US09991540B2
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a solid oxide electrolyte having a fuel inlet riser opening and a fuel outlet riser opening. The electrolyte is located between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. The SOFC also includes a ceramic support layer on the electrolyte. The ceramic support is layer located around the at least one of a periphery of the electrolyte or at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings. The ceramic support layer comprises a multi-component material comprising yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and alpha alumina.
US09991536B2
The Invention discloses a self-supplied hydrogen fuel cell system and a working method thereof, the system comprising a diesel tank, a gas separator, a fuel cell, a low-temperature separation reactor, a high-temperature separation reactor, an auto-thermal reformer, a water tank and a catalytic burner; With the high-temperature separation reactor, the low-temperature separation reactor and the auto-thermal reformer, diesel is cracked into H2 and CO; as the fuel for the fuel cell, H2 may react with O2 in the air and generate electric energy; the unreacted H2 and CO enter into the catalytic burner for combustion, ensuring that the water is heated; thus, it not only provides H2 to the fuel cell, but also provides high-temperature water to the auto-thermal converter to produce H2; electric energy can be generated without burning diesel; since no NOx or particulate matters but CO2 is generated, the goal of ultra-low emission is achieved.
US09991532B2
A hydrogen generating fuel cartridge includes a case having a perforated opening layer. A hydrogen producing fuel is disposed within the case. A hydrogen permeable membrane is disposed between the hydrogen producing fuel and the perforated opening layer in the case. A spring loaded slideable valve plate is positioned adjacent the perforated opening layer such that the slideable valve plate and perforated opening form a valve that is biased in a closed position to prevent hydrogen from escaping from the fuel cartridge.
US09991529B2
A fuel cell system operates under at least one of the conditions of no humidity or high temperature, and an operating method thereof, are characterized in that a fuel cell has a fuel gas flow path and an oxidant gas flow path arranged such that fuel gas and oxidant gas flow in opposite directions, a determining apparatus that determines the amount of water near the oxidant gas flow path inlet, and a fuel gas control apparatus which increases the amount of water near the oxidant gas flow path inlet by increasing the fuel gas flowrate and/or reducing the fuel gas pressure if it is determined in the determining apparatus that the amount of water near the oxidant gas flow path inlet is insufficient.
US09991528B2
A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a fuel gas path supplied with fuel and allowing a part of fuel gas discharged from the fuel cell to circulate; an exhaust mechanism discharging the reacted fuel gas to an outside; a circulation mechanism circulating the fuel gas; and a control unit configured to temporarily stop circulation of the fuel gas by the circulation mechanism when determining that discharge from the exhaust mechanism is not normal, drive the circulation mechanism so that the fuel gas circulates at a first circulation speed when determining that the discharge is not normal and a parameter relating to water vapor in the fuel gas path is equal to a predetermined value or greater, and drive the circulation mechanism so that the fuel gas circulates at a second circulation speed greater than the first circulation speed when determining that the discharge is normal.
US09991526B2
Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.
US09991521B2
A method for preparing dispersing particles in perfluorinated polymer ionomer includes combining particles and a perfluorinated ionomer precursor in a mixture, and converting the perfluorinated ionomer precursor to a perfluorinated proton-conducting ionomer in the presence of the particles.
US09991515B2
Disclosed is a rechargeable lithium battery that includes a positive electrode including a positive active material, a negative electrode including a negative active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the positive active material includes a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1, the negative active material includes a silicon-based compound, the compound represented by the above Chemical Formula 1 is included in an amount of about 3 wt % to about 30 wt % based on 100 wt % of the positive active material, and the silicon-based compound is included in an amount of about 3 wt % to about 10 wt % based on 100 wt % of the negative active material. Lix1CO1-yMyO2 Chemical Formula 1 In the above Chemical Formula 1, 1.05
US09991512B2
A thermally conductive electrochemical cell comprises a lithium ion-containing liquid electrolyte contacting a cathode and anode. The cathode and anode are in the form of electroactive sheets separated from each other by a membrane that is permeable to the electrolyte. One or more of the cathode and anode comprises two or more layers of carbon nanotubes, one of which layers includes electrochemically active nanoparticles and/or microparticles disposed therein or deposited on the nanotubes thereof. The majority of the carbon nanotubes in each of the layers are oriented generally parallel to the layers. Optionally, one or more of the layers includes an additional carbon material such as graphene, nanoparticulate diamond, microparticulate diamond, and a combination thereof.
US09991499B2
A flat electrode body of a battery has a first-side curved end positioned on a first side of an electrode body width direction and a second-side curved end positioned on a second side. A positive electrode innermost curved portion of a positive electrode sheet is disposed inside the first-side curved end. When the dimension from a positive electrode connecting portion to the end on the first side of the electrode body is defined as a distance and the dimension from the positive electrode connecting portion to the end on the second side of the electrode body is defined as a distance, the positive electrode connecting portion being in the positive electrode protrusion wound portion and connected to a terminal connecting portion of a positive terminal member, the terminal connecting portion is connected to the positive electrode connecting portion at a position satisfying the condition Ha≥1.1Hb.
US09991497B2
An electric storage battery and method of manufacture thereof characterized by a feedthrough pin which is internally directly physically and electrically connected to an inner end of a positive electrode substrate. A C-shaped mandrel extends around the pin and substrate end enabling the pin/mandrel to be used during the manufacturing process as an arbor to facilitate winding layers of a spiral jellyroll electrode assembly. The pin additionally extends from the battery case and in the final product constitutes one of the battery terminals with the battery case comprising the other terminal. Active material is removed from both sides of the outer end of the negative electrode in the jellyroll to allow room for adhesive tape to secure the jellyroll. The electrolyte is injected through the open end of the case after the endcap is welded to the negative electrode but before sealing the endcap to the case. The electrolyte is preferably injected through the C-shaped mandrel to facilitate and speed filling.
US09991481B2
A thermal insulating cover which can be easily fitted on an object.[Means for solution] A thermal insulating cover 10 to be fitted on a battery B so that a wall portion 12 in a cylindrical form of the cover covers the entire periphery of the side surface of the battery B. The wall portion 12 has a general portion 18, which is disposed to be separate from the side surface of the battery B, and a sealing portion 20, which is formed to protrude inward more than the general portion 18 and elastically abutting on the side surface of the battery B. The thermal insulating cover 10 closes an upper side of a space G formed between the side surface of the battery B and the general portion 18 by the sealing portion 20.
US09991478B2
A method for fabricating an organic electro-luminescence device, comprising: forming a first conductive layer comprising a first electrode and a contact pattern on a substrate; forming a first mask on the first conductive layer, the first mask comprising an opening for exposing a portion of the first electrode and a portion of the contact pattern; forming a patterned organic functional layer by shielding of a second mask, the patterned organic functional layer covering the first mask and the first electrode exposed by the first mask, and the second mask being disposed over the first mask to shield the portion of the contact pattern exposed by the opening; forming a second conductive layer and patterning the second conductive layer by removing the first mask and a portion of the second conductive layer on the first mask to form a second electrode electrically connected to the contact pattern.
US09991476B2
Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display component which includes steps of: forming a ferromagnetic material layer on a surface of a flexible substrate; and abutting the ferromagnetic material layer against a flat bearing surface, and applying a magnetic pull force directing to the bearing surface on the ferromagnetic material layer. Drawn by the magnetic pull force, the ferromagnetic material layer abuts closely against the flat bearing surface, smoothing out the flexible substrate, and meanwhile fixing the flexible substrate on the bearing surface.
US09991464B2
An organic light-emitting display device includes a substrate defining an emission area and a non-emission area; an insulating layer on the substrate and having at least two grooves being defined at a portion of the insulating layer corresponding to the non-emission area; a first electrode on the insulating layer at a portion of the insulating layer corresponding to the emission area; an auxiliary electrode on the insulating layer and spaced apart from the first electrode, the auxiliary electrode being on at least a portion of the insulating layer having the at least two grooves; a bank pattern on portions of the first and auxiliary electrodes; a barrier on the auxiliary electrode and separated from the bank pattern, the barrier being formed of a same material as the bank pattern; an organic light-emitting layer on the first electrode; and a second electrode on the organic light-emitting layer.
US09991455B2
An organic electroluminescence device having good emission efficiency is provided. The organic electroluminescence device includes an amine compound which includes a benzofluorene structure and an aryl group and/or a heteroaryl group, wherein the benzofluorene structure has a specific substituent at 9-position of the fluorene ring.
US09991452B2
A condensed-cyclic compound is represented by Formula 1: where X1 and R1 to R10 are as defined in the specification, and at least one of R1 to R10 is a group represented by Formula 2, and at least one of R1 to R10 is a group represented by Formula 3: where L1, L2, Ar1 to Ar4, a1 and a2 are as defined in the specification.
US09991451B2
An organic light-emitting device is provided that is driven with a low voltage and has a high luminous efficiency and a long device lifetime. The organic light-emitting device includes an anode, a cathode, a light-emitting layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, and an organic compound layer disposed between the cathode and the light-emitting layer and being in contact with the cathode. The organic compound layer includes a complex represented by Formula [1]:
US09991443B2
A conjugated polymer zwitterion includes repeating units having structure (I), (II), or a combination thereof wherein Ar is independently at each occurrence a divalent substituted or unsubstituted C3-30 arylene or heteroarylene group; L is independently at each occurrence a divalent C1-16 alkylene group, C6-30 arylene or heteroarylene group, or alkylene oxide group; and R1 is independently at each occurrence a zwitterion. A polymer solar cell including the conjugated polymer zwitterion is also disclosed.
US09991435B2
A device for exhaust gas heat utilization in internal combustion engines of motor vehicles has an outer housing through which exhaust gas can flow and at least one thermoelectric generator module received in the outer housing. The at least one thermoelectric generator module is fastened onto a wavelike carrier wall. The invention further relates to an exhaust gas module having such a device, and to a method of manufacturing this device.
US09991427B2
Solid state light emitting devices include a solid state light emitting die and a photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure. The photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure may include a solid phosphor layer that includes dielectric nanostructures therein and may be on a light emitting surface of the solid state light emitting die. The photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure may be attached to the light emitting surface of the solid state light emitting die via an adhesive layer. The photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure may also be directly on a light emitting surface of the solid state light emitting die. Related methods are also disclosed.
US09991415B2
A configuration of a display device capable of color display is obtained. The display device includes a plurality of rod-shaped light-emitting elements each of which includes a semiconductor and which emit light beams having wavelength distributions different from each other, and alignment electrodes (12). The alignment electrodes (12) include a first electrode pair (12a), a second electrode pair (12b), and a third electrode pair (12c). The plurality of rod-shaped light-emitting elements include a first rod-shaped light-emitting element, which is arranged so that one end of the first rod-shaped light-emitting element is adjacent to one electrode of the first electrode pair while the other end is adjacent to the other electrode of the first electrode pair, a second rod-shaped light-emitting element, which is arranged so that one end of the second rod-shaped light-emitting element is adjacent to one electrode of the second electrode pair while the other end of the second rod-shaped light-emitting element is adjacent to the other electrode of the second electrode pair, and a third rod-shaped light-emitting element, which is arranged so that one end of the third rod-shaped light-emitting element is adjacent to one electrode of the third electrode pair while the other end of the third rod-shaped light-emitting element is adjacent to the other electrode of the third electrode pair. Lengths R1 to R3 of the first to third rod-shaped light-emitting elements and distances d1 to d3 of the first to third electrode pairs (12a) to (12c) satisfy the following relationships. d1≤R1
US09991409B2
An optical detection sensor functions as a proximity detection sensor that includes an optical system and a selectively transmissive structure. Electromagnetic radiation such as laser light can be emitted through a transmissive portion of the selectively transmissive structure. A reflected beam can be detected to determine the presence of an object. The sensor is formed by encapsulating the transmissive structure in a first encapsulant body and encapsulating the optical system in a second encapsulant body. The first and second encapsulant bodies are then joined together. In a wafer scale assembling the structure resulting from the joined encapsulant bodies is diced to form optical detection sensors.
US09991404B2
A solar cell module manufacturing method is provided. This method includes: preparing a solar cell element that has a surface whose outer periphery is surrounded by a plurality of sides, an encapsulant that seals the solar cell elements, and a coating that has light diffusivity; applying the coating in an outer peripheral area of the surface via a printing plate that has a pattern corresponding to the outer peripheral area and in which a protection member is provided at a position that corresponds to a corner portion located between two sides of the plurality of sides, the two sides extending in directions that intersect with each other; and sealing, with the encapsulant, the solar cell element on which the coating is printed.
US09991403B2
An improved optoelectronic device is described, which employs optically responsive nanoparticles and utilises a non-radiative energy transfer mechanism. The nanoparticles are disposed on the sidewalls of one or more cavities, which extend from the surface of the device through the electronic structure and penetrate the energy transfer region. The nanoparticles are located in close spatial proximity to an energy transfer region, whereby energy is transferred non-radiatively to or from the electronic structure through non-contact dipole-dipole interaction. According to the mode of operation, the device can absorb light energy received from the device surface via the cavity and then transfer this non-radiatively or can transfer energy non-radiatively and then emit light energy towards the surface of the device via the cavity. As such, the deice finds application in light emitting devices, photovoltaic (solar) cells, displays, photodetectors, lasers and single photon devices.
US09991393B2
A semiconductor device includes a first conductor, a second conductor, a first semiconductor, a second semiconductor, a third semiconductor, and an insulator. The second semiconductor is in contact with an upper surface of the first semiconductor. The first conductor overlaps with the second semiconductor. The insulator is located between the first conductor and the first semiconductor. The second conductor is in contact with an upper surface of the second semiconductor. The third semiconductor is in contact with the upper surface of the first semiconductor, the upper surface of the second semiconductor, and an upper surface of the second conductor.
US09991392B2
To provide a novel semiconductor device which includes a transistor and a metal film containing Cu for a wiring, a signal line, or the like. The semiconductor device includes a first wiring, a second wiring, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The first wiring is electrically connected to a source or a drain of the first transistor, and the second wiring is electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor. The first wiring and the second wiring each include a Cu—X alloy film (X is Mn, Ni, Cr, Fe, Co, Mo, Ta, or Ti). The Cu—X alloy film in the first wiring is connected to the Cu—X alloy film in the second wiring.
US09991390B2
A coated substrate including a thin film of a transition metal dichalcogenide and associated methods are shown. In one example, the substrate is a semiconductor wafer. In one example, the thin film is atomically thin, and the substrate is a number of centimeters in diameter. In one example a crystalline structure of the thin film is substantially 2H hexagonal.
US09991388B2
A device includes isolation regions extending into a semiconductor substrate, with a substrate strip between opposite portions of the isolation regions having a first width. A source/drain region has a portion overlapping the substrate strip, wherein an upper portion of the source/drain region has a second width greater than the first width. The upper portion of the source/drain region has substantially vertical sidewalls. A source/drain silicide region has inner sidewalls contacting the vertical sidewalls of the source/drain region.
US09991385B2
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device that controls a strain on a channel region by forming a dielectric material in recesses, adjacent to a channel region, in order to provide control over a volume and shape of a strain inducing material of epitaxial source/drain regions formed within the recesses. In some embodiments, the semiconductor device has epitaxial source/drain regions arranged in recesses within an upper surface of a semiconductor body on opposing sides of a channel region. A gate structure is arranged over the channel region, and a dielectric material is arranged laterally between the epitaxial source/drain regions and the channel region. The dielectric material consumes some volume of the recesses, thereby reducing a volume of strain inducing material in epitaxial source/drain regions formed in the recesses.
US09991384B2
A semiconductor Fin FET device includes a fin structure disposed over a substrate. The fin structure includes a channel layer. The Fin FET device also includes a gate structure including a gate electrode layer and a gate dielectric layer, covering a portion of the fin structure. Side-wall insulating layers are disposed over both main sides of the gate electrode layer. The Fin FET device includes a source and a drain, each including a stressor layer disposed in a recess formed by removing the fin structure not covered by the gate structure. The stressor layer includes a first to a third stressor layer formed in this order. In the source, an interface between the first stressor layer and the channel layer is located under one of the side-wall insulating layers closer to the source or the gate electrode.
US09991380B2
A lateral superjunction MOSFET device includes multiple transistor cells connected to a lateral superjunction structure, each transistor cell including a conductive gate finger, a source region finger, a body contact region finger and a drain region finger arranged laterally within each transistor cell. Each of the drain region fingers, the source region fingers and the body contact region fingers is a doped region finger having a termination region at an end of the doped region finger. The lateral superjunction MOSFET device further includes a termination structure formed in the termination region of each doped region finger and including one or more termination columns having the same conductivity type as the doped region finger and positioned near the end of the doped region finger. The one or more termination columns extend through the lateral superjunction structure and are electrically unbiased.
US09991379B1
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, which includes: a drift region that has a first conductivity type; a body region that has a second conductivity type and is formed on the drift region; and an impurity region that has the first conductivity type and is formed inward from a surface of the body region. The semiconductor device further includes a trench, which is formed on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate and reaches the drift region; a control electrode, which is formed in the trench; an oxide film, which is formed between an inner wall of the trench and the control electrode; an electrode, which is connected to the impurity region; and a transistor, which includes a nitride film formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate excluding an upper side of the control electrode and a formation position of the electrode, in the semiconductor substrate.
US09991376B2
A SiC MOSFET device having low specific on resistance is described. The device has N+, P-well and JFET regions extended in one direction (Y-direction) and P+ and source contacts extended in an orthogonal direction (X-direction). The polysilicon gate of the device covers the JFET region and is terminated over the P-well region to minimize electric field at the polysilicon gate edge. In use, current flows vertically from the drain contact at the bottom of the structure into the JFET region and then laterally in the X direction through the accumulation region and through the MOSFET channels into the adjacent N+ region. The current flowing out of the channel then flows along the N+ region in the Y-direction and is collected by the source contacts and the final metal. Methods of making the device are also described.
US09991349B2
Certain embodiments provide a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor element, and wiring. The semiconductor element has an electrode provided on a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The electrode includes a junction layer joined to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a diffusion-suppressing layer provided on the junction layer, and a pad layer provided on the diffusion-suppressing layer. The wiring is provided on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and on an inner surface of a through hole which penetrates the semiconductor substrate immediately below the electrode. The wiring is electrically connected to the electrode.
US09991348B2
An array substrate includes a gate electrode and a source electrode arranged on a base substrate of the array substrate. The source electrode has a first end connected to a pixel electrode on the array substrate, and a second end opposite to the first end. A tip of the second end is provided with an extension portion, and an orthogonal projection of the extension portion onto the base substrate extends beyond an orthogonal projection of the gate electrode onto the base substrate.
US09991339B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises forming a fin in a bulk semiconductor substrate and depositing a first insulator layer over portions of the bulk semiconductor substrate adjacent to the fin. The method further includes removing portions of the first insulator layer to reduce a thickness of the first insulator layer and expose a sidewall of the fin. An etch stop layer is deposited on the first insulator layer. A gate stack is formed over a channel region of the fin and over portions of the etch stop layer. A portion of the bulk semiconductor substrate is removed to expose portions of the etch stop layer and the fin, and a second insulator layer is deposited over exposed portions of the fin and the etch stop layer.
US09991328B2
A method of forming an integrated circuit device having a nanosheet resistor includes forming a nanosheet structure having alternating sheets of silicon and silicon germanium. An ion implantation is performed on the nanosheet structure. A thermal anneal is performed on the nanosheet structure. A dielectric oxide is placed around the nanosheet structure. A first contact and a second contact are coupled to the nanosheet structure to form a resistor between the first contact and the second contact. Other embodiments are also described herein.
US09991322B2
The present invention discloses an organic light emitting display panel and manufacturing method thereof and a display device, which can reduce the critical dimension bias of the pixel defining layer and improve the display uniformity. The organic light emitting display panel provide by the present invention comprises: a pixel defining layer, which is provided with a plurality of light emitting material filling areas, being characterized by further comprising: a metal layer provided on the pixel defining layer; the metal layer is provided with openings corresponding to the light emitting material filling areas respectively. The solutions provided by the present invention are used to improve the display effect of the organic light emitting display device.
US09991319B2
A thin film transistor (TFT), method of manufacturing the TFT and a flat panel display having the TFT are disclosed. In one aspect, the TFT comprises a substrate and an active layer formed over the substrate, wherein the active layer is formed of oxide semiconductor, and wherein the active layer includes two opposing sides. The TFT also comprises source and drain regions formed at the opposing sides of the active layer, a first insulating layer formed over the active layer, a gate electrode formed over the active layer, a second insulating layer formed covering the first insulation layer and the gate electrode, and a first conductive layer formed on the source and drain regions and contacting the second insulating layer.
US09991318B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device includes a substrate, reflection structure, and a sub-pixel structure. The substrate includes a plurality of sub-pixel regions and a reflection region surrounding the sub-pixel regions. The reflection structure is disposed on the substrate in the reflection region and has a plurality of openings exposing the sub-pixel regions. The reflection structure includes first reflection patterns, second reflection patterns, and connection patterns. The first reflection patterns extend in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate, and are spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second reflection patterns are spaced apart from each other in the first direction between two adjacent first reflection patterns. The connection patterns electrically connect two adjacent second reflection patterns in the second direction. The sub-pixel structure is disposed on the substrate in the sub-pixel region.
US09991315B2
A memory device may include a substrate, a first conductive line on the substrate and extending in a first direction, a second conductive line over the first conductive line and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, a third conductive line over the second conductive line and extending in the first direction, a first memory cell at an intersection of the first conductive line and the second conductive line and including a first selection element layer and a first variable resistance layer, and a second memory cell at an intersection of the second conductive line and the third conductive line and including a second selection element layer and a second variable resistance layer. A first height of the first selection element layer in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is different than a second height of the second selection element layer in the third direction.
US09991310B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type having a primary surface on one side thereof and a secondary surface on an opposite side thereof, and having a sensor therein, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type having a circuit element formed therein, the second semiconductor layer being formed at said one side of the primary surface of the first semiconductor layer, an insulating layer formed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and being disposed on the primary surface of the first semiconductor layer, and a charge-attracting semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type configured to attract electrical charges generated in the insulating layer when a fixed voltage is supplied to the charge-attracting semiconductor layer.
US09991307B2
A back side illumination (BSI) image sensor with a dielectric grid opening having a planar lower surface is provided. A pixel sensor is arranged within a semiconductor substrate. A metallic grid is arranged over the pixel sensor and defines a sidewall of a metallic grid opening. A dielectric grid is arranged over the metallic grid and defines a sidewall of the dielectric grid opening. A capping layer is arranged over the metallic grid, and defines the planar lower surface of the dielectric grid opening.
US09991306B2
In one form, a hybrid bonded image sensor comprises a photodiode chip, a circuit carrying chip, and an interconnection. The photodiode chip provides charge to a first floating diffusion in response to incident light, wherein the first floating diffusion is coupled to a first terminal on a first surface of the photodiode chip. The circuit carrying chip has a first terminal aligned with the first terminal of the photodiode chip, the circuit carrying chip forming an output voltage based on charge transferred on the first floating diffusion sensed from the first terminal thereof. The interconnection connects the first terminal of the photodiode chip to the first terminal of the circuit carrying chip.
US09991299B2
An image sensor includes a substrate including an active region defined by a device isolation layer, a photoelectric conversion layer in the substrate, a floating diffusion region in the substrate at an edge of the active region, and a transfer gate on the active region. The transfer gate is in contact with a portion of the device isolation layer adjacent the active region.
US09991296B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first pixel and a second pixel that extend in a data line direction. The first and second pixels are connected to a same data line, and the first pixel is closer to a data driver than the second pixel. A channel width of a thin film transistor of the first pixel is less than a channel width of a thin film transistor of the second pixel.
US09991294B2
A thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the same, an array substrate including the thin film transistor, and an electronic apparatus including the thin film transistor or provided with the array substrate. The thin film transistor includes: a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode, the active layer is formed of a mixture including a semiconductor nano-material and a photoresist material. The method for manufacturing the thin film transistor includes: preparing a mixture including a semiconductor nano-material and a photoresist material; applying the mixture over a substrate, and forming a patterned active layer by exposure and development.
US09991291B2
An array substrate is disclosed, which includes a display region and a drive circuit region; the drive circuit region includes GOA units, the GOA unit including a substrate, a gate electrode layer, an insulation layer, an active layer and a source/drain electrode layer, and the drive circuit region further includes a gate wire connecting to the gate electrode layer, and a source/drain layer wire at the same layer with the source/drain electrode layer, wherein the area between the portions of the gate wire and the source/drain layer wire which intercross with each other is only formed with the insulation layer. A manufacturing method of an array substrate and a display apparatus including the array substrate is further disclosed.
US09991289B2
An active device of a pixel structure includes a semiconductor layer, an insulation layer covering the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode disposed on the insulation layer and electrically connected to a scan line, a protection layer covering the gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode electrically connected to a source region and a drain region of the semiconductor layer. A channel region is disposed between the source region and the drain region. A source lightly doped region is disposed between the channel region and the source region. A drain lightly doped region is disposed between the channel region and the drain region. The light shielding pattern shields the source lightly doped region and the drain lightly doped region. The light shielding pattern is overlapped with one side of the scan line and not overlapped with another side of the scan line.
US09991282B1
A layer stack including a lower semiconductor layer, a lower dielectric layer, and a spacer material layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate, and the spacer material layer is patterned to form spacer line structures. An upper dielectric layer and an upper semiconductor layer are formed, followed by formation of an alternating stack of insulating layers and spacer material layers. Memory stack structures are formed through the alternating stack, the upper semiconductor layer, and the dielectric material layer. The upper semiconductor layer, the upper dielectric layer, and the lower semiconductor layer can be patterned to form a buried source layer and at least one passive device. Each passive device can include a lower semiconductor plate, a dielectric material plate, and an upper semiconductor plate. Each passive device can be a resistor or a capacitor.
US09991279B2
A method for manufacturing an electronic device includes forming a first source layer including a trench, forming a first sacrificial layer in the trench, forming a first structure over the first source layer, wherein the first structure includes first material layers and second material layers which are alternately stacked over the each other, forming first openings passing through the first structure and extending to the first sacrificial layer, forming first channel layers in the first openings, forming a slit passing through the first structure and extending to the first sacrificial layer, forming a second opening by removing the first sacrificial layer through the slit, and forming a second source layer in the second opening, wherein the second source layer is coupled to the first channel layers.
US09991277B1
A memory opening can be formed through an alternating stack of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers over a substrate. A material layer stack containing, from outside to inside, an aluminum oxide tunneling dielectric layer, a silicon-containing tunneling dielectric layer, and a vertical semiconductor channel is formed within the memory opening. After forming backside recesses by removing the sacrificial material layers, charge trapping material portions are formed on physically exposed surfaces of the aluminum oxide tunneling dielectric layer by employing a selective silicon nitride deposition process. A backside blocking dielectric layer and electrically conductive layers are formed in the backside recesses. The charge trapping material portions are discrete silicon nitride portions located at levels of the electrically conductive layers and vertically spaced from one another by the insulating layers.
US09991275B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a laminated structure including sacrificial layers and a select gate layer on a substrate, forming a penetration region penetrating the laminated structure, forming a select gate insulating layer on a sidewall of the select gate layer exposed by the penetration region, and forming an active pattern in the penetration region. The method also includes exposing a portion of the active pattern by removing the sacrificial layers and forming an information storage layer on the exposed portion of the active pattern.
US09991273B2
Floating gate memory cells in vertical memory. A control gate is formed between a first tier of dielectric material and a second tier of dielectric material. A floating gate is formed between the first tier of dielectric material and the second tier of dielectric material, wherein the floating gate includes a protrusion extending towards the control gate. A charge blocking structure is formed between the floating gate and the control gate, wherein at least a portion of the charge blocking structure wraps around the protrusion.
US09991267B1
A method is presented for forming an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) device. The method includes forming a FinFET (fin field effect transistor) device having a plurality of fins over a substrate and forming a via cap adjacent the FinFET device by forming a contact trench extending into a bottom spacer, depositing a conductive liner within the contact trench, filling the contact trench with an organic dielectric layer (ODL), etching portions of the conductive liner and a portion of the ODL, and removing the ODL. The method further includes depositing a high-k material within the contact trench and depositing a conducting material over the high-k material.
US09991261B2
The disclosed technology generally relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a gate all around (GAA) semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same. In one aspect, a semiconductor device has a vertical stack of nanowires formed on a substrate, wherein the vertical stack of nanowires comprises an n-type nanowire and a p-type nanowire each extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to a main surface of the substrate. The n-type nanowire comprises a first material and the p-type nanowire comprises an inner part having two sides and an outer part at each side of the inner part in the longitudinal direction, wherein one or both of the two outer parts comprises a second material different from the first material. The n-type nanowire and the p-type nanowire each comprises a channel region electrically coupled to respective source and drain regions. The channel region of the p-type nanowire comprises the inner part. The device additionally includes a shared gate structure circumferentially surrounding the channel regions of the n-type and p-type nanowires.
US09991259B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and a fabricating method thereof. The fabricating method includes forming first to fourth fins, each extending in a first direction, to be spaced apart in a second direction intersecting the first direction, forming first and second gate lines, each extending in the second direction, on the first to fourth fins to be spaced apart in the first direction, forming a first contact on the first gate line between the first and second fins, forming a second contact on the first gate line between the third and fourth fins, forming a third contact on the second gate line between the first and second fins, forming a fourth contact on the second gate line between the third and fourth fins and forming a fifth contact on the first to fourth contacts so as to overlap with the second contact and the third contact and so as not to overlap with the first contact and the fourth contact, wherein the fifth contact is arranged to diagonally traverse a quadrangle defined by the first to fourth contacts.
US09991253B2
To provide a protection element in which an increase in current due to off-state leakage can be reduced while a drive current can be ensured during an ESD operation.Provided is the protection element including: a clamp MOS transistor that has a drain coupled to a power supply line and a source coupled to a ground line; and a potential increasing circuit that increases a potential of a diffusion layer at the ground line side of the clamp MOS transistor, more than a potential of the ground line. In this protection element, the potential of the diffusion layer coupled to the ground line of the clamp MOS transistor is increased from the potential of the ground line, whereby an increase in current due to off-state leakage can be reduced while a sufficient drive current is ensured during an ESD operation.
US09991246B2
A contoured package on package joint and a method for making the same are disclosed herein. A method for forming a device comprises providing a substrate having a package land and forming a mounting stud on the package land. A molded underfill is applied to the substrate and in contact with the mounting stud. A contoured stud surface is formed on the mounting stud is contoured and connecting member attached to the contoured stud surface with a second package attached to the connecting member. The connecting member may be solder and have a spherical shape. The contoured stud surface may be etched or mechanically formed to have a hemispherical shape conforming to the connecting member shape.
US09991228B2
A semiconductor device includes an electronic component and a wiring structural body located below the electronic component. The wiring structural body includes an insulation layer and a wiring layer that is connected to an electrode terminal of the electronic component. The semiconductor device also includes a wiring shield body arranged on a side surface of the wiring structural body, an encapsulation resin covering an upper surface of the wiring structural body and a side surface of the electronic component, and a component shield body covering a surface of the encapsulation resin and continuously covering an upper surface side of the electronic component. The wiring shield body is connected to the component shield body. The wiring shield body includes an exposed side surface that is coplanar with a side surface of the component shield body.
