Document	Document Title
US09099085B2	Voice authentication systems and methods A method for configuring a voice authentication system employing at least one authentication engine comprises utilizing the at least one authentication engine to systematically compare a plurality of impostor voice sample against a voice sample of a legitimate person to derive respective authentication scores. The resultant authentication scores are analyzed to determine a measure of confidence for the voice authentication system.
US09099081B2	Facilitating text-to-speech conversion of a domain name or a network address containing a domain name To facilitate text-to-speech conversion of a username, a first or last name of a user associated with the username may be retrieved, and a pronunciation of the username may be determined based at least in part on whether the name forms at least part of the username. To facilitate text-to-speech conversion of a domain name having a top level domain and at least one other level domain, a pronunciation for the top level domain may be determined based at least in part upon whether the top level domain is one of a predetermined set of top level domains. Each other level domain may be searched for one or more recognized words therewithin, and a pronunciation of the other level domain may be determined based at least in part on an outcome of the search. The username and domain name may form part of a network address such as an email address, URL or URI.
US09099074B1	Custom tunable acoustic insulation Acoustic insulation comprising tuned resonant absorbers to absorb sound energy and prevent it from being emitted and a method of installation of the acoustic insulation. The acoustic insulation is preferably placed or sprayed by a thermal spray process. The resonant absorbers are strategically placed in the placed or thermally sprayed material to maximize sound absorption. Discrete mass absorbers may be sealed or left open.
US09099066B2	Musical instrument pickup signal processor A system and method is disclosed that facilitates the processing of a sound signal. In embodiments, an input sound signal can be processed according to a computational model using predetermined parameters. A sound signal originating from a musical instrument can be processed according to coefficients that are generated using a learning model.
US09099059B2	Image display device, image display method, information processing device, information processing method, and information storing medium To provide an image display device capable of carrying out a data reading process in advance on data of a plurality of images in an order according to the likelihood of becoming a display target. There is provided an image display device for displaying on a display device (2) an image in accordance with a position change instruction issued by a user to change a position in an image sequence comprising a plurality of images, the image display device holds information about a display image position which is a position in the image sequence, of an image to be displayed next and determined according to an image being displayed on the display device (2) and the position change instruction; reads, with respect to respective images in a plurality of positions in the image sequence, the positions being determined according to the display image position, data of the respective images from an image data storage unit in an order determined according to content of the position change instruction, the image data storage unit storing data of the plurality of images; and displays an image in accordance with the position change instruction by a user, based on the read image data.
US09099049B2	Method of dimming backlight assembly A plurality of gray-scale values is extracted from image signals corresponding to a dimming area to calculate a mean value of the gray-scale values, and at least one of a variance, a standard deviation, a kurtosis, a skewness, a central moment, and an image moment is calculated using the mean value. Then, a representative gray-scale value corresponding to the dimming area is determined using the calculated values, and a dimming function for the light sources included in the dimming area is determined based on the representative gray-scale value. Then, the light sources included in the dimming area are driven based on the dimming function.
US09099042B2	Display apparatus A high luminance display apparatus is provided. When a spectral radiance of a backlight at a time point of factory shipment is less than a spectral radiance of external light, a CPU generates a correction matrix for performing color correction so that color produced by external light, i.e., color produced by reflection light of external light by a half mirror conforms to color produced by only irradiation light of the backlight, transmits the generated correction matrix to a video image signal processing section as parameter information, and causes execution of color correction based on the parameter information. The CPU generates a correction matrix based on a spectral radiance of external light detected by a second spectral radiance sensor, a spectral radiance of the backlight detected at the time point of factory shipment, and spectral transmittance of a color filter as well as a color-matching function.
US09099041B2	Display device with a correction period of a threshold voltage of a driver transistor and electronic apparatus A display device includes pixel array unit and a driver unit. A sampling transistor samples a signal potential to hold the signal potential in a holding capacitor. A driver transistor flows a drive current to a light emitting element in accordance with the signal potential held. A main scanner in the driver unit outputs the control signal having a shorter pulse width than the time period to the scan line to make the sampling transistor conductive during a time period while the signal line is at the signal potential, thereby adding the signal potential a correction for a mobility of the driver transistor when the signal potential is held in the holding capacitor.
US09099040B2	Scan driver and organic light emitting display using the same Embodiments may provide a scan driver including a plurality of stages for simultaneously outputting first scan signals in a simultaneous driving period and for progressively outputting second scan signals in a progressive driving period, wherein each of the stages includes a first signal processing unit coupled to an input terminal, a first clock terminal, a third clock terminal, an auxiliary terminal, a first power source terminal, and a second power source terminal to output a first output signal and a second output signal, and a second signal processing unit coupled to a second clock terminal and the first power source terminal to receive the first output signal and the second output signal and to output a first scan signal and a second scan signal to an output terminal.
US09099037B2	Organic light emitting diode display and method of driving the same An organic light emitting diode display having improved display quality is disclosed. The organic light emitting diode display includes pixels positioned at intersections of scan lines and data lines, an emission control unit for controlling emission times of the pixels according to a second emission width signal indicating emission time information of the pixels, and an emission time controller for dividing the pixels into a plurality of blocks and for generating the second emission width signal according to a brightness history of the blocks.
