaged against the contact surface, in an axial longitudinal direction of the plunger and against a force of a spring element.
US09410732B2
A refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage compartment and a main door mounted on the cabinet by a hinge and having an access opening. An auxiliary storage compartment is provided at a rear portion of the main door and is accessible through the access opening. A sub door is mounted on the main door and opens and closes the access opening. A locking device selectively couples the main door with the sub door, and a handle is pivotably attached on the sub door and can be pushed rearward by pivoting about an end of the handle. A lock control device is mounted in the sub door and unlocks the locking device as a result of the handle being pushed rearward about the end of the handle. The handle has a gripping recess and opens the main door and the sub door simultaneously as a result of being pulled.
US09410721B2
A heating element that includes a ceramic material doped with various elements is described. The heating element can be heated by forcing a fuel to flow through the ceramic material, where the fuel interacts with the dopants. The interaction can produce energy in the form of heat. Inventive aspects of the present material include apparatus and methods for modulation of the heat energy, physical features providing for an increase in the rate of heat release, optimization of materials and material morphology for quantity and efficiency of heat release and provision for fueling and maintenance.
US09410714B2
A controller configured so that pieces of information relating to each outlet and each flap which are currently set can be collectively visible on the controller. A controller for an indoor unit provided with flaps having substantially the same shape, the flap being respectively disposed at the outlets and capable of individually changing the discharge directions of air-conditioning air. The controller is provided with a display section for simultaneously displaying information relating to an outlet selected out of the outlets and/or information relating to a flap selected out of the flaps.
US09410711B2
Humidifying apparatus includes a body comprising a chamber into which water is supplied by a water tank. An air flow is generated over water stored in the chamber, and a humidifying system humidifies the air flow with water from the chamber. Water in the chamber is irradiated by an ultraviolet radiation emitting lamp. The lamp forms part of a cartridge removably locatable within the body so that the lamp is received within an ultraviolet radiation transparent tube of the chamber. The body includes a plurality of supports for supporting the cartridge therebetween. Each support has a curved track for guiding movement of the cartridge towards the tube, the tracks being shaped to orient the cartridge for insertion of the lamp into the tube as the cartridge moves along the tracks towards the tube.
US09410696B2
A candle or candle apparatus includes a body of a meltable fuel and a planar wick provided in the body. The planar wick includes a material selected from a wood, wood product, semi-wood composition, and wood-like material. The planar wick has a height dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, the height dimension is greater than the width dimension, the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension, and the thickness dimension is from 0.019 to 0.23 inches.
US09410692B2
An article of furniture includes a furniture body having a utilizing surface and a non-utilizing surface, and a light arrangement which includes a plurality of LEDs embedded in the non-utilizing surface of the furniture body for adding decorating and illuminating functions of the furniture body. The installation of the light arrangement is simple without disassembling the furniture body.
US09410689B2
According to one embodiment, a lighting apparatus comprises a light source configured to generate heat, a transparent heat transfer member located near the light source and having transparency and heat conductivity, and a means for transferring heat from the light source to the transparent heat transfer member.
US09410685B2
A lighting apparatus including a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted on a first surface of a substrate, a heat conducting layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface, and one or more holes extending from the first surface to the second surface of the substrate. A heat conductive and electrically non-conducting material covers an inner surface of the one or more holes, and is thermally connected to the heat conductive layer.
US09410684B2
An exemplary printable composition of a liquid or gel suspension of diodes comprises a plurality of diodes, a first solvent and/or a viscosity modifier. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a plurality of diodes; at least a trace amount of a first solvent; and a polymeric or resin film at least partially surrounding each diode of the plurality of diodes. Various exemplary diodes have a lateral dimension between about 10 to 50 microns and about 5 to 25 microns in height. Other embodiments may also include a plurality of substantially chemically inert particles having a range of sizes between about 10 to about 50 microns.
US09410681B2
A double-head lamp holder and a lamp provided with same. The lamp comprises a junction box and the double-head lamp holder. The lamp holder comprises a housing, a mounting seat is arranged in the housing, a first contact sheet and a second contact sheet that is attached to a binding post of a lamp source to be mounted are arranged on the mounting seat, a turnover flip cover is arranged on the housing, a third contact sheet is arranged on the flip cover, and the cover has an opened first position, and a second position which allows the third contact sheet to communicate the first contact sheet with the second contact sheet when the flip cover is closed.