US09991205B2
A representative method for manufacturing a semiconductor device (e.g., a fin field-effect transistor) includes the steps of depositing a first insulating material over a substrate, and forming a first conductive contact in the first insulating material. The first conductive contact has a protruding uppermost surface, with a first height along a central portion of the first conductive contact, and a second height along a vertical vector projection of a sidewall of the first conductive contact. The first height is larger than the second height. A second insulating material is deposited over the first insulating material, and a second conductive contact is formed in the second insulating material. The second conductive contact is disposed over and at least partially within the first conductive contact. A distance between a bottommost surface of the second conductive contact and the protruding uppermost surface of the first conductive contact is less than about 1.0 nm.
US09991199B1
A shielding and decoupling capacitor structure can be fabricated within an integrated circuit (IC) by forming recesses in a top surface of a dielectric layer and forming a trench in a top surface of an intra-metal dielectric portion of a metal layer deposited on the top surface of the dielectric layer. A bottom of the trench exposes the recesses. A bottom of each recess exposes a conductive structure. A first plate may be formed by depositing a conductive liner onto the bottom and side of the recess and onto the bottom and side of the trench. A conformal dielectric film may be deposited onto the first plate within the trench and recesses. A second plate may be formed by depositing an electrically conductive material within the trench and recesses over the conformal dielectric film. The conformal dielectric film electrically insulates the first and second plates from each other.
US09991192B2
Provided is a semiconductor package. The semiconductor package includes: a first die that is a monolithic type die, a driver circuit and a low-side output power device formed in the first die; a second die disposed above the first die, the second die comprising a high-side output power device; and a first connection unit disposed between the first die and the second die.
US09991179B2
Provided is a technique capable of obtaining a satisfactory yield for a semiconductor device with an air gap. The technique includes a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: (a) receiving a thickness information of a wiring layer formed on a substrate including: a first interlayer insulation film; and the wiring layer disposed on the first interlayer insulation film, the wiring layer including: copper-containing films used as wiring; and an inter-wiring insulation film having trenches filled with the copper-containing films and insulating the copper-containing films; (b) placing the substrate on a substrate support installed in a process chamber; and (c) etching the wiring layer using an etching gas based on an etching control value corresponding to the thickness information of the wiring layer.
US09991174B2
The measurement method may include obtaining first measurement data from a recess region formed in a semiconductor substrate, obtaining second measurement data from a conductive pattern filling a portion of the recess region, calculating a first volume of the recess region from the first measurement data, calculating a second volume of the conductive pattern from the second measurement data, and calculating a measurement target parameter using a difference between the first and second volumes.
US09991172B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for forming a logic device, including forming an n-type semiconductor device over a silicon (Si) substrate that includes an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs)-based stack including a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer formed over the first buffer layer, a first device layer formed over the second buffer layer. Further, the method may include forming a p-type semiconductor device over the Si substrate from the InGaAs-based stack and forming an isolation between the n-type semiconductor device and the p-type semiconductor device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09991171B1
A semiconductor device and an integrated circuit are provided. The semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor, a negative capacitor and a control circuit, which are disposed at different horizontal levels on a substrate. The field effect transistor includes a front gate, a back gate and an oxide semiconductor layer disposed between the front gate and the back gate. The negative capacitor is electrically connected to the back gate of the field effect transistor. The negative capacitor includes a pair of electrodes and a ferroelectric material layer disposed between the pair of electrodes. The negative capacitor is electrically connected between the back gate of the field effect transistor and the control circuit, the control circuit is configured to charge the negative capacitor and to asses a voltage between the pair of electrodes of the negative capacitor.
US09991168B2
In one example, a field effect transistor includes a pair of fins positioned in a spaced apart relation. Each of the fins includes germanium. Source and drain regions are formed on opposite ends of the pair of fins and include silicon. A gate is wrapped around the pair of fins, between the source and drain regions.
US09991167B2
Aspects of the present disclosure include integrated circuit (IC) structure and methods for increasing a pitch between gates. Methods according to the present disclosure can include: providing an IC structure including: a first gate structure and a second gate structure each positioned on a substrate, a dummy gate positioned between the first and second gate structures, and forming a mask over the first and second gate structures; and selectively etching the dummy gate from the IC structure to expose a portion of the substrate underneath the dummy gate of the IC structure, without affecting the first and second gate structures.
US09991165B1
A method includes forming a plurality of fins on a substrate and a dummy gate structure over the fins. A spacer layer is formed over the dummy gate structure and the fins. The spacer layer is recessed to form asymmetrically recessed spacers along sidewalls of each of the fins, thereby exposing a portion of each of the fins. A source/drain epitaxy is grown on the exposed portions of the plurality of fins, a first source/drain epitaxy on a first fin being asymmetrical to a second source/drain epitaxy on a second fin. A device includes a first and second fin on a substrate with a gate structure formed over the first and second fins. An epitaxy if formed over the first fin and the second fin on the same side of the gate structure, where the height of the first epitaxy is greater than the height of the second epitaxy.
US09991164B2
Methods of singulating semiconductor die. Specific implementations may include: providing a semiconductor wafer including a plurality of die located on a first side of the semiconductor wafer where the plurality of die include a desired thickness. The method may include etching a plurality of trenches into the semiconductor wafer from the first side of the semiconductor wafer where the plurality of trenches is located adjacent to a perimeter of the plurality of die. A depth of the plurality of trenches may be greater than the desired thickness of the plurality of die. The method may also include mounting the first side of the semiconductor wafer to a tape, thinning a second side of the semiconductor wafer, exposing the plurality of trenches while thinning the second side, and singulating the plurality of die through exposing the plurality of trenches.
US09991163B2
A small-aperture-ratio display includes a display substrate and a plurality of spatially separated pixel elements distributed over the display substrate. Each pixel element includes one or more light emitters. An active electrical component is electrically connected to each of the pixel elements and each active electrical component is located on the display substrate at least partly between the pixel elements. The display substrate has a contiguous display substrate area that includes the pixel elements, the light emitters each have a light-emissive area, and the substrate area is greater than or equal to one-quarter the combined light-emissive areas of the light emitters.
US09991156B2
An interconnect structure having a pitch of less than 40 nanometers and a self-aligned quadruple patterning process for forming the interconnect structure includes three types of lines: a β line defined by a patterned bottom mandrel formed in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process; a γ line defined by location underneath a top mandrel formed in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process; and an α line defined by elimination located underneath neither the top mandrel or the bottom mandrel formed in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process. The interconnect structure further includes multi-track jogs selected from a group consisting of a βγβ jog; a βαβ jog; an αβγ jog; a γβα jog, and combinations thereof. The first and third positions refer to the uncut line and the second position refers to the cut line in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process.
US09991145B2
A plating apparatus allows a substrate holder to be serviced easily while ensuring easy access to the substrate holder and while a substrate is being processed in the plating apparatus. The plating apparatus includes a plating section for plating a substrate, a substrate holder for holding the substrate, a substrate holder transporter for holding and transporting the substrate holder, a stocker for storing the substrate holder, and a stocker setting section for storing the stocker therein. The stocker includes a moving mechanism for moving the stocker into and out of the stocker setting section.
US09991143B2
Carriers to be temporarily stored are increased in number, without providing a local vehicle with a lateral transfer mechanism. Carriers are transported between load ports of equipment by overhead travelling vehicles and local vehicles, both provided with a hoist, and the overhead travelling vehicles are provided with a lateral transfer mechanism for laterally moving the hoist. A travelling rail for the overhead travelling vehicles is provided so as to pass over a load port, and a travelling rail for the local vehicle is provided below the travelling rail for the overhead travelling vehicles and over the load port. Slidable buffers are provided and configured to slide between forward positions under the travelling rail for the local vehicle and rearward positions laterally separated from the positions under the travelling rail for the local vehicle. A space over the slidable buffers at the rearward position is open for the transfer of carriers.
US09991131B1
A double masking process is used to form semiconductor fin arrays having a controlled and variable fin pitch within different arrays. During the process, a top mandrel layer overlies a bottom mandrel layer over a semiconductor substrate. Sidewall structures formed on first mandrels within a first region of the substrate define a patterned hard mask that cooperates with a patterned photoresist layer over a second region of the substrate to form second mandrels within first and second regions of the substrate. Sidewall structures formed on the second mandrels are used as a masking layer to form a plurality of fins over the substrate.
US09991128B2
Methods and apparatus for etching substrates using self-limiting reactions based on removal energy thresholds determined by evaluating the material to be etched and the chemistries used to etch the material involve flow of continuous plasma. Process conditions permit controlled, self-limiting anisotropic etching without alternating between chemistries used to etch material on a substrate. A well-controlled etch front allows a synergistic effect of reactive radicals and inert ions to perform the etching, such that material is etched when the substrate is modified by reactive radicals and removed by inert ions, but not etched when material is modified by reactive radicals but no inert ions are present, or when inert ions are present but material is not modified by reactive radicals.
US09991126B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a hydrogen insulating layer disposed on the substrate and including hydrogen ions; a first level layer disposed on the substrate and including a first wire and a second wire; a second level layer disposed on the substrate at a different level from the first level layer and including a third wire; an interlayer insulating layer disposed between the first level layer and the second level layer; a diffusion prevention layer contacting the third wire; a contact plug penetrating the interlayer insulating layer and electrically connecting the second wire to the third wire; and a dummy contact plug penetrating the interlayer insulating layer. The dummy contact plug contacts the first and second level layers, is spaced apart from the diffusion prevention layer, and is configured to provide a movement path for the hydrogen ions in the hydrogen insulating layer.
US09991120B2
A process for forming an integrated circuit with a dilution doped resistor with a resistance that may be tuned by partially blocking the implant used to dope the resistor. A process for forming an integrated circuit with a dilution doped polysilicon resistor by partially blocking the resistor dopant implant from a portion of the polysilicon resistor body.
US09991119B2
A heat treatment method for a semiconductor substrate is provided which improves the shapes of the sharp corners at the opening and the bottom of a trench without using flammable or explosive gas while improving productivity. The heat treatment is performed on a semiconductor substrate with a recess formed therein in a treatment chamber where gas is sealed at a pressure exceeding a pressure in a molecular flow region.
US09991112B2
A method of forming a dielectric film includes providing a substrate in a chamber, and forming a silicon nitride film on the substrate using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method in which a first gas including a silicon precursor containing hexachlorodisilazane (HCDZ) and a second gas containing a nitrogen ingredient are introduced into the chamber.
US09991097B2
A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber; a mounting table configured to mount thereon a target object in the chamber; a plasma source configured to introduce microwaves into the chamber through a ceiling wall of the chamber and generate a surface wave plasma in the chamber; a first gas introduction unit configured to introduce a first gas into the chamber from the ceiling wall; and a second gas introduction unit configured to introduce a second gas into the chamber from a predetermined height position between the ceiling wall and the mounting table. The second gas introduction unit has a plurality of nozzles extending from the ceiling wall toward the mounting table and arranged on a same circumference at a regular interval. Each of the nozzles discharges the second gas toward a nozzle adjacent thereto.
US09991096B2
Provided is a plasma processing apparatus in which a variable inductor is installed in series with a variable condenser in a second power feeding unit that distributes and supplies high-frequency power to an inner upper electrode 56. As a result, a characteristic around a resonance point may be broad in a capacitance-outer/inner power distribution ratio of the variable condenser (varicon). Therefore, an area around the resonance point may be stably used as a controllable area within a variable range of varicon capacitance.
US09991094B2
The disclosure relates to a low energy electron microscopy. The electron microscopy includes a vacuum chamber; an electron gun used to emit electron beam; a diffraction chamber; an imaging device; a sample holder used to fix two-dimensional nanomaterial sample; a vacuum pumping device; and a control computer. The electron beam transmits the sample to form a transmission electron beam and diffraction electron beam. The control computer includes a switching module to switch the work mode between a large beam spot diffraction imaging mode and small beam spot diffraction imaging mode.
US09991079B2
A circuit breaker is disclosed, including a series circuit including a measuring unit for determining the electrical current or/and voltage of the electrical circuit, an exchangeable trip unit for determining when current limit values are exceeded, and a switching unit for interrupting the electrical circuit if current limit values are exceeded. A switch characteristic module is connected to the trip unit and stores characteristic data relating to the circuit breaker. If a trip unit used is at least exchanged for a new trip unit, the characteristic data are transmitted to the new trip unit. Data specific to the trip unit are transmitted from the trip unit and are stored in the further memory area of the switch characteristic module. If a new trip unit is used, the characteristic data and the data specific to the trip unit are transmitted to the new trip unit.
US09991073B2
The present invention relates to a switching device with at least one contact point and an arc blow device associated with the contact point, where the arc blow device comprises at least one blow magnet for generating a magnetic blow field, and where the blow field is of such nature that a switch arc developing when the contact point opens is blown out from the contact point. It is according to the invention provided that the blow field comprises a first magnetic field area and a second magnetic field area arranged adjacent to the first magnetic field area, where the magnetic field lines of the first magnetic field area are oriented in opposite direction to the magnetic field lines of the second magnetic field area, and where the blow field further comprises a transition area which connects the first magnetic field area and the second magnetic field area with each other, where the orientation of the magnetic field lines in the transition area, each starting out from the first magnetic field area and the second magnetic field area, aligns toward the contact point so that the switch arc within the transition area is in dependence of the direction of the current, starting out from the contact point, directed either into the first magnetic field area or into the second magnetic field area and there in both cases blown in the same direction away from the contact point.
US09991069B2
A switch assembly includes a switch housing, a first switch subassembly, and a second switch subassembly. The first switch subassembly includes a shaft and a toggle button. The shaft is disposed within the switch housing and has a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The shaft is pivotable relative to the switch housing about at least one pivot axis to actuate at least one function of a surgical instrument. The proximal end portion of the shaft includes a magnet. The toggle button is non-rotatably connected to the distal end portion of the shaft. The second switch subassembly includes a safety bar and a post. The safety bar is axially movable within the switch housing. The post extends through the safety bar such that movement of the safety bar along a longitudinal axis thereof moves the post between a firing position and a non-firing position.
US09991064B2
A sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated circuit breaker system has a tank constructed to hold a quantity of SF6; a circuit breaker having contacts insulated by the SF6; a heater operative to supply heat to the SF6; and a thermal capacitor in conductive engagement with the tank, and operative to store heat energy and constructed to conduct the heat energy to the SF6 in the tank. A thermal energy storage system for a sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated circuit breaker system having a tank storing a quantity of SF6 includes a thermal capacitor operative to store heat energy and constructed to engage the tank and conduct the heat energy to the SF6 in the tank.
US09991063B2
An interlock for a circuit breaker having a first circuit breaker switch and a second circuit breaker switch. The interlock includes a first actuator movably associated with the first circuit breaker switch, a first limiter plate and a first handle securely associated with the first actuator and the first limiter plate. The interlock further includes a second actuator movably associated with the second circuit breaker switch, a second limiter plate, and a second handle securely associated with the second actuator and the second limiter plate. The first limiter plate and second limiter plates are configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration. When the first plate is in the second configuration, the second plate is non-movably configured in the first configuration, and when the second plate is in the second configuration, the first plate is non-movably configured in the first configuration.
US09991053B2
A power capacitor, in particular a DC link capacitor, having a capacitor housing which has a first housing wall, in particular made of metal, which is galvanically connectable to a housing of an electronics unit, in particular a power electronics unit, and planar energizing units for energizing the power capacitor. A first subregion of a first energizing unit extends in an inner space of the housing adjacent to and at a distance from the first housing wall or from a different housing wall of the capacitor housing that is conductively connected to the first housing wall. A layer made of a dielectric material other than air is situated between the first subregion of the first energizing unit and this housing wall.
US09991048B2
Systems and methods for transmitting and receiving wireless power are disclosed. A transmitter may include one or more magnetic inductive coil(s) configured to transmit power, a plurality of drive loops, one or more switches connected to the plurality of drive loops, and a controller configured to connect or disconnect the drive loops using the one or more switches. A receiver may include one or more magnetic inductive coil(s) configured to receive power, a plurality of load loops, one or more switches connected to the plurality of load loops, and a controller configured to connect or disconnect the load loops using the one or more switches. The wireless power system may include inductive coils and RF antennas that are adaptively controlled and configured. A transmitter and/or a receiver may adaptively rotate, adjust orientation and/or location.
US09991046B2
An energy intake apparatus for a motor vehicle can be operated electrically, with an induction coil, which is configured to charge an energy storage unit of the motor vehicle. The energy intake apparatus contains a shield apparatus, by which the induction coil can be shielded from the motor vehicle. The shield apparatus has at least one first shield component separating the induction coil from the motor vehicle in the transverse vehicle direction and/or in the longitudinal vehicle direction and at least one second shield component separating the induction coil from the motor vehicle upward in the vertical vehicle direction. The second shield component being connected to the first shield component.
US09991045B1
A magnetic assembly includes a bobbin having at least first and second end flanges. The bobbin includes a channel wall displaced from the first end flange to from a channel therebetween. The channel receives and frictionally engages an I-core to retain the I-core in the channel. The bobbin includes a passageway that receives a middle leg of an E-core. The passageway includes a plurality of longitudinal ribs that extend from the first end flange toward the second end flange. The ribs are tapered with respect to the inner wall of the passageway. The middle leg of the E-core crushes the ribs. The frictional engagement of the crushed ribs with the middle leg retains the middle leg in the passageway. No taping, gluing or other additional step is required to assemble the bobbin and the two cores.
US09991034B2
There are provided a rare-earth permanent magnet and a manufacturing method thereof capable of preventing deterioration of magnet properties. In the method, magnet material is milled into magnet powder. Next, a mixture is prepared by mixing the magnet powder and a binder made of long-chain hydrocarbon and/or of a polymer or a copolymer consisting of monomers having no oxygen atoms. Next, the mixture is formed into a sheet-like shape so as to obtain a green sheet. After that, the green sheet is held for a predetermined length of time at binder decomposition temperature in a non-oxidizing atmosphere so as to remove the binder by causing depolymerization reaction or the like to the binder, which turns into monomer. The green sheet from which the binder has been removed is sintered by raising temperature up to sintering temperature. Thereby a permanent magnet 1 is obtained.
US09991029B2
A multi-phase cable, the cable including a plurality of conductors for conducting currents of two or more different phases, each phase being associated with one or more conductors and each conductor being associated with one respective phase. Each conductor has a cross-section with at least one dimension that is sized to decrease a skin effect of the conductor at a maximum or nominal operation frequency of the conductor. The conductors are arranged to permit free air cooling of the cable on at least two sides of each conductor, and such that each conductor of a given phase has, as immediate neighbors, only conductors of one or more different phases.
US09991028B2
This disclosure relates to a system and method for protecting a downhole cable. A cable protection system can comprise a cable clamp. The cable clamp can comprise a pair of outer segments that can protrude in opposite directions and a middle segment that can connect the outer segments. Each of the outer segments can comprise an outer segment top portion and outer segment side portions. The outer segment top portion and the outer segment side portions can be connected substantially in a U-shape. Each of the outer segment side portions can comprise one or more slots.
US09991027B2
An electric wire includes a conductor having a cross-sectional area of not less than 225 mm2 and not more than 275 mm2, an insulation provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the conductor, and a wire sheath provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the insulation. The amount of deflection is not less than 130 mm when, at 23° C., one end of the electric wire is fixed to a fixture table so that another end horizontally protrudes 400 mm from the fixture table and a weight of 2 kg is attached to the other end, and cracks and breaks do not occur when wound with a bending diameter of three times the diameter at −40° C.
US09991024B2
An aluminum alloy wire rod comprising 0.1-1.0 mass % Mg; 0.1-1.0 mass % Si; 0.01-1.40 mass % Fe; 0.01-0.50 mass % Zr; 0.000-0.100 mass % Ti; 0.000-0.030 mass % B; 0.00-1.00 mass % Cu; 0.00-0.50 mass % Ag; 0.00-0.50 mass % Au; 0.00-1.00 mass % Mn; 0.00-1.00 mass % Cr; 0.00-0.50 mass % Hf; 0.00-0.50 mass % V; 0.00-0.50 mass % Sc; 0.00-0.50 mass % Co; and 0.00-0.50 mass % Ni, a Mg/Si ratio being greater than 1, wherein a dispersion density of an Mg2Si compound having a particle size of 0.5 μm to 5.0 μm is less than or equal to 3.0×10−3 particles/μm2, and in the sectional structure, a concentration of each of Mg and Si other than a compound is less than or equal to 2.00 mass %.
US09991016B2
Surface-modified carbon hybrid particles may be characterized by a high surface area and a high mesopore content. Surface-modified carbon hybrid particles may be in agglomerated form. Surface-modified carbon hybrid particles may be used, for example, as conductive additives. Dispersions of such compounds in a liquid medium in the presence of a surfactant may be used, for example, as conductive coatings. Polymer compounds filled with the surface-modified carbon hybrid particles may be formed. Surface-modified carbon hybrid particles may be used, for example, as carbon supports.
US09991015B2
A use of a carbon steel wire for electric fencing lines, said carbon steel wire having a corrosion resistant coating, wherein the carbon content of said carbon steel wire is below 0.20 wt % and said corrosion resistant coating is zinc aluminum alloy or zinc aluminum magnesium alloy coating with a coating weight in the range of 30 to 100 g/m2.
US09991014B1
The preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention comprises rotary actuators that move one or more x-ray attenuating plates in the x-y plane (ie. image plane). These x-ray attenuating plates attenuate the x-ray beam with thin metal sheets or plates that contain one or more apertures, which fully exposes the desired region of interest (ROI) while filtering the rest of the image, reducing the radiation exposure for the procedure. The devices will typically have a selection of many attenuation profiles. A small aperture or low attenuation profile region will result in a higher total exposure reduction and a large aperture or large attenuation profile will result in a smaller exposure reduction. The x-ray attenuating plate can be rotated to select an attenuation profile using a detent wheel.
US09991010B2
A system for storing nuclear fuel, the system including a storage rack and a bearing pad. The storage rack includes an array of cells, each cell configured to receive and store nuclear fuel rods, a base plate configured to support the array of cells, and a support structure configured to support the base plate and to allow cooling fluid to circulate under and up through apertures in the base plate. The bearing pad is coupled to the support structure and is configured to limit lateral movement of the storage rack independent from lateral movement of the bearing pad. The base plate defines a base plate profile in a horizontal plane of the base plate, and the bearing pad defines a bearing pad profile in the horizontal plane of the base plate, wherein the bearing pad profile extends outside of the base plate profile.
US09991009B2
A nuclear reactor includes a nuclear reactor core comprising fissile material and a pressure vessel containing the nuclear reactor immersed in primary coolant water at an operating pressure. The pressure vessel has a vessel penetration passing through a wall of the pressure vessel. An electrical feedthrough seals the vessel penetration and has an outside electrical connector mounted at the pressure vessel. The outside electrical connector is at atmospheric pressure. The electrical feedthrough may include a flange disposed inside the pressure vessel and sealing against an inside surface of the wall of the pressure vessel. The outside electrical connector of the electrical feedthrough may be inset into the wall of the pressure vessel.
US09991007B2
A nonvolatile memory device with a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells coupled to first through M-th wordlines and first through N-th bitlines (M>2, N>2), and a page buffer circuit including first through N-th page buffers that are coupled to the first through N-th bitlines, respectively, and generate first through N-th output data, respectively. A K-th page buffer includes first through L-th latches which generate read data by sampling a voltage of a K-th output line, which is discharged through a K-th bitline, at different sampling timings after a read voltage is applied to a P-th wordline (K≤N, L>1, P≤M). The K-th page buffer outputs the first output data if an error in the read data of the first latch is correctable.
US09990997B2
The memory device includes a first transistor and a circuit. The circuit includes a second to a (2n+1)th transistor, a first to an n-th capacitor, a first wiring, and a first to an n-th retention node (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2). When n is 2, a memory cell MC[1] includes a transistor ROS[1], a transistor WOS[1], and a capacitor C[1] and a memory cell MC[2] includes a transistor ROS[2], a transistor WOS[2], and a capacitor C[2]. A back gate of the transistor WOS[1] and a back gate of the transistor WOS[2] are electrically connected to a wiring WBG. A bake gate of a first transistor, a back gate of the transistor ROS[1], and a back gate of the transistor ROS[2] are electrically connected to a wiring RBG.
US09990996B2
A data storage device includes a flash memory and a controller. The flash memory includes a memory array. The controller performs a programming operation for the flash memory. After the controller issues a program command of the programming operation to the flash memory, the controller issues a first read status command to the flash memory before a page program time of the flash memory has been reached, and the controller determines whether the programming operation is performed in the flash memory according to a first memory status provided by the flash memory.
US09990990B2
The disclosed technology generally relates to memory apparatuses and methods of operating the same, and more particularly to a memory device having a controller configured to cause a write operation to be performed on a variable resistance memory cell, which includes application of two successive access pulses having opposite polarities, and methods of using the same.
US09990988B2
A determination can be made as to whether a state of a memory cell is in a valley between adjacent distributions of states associated with respective data states. A signal indicative of a data state of the memory cell and whether the state of the memory cell is in the valley can be transmitted.
US09990985B1
A memory device includes a memory array that comprises at least a bit cell configured to store a data bit; a tracking circuit, coupled to the memory array, and configured to provide an enable signal in response to a first timing edge of a clock signal, wherein the enable signal emulates an electrical signal path propagating the memory array; and a control logic circuit comprising a timing control engine coupled to the tracking circuit, wherein the timing control engine is configured to select a faster timing edge between a second timing edge of the clock signal and a third timing edge of the enable signal so as to terminate an ongoing operation of the bit cell.
US09990984B1
The apparatus provided includes a memory. The memory is configured to receive a memory clock. The apparatus also includes a single stage logic gate configured to generate the memory clock from a reference clock. The memory clock is a gated clock. Additionally, the memory clock has a wider pulse width than the reference clock. In an example, the single stage logic gate comprises a pull-up circuit configured to pull-up the memory clock, and a pull-down circuit coupled to pull-down the memory clock. In an example, the pull-up and the pull-down circuits are configured to be controlled by the reference clock, a delayed reference clock, and a gating signal. An example further includes a delay circuit configured to generate the delayed reference clock from the reference clock. An example further includes a latch configured to generate the gating signal.
US09990982B2
In a memory module including a plurality of DRAM chips which transmit/receive a system data signal with a predetermined data width and at a transfer rate and which transmit/receive an internal data signal having a larger data width and a lower transfer rate as compared with the system data signal, the transfer rate of the system data signal is restricted. Current consumption in DRAMs constituting the memory module is large, hindering speed increases. For this memory module, a plurality of DRAM chips are stacked on an IO chip. Each DRAM chip is connected to the IO chip by a through electrode, and includes a constitution for mutually converting the system data signal and the internal data signal in each DRAM chip by the IO chip. Therefore, wiring between the DRAM chips can be shortened, and DLL having a large current consumption may be disposed only on the IO chip.
US09990976B1
A magnetoresistive memory device that stores data in the reference portion of spin-torque memory cells provides for more robust data storage. In normal operation, the memory cells use the free portion of the memory cell for data storage. Techniques for storing data in the reference portions of memory cells are presented, along with techniques for recovering data stored in the reference portions of memory cells.
US09990973B1
A method and apparatus for using neighboring sampling points in a memory subsystem calibration is disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory subsystem includes a memory and a memory controller coupled thereto. A calibration unit in the memory controller is configured to perform calibrations of a data strobe signal and a reference voltage to determine eye openings for signals conveyed between the memory and the memory controller. Performing the calibration includes determining a number of different calibration points and computing initial scores for each of the calibration points. The method further includes calculating adjusted scores for each calibration point. For a given calibration point, the adjusted score includes weighted values of one or more calibration points that are adjacent thereto. The method further includes selecting a calibration point having the highest adjusted score as the calibrated value.
US09990966B2
Examples of the present disclosure provide apparatuses and methods for simulating access lines in a memory. An example method can include receiving a first bit-vector and a second bit-vector in a format associated with storing the first bit-vector in memory cells coupled to a first access line and a first number of sense lines and storing the second bit-vector in memory cells coupled to a second access line and the first number of sense lines. The method can include storing the first bit-vector in a number of memory cells coupled to the first access line and a second number of sense lines and storing the second bit-vector in a number of memory cells coupled to the first access line and a third number of sense lines, wherein a quantity of the first number of sense lines is less than a quantity of the second and third number of sense lines.
US09990963B2
A word line voltage generator circuit, a semiconductor device, and an electronic device are provided. The word line voltage generator circuit includes a switch circuit connected to a high-level signal and a low-level signal and configured to output the high-level signal or the low-level signal as a word line voltage signal based on an input signal, and a drive signal control circuit configured to provide a drive signal connected to the switch circuit in response to the input signal. A voltage rising speed of the word line voltage signal is controlled by the drive signal.
US09990961B2
The present invention discloses an offset-printing method for a three-dimensional 3D-oP (three-dimensional offset-printed memory)-based package. The mask-patterns for different 3D-op dice are merged onto a same data-mask. At different printing steps, a wafer is offset by different values with respect to the data-mask. Accordingly, data-patterns from a same data-mask are printed into different 3D-oP dice.
US09990951B2
Provided herein is an apparatus including a top continuous layer and a bottom continuous layer under the top continuous layer. The top continuous layer and the bottom continuous layer are antiferromagnetically coupled. A number of granular columns are under the bottom continuous layer. The number of granular columns include at least a first granular layer under the bottom continuous layer and a second granular layer also under the first granular layer. The first granular layer and the second granular layer are separated by a non-magnetic spacer. The first granular layer and the second granular layer are ferromagnetically coupled. The first granular layer is antiferromagnetically coupled to the bottom continuous layer.
US09990943B2
A magnetic field-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) head is provided, which includes a recording main pole and a texture control layer (TCL), a seed control layer, and a spin torque oscillator (STO) positioned over the main pole, in this order, in a stacking direction from a leading side to a trailing side of the recording head. The STO has a crystallographic preferred growth orientation and includes a spin polarized layer (SPL). The TCL may include a Cu layer.
US09990941B1
A method of forming a read head. The method includes forming first and second read sensors. A first read measurement is performed on a storage medium using the first read sensor. A second read measurement is performed on the storage medium using the second read sensor. Based on a comparison of the first and second read measurements to a predetermined quantity, either the first read sensor or the second read sensor is selected to be operational in a data storage device.
US09990931B2
Improved methods for coding an ensemble of pulse vectors utilize statistical models (i.e., probability models) for the ensemble of pulse vectors, to more efficiently code each pulse vector of the ensemble. At least one pulse parameter describing the non-zero pulses of a given pulse vector is coded using the statistical models and the number of non-zero pulse positions for the given pulse vector. In some embodiments, the number of non-zero pulse positions are coded using range coding. The total number of unit magnitude pulses may be coded using conditional (state driven) bitwise arithmetic coding. The non-zero pulse position locations may be coded using adaptive arithmetic coding. The non-zero pulse position magnitudes may be coded using probability-based combinatorial coding, and the corresponding sign information may be coded using bitwise arithmetic coding. Such methods are well suited to coding non-independent-identically-distributed signals, such as coding video information.
US09990920B2
Systems and methods of automated adaptation of a language model for transcription of audio data include obtaining audio data. The audio data is transcribed with a language model to produce a plurality of audio file transcriptions. A quality of the plurality of audio file transcriptions is evaluated. At least one best transcription from a plurality of audio file transcriptions is selected based upon the evaluated quality. Statistics are calculated from the selected at least one best transcription from the plurality of audio file transcriptions. The language model is modified from the calculated statistics.