US09099033B2	Organic electroluminescent display and method of driving based on plurality of operating environmental factors A method and system for controlling power consumption of a display is disclosed. The method includes determining battery voltage, brightness of ambient light, temperature, and adjusting the brightness of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus, or by adjusting the voltage difference between a first power voltage and a second power voltage of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus, according to the battery voltage, the brightness of the ambient light, the temperature, and image data of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus.
US09099031B2	Layout synchronization Methods, program products, and systems for layout synchronization are described. A first device can share with a second device a layout designed according to display properties of the first device, even if display properties of the second device differ from those of the first device. The layout can be synchronized between the devices, where each device can adapt the layout in a manner specific to the display properties of the device. Two-dimensional views of same data can have a consistent appearance on multiple devices each having distinct display properties.
US09099021B2	Display screen and terminal device using same A display screen, terminal device using same and method for controlling same are described. The display screen includes a display panel portion configured to display an image based on inputted image data; a transparent fixing component, which is located above the display panel portion, configured to protect the display panel portion; and a camera unit provided on a first area of the display panel portion. By way of the above configuration, a user looks directly at the display screen during a video call or video chat. In this way, the user looks directly at the camera component which takes a video of the user, so that the users participating in the video call feel they are achieving eye contact, thus enhancing the experience of video calls and chats.
US09099020B2	Light emitting device and method for driving thereof An object of the present invention is to provide a display device consuming lower amounts of power. The display device determines whether or not video signals corresponding to all of pixels in one row of a plurality of pixels are equal to one another. In a case where the video signals corresponding to at least two pixels among the video signals corresponding to all of the pixels in one row of the plurality of pixels, are different from each other, video signals input to an image signal input line are sequentially output to a plurality of source signal lines in synchronization with a sampling pulse output from a shift register. On the other hand, when the video signals corresponding to all of the pixels in one row of the plurality of pixels are equal to one another, input of a start pulse to the source driver is stopped, and the video signals input to the image signal input line are simultaneously output to the plurality of source signal line.
US09099019B2	Image display device, image display system, and method for analyzing the emotional state of a user The present invention relates to an image display device, to an image display system, to a method for analyzing the emotional state of user, wherein information on a user response to a scene containing content is analyzed so as to provide a user with information on the emotional state of the user for the scene or to selectively provide information added for each scene of the content, thereby rendering an interactive service. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method for analyzing the emotional state of a user comprises the steps of: outputting a scene comprising content having identification information; receiving information on a user response to the scene; determining the emotional state of the user for the scene on the basis of the information on the user response; and storing the determined emotional state in association with the identification information.
US09099011B2	Learning tool and method of recording, reviewing, and analyzing face-to-face human interaction Two parties have three distinct viewpoints of their relationship, from which assumptions emerge and working hypotheses about how to manage their relationship. The system, device, and method described herein include using computer system mediated learning tool for understanding face-to-face human interactions. The process includes using the learning tool in reviewing an audio-video recording of a face-to-face interaction with one or more persons, whereby one or more of the participants use the learning tool to privately describe their separate viewpoints of the interaction. The participants use the learning tool to receive immediate feedback for analysis, to compare viewpoints, to examine how the viewpoints are arrived, and to explore the viewpoints' consequences for the participants' relationship.
US09099003B2	GNSS/IMU positioning, communication, and computation platforms for automotive safety applications A GNSS/IMU safety sensor platform is disclosed consisting of data fusion Processors, GNSS Acquisition and Tracking Processors, MEMS IMU sensors, one or multiple accelerometers able to provide orientation information, optional V2V communication modules, and optional V2I communication modules. The data fusion processors provide interface ports to GNSS/IMU processors, odometers, video (Visual/Infrared) cameras installed in the vehicle, V2V relative positioning sensors (laser, radar or any other distance measuring), and V2V and V2I communication modules. The data fusion processors are interfaced to a driver warning system and optionally to the vehicle controls for providing safety warning messages to drivers, or for automatic control of the vehicle for preventing and reducing accidents.
US09099001B2	Method and system for reducing a reaction delay time of a vehicle safety control device Method for reducing a reaction delay time of a vehicle safety control device which makes interventions into the control of the vehicle as a result of a surrounding situation in which there is a risk of collision, wherein the vehicle safety control device makes a first intervention into the control of the vehicle before the surrounding situation in which there is a risk of collision is validated.
US09098999B2	Systems and methods for assuring the accuracy of a synthetic runway presentation Automated systems and methods that utilize high-accuracy landing system data to correct the position of a synthetic runway presentation on a pilot display. This is achieved by first computing the “synthetic” lateral and vertical rectilinear deviations of the airplane from an ideal beam using the airplane's GPS position and barometric altitude, the runway location and orientation contained in an airborne database, and approach angle information. This synthetic deviation data is then compared to rectilinear deviation data computed by the computer system as received from a ground installation. The computer system is programmed to determine the differences between the ground-based and GPS-based rectilinear deviation data and then compute a corrected position vector using those differences. The position of the synthetic runway symbology on the pilot display is adjusted as a function of the corrected position vector.
US09098988B2	Integrated smoke cell A device and method for manufacturing an integrated smoke cell are presented. The smoke cell includes an integral housing with a ceiling portion and a smoke permeable wall forming a chamber when mounted on a printed circuit board. An emitter and detector are mounted above apertures in the chamber ceiling so the emitter and detector are mounted substantially outside the chamber while detecting smoke present within the chamber without blocking ingress of smoke through the chamber wall.