US09410679B2
A lighting device may include: a mount, which is populated with at least one electronic component and with at least one semiconductor light source, a cover for covering at least one electronic component and at least one connecting element for fastening the cover to the mount, wherein the connecting element is connected to the mount by means of a non-latching connection and to the cover by means of a latching connection.
US09410676B1
An LED lightbulb is disclosed. The LED lightbulb includes an LED array mounted to a circuit board having at least two different sets of LEDs that emit correspondingly different spectra when energized. The LED lightbulb also include a interior reflective surfaces and a dome shaped diffuser lens that eclipses a portion of the LED array. The LED array, the interior reflective surfaces and the dome shaped diffuser lens are position within a cavity formed by a housing with cooling fins and an outside diffuser lens. The LED lightbulb also include a base portion for electrically coupling to a power source of a light fixture that is either an incandescent light fixture or a fluorescent light fixture. In accordance with the embodiments of the invention the LED lightbulb include a driver circuit for providing output power to the LED array from a power source having a ballast or a power source without a ballast.
US09410673B2
According to one embodiment, a luminaire includes a board provided in a main body part, a light-emitting element provided on a surface of the board, a surrounding wall member provided to surround the light-emitting element, and a joining part including a first portion which is provided between the board and the surrounding wall member and a second portion which is provided outside the surrounding wall member and covers at least a part of an outer wall of the surrounding wall member.
US09410658B2
In one example, a device for mounting and adjusting an electronic device is described. The device can include a mounting frame, an elongated shaft connected to the mounting frame, a curved arm for operatively connecting to an electronic device and slidably engaging with the shaft, and a threaded knob configured for threadable engagement with the curved arm.
US09410654B2
An apparatus for rehabilitating an underground water conduit having at least one service entrance including a plug having a light emitter which is responsive to the presence of an electromagnetic field, wherein the at least one service entrance is plugged with the plug and a semi-transparent membrane lining the internal surface of the underground water conduit thereby covering the plug. A drilling head is disposed on a body moveable within the underground water conduit, the drill head having a drill bit and a coil inductor concentric with the drill bit. The coil inductor is adapted to generate an electromagnetic field near the drilling head, wherein the light emitter of the plug is adapted to be turned on by the electromagnetic field emitted by the coil inductor to allow visual alignment of the drill bit with the light emitted by the light emitter through the semi-transparent membrane. The plug is drilled with the drill bit through the semi-transparent membrane in order to reopen the at least one service entrance.
US09410645B2
There is provided a multilayer tube for transporting a fuel, a chemical liquid or a gas, which is based on a thermoplastic resin, in particular a polyamide resin, wherein its inner layer comprises an electroconductive thermoplastic resin in which a fine carbon fiber has been blended as an agent imparting an electroconductivity, and it excels in a molding processability, a fuel oil resistance and an antistatic property. This multilayer tube comprises at least two layers of (a) an outer layer comprising a thermoplastic resin, and (b) an inner layer comprising an electroconductive thermoplastic resin so that a surface resistivity is not more than 108 Ω; the electroconductive thermoplastic resin comprising a fine carbon fiber, wherein a graphite-net plane consisting solely of carbon atoms forms a temple-bell-shaped structural unit comprising closed head-top part and body-part with open lower-end, 2 to 30 of the temple-bell-shaped structural units are stacked sharing a common central axis to form an aggregate, and the aggregates are connected in head-to-tail style with a distance to form the fiber.
US09410640B2
A valve of an accumulator device, which is formed by an accumulator cylinder and an accumulator piston guided therein, includes a valve sealing body. The valve sealing body is configured to selectively open and close a valve opening at a valve seat. The valve also includes an opening mechanism configured to selectively raise the valve sealing body from the valve seat. The opening mechanism is held by a spring element, and the spring element is formed by a punched and bent part.
US09410633B2
A relief valve assembly includes an actuating assembly, a relief valve, and a check valve. The actuating assembly includes a housing forming a cylinder, and a pilot piston within the cylinder. The relief valve includes a housing forming opposed first and second blind bores, a relief valve piston within the first bore and carrying a relief valve member, and a first spring acting between the pilot piston and the relief valve piston to bias the relief valve member toward a valve seat to close the valve seat. A pilot pressure is selectively applied to move the pilot piston toward the first spring to selectively increase the relief pressure of the relief valve from a first relief pressure to a second relief pressure. The check valve includes a check valve member within the second blind bore, a second spring biasing the check valve member away the second blind bore.