US09990917B2
A system, article, and method of random access compression of transducer data for automatic speech recognition decoding.
US09990901B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device is configured to check whether an event is generated during a first period in a state in which a screen is displayed, change a chroma of the screen when the event is not generated during the first period, check whether the event is generated during a second period, and adjust a lighting brightness of the screen when the event is not generated during the second period.
US09990898B2
A voltage supply unit and a display device including the voltage supply unit are provided. The voltage supply unit includes a first voltage input terminal to which a first voltage as a DC voltage is input; a second voltage input terminal to which a second voltage as an AC voltage is input; a first capacitor between a first node and the second voltage input terminal; and a current control circuit between the first voltage input terminal and the first node and controlling a current value flowing from the first voltage input terminal to the first node so as to be equal to or less than a current limit value.
US09990885B2
Embodiments of systems and methods for power control in an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display device are described. In an embodiment, a method includes monitoring a level of current draw from an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display device. The method may also include comparing the level of current draw to a threshold value. Additionally, a method may include throttling system power consumption in response to the level of current draw exceeding the threshold value.
US09990881B2
A method of driving a display device includes the following steps: a step of applying a first voltage to a drain of the driving transistor from the first power supply line, while applying an initialization voltage lower than the first voltage to a gate of the driving transistor; a step of applying a voltage higher than the initialization voltage lower than the first voltage to the drain of the driving transistor, and applying a voltage based on a video signal to the gate of the driving transistor; and a step of applying the first voltage to a drain of the driving transistor from the first power supply line and supplying a current to the light emitting element while holding the voltage based on the video signal to the gate of the driving transistor.
US09990880B2
Provided is a pixel unit, a pixel circuit comprising the pixel unit and a driving method thereof. The pixel unit comprises a light-emitting element and n driving sub-circuits; wherein n is a natural number and n>1; each of the driving sub-circuits comprises a scan signal line for control-electrode, a switching transistor and a driving transistor; the switching transistor has a control electrode connected to the scan signal line for control-electrode, a first electrode connected to a data line, and a second electrode connected to a control electrode of the driving transistor; the driving transistor has a first electrode connected to a power supply line and a second electrode connected to a first electrode of the light-emitting element; and a second electrode of the light-emitting element is connected to a reference voltage terminal.
US09990873B2
A display apparatus includes: a display unit including a plurality of pixels connected to a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines; an initialization unit for applying an initialization signal to the plurality of data lines; and a wire test unit for applying a wire test signal to the plurality of data lines through a plurality of fan-out lines respectively connected to one end of each of the plurality of data lines.
US09990866B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a method for tamper-proof protection of containers used for shipment of goods. An optical fiber is embedded in an Optical Shield Wallpaper which lines all interior surfaces of any size of a shipping container, package, box, barrel or other shaped container. Wallpaper is manufactured using large scale rollers that press fibers with encapsulated adhesives onto an appropriate medium. Small medicine containers are protected with a fiber optic shield and sensors manufactured using ink jet printing techniques. Light is applied to the optical fiber and a measurement of optical fiber characteristics is performed. Digital signal processing is used to generate pedigree information, which may include items such as shipping location, serial numbers and lot numbers for the goods. The status of the autonomous anti-tampering system is monitored real-time for unauthorized intrusions. Intrusions detected are relayed to an authorized recipient via a variety of communication channels.
US09990864B2
A label includes a timer to monitor a predetermined time period relating to a medical device, such as an indwelling cannula, or other product. The label includes a signalling apparatus that provides an alert signal on expiry of the predetermined time period and a fixing portion to fix the label to a support surface such as medical records of a patient. The label can have a first portion and a second portion and the first portion can be separable from the second portion. The fixing portion can be provided in the second portion and all or part of the signalling apparatus provided in the first portion. Also disclosed is a monitoring system for a medical device, including a base station and a label receivable by the base station. The monitoring system monitors a predetermined time period based on receipt of the label by the base station.
US09990852B2
A method and apparatus for use in traversing a vehicle transportation network may include receiving a remote vehicle message including remote vehicle information indicating remote vehicle geospatial state information and remote vehicle kinematic state information, identifying host vehicle information including host vehicle geospatial state information and host vehicle kinematic state information, determining convergence information indicating whether a remote vehicle expected path for the remote vehicle and a host vehicle expected path for the host vehicle are convergent based on the host vehicle information and the remote vehicle information, and traversing a portion of the vehicle transportation network in response to the convergence information. Determining the convergence information may include determining an orientation sector based on a geodesic between the host vehicle and the remote vehicle, and determining relative position information for the host vehicle and the remote vehicle based on the orientation sector.
US09990850B2
Systems, methods, and media for parking management are provided. A method includes receiving from a parker at a first device authentication input and then vehicle input that associates a vehicle with the parker, wherein the vehicle input comprises vehicle registration input or selection of a registered vehicle. The method may further include subsequently receiving, from the parker at the first device, spot criteria comprising location criteria and temporal criteria. The method may also include outputting to the first device, based upon receipt of the spot criteria, spot indicators representing spots based on the location criteria, the temporal data, and characteristics of the vehicle, wherein each spot comprises a stored status. The method may further include subsequently receiving a selection of a spot from the parker at the first device.
US09990845B2
A process, including a mobile application, for tracking the drayage driver and vehicle movement and reporting where the driver is and how much time he has been at a location, as well as details about the driver and cargo is described. This process can correlate driver and vehicle identification and allow for the transfer of bill of lading or hazardous material restrictions. Data captured is easily be made available in advance to the port terminals (which must have container ready for pick up); available for the shipping company (which can see cargo en-route—regardless of which company the driver works for); and available for the destination warehouse (which must receive and process the shipment). The association of cargo owners, shippers, terminal yards, drayage companies, drivers, and drayage job assignments can further be linked.
US09990843B2
By transmitting a remote controlled device identifier through an optical signal emitted by a remote controlled device to a remote control pointed at the remote controlled device, the remote control is able to address the remote controlled device via a communication network and be paired with the remote controlled device. As the remote control just has to be pointed at the remote controlled device that is to be paired the pairing is intuitive. A verification unit can be added to the remote controlled device that transmits a challenge via the optical signal to the remote control. The remote control creates a response and transmits the response to the remote controlled device for verification by the verification unit. If the verification is successful the pairing is allowed. As the challenge can only be extracted from the optical signal, access to the room in which the remote controlled device is locate dis required in order to gain control over the remote controlled device. A hack solely over the communication network is prevented as the challenge is not available on the communication network.
US09990841B2
A system and method for testing fire detection and fire annunciation devices of a fire alarm system includes a central operations system, which provides a link between a control panel of the fire alarm system and a mobile computing device operated by a technician. During a walkthrough test, the on-site technician activates fire detection or fire annunciation devices of the fire alarm system and the activated devices signal the control panel and event data are generated. Event data from the control panel are sent to the central operations system to be stored. The central operations system sends the event data to a mobile computing device operated by the technician. The on-site technician is then able verify that the devices are physically sound, unaltered, working properly, and located in their assigned locations.
US09990840B2
A system and a method are disclosed for predicting potential reach of an alert to a targeted audience, targeted personal delivery devices and targeted non-personal notification delivery devices in an emergency mass notification system. The method includes receiving recipients and alert delivery devices data which define a targeted audience and devices of an emergency alert. The method further comprises evaluating contact and configuration data targeting quality rating, tracking data targeting quality rating and real-time data targeting quality rating based on the received recipients and devices data and a data sources repository. Responsive to the targeting quality ratings and prediction weighting data (e.g., numeric weights and descriptive thresholds), the method generating one or more predictions of the potential reach of the alert based on the targeting quality ratings.
US09990838B1
A digital emergency signal transfer system includes a receiving terminal; the receiving terminal including at least one emergency button; when accident occurs, pressing the emergency button causing the receiving terminal to emit an emergency call to related receivers for adapting required actions; a network switch receiving signals from the receiving terminal and then converts the received emergency call into digital signals which have formats and protocol matching the protocol acceptable in the network communication; and a controller connected to the network switch by wired or wireless way; the controller serving to receive the digital signals from the network switch; then the controller emitting alert signals corresponding to the emergency signals to a plurality of electronic information device at the same time or sequentially.
US09990833B2
Providing a reminder of a task to be performed at a task location includes receiving location information identifying a location of a user via a mobile communication device associated with the user, receiving information that identifies a task, receiving information that identifies a task location, and providing a reminder for the task based on a current location of the user and on a comparison of an estimated probability of the user traveling in a trajectory leading toward or away from the task location.
US09990831B2
A location confirmation platform of a home confinement location confirmation system for establishing a virtual boundary in which an incarcerated individual is authorized to occupy and polling and confirming the individual's presence within the boundary by comparing previously collected individual attribute data and comparing the collected data to corresponding data received from the individual in real time.
US09990828B2
A rescue method for identifying and rescuing a person in question, the rescue method comprising an operation in which a user wearing a jewelry item having a serial number is encountered and the serial number on the jewelry item is recognized, an operation in which the serial number is conveyed to a data management company that stores the serial number as identification information pertaining to the user, an operation in which the identification information pertaining to the user is conveyed to a rescue organization, and an operation in which a command to rescue the user is issued at the rescue organization.
US09990825B2
A fire detection and suppression system correcting fire detection based on wind. Wind may affect both the apparent position of the fire detected by the fire detectors and also the suppressant jet being delivered by a monitor. Typically wind results in shifting of estimated fire location away from the real fire in the direction of wind. Similarly, the suppressant jet will also be diverted in the same direction. The system comprises fire detectors for acquiring two-dimensional fire location information for a fire. A wind sensor acquires wind information, often in region of the fire. A system controller then compensates the three-dimensional fire location information based on the wind information. Additionally, the position of fog/jet monitors is preferably compensated based on the wind information. The jet pressure setting is also ideally determined based on the wind.
US09990823B2
A method includes determining, by a tag, that a gateway is not within communication range of the tag using a first wireless communication mode and enabling, in response to the tag determining that the gateway is not within communication range of the tag, a second wireless communication mode. The method also includes determining, by the tag, that a mobile device is not within communication range of the tag using the second wireless communication mode and enabling, in response to the tag determining that the mobile device is not within communication range of the tag, a third wireless communication mode and a location detection capability. The method further includes determining, by the tag, a geographic location of the tag using the location detection capability and transmitting, using the third wireless communication mode, to a server the geographic location of the tag.
US09990814B1
An electronic computing device includes a processing unit and system memory. The system memory includes instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the electronic computing device to monitor audio from a conversation. One or more keywords are identified from the audio. A context of the conversation is identified from the audio. One or more alerts are displayed on a display screen of the electronic computing device. Each of the one or more alerts corresponds to the context of the conversation. Each of the one or more alerts corresponds to a notification to be communicated to an individual. One of the notifications is obtained. The notification is displayed on the display screen of the electronic computing device.
US09990810B2
Apparatus and methods for a sensor system are provided. The system may be configured to detect a dispensing of cash from an automated teller machine (“ATM”). The system may be configured to orient one or more sensors to capture a first information stream that includes the dispensing of cash. The system may be configured to detect a retraction of cash by the ATM. The system may orient one or more sensors to capture a second information stream that includes the retraction. The system may be configured to determine an estimate of cash collected by an ATM customer. The estimate may be based on a comparison of the first information stream and the second information stream.
US09990808B2
Games, lotteries, and/or sweepstakes as well as tickets, systems, technologies, and/or methods related thereto. In some embodiments, unique games and/or unique administrations of games and/or unique tickets useful for participating in games. In certain preferred embodiments, games which can be administrated or participated in contemporaneously with an event, such as a sporting event, music performance, or trade show (e.g., at the same time or during a live event). In certain of such preferred embodiments, participants in games make no payment to participate in the games.
US09990807B2
A community gaming system including a central controller and a plurality of gaming terminals each with a graphical user interface operating. The system determines that a bonus event is triggered and which of the terminals qualify. The central controller transmits a trigger signal to each of the qualified gaming terminals in the sequence in turn, in response to which each qualified gaming terminal initiates scrolling of a bonus event graphic across its respective graphical user interface such that as the bonus event graphic scrolls across the graphical user interface of one of the qualified gaming terminals to reach an edge of that graphical user interface a next one of the qualified gaming terminals in the sequence then initiates scrolling of that bonus event graphic across its graphical user interface. The bonus event graphic appears to scroll across successive graphical user interfaces of the sequence of terminals.
US09990804B2
A gaming system is primarily dedicated to playing a regulated casino wagering game providing eligibility to a plurality of progressive jackpots. The gaming system comprises a secure gaming cabinet, an electronic display device, an electronic input device, a random element generator, and game-logic circuitry. The game-logic circuitry is configured to allocate a portion of the wager to at least one of a first group of progressive jackpots, direct the electronic display device to increment the value of the first group of progressive jackpots, and direct the electronic display device to increment the values of a second group progressive jackpots based on the values of the first group of progressive jackpots. And, in response to a progressive-triggering outcome, the game-logic circuitry directs the electronic display device to display a reset value for the awarded progressive jackpot and an altered reduced value for another one of the progressive jackpots.
US09990801B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for associating a player identifier with a financial account. The financial account can holds funds that are accessible through the player's use of a payment vehicle. The payment vehicle can be, for example, a credit payment vehicle or a debit payment vehicle. The player can load funds from the financial account to a wagering account.
US09990800B2
Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for multi-tiered gaming data download. The system includes a gaming device for local play of a game. The gaming device includes a communication interface receiving and transmitting data to download a game for play at the gaming device. The system also includes a plurality of download servers communicating with the gaming device to provide game data for download to and play at the gaming device. The system further includes a middle tier server acting as a hub to communicate with the plurality of download servers to provide game data from one or more of the plurality of download servers. The middle tier server allocates download server resources and schedules a download of game data from one or more download servers to the gaming device based on resource constraints at the plurality of download servers and availability for download at the gaming device.
US09990798B2
A multi-mode element interleaved wagering system is disclosed, including an interactive processing device constructed to: provide an interactive application display; communicate session initiation indication data and application telemetry data; receive wagering telemetry and application resource data; automatically configure a wagering user interface; and incorporate application resource data; a wager server constructed to: receive session wager request data; determine a plurality of wager outcomes; communicate session wager outcome data; receive wager outcome data; and automatically adjust a credit meter; and the process controller operatively connecting the interactive processing device and the wager server, constructed to: receive session initiation indication data; automatically communicate session wager request data; receive session wager outcome data; receive application telemetry data; determine whether to trigger a wager request; access a session wager outcome; automatically determine wagering telemetry data and application resource data; communicate wagering telemetry data, application resource data; and wager outcome data.
US09990796B2
A method of verifying a pair of correspondents in electronic transaction, the correspondents each including first and second signature schemes and wherein the first signature scheme is computationally more difficult in signing than verifying and the second signature scheme is computationally more difficult in verifying than signing. The method comprises the step of the first correspondent signing information according to the first signature scheme and transmitting the first signature to the second correspondent, the second correspondent verifying the first signature received from the first correspondent, wherein the verification is performed according to the first signature scheme. The second correspondent then signs information according to the second signature scheme and transmits the second signature to the first correspondent, the first correspondent verifies the second signature received from the second correspondent, wherein the verification is performed according to the second signature algorithm; the transaction is rejected if either verification fails. The method thereby allows one of the correspondents to participate with relatively little computing power while maintaining security of the transaction.
US09990793B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for separating a media item from a bunch of media items. The apparatus comprises at least one first roller located on a first side of a transport path along which a media item is transported and at least two further rollers located on a further side of the transport path opposite the first side, said at least two further rollers being spaced apart to receive a portion of said at least one first roller therebetween, wherein in an advance mode of operation said first and further rollers rotate in the same direction and in a reject mode of operation said first and further rollers rotate in opposite directions.
US09990786B1
A request is received by a member of a credential granting authority to issue an electronic visitor credential to a visitor of the credential granting authority, the electronic visitor credential enabling access to resources of the credential granting authority. It is determined that the member of the credential granting authority is authorized to issue the credential to the visitor. Based on the determination that the member of the credential granting authority is authorized to issue the credential to the visitor, the electronic visitor credential is issued with at least one timing restriction that defines a time period during which the electronic visitor credential is valid and at least one usage restriction that limits resources of the credential granting authority to which the electronic visitor credential enables access It is determined to withdraw the electronic visitor credential. Based on determining to withdraw the electronic visitor credential, the credential is withdrawn.
US09990785B2
An access system for a vehicle is provided. The access system includes a central rights management unit, an access control device, and a portable identification medium. The access control device makes it possible to run verification mechanisms on the identification medium with the use of input means for interacting with a user. To this effect the identification medium includes an authentication unit and also a data part that depends on it which for viral epidemic propagation of privilege data may forward this data to access control devices without its own data connection. Even in the case of an incomplete infrastructure, extensive vehicle movements and very substantial fluctuations in personnel it is nevertheless possible to achieve very high security and reliability of enabling access and vehicle functions.
US09990783B2
A system and method of regulating access to a vehicle from a wireless device communicating using short-range wireless communications includes: transmitting a vehicle access certificate signing request from the wireless device to a central facility; receiving an authenticated vehicle access certificate from the central facility in response to the vehicle access certificate signing request, wherein the authenticated vehicle access certificate is signed using a central facility private key and includes the wireless device public key; transmitting the authenticated vehicle access certificate containing the wireless device public key from the wireless device to the vehicle via a short-range wireless communications protocol; receiving from the vehicle a shared secret that is encrypted by the wireless device public key; decrypting the received shared secret using a wireless device private key; generating a command controlling vehicle functions; and transmitting the command from the wireless device to the vehicle.
US09990781B2
A vehicle information system is described. The vehicle information system may include an OBD interface device configurable for communication with a vehicle computer system. The OBD interface device may include at least a first transmitter and a first receiver. One or more communication protocols may be configured for communication between at least one of the OBD interface device and a client electronic device, the OBD interface device and a server computer, and the OBD interface device and a wireless receiver. An application programming interface may be configured to allow interaction between the OBD interface device and at least one of a server computer and a client electronic device.
US09990775B2
An exemplary interactive media content provider system generates overall data representative of interactive media content. The exemplary interactive media content provider system concurrently provides the overall data to both a first media player device associated with a first user and a second media player device associated with a second user by way of a point-to-multipoint media delivery protocol. The first media player device and the second media player device may each be configured to render different portions of the overall data to respective display screens of the media player devices at a particular point in time based on different user input from the first user and the second user, respectively, as the first user and the second user independently interact with the interactive media content. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.
US09990770B2
The enhancement of user-to-user communication with augmented reality is described. In one example, a method includes receiving virtual object data at a local device from a remote user, generating a virtual object using the received virtual object data, receiving an image at the local device from a remote image store, augmenting the received image at the local device by adding the generated virtual object to the received image, and displaying the augmented received image on the local device.
US09990767B1
Described herein are a system and methods for generating 3D models using imaging data obtained from an array of camera devices. In embodiments, a stochastic shape distribution may be applied upon an object to be modeled in invisible ink. The system activates a first lighting mode which causes the stochastic shape distribution to be visible and captures a first set of images that depict the stochastic shape distribution on the object. The system then activates a second lighting mode that causes the stochastic shape distribution to be hidden and captures images of the object as it would normally appear (without the stochastic shape distribution). The images having the stochastic shape distribution may be used to determine alignment information for the images within the set of images. That alignment information may then be attributed to the second set of images and used to generate the 3D model.
US09990757B2
A method for a computing device to enhance video chatting Includes receiving a live video stream, processing a frame in the live video stream in real-time, and transmitting the frame to another computing device. Processing the frame in real-time includes detecting a face, an upper torso, or a gesture in the frame, and applying a visual effect to the frame. The method includes processing a next frame in the live video stream in real-time by repeating the enhancing, the detecting, and the applying.
US09990756B2
At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method for animating a display region, windows, or views displayed on a display of a device. The method includes starting at least two animations. The method further includes determining the progress of each animation. The method further includes completing each animation based on a single timer.
US09990754B1
The present disclosure provides embodiments of systems and methods for rendering and skinning in video game applications that utilize a modified finite elements analysis in combination with position based dynamics. Position based dynamics can be used to provide a tradeoff of accuracy for speed and stability. The resulting position based finite element process provides for rendering and skinning elements, such as character models, during real time execution of a game application. Embodiments of the position based finite element technique can provide high quality deformations with a small number of elements, and simulate those elements more efficiently than previous methods used in the art.
US09990751B2
A radioactive substance distribution map producing system includes a radiation detector, a position measuring unit and a radioactive substance distribution map producing apparatus. The radiation detector is loaded on a moving vehicle and measures radiations from radioactive substances. The position measuring unit measures a position of the moving vehicle. The radioactive substance distribution map producing apparatus receives measurement data which contains a measurement result by the radiation detector and position data of the moving vehicle measured by the position measuring unit. The radioactive substance distribution map producing apparatus produces a distribution map of the radioactive substances by using the measurement data obtained at the plurality of positions while the moving vehicle moves.
US09990741B2
Motion correction is performed in time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET). Rather than applying motion correction to reconstructed images or as part of reconstruction, the motion correction is applied in the projection domain of the PET data. The TOF data from the PET scan is altered to account for the motion. The TOF data is altered prior to starting reconstruction. The motion in the patient or image domain is forward projected to provide motion in the projection domain of the TOF data. The projected motion of different phases is applied to the TOF data from different phases, respectively, to create a combined dataset of motion corrected TOF data representing the patient at a reference phase. The dataset is larger (e.g., similar size from projection data dimension point of view, but contains more counts per projection data unit or is more dense) than available at one phase of the physiological cycle and is then used in reconstruction.
US09990739B1
A method and device for fisheye camera automatic calibration is disclosed. A first straight line and a second straight line are respectively moved to generate a first fisheye line and a second fisheye line being straight lines. At least two symmetric points are generated on the second straight line based on an intersection of the first straight line and the second straight line as a symmetric central point, so as to correspondingly generate at least two fisheye symmetric points. The second straight line rotates until a distance between the first fisheye line and each of two fisheye symmetric points is equal. Then, central intersection coordinates, fisheye symmetric coordinates, a fisheye symmetric distance are retrieved and used to calculate fisheye parameters.
US09990733B2
In an object tracking device that obtains image data, detects an object, and tracks a target object, a matching unit collates image data of a characteristic model that represents a tracking object, which is a tracking target, with input image data, and outputs a candidate region of the tracking object. An object region determination unit determines an object region from the candidate region that is output by the matching unit. A depth map calculation unit calculates depth information relating to the input image. An object depth setting unit obtains the object region that has been determined by the object region determination unit in the past and the depth information that has been calculated by the depth map calculation unit, and sets a predetermined depth range where the object can exist. The object region determination unit determines an object region relating to the tracking object based on a region corresponding to the depth in a predetermined range set by the object depth setting unit and the candidate region that is extracted by the matching unit.
US09990728B2
Techniques for planar region-guided estimates of 3D geometry of objects depicted in a single 2D image. The techniques estimate regions of an image that are part of planar regions (i.e., flat surfaces) and use those planar region estimates to estimate the 3D geometry of the objects in the image. The planar regions and resulting 3D geometry are estimated using only a single 2D image of the objects. Training data from images of other objects is used to train a CNN with a model that is then used to make planar region estimates using a single 2D image. The planar region estimates, in one example, are based on estimates of planarity (surface plane information) and estimates of edges (depth discontinuities and edges between surface planes) that are estimated using models trained using images of other scenes.
US09990726B2
A method of determining a position and orientation of a device is provided. The position and orientation of the device is determined based on multiple degrees of freedom (DoF) and the device is associated with a capturing device for capturing at least one image is provided. The method includes: capturing at least one image of a real object with the capturing device, and providing a coordinate system in relation to the object; providing an estimation of intrinsic parameters of the capturing device; providing pose data to compute first and second DoFs in the coordinate system, with each DoF having a confidence degree; determining an initial pose of the device; performing a pose estimation process, and calculating in the pose estimation process an estimation of the DoFs having a second confidence degree; and determining a position and orientation of the device.
US09990721B2
Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for detecting a trachea, an exemplary system comprising an imaging device configured to obtain image data and a computing device configured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model, identify a potential connected component in a first slice image, identify a potential connected component in a second slice image, label the first slice image as a top slice image, label the connected component in the top slice image as an active object, associate each connected component in a current slice image with a corresponding connected component in a previous slice image based on a connectivity criterion, label each connected component in the current slice image associated with a connected component of the preceding slice image as the active object, and identify the active object as the trachea, based on a length of the active object.
US09990720B2
A system for creating decision support material indicating damage to an anatomical joint of a patient. The system is configured to: i) receive a series of radiology images of at least a part of the anatomical joint; ii) obtain a three-dimensional image representation of the at least part of the anatomical joint; iii) identify tissue parts of the anatomical joint using image analysis; iv) determine damage to the anatomical joint by analyzing said image representation; v) mark damage to the anatomical joint in the obtained three-dimensional image representation; and vi) generate decision support material. The analysis comprises: detecting an irregular shape of a contour of a tissue part; and/or detecting that the intensity in an area within or adjacent to bone and/or cartilage parts differs from a predetermined value; and/or comparing at least one identified tissue part with a template representing a predefined damage pattern for an anatomical joint.
US09990719B2
The method of generating multi-parametric nosological images including the steps of obtaining a stack of images; improving such images; reducing the images to a new space of equivalent representation; classifying in an unsupervised manner the units of the images obtained according to a pre-established number of classes without biological interpretation; automatically assigning multi-parametric profiles to the obtained classes; and generating a nosological image through the obtained classes. The system includes an imaging unit; an image processing unit for processing the obtained images and generating therefrom a multi-parametric nosological image; a connection for transmitting the images obtained by the imaging unit to the image processing unit; and a display for displaying the generated multi-parametric nosological image.
US09990718B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for PET image reconstruction. The method may include processes for obtaining physiological information and/or rigid motion information. The image reconstruction may be performed based on the physiological information and/or rigid motion information.
US09990715B2
Methods for personalized treatment of tumor lesions in subject with metastatic cancer are disclosed.
US09990711B2
Imaging data including images associated with a patient may be received. A subset of the images that are used with a model that is associated with the position and motion of a targeted region of the patient to receive radiation treatment may be identified. The subset of images may be sorted. A graphical user interface (GUI) that identifies two or more of the images of the sorted subset may be provided. A selection associated with one of the images of the sorted subset may be received by the GUI. Furthermore, a new model to identify the targeted region based on the selection that is associated with one of the two or more images may be generated.
US09990701B2
According to the present disclosure, an image-processing apparatus acquires horizontal black hat image data by taking a difference between source image data and horizontal closing image data obtained by performing closing processing on each pixel row of the source image data, acquires vertical black hat image data by taking a difference between the source image data and vertical closing image data obtained by performing the closing processing on each pixel column of the source image data, and acquires logical conjunction image data where a logical conjunction of the horizontal black hat image data and the vertical black hat image data is taken.
US09990695B2
A method, apparatus and system for performing a demosaic operation are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a plurality of interpolation modules to perform a plurality of interpolation operations to generate color pixel values of a first color for a plurality of pixel locations in an image region that do not have color pixel values of the first color; a first module to generate a set of color pixel values of the first color for the image region, one or more color pixel values in the set of pixel values being generated based on color pixel values of the first color from one of the plurality of interpolation modules; and a second module to select the one interpolation module based on an interpolation direction determined by color intensity gradient calculations that involve pixel values of the first color and at least one other color.
US09990693B2
Various aspects of a device and a method for rendering multimedia content are disclosed herein. The method determines a ratio between a first resolution of multimedia content and a second resolution of a display screen of a display device. At least one user input is received that selects a region of interest (ROI) on the multimedia content being rendered on the display screen. Based on the determined ratio, the selected ROI on the multimedia content being rendered on the display screen is dynamically modified based on the determined ratio.
US09990672B2
An e-commerce method involves on-line viewing of a first article through a linking node for virtual merging on another structure. A particular application of the invention is directed to on-line apparel shopping involving a color matching scheme using color codes provided with images to be merged. For example, on-line viewing of one article, such as clothing, on another structure, includes creating an item from image-data corresponding to a colored article selected by an on-line viewer from an on-line viewer site with an image of a colored structure selected by the on-line viewer, and indicating whether the colored article and the colored structure satisfy a color-matching criterion.
US09990662B2
A computer-assisted inspection system provides computer architectures and software controlled algorithms to automatically provide vehicle inspections and repair recommendations including estimated repair time and cost of depression type damage such as dents. Features provided by a handheld wireless touchscreen based inspection device include flat car part picking, auto grading including seller grading, and automatic calculation of body and bumper dent repair parameters and directions.
US09990651B2
For each of various sites, a mathematical representation is computed according to prescribed characteristics of users that have conducted one or more predetermined types of interaction with the site. Cluster of the sites are identified whose computed representations are similar according to prescribed criteria. Responsive to notification of an opportunity to deliver unidentified advertising to a given user via a given site, at least one ad is selected based upon factors including the ad having a prescribed performance history at one or more clusters containing the given site. The selected ad is transmitted to the given user at the given site, or a bid is transmitted for such placement of the ad.
US09990642B2
A system and method for providing promotional rewards is provided. First, a promotional reward is communicated to a customer. The promotional reward offer comprises a promotional reward associated with one or more promotional reward-earning behaviors and a promotional time frame. The offer may specify a customer population, and the customer may be enrolled in the promotional reward program if the customer is determined to be in the population. The customer is credited a promotional reward if the customer accomplishes the promotional reward-earning behavior(s) within the promotional time frame. The customer may also be enrolled in a base reward program. The promotional rewards and base rewards may be accumulated in a customer account. A system for implementing a promotional rewards program is also provided.
US09990638B1
A message receiving, intercepting and processing method and corresponding application and device may provide receiving a message at a message processing server, the message being intended for a phone number associated with a customer service provider, identifying a telephone number of the sender of the message, parsing at least one word from the message, retrieving user account information of the sender, and generating an automated response to the message that includes contextual information that is based on at least one of the user account information and the parsed at least one word from the message.
US09990633B2
An electronic commerce system providing market feedback to sellers includes a server. The server records query information associated with a search query for a buyer of one or more databases containing product data and also records presentation information associated with presentation of multiple search results to the buyer, each search result including data for a product matching one or more search criteria specified in the search query, the search results including one or more search results reflecting product data for a particular seller. The server also records selection information associated with selection by the buyer of a particular search result from among the multiple search results and also provides at least some of the recorded query information, presentation information, or selection information to the particular seller to allow the particular seller to assess one or more aspects of its product data relative to product data of other sellers.
US09990632B1
A device may determine that a verification method associated with a transaction card is to be modified from a first verification method to a second verification method. The first verification method and the second verification method may use different types of verification information. The device may provide a set of instructions to the transaction card after determining that the verification method is to be modified. The set of instructions may cause the transaction card to modify the verification method from the first verification method to the second verification method. The device may provide information identifying a modification to the verification method to a transaction backend device to notify the transaction backend device that the verification method associated with the transaction card has been modified from the first verification method to the second verification method.
US09990627B2
A method of centralized identity authentication for use in connection with a communications network includes registering users of the communications network such that each registered user's identity is uniquely defined and determinable, and registering a plurality of vendors having a presence on the communications network. The registered vendors selectively transact with registered users, wherein the transactions include: (i) the registered vendor selling goods and/or services to the registered user; (ii) the registered vendor granting the registered user access to personal records maintained by the registered vendor; and/or (iii) the registered vendor communicating to the registered user personal information maintained by the registered vendor. The method also includes each user's identity being authenticated over the communications network prior to completion of transactions between registered vendors and registered users.