US09098987B2	Smoke detector A smoke detector with a transmitter (4) for a radiation that can be detected by a receiver (5), the transmitter (4) and the receiver (5) are to be assigned a monitored region (11).
US09098979B2	Scanning-printing integrated machine for lottery ticket printing and cashing The invention discloses a scanning-printing integrated machine for lottery ticket printing and cashing, comprising a first passage connected with an external paper inlet, a second passage connected with a paper house, a third passage connected with a paper outlet, and a control device, wherein a paper outlet of the first passage and a paper outlet of the second passage meet together at the third passage, at least one pair of delivery rollers is arranged in the first passage, a first printing mechanism and a paper cutting mechanism are arranged in the second passage, a scanning mechanism and a second printing mechanism for printing mark information on a medium are in sequence arranged in the third passage, wherein the control device judges the validity of the medium according to medium images collected by the scanning mechanism, and controls the printing operation of the second printing mechanism according to the judgment result. The scanning-printing integrated machine of the invention can not only achieve printing and cashing of the lottery tickets, but also detect the integrality of the printed contents.
US09098974B2	Method, system, and device for selecting and awarding bonus awards from an award server A system includes a user device in communication with an award server. The user device executes a game application to earn a bonus award. However, the bonus award is not issued by the user device. Rather, the bonus award is stored at the award server. In one optional embodiment, the bonus award may be issued through a gaming device which receives the bonus award from the award server and executes a gambling game which may result in the issuance of the bonus award. Additionally or alternatively, the bonus award may be issued through a redemption device.
US09098950B2	Method and system for the user-specific initialization of identification devices in the field The invention relates to a method and system for the user-specific initialization of identification devices in the field, particularly on-board units in road toll systems, based on a central facility, whereby each identification device, when delivered, has a unique device identification to which, in the central facility, a unique user identification is assigned, and in the central facility, an initialization PIN is generated from the device identification and from the user identification and is transmitted to the identification device from which the identification device, based on its device identification, computes the user identification for the user-specific initialization.
US09098947B2	Image processing apparatus and image processing system An image processing apparatus includes a synthesizing unit which synthesizes a drawn image drawn on a displayed image on a display device with the displayed image; a content data receiving unit which receives content data; a content data conversion unit which converts the received content data to image data; an external snapshot generation unit which generates an external snapshot to be displayed on the display unit based on the converted image data and stores the external snapshot in a storage unit; and a display control unit which displays the synthesized image by the synthesizing unit on the display device and also displays an object corresponding to the external snapshot in a selectable manner so that the external snapshot is displayed on the display device when the object is selected.
US09098943B1	Multiple simultaneous bin sizes Conflicts between the database-building and traversal phases are resolved by allowing the database bin size to be different from the display bin size. The database bin size is some multiple of the bin display bin size, and when there are multiple display bins in a database bin, each database bin is traversed multiple times for display, and the rasterizer discards primitives outside of the current display bin. This allows a trade off between memory bandwidth consumed for database building and bandwidth consumed for display, particularly when the display traversal is done multiple of times.
US09098942B2	Legend indicator for selecting an active graph series Various arrangements for identifying and selected a data value of a dataset presented on a graph are described. The graph may be presented, wherein the graph illustrates a plurality of datasets and a legend that identifies each of the plurality of datasets. A selection of the dataset may be received via the legend of the graph. An input of a point on the graph may be received. A value of a data point from the dataset that corresponds to the input of the point on the graph may be presented.
US09098933B2	Memory management for systems for generating 3-dimensional computer images A memory management system for generating 3-dimensional computer images is provided. The memory management system includes a device for subdividing an image into a plurality of rectangular areas, a memory for storing object data pertaining to objects in the image which fall in each rectangular area, a device for storing the object data in the memory, a device for deriving image data and shading data for each rectangular area from the object data, a device for supplying object data for each rectangular area from the respective portion of the memory and, if the rectangular area contains objects also falling in at least one other rectangular area, also from the global list, to the deriving device, and a device for storing the image data and shading data derived by the deriving device for display. The memory includes at least one portion allocated to each rectangular area and at least one portion allocated as a global list.
US09098932B2	Graphics processing logic with variable arithmetic logic unit control and method therefor Briefly, graphics data processing logic includes a plurality of parallel arithmetic logic units (ALUs), such as floating point processors or any other suitable logic, that operate as a vector processor on at least one of pixel data and vertex data (or both) and a programmable storage element that contains data representing which of the plurality of arithmetic logic units are not to receive data for processing. The graphics data processing logic also includes parallel ALU data packing logic that is operatively coupled to the plurality of arithmetic logic processing units and to the programmable storage element to pack data only for the plurality of arithmetic logic units identified by the data in the programmable storage element as being enabled.
US09098927B2	Image processing apparatus for diagnostic imaging and method thereof An image processing apparatus for diagnostic imaging,which allows easy verification of a spatial position on an arbitrary cross section is provided. An image processing apparatus 1 includes a basic position calculating unit 2 configured to calculate a position of a basic cross section from an image data, an auxiliary position calculating unit 3 configured to calculate a position of an auxiliary cross section, a generating unit 4 configured to generate a basic cross-sectional image using the image data and the position of the basic cross section and generate an auxiliary cross-sectional image using the image data and the position of the auxiliary cross section, a relationship calculating unit 5 configured to calculate information on a positional relationship indicating the relative positional relationship between the position of the basic cross section and the position of the auxiliary cross section, and a combining unit 6 configured to combine the information on the positional relationship with the basic cross-sectional image or the auxiliary cross-sectional image respectively, and a display unit 9 configured to display the combined image.