US09410631B1
A valve for use between a first fluid side and a second fluid side is disclosed herein. The valve comprises a pair of subassemblies, each one slidable between a closed position and an open position. Each subassembly comprises a first component comprising a first component main body, a first component first end and a first component second end opposite the first component first end. A first component first extension is formed on each first component first end, the first component first extension comprising a diameter that is less than the diameter of the first component main body. Hydraulic pressure causes one subassembly to slide to its closed position, and causes it to engage the second subassembly, sliding the second subassembly to its open position.
US09410630B1
Apparatus for forming a fluidic seal such as in a clean service relief valve. In accordance with some embodiments, a ring-shaped sealing member has an annular main body portion with an innermost surface at an innermost diameter, an outermost surface at an outermost diameter and opposing top and bottom flat surfaces which respectively extend between the innermost surface and the outermost surface. An annular first projection extends away from the top flat surface in a first direction, and an annular second projection extends away from the bottom flat surface in an opposing second direction.
US09410629B2
An apparatus includes a vent valve movable between a closed condition blocking air flow through a vent opening and an open condition enabling air flow through the vent opening. A door position sensor assembly is operable from a first condition to a second condition in response to movement of a vehicle door from a closed position to an open position and is operable from the second condition to the first condition in response to movement of the vehicle door from the open position to the closed position. An actuator assembly operates the vent valve from the closed condition to the open condition upon operation of the door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition and releases the vent valve for movement from the open condition to the closed condition upon operation of the door position sensor assembly from the second condition to the first condition.
US09410627B2
A seal arrangement for sealing a propeller shaft where it penetrates through the hull of a watercraft includes a shaft bushing around this portion of the shaft, one or more seal rings forming a seal around the shaft bushing, and a stationary support holding the seal ring or rings. The shaft bushing includes an outer bushing part made of a wear-resistant material, arranged coaxially around an inner bushing part made of a material having a high thermal conductivity. The thickness of the outer part relative to the thickness of the inner part is a ratio in a range from 1:10 to 1:3. The two-part shaft bushing can provide optimized thermal conductivity and heat dissipation away from the seal rings to the cool exterior water environment, as well as optimized wear-resistance, corrosion resistance and reduced friction for the seal rings.
US09410613B2
An on-screen gear selector for an automatic transmission, which provides an interface between the driver and the automatic transmission. The gear selector provides the current selection by the driver to the transmission control unit. The virtual on-screen gear selector provides safety and security features, and is incorporated into the software of the gear selector, such as not allowing the transmission to change from park until the brake pedal is depressed, or not allowing the transmission to change from drive to a lower gear or reverse if the speed of the vehicle is above a predetermined value, thereby avoiding damage to the transmission. The use of the on-screen gear selector also provides the benefit of reducing space and weight of the vehicle, by having less mechanical parts.
US09410609B1
An apparatus for reducing contaminants in lubrication for a transfer case. The apparatus utilizes the tendencies of a transfer case to splash and otherwise project internal sealed lubricant in numerous directions within the case, along with gravitational forces acting on the lubricant, to passively filter and otherwise remove particulate contaminates from the lubrication. The apparatus for containing lubricated mechanical components comprising a housing and a vessel. The vessel has an open top. The vessel is located proximate an inside surface of the housing. A filter is secured to the vessel. Lubrication contained within the housing flows along an inside surface of the housing into the vessel through the open top, and further flows out of the vessel through the filter.
US09410606B2
A gear arrangement has a split spur gear toothing, including a main gear and a gear rotatable relative to it in the circumferential direction, and the main gear has a hub on which the rotatable gear is mounted, and a spring element is disposed between the main gear and the rotatable gear and biases the rotatable gear in the circumferential direction towards the main gear, and a first spur gear toothing part is provided on the main gear and a second spur gear toothing part is provided on the rotatable gear. The rotatable gear is guided by at least one at least approximately annular guide web in the region of the spur gear toothing.
US09410604B2
Disclosed is a continuously variable transmission including: a pair of pressing units; a pair of first support units that support the pressing units by using one end side as a fulcrum, and generate a force for clamping and pressing both the disks using the pressing unit by virtue of a clamping force applied to the other end side; a pair of second support units that extend along a connecting line in parallel with the shaft center connecting line and are configured to clamp and support both the disks such that the other end side of the pair of first support units can move along the connecting line to generate the clamping force; and a clamping force adjustment unit connected to an end of the pair of second support units opposite to the pivot shaft side to adjust the clamping force of the second support units.