US09990622B2
Disclosed herein are an authentication and payment system and method. The authentication and payment system of the present invention includes an issuer server, an issuer information management intermediate server, an acquirer server and a payment server. The issuer server issues, manages and operates payment means. The issuer information management intermediate server manages URL information required to access domestic and foreign issuer servers. The acquirer server performs payment approval and performs acquisition and settlement for member stores. The payment server intermediates between the issuer server and the acquirer server to provide an authentication and payment service in response to a request from a terminal of the merchant. Accordingly, the present invention can provide a safe and convenient payment process with respect to payment means, such as credit cards, electronic money or mobile phone micro payment that can be selected between a purchaser and a merchant.
US09990620B2
Methods and systems are provided for facilitating shared mobile payments. According to an embodiment, a user can initiate a purchase using a mobile device. The mobile device can display a total price for the purchase. The first user can cooperate with one or more second users to share the cost of the purchase. The cooperation can be facilitated via the first and second users' mobile devices.
US09990616B2
The present invention is applicable to the field of POS machines, and provides a magnetic head protection frame used in a POS machine, a card swiping module using the magnetic head protection frame, and a POS machine using the card swiping module. The magnetic head protection frame comprises a support frame, the support frame is strip-shaped, and the support frame defines a first opening exposing the magnetic head; a circuit board is mounted on an outside surface of the support frame, the circuit board is arranged along the whole length direction of the support frame, and the circuit board avoids a position corresponding to the first opening; connecting wires are connected on the circuit board. By arranging the circuit board on the outside surface of the support frame, since the circuit board will be open-circuited or short-circuited when it is subjected to a physical attack, an alarming signal will be triggered, and thus a security processor on a main board of the POS machine can be triggered, such that information stored in electronic components in a protected area is erased or destroyed, the function of preventing user information from being stolen is achieved, and the magnetic head is protected so as to read card information safely.
US09990614B2
A machine (10) is operative to carry out financial transfers responsive to data included on data bearing records including user cards. The machine includes a user interface (15) including a display (24). The user interface includes a card reader (16) which is operative to read data on user cards which identify at least one of user and a user's financial accounts. Records of the financial transfers are provided by a printer (30). A touch screen display module (608) is operative to securely receive manual inputs and/or card data. The touch screen display module includes a contact surface that can be electronically contoured to provide outputs that can be perceived through finger contact with the contact surface.
US09990602B2
A method, system, and computer program product for shipping management. The computer implemented method commences upon receiving a first set of orders to be shipped to a destination region in accordance with a first set of timing constraints, then building a first set of multi-stop shipments, the first set of multi-stop shipments comprising a first multi-stop carrier schedule that satisfies the set of timing constraints. The method waits a calculated duration before receiving a second set of orders to be shipped to the destination region in accordance with a second set of timing constraints. A second set of multi-stop shipments is built, wherein the second set of multi-stop shipments comprises a second multi-stop carrier schedule for at least one stop not included in the first set of multi-stop shipments, and the second multi-stop carrier schedule satisfies both the first set of timing constraints and the second set of timing constraints.
US09990601B2
A delivery device includes an image capture device for generating delivery image data of a delivery at a service address. A processor executes a delivery application to bidirectionally communicate delivery data with the delivery data server via the network interface, wherein the delivery data includes a delivery tracking number and the delivery image data. The delivery data server processes the delivery data to provide a delivery confirmation to a customer at the service address, wherein the delivery confirmation includes the delivery tracking number and the delivery image data.
US09990595B2
A system and method for modeling service endpoints of BPMN processes is disclosed. The process is modeled using a BPMN modeling tool. A service endpoint is modeled using the BPMN modeling tool. A uniform resource locator (URL) is generated for the service endpoint, the URL being a web-based address under which a service represented by the process can be called by a business process application. The service endpoint is linked to the process, and then service-provisioned to be executed in the BPMN domain.
US09990594B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for providing a geolocation check-in system. An exemplary apparatus is configured to collect positioning data related to a user. After collecting position data the apparatus may be configure to determine, based at least partially on the positioning data that the user has crossed a threshold of a geofence associated with a merchant's location. Based at least partially on this determination the apparatus may be configured to initiate a merchant check-in associated with the user and transmit user information to the merchant.
US09990591B2
Invoking an agent during a dialog between a user and an automated assistant. Some implementations are directed to receiving, during a human-to-automated assistant dialog, natural language input of the user that indicates a desire to engage an agent, but that fails to indicate a particular agent to be engaged. Those implementations are further directed to selecting a particular agent from a plurality of available agents, and transmitting an invocation request to the selected particular agent. In some implementations an agent selection model can be utilized in selecting the particular agent, such as a machine learning model. The machine learning model can be trained to enable generation of output that indicates, for each of a plurality of available agents (and optionally intent(s) for those agents), a probability that the available agent (and optionally intent) will generate appropriate responsive content.
US09990590B2
A machine learning apparatus includes: a state observation unit that observes a state variable composed of at least one of data relating to the number of errors that is an error between a position command relative to a rotor of a motor which is drive-controlled by the motor control apparatus and an actual position of a feed mechanism unit, an operation program of the motor control apparatus, any command of the position command, a speed command, or a current command in the motor control apparatus, data relating to a workpiece machining condition in a machine tool including the motor control apparatus, and data relating to a state of the machine tool including the motor control apparatus; and a learning unit that learns a condition associated with the number of corrections used to correct the above-mentioned command in accordance with a training data set constituted by the state variable.
US09990585B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus including a course setting unit that sets a course containing at least one place associated with positional information, a course information generation unit that generates first course information regarding the course on the basis of first user behavior information generated from a behavior of a first user having visited the course, and a course information provision unit that provides the first course information to a second user different from the first user.
US09990584B2
A method of rule-based register checking for a digital voltage regulator controller includes: defining register settings for the digital voltage regulator via a GUI (graphical user interface) based controller parameter configuration system; accessing a rule-based checker by the GUI based configuration system to check for rule violations in the register settings; and uploading the register settings from the GUI based configuration system to the digital voltage regulator controller after checking the register settings for rule violations. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program operable to implement the rule-based register checking is also provided.
US09990583B2
Methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed for detecting patterns in a data stream that match multi-pattern rules. One embodiment of the invention provides a method of recognizing a specified group of patterns in a data stream. The method comprises identifying a rule for said specified group of patterns in the data stream, and using a first array of finite state machines to scan the data stream for at least some of the patterns in the specified group. For patterns in the specified group that are found in the data stream by the first array of finite state machines, pattern identifiers are sent to a second array of finite state machines. The second array of finite state machines determines if the specified group of patterns is in the data stream in accordance with the identified rule by, at least in part, using said pattern identifiers.
US09990575B2
To provide a card capable of improving external appearance, and a card production method. A card (1) is provided with: a module substrate (30); a lower layer (10) and an upper layer (50) arranged above and below the module substrate (30), the layers having an outline larger than the outline of the module substrate (30); and thickness adjustment layers (11, 51) for adjusting the thickness in a substrate outward region (S1), the thickness adjustment layers being provided between the lower layer (10) and the upper layer (50) and to the substrate outward region (S1) further outward than the outline of the module substrate (30), and being provided by printing to at least one layer among the layers that form the card (1).
US09990564B2
This disclosure relates to system and method for optical character recognition. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing an image data to a plurality of customized machine learning algorithms or various customized neural networks, configured to recognize a set of pre-defined characters. The method comprises presenting one or more suggestions for the character to the user in response to negative character recognition, and training a customized machine learning algorithm corresponding to the character if one of the suggestions is identified by the user. If the suggestions are rejected by the user, the method comprises prompting the user to identify the character and determining presence of the character in the set of pre-defined characters. The method further comprises training a customized machine learning algorithm corresponding to the character if the character is present, or dynamically creating a customized machine learning algorithm corresponding to the character if the character is not present.
US09990556B2
An image processing apparatus (14) includes a road information receiver (24) and a region setter (25). The road information receiver (24) obtains road information around a movable object. The region setter (25), based on the road information, sets a region of a peripheral image of the movable object to extract.
US09990549B2
A complex marking determining device includes a brightness state calculating portion configured to calculate a lane marking representative value indicative of a brightness state of a plurality of pixels that make up a lane marking display region, and calculate a road surface representative value indicative of a brightness state of a plurality of pixels that make up the road surface display region; and a complex marking determining portion configured to determine that the lane marking is a complex marking at least when a degree of deviation between the lane marking representative value and the road surface representative value is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.
US09990545B2
This application involves a crime scene footprint photography and extraction method and extraction device that can photograph a first image of the footprint in the oblique light from a fixed angle, and a second image of the footprint in the diffuse reflected light from a fixed angle; divide the first image's brightness component V1 by the second image's brightness component V2 to produce their brightness distribution ratio V3; and extract a third image corresponding to the brightness distribution ratio V3. According to the technical scheme of this application, the technology has a better image collection effect, and can provide better image materials for future footprint acquisition and identification, and can also remove the patterns of the footprint trace carrier, and leave only footprint images displayed clearly and cognizably. Moreover, the method is simple and the results are more accurate.
US09990536B2
In various examples there is an image combiner comprising a memory storing two or more frames being images depicting the same scene; and at least one processor. The memory holds instructions executable by the processor to select at least one of the frames and designate it as a reference frame and to designate the other frames as target frames. The instructions align the target frames to the reference frame and compute an output image by combining the reference frame and the aligned target frames. The process of selecting the reference frame comprises any one or more of: local analysis of characteristics of the frames, face detection, smile detection, object detection, computing signal to noise ratio of individual frames, use of sensor data from at least one non-camera sensor.
US09990534B2
There is provided an image processing device. A feature point acquiring unit acquires a plurality of feature points of objects of each frame image. A grouping unit performs a grouping process of dividing the feature points into groups corresponding to the individual objects. A masking unit performs a masking process of excluding feature points included in some areas of the frame image. A highlighting-image generating unit generates highlighting images for highlighting objects of the frame image corresponding to the feature point groups. A superimposed-image generating unit superimposes the highlighting images on the frame image, thereby generating a superimposed image.
US09990533B2
In one aspect, a fingerprint sensor device includes a substrate and a sensor chip disposed over the substrate. The sensor chip includes an array of sensor pixels configured to generate fingerprint data by sensing ridges and valleys of a surface of a finger contacting the fingerprint sensor device. Each sensor pixel includes a single sensor electrode an amplifier having an inverting terminal electrically connected to the sensor electrode and a non-inverting terminal electrically connected to a drive signal. The drive signal generates electric fields between the sensor electrode and at least one of the ridges and valleys of the surface of the finger contacting the fingerprint sensor device to generate a variable capacitor having a variable capacitance based at least partly on a distance between the sensor electrode and the at least one of the ridges and valleys of the finger.
US09990532B2
In a fingerprint data registering method, a blurred pseudo image is displayed and, when a fingerprint image for authentication registration is acquired, a fingerprint position of the acquired fingerprint image is extracted. A position in the pseudo image, which corresponds to the extracted fingerprint position, is determined. A part of the blurred pseudo image at the determined corresponding position is converted to a clear partial pseudo-image having a higher resolution than that of the blurred pseudo image and the clear partial pseudo-image is displayed. The acquired fingerprint image is registered as an authentication-purpose fingerprint image in association with the converting and outputting process.
US09990529B2
A sensor for detecting a fingerprint, a fingerprint identification apparatus and a controlling method of a sensor for detecting a fingerprint are provided. The sensor for detecting the fingerprint includes a detecting panel including: a detecting region with a plurality of detecting units, in which the plurality of detecting units are distributed in a plurality rows and columns on the detecting region; and a conductive layer, configured to form a sensing capacitance between the conductive layer and a finger when the finger is close to the detecting region; a capacitance detecting module, configured to detect the sensing capacitance; and a control module.
US09990528B2
A method of capturing biometric data is provided that includes activating a security application in a device. The security application is activated by an operator of the device and is configured to cause the device to display an outline image. Moreover, the method includes displaying the outline image in a stationary position on a display of the device, positioning desired biometric data proximate the device such that the desired biometric data appears as a biometric image on the device display, and monitoring the outline and biometric images shown on the device display. Furthermore, the method includes positioning the device and the desired biometric data to better align the outline and biometric images when the outline and biometric images do not align and capturing the desired biometric data from an individual after approximately aligning the outline image with the biometric image.
US09990523B2
An attachment for use with a mobile device with an imaging device and a mobile-device light source can include one or more of an attachment base and an attachment body. The attachment base can be configured to secure the attachment body to the mobile device via a case for the mobile device. The attachment body can include at least one optical device for use with the imaging device, and an optical sensor to receive optical control signals from the mobile-device light source.
US09990521B2
A unique digital identifier of a bundled set of items may be generated based on imaging data or other information captured from the bundled set, stored, and used for any purpose. The imaging data or other information may depict or describe the bundled set after the items have been wrapped or otherwise combined in a unique manner using a binding agent, e.g., a sheet of shrink wrap, a rubber band, or any other materials. Unique digital identifiers of bundled sets of items may be stored in association with information regarding the items. When a bundled set of items is recognized based on its unique digital identifier, information regarding the bundled set may be accessed and used for any purpose, such as to identify a common container for the bundled set based on attributes of any of the items or an order with which the bundled set is associated.
US09990516B2
Data may be masked on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage that are processed by an internet browser. The system may intercept data, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the data being posted online. The publishing node may control which users are permitted access to the posted data by defining a policy associated with the data input field. The posted data may be transformed or tokenized to ensure that it is inaccessible to a user (or group of users) unless that user/group has access to the decoding key under the policy. In this way, data security and data control may be provided to a publishing user node. Data that has already been posted may be destroyed, for example, by deleting the decryption key or a token.
US09990512B2
A method for automatically encrypting files is disclosed. In some cases, the method may be performed by computer hardware comprising one or more processors. The method can include detecting access to a first file, which may be stored in a primary storage system. Further, the method can include determining whether the access comprises a write access. In response to determining that the access comprises a write access, the method can include accessing file metadata associated with the first file and accessing a set of encryption rules. In addition, the method can include determining whether the file metadata satisfies the set of encryption rules. In response to determining that the file metadata satisfies the set of encryption rules, the method can include encrypting the first file to obtain a first encrypted file and modifying an extension of the first encrypted file to include an encryption extension.
US09990510B2
A plurality of reserve and commit log operations are initiated in a database system. Thereafter, at least a portion of the database operations are logged in a log such that transient data structures are kept in-memory of the database system and persistent data structures are kept in byte-addressable memory. Next, each of one or more clients concurrently accessing the log are registered to enable such clients to access the log.
US09990504B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for digital meeting management within a blockchain. Before a meeting, a computer may generate a digital meeting record containing a plurality of data fields and linked to various smart contracts to capture meeting activities. During the meeting, a first smart contract may authenticate and record attendees in the digital meeting record based on biometric information received from the attendees' devices. Furthermore, a second smart contract may capture in the digital meeting record, meeting actions of each attendee, including date, time, and location associated with the meeting actions. After the meeting, a third smart contract may autopopulate post meeting documentation. After review by the attendees, the third smart contract may store a hash of the documentation to the digital meeting record and store the documentation in a repository. Once appended to the blockchain, the digital meeting record becomes an immutable record of the meeting.
US09990501B2
Systems and methods for tracking telecom computing device vulnerabilities. The system includes a database storing a plurality of entries that describe security vulnerabilities, and a controller that receives input from a user selecting a class of telecommunication devices, e.g. a product line, and searches the database to identify pertinent entries describing a relevant security vulnerability for the class. The controller also identifies an authoritative entry that describes the relevant security vulnerability, validates pertinent entries within the database that conform with the authoritative entry, generates a report indicating a severity of the security vulnerability within the class based on valid entries within the database, and assesses a severity of the relevant security vulnerability for the class based on the conforming entries.
US09990495B2
Systems and methods for managing antivirus records. A method can include providing a data store of antivirus records, providing an antivirus application to be executed on each of a plurality of user computers, and executing instructions by a remote server to implement a processing tool configured to collect an antivirus record parameter for a particular antivirus record and collect statistical data of a detection events associated with the antivirus record, and a processing tool to configured to determine a false activation using the antivirus record parameter and the statistical data.
US09990493B2
Provided is a security device and method that protect a data processing system from various types of malicious code and prevent the divulgence of data and erroneous operation. The security device for a data processing system includes: an execution module configured to be called by a security loader when a stub file, including a security loader formed in a routine form and a stub composed of an original executable file, is executed, and to perform processing so that the original executable file restored from the stub by the security loader is executed; and a monitoring module configured to monitor the operation of the data processing system attributable to the execution of the restored original executable file.
US09990488B2
A method and associated computing device. A first arrangement of numeric characters 0-9 is displayed, on a touch screen of the computing device, for an entry of a confidential sequence of numeric characters by a user during display of the first arrangement of the numeric characters 0-9 in ten respective regions of the touch screen. Each region includes (i) a unique numeric character and (ii) a graphical design that does not include the unique numeric character. The graphical design in each region is a different graphical design in each region. Each region has a closed exterior boundary and is totally filled with the graphical design consisting of a background pattern or no pattern. A graphical characteristic is instantiated differently for each numeric character displayed in the first arrangement. User touches are received on the displayed first arrangement of the confidential sequence of numeric characters to authenticate or authorize the user.
US09990480B2
A method, an apparatus and storage medium are provided for setting a smart device management account. In the method, the apparatus receives a rights acquisition request at least carrying a login account and first location information of a first smart device. The apparatus acquires a first device group according to the first location information. When determining that the first smart device has management rights on smart devices in the first device group, the apparatus sets the login account of the first smart device as a management account of the first device group. The apparatus sends an authorization message to the first smart device and the smart devices in the first device group.
US09990479B2
Technologies for authenticating a user of a computing device based on an authentication context state includes generating context state outputs indicative of various context states of a mobile computing device based on sensor data generated by sensors of the mobile computing device. An authentication manager of the computing device implements an authentication state machine to authenticate a user of the computing device. The authentication state machine includes a number of authentication states, and each authentication state includes one or more transitions to another authentication state. Each of the transitions is dependent upon a context state output. The computing device may also include a device security manager, which implements a security state machine that includes a number of security states. Transition between security states is dependent upon the present authentication state of the user. The device security manager may implement a different security function in each security state.
US09990477B2
A dynamic network is disclosed herein. The dynamic network can include a central server, one or several user devices, one or several remote servers, and a database server. The dynamic network can be created in response to a user request for content to be used in a compilation. The central server can identify one or several of the remote servers as potentially containing the requested content, and can communicate with the identified one or several of the remote servers to receive that content. Additionally, the server can identify and connect with one or several servers containing terms of use information for the requested content.
US09990474B2
In a digital rights management system, layers are defined for each document and user permissions are specified for each layer, to control user access at the layer-level. The layers are ordered by depth, where a layer completely contained inside another layer is deemed deeper than the other layer. The layers are encrypted in a deep-to-shallow order, each by its own encryption key. The entire document is then encrypted. When a user requests access to a document, the system generates an ordered sequence of encryption keys based on the user's access rights for each layer. The document open program on the user's client computer attempts to decrypt the various layers using the ordered sequence of keys. The client program and the system's key sequence generating algorithm are designed to give the result that only layers that the user has access to are successfully decrypted and displayed at document open time.
US09990473B2
Securely sharing content between a first system and a second system is provided. A hardware-based root of trust is established between the first system and a server. Content requested by a user and an encrypted license blob associated with the content is received by the first system from the server. A first agent on the first system connects with a second agent on the second system. The encrypted license blob and a sub-license request are sent from the first agent to a security processor on the first system. The first security processor decrypts the encrypted license blob, validates the sub-license request, and if allowed, creates a sub-license to allow the second system to play the content. The first security processor sends the sub-license to a security processor on the second system. The first system provides access to the content to the second system for future playback according to the sub-license.
US09990465B2
An information processing device is configured to keep image data of paper document in association with first identification information, display a selection list from which one or more pieces of identification information including at least the first identification information is able to be selected, display a list of image data associated with one piece of identification information selected from the selection list in a specified list-display area of a plurality of list-display areas, and change, in response to reception of an operation of moving image data specified from the list of image data displayed in the specified list-display area, to another list-display area in a state in which a list of the image data associated with another piece of identification information selected from the selection list is displayed in the other list-display area, a keeping destination of the specified image data to the other piece of identification information.
US09990464B1
Dispersion injection methods for determining biomolecular interaction parameters in label-free biosensing systems are provided. The methods generally relate to the use of a single analyte injection that generates a smoothly-varying concentration gradient via dispersion en route to a sensing region possessing an immobilized binding partner. The present method incorporates the use of an internal standard which provides a reference as to the dispersion conditions present which can then be used to calculate an effective diffusion coefficient for the analyte of interest based on a universal calibration function. The effective diffusion coefficient can then be incorporated into the appropriate dispersion model to provide a calibrated dispersion model. The calibrated dispersion model can then be incorporated into the desired interaction model to provide a reliable representation of the analyte concentration at the sensing region at any time during the injection. The use of the internal standard and universal calibration function permit use of a wide range of injection conditions which may not otherwise be consistent with a particular dispersion model. Thus, the present methods allow for higher flow rates and lower sample volumes thereby increasing assay speed and decreasing sample consumption.
US09990456B1
The present disclosure relates to a method for routing in an electronic circuit design. Embodiments may include receiving, at one or more computing devices, the electronic circuit design having a plurality of terminal pads associated therewith. Embodiments may further include generating a change in at least one of a size or an existence of at least one of the plurality of terminal pads. Embodiments may also include routing a portion of the electronic design based upon, at least in part, the generated change.
US09990453B2
Methods and apparatuses related to clock-domain-crossing (CDC) specific design mutations to model silicon behavior and measure verification robustness are described. CDC signal paths can be identified in a circuit design. Next, synchronization circuitry associated with the CDC signal paths can be identified. Design mutations can be added to the identified synchronization circuitry. The design mutations can then be used during functional verification to measure verification robustness of a circuit verification test suite.
US09990450B2
A computerized simulation method for evaluating dispersion of fillers in a high polymer material includes a step of defining a filler model comprising at least one particle, a step of defining a polymer model comprising a plurality of particles each having a first potential with respect to the particle of the filler model, a step of performing a molecular dynamics calculation of the filler model and the polymer model placed in a predetermined virtual space on the computer, and a step of observing the dispersion of the filler model from data obtained in the molecular dynamics calculation. The polymer model further includes at least one modified basal particle having a second potential with respect to the particle of the filler model, and the second potential differs from the first potential.
US09990449B2
A method and system for installing pipelines are disclosed. The method and system comprise creating a three-dimensional model of a work area, generating a proposed pipe alignment for fitting the pipeline within the work area, creating a three-dimensional model of a trench to be excavated within the work area based on the proposed pipe alignment, excavating the trench with a work tool to conform with the three-dimensional model of the trench, determining the position of the work tool during the excavating step, comparing the determined position of the work tool during the excavating step with the three-dimensional model of the trench to determine any differences between the excavated trench and the three-dimensional model of the trench, and adjusting the proposed pipe alignment to generate an adjusted pipe alignment based on the differences between the excavated trench and the three-dimensional model of the trench.
US09990445B2
In a meshing method for use in a computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided engineering (CAE) system, in which one or more serial meshing units are used to carry out a decoupled parallel meshing process in respect of all parts of a CAD assembly model, input parameters for the meshing process automatically, for each part to be processed, are set using live runtime information about the meshing process for the part concerned, such as information about the outcome of previous attempts to carry out the meshing process of the part.
US09990442B2
Systems and methods for determining search results. The method may include receiving an at least partial search term, and identifying keywords based on the at least partial search term, wherein each keyword has an associated keyword measure based on the number of times each keyword has been previously searched for within a predetermined time period. For each keyword search results associated with the keyword may be identified, wherein each result has an associated search measure. A relevance measure may be determined for each result using the keyword measure the search measure, and used to provide at least one of the results as a search result for the at least partial search term.
US09990429B2
The automated social networking graph mining and visualization technique described herein mines social connections and allows creation of a social networking graph from general (not necessarily social-application specific) Web pages. The technique uses the distances between a person's/entity's name and related people's/entities names on one or more Web pages to determine connections between people/entities and the strengths of the connections. In one embodiment, the technique lays out these connections, and then clusters them, in a 2-D layout of a social networking graph that represents the Web connection strengths among the related people's or entities' names, by using a force-directed model.
US09990422B2
A contextual analysis engine systematically extracts, analyzes and organizes digital content stored in an electronic file such as a webpage. Content can be extracted using a text extraction module which is capable of separating the content which is to be analyzed from less meaningful content such as format specifications and programming scripts. The resulting unstructured corpus of plain text can then be passed to a text analytics module capable of generating a structured categorization of topics included within the content. This structured categorization can be organized based on a content topic ontology which may have been previously defined or which may be developed in real-time. The systems disclosed herein optionally include an input/output interface capable of managing workflows of the text extraction module and the text analytics module, administering a cache of previously generated results, and interfacing with other applications that leverage the disclosed contextual analysis services.
US09990406B2
An approach for identifying missing content is provided. An approach includes: receiving a search string; determining a skill rating associated with a searcher that generated the search string; and searching a database using the search string. The approach also includes: updating at least one of a first score associated with the search string and a second score associated with the database based on the skill rating; and generating an alert based on one of the first score exceeding a first threshold and the second score exceeding a second threshold.
US09990400B2
Techniques are disclosed relating to an in-memory cache. In some embodiments, in response to determining that data for a requested entry is not present in the cache (e.g., because it has been evicted), a computing system is configured to invoke cached program code associated with the entry. In some embodiments, the computing system is configured to provide data generated by the program code in response to requests that indicate the entry. In some embodiments, the computing system is configured to store the generated data in the cache. In various embodiments, this may avoid cache misses and provide configurability in responding to requests to access the cache.
US09990398B2
Methods, computer systems, and stored instructions are described herein for inferring dimensional metadata from content of a query that references tables. A server analyzes the content of the query to determine which table(s) of the referenced tables could be fact tables and/or which table(s) of the referenced tables could be dimension tables. The server transforms the query to a transformed query that operates on a candidate fact table and candidate dimension table(s) of the referenced tables other than the candidate fact table. The transformed query, when executed, processes at least some data from dimension(s) using the candidate dimension table(s) before processing at least some data from the candidate fact table. Alternatively or additionally, the server generates an execution plan that operates on the candidate fact table and the candidate dimension table(s). The execution plan, when performed, processes data from dimension(s) using the candidate dimension table(s) before processing data from the candidate fact table.
US09990396B2
A query is received. Based on statistics for a database, a first query access plan is generated for executing the query on the database. A first result set for the query is obtained by implementing the first query access plan on the database. Based on at least one trend in the statistics, a target time after which implementing the first query access plan will fail a set of criteria is forecasted. In response to the forecasting and based on the statistics, a replacement query access plan is generated prior to the target time. After the target time, a second result set for the query is obtained by implementing the replacement query access plan rather than the first query access plan.
US09990394B2
The present disclosure is directed towards conducting a search for content and results using a user interface. A number of graphical objects (715) and filters are displayed where a search query is generated in response to a user gesture (730) that selects a graphical object and filter. The filters shown can change depending on various factors that impact what filters are selected from a group of filters (720).
US09990392B2
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for distributed transaction processing in massively parallel processing (MPP) databases. An embodiment operates by receiving a transaction including a read timestamp corresponding to a version of data of a database associated with the query. It is determined whether a locally stored portion of the data of the database has a local timestamp that is equivalent to or after the read timestamp. A lock may be requested, and if received, the data is updated.
US09990390B2
The present invention is directed toward methods and systems for data de-duplication. More particularly, in various embodiments, the present invention provides systems and methods for data de-duplication that may utilize a vectoring method for data de-duplication wherein a stream of data is divided into “data sets” or blocks. For each block, a code, such as a hash or cyclic redundancy code may be calculated and stored. The first block of the set may be written normally and its address and hash can be stored and noted. Subsequent block hashes may be compared with previously written block hashes.
US09990389B1
A method includes receiving, at a processor, event stream data, the event stream data including a plurality of events associated with changes to an instance of a subject. The method further includes receiving, at the processor of the computing device, input indicating correction data. The method further includes outputting, from the processor of the computing device, modified event stream data to a storage device. The modified event stream data is generated based on the correction data by modifying an event of the event stream data, adding a first event to the event stream data, deleting a second event from the event stream data, or a combination thereof.
US09990377B1
A method for dynamically displaying results of simultaneous two dimensional image search comprises: maintaining a first database comprising a set of records, each record comprising an image and an associated set of annotations describing the image, receiving an annotation criterion and a color scheme from a user, generating a target color scoring template from the color scheme, conducting a content based search by searching the first database to identify a set of pertinent images satisfying the annotation criterion, and performing the following operations for each image in the set of pertinent images: resizing a given image to a predefined size before generating an image color spectrum histogram for the given image, adding the given image to a pool of acceptable images if the generated image color spectrum histogram matches with the target color scoring template; and dynamically displaying images in the pool of acceptable images to the user.
US09990376B2
An imaging sensor observes a field of view through which a vehicle passes, at an orientation and position suitable for acquisition of license plate data from a surface of the vehicle. Responsive to the vehicle position, at least one image of a surface of the vehicle including a license plate is acquired and evaluated to extract license plate data. The position of the vehicle for acquisition of the image is established by a trigger in a fixed relationship with the imaging sensor.
US09990372B2
The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for managing consistency for a file in a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in the cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller receives from a client a request to access the file. The cloud controller determines a level of consistency that is associated with the file, and then uses this level of consistency to determine whether to communicate with a peer cloud controller when handling the request.
US09990355B2
A method, system and computer program product for checking documents using colloquialisms. Colloquialisms used in messages by users in a social network are tracked. The relationships (e.g., co-worker) between the senders and recipients of these messages are identified. A social graph is then generated to depict the relations between the users in the social network based on these identified relationships. Furthermore, usage patterns of colloquialisms (e.g., a particular colloquialism is used only with close friends as opposed to co-workers) are formulated. A rule set is generated using the social graph and formulated usage patterns. By using the rule set to check documents, documents may be more accurately checked for spelling and/or grammatical errors by taking into consideration the appropriate usage of colloquialisms based on the context (e.g., communicating with a friend). Furthermore, alternative words or phrases may be appropriately recommended based on the context using such a rule set.
US09990346B1
A user terminal device is provided that includes a display part configured to display a document preparation window, an input part configured to receive a selection command for selecting a text in a document displayed in the document preparation window, a communication part configured to connect to a server, and a controller configured to control displaying of an activated search button in a region of the document preparation window when the text is selected, and to search for, when the search button is selected, at least one image corresponding to the selected text using the communication part, wherein the controller is further configured to control displaying of images searched for from at least one of the server and a storage part of the user terminal device, and to, when one of the searched images is selected, insert the selected image at a predetermined position of the document preparation window.
US09990339B1
A computer-implemented method for detecting character encodings of text streams may include 1) identifying a request to identify a character encoding of a text stream, 2) dividing the text stream to identify a plurality of n-grams within the text stream, 3) identifying a plurality of vectors within a vector space, each vector representing a potential character encoding by a plurality of expected n-grams within the potential character encoding, 4) generating, based on the plurality of n-grams within the text stream and on an inverse frequency of appearance of each of the plurality of n-grams within the plurality of vectors, a representative vector describing the text stream, and 5) identifying the character encoding of the text stream based on identifying a similarity between the representative vector and a neighboring vector within the plurality of vectors representing the character encoding. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09990334B2
A computer system executes hierarchical MK splines for scattered data approximation. The computer system constructs an image by generating a final approximation function that approximates a scattered data set with a hierarchy of control lattice from coarsest to densest. The method includes executing MK splines approximation to the scattered data set with the hierarchy of control lattice to iteratively obtain approximation functions. The image is constructed by generating the final approximation function to construct an interpolated surface.