US09098926B2	Generating three-dimensional façade models from images The subject disclosure relates to generating three-dimensional façade models from images. In one aspect, a systematic decomposition schema is disclosed for a façade structured into a Direct Acyclic Graph and implemented as a top-down recursive subdivision and bottom-up merging. In a further aspect, optimization of façade depth operating in a façade surface and in the super-pixel level of a whole subdivision region is described.
US09098925B2	Techniques for optimizing stencil buffers One embodiment sets forth a method for associating each stencil value included in a stencil buffer with multiple fragments. Components within a graphics processing pipeline use a set of stencil masks to partition the bits of each stencil value. Each stencil mask selects a different subset of bits, and each fragment is strategically associated with both a stencil value and a stencil mask. Before performing stencil actions associated with a fragment, the raster operations unit performs stencil mask operations on the operands. No fragments are associated with both the same stencil mask and the same stencil value. Consequently, no fragments are associated with the same stencil bits included in the stencil buffer. Advantageously, by reducing the number of stencil bits associated with each fragment, certain classes of software applications may reduce the wasted memory associated with stencil buffers in which each stencil value is associated with a single fragment.
US09098923B2	Detection of long shots in sports video A method of identifying long shots of sports video comprising receiving a video frame comprising a plurality of pixels, classifying each of the plurality of pixels as a candidate field pixel or a candidate non-field pixel, determining whether at least a predefined percentage of the plurality of pixels are candidate field pixels, calculating a first standard deviation, the first standard deviation being the standard deviation of the hues of all candidate field pixels, and classifying the video frame as a long shot of sports video when at least the predefined percentage of the plurality of pixels are candidate field pixels and the first standard deviation is equal to or lower than a predefined maximum standard deviation value.
US09098920B2	Image capturing apparatus and method for controlling the same An image capturing apparatus is provided that is capable of performing both object detection using image recognition and object detection using movement detection on successively captured images. In the image capturing apparatus, the reliability of the result of the object detection using image recognition is evaluated based on the previous detection results. If it is determined that the reliability is high, execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. If it is determined that the reliability is low, non-execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. With this configuration, the object region can be tracked appropriately.
US09098916B2	Bit-accurate film grain simulation method based on pre-computed transformed coefficients Creation of a Bit-accurate film grain pattern for blending in an image block occurs by first establishing a set of bit-accurate transformed coefficients. The set of bit-accurate transformed coefficients undergo frequency filtering and a subsequent bit-accurate inverse transformation to yield the film grain pattern. The film grain pattern can then undergo blending with an image block to restore the look of film to the image.
US09098912B2	Method, system and computer readable medium for automatic segmentation of a medical image A method for automatic segmentation of a medical image is provided. The method comprises registering a reference image associated with an object to the medical image, determining a transformation function on the basis of the registration, applying the transformation function to a probability map associated with the object; carrying out a probability thresholding on the transformed probability map by selecting a first area of the medical image in which the probability of the object is within a probability range, carrying out an intensity thresholding on the medical image by selecting a second area of the medical image in which the intensity is within an intensity range, selecting a common part of the first and second areas and carrying out on the common part a morphological opening resulting in separate sub-areas, selecting the largest sub-area as a seed, and segmenting the medical image on the basis of the seed.
US09098911B2	Depth map generation from a monoscopic image based on combined depth cues A combined depth map is generated for a monoscopic image based on a weighted combination of a color depth map, a spatial depth map, and a motion depth map for the image, each describing the depth of pixels in the image relative to the image plane. The color depth map determines the depth of pixels according to their color, the spatial depth map determines the depth of pixels according to their location in the image, and the motion depth map determines the depth of pixels according to their motion in the image. Each of the depth maps is associated with a weight that is used to generate the weighted combination. The weights are adaptive to account for variation between different monoscopic images.
US09098890B2	Robot for managing structure and method of controlling the robot Provided are a robot for managing a structure, and a method of controlling the robot. The robot for maintaining and repairing the structure measures a luminance value by capturing an image of the structure, or measures depth information of the structure by using a laser sensor or stereo vision, determines a protruding portion or depressed portion of the structure by using the measured luminance value or the measured depth information. Also, the robot removes the determined protruding portion and fills the determined depressed portion by using a combination hardener. Accordingly, protrusion, depression, and crack of a wall caused by deterioration or poor construction of the structure may be automatically found and repaired so as to efficiently manage the structure.
US09098884B2	Waste recycling systems, processes, and methods The present invention refers to a system, process, and method of collecting, handling and processing paperboard based fast food service items for the production of pulp suitable for reuse into paper or paperboard and the contemporaneous recovery of the waterproofing film for the production of energy.
US09098882B2	Methods, systems, and products for anonymous loan documents Methods, systems, and products create anonymous loan documents. Electronic loan documents are prepared for a borrower of a loan. An anonymous shadow copy of the electronic loan documents is generated that removes personally identifying information, such as names, addresses, and social security numbers. The anonymous shadow copy of the electronic loan documents may then be electronically published.