US09410598B2
A final drive assembly for a machine includes an input shaft drivably coupled to a prime mover. The input shaft is coupled to and drives a first stage gear assembly. The first stage gear assembly further drives a second stage gear assembly. The first and second stage gear assemblies drive a ring gear which is coupled to a wheel of the machine. The first and second stage gear assemblies are disposed between a first bearing assembly and a second bearing assembly. A spring member preloads the first bearing assembly to limit an axial movement of the first and second stage gear assemblies.
US09410597B2
Radial vibration dampers (RVD's) press-fittable to a shaft and shaft systems incorporating RVD's are disclosed herein. The RVD's include a first inertia member and a second inertia member fixedly connected to one another to define an annular channel having a radially facing, open side and a spring damper material seated in the annular chamber and axially compressed between the two inertia members. The spring damper material has a compressible portion protruding from the radially facing, open side so that, when the compressible portion is compressed against a shaft, the spring damper material defines a gap between the shaft and the inertia members. The RVD may be press-fittable inside a hollow shaft or to the outside of a hollow or solid shaft. The RVD's disclosed herein have first vibration mode shapes that are radial in nature and decoupled from latter vibration modes.
US09410595B2
This invention obtains damping force in choke characteristics when piston speed is in low-speed region, and reduces damping force when piston speed is in medium-high-speed region. A damping valve for a shock absorber includes a piston partitioning an extension-side chamber from a pressure-side chamber, a returner laminated to pressure-side chamber side of piston, a flow passage penetrating from piston to returner and having entrance constantly communicating with expansion-side chamber, a leaf valve laminated to retainer and operably closing an exit of expansion-side flow passage, a first outer peripheral groove formed on outer periphery of piston rod. A passage T functioning as a choke is formed between first outer peripheral groove and retainer. One side of passage communicates with flow passage and other side thereof communicates with compression-side chamber.
US09410591B2
Provided is a friction material composition comprising: a binder; a fibrous base material; an abrasive material; an inorganic filler; and an organic filler, wherein the friction material composition further comprises: at least one selected from the group consisting of zinc, a cellulose fiber as the fibrous base materials and a flame retardant fiber as the fibrous base materials; an iron-based fiber as the fibrous base material in an specified amount; and an inorganic abrasive material having a Mohs hardness of 8 or higher and a particle size of 1 μm or larger as the abrasive material in an amount of 1 wt % or less. The present invention can provide a friction material composition which is less destructive to facing materials compared to conventional products, which has a high friction coefficient upon braking when used in repeated braking during high-speed traveling, and which is capable of suppressing pad wear and uneven pad wear, in the case that the friction material composition is formed into a brake pad for passenger cars. The present invention can also provide a friction material and a friction member using this friction material composition.
US09410577B2
A bearing arrangement may include at least one sliding bearing having a polymer coating. The bearing arrangement may bear a camshaft, and at least one of the polymer coating is applied to the camshaft, and the polymer coating is arranged in a bearing ring. An oil trough for collecting oil may be provided on at least one of the bearing ring and a cylinder head which receives the bearing ring.
US09410568B2
A strong and repeatedly adjustable butt joint is provided between two members using an apparatus comprising an elongate connecting screw extending from one of the two members to be joined and through a through hole and into an access opening of the other of the two members to be joined. Positioned within the access opening is a lock comprising a housing, wedge and drive screw. The drive screw moves and then holds the wedge in a locked position capturing the connecting screw to create the butt joint.
US09410556B2
A seal assembly for a rotary machine which includes a rotor assembly having a rotatable rotor shaft is disclosed. The seal assembly may comprise a spacer, a seal plate, a ring seal, and a ring seal midplate. The spacer, the seal plate, and the ring seal midplate may be rotatable with the shaft and extend outwardly from the shaft. The ring seal is free and provides a seal for a bearing compartment of the rotary machine. The ring seal midplate is not attached to the spacer or the seal plate during a hardface process which is applied to any component of the seal assembly. The ring seal midplate may be longitudinally located between the spacer and the seal plate and be radially spaced between the ring seal and the shaft.
US09410544B2
In open-circuit hydraulic systems (1), the cross-sections of the supply lines (6) and input valves of the hydraulic pump (3) have to be large, so that sufficient flow flux can be provided. This hinders a reduction of the size of the pump and the whole hydraulic system. It is suggested that the supply flow (7) of a hydraulic pump (3) is charged by a second, charging pump (2), to a mid-pressure level (7). The cross-sections of the supply flow areas can thus be decreased.