US09990329B2
A method that is for operating a serial protocol interface includes a communication device that is configured to exchange data over a communication link by sending output data on the communication link, and receiving input data on the communication link. The input data is synchronous with a clock signal generated at the communication device and propagated over the communication link. The method also includes initializing operation by sending the output data on the communication link at a first data rate, detecting a signal transition in the input data received on the communication link, and exchanging data over the communication link at a second data rate when the signal transition is detected, the second data rate being higher than the first data, with the exchanging of data at the second data rate synchronized as a function of the signal transition.
US09990326B2
A Universal Serial Bus (USB) split cable is disclosed. In one aspect, the USB split cable provides a USB full-featured Type-C host plug for connecting to a USB Type-C receptacle in a USB host. In another aspect, the USB split cable provides a plurality of USB device plugs for connecting to a plurality of device clients, respectively. The plurality of USB device plugs can be configured individually with different data pin combinations to concurrently support different device clients. By providing the USB split cable, it is possible to support point-to-multipoint USB connection via the plurality of USB device plugs without a USB hub, thus improving mobility of the USB host while reducing costs and power consumption associated with the USB hub.
US09990317B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for data communication are provided. An apparatus maybe configured to generate a mask field in a packet to be transmitted through an interface to a slave device, the mask field having a first number of bits, provide a control-bit field in the packet, the control-bit field having a second number of bits, where the second number of bits is less than the first number of bits, and transmit the packet through the interface. The packet may be addressed to a control register of the slave device. The control register may have the first number of bits. Each bit in the control-bit field may correspond to a bit of the control register that is identified by the mask field.
US09990316B2
A modified serial peripheral interface (SPI) is provided in each of a master device and a plurality of slave devices that does not use a slave select line. The master device may thus engage in full-duplex serial communication with each slave device through an SPI MOSI line, an SPI MISO line, and an SPI clock line.
US09990313B2
Starting a host computer and a high-speed data transfer achieved by NVMe are both realized. When the host computer is started and a command for instructing to read an OS in accordance with a specific protocol is issued from the host computer via a host-side bus to a specific function from among a plurality of functions, an interface device issues to a controller a request for instructing to read the OS and transfers the OS read by the controller to the host computer. When an NVMe command for instructing an I/O for the controller in accordance with an NVMe protocol is issued from the host computer via the host-side bus to an NVMe function from among a plurality of functions after the host computer is started, the interface device issues to the controller an I/O request based on the NVMe command.
US09990311B2
A peripheral interface circuit and a peripheral memory system are provided. The peripheral interface circuit includes an interface sequencer, an input/output controller, a register unit and a data buffer. The interface sequencer receives requests from the input/output controller and accesses the peripheral memory in response to the requests. The data buffer is randomly accessed by address. If target data of the data access request exists in the data buffer, the input/output controller returns data from the data buffer in response to the request; if target data of the data access request does not exist in the data buffer, the input/output controller sends an interface request to the interface sequencer to access the peripheral memory and keeps a copy of at least the target data in the data buffer.
US09990308B2
Techniques are provided for maintaining data persistently in one format, but making that data available to a database server in more than one format. For example, one of the formats in which the data is made available for query processing is based on the on-disk format, while another of the formats in which the data is made available for query processing is independent of the on-disk format. Data that is in the format that is independent of the disk format may be maintained exclusively in volatile memory to reduce the overhead associated with keeping the data in sync with the on-disk format copies of the data. Selection of data to be maintained in the volatile memory may be based on various factors. Once selected the data may also be compressed to save space in the volatile memory. The compression level may depend on one or more factors that are evaluated for the selected data. The factors for the selection and compression level of data may be periodically evaluated, and based on the evaluation, the selected data may be removed from the volatile memory or its compression level changed accordingly.
US09990298B2
Techniques for caching results of a read request to a solid state device are disclosed. In some embodiments, the techniques may be realized as a method for caching solid state device read request results comprising receiving, at a solid state device, a data request from a host device communicatively coupled to the solid state device, and retrieving, using a controller of the solid state device, a compressed data chunk from the solid state device in response to the data request. The techniques may further include decompressing the compressed data chunk, returning, to the host device, a block of the data chunk responsive to the data request, and caching one or more additional blocks of the data chunk in a data buffer for subsequent read requests.
US09990292B2
A data processing system includes a snoop filter organized as a number of lines, each storing an address tag associated with the address of data stored in one or more caches of the system, a coherency state of the data, and presence data. A snoop controller sends snoop messages in response to data access requests. The presence data is configurable in a first format, in which the value of a bit in the presence data is indicative of a subset of the nodes for which at least one node in the subset has a copy of the data in its local cache, and in a second format, in which the presence data comprises a unique identifier of a node having a copy of the data in its local cache. The snoop controller sends snoop messages to the nodes indicated by the presence data.
US09990289B2
A processing system having a multilevel cache hierarchy employs techniques for repurposing dead cache blocks so as to use otherwise wasted space in a cache hierarchy employing a write-back scheme. For a cache line containing invalid data with a valid tag, the valid tag is maintained for cache coherence purposes or otherwise, resulting in a valid tag for a dead cache block. A cache controller repurposes the dead cache block by storing any of a variety of new data at the dead cache block, while storing the new tag in a tag entry of a dead block tag way with an identifier indicating the location of the new data.
US09990288B2
An information processing device of an embodiment has an input unit, a storage unit, a read control unit, and a write control unit. A read request and a write request are input to the input unit. The storage unit stores management information. When the read request is input, the read control unit reads read data including the management information from the storage unit, references the management information, and outputs only non-zero data included in a predetermined range of a block row. The write control unit writes only non-zero data to the storage unit and updates the management information immediately before a start position of the continuous non-zero data started from a largest position in the continuous non-zero data started from a position smaller than the predetermined range, a last management information stored in the predetermined range, and the last management information in the predetermined range.
US09990287B2
An apparatus and method are described for efficiently transferring data from a core of a central processing unit (CPU) to a graphics processing unit (GPU). For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: writing data to a buffer within the core of the CPU until a designated amount of data has been written; upon detecting that the designated amount of data has been written, responsively generating an eviction cycle, the eviction cycle causing the data to be transferred from the buffer to a cache accessible by both the core and the GPU; setting an indication to indicate to the GPU that data is available in the cache; and upon the GPU detecting the indication, providing the data to the GPU from the cache upon receipt of a read signal from the GPU.
US09990283B2
A memory system includes: a first memory device including a plurality of first memories and a first memory controller suitable for controlling the plurality of first memories to store data; a second memory device including a second memory and a second memory controller suitable for controlling the second memory to store data; and a processor suitable for executing an operating system (OS) and an application to access a data storage memory through the first and second memory devices.
US09990282B2
An address range expander associated with a processor and a physical memory device determines that address transformation has been enabled with respect to an address indicated on the processor's address bus. The expander generates, using one or more address expansion parameter registers, a transformed address corresponding to the untransformed address within an address range of the physical memory device, and transmits the transformed address to a controller of the physical memory device.
US09990265B2
Virtual machine data records are obtained from a virtual system manager that manages one or more virtual machines. Storage data records are obtained from a storage controller. The virtual machine data records include one or more particular virtual machine data records relating to a particular virtual machine and identify a particular volume that is configured for use by the particular virtual machine. The storage data records including one or more particular storage data records that specify performance information associated with the particular volume. Based on information in the particular virtual machine data records and information in the particular storage data records, it is determined that the particular storage data records are related to the particular volume used by the particular virtual machine. Graphical user interface(s) displaying virtual machine information relating to the particular virtual machine in association with volume performance information relating to the particular volume are displayed.
US09990264B2
A Graphic Performance Index (GPI) for increasing performance of graphics in a process control system graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI is built from GUI elements for use on a device. Determining an element load time for each GUI element based a hardware profile of the device permits calculating a total load time of all the element load times of the GUI elements. And the load time is mapped to a GPI scale. Based on the GPI, the GUI elements of the GUI are altered to improve the performance of the GUI.
US09990247B2
An apparatus includes an interface and a control circuit. The interface may be configured to process read/write operations to/from a memory. The control circuit may be configured to create dependencies between a current bit in a sequence of data bits and neighboring bits in the sequence of data bits to generate mapped bits in response to a condition in a region of the memory being true, write the mapped bits among at least two memory cells in the region of the memory with at least two of the mapped bits stored in each of the memory cells, where the dependencies mitigate a hard error due to one of the at least two cells being stuck in a fixed state, and write the sequence of data bits in the region of the memory in response to the condition in the region of the memory being false.
US09990242B2
A system and method for synchronizing information from an information handling system is disclosed. The method includes identifying a device within a pre-determined range of a docking station, the device operable to communicate with the docking station. The method also includes pairing with the device, determining a user of the device, and predicting, based upon past activity by the user at another docking station, content to be launched on the device. The method further include presenting the content for launching on the device, receiving a selection of the content; and launching the content on the device.
US09990239B2
A system and method for cooperative notification offloading supports thread notification offloading in a multi-threaded messaging system such as a distributed data grid. Pending notifiers are maintained in a collection of pending notifiers. A signaling thread processes a first notifier in the collection of pending notifiers to wake a first thread. The first awoken thread processes additional notifiers in the collection of pending notifiers to wake additional threads. The additional awoken threads can process additional notifiers in a cycle until all pending notifiers in the collection are processed. Such cooperative notification offloading of notifier processing from the signaling thread improves performance of the signaling thread with respect to other tasks thereby improving performance of the signaling thread and the distributed data grid.
US09990232B2
A processing device receives a job request to allocate one or more resources in a resource environment to a job. The job is related to an application. The job request specifies the job using a first description language. The processing device extracts one or more tags from the job request. The one or more tags describes handling parameters of the job and features of the application. The one or more tags are in a second description language different from the first description language. The processing device allocates one or more resources in the resource environment to the job in view of the one or more tags.
US09990231B2
In an embodiment, a method of resource pre-configuration includes obtaining, at a target system, configuration information about a resource that is predicted to be used by a transaction which will be executed on the target system. The resource is configured, at the target system, based on the configuration information. The configuring is before the transaction requests use of the resource.
US09990225B2
Consistency of replicated data copies with statement-based replication is provided without requiring transaction serializability. At a subordinate replication node, a transaction start message, replicated data modification statements, and a transaction commit message are received for a next committed transaction from a master replication node, wherein the transaction start message carries a master transaction identifier, an invisibility list consisting of identifiers of other master transactions that had started and not yet committed when this master transaction started, and an earliest invisible master transaction identifier. The master transaction identifier, invisibility list, and earliest invisible transaction identifier are mapped to subordinate transaction identifiers to preserve an order of transaction identifiers from the master replication node. A subordinate transaction is started with the mapped subordinate transaction identifier and with an invisibility list consisting of the mapped subordinate transaction identifiers for the master invisibility list for execution of the received data modification statements.
US09990223B2
The technology disclosed relates to improving parallel functional processing using abstractions and methods defined based on category theory. In particular, the technology disclosed provides a range of useful categorical functions for processing large data sets in parallel. These categorical functions manage all phases of distributed computing, including dividing a data set into subsets of approximately equal size and combining the results of the subset calculations into a final result, while hiding many of the low-level programming details. These categorical functions are extraordinarily well-ordered and have a sophisticated type system and type inference, which allows for generating maps and reducing them in an elegant and succinct way using concise and expressive programs that can significantly efficientize a whole software development process.
US09990218B2
A method manages virtual machines in a virtualized computing environment based at least in part on limitations associated with storage fabrics through which virtual machines may access one or more storage systems in such an environment. The storage fabric limitations may be used, for example, in connection with placing virtual machines on hosts in a virtualized computing environment. As another example, storage fabric limitations may be used in connection with deploying virtual machines into a virtualized computing environment to reduce the likelihood of boot errors. As still another example, storage fabric limitations may be used in connection with load balancing across multiple fabrics in a virtualized computing environment.
US09990217B2
A virtual machine manager (VMM) provides an emulated printer to a guest operating system. The virtual machine manager is configured to receive a printer mechanism type, receive an output type, and configure the emulated printer according to the printer type, printer mechanism type, and output type. The VMM, in one embodiment, also provides a virtual communication channel over which a guest operating system may identify and communicate with the emulated printer. The guest operating system installs a printer driver corresponding to the emulated printer, prints an object to the emulated printer via the virtual communication bus, and the VMM creates a print image of the object before communicating the print image with a target destination.
US09990216B2
Systems and methods for providing a hypercall interface for virtual machines. An example method may comprise receiving, by a hypervisor executing on a computer system, a hypercall instruction issued by a virtual machine to invoke a hypervisor function; and determining an identifier of the hypervisor function based on a value of an instruction pointer of the virtual machine.
US09990212B2
Techniques described herein generally include methods for the testing and repair of a hardware accelerator image in a programmable logic circuit. In a processor chip that includes multiple programmable logic circuits, a hardware accelerator image programmed into a first programmable logic circuit is tested by programming a testing circuit with a duplicate hardware accelerator image and bringing the testing circuit to the same logic state as the first programmable logic circuit. Comparing outputs from the first programmable logic circuit and the testing circuit indicates the accuracy of the hardware accelerator image programmed into the first programmable logic circuit. The testing circuit may replace the first programmable logic circuit, or the testing circuit may be reprogrammed for testing other hardware accelerator images programmed into other programmable logic circuits of the processor chip.
US09990201B2
A method in one aspect may include receiving a multiply instruction. The multiply instruction may indicate a first source operand and a second source operand. A product of the first and second source operands may be stored in one or more destination operands indicated by the multiply instruction. Execution of the multiply instruction may complete without writing a carry flag. Other methods are also disclosed, as are apparatus, systems, and instructions on machine-readable medium.
US09990197B2
Embodiments of an invention for memory management in secure enclaves are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes an instruction unit and an execution unit. The instruction unit is to receive a first instruction and a second instruction. The execution unit is to execute the first instruction, wherein execution of the first instruction includes allocating a page in an enclave page cache to a secure enclave. The execution unit is also to execute the second instruction, wherein execution of the second instruction includes confirming the allocation of the page.
US09990195B2
At least one application is received from a user. The at least one application is stored on a communication platform. A catalog is received. The catalog includes at least one service. Each service of the at least one service is associated with a platform. An indication of a selection, from the user, is received. The selection comprises a first service associated with a first platform, and a second service associated with a second platform. The first service stores the at least one application from the user. The second service runs the at least one application from the user. Responsive to receiving the indication, the at least one application is deployed to the indicated first platform. Additionally, responsive to receiving the indication, a service bridge from the communication platform to the second platform is deployed. The at least one application is run, on the first platform utilizing the service bridge.
US09990192B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to remote project access. In aspects, project data for a project that is hosted on a server is provided to a client for use in a development environment of the client. A development environment may be instantiated and configured to allow a user to interact with the project as if the project existed solely on the client. Components on the client and server take care of transferring data and messages to and from the server to ensure that the user experience is seamless.
US09990189B2
Distribution of middleware binary includes: receiving a request to deploy a workload with middleware service(s); selecting a base operating system (OS) image to host the middleware service(s); determining locations of binary file(s) for the middleware service(s) in a repository on a storage system; cloning a virtual disk containing the base OS image on the storage system; and copying the binary file(s) from the locations in the repository into the cloned virtual disk on the storage system. The binary file(s) are copied onto the virtual disk directly on the storage system, without the need to traverse a network interface. The base OS image is augmented with the binary files just prior to the deployment of the virtual machine (VM).
US09990186B2
A method of compiling a sequence of program instructions, a method of parallel execution of a sequence of program instructions and apparatuses and software supporting such methods are disclosed. The sequence of program instructions is analyzed in terms of basic blocks forming a control flow graph and execution paths through that control flow graph are identified. When more than one execution path leads to a given basic block, or when a loop path is found leading from a given basic block back to the same basic block, a potential convergence point may be identified. A convergence marker is added to the computer program associated with the basic blocks identified in this way and then when the program is executed, the convergence markers found are used to trigger a determination of a subset of the multiple execution threads which are executed following that convergence marker.
US09990178B2
A method is provided for solving a given combinatorial problem includes providing a function that has been established for a family of combinatorial problems including the given combinatorial problem. For each problem in the family, the function relates a secondary measure of the problem to a quality metric of a characteristic solution to the problem. The function may be applied to a value of the secondary measure for the given problem to obtain a value of the quality metric of the characteristic solution to the given problem. The given problem may be solved to obtain a solution to the given problem; and the solution evaluated based on comparison of a value of the quality metric of the solution, and the value of the quality metric of the characteristic solution. And in at least one instance based on the evaluation, the solution may be communicated to guide performance of a task.
US09990173B2
An audio processor may process dissimilarly formatted digital audio signals and produce an analog output for reproduction by a transducer, such as a speaker. The audio processor may be, for example, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with multiple digital inputs and a single analog output. The audio processor may also include other components, such as processing components, filters, equalizers, amplifiers, and the like. The audio processor may process audio, such as high fidelity DSD audio and lower fidelity PCM audio, and combine the differently formatted data into a single output. During processing, the audio processor may manipulate the different audio signals, such as by ducking a music playback to allow a notification sound to be played.
US09990170B2
Computer-implemented systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for providing virtual monitors. In accordance with some embodiments, a number of virtual monitors in which to provide a virtual desktop and a characteristic of one of the virtual monitors can be identified. A virtual monitor can then be generated based on the characteristic, and a portion of the virtual desktop can be assigned to the virtual monitor based at least in part on the identified number. An image of the portion of the virtual desktop can then be captured from the virtual monitor, and provided for presentation on a monitor of a client device.
US09990167B2
A system for adding value to a host device via a mobile communication device is described. The system includes: a host device configured for providing additional value to be utilized, wherein the additional value includes at least one printing device function and is provided in response to receiving an authentication code; a central system configured for providing the authentication code for inputting into the host device to authorize the at least one printing device function to be utilized; and a mobile communication device configured for negotiating the additional value to be applied to the host device.
US09990165B2
A system and method for cloud centric Web out-of-box print experience (WOOBPE) for Web connected printers are disclosed. In one example, a printer is registered with a cloud print service upon the printer coupling to a network. A WOOBPE application is then launched via a computing device to obtain a network identification (ID) of the printer. A user account is then created with WOOBPE service providers for a user of the printer upon obtaining printer specific information using the network ID. Printer email ID is then provided and the printer email ID is then activated and a test page is printed based on the printer specific information. The printer is then claimed by sending the printer specific information to the WOOBPE service providers for subscribing to one or more print services and associating the printer specific information with the created user account.
US09990164B2
A printing method of an image forming apparatus is provided. The printing method includes receiving, from one of an external apparatus and a server connected to the external apparatus, job information and first identification (ID) information related to printing of content, receiving, from a user, second ID information, transmitting accounting information based on the job information to a billing system, when the second ID information received from the user and the first ID information received from one of the external apparatus and the server correspond to each other, and printing the content based on the job information, when payment completion information regarding payment by the user is received from the billing system.
US09990163B2
A method of scrubbing errors from a semiconductor memory device including a memory cell array and an error correction circuit, can be provided by accessing a page of the memory cell array to provide a data that includes sub units that are separately writable to the page of memory and to provide parity data configured to detect and correct a bit error in the data and selectively enabling write-back of a selected sub unit of the data responsive to determining that the selected sub unit of data includes a correctable error upon access as part of an error scrubbing operation.
US09990161B2
Virtual computing instance data that are stored across multiple storage volumes are replicated in a manner such that the write order is maintained. The frequency of the replication is set so that the recovery point objective defined for the VM data can be satisfied. The replication includes the steps of determining a set of logical storage volumes across which the virtual computing instance issues dependent write IOs, issuing a first command to the virtual computing instance to block new IOs and to block receipt of IO acknowledgements, issuing a command to create replicas of all the logical storage volumes in the set, and then issuing a second command to the virtual computing instance to unblock new IOs and unblock receipt of IO acknowledgements.
US09990158B2
A storage system uses consumption of transfer RAM as a trigger to enter and exit burst mode. In one embodiment, the storage system stores, in volatile memory, data to be written in non-volatile memory; monitors an allocation level of the volatile memory to determine a first amount of time that the allocation level is at a first level and a second amount of time that the allocation level is at second level; enters burst mode when a ratio of the first amount of time and the second amount of time is above a first threshold; and exits burst mode when the ratio of the first amount of time and the second amount of time is below a second threshold. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.
US09990157B2
Embodiments described herein include a PSL engine that includes various memory elements that permit the engine to grant locks on particular portions of data in a stripe in a RAID storage system. The PSL engine can assign (or lock) different blocks of the stripe for different operations. The PSL engine can grant locks to multiple operations for the same stripe if the operations access mutually exclusive blocks of the stripe. Each time a new operation is requested, the PSL engine determines whether the operation would affect a stripe data block that is currently assigned to another operation. If the new operation corresponds to a block of data in the stripe that includes data locked by another operation, the PSL engine assigns the new operation to a wait list. In one embodiment, the PSL engine maintains a wait list for each of the stripes in the RAID system.
US09990156B1
Deduplicating snapshot associated with a backup operation is disclosed, including: performing a backup operation including by generating a plurality of snapshots; maintaining, at a source system, deduplication data corresponding to one or more data blocks that have already been written to backup media during the backup operation; and using the deduplication data to deduplicate backup data across the plurality of snapshots.
US09990153B2
A memory system includes a memory device performing write operations on lines included in a memory block among a plurality of memory blocks included in the memory device; a counting unit counting a write count for each of the plurality of memory blocks, and outputting the write counts; a first wear-leveling unit performing a wear leveling operation by shifting the lines of each of the plurality of memory blocks; and a second wear-leveling unit detecting hot and cold memory blocks among the plurality of memory blocks based on the write counts, and swapping the hot memory block with the cold memory block, wherein the second wear-leveling unit selects at least one memory block among the plurality of memory blocks based on the write counts, and checks whether the write operation is performed on each of the lines included in the selected memory block.
US09990151B2
A method, device, and non-transitory computer readable medium for mirroring data, comprising, selecting, based on a plurality of data attributes, a portion of local data in a local storage device for mirroring to a remote storage device and copying the selected portion of the local data to at least one cache memory of the remote storage device. Next a determination of when a failover event has occurred in the local storage device is made, wherein the failover event comprises an event in which the local data in the local storage device is inaccessible to a client computing device when the client computing device attempts to access the local data from the local storage device. A copy of the local data from the cache memory in the remote storage device is retrieved when the failover event is determined to have occurred.
US09990140B2
A method of providing one or more computing devices with access to a plurality of resources. The plurality of resources are provided by at least one physical device. The method comprises, at a first control element receiving a data packet transmitted by one of said one or more computing devices, and determining whether said data packet comprises a command including a first logical identifier identifying one of said resources. If it is determined that said data packet comprises a command including a first logical identifier a second logical identifier is obtained, the second logical identifier being associated with said first logical identifier and identifying said one of said resources. A request including said second logical identifier is transmitted to a second control element, the second control element being arranged to identify a physical device associated with said second logical identifier and to forward said request to the identified physical device.
US09990136B2
A data storage device may comprise data storage comprising a first logical unit configured to store user data and a second logical unit configured to store an operating system. A first interface may be configured to couple to a host and a second interface may be configured to couple to a network. In a first mode, the data storage device may be configured to expose the first logical unit to the host and render the second logical unit inaccessible and, in a second mode, the data storage device may be configured to allow access to both the first and the second logical units. The first mode may comprise a direct attached storage (DAS) mode and the second mode may comprise a network attached storage (NAS) mode.
US09990135B2
Described are a system and technique for collecting stack trace information of devices and analyzing this information to provide metrics with respect to memory usage. The memory analysis includes attributing the memory usage to particular development components by traversing a stack trace. For example, the development components may correspond to a classification used for a particular development effort such as a group of classes, a sub-project, or a development team. As a result, the system may produce various metrics that produce memory usage information attributable to a more meaningful conceptual unit rather than, for example, function names. Accordingly, these attributions may be analyzed for forensic purposes to get a more meaningful picture of sources and causes of memory usage.
US09990134B2
Apparatus and method for managing data in a hybrid data storage device. In some embodiments, a hybrid device has a hard disc drive (HDD) controller circuit coupled to non-volatile rotatable media and a solid state drive (SSD) controller circuit coupled to non-volatile solid state memory. A top level controller circuit directs a selected access command one of the HDD controller circuit or the SSD controller circuit responsive to a selected parameter associated with the selected access command. In a normal mode, the top level controller circuit directs a transfer of data between the host and the HDD controller circuit and handles host interface communications. In a tunneling mode, the top level controller circuit directly connects the HDD controller circuit to the host device. In this way, tunnel mode bypasses processing operations required by the top level controller circuit. Tunnel mode and normal mode may be selected on a command-by-command basis.
US09990130B2
A method of operating a storage device having a nonvolatile memory including at least one memory block having a plurality of sub-blocks includes reading backup data of backup memory cells having a highest program state among a plurality of memory cells connected to at least one word line of a sub-block which is not erase-requested adjacent to an erase-requested sub-block among the sub-blocks. The method includes storing the backup data, erasing the erase-requested sub-block, and reprogramming the backup memory cells having the highest program state on the basis of the backup data.
US09990121B2
An electronic device, with a touch-sensitive surface and a display, includes one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface. The device displays a user interface object on the display. The device further detects a press input on the touch-sensitive surface while a focus selector is at a first location in a user interface. In response to detecting the press input on the touch-sensitive surface, upon determining that the press input has an intensity above a predefined activation threshold, the device moves the user interface object directly to the first location in the user interface; and upon determining that the press input has an intensity below the predefined activation threshold and meets gradual-movement criteria, the device moves the user interface object toward the first location in the user interface in accordance with the intensity of the press input.
US09990113B2
An electronic device provides, to a display, data to present a user interface that includes: a plurality of user interface objects, and a current focus on a first user interface object. The device receives an input that corresponds to a gesture detected on a touch-sensitive surface of a user input device. The gesture includes a movement of a contact across the touch-sensitive surface followed by a lift-off of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface. The gesture includes a characteristic movement distance and a characteristic movement speed. In accordance with a determination that the gesture satisfies coasting criteria, the device moves the current focus in the user interface; and decelerates movement of the current focus across the series of user interface objects at a first deceleration rate that is based on: the characteristic movement distance of the gesture, and the characteristic movement speed of the gesture.
US09990112B2
The present disclosure is directed towards having a user interface that displays a number of cards or windows. A user can implement a command where the user interface will automatically change the position of the displayed cards to show regions of interest which are the parts of the cards that a user may have interested in. The user interest can be determined in accordance with user preference information. Optionally, cards which do not have regions of interest are removed from a display area and such cards are replaced with new cards that do have regions of interest.
US09990108B2
In one embodiment, method includes receiving data including chat room data from a chat room server, receiving input data from at least one input device, preparing a user interface screen including a chat room list including chat room panels, each one chat room panel including information about a different chat room from a plurality of chat rooms and a chat room icon of the different chat room, wherein a first chat room panel includes an indication of how many chat room members of a first chat room from the plurality of chat rooms have read a first message posted in the first chat room. Related systems and methods are also included.
US09990106B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a display and circuitry. The circuitry displays a first menu in a first region of a screen. The circuitry determines whether a first operation is made and whether a second operation is made. The first operation is to move a pointing location from inside of the first region into a second region. The second operation is to move a pointing location from outside of the first region into the second region. The circuitry halts display of a second menu on the second region when the first operation is determined, and displays the second menu on the second region when the second operation is determined.
US09990105B2
A user device may provide a graphical user interface which presents content navigation objects, where each content navigation object may be associated with a content item and is presented within a portion of the graphical user interface. The user device may detect an action that corresponds to a content navigation object, and determine whether the detected action is a command to display content options that may be contextually related to the content item associated with the content navigation object. The user device may display the content options by altering the appearance of the content navigation object, receive an action selecting the content option from the displayed content options, and conceal the content options after the action for selecting the content option has been received.
US09990104B2
A computer-based apparatus, including: a memory element storing computer-readable instructions and at least one first data file; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to: display a second data file included in the at least one first data file, data fields for the second data file, and icons identifying operations applicable to first data in the second data file; accept a first input selecting a data field from the data fields for the second data file; accept a second input selecting an icon from the icons; associate the icon with the data field; generate a flowchart including the icon; display the flowchart on the GUI; generate second data by performing the operation for the icon on the first data; and replace the first data with the second data, or store the second data in a third data file included in the at least one first data file.
US09990103B2
The present specification is related to a digital device including a front side display unit and a back side display unit and a method of controlling therefor, more particularly, to a method of controlling an application in the back side display unit by rotating an icon corresponding to the application in the front side display unit and a digital device therefor.
US09990098B2
A touch screen panel includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a plurality of first sensing electrodes coupled in a first direction, and a plurality of second sensing electrodes coupled in a second direction crossing the first direction, the first and second sensing electrodes being on the first surface, a plurality of third sensing electrodes overlapping the first sensing electrodes, a plurality of fourth sensing electrodes overlapping the second sensing electrodes, the third and fourth sensing electrodes being on the second surface, wherein the sensing electrodes on the first surface and the sensing electrodes on the second surface overlapping each other are electrically coupled to each other through coupling units for coupling the first surface of the substrate and the second surface of the substrate to each other.
US09990094B2
A transparent composite substrate includes a first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate, and a binding layer bonding the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate with a bond therebetween.
US09990092B2
Touch-detection device, display device having a touch-detection function, and touch-detection method
In one embodiment, a touch-detection device includes first and second sensors, a driver and a detection circuit. The driver supplies a driving signal to the first and second sensors. The detection circuit detects an object which is in contact with a detection area, based on a detection signal which is read from the first and second sensors. The driver simultaneously supplies the signal to the first sensors in a first period, simultaneously supplies the signal to the second sensors in a second period following the first period, when the object was not detected in the first period, and successively supplies the signal to the respective first sensors in the second period, when the object was detected in the first period.
US09990082B2
A touch-control display panel includes a common electrode layer, a display electrode layer, and a driving circuit. The common electrode layer include a plurality of stripe-shaped electrodes disposed in parallel in a first direction, with at least one of the plurality of stripe-shaped electrodes including at least two stripe-shaped sub-electrodes arranged in parallel in the first direction. The display electrode layer is disposed opposite to the common electrode layer, and the driving circuit is configured for driving the plurality of stripe-shaped electrodes. In a display stage, the plurality of stripe-shaped electrodes operate as common electrodes, and the driving circuit provides common voltage signals to the stripe-shaped electrodes. In a touch-control stage, the plurality of stripe-shaped electrodes operate as touch-control electrodes, and the driving circuit provides touch-control driving signals to the stripe-shaped electrodes.
US09990081B2
An electronic device includes a display panel configured to display an image, first electrodes provided on the display panel and arranged in parallel in a direction, second electrodes provided on the display panel and arranged in parallel in a direction crossing the first electrodes, an insulating layer provided between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, a controller configured to transmit driving signals to the first electrodes, and receive electrical signals from the second electrodes, touch detection areas and fingerprint-touch detection areas in which the first electrodes cross the second electrodes, and a protection film provided on the first electrodes and the second electrodes. The touch detection areas are arranged in a matrix of M rows and N columns, the fingerprint-touch detection areas are disposed at positions in the matrix, and each of the fingerprint-touch detection areas includes fingerprint detection pixels.