US09098878B2	Stratified composite portfolios of investment securities A stratified composite portfolio can be formed by selecting a group of investment securities, stratifying them according to attributes that correlate to a specific asset risk, and assigning relative portfolio weights to the components based on their stratified positions. The attributes are selected from a universe of possible values. Further positive and negative biases can be applied at any arbitrary point or stratified position, including to individual assets, groups of arbitrarily selected assets, or arbitrary stratification positions.
US09098874B2	System and method of determining view information of an instance of an online game executed on an online game server Gifting of virtual items between users of a virtual space may be facilitated. A purchase interface may be presented to a first user. The purchase interface may be configured to receive selection from the first user of (i) a virtual item for purchase, and (ii) one or more users with which the first user has established a virtual space relationship. Responsive to selection by the first user through the purchase interface of a first virtual item and a second user with which the first user has established a virtual space relationship, the first virtual item may be distributed to the second user in the virtual space.
US09098872B2	Building a social graph based on links received and selected by recipients and using graph to personalize content for delivery A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Sharing activity between two users will affect ads or content that both users will be presented while surfing the Web. This sharing activity includes sending of links, sending of videos, sending of files, cutting and pasting of content, sending text messages, and sending of e-mails. A technique can include receiving activity information when a recipient accesses a first link; when a first node representative of a sender of the first link is not identified in a social graph and after receiving the activity information, creating a second node to represent the sender in the social graph; and using to the social graph to personalize content for delivery.
US09098866B1	Dynamic personalization profile The present invention generally relates to utilization of at least two known location addresses yielding accurate determination of a user's mode of operations and/or preferences. In one embodiment, the present invention utilizes proximity and/or vector between a current location address and a known home or work address to determine preferences that dynamically change based on the current location and inter-relationship between the current location and at least one other known location address.
US09098860B2	Rating and novelty decay Application servers and methods of operating the same are provided for generating a personalized recommendation of items to a first user. An updated rating value N(t) of an initial rating value N(0) is determined for each rated item based on an age of each rating. The updated rating value N(t) is based on a difference between the value of the initial rating N(0) and a neutral rating value R, and on a predetermined half-life of the ratings. The updated rating value N(t) converges towards the neutral rating value R with an increase in the age t for each rating.
US09098858B2	Visualizing expressions for dynamic analytics Embodiments relate to a computer-implemented method for visualizing expressions for dynamic analytics. A graphical user interface control is generated for each of one or more variables of an expression. Each of the one or more variables is bound to the corresponding graphical interface control generated previously. Then, the generated graphical user interface control for each of the one or more variables of the expression is graphically output using a display device. A user may input an adjusted value of each of the one or more variables of the expression using the corresponding graphical user interface control.
US09098855B2	Intelligent clearing network In an embodiment, a system for redeeming coupons, promotions, or incentives comprises a network through which a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal communicates, through a POS controller, with an Intelligent Clearing Network (ICN) server. One or both of the POS terminal and POS controller are installed with POS bridge software. The ICN server is configured to run a real time software application while in communication with the POS terminal, wherein the POS terminal transmits coupon transaction information including universal product codes to the ICN server via the network.
US09098839B2	Incentivizing commerce by regionally localized broadcast signal in conjunction with automatic feedback or filtering A method for digital commerce in conjunction with a digital broadcast, the method may comprise: a) receiving a digital broadcast signal with a receiving device, wherein the digital broadcast signal includes a commercial message and ancillary data associated with the commercial message; b) presenting the commercial message with a display device associated with the digital broadcast receiving device if a predetermined condition exists; c) generating response information using the ancillary data, wherein the response information is usable to determine an effectiveness of the commercial message in generating a response of a percipient of the commercial message; and d) transmitting the response information if a commercial transaction associated with the commercial message is completed. An alternative method may include a), b) and determining an effectiveness of the commercial message in generating a response of a percipient of the commercial message.
US09098838B2	Portable terminal device and method of determining communication permission thereof A portable terminal device includes a wireless communication unit (103) which receives charging information (payment permission request information), a sub-storage unit (100) which stores electronic money information increased and decreased by the charging information (payment permission request information), and a sub-control unit (102) which performs charging processing based on the charging information (payment permission request information) received by the wireless communication unit (103). The sub-control unit specifies the upper limit of a payable amount or a charging category based on an authentication rate acquired by biometric authentication, determines whether the charging is within the upper limit of a payable amount or whether the charging is in a payable charging category based on the charging information (payment permission request information) acquired by the wireless communication unit, and provides external notification that the charging is not possible when not within the upper limit of the payable amount or when not matching the payable charging category.
US09098833B2	Populating and managing (PAM) contact information in the network address book (NAB) This paper proposes a new method and architecture for populating, updating and managing the NAB. It also proposes user's Contact Information Discovery (CID). In context of populating the NAB; since the NAB of each individual subscriber will be stored in the network in future, the paper proposes CI to flow from one NAB to another NAB within the core network, instead of CI flowing from Device to Network. Thus with the user authorization, his CI would shoot from one NAB to another NAB within the core network instead of from LAB to NAB through air interface. It would reduce huge amount of data traffic on the air that otherwise would be generated in updating and populating the NAB by all the NAB users. In context of CID, the paper proposes a query-response mechanism and introduces a NAB Manager. The new architecture will provide several benefits for example it will eliminate the need of “Number Portability,” “United States National Do Not Call Registry” and “411 Directory Assistance.”