US09410540B2
In a variable displacement hydraulic pump/motor, a casing includes a tapered roller bearing supporting a rotating shaft near supports, the support has a sliding protruding portion in a spherical shape at a shaft portion, and a through oil path extending from the shaft portion to the sliding protruding portion, the support being fitted, at the shaft portion, in a mounting hole in the casing and being fitted, at the sliding protruding portion, in a sliding recessed portion in the swash plate to cover an opening of the through oil path, a communicating oil path is between a space in which a tapered roller of the tapered roller bearing is disposed and the mounting hole, and a lubrication groove constantly connecting the opening of the through oil path to an outside of a sliding contact area between the sliding protruding portion and the sliding recessed portion.
US09410537B2
A low-profile, surface mount vehicle energy harvester including a low-profile, surface mount subunit having an upper surface forming a roadway surface; a vehicle activated treadle on the subunit, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface; a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle; and an entry ramp at a first end of the harvester roadway surface; and an exit ramp at a second end of the harvester roadway surface.
US09410534B2
The invention provides an apparatus configured to convert kinetic energy of wind flow into electric energy. The apparatus includes a mast, a primary electric generator mounted on the mast, a secondary electric generator mounted on the mast in a tandem arrangement with the primary electric generator, blades affixed to a rotor shaft of the primary electric generator, a driving clutch affixed to the rotor shaft of the primary electric generator, a driven clutch affixed to a rotor shaft of the secondary electric generator, and endless elongated member connecting the driving clutch with the driven clutch. The apparatus is configured to convert a kinetic energy of a wind flow into an electric energy at one or both of the primary and secondary electric generators.
US09410532B2
A cooling arrangement configured for use with a direct-drive wind turbine with an outside rotor carrying a plurality of magnets, which cooling arrangement includes a number of exterior cooling elements arranged about an exterior of the outside rotor, wherein a cooling element is configured to guide a cooling airflow over the outside rotor and to transfer heat from the plurality of magnets to the cooling airflow, is provided. A direct-drive wind turbine including an outside rotor carrying a plurality of magnets, and a cooling arrangement for transferring heat from the magnets to an exterior cooling airflow, is further provided.
US09410528B2
A method for assembly and installation of an offshore wind turbine, where components such as a nacelle, one or more tower sections and/or blades for at least one wind turbine is manufactured, assembled at or transported to a harbor area, where said components are loaded onto a transport and installation vessel and subsequently transported to an erection site. The method involves at least the steps of assembling at least one nacelle for a two-bladed wind turbine having hub with two sets of blade installation interfaces facing in a radial direction, the blade installation interfaces having a 180 degree angular distance therebetween, installing at least one, but preferably two inner blade parts to the hub, and arranging the at least one nacelle with the at least one inner blade part attached to the hub on the deck of a transport and installation vessel.
US09410516B2
A method for operating a fuel system for an internal combustion engine having a metering device, an electrical actuating device, and a valve element includes: activating the electrical actuating device in at least one first cycle in such a way that the valve element switches into a second position corresponding to an open metering device; activating the electrical actuating device in at least one second cycle in such a way that the electrical actuating device is activated from activation to activation, with activation energy which decreases gradually, until a limiting case is reached in which the valve element only just or just no longer switches into the second position; ascertaining a first activation energy, which corresponds to the limiting case; and subsequently activating the actuating device, taking the first activation energy into account.
US09410514B2
In a variable displacement oil pump employing a return spring for forcing a cam ring in a clockwise direction, and a control chamber configured to displace the cam ring in a counterclockwise direction with a discharge pressure introduced thereto, a pilot valve is provided to selectively switch between an oil-discharge from the control chamber and an oil-introduction to the control chamber by moving a spool in one direction by a biasing force of a valve spring or by moving the spool in the other direction against the biasing force by the discharge pressure and applied at an oil introduction port of the pilot valve. Also provided is an electromagnetic valve configured to variably control timing at which switching between the oil-discharge and the oil-introduction occurs, with respect to the discharge pressure applied at the oil introduction port, by appropriately changing the preload setting of the valve spring.
US09410511B2
A variable intake system for a vehicle to regulate an amount of intake air according to driving conditions of an engine may include an air cleaner connected to an intake duct which draws in intake air and forms a flow path for the intake air inside the air cleaner, a battery assembly installed in the flow path inside the air cleaner, which includes a plurality of cooling paths that allow the intake air to flow through the plurality of cooling paths, and a valve body installed in the air cleaner and selectively varying the flow path of the intake air.