US09990073B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a writable liquid crystal display device, a manufacturing method and a driving method thereof. The writable liquid crystal display device comprises a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal molecule layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate. A plurality of pixel units arranged in an array are disposed on the first substrate, and a pixel electrode is arranged in each pixel unit. A piezoelectric transducer connected with the pixel electrode is further arranged in each pixel unit. A surface plasma resonance metal layer is arranged on the pixel electrode. A pressure transfer structure is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. One end of the pressure transfer structure is in contact with the second substrate, and the other end of the pressure transfer structure is in contact with the piezoelectric transducer.
US09990067B2
An electronic device having a customizable interface includes a processor configured to execute instructions and a display device configured to generate an interface based in part in response to the processor. The electronic device further includes a touch screen associated with the display device and configured to sense a user input with respect to a plurality of objects, wherein the input is provided to the processor. The processor further configured to determine at least one of a physical aspect of the user input and a frequency of an interaction with each of the plurality objects displayed on the touch screen. The processor further configured to modify a manner in which the plurality objects are displayed on the display device based on the determination of at least one of the physical aspects of the user input and the frequency of interaction with the plurality of objects.
US09990055B2
Provided is a method of establishing, by a first display device, a communication link with a second display device, the method including operations of detecting a first bending motion occurring in the first display device; obtaining information about a second bending motion occurring in the second display device; and establishing a communication link for a data exchange with the second display device, based on a start time of the first bending motion and a start time of the second bending motion.
US09990053B2
A keyboard and a method of controlling the same are provided. The keyboard includes a base, a plurality of keys, a plurality of key chips and a controller. The base has a plurality of connecting portions. Each key is detachably connected to one of the connecting portions. Each key chip is correspondingly disposed on one of the keys and has a corresponding key code. The controller is disposed on the base. The controller outputs an inquiring code to each key chip, and each key chip determines whether the key code thereof corresponds to the inquiring code. The key chip which has the corresponded key code feedbacks a press state of the corresponding key to the controller.
US09990050B2
The subject disclosure is directed towards a technology by which dynamic hand gestures are recognized by processing depth data, including in real-time. In an offline stage, a classifier is trained from feature values extracted from frames of depth data that are associated with intended hand gestures. In an online stage, a feature extractor extracts feature values from sensed depth data that corresponds to an unknown hand gesture. These feature values are input to the classifier as a feature vector to receive a recognition result of the unknown hand gesture. The technology may be used in real time, and may be robust to variations in lighting, hand orientation, and the user's gesturing speed and style.
US09990037B1
A display apparatus and a method of displaying, via the display apparatus. The display apparatus includes at least one focus display, and a processor coupled to the at least one focus display. The processor of the display apparatus is configured to render a focus image at the at least one focus display. The display apparatus is arranged to be detachably attached to a portable electronic device and to be communicably coupled with the portable electronic device. A processor of the portable electronic device is configured to render a context image at a display of the portable electronic device. The projection of the rendered context image is combined with the projection of the rendered focus image to create a visual scene.
US09990035B2
An embodiment combines the concepts of image enhancement and gaze tracking to enhance the experience of viewing images by tracking where the viewer is looking. The result is to make the viewing experience more like viewing the original scene, or to enhance the viewing experience in new ways beyond the original experience, either automatically, or by interacting with a photographer's previously specified intentions for what should happen when the viewer looks at a particular portion of an image or images taken by that photographer.
US09990031B2
An indicating method and device for correcting failure of motion-sensing interaction tracking. The method includes: acquiring physical space coordinates of a border of an actual motion-sensing interaction range of a human body and physical space coordinates of one or more key-part points in the human body; if a failure of motion-sensing interaction tracking is determined, obtaining, a current position of the human body relative to the border of the actual motion-sensing interaction range based on the physical space coordinates of the border of the actual motion-sensing interaction range and a physical space coordinate of at least one key-part point from the one or more key-part points acquired in a latest time; and scaling down the border of the actual motion-sensing interaction range and a distance of the current position relative to the border of the actual motion-sensing interaction range, and displaying at a display interface through an auxiliary image.
US09990029B2
A method for interfacing with an interactive program is provided. Images of an interface object and a motion controller disposed in a gameplay environment are captured, a tag defined on a surface of the interface object. The captured images are analyzed to identify the tag on the surface of the interface object. Movement of the interface object is tracked by tracking the tag. Augmented images are generated by replacing, in the captured images, the tag with a virtual object, wherein generating the augmented images includes processing the tracked movement of the interface object to define movement of the virtual object. The captured images are analyzed to identify a pointing direction of the motion controller in the gameplay environment. The pointing direction of the motion controller is processed to identify a selection of a portion of the virtual object. The augmented images are presented on a display.
US09990026B1
A method and apparatus of using sleep monitoring is described. The method comprises monitoring the user's state using a plurality of sensors in a sensor system and detecting when the user is falling asleep. The method further comprises adjusting settings in an associated device in response to the user falling asleep.
US09990016B2
In an embodiment, a processor includes at least one core to execute instructions and a memory controller coupled to the at least one core. In turn, the memory controller includes a spare logic to cause a dynamic transfer of data stored on a first memory device coupled to the processor to a second memory device coupled to the processor, responsive to a temperature of the first memory device exceeding a thermal threshold. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09990015B2
An information processing apparatus which enables appropriate cooling at low cost. A MFP 101 as an information processing apparatus has a controller cooling fan 116, a temperature sensor 121 measuring temperature of a CPU 110, and a controller 105 provided with a power-source/fan control IC 115, an HDD-A 119 and an HDD-B 120. When mirroring control is not applied to the MFP 101, the power-source/fan control IC 115 controls the rotation of the controller cooling fan 116 according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 121. When mirroring control is applied to the MFP 101, the power-source/fan control IC 115 continues to rotate the controller cooling fan 116.
US09990012B2
A disk drive module is provided herein. The disk drive module includes a frame, a keyed member, a front aperture, and a back aperture. The frame includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls therebetween. The keyed member is formed along at least one of the pair of side walls. The front aperture to receive a drive carrier. The back aperture to interchangeably receive at least one back end selected from a hot plug back end and a non-hot plug back end.
US09990007B2
The present invention provides a stand device that enables a portable information device to be set at a desired upright angle easily and smoothly, and a stand-equipped portable information device including the stand device. The stand device includes: a guide rail facing a back surface of a chassis of the portable information device; and a bendable stand plate having a first end attached to the chassis and a second end opposite to the first end. A slide member disposed at the second end is slidably engaged with the guide rail. The stand plate includes a crease that extends in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the guide rail, and is disposed between the first end and the second end so that when the slide member slides, the stand plate is bent at the crease and is brought into contact with or separated from the back surface of the chassis.
US09990004B2
A detection device of a flexible display, the detection device including image sensors configured to capture images, a processor configured to process the images captured by the image sensors, and a memory having instructions stored therein that, when executed by the processor, result in calculation of a bend angle of the flexible display by comparing the images captured at differing times over time.
US09989993B2
A monitor assembly having an electronic monitor with a frame and a display area and a support assembly configured to act between the monitor frame and a support for the electronic monitor. The support assembly has at least one link member configured to be movable: a) relative to the monitor frame around a first axis with the support assembly in operative relationship with the monitor frame; and b) relative to the support around a second axis with the support assembly in operative relationship with the support. The first and second axes are non-parallel to each other. The electronic monitor is guided in movement relative to the electronic monitor support around the first and second axes to thereby reposition the monitor display area relative to the support.
US09989989B2
A system and method for measuring time delays in a non-periodic system can include receiving a first host signal including transitions deviating from a true periodic signal, removing deviations from the true periodic signal to form a second host signal, detecting a phase of the first host signal and the second host signal relative to a common stable clock signal, and comparing the detected phase of the first host signal and the second host signal to produce a signal indicative of the deviation of the first host signal from the true periodic signal.
US09989988B2
A method is provided for time synchronization in a MEMS (MicroElectroMecahnical system) based system having a MEMS processor and a plurality of MEMS devices. In a specific embodiment, the method includes, in the MEMS processor, transmitting a synchronization signal to the plurality of MEMS devices and saving a local time upon transmitting the synchronization signal. The MEMS processor also receives sampled data and time information from the plurality of MEMS devices, when the data and information become available. The method also includes, in one or more of the MEMS devices, receiving the synchronization signal from the MEMS processor and storing a local time upon receiving the synchronization signal. The MEMS device also performs a sensing operation and stores sampled sense data and sense time information.
US09989987B2
A pedal operation amount detection apparatus comprising: a transmitting member that transmits a pedal operation force; a movement lever disposed so as to be movable with respect to the transmitting member; a sensor rod disposed so as to be connected to the transmitting member and the movement lever; and a deformable body that is disposed on the transmitting member and is deformed when the pedal operation force or a reaction force corresponding to the pedal operation force is transmitted from the movement lever to the deformable body, the pedal operation amount detection apparatus electrically detecting a pedal operation amount based on deformation of the deformable body, the sensor rod extending through both the movement lever and the deformable body, the pedal operation amount detection apparatus further comprising: a first locking portion provided at an end portion of the sensor rod on a side where the sensor rod protrudes from the deformable body; a second locking portion provided at an intermediate portion of the sensor rod between the deformable body and the movement lever; a first elastic member that is disposed between the second locking portion and the deformable body in a natural state or a compressed state when a pedal is not operated; and a second elastic member that is disposed to so as to be connected to the movement lever and the sensor rod, and urges the movement lever to cause the movement lever to contact the second locking portion, when the pedal is operated, a load in a direction to displace the sensor rod toward the first locking portion is applied from the movement lever to the second locking portion, the sensor rod being moved toward the first locking portion in a manner such that the first elastic member is elastically deformed between the second locking portion and the deformable body, and the deformable body being deformed.
US09989986B2
An output control system of an agricultural work vehicle includes a controller, a reference indicator communicatively coupled to the controller, and a dial communicatively coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to control power output through an output value range between a minimum output value and a maximum output value based at least in part on a manual input signal, to determine a current setting of the power output, and to adjust the power output from the current setting upon receipt of the manual input signal. The reference indicator is configured to indicate the current setting. Adjustment of an orientation of the dial from an initial position generates the manual input signal.
US09989983B2
The invention relates to a current source for the delivery of a first current and a second current, wherein the first current is biased opposite to the second current. The current source provides a first transistor, wherein the first transistor is connected with a control terminal to a first control voltage. The current source provides a second transistor, wherein the second transistor is connected with a control terminal to a second control voltage. The source terminal of the first transistor is connected in an electrically conducting manner to the source terminal of the second transistor. The first current is delivered at the drain terminal of the first transistor, and the second current is delivered at the drain terminal of the second transistor. Furthermore, a circuit arrangement with a current source according to the invention is provided according to the invention.
US09989982B2
Systems and methods for managing power on an electric power grid including a server for communicating IP-based messages over a network with distributed power consuming devices and/or power supplying devices, the IP-based messages including information relating to activities by the power consuming devices and/or the power supplying devices; and wherein the information is transformed by the system into settlement grade data corresponding to the activities of the power consuming devices and/or the power supplying devices.
US09989980B1
Various examples are directed to providing thermal management to a computing device. The computing device may receive temperature state data describing a temperature state of the computing device. The temperature state may comprise a first temperature value at a first location at the computing device. The computing device may also receive use state data describing a first use state of the computing device. The first use state may comprise an initial operating condition of a first component of the computing device and an initial operating condition of a second component of the computing device. The computing device may determine that at least one temperature value at the computing device is out-of-range and select a second use state for the computing device. The second use state may comprise at least one of a new operating condition for the first component or a new operating condition of the second component.
US09989979B2
An inflating module adapted to an inflatable object includes a pressure controlling assembly configured to monitor air pressure in the inflatable object after the inflatable body has been inflated and a supplemental air pressure providing device. The pressure controlling assembly is configured to automatically activate the supplemental air pressure providing device when the air pressure inside the inflatable object decreases below a predetermined threshold after inflation, and to control the supplemental air pressure providing device to provide supplemental air pressure to the inflatable object so as to maintain the air pressure of the inflatable object within a predetermined range.
US09989958B2
A cloud-based virtualization generation service collects industrial-automation-system-related data from multiple industrial automation systems of multiple industrial customers for storage and analysis on a cloud platform. A virtualization management component analyzes the data and generates a virtualized industrial automation system of the industrial automation system based on the analysis results. The virtualization management component updates the virtualized industrial automation system based on operation of, and user interactions with, the industrial automation system. The virtualization management component receives user interactions with the virtualized industrial automation system to facilitate remotely interacting with and/or controlling the industrial automation system and/or generates corresponding control signals that it sends to the industrial automation system to facilitate controlling operation of the industrial automation system. The virtualization management component also customizes a user's view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on user's role, authorization, or location.
US09989956B2
Example computer-implemented methods, apparatuses, and systems are described for implementing split range control using Proportional-Integral (PI) control on a process. In some aspects, a feedback signal from the process is received. A proportional control is performed on the feedback signal to generate a first control output while an integral control is performed on the feedback signal to generate a second control output. A first valve of the process is controlled based on the first control output while a second valve of the process is controlled based on the second control output. The second valve has a valve diameter larger than a valve diameter of the first valve.
US09989952B2
A digital image is captured. The captured digital image includes a calibration pattern. The calibration pattern includes displayed information about the calibration pattern. The displayed information is read to obtain calibration information about the captured digital image. A new image is generated. The calibration information is stored with the new image.
US09989950B2
Disclosed herein, in various embodiments, are systems and methods for creating, implementing, communicating, and/or analyzing control logic governing operation of a system under control, where the control logic is defined in attributed data, which specifies control operators along with their input and output variables for the various control nodes. In example embodiments, an attributed-data generator converts a control-logic design specification into attributed data based in part on control-operator mappings provided by an attributed-data dictionary.
US09989948B2
Methods and systems for transfer-switch controller backup and transfer-switch controller operation are provided. An example backup apparatus includes a memory configured to store transfer-switch data related to a first transfer-switch controller, wherein the first transfer switch-controller is a controller for a given transfer switch. The apparatus is capable of interfacing with a communication interface of the first transfer-switch controller. The apparatus is further capable of being removed from the communication interface of the first transfer-switch controller and thereafter interfacing with a communication interface of a second transfer-switch controller, wherein the second transfer-switch controller is a replacement controller for the given transfer switch. The memory is further configured to, after the apparatus interfacing with the communication interface of the second transfer-switch controller, provide the transfer-switch data related to the first transfer-switch controller to the second transfer-switch controller.
US09989941B2
A system for management of solid chemistry supply can be configured to use operating attributes and sensed operating conditions associated with a process to estimate solid chemistry supply levels. The system can also be configured to control a feeder attached to a solid chemistry supply container. The control can include controlling a dose of a solid chemistry product to the container according to the estimation. The system can also be configured to communicate a message regarding an insufficient supply of the solid chemistry product.
US09989936B2
A transport control system divides a series of data-processing operations into mutually independent processes, and causes the process execution units to execute the respective processes. The data input or output by each process execution unit is stored in the data storage separate from the process execution unit, and transfer of the data between the respective process execution units is performed via the data storage instead of being performed directly between the process execution units. By separating the processes from each other and also separating the processes from the data in this manner, without affecting process execution units other than a process execution unit to be changed and the data storage, the process execution unit to be changed can be changed to a different process execution unit.
US09989935B2
An active front-end rectifier filter delay compensation method based on model predictive control is disclosed. The method includes following steps: detecting a three-phase grid voltage and three-phase input current sampling value of an active front-end rectifier, and transforming both via Clarke transformation to acquire grid voltage sampling values eα and eβ, and input current sampling values ifα and ifβ under a two-phase stationary coordinate system; establishing an equivalent mathematical model of rectifier on the basis of voltage balancing equation (1) in an actual rectifier, and establishing an equivalent filter model on the basis of a transfer function corresponding to the actual filter, thus constituting a filter delay observer; and, compensating the difference value between the input current sampling values ifα and ifβ, and equivalent current sampling values iofα and iofβ into an input of the filter delay observer via a proportional controller. In comparison to the input current sampling values ifα and ifβ, the input current observed values ioα and ioβ of the rectifier are not impacted by a filter latency and are closer to the actual input current value of the rectifier such that the impact of the filter delay is compensated.
US09989933B2
An apparatus for controlling and granting access to computer programs, and/or industrial safety and security, is provided. The apparatus may include a memory configured to store a delay length value, at least one processing core configured to initiate delaying access to at least part of a program, to determine that at least one processing action has been performed on the apparatus by a user, and to adjust, based on the at least one processing action, the length of the delaying of access to the at least part of the program to a non-zero adjusted delay length.
US09989930B2
A mobile electronic device according to one embodiment includes a sounding module that performs alarm sounding and a controller that determines whether the mobile electronic device is in a moving state. When it is determined that the mobile electronic device is in the moving state, the controller disables the alarm sounding by the sounding module.
US09989927B1
A technique for sensing an environmental parameter is disclosed. The technique generates an oscillating signal using a variable resistance sensitive to a variable parameter. A frequency of the oscillating signal is directly dependent on the variable resistance. A time-to-digital converter generates a digital code indicative of the variable resistance. The digital code is generated based on the frequency of the oscillating signal and a second frequency of a reference clock signal. The second frequency is insensitive to the variable parameter. The variable resistance may be a metal resistor and the reference resistance may be generated using a capacitor that is switched at a particular frequency. The measured resistance may be used to control a voltage-controlled oscillator. The oscillating signal frequency may be converted to a digital signal and post-processed for use as an indicator of absolute temperature or other environmental parameter.
US09989920B2
A method of computing a hologram for reconstructing an object using a display device. The display device enables a holographic reconstruction of the object. The display device includes a light source and an optical system to illuminate a hologram-bearing medium being encodable with the hologram. The method includes the steps of: (a) computing the hologram by determining the wavefronts at an approximate observer eye position that would be generated by a real version of the object to be reconstructed; and (b) encoding the computed hologram in the hologram-bearing medium.
US09989915B2
A developing cartridge mountable to a development rotary of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a coupling member for transmitting a rotational force from a main assembly engaging portion to a developing roller, the coupling member being engageable and disengageable relative to the engaging portion with rotation of the rotary, the coupling member being movable among a rotational force transmitting angular position, a pre-engagement angular position in which the coupling member is inclined relative to that in the transmitting angular position to engage with the engaging portion, and a disengaging angular position for disengaging therefrom; and an inclination regulating member movable between a regulating position for positioning the coupling member to the pre-engagement position and a retracted position, the inclination regulating member being movable from the retracted position to the regulating position by being abutted by a function member of the rotary.
US09989913B2
A photo conductor cleaning device removes substances adhered to a surface of a photo conductor which moves around the axis of rotation. The photo conductor cleaning device is equipped with a device main body, a tip blade, and a flexible supporting sheet metal plate which holds the tip blade and makes the tip blade contact with the photo conductor. The supporting sheet metal plate is fixed to the device main body by two fixing portions which are places at different locations, as seen from a cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the photo conductor. The supporting sheet metal plate is supported at the both ends by the two fixing portions support.
US09989909B2
A belt device includes a belt member, a detected unit, a window, an optical detector, and a regulation member. The belt member is movable in a direction of belt movement. The detected unit disposed on at least one side of the belt in a width direction of the belt intersecting with the direction of belt movement and extending in the direction of belt movement. The window transmits detection light emitted toward the detected unit and reflected light from the detected unit. The optical detector detects the detected unit. The regulation member is disposed on at least one side in a width direction of the window to keep the detected unit away from the window.
US09989905B2
A fixing device includes a nip formation pad which is disposed opposite an endless belt and forms a fixing nip between the endless belt and a pressure rotator. A contact heater is disposed at least at one lateral end of the nip formation pad in a longitudinal direction thereof and heats at least one lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. A thermal conduction aid contacts a belt-side face of each of the nip formation pad and the contact heater and conducts heat in the axial direction of the endless belt. A cover is disposed outboard from the thermal conduction aid in a longitudinal direction thereof. The cover covers the belt-side face of the contact heater. The contact heater includes a power supply portion disposed outboard from the thermal conduction aid in the longitudinal direction thereof and covered by the cover.
US09989900B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an acquisition unit, a fixing unit including a heating member and a pressure member forming a nip, a temperature detecting unit, and a control unit. In a case where a toner density of a toner image on a k-th recording material of a plurality of recording materials is less than the toner density of the toner image on a (k-1)-th recording material of the plurality of recording materials, k being an integer greater than or equal to two, the control unit sets a fixing temperature of the k-th recording material to a temperature which is greater than a predetermined temperature predetermined based on image information of the toner image to be formed on the k-th recording material.
US09989899B2
An image forming apparatus includes a feeding unit for feeding a recording material, and a calculating unit for calculating a degree of deterioration of the feeding unit, while making correction depending on stiffness of the recording material and a content of a filler contained in the recording material.
US09989898B2
A polishing unit is attached to an opening/closing cover included in a fixing device so as to polish a fixing belt. The polishing unit includes: a polishing unit body support member that is detachably attached to the opening/closing cover; and a polishing section that is held by the polishing unit body support member and that makes contact with the fixing belt so as to polish the fixing belt when the opening/closing cover is closed.
US09989895B2
An image forming apparatus includes a movable endless belt, a first image bearing member, second image bearing members provided upstream of the first image bearing member with respect to a movement direction of the belt, a first transfer roller, second transfer rollers, an auxiliary roller provided upstream of a most upstream second transfer roller of the second transfer rollers with respect to the movement direction of the belt, and an executing portion capable of executing an operation in a full-color mode in a first roller arrangement and an operation in a monochromatic mode in a second roller arrangement.
US09989894B2
A separation member includes a contact surface contacting a photosensitive member when a transfer member is positioned at a second position, and a regulation unit that regulates a position of the separation member with respect to the photosensitive member, in which the regulation unit contacts the photosensitive member earlier than the contact surface in a process of inserting a cartridge in an apparatus main body.
US09989893B2
An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to compare a threshold value and an output value corresponding to an intensity of light reflected from a detection image, and to detect a color misregistration amount based on a comparison result; an update unit configured to update the threshold value based on a previous output value corresponding to the intensity of the light reflected from the detection image; and an adjustment unit configured to adjust an emission intensity of the light emitting element. The update unit updates, in a case when the emission intensity is adjusted, the threshold value based on the previous output value, a previous emission intensity, and the emission intensity adjusted by the adjustment unit.
US09989892B2
A developer accommodating container for accommodating a developer includes: a toner seal member for unsealably sealing an opening of the developer accommodating container; an unsealing member, connected to an end portion of the toner seal member, for unsealing the opening by moving at least a part of the toner seal member; and an auxiliary unsealing member for assisting unsealing by changing a pulling direction of the toner seal member by the unsealing member. The auxiliary unsealing member includes a shaft portion or a projected portion. The shaft portion or the projected portion extends in a longitudinal direction of the developer accommodating container.
US09989891B2
A developing device includes a storage unit that stores developer to be used to form a developer image on an image carrier, the developer containing toner and carrier, an auxiliary storage unit that stores the developer and is connected to the storage unit via a first opening from which the developer is supplied into the storage unit and a second opening from which the developer in the storage unit is taken in, a first transport member provided at the first opening to transport the developer in the auxiliary storage unit into the storage unit, a second transport member provided at the second opening to transport the developer in the storage unit into the auxiliary storage unit, and a supply unit that has an opening opposed to the first transport member and supplies toner to the developer transported from the auxiliary storage unit into the storage unit.
US09989890B2
A developing device and an image forming apparatus including the developing device are provided. The developing device includes a housing, a developer carrier which is rotatably supported by the housing, and which carries developer on a circumferential surface thereof, a layer thickness regulating member which includes, a blade contacting the circumferential surface of the developer carrier along a rotational axial direction of the developer carrier, and a support member supporting the blade, the layer thickness regulating member for regulating a layer thickness of the developer on the circumferential surface of the developer carrier. The support member includes: a contact part which contacts the blade; and a pair of attachment parts which are attached to the housing. The attachment parts are provide at both sides of the contact part in the rotational axial direction and are further protruded than the contact part in a direction away from the developer carrier.
US09989878B2
An image forming apparatus is configured to change one of the expected adjustment timing and the expected switching timing so as to be matched with the other, to determine a timing for predetermined adjustment and switching of print modes.
US09989874B2
A carrier for developing electrostatic latent images is provided. The carrier includes a magnetic core particle and a resin layer coating a surface of the magnetic core particle. The resin layer includes a particulate material A having a volume average particle diameter (a) and a particulate material B having a volume average particle diameter (b). The volume average particle diameter (a) of the particulate material A is the largest among volume average particle diameters of all particulate materials included in the resin layer, and an inequation 100≥(a)/(b)≥5 is satisfied. The particulate material A is barium sulfate.
US09989867B2
A substrate holder for a lithographic apparatus has a planarization layer provided on a surface thereof. The planarization layer provides a smooth surface for the formation of an electronic component such as a thin film electronic component. The planarization layer may be provided in multiple sub layers. The planarization layer may smooth over roughness caused by removal of material from a blank to form burls on the substrate holder.
US09989864B2
A measurement method including using multiple radiation poles to illuminate a diffraction grating on a mask at a mask side of a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, coupling at least two different resulting diffraction orders per illumination pole through the projection system, using the projection system to project the diffraction orders onto a grating on a wafer such that a pair of combination diffraction orders is formed by diffraction of the diffraction orders, coupling the combination diffraction orders back through the projection system to detectors configured to measure the intensity of the combination diffraction orders, and using the measured intensity of the combination diffraction orders to measure the position of the wafer grating.
US09989860B2
A pattern generating method includes, generating a first bit map from inputted pattern data. Characteristics of a plurality of beams for exposing a pattern on a substrate are analyzed, each of the plurality of beams being designated to correspond to one of a plurality of grids in the first bit map. The pattern data is corrected such that at least one of the plurality of beams is designated to expose at least a portion of the pattern on the substrate. A second bit map is generated from the corrected pattern data. The substrate is patterned using the plurality of beams according to the designation of the second bit map.
US09989858B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for performing a measurement operation on a substrate in accordance with one or more substrate alignment models. The one or more substrate alignment models are selected from a plurality of candidate substrate alignment models. The apparatus, which may be a lithographic apparatus, includes an external interface which enables selection of the substrate alignment model(s) and/or alteration of the substrate alignment model(s) prior to the measurement operation.
US09989853B2
A hardmask composition includes a first material including one of an aromatic ring-containing monomer and a polymer containing a repeating unit including an aromatic ring-containing monomer, a second material including at least one of a hexagonal boron nitride and a precursor thereof, a chalcogenide-based material and a precursor thereof, and a two-dimensional carbon nanostructure and a precursor thereof, the two-dimensional carbon nanostructure containing about 0.01 atom % to about 40 atom % of oxygen, and a solvent.
US09989850B2
A system and method for photoresists is provided. In an embodiment a cross-linking or coupling reagent is included within a photoresist composition. The cross-linking or coupling reagent will react with the polymer resin within the photoresist composition to cross-link or couple the polymers together, resulting in a polymer with a larger molecular weight. This larger molecular weight will cause the dissolution rate of the photoresist to decrease, leading to a better depth of focus for the line.
US09989839B2
A light module includes an excitation radiation source designed to emit an excitation radiation having a polarization, at least one first phosphor, an output, at which an output signal is providable, at least one first polarization beam splitter, a first polarization modulator arranged serially between the radiation source and the first splitter. The first modulator is designed to modify the polarization of the radiation source depending on a control signal. The first splitter is designed to split the radiation incident on it depending on the polarization between a first and a second of two optical partial paths connected in parallel with one another. The first optical partial path includes the at least one first phosphor and ends at the output of the light module. The second optical partial path, whilst bypassing the at least one first phosphor, ends at the output of the light module.
US09989833B2
An illumination apparatus includes: a light-guiding portion including a light-introducing opening through which light is introduced from a light-emitting portion of an image pickup apparatus, a reflective surface that reflects light introduced from the light-introducing opening toward an image pickup optical axis of the image pickup apparatus, and a diffusion portion that diffuses the light reflected by the reflective surface toward an object as diffused light; and a reflective body including an opening portion allowing an image pickup opening of the image pickup apparatus to be exposed, and a reflective portion provided around the opening portion and including a reflective surface formed to expand from the opening portion toward the object, wherein the diffusion portion is disposed at a part of the reflective portion and the reflective body includes a wall portion extending to the object side at a boundary between the opening portion and the diffusion portion.
US09989827B2
A display device is provided. The display device includes a base; a gate conductor disposed directly on the base and including a gate line and a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate conductor and including an overlap portion, which overlaps with the gate conductor, and a non-overlap portion, which is connected to the overlap portion, does not overlap with the gate conductor, and is spaced apart from the base; and a semiconductor pattern disposed on the gate insulating layer and overlapping with the gate electrode, wherein edges of the gate insulating layer project further than edges of the gate conductor and edges of the semiconductor pattern.
US09989823B2
An array substrate and a display panel are provided. The array substrate includes a plurality of sub-pixels defined by a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines, and a color filter layer including a plurality of color blockers in a plurality of colors. The plurality of sub-pixels is arranged in a matrix and includes first sub-pixels, second sub-pixels, third sub-pixels, and fourth sub-pixels configured to display different colors. The first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels, the third sub-pixels, and the fourth sub-pixels each includes an aperture region, and a non-aperture region. A length-to-width aspect, ratio of the plurality of sub-pixels is greater than 2:1. An aperture region of the fourth sub-pixel is smaller than an aperture region of any one of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel.
US09989817B2
A pixel structure includes a scan line, a signal line and a first pixel. The first pixel includes a switch device and a pixel electrode. A gate of the switch device is electrically connected to the scan line. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the switch device, and the pixel electrode includes a plurality of slits. The signal line includes a first portion and a second portion, the pixel electrode overlaps the first portion of the signal line, and the scan line overlaps the second portion of the signal line. The first portion of the signal line includes at least one bent portion, the bent portion is disposed along the arrangement directions of the slits, and the pixel electrode covers the edges of the bent portion of the signal line.
US09989816B2
A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates opposite to each other, a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, a first electrode on the first substrate in a planar shape, and a second electrode on the first substrate and including pixel electrodes, which overlap the first electrode. Each of the pixel electrodes includes minute branches disposed parallel to one another, and connecting branches, which connect the minute branches, the minute branches include an edge area defined on a side thereof, and a main area defined by a remaining area, the connecting branches are disposed alternately on outer sides of the edge and main areas, and a first angle formed by the minute branches in the edge area with respect to a first direction is larger than a second angle formed by the minute branches in the main area with respect to the first direction.
US09989810B2
An electro-optical device comprises an element substrate, a counter substrate, and an inorganic film. The counter substrate is arranged so as to face the element substrate. The seal material is arranged between the element substrate and the counter substrate so as to join the element substrate and the counter substrate. The inorganic film covers a side face of the seal material, a peripheral region of the element substrate between the side face of the seal material and a side of the element substrate, and a peripheral region of the counter substrate between the side face of the seal material and a side of the counter substrate.
US09989806B2
A color conversion panel includes: a substrate; a plurality of light emitting regions on the substrate; and a light blocking region between adjacent light emitting regions among the plurality of light emitting regions, wherein the light emitting regions respectively comprise: a color filter disposed on the substrate; and a color conversion layer comprising at least one of a phosphor or a quantum dot and a polymer layer overlapping with at least one of the color filter and the substrate, and the light blocking region comprises a partition comprising at least two overlapping color filters of different colors from each other.