US09098820B2	Conservation modeling engine framework Methods, including service methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices provide a conservation modeling engine framework. Programmable conservation modeling engines in communication with different customizable resource conservation modules, each resource conservation module customized to a distinct resource, select one of the modules customized to a resource identified for conservation, and user-defined criteria as a function of the identified resource and the selected module. Input data is selected and collected as a function of the resource identified and the selected module and used to weight the input data. Different optimized conservation plans are created as a function of the weighted input data and the selected module, each of the optimized conservation plans displayed having a different implementation cost, a different time for implementation and a different total amount of the identified resource saved.
US09098819B1	Identifying social network accounts belonging to the same user A system and method for determining matching pairs between social networks is disclosed. The system comprises a matching module that includes an account retrieval engine, candidate pairing module, a match determination module, a social network engine, a personalizing engine and a graphical user interface engine. The candidate pairing module generates candidate pairs of accounts from different social networks that may represent the same user. The match pairing module generates scores for the pairs. The match determination module determines a subset of the pairs that most likely represent the same users.
US09098815B2	Presentation of an interactive user interface Examples of a user interface are described that may include a master risk landscape map that includes nodes representing risks and links representing correlations between the risks. The visual appearance of the nodes and links may provide information about their characteristics, such as risk likelihood, risks severity, risk detectability, and/or strength of interconnectivity. The user may be able to interact with the master risk landscape map to drill down to further detail while simultaneously removing less relevant information as desired, thereby potentially allowing the user to focus on the most relevant information.
US09098797B2	Image forming apparatus, method for controlling the same, and program An image forming apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects an object in a first region, a second detection unit that detects an object in a second region larger than the first region, a control unit that, if the first detection unit detects an object in the first region, shifts the image forming apparatus from a power-saving state to a normal power state, a display unit that displays information indicating a state of the image forming apparatus, and a power control unit that, when the state of the image forming apparatus is an error state, supplies power to the display unit if the second detection unit detects an object in the second region and, when the state of the image forming apparatus is not the error state, supplies power to the display unit if the first detection unit detects an object in the first region.
US09098796B2	Image forming device and image forming method An image forming device has an image processing unit that generates first image data on the basis of image forming data describing an object. The first image data specify first gradation values of at least one black or chromatic color. The image processing unit also identifies certain pixels in an area in which the object is disposed, and generates second image data specifying a second gradation value that is greater than a predetermined gradation value for the identified pixels. An image forming unit forms a first image, based on the first image data, by using at least one black or chromatically colored developing agent, and forms a second image, based on the second image data, by using a white developing agent, thereby reproducing colors in white areas while reducing the usage of the white developing agent.
US09098787B2	Device, module and method for shared antenna operation in a RFID technology based communication environment In general, the present invention relates to a systems, apparatuses and methods. The system comprises in principle a mobile terminal device and at least one smart memory module. The smart memory module comprises a RFID technology based communications circuitry. The mobile terminal device comprises an antenna circuitry, a RFID technology based communications circuitry, a smart memory module interface, and a radio frequency signal switch. The antenna circuitry is arranged to transmit and receive data carrying radio frequency (RF) signals to/from any counterpart device being equipped with a corresponding counterpart interface. The smart memory module interface is arranged to interface with at least one smart memory module when the smart memory module is present at the smart memory module interface. The radio frequency signal switch is operatively connected to the antenna circuitry. The radio frequency signal switch is further adapted to switch the antenna circuitry to be operatively connected with one of the RFID technology based communications circuitry of the terminal device and the RFID technology based communications circuitry of the smart memory module. Means for generating a switching signal are provided in order to control operation of the radio frequency signal switch. The switching signal is generated on the basis of at least criteria whether the smart memory module is present at the smart memory module interface.
US09098784B1	Beautifying method for quick response code and apparatus thereof A beautifying method for quick response code (QR code) is provided herein and includes the following steps: a step of setting an image in a QR code; a step of determining an ideal value of a correction code for the QR code; a step of calculating an energy function related to vision beauty condition in accordance with the image, the correction code and the ideal value and a step of optimizing the energy function to obtain a minimum procedure of the energy function of the ideal value.
US09098782B2	Data processing apparatus and data processing method According to the invention it is possible to determine in advance whether it is possible to correctly generate a conversion table for calibration or color profile correction even with respect to an unknown print medium, and to avoid the preparation of unsuitable parameters and the performance of unsuitable image processing based thereon. In order to achieve this the color of a subject print medium is measured and from the color measurement result it is determined, based on color measurement data from a test pattern printed on the print medium, whether it is possible to obtain parameters suited to the print medium. As a result it has become possible to avoid the preparation of unsuitable parameters to be associated with the print medium, and it has become possible to output images with a comparatively stable reproduction of color even where performing printing on a variety of print mediums.
US09098765B2	Systems and methods for capturing and storing image data from a negotiable instrument Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer program products for capturing elements of a negotiable instrument and generating a thumbnail image of the negotiable instrument for use in image recreation. In some embodiments, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving an image of the negotiable instrument, wherein the image of the negotiable instrument comprises one or more elements that are used for processing the negotiable instrument; (b) capturing, using the image capture device, images of one or more elements of the negotiable instrument; (c) generating a thumbnail image of the negotiable instrument based at least partially on an image of the negotiable instrument; and (d) storing the images of the one or more elements of the negotiable instrument and the thumbnail image of the negotiable instrument in the database.