US09410509B2
A system for a multi-cylinder compression ignition engine includes a plurality of heaters, at least one heater per cylinder, with each heater configured to heat air introduced into a cylinder. Independent control of the heaters is provided on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis. A combustion parameter is determined for combustion in each cylinder of the engine, and control of the heater for that cylinder is based on the value of the combustion parameter for combustion in that cylinder. A method for influencing combustion in a multi-cylinder compression ignition engine, including determining a combustion parameter for combustion taking place in a cylinder of the engine and controlling a heater configured to heat air introduced into that cylinder, is also provided.
US09410496B1
A control system for an internal combustion engine that utilizes an oxygen sensor signal to control at least one fuel injector while generating a false oxygen sensor signal for input to an engine control unit.
US09410490B2
Systems and methods for controlling operation of dual fuel internal combustion engines are disclosed. The control techniques provide for override of a dual fuel mode of operation of the engine by selection of a diesel only fuelling mode in response to one or more operating conditions of the internal combustion engine.
US09410489B2
An internal combustion engine equipped with: a cylinder block in the interior of which pistons are arranged; a cylinder head containing recessed parts; cylinder liners affixed to the surfaces of hole parts of the cylinder block; and a variable compression ratio mechanism that changes the mechanical compression ratio. The variable compression ratio mechanism is formed such that the size of the combustion chamber can be changed by moving the cylinder head relative to the cylinder block. The cylinder liners extend such that the end parts facing the cylinder head are arranged within the recessed parts of the cylinder head within the range of relative movement of the cylinder head with respect to the cylinder block.
US09410488B2
The present invention relates to variable valve timing control device and control method, which change valve timing of an internal combustion engine. An operation amount for controlling the valve timing is computed, and an operation amount computed at position detection timing of a valve timing control system is divided and output until next position detection timing.
US09410487B2
In an apparatus for controlling a general purpose engine having a choke valve, a choke valve opening/closing mechanism, a choke valve opening regulating mechanism, a heater and a heater connection terminal, it is configured to detect temperature of the general purpose engine, to determine whether the heater is connected to the heater connection terminal, and to control operation of the choke valve opening/closing mechanism based on the detected temperature to open/close the choke valve when it is determined that the heater is connected to the heater connection terminal, while informing a user to manually open/close the choke valve by a manual opening/closing mechanism when it is determined that the heater is not connected to the heater connection terminal.
US09410485B2
A composite panel includes an inner skin and an outer skin and has an opening for receiving a sampling scoop, which forms a channel and the sampling opening of which is in communication with the outer skin. In particular, the outer skin is shaped such that, at the opening, same forms at least a portion of a flow surface of the sampling scoop.
US09410476B2
A method of operating an internal combustion engine-reformer installation having an internal combustion engine and a reformer, includes predetermining at least one parameter of the internal combustion engine, calculating a desired amount of fuel for the reformer on the basis of the at least one parameter, feeding the desired amount of fuel to the reformer, reforming fuel to give a synthesis gas in the reformer, and feeding the synthesis gas to the internal combustion engine. A synthesis gas pressure of the synthesis gas downstream of the reformer is measured, and the synthesis gas pressure is taken into consideration when calculating the desired amount of fuel.
US09410471B2
An exhaust system component (1), for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, includes a metallic first part (3), which is inserted into a metallic second part (2), such that an inner jacket section (7) of the first part (3) is arranged coaxially in an outer jacket section (5) of the second part (2), as well as at least one weld joint (10), which permanently connects the outer jacket section (5) to the inner jacket section (7). To simplify the assembly of the parts (2, 3) with one another, a plurality of centering contours (11, 12) are formed integrally on the outer jacket section (5), projecting inwardly, and/or are formed integrally on the outer jacket section (7), projecting outwardly, and are located at spaced locations from one another in the circumferential direction (6). The centering contours center the inner jacket section (7) in the outer jacket section (5).
US09410469B2
A valve device for an internal combustion engine includes a housing with an inlet and an outlet, a passage opening which fluidically connects the inlet with the outlet, a first valve-closing member which controls the passage opening, an actuator, a valve rod on which the first valve-closing member is arranged, a stop element, a spring surrounding the valve rod, and an element. A first end of the spring is supported against the first valve-closing member, and a second end of the spring is supported against the stop element. The element substantially surrounds the spring. The element comprises a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface in mutual engagement with each other. The first lateral surface abuts against the first valve-closing member and is movable therewith. The second lateral surface abuts against the stop element. The first valve closing member moves relative to the stop element.