US09989805B2
A liquid crystal display panel includes a TFT substrate; a backlight system configured to emit light beams in a first color; a color film substrate having at least a first subpixel, a second subpixel, and a third subpixel; a liquid crystal layer; and a polarization system. The first subpixel is configured to let the light beams in the first color pass through and to emit the light beams in the first color. The second subpixel includes a plurality of first quantum dots and a plurality of second quantum dots and is configured to emit light beams in at least a second color based on the light beams in the first color. The third subpixel includes a plurality of third quantum dots and a plurality of fourth quantum dots and is configured to emit light beams in at least a fourth color based on the light beams in the first color.
US09989798B2
A light controlling apparatus, a method of fabricating the light controlling apparatus, and a transparent display device including the light controlling apparatus are disclosed, in which light may be transmitted or shielded using a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer and a guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC) layer, where the guest-host liquid crystal layer includes dichroic dyes. The light controlling apparatus includes first and second substrates facing each other; a first electrode on the first substrate; a second electrode on the second substrate; and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer and a guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC) layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the PDLC layer includes first liquid crystals having droplets, and the GHLC layer includes second liquid crystals and dichroic dyes.
US09989783B1
An accessory for eyewear including a sheet of lightweight, flexible material, the accessory having an interior facing surface and an exterior facing surface, a first front portion, a second back portion, a first side portion and a second side portion. The accessory includes at least one aperture positioned in spaced relation between the first and second portions and the first and second side portions and intersecting the sheet along a longitudinal axis. A releasable complementary fastening system is included, whereby when the sheet is folded along the sheet axis an eyewear lens portion passes through the aperture and the eyewear is secured within the fold by the fastening system.
US09989782B2
A frame for spectacles includes a front frame with lateral projections for articulation of respective temple arms and articulation means between each projection and the corresponding temple projection for articulated connection of the temple projection to the front frame. The articulation means includes a resiliently yielding element independent of the projection and the temple arm. The element having a first extremity attached to the temple arm and a second opposite extremity engaged with predetermined play in an opening passing through the projection. The opening distanced from the free edge of the projection facing the temple arm such that the portion of the projection extending between the edge and the opening remains held between the resilient element and the temple arm in order to perform a hinge movement between the projection and the temple arm through relative movement of the second extremity of the resilient element in the opening.
US09989781B2
The present invention provides an eyeglasses system and method of use comprising a frame, a temple attachment assembly positioned on the ends of the frame, detachable temples having a hollow member extending therefrom for attachment to the temple attachment assembly, and a bridge nose grip assembly so as to allow a wearer to detach a temple from one side of the frame and to wear the eyeglasses comfortably, securely and without movement of the eyeglasses while reclining on the same side as the detached temple.
US09989778B2
An image display device includes a light source, a scanner, a screen, a virtual image optical system and a screen incident angle correcting optical system. The light source emits laser light. The scanner scans the laser light. An image is formed on the screen by the scanned laser light. The virtual image optical system generates a virtual image of the image by the laser light having transmitted through the screen. The screen incident angle correcting optical system orients the scanned laser light toward the screen. The scanner performs at least first scanning and second scanning that has a scanning direction different from a scanning direction of the first scanning. The screen includes a lenticular lens having a lens pitch in a direction parallel to the first scanning. The lens pitch of the lenticular lens is larger than a beam diameter of the laser light near a light receiving surface of the screen.
US09989770B2
This disclosure relates to a display module assembly that includes two optical module assemblies, two first adjustment mechanisms, two image generation devices, and two second adjustment mechanisms each corresponding to one of the first adjustment mechanisms. Each first adjustment mechanism is movably connected to a corresponding one of the optical module assemblies for adjusting distance between the two optical module assemblies. Each image generation device is movably connected to a corresponding one of the optical module assemblies, and project an image to a predetermined direction through its corresponding optical module assembly. Each second adjustment mechanism is movably connected to corresponding one of the image generation devices for adjusting a distance between the image generation device and the optical module assembly. The display module assembly and an electronic device in this disclosure can adjust an interpupillary distance and a diopter so as to adapt for different users.
US09989767B2
A spectacle lens for a display device can be fitted on the head of a user and generate an image. The front side and/or the rear side can be curved. A light guiding channel can guide-light bundles of pixels of the generated image, which are coupled into the spectacle lens via the coupling-in section and coupled out of the spectacle lens via the coupling-out section. The light guiding channel includes a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface spaced apart from the first reflecting surface, each of which extend in a direction from the coupling-in section to the coupling-out section. At least one of the two reflecting surfaces can be formed as a switchable layer which can be switched into a first and a second state. The reflectivity of the switchable layer in the first state is higher than in the second state.
US09989764B2
Systems, devices, and methods for eyebox expansion by exit pupil replication in wearable heads-up displays (“WHUDs”) are described. A WHUD includes a scanning laser projector (“SLP”), a holographic combiner, and an optical splitter positioned in the optical path therebetween. The optical splitter receives light signals generated by the SLP and separates the light signals into N sub-ranges based on the point of incidence of each light signal at the optical splitter. The optical splitter redirects the light signals corresponding to respective ones of the N sub-ranges towards the holographic combiner effectively from respective ones of N spatially-separated virtual positions for the SLP. The holographic combiner converges the light signals to respective ones of N spatially-separated exit pupils at the eye of the user. In this way, multiple instances of the exit pupil are distributed over the area of the eye and the eyebox of the WHUD is expanded.
US09989756B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for motion sensing and energy capturing. In an embodiment, a motion sensing and energy capturing system comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements configured to be arranged in a walking surface, each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements being identifiable relative to a portion of the walking surface; a communications module coupled with the plurality of piezoelectric elements; a processing engine configured to receive via the communications module activation data from at least one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements when the at least one of the piezoelectric elements is activated by activity on a corresponding portion of the walking surface, the activation data including time of activation data, and to process the activation data received for the walking surface over a period of time to identify a time-varying traffic pattern; a user interface configured to display the time-varying traffic pattern; and an energy capture element electrically coupled with the plurality of piezoelectric elements to receive energy produced by the at least one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements when the at least one of the piezoelectric elements is activated by activity on a corresponding portion of the walking surface.
US09989754B2
A light scanning microscope with an illumination module switchable between an illumination with m number of spots and an illumination with n number of spots, a deflecting unit which moves the m or n spots in a predetermined sample region, and a detector module for confocal and spectrally resolved detection of the sample radiation. The detector module has a confocal diaphragm unit, a splitting unit which is arranged downstream of the confocal diaphragm unit, a detector, and an imaging unit which images the partial beams on the detector in a spatially separated manner. The confocal diaphragm unit is switchable between a confocal diaphragm with exactly m apertures for m-spot illumination and a confocal diaphragm with n apertures for n-spot illumination. The splitting unit has a first beam path for m-spot illumination and a second beam path for n-spot illumination. The splitting unit is switchable between the two beam paths.
US09989753B2
This invention minimizes the needed space for a changer device for optical elements which can be mounted in front or in the back or on either fork side of telescopes. It implements a design whose profile is circular and centrosymmetric and gravitanionally neutral in respect to the path of light of the surrounding optical devices as well as an optimized mechanical depth. This is achieved by moving the centrosymmetrically arranged optical elements individually into the optical path i.e. the central opening of the changing device in contrary to prior art designs wherein the optical elements are mounted on a revolving disk whose axis of rotation is not congruent with the optical axis. The invention minimizes the obstructing area and shape of the changing device as well as the gravitational stress on surrounding structures by incorporating a design with minimal space requirements.
US09989752B2
An electrowetting device is provided that includes a lower substrate and an upper substrate facing each other, a first electrode positioned on the lower substrate, an edge electrode positioned on the lower substrate and adjacent to an edge of the first electrode, a hydrophobic insulating layer positioned on the first electrode and the edge electrode, a partition positioned on the lower substrate, a second electrode positioned on the upper substrate, and a first liquid and a second liquid positioned between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, wherein an electric field of a portion where the edge electrode is positioned is smaller than an electric field of a portion where the first electrode is positioned.
US09989750B2
Among other things, a first surface is configured to receive a sample and is to be used in a microscopy device. There is a second surface to be moved into a predefined position relative to the first surface to form a sample space that is between the first surface and the second surface and contains at least part of the sample. There is a mechanism configured to move the second surface from an initial position into the predefined position to form the sample space. When the sample is in place on the first surface, the motion of the second surface includes a trajectory that is not solely a linear motion of the second surface towards the first surface.
US09989747B2
A dual-configuration microscope is provided that may be converted into an upright or inverted microscope. The microscope includes a base and a body having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the body is rotatably coupled to the base. The microscope further includes an objective coupled to the first portion of the body, a condenser coupled to the second portion of the body and a stage positioned between the objective and the condenser. The microscope further includes a first and second knob configured to adjust the position of the objective, wherein the first knob is disposed proximal to the first portion of the body and the second knob is disposed proximal to the second portion of the body.
US09989740B2
An optical image capturing system includes, along the optical axis in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, and a seventh lens. At least one lens among the first to the sixth lenses has positive refractive force. The seventh lens have negative refractive force, wherein both surfaces thereof can be aspheric, and at least one surface thereof has an inflection point. The lenses in the optical image capturing system which have refractive power include the first to the seventh lenses. The optical image capturing system can increase aperture value and improve the imagining quality for use in compact cameras.
US09989739B2
An optical image capturing system includes, along the optical axis in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, and a seventh lens. At least one lens among the first to the sixth lenses has positive refractive force. The seventh lens can have negative refractive force, wherein both surfaces thereof are aspheric, and at least one surface thereof has an inflection point. The lenses in the optical image capturing system which have refractive power include the first to the seventh lenses. The optical image capturing system can increase aperture value and improve the imagining quality for use in compact cameras.
US09989714B2
An optical connecting part includes: a holder including an end face for optical connection, one or more optical waveguides and a through-hole, the optical waveguides having a portion extending from the end face in a direction of a first axis, the through-hole extending from the end face in the direction of the first axis; and a coating disposed on an inner surface of the through-hole, the coating having oil repellency. The coating on the inner surface of the through-hole forms a guide hole.
US09989713B1
An optical structure includes a substrate including a cavity on a first surface of the substrate, an optical component on the substrate and an adhesive applied to a side of the optical component to fix the optical component to the substrate. The optical component includes a recess on a second surface of the optical component, the second surface is opposed to the first surface of the substrate, and the recess is provided along an edge of the second surface.
US09989712B1
An optical fiber connector assembly comprising an MPO connector and a push-pull tab. The connector may have an outer housing and an inner housing extending beyond a rear end of the outer housing, the outer housing having a first protrusion and the inner housing having a second protrusion positioned at a distance from the first protrusion. The push-pull tab may comprise a main body and an extender coupled to the main body, the main body having a plurality of walls forming a passageway configured to receive the connector, the plurality of walls including a first wall having a window sized according to the distance between the first and second protrusions and configured to receive the first and second protrusions. In another embodiment, the push-pull tab may comprise a first piece and a second piece configured to couple to each other to form a passageway for receiving the connector.
US09989707B2
A fiber optic and electrical connection system includes a fiber optic cable, a ruggedized fiber optic connector, a ruggedized fiber optic adapter, and a fiber optic enclosure. The cable includes one or more electrically conducting strength members. The connector, the adapter, and the enclosure each have one or more electrical conductors. The cable is terminated by the connector with the conductors of the connector in electrical communication with the strength members. The conductors of the connector electrically contact the conductors of the adapter when the connector and the adapter are mechanically connected. And, the conductors of the adapter electrically contact the conductors of the enclosure when the adapter is mounted on the enclosure.
US09989691B2
A lightguide (100) is disclosed. The lightguide includes a plurality of light extractors (120-123). Each light extractor is designed primarily to extract light that propagates within the lightguide and is incident on the light extractor from a first direction and reflect light that propagates within the lightguide and is incident on the light extractor from a second direction different than the first direction, toward another light extractor, where the other light extractor extracts the reflected light.
US09989690B2
An electronic device includes a display frame, a light guide plate disposed within the display frame, and a light source disposed along an edge of the light guide plate. The light source is secured to the display frame. The electronic device further includes an enclosure in which the display frame and the light guide plate are disposed. The enclosure is configured to allow thermal expansion of the display frame and of the light guide plate. The light guide plate and the display frame have substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion.
US09989687B2
A wave plate capable of increasing a birefringence quantity and being made into a thin film, and a method of manufacturing the wave plate. The wave plate includes a substrate, whereon convex portions and concave portions are formed with a period less than or equal to the wavelength of light that is used therewith, columnar portions, wherein fine grains of a dielectric material are layered by oblique vapor deposition of a dielectric material from two directions, in a columnar shape on the convex portions in the vertical direction relative to the surface of the substrate, and interstices that are located on the concave portions and disposed between the columnar portions. Using birefringence from the fine grains of the dielectric material and birefringence from the concave/convex portions of the substrate allows increasing the birefringence quantity and making a thin film.
US09989685B2
An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.
US09989683B2
A color filter comprises a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter, wherein the green color filter comprises a cyan pigment satisfying the following equation: A 2 A 1 = 0 where A1 denotes the absorbance of the cyan pigment in a wavelength range of about 600 nm to about 700 nm and A2 denotes the absorbance of the cyan pigment in a wavelength range of about 450 nm to about 500 nm.
US09989679B2
The invention relates to a thermal infrared transparent polymer film suitable for use in an identification device, said film comprising an infrared transparent polymer matrix with a pigment dispersed therein, wherein the thickness of the polymer film is greater than 30 micron and wherein the polymer film has an average transmission in the thermal infrared of greater than or equal to 0.5. Preferably, the pigment comprises an inorganic material. There is further provided a thin film, thermally reflective material (20) comprising the afore-mentioned infrared transparent film (21) and an infrared reflective layer provided on one surface thereof (22).
US09989675B2
A polarizing plate includes, in the following order, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, a polarizer, and an outer side layer provided on a visible side rather than the polarizer side, the thickness of the outer side layer is >3 μm and ≤45 μm, the storage elastic modulus of the adhesive layer after lamination is 0.1 MPa to 2.0 MPa, and a hardness ratio (X/Y) is less than 1, when in measuring the hardness of the outer side layer in a depth direction at intervals of 1.5 μm from surface A thereof to a surface B on the polarizer side, the absolute value of the difference between an n-th and n+1 measured hardness (where n is an integer of 1 or more) is defined as the hardness difference (X), and the absolute value of the difference between the hardness of surface A and surface B is hardness difference (Y).
US09989673B2
A photonic crystal microsphere, comprising: a plurality of mono-dispersed polymer particles in a closely-packed and regularly-ordered structure, with interstition therebetween, forming the photonic crystal microsphere; and a co-assembly material contained in the interstition. The photonic crystal microsphere provides a structure of enhanced strength and a good color effect.
US09989670B2
Apparatus and methods for optical and electrical sensing different phases of a multiphase fluid. The apparatus includes a cylindrical member formed with an optically transparent material including a first end with a shaped tip and a second end operable to receive an optical conductor. The apparatus also includes first and second electrodes disposed on the cylindrical member operable to receive first and second electrical conductors, respectively.
US09989659B2
Retrieving seismic data by a data server. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: retrieving a seismic data slice from a seismic data volume, the datums logically organized in parallel layers, the retrieving by: sending a request for the seismic data slice from a client computer to a data sever over a network connection, the request spans at least a quarter of the layers in the seismic data volume, and the data server is remote from the client computer; extracting data values associated with the seismic data slice from the seismic data volume by the data server; sending, by the data server, datums residing within the seismic data slice, the sending such that at least some cache lines of a processor of the client computer filled responsive to the request comprise datums that span more than one layer; and then rendering the seismic data slice on a display device.
US09989658B2
A positron emission tomography (PET) data processing method comprises obtaining PET data from a PET detector, wherein the PET detector comprises an array of detector elements, and wherein the PET data is representative of a PET measurement of at least part of a subject. The method comprises identifying in the PET data a plurality of paired events, wherein each paired event comprises a first photon event in a first region of the PET detector and a second photon event in a second region of the PET detector. The first photon event comprises an energy deposition in a first detector element of the array or in a first detection region of the first detector element due to a scattering of a first photon at a first azimuthal scattering angle and an associated energy deposition by the scattered first photon in a second detector element of the array or in a second detection region of the first detector element or of the second detector element. The second photon event comprises an energy deposition in a third detector element of the array or in a third detection region of the third detector element due to a scattering of a second photon at a second azimuthal scattering angle and an associated energy deposition by the scattered second photon in a fourth detector element of the array or in a fourth detection region of the third detector element or of the fourth detector element. The method further comprises processing the PET data in dependence on the first and second azimuthal scattering angles for the paired events.
US09989649B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and method for power efficient tracking.
US09989648B2
An electronic device includes: a satellite signal receiving section that receives a satellite signal with which positioning information is overlapped from a positioning satellite; a reception control section that controls driving of the satellite signal receiving section; and a detecting section that detects a state change of the electronic device, in which the reception control section allows the satellite signal receiving section to enter a driving state when the detecting section detects the state change to receive the satellite signal. According to this electronic device, it is possible to reduce a TTFF at the positioning start, and to reduce power consumption in the satellite signal reception.
US09989644B2
A system to mitigate errors in GPS corrections and ephemeris uncertainty data broadcast to a vehicle is presented. The system includes reference receivers in a first ground subsystem and a processor. The processor: receives, from reference receivers in a wide area network of reference receivers, satellite measurement data for a first plurality of satellites and receives, from the reference receivers in the first ground subsystem, satellite measurement data and ephemeris data from a second plurality of satellites; evaluate the satellite measurement data to determine if the GPS corrections are degraded by a current ionosphere disturbance activity; determine a current quality metric of the ionosphere; adjust a Vertical Ionosphere Gradient standard deviation sigma-vig; evaluate the ephemeris data to determine if the GPS corrections provided to the vehicle are degraded by ephemeris errors; and establish ephemeris uncertainty to protect integrity based on the evaluation of the ephemeris data.
US09989638B2
A radar sensing system for a vehicle includes a transmitter, a receiver, a processor and an adaptive filter. The transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal. The receiver is configured to receive radio signals that include the transmitted radio signal reflected from objects in the environment, as well as further including other radio signals transmitted from at least one other radar sensing system. The receiver is further configured to produce a sampled stream. The sampled stream is provided to the processor. The processor, responsive to further processing of the sampled stream, controls the adaptive filter to filter the sampled stream, such that the other radio signals transmitted from the at least one other radar sensing system are removed from the received radio signal.
US09989636B2
A work vehicle may include a chassis, a plurality of ground-engaging devices connected to the chassis and configured to provide support and traction to the chassis along a ground surface, an operator station connected to the chassis, and a rear object detection system configured to detect a presence of an object in an area at least partially rearward of the operator station. The rear object detection system may be further configured to detect a presence of a depression of the ground surface in the area.
US09989629B1
A lidar system includes a lighting module configured to (i) select a wavelength from among a plurality of wavelength values, for a particular time period, and (ii) emit light at the selected wavelength. The lighting module emits light at different wavelengths during at least two adjacent periods of time. The lidar system further includes a scanner configured to direct the pulse of light to illuminate a respective region within a field of regard of the lidar system and a receiver module configured to (i) receive a light signal and (ii) determine whether the received light signal includes the light emitted by the lighting module and scattered by a remote target, based at least in part on the wavelength selected by the lighting module.
US09989628B2
The present invention relates to a method of controlling a pulsed radar level gauge system, comprising the steps of: acquiring a signal indicative of a present operating temperature; determining an initial frequency control parameter for control of at least one of transmission signal generating circuitry and reference signal generating circuitry based on the present operating temperature and a plurality of data sets each comprising data indicative of a previous operating temperature and a previously determined frequency control parameter for the previous operating temperature; and controlling, starting from the initial frequency control parameter, at least one of the transmission signal generating circuitry and the reference signal generating circuitry to achieve the known frequency difference between the first pulse repetition frequency and the second pulse repetition frequency at the present operating temperature.
US09989620B1
A method for estimating the location of a wireless terminal is disclosed that is based on using: the known location of one or more devices, empirical data that indicates the relative position of the wireless terminal to the devices, and empirical data that indicates the relative position of the wireless terminal (which is at an unknown location) relative to other wireless terminals that are also at unknown locations.
US09989610B2
A computer-implemented method for performing multi-band slice accelerated imaging includes performing a low-resolution fast multi-dimensional reference scan to obtain a coil sensitivity map. A multiband imaging scan is performed to acquire a plurality of k-space lines representative of an anatomical area of interest. A multi-band signal corresponding to the plurality of k-space lines is separated into a plurality of image slices using a parallel imaging reconstruction technique and the coil sensitivity map.
US09989603B2
The embodiments relate to a method, an MRI device, and a circuit for a magnetic resonance imaging device that includes at least one transmission coil for transmitting a magnetic field. The circuit includes a hybrid coupler and at least one phase shifter arranged in the transmission path between an amplifier and at least one transmission coil of the magnetic resonance imaging device.
US09989602B2
An MRI apparatus includes a data acquisition system, a charge/discharge element and a power control unit. The data acquisition system acquires nuclear magnetic resonance signals from an imaging region by performing a scan. The charge/discharge element is a part of an electric power system of the MRI apparatus, and is charged with external electric power. The power control unit controls the electric power system in such a manner that at least one unit excluding the data acquisition system is supplied with electric power from the charge/discharge element.
US09989601B2
Apparatus associated with improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided needle biopsy procedures (e.g., breast needle biopsy) are described. One example apparatus includes a support structure configured to support a patient in a face-down prone position where a breast of the patient is positioned in a first free hanging pre-imaging position. The example apparatus includes an immobilization structure configured to reposition the breast into an immobilized position suitable for MRI and for medical instrument access. The immobilization structure may include a removable biopsy plate, a removable side coil, a pressure plate, and MRI coils. The MRI coils are configured to be repositioned from a first position associated with the free hanging pre-imaging position to a second position associated with the immobilized position to facilitate improving the signal to noise ratio associated with signal received from the breast through the MRI coils.
US09989600B2
A feeding circuit arrangement (18) supplies a radio frequency signal to a plurality of coil elements (14) of a magnetic resonance coil system (12). The circuit arrangement (18) includes a main line (20) for connecting a radio frequency signal source (16); a plurality of feeding lines (22), each feeding line (22) for connecting a corresponding coil element (14) of the coil system (14); a power divider (24) arranged between the main line (20) and the plurality of feeding lines (22) for distributing the signal on the main line (20) to each of the feeding lines (22). At least one of the feeding lines (22) includes a controllable switching circuit (26) with a switching element (28) for connecting/disconnecting of two resulting line sections (30, 32) of the feeding line (22), a first line section (30) on the divider side and a second line section (32) on the side connectable to the coil element (14). The switching circuit (26) further includes at least one connectable termination element (44) for line termination of the first line section (30) or the main line (20) includes a circulator device (60) interconnected with a termination (62).
US09989595B1
Some variations provide a method for real-time estimation of state of charge and state of power of a battery, comprising: (a) cycling a battery with a driving profile; (b) utilizing a recursive algorithm that relates battery terminal voltage to battery current, wherein the algorithm includes open-circuit voltage and a finite-impulse-response filter to dynamically model kinetic voltage; measuring the battery terminal voltage and the battery current at least at a first time and a second time during cycling; calculating battery open-circuit voltage and finite-impulse-response filter parameters; calculating battery state of charge based on the open-circuit voltage; and calculating battery state of power based on the open-circuit voltage and the finite-impulse-response filter parameters. An extended Kalman filtering technique is incorporated for real-time updating of FIR model parameters. Only a single FIR filter is necessary, making these methods applicable for battery-powered systems with limited computing and storage capabilities.
US09989583B2
A cross-bar unit for a test apparatus for circuit boards having at least one cross-bar spanning a test field in which a circuit board to be tested may be placed, and is configured to hold positioning units for test fingers in a linearly traversable manner so that the test fingers are able to scan at least part of the test field. The cross-bar unit is configured to hold at least two linear guides, independent of one another, for guiding in each case at least one of the positioning units.
US09989582B2
A threshold voltage measuring device may include a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, a drain voltage clamping circuit configured to control a drain voltage of the MOS transistor wherein the drain voltage having a substantially constant level, and a constant current supply circuit configured to cause a drain-source current to flow through the MOS transistor wherein the drain-source current having a substantially constant magnitude.
US09989581B2
Methods and devices for locating partial discharges in electric cables with a high-voltage source coupled to the cable to be tested, a decoupling unit connected to an end of the cable and a data-processing system that is connected via a sensor unit to the decoupling unit and that detects a partial discharge or partial discharges when they exist from the sensor signals. The methods and devices particularly distinguish themselves by a short evaluation duration for the locating process. This is done by detecting events, parameterizing the events identified as pulses, formation of pairs of the events identified as pulses and parameterized, classification of the event pairs, assignment of a partial discharge from the classification and determination of the location of the partial discharge(s) from the different in transit times between the respective partial discharge and its accompanying reflection.
US09989577B2
In this continuity inspection device, a reference electrode plate held at ground potential is disposed along an intermediate portion of electric wires to be inspected for continuity, and a discharge path (positive charge leaking path) for static electricity charged on the electric wires after the continuity inspection is secured by the reference electrode plate. Thus, accumulation of static electricity after the continuity inspection on electric wires is avoided. Moreover, the electric potential of the static electricity charged on the electric wires by application of voltage to power supplying probes is measured by measuring equipment as the absolute potential with respect to the ground potential of the reference electrode plate through the surface potential of the terminals of the electric wires. Thus, the electric potential of the static electricity of the electric wires is accurately measured without being affected by cross talk due to stray capacitance between the electric wires.
US09989563B2
Apparatus and associated methods relate to an in-hole current-measurement system having three or more magnetic-field sensors and a transient-disturbance selection module configured to form an output signal from a selected subset of sensor signals while decoupling the output signals from a non-selected subset of sensor signals during a predetermined time window when a disturbance signal is expected at the non-selected set of sensor signals. In an illustrative example, a disturbance producing operation may be performed on alternating subsets of sensors while the undisturbed subset of sensors measures an electrical current in the electrical conductor. For example, each selected subset of sensors may be aligned on an axis configured to be mounted perpendicular to current flow within a hole in the electrical conductor. Some embodiments may advantageously provide continuous electrical current measurement while being uninterrupted by the predetermined transient disturbances.
US09989562B2
A sensor of electric current including a fiber (1) from a soft magnetic material with a uniform cross-sectional area and uniform magnetic properties along its whole length, equipped with an excitation coil (2) wound on said fiber (1) with a uniform winding density along the substantially whole length and possibly equipped with a sensing coil (3) wound on said fiber (1) with uniform winding density along the substantially whole length, where said fiber (1) ends are mechanically joined to form a loop enclosing the measured current carrying conductor (4) by said fiber (1), wherein said excitation coil (2) is connected to the current output of a current source (5) through a current transducer (6) generating a current signal corresponding to the excitation current flowing through said excitation coil (2) wherein the sensor is equipped with a voltage transducer (7) generating a voltage signal corresponding to the voltage on the possibly present sensing coil (3) or on the excitation coil (2) wherein said voltage signal and said current signal are fed into a processor unit (8). The present disclosure also relates to a method for electric current measurement using said sensor.
US09989559B2
A test and measurement instrument includes a user interface and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a serial bit stream and apply a logic to the serial bit stream to identify states within the serial bit stream. The result of applying the logic to the serial bit stream is a combined state/bit stream. A regular expression can be applied to the combined state/bit stream: the regular expression can include state information. The controller is also configured to present output data through the user interface in response to the application of the regular expression to the combined state/bit stream.
US09989558B2
Probe head assemblies, components of probe head assemblies, test systems including the probe head assemblies and/or components thereof, and methods of operating the same. The probe head assemblies are configured to convey a plurality of test signals to and/or from a device under test and include a space transformer, a contacting assembly, and a riser that spatially separates the space transformer from the contacting assembly and conveys the plurality of test signals between the space transformer and the contacting assembly. The contacting assembly may include a frame that defines an aperture and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is within a threshold difference of that of the device under test, a flexible dielectric body that is attached to the frame, maintained in tension by the frame, and extends across the aperture, and a plurality of conductive probes. The plurality of conductive probes may include a dual-faceted probe tip.
US09989557B2
A system for analyzing electronic devices is described. An input station receives a plurality of electronic devices. A pick-and-place transport apparatus having a pick up tip for engaging and transporting one of the electronic devices at a time from the input station to the electric machine interface station, disengaging from the electronic device, and moving away from the electronic device The pick up tip is movable for engaging the electronic device while at the electric machine interface station and transporting the electronic device away from the electric machine interface station to disengage the electronic devices from the electric machine interface. First and second thermal devices secured to the support structure on opposing sides of the electronic device when the electronic device is at the electric machine interface station to simultaneously transfer heat to or form the electronic device.
US09989552B2
A portable device for checking wind direction discharges a visible, and optionally scented, vapor stream into the atmosphere in a well-defined reference direction. In some embodiments, the device includes a power source, a vessel having an internal plenum chamber storing a volume of air, a reservoir containing a vaporizable agent, a vaporizing element associated with the vaporizable agent, and a pressure switch. The vessel is deformable to generate an airflow that operates the pressure switch to temporarily connect the power source to the vaporizing element, thereby energizing the vaporizing element to generate vapor. The airflow also carries the vapor into the atmosphere as a visible vapor stream flowing in the reference direction. The reservoir and vaporizing element may be carried in a cartridge removably mounted on the device. Other embodiments operate similarly, but use alternative means for generating gaseous flow to operate the switch and/or carry vapor into the atmosphere.
US09989537B2
The present invention relates to methods and tools for discriminating between Vel negative and Vel positive phenotypes. The invention is thus useful for determining Vel blood group status of individuals about to receive blood transfusion.
US09989523B2
The present invention provides kits, apparatus and methods for determining a biological condition in a mammalian subject, the method includes incubating a specimen from a patient with at least one composition in a kit for a predetermined period of time to form at least one reaction product, when the subject has said biological condition, and receiving an indication of the at least one reaction product responsive to at least one reporter element in the kit thereby providing the indication of the biological condition in the subject.
US09989519B1
The invention provides methods for determining in vitro bioequivalence of a sucralfate suspension sample to a sucralfate suspension RLD.
US09989512B2
A method of performing a rock core flow performance test includes increasing a pressure applied to at least one surface of the rock core to a first pressure, measuring the pressure on a wellbore facing axial end of the rock core to determine a time interval over which the measured pressure drops from a second pressure to a third pressure, and determining a high pressure production ratio of the rock core based on the time interval.
US09989507B2
Various arrangements for detecting and mitigating toxic gases are presented. Components of a home automation system may be used to monitor gas concentrations in home. Changes or elevated levels of gas concentrations may trigger mitigation or diagnosis procedures. Diagnosis procedures may include correlating the gas sensor readings with the activity of components of a home to identify possible causality. The activity of components may be changed and altered to test correlations or determine causality between components.
US09989499B2
Information relating to vibration of a rotating component of an oilfield mixing device is obtained. The oilfield mixing device is operable to blend oilfield materials while the rotating component rotates. Damage sustained by the rotating component is then determined based on the obtained information.