US09098763B2	Encoded information reading terminal with replaceable imaging assembly An encoded information reading (EIR) terminal can comprise a microprocessor communicatively coupled to a system bus, a memory, a communication interface, and a pluggable imaging assembly identified by a type identifier and configured to acquire an image comprising decodable indicia. The imaging assembly can comprise a two-dimensional image sensor configured to output an analog signal representative of the light reflected by an object located within the field of view of the imaging assembly. The EIR terminal can be configured to output, by processing the analog signal, the raw image data derived from the analog signal and/or a decoded message corresponding to the decodable indicia. The imaging assembly can be communicatively coupled to the system bus via an imaging assembly interface comprising a plurality of wires and a multi-pin connector. The imaging assembly interface can comprise one or more wires configured to carry the imaging assembly type identifier. The EIR terminal can be configured, responsive to receiving the type identifier via the one or more wires, to retrieve from the memory one or more imaging assembly configuration information items corresponding to the type identifier and/or to receive via the communication interface one or more imaging assembly configuration information items corresponding to the type identifier. The EIR terminal can be further configured to control the imaging assembly using the imaging assembly configuration information items.
US09098762B2	Discrimination of RFID sources and associated apparatus In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided an apparatus configured for use with one or more directional antennas. The one or more directional antennas each have a respective directional axis, a first sensitivity region being proximal to the directional axis and associated with a first variation in sensitivity across the first region, and a second sensitivity region being distal to the directional axis and associated with a second variation in sensitivity across the second region. The second variation in sensitivity is greater than the first variation in sensitivity. The apparatus is configured to discriminate one source of radio frequency identification signalling at a particular angular position from other neighboring sources of radio frequency identification signalling by using the alignment of one or more second sensitivity regions with respect to the particular angular position.
US09098759B2	Image processing apparatus, method, and medium for character recognition An image processing apparatus includes an accepting unit, a recognizing unit, and a selecting unit. The accepting unit accepts character information about a character image in a character region in an image. The recognizing unit performs character recognition on the character image in the character region. The selecting unit selects a character recognition result which matches the character information accepted by the accepting unit, from multiple character recognition results that are obtained by the recognizing unit.
US09098756B2	Biometric authentication device and adjustment method for position of hand of user in biometric authentication device A biometric authentication device determining whether or not a user is to be authenticated, by matching biological information of a finger of the user and biological information of a palm thereof against biological information of a finger of a registered user and biological information of a palm thereof, the biometric authentication device includes, a first sensor configured to generate a first biological image in which the biological information of the finger of the user is captured; a second sensor configured to generate a second biological image in which the biological information of the palm of the user is captured; a guiding member configured to regulate a position of the finger of the user; an object area detection unit configured to detect a first object area in which the biological information of the finger is captured on the first biological image; and a position determination unit configured to determine.
US09098752B2	Vehicle path assessment A number of variations include a vehicle path assessment system.
US09098745B2	Sampling position-fixing system In the case of collecting samples, it is difficult to select a representative point of a target area. Thus, the samples are collected from certain positions, resulting in generation of variations of data. The target area is specified on an image to extract features from the target area. Further, clustering is performed for the features on a feature space to obtain representative features, and the obtained representative features are extracted as sampling points.
US09098734B2	System and method for the presence recognition of a second portable data carrier by a first portable data carrier A system for recognizing the presence of a second portable data carrier by a first portable data carrier, wherein the data carriers have respectively a contactless interface with an antenna and an electronic circuit for storing and/or processing data. An RFID reading device supplies the data carriers with energy and for the respective communication of the data carriers with the reading device. In the first and the second data carrier there is respectively provided a further communication device, via which an additional, direct communication channel, independent of the field of the reading device, is made available between the first and the second data carrier, to thereby check the immediate presence of the second data carrier in the field of the reading device by the first data carrier.
US09098725B2	Cryptographic accumulators for authenticated hash tables In one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a memory storing data and a processor performing operations. The apparatus generates or maintains an accumulation tree for the stored data—an ordered tree structure with a root node, leaf nodes and internal nodes. Each leaf node corresponds to a portion of the data. A depth of the tree remains constant. A bound on a degree of each internal node is a function of a number of leaf nodes of a subtree rooted at the internal node. Each node of the tree has an accumulation value. Accumulation values of the root and internal nodes are determined by hierarchically employing an accumulator over the accumulation values of the nodes lying one level below the node in question. The accumulation value of the root node is a digest for the tree.
US09098723B2	Forming crowds and providing access to crowd data in a mobile environment A system and method are provided for forming crowds of users and providing access to corresponding crowd data. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices. The central system forms a crowd including a number of users based on the current locations of the number of users. The central system then generates crowd data for the crowd and provides access to the crowd data for the crowd. In one embodiment, the crowd data for the crowd includes an aggregate profile for the crowd. In another embodiment, the crowd data includes data characterizing the crowd. The central system provides access to the crowd data by serving crowd data requests.