US09989492B1
According to various embodiments of this disclosure, an electrochemical sensor/cell includes a substrate with a cavity formed on a first side of the substrate, an ionic conductor is disposed within the cavity, and a lid assembly positioned over the cavity. The lid assembly may include a plurality of electrodes attached to a glass or ceramic panel. The glass or ceramic panel may have one or more apertures allowing gas to flow therethrough. The plurality of electrodes include a working electrode configured to react a molecular species (e.g., gas or aerosolized substance) that diffuses through the one or more apertures, wherein said reaction produces ions mobile in the ionic conductor between two or more of the plurality of electrodes. The lid assembly may further include a three-phase interface positioned over at least a portion of the plurality of electrodes.
US09989489B2
Methods and apparatus relating to very large scale FET arrays for analyte measurements. ChemFET (e.g., ISFET) arrays may be fabricated using conventional CMOS processing techniques based on improved FET pixel and array designs that increase measurement sensitivity and accuracy, and at the same time facilitate significantly small pixel sizes and dense arrays. Improved array control techniques provide for rapid data acquisition from large and dense arrays. Such arrays may be employed to detect a presence and/or concentration changes of various analyte types in a wide variety of chemical and/or biological processes. In one example, chemFET arrays facilitate DNA sequencing techniques based on monitoring changes in hydrogen ion concentration (pH), changes in other analyte concentration, and/or binding events associated with chemical processes relating to DNA synthesis.
US09989486B2
A method for induction thermography includes acquiring a plurality of images or an object at each of a plurality of imaging directions, and deriving a combined Fourier-transformed image from the images taken at different imaging directions to detect defects in the object.
US09989481B2
A solid state sensor may be used to down-convert microwave signal into a low-frequency voltage or current signal, where its phase still carries the information of a measured continuous wave (CW) microwave phase. Two CW microwaves may be mixed and a solid state sensor used to rectify the mixed microwave into a direct voltage or current signal. The measurement system may include an input node for receiving a microwave signal from a source from which the output microwave is coherently split into two parts by a microwave power divider. Each part may travel in a separate path and couple at the solid state sensor. A lock-in amplifier coupled to the solid state sensor may be used to determine simultaneously a magnitude and phase of the microwave signals received from the microwave source.
US09989474B2
A gas sensor, a refrigerator having the gas sensor, and a method for controlling the gas sensor recognizes the ripening degree of a target food on the basis of a variation in color using a pH indicator having a color that is changed with pH variation generated when the pH indicator reacts with target gas, a refrigerator having the gas sensor. The gas sensor for detecting target gas includes: a base provided for gas permeation; and a detection unit provided at the base, and is discolored in response to pH variation generated when reacting with target gas having permeated the base.
US09989473B2
A system is provided for identifying the presence of a target molecule or ion. The system comprises a solid support, and at least one chemical reagent applied to the solid support. Each chemical reagent produces a presumptive color indication that identifies or excludes the presence of a target molecule or ion.
US09989469B2
Disclosed is a sample analyzer comprising: a sample measuring section including a detecting section for detecting a component contained in a sample and a flow path for feeding the sample to the detecting section; and a control section. The control section is programmed to automatically control the sample measuring section to flow a sample blank free of particles to the detecting section and detect a component contained in the sample blank to check a background of the detection after the sample measuring section performs washing of the flow path.
US09989467B2
A semiconductor structure includes a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide located on a sapphire substrate. The first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide each include a core portion of gallium nitride (GaN), and a cladding layer laterally surrounding the core portion. The cladding layer includes a material having a refractive index less than a refractive index of the sapphire substrate.
US09989465B2
The present invention provides a multi-channel fluorescence detecting system for detecting a plurality of fluorescence labeled analytes. The multi-channel fluorescence detecting system comprises a light source, a light filter device, a dual branch light guide tube, and a detector. The light source comprises a plurality of sub light sources for respectively providing an excitation light. The plurality of sub light sources are a plurality of single color Light emitting diodes (LEDs) which can be selectively turned on or off. The light source generates a plurality of lights with full width at half maximum (FWHM) wavelengths formed in a non-overlap manner. With the disposition of the plurality of sub light sources, the accuracy for detecting the specific analytes is raised, the light flux with a specific wavelength band is effectively raised (without raising the light flux of the full wavelength band), the structure is simplified, and the manufacturing cost is decreased.
US09989461B2
A measuring device includes a light-emitting unit that radiates light onto an object, a first lens that changes a divergence degree of the light, a diaphragm having an aperture that reduces a diameter of the light, a second lens that converges and radiates the light onto the object, a light-receiving unit that receives at least part of the light that has been reflected by the object and that has passed through the second lens, a measuring unit that measures the object by using results related to the light-receiving unit, a reflector whose angle with respect to the light is adjustable, and a correction unit that varies a light-receiving position on the light-receiving unit by varying the reflector's angle and corrects a light amount of the light-emitting unit and a sensitivity of the light-receiving unit by using results obtained at each light-receiving position.
US09989457B2
A system for classifying different types of sheeting materials of road signs depicted in a videostream compares estimated retroreflectivity values against known minimum retroreflectivity values for each of a plurality of colors. Once a road sign has been identified in the videostream, the frames associated with that road sign are analyzed to determine each of a plurality of colors present on the road sign. An estimated retroreflectivity for each of the plurality of colors present on the road sign is then determined. By comparing the estimated retroreflectivity for each of the plurality of colors against known minimum retroreflectivity values for the corresponding color for different types of sheeting materials, an accurate determination of the classification of the sheeting material of the road sign is established. Preferably, certain conditions of gross failure of the sheeting material are filtered out before classification of the sheeting material is determined.
US09989455B2
A method of testing an electrode paste for producing an electrode for a secondary battery includes preparing an electrode paste obtained by kneading at least active material particles and water dispersible binder particles in an aqueous solvent; performing centrifugation on the electrode paste and collecting a supernatant containing the binder particles, and a free active material; and measuring an absorbance of the supernatant at an evaluation wavelength by using a spectrophotometer, wherein the evaluation wavelength is determined based on a relationship between an average particle size of the binder particles and the absorbance of the supernatant such that a proportion of an absorbance resulting from the binder particles in the absorbance of the supernatant becomes equal to or less than 30%, the relationship being determined in advance; and determining a quality of the electrode paste, based on the absorbance of the supernatant at the evaluation wavelength.
US09989449B2
A carrier strip having a plurality of areas for retaining anatomical pathology specimens may have a backing, a cover coupled to the backing along side regions located along opposite longitudinal edges of the carrier strip and along lateral intermediate regions positioned between each of the plurality of areas for retaining anatomical pathology specimens. The carrier strip may be configured to individually retain each of the anatomical pathology specimens in one of the plurality of areas for retaining anatomical pathology specimens between the backing and the cover. Diagnostic studies of anatomical pathology specimens may be facilitated by distributing a digital copy of an image of the specimen may be to a pathologist. A diagnosis may be received from the pathologist based on the digital image of the specimen.
US09989447B1
The present invention relates to methods of transforming organic matter into organic-inorganic composites, inorganic replicas, or conductive replicas. Organic matter, such as biological cells and tissue and organs, can be converted into such composites and replicas using the methods described herein. In particular, such methods transform organic matter (into inorganic, organic-inorganic, or conductive constructs), while simultaneously preserving microscopic and/or macroscopic structural detail.
US09989445B2
A device comprises a main body equipped with at least one handle, three sampling chambers that are mounted outside the main body and a control unit. The three sampling chambers are independent of each other and protrude radially from a predefined portion of the main body. The control unit is device can effect multiple environment to be controlled programmed so that the samplings from an in one, two or three different positions in the space, remaining stationary.
US09989442B2
A hydraulic system includes a hydraulic circuit and a sensor for sensing a characteristic of hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic circuit. An energy harvester is configured to harvest energy from the hydraulic circuit. A controller interfaces with the sensor and is powered at least in part by the energy harvester. Various types of sensors are employed, including pressure and temperature sensors. A battery may further be included for powering the controller in addition to the energy harvester.
US09989441B2
A tire holding apparatus is provided with a first support part for supporting a tire, a second support part for supporting the tire, and an air supply and removal part for supplying and removing air from the inside of the tire. The second support part has a protrusion that protrudes toward the first support part. The air supply and removal part has a first flow path for allowing air to flow, a second flow path for allowing air to flow from an opening formed at the leading end of the protrusion to the inside of the tire, and a collection part that is attached to the opening and collects foreign matter that has been mixed into the second flow path from the inside of the tire.
US09989439B2
Method for detecting bearing defect severity based on bearing rotation speed and at least one data sample of sensor data obtained to measure vibrations of a bearing ring is provided. The method includes converting the data sample from time domain to frequency domain to obtain a signal frequency spectrum; determining a defect center frequency of the bearing using the rotation speed; and identifying a predetermined number of frequency peaks of the signal frequency spectrum. A total vibration energy in an overall frequency band including the predetermined number of frequency peaks is first determined; next, for each of the frequency peaks, a peak energy as a spectral energy of signal components giving rise to the frequency peaks is determined; calculating a bearing defect spectral energy using the peak energies; and finally a ratio of the bearing defect spectral energy and a total vibration energy to assess a defect severity is obtained.
US09989435B2
A leak detection system for a high-temperature aerospace fluid duct may include a rigid metal fluid duct, an electrically conductive polymer disposed around the high-temperature fluid duct, the conductive polymer configured to melt in response to a leak of high-temperature fluid from the high-temperature fluid duct. The system may include a sensor configured to monitor at least one electrical characteristic of the electrically conductive polymer. The system may include a layer of insulation disposed between the electrically conductive polymer and the high-temperature fluid duct.
US09989434B2
Certain embodiments provide a system and method for measurement of the force applied to a bone-conduction oscillator during application to a subject, resolving the measured force relative to a pre-determined criteria, and providing an indication to the user to specify whether an external force applied to an applied force indication system coupled with a bone-conduction oscillator is within a pre-determined acceptable range. A mechanical arrangement is prescribed which allows the full extent of the force applied to be represented onto the pressure measurement apparatus. The system and apparatus may be applied onto or integrated into bone-conduction oscillators.
US09989433B2
Piezoelectric measuring element for measuring the dynamic and static pressure and/or the temperature
A measuring element for measuring dynamic pressure, temperature and/or static pressure includes a body made of a piezoelectric material and having opposing side surfaces carrying electrodes. The piezoelectric material of the body is selected in such a manner that a thrust coefficient of the piezoelectric e-tensor is not equal to zero, with the result that the inverse piezoelectric effect can be used, and a transverse coefficient of the piezoelectric d-tensor is not equal to zero and/or a longitudinal coefficient of the piezoelectric d-tensor is not equal to zero, with the result that the transverse piezoelectric effect can be used in the transverse direction and/or the longitudinal piezoelectric effect can be used in the longitudinal direction in a simultaneous manner with the inverse piezoelectric effect.
US09989427B2
A force sensor includes: a base; a first movable portion arranged to face the base; a second movable portion arranged to face the first movable portion; a support that is provided on the base and rockably supports the first movable portion and the second movable portion; a joint that is provided to the support and rotatably supports the second movable portion; and a first detection unit that can detect a force component causing the first movable portion and the second movable portion to rock and a second detection unit that can detect a force component causing the second movable portion to rotate, when external force is applied to at least one of the first movable portion and the second movable portion.
US09989420B2
A temperature sensitive element in a temperature sensor includes a covering member formed from alumina and aluminosilicate glass, and the volume ratio of the alumina to the aluminosilicate glass (the alumina/the aluminosilicate glass) in the covering member is 30 vol %/70 vol %. The aluminosilicate glass contained in the covering member is high heat-resistant glass having a softening point of 900° C. or higher. The covering member can hold output lines and pads and can restrain separation of the output lines from the pads and separation of the pads from a ceramic substrate even in an environment of higher temperature as compared with the case where the covering member is formed of the aluminosilicate glass only.
US09989418B2
An arrangement to prevent thermocouple chafing with a guide tube within a rotor disc cavity during gas turbine operation is provided. The arrangement includes an interstage seal housing, a guide tube, and a thermocouple including a tip portion, an elongated portion, a head portion, and an antichafing strip. The guide tube is disposed in a radially extending bore of the interstage seal housing. The tip portion extends radially inward into the rotor disc cavity, the elongated portion is disposed at least partially within the guide tube, and the head portion is disposed radially outward of the casing. The tip portion includes a temperature sensing element which measures the temperature of the rotor disc cavity. The antichafing strip is disposed along the length of the elongated portion so that it is at least partially disposed within the guide tube. A method to prevent premature gas turbine shutdown due to thermocouople failure is also provided.
US09989415B1
A method for creating a uniformity compensation look-up table is revealed. The method includes the following steps. First measure a plurality of areas on a plane users intend to make uniform to get a measured value of the respective area. Then get a central uniform estimate of a center of the plane. Also get a linear skeleton according to the position of one of the measured values and the position of the central uniform estimate. Next get a plurality of skeletal uniform estimates on the linear skeletons respectively by interpolation or extrapolation of the measured values, the central uniform estimate, and the distance between the position of the measured values and the center of the plane. At last get a plurality of planar uniform estimates on the plane in turn according to the skeletal uniform estimates of the two adjacent linear skeletons to establish the look-up table.
US09989412B2
A spectral imaging device (12) includes an image sensor (28), an illumination source (14), a refractive, optical element (24A), a mover assembly (24C) (29), and a control system (30). The image sensor (28) acquires data to construct a two-dimensional spectral image (13A) during a data acquisition time (346). The illumination source (14) generates an illumination beam (16) that illuminates the sample (10) to create a modified beam (16I) that follow a beam path (16B) from the sample (10) to the image sensor (28). The refractive, optical element (24A) is spaced apart a separation distance (42) from the sample (10) along the beam path (16B). During the data acquisition time (346), the control system (30) controls the illumination source (14) to generate the illumination beam (16), controls the mover assembly (29) (24C) to modulate the separation distance (42), and controls the image sensor (28) to capture the data.
US09989402B1
A method estimating weight of a motor vehicle including front and rear wheel assemblies using a smart communication device after loading the vehicle, including: (i) identifying the vehicle in the smart communication device; (ii) using a camera of the smart communication device, capturing and processing a photograph of at least one vehicle wheel after loading to determine displacement of a corresponding wheel assembly; (iii) using at least one accelerometer or inclinometer of the smart communication device, measuring at least one tilt angle of the vehicle after loading to determine displacement of the opposite wheel assembly and the corresponding wheel assembly; (iv) using a calculation unit of the smart communication device, calculating load values on the corresponding and opposite wheel assemblies based on respective displacements of the wheel assemblies, to determine a total load vehicle value; and (v) indicating by the smart communication device a vehicle load state to the user.
US09989399B2
A liquid surface sensing device includes a rotational body that is made of resin and rotates according to upward and downward motion of a surface of liquid in a container, a magnet that is held by the rotational body to rotate together with the rotational body, a stationary body that is fixed to the container and rotatably bears the rotational body, and a magnetoelectric conversion element that is embedded in the stationary body and detects a magnetic field generated by the magnet to output an electric signal indicating the liquid surface. The rotational body includes a storage space that accommodates the magnet, a resilient claw that projects into the storage space and is in contact with the magnet in its resiliently deformed state to press the magnet on a storage wall for the storage space, and a projection that projects from an opposite side of the magnet toward the resilient claw in the storage space and expands to be in contact with the resilient claw.
US09989393B2
A method of monitoring a mass flow rate of product being applied with an agricultural implement includes the steps of: calibrating a pressure drop across a known distance in an air line at a number of air flow rates; metering a product at a desired application rate into the air line at a selected one of the air flow rates; establishing a pressure drop across the known distance at the selected air flow rate, while the product is being metered at the desired application rate; calculating a value of K1 dependent on the established pressure drop; estimating a mass flow rate of the product being applied, using the mathematical expression: log μ=−(1+ϵ)·log Fr+K1 where μ (mass loading ratio); Fr (Froude number); ϵ=calibration variable; and K1=constant for a given product being applied at a given mass flow rate.
US09989388B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a cable for optical fiber sensing applications formed from fiber wound around a cable core. A protective layer is then preferably placed over the top of the wound fiber, to protect the fiber, and to help keep it in place on the cable core. The cable core is preferably of a diameter to allow bend-insensitive fiber to be wound thereon with low bending losses. The effect of winding the fiber onto the cable core means that the longitudinal sensing resolution of the resulting cable is higher than simple straight fiber, when the cable is used with an optical fiber sensing system such as a DAS or DTS system. The achieved resolution for the resulting cable is a function of the fiber winding diameter and pitch, with a larger diameter and reduced winding pitch giving a higher longitudinal sensing resolution.
US09989387B2
Processing electronics provide flow data acquisition and telemetry for multiphase flow tomographic arrays. The processing electronics convert sensed flow condition data obtained by ultrasonic transceiver tomography arrays into a serial digital data to minimize both the number of external feedthroughs and also the bandwidth required for transmission. The processing electronics also sends the full measured waveforms from each of the transceivers in the tomographic arrays.
US09989376B2
Systems and methods are provided for generating signature ambient sounds and maps thereof to assist in navigation based on a start location, a destination location, start time and average walking speed. The maps are generated by concatenating two or more of the signature ambient sounds and two or more of voice based navigation guidance. The signature ambient sounds for up to all location coordinate pairs in a map, for up to all time ranges and for up to all walking speed ranges are generated and tagged to the corresponding location coordinate pair, the corresponding time range and the corresponding average walking speed. The signature ambient sounds are generated by applying digital signal processing techniques on ambient sounds recorded by client devices, that are filtered and outlier removed.
US09989372B2
A method and system are disclosed for re-ranking trips from a journey planner using real traveler preferences. A trip request is received that includes an origin, a destination and a departure time. An associated journey planner retrieves a list of candidate trips that correspond to the request. A ranking function, ascertained from actual trips that match the trip request and from which are determined real-world traveler preferences, is applied to the list of candidate trips output by the journey planner, thereby re-ranking the list of candidate trips to reflect real-world traveler's experiences.
US09989361B2
Provided is a technology for sensing anomalous tide level fluctuations to be used to monitor a tsunami, in which an estimated value of a sea surface fluctuation is obtained by conducting statistical processing or testing processing for a physical phenomenon of the tsunami displayed in image information. An anomalous tide level fluctuation sensing device according to this invention is configured to: detect a position of an object or a horizon, which fluctuates in association with a tide level, from within a video; and detect that the position fluctuates in a time cycle different from a time cycle of a tide or an ocean wave.
US09989354B2
A conveying apparatus for transporting and for measuring an object includes a sensor having a light transmitter arranged at a conveyor belt and transmits first light beams in the direction of the conveyor belt. The sensor also has a light receiver that is arranged at the conveyor belt and that receives second light beams. The sensor further has an evaluation device for determining a dimension of the object by evaluating the received second light beams. The conveyor belt is an endless conveyor belt that is driven by at least one drive unit and that moves in a main conveying direction. At least one gap is provided in the endless conveyor belt free of interruption, through which gap the first light beams pass, and the first light beams form a scan plane in the at least one gap transversely to the main conveying direction of the conveyor belt.
US09989353B2
A method for optically scanning and measuring a scene by a laser scanner includes generating multiple scans; tracking scanner positions with a position-tracking device for the multiple scans and providing tracked scanner positions in response; registering sequentially scans selected from the multiple scans into clusters using registration points or targets and confirming registration of the scans into the clusters according to specified quality criteria being fulfilled; selecting scans from the clusters and forming pairs of scans; forming an intersection of the selected pairs and comparing a size of the intersection with a threshold value obtained based at least in part on the tracked scanner positions; and attempting to register the pairs of scans if the size of the intersection exceeds the threshold value and accepting the registered pairs of scans if the registration is successful.
US09989351B2
The tomographic image capturing device of the present invention comprises a display means (18) configured to: split light from a light source (11) into measurement light and reference light and cause the measurement light and the reference light to be incident to an object (E) and a reference object (49), respectively; capture tomographic images of the object (E) on the basis of interference light generated by superposition of the measurement light reflected from the object (E) and the reference light reflected from the reference object (49); and display tomographic pictures of the object generated on the basis of the captured tomographic images. The tomographic image capturing device has a first image capturing mode and a second image capturing mode. The first image capturing mode is a mode in which the measurement light is two-dimensionally scanned by raster scan to be incident to the object (E) and the tomographic images of the object (E) are captured. The second image capturing mode is a mode in which the measurement light is two-dimensionally scanned by raster scan to be incident to the object (E) and the tomographic images of the object (E) are captured. The raster scan in the second image capturing mode is thinned from the raster scan in the first image capturing mode. The display means (18) is configured to be switchable between a first display mode and a second display mode. The first display mode is a mode in which a plurality of tomographic pictures including a region of interest of the object (E) is selected from among the tomographic pictures generated on the basis of the tomographic images captured in the second image capturing mode and only the selected plurality of tomographic pictures is displayed. The second display mode is a mode in which all of the tomographic pictures generated on the basis of the tomographic images captured in the second image capturing mode are in turn displayed. The capturing of the tomographic images in the first image capturing mode is performed after separately performing a first adjustment operation and a second adjustment operation for adjustment of an image capturing condition necessary for capturing the tomographic images in the first image capturing mode. The first adjustment operation is based on the tomographic pictures displayed in the first display mode. The second adjustment operation is based on the tomographic pictures displayed in the second display mode.
US09989344B2
A method of producing an explosive composition comprising a liquid energetic material and sensitizing voids, the sensitizing voids being present in the liquid energetic material with a non-random distribution, which method comprises: providing a flow of liquid energetic material; and delivering sensitizing voids into the flow of liquid energetic material in a series of pulses to provide regions in the liquid energetic material in which sensitizing voids are sufficiently concentrated to render those regions detonable and regions in the liquid energetic material in which the sensitizing voids are not so concentrated.
US09989337B2
A dart game system comprising a steel-tipped dart, a sisal dart board, at least one first mobile computing scoring device comprising a scoring interface, and a remote mobile computing device adapted to receive the scoring interface from the at least one scoring device for display of real-time dart game scores at a remote location.
US09989328B2
A rail insert is disclosed. The rail insert includes a backing member, at least one locating pin connected to the backing member, and at least one locking pin connected to the backing member. The backing member has a rail side and a grip side. The at least one locking pin has at least one compressible member.
US09989323B2
A method for automatically cleaning a vehicle's heat exchanger or air filter is provided. In use, once the system determines that the heat exchanger/air filter should be cleaned, for example based on total operational time or the number of use cycles or air flow, the system temporarily reverses the direction of the corresponding fan assembly, thereby reversing the flow of air through the heat exchanger/air filter and forcing out dust, dirt and other debris.
US09989312B2
A channel inductor of a channel induction furnace, the channel inductor comprising (a) a channel liner and (b) a back-up liner that supports the channel liner such that the integrity of the channel liner is not compromised during heat-up, dry-out, or operation of the channel induction furnace.
US09989309B1
A condenser assembly comprises: a main cabinet; one or more filters mounted to a filter frame that is moveable between a first (operating) position within the main cabinet and a second (maintenance) position substantially outside of the main cabinet; and a condenser box that is moveable between a first (operating) position within the main cabinet and a second (maintenance) position substantially outside of the main cabinet. In some applications, the condenser assembly is part of an apparatus for removing liquid from a suspension.
US09989308B2
A hand dryer comprising a jetting nozzle comprising a duct in fluid communication with a slot which forms a nozzle outlet, and a blower which blows air through the jetting nozzle to produce an air jet. The jetting nozzle is configured such that the angle of inclination of the air jet with respect to a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slot varies in the longitudinal direction of the slot.
US09989298B1
A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet and a powered track disposed within the cabinet for receiving adjustable shelves at various shelf mounting positions. The powered track can include a first and a second power bus in electrical communication with a power source. The adjustable shelf can include a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector that are biased in electrical communication with the first and second power bus, respectively, when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track.
US09989296B2
A cooling system for containers holding chilled foods and beverages within chilled water, is defined by a thermally insulated cooler or other chilling vessel including a quantity of ice, water, food, and/or beverages, and a safely comestible liquid having a lower freezing point than water mixed in the water, the chilling vessel having an input conduit and an output conduit originating in the vicinity of the chilling vessel. In thermal communication with input and output conduits of the chilling vessel is an endothermic element for removal of heat from a defined ambient geometry about the endothermic element, the ambient geometry forming a part of a liquid loop including liquids within the chilling vessel and the endothermic element. Also included is a thermostat in thermoelectric communication between the chilling vessel output conduit and a compressor within the refrigeration circuit, the thermostat for regulating a power input to the compressor to control a temperature of re-circulated liquids to the chilling vessel to a temperature suitable for comestibles stored within liquids in the chilling vessel.
US09989294B2
Ice-cutting machine comprising a cylindrical tank (1) on the upper portion of which two circular blades (2) are arranged, being raised at a certain height above a supporting assembly (3), which constitutes the supporting base of the cylindrical bars, provided with one rotation motor (4) and another translation motor (5) that impart a compound rotational and translational motion, wherein the supporting assembly (3) is provided with two crescent-shaped supports (3.1) that have a ramp (3.2), which prevents the ice bars from being damaged by the teeth of the blades; the blades are fixed by means of screws (2.2); the cylindrical tank (1) is provided with a register flap (6) and the rotation motor (4) is fixed on a platform (8) which in turn is fixed to the cylindrical tank (1), and the rotation motor (4) and platform assembly is covered by a casing (8).
US09989293B1
An ice dispensing assembly includes a hopper, a metering disk, a shelf member, and a separating wall. The hopper includes an outlet opening defined in a bottom end of the hopper, and an ice inlet defined in a top end of the hopper. The metering disk is positioned in the hopper and includes a plurality of cavities. The shelf member is arranged to at least partially shield the cavities from a supply of ice held in the hopper. The metering disk is rotatable relative to the hopper between a first position wherein at least one cavity is exposed to the supply of ice to be filled with ice, and a second position wherein the cavity is separated from the supply of ice by the separating wall and ice in the cavity is dispensed through the outlet opening.
US09989288B2
The present invention provides a control system for managing lubricant levels in tandem compressor assemblies of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. In transitioning from a partial load that operates a first compressor but not a second compressor of a tandem assembly to a full load that operates both the first and the second compressor, a controller of the HVAC system turns OFF both compressors of the tandem compressor assembly to allow time for lubricant levels to equalize between the first and the second compressor.
US09989286B2
In various implementations, an air conditioning system may include one or more compressors. The operation of the compressor(s) may be managed. For example, when an air conditioner is allowed to operate after being shut down, a first compressor may be allowed to operate and a wait time may elapse prior to starting at least one other compressor. When a compressor has multiple stages of operation, in some implementations, a first compressor may be allowed to operate at a low stage and a wait time may elapse prior to starting a higher stage of operation of the first compressor.
US09989269B2
Disclosed is a dehumidifier, having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator through which refrigerant is circulated, including a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet formed therein, a first passage for drawing air through the air inlet, and discharging the air through the air outlet after passed through the evaporator, the condenser, a first fan, and a second fan in succession, and a second passage for drawing the air through the air inlet and discharging the air through the air outlet after passed through the second fan, thereby, not only increasing the flow rate of the air passing through the condenser enabling to reduce a condensing temperature, but also discharging the air passed through the condenser mixed with the air drawn into the second passage enabling to drop the temperature of the air being discharged to the air outlet, permitting to resolve user's inconvenience.
US09989263B2
The invention relates to a radiator (1, 11) with a heating water duct system, within which heating water is able to be transported from a heating water intake (3, 15) to a heating water outlet (4, 16),wherein the heating water duct system comprises: heating segments (5,6,12,13,14) with respectively an internal cavity for receiving heating water, which in a ready-to-operate state of the radiator (1, 11) are arranged over one another in gravitation direction, and which respectively have an inlet opening for the supply of heating water and an outlet opening for the removal of heating water; a connecting pipe (7, 17), which connects the outlet opening of a first heating segment (5, 12) with the inlet opening of a second heating segment (6, 13); wherein the heating water inlet (3, 15) is connected to the inlet opening of the first heating segment (5, 12), and wherein the second heating segment (6, 13) in the ready-to-operate state of the radiator (1, 11), viewed in gravitation direction, is arranged above the first heating segment (5, 12).
US09989262B2
A thermal appliance is provided. The thermal appliance includes a heating compartment inside of an enclosure, with insulation disposed between the heating compartment and enclosure. Retainers or standoffs are also included in the thermal appliance to prevent air gaps from forming between the insulation and the heating compartment, and to prevent the insulation from making contact with the enclosure.
US09989260B2
A gas turbine that includes: a combustor coupled to a turbine that define a working fluid flowpath; a compressor discharge cavity; a staged injection system that includes the forward injector and a staged injector; a stator blade positioned extending across the working fluid flowpath between an inboard sidewall and an outboard sidewall. A one-way continuous coolant flowpath that includes: an intake section that comprises an upstream port connected to the compressor discharge cavity and a downstream port formed through one of the inboard and outboard sidewalls; an outtake section that comprises a downstream port connected to the staged injector and an upstream port formed through the other one of the inboard and outboard sidewalls; and a cooling circuit extending through an interior of the airfoil of the stator blade and connecting to the downstream port of the intake section and the upstream port of the outtake section.
US09989249B2
An inward firing multi burner system is provided that can modulate its output and have two or more independent gas/air supplies firing via multiple burners in the same burner cylinder or burner head compartment. Independent control of one or more of gas/air supplies to the multiple burners yields a comparatively large modulation range.
US09989235B2
A LED module comprising at least one LED mounted on a thermo-conducting flat substrate, said LED module being adapted for being used together with a TIM and a heat sink, said thermo-conducting flat substrate being adapted for spreading heat from said LED module through said TIM to said heat sink, said thermo-conducting flat substrate comprising a plurality of fastener eyes, each of said fastener eyes being adopted for receiving a fastener such as a screw or a rivet for mounting said thermo-conducting flat substrate to said heat sink, wherein said thermo-conducting flat substrate comprises integrally formed deformable zones in vicinity of each of said plurality of fastener eyes, said integrally formed deformable zones being coherent with said thermo-conducting flat substrate.
US09989230B2
The present invention simplifies the system of power lines from the power source of a balloon-type illumination device to the inside of the balloon. The balloon-type illumination device (1) is provided with: a balloon (2); a discharge lamp (3) provided within the balloon (2); a blower (4) that is provided within the balloon (2) and inflates the balloon (2); a ballast (5) that performs stabilized power supply to the discharge lamp (3) and is provided outside the balloon (2); and a power source circuit (6) that is provided within the balloon (2) and is for sending, to the blower (4), a portion of the power to be supplied to the discharge lamp (3).
US09989227B2
A decorative light can include: a lamp case defining a hollow interior region and having an open front end; a beam splitter located inside the lamp case, the beam splitter defining an interior region; a lighting module located within the interior region of the beam splitter, the lighting module including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) located thereon; a motor located inside the lamp case, the motor coupled to the beam splitter and adapted to rotate the beam splitter with respect to the lighting module; and a front lens mounted to the open front end of the lamp case. A convertible support stand for an outdoor lighting product is also discussed.
US09989226B2
Improvements in an up-down lighting fixture that is mountable to a trunk or branch at whatever elevation that is desired to provide the required illumination to light the fronds, head or a tree as well and some lighting can be directed downward to illuminate the ground or a pathway under the tree or a wall. The lighting is secured to a tree with a first bracket that is secured to the tree and a second lighting frame that is then secured to the tree brackets. The frame is constructed from aluminum or other metals and further coated or painted to blend with the color of the trunk of the tree. The system includes optional field adjustable switched to allow for multiple levels of illumination. The lighting optics can include multiple LED color temperatures to adjust the lighting for the surroundings or to provide a desired ambiance.