US09098719B2	Securing unrusted content for collaborative documents A method and an apparatus that configure a sandbox document for secure presentation of a block of data stored in the sandbox document in response to an editing request from a client are described. A presentable content corresponding to a document may be sent to the client for editing. The document and the sandbox document may be separately addressable by separate paths of separate domains. The editing request may include the block of data to update the presentable content of the document. The updated presentable content may include a hyperlink to the sandbox document. The edited document and the sandbox document may allow secure presentation of the block of data within the updated presentable content of the edited document without a need to filter the block of data.
US09098696B2	Appliqué providing a secure deployment environment (SDE) for a wireless communications device A security appliqué provides a secure deployment environment (SDE) for a wireless communications device. The Security appliqué isolates the security features, requirements, and information security boundaries such that no hardware modifications are required to a wireless communications device. Rather, a security module thin client is provided to the wireless communications device to provide the Secure Deployment Environment (SDE). The wireless communications device is coupled to the security appliqué via the standard connection interface. Through the standard connection interface, the security appliqué provides the SDE for the wireless communications device without implementing modifications to the wireless communications device.
US09098692B2	Secure electromagnetic data storage element having a selectively determind switchable security mode The apparatus of the present invention are directed to a selectively accessible electromagnetically resonant data storage element (implemented as a resonant tag, card, embedded element and/or similar devices), for inventory and facility control and management, for product tracking during transportation, for security purposes (e.g., personal identification (e.g., passports, driver's licenses), access control, etc.), and to facilitate various forms of electronic information interchange (for example in electronic commerce, such as payment card, tag etc.), that is selectively responsive to predetermined electromagnetic interrogation thereof, that comprises a novel connecting component and a security mode selection component, for a user to change from Always-ON to Always-OFF, then enabling selectively to ON and OFF for interrogatory access to resonant component, to protect from unauthorized interrogation thereof.
US09098690B2	Trust metrics on shared computers In one embodiment, a method includes receiving data uniquely identifying a particular user to the verification authority and a request to access a shared device. The shared device being configured for use by at least a number of users. The method also includes accessing a social graph of the particular user to determine whether one or more users in the social graph have previously accessed the shared device; and displaying on a display of the mobile device information indicating which of the users in the social graph have previously accessed the shared device.
US09098679B2	Raw sound data organizer A raw sound data organizer includes a processing unit configured to extract and convert an input into a digital format, and a display unit connected to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to convert the input into a sequence of digital data and display the sequence of digital data in a form of a multi-dimensional color representation through the display unit. A raw sound data organizing method is also provided.
US09098676B2	System and methods for detecting rollback In an embodiment of a method of and system for detecting rollback of usage data, the usage data is recording in a database. A sequence value in the database is repeatedly advanced. A copy of the sequence value is repeatedly saved to protected storage. The copy of the sequence value in the protected storage is compared with the sequence value in the database, and it is determined whether the result of the comparison is consistent with normal operation of the database since the previous save to protected storage.
US09098675B1	Authorized delegation of permissions Systems and methods are described for delegating permissions to enable account access to entities not directly associated with the account. The systems determine a delegation profile associated with a secured account of at least one customer. The delegation profile includes a name, a validation policy that specifies principals which may be external to the account and which are permitted to assume the delegation profile, and an authorization policy that indicates the permitted actions within the account for those principals which are acting within the delegation profile. Once the delegation profile is created, it can be provided to external principals or services. These external principals or services can use the delegation profile to obtain credentials for performing various actions in the account using the credentials of the delegation profile.
US09098665B2	Prioritized soft constraint solving A design problem can include a mixture of hard constraints and soft constraints. The soft constraints can be prioritized and the design problem solved. One or more soft constraints may not be honored in the midst of the solving of the design problem. Debugging can be performed and the unsatisfied soft constraints identified. Root-cause analysis can evaluate the challenges within the design problem which caused soft constraints not to be honored.
US09098664B2	Integrated circuit optimization A device may identify signal channels for connecting circuit blocks, where each circuit block is associated with a block implementation area corresponding to a substrate. The device may assign a channel priority to each of the signal channels based on at least one channel criteria. The device may allocate a channel implementation area, corresponding to the substrate, for each of a plurality of signal channels, based on the channel priority assigned to the signal channel and based on the block implementation areas. The device may generate an integrated circuit design comprising the channel implementation area allocated for each of the plurality of signal channels.
US09098661B1	Extensible platform for back-annotation of target-specific characterization onto a model of a hardware system A system for facilitating system design includes a back-annotation tool that annotates a model of a hardware system with information derived from results of synthesizing the model to the target hardware description. The derived information may include timing information, information about area usage, power consumption, etc. The derived information may be displayed in conjunction with the model in a modeling environment.
US09098660B2	Metal interconnect modeling A method for modeling metal routing includes extracting physical parameters of a metal interconnect for a circuit design, determining a resistance value from a database of metal interconnects with the extracted physical parameters, the resistance value being at a maximum frequency of a frequency range to be simulated, modeling the interconnect with a symmetric lumped transmission line model, and defining a resistance value of the lumped transmission line model to be about 1.05-1.3 times the resistance value taken from the database.
US09098658B2	Display and automatic improvement of timing and area in a network-on-chip A method and NoC design tool is disclosed that automatically maps the paths listed in a timing report and the unit size in an area report to the topology of a NoC and displays the paths and unit sizes in a GUI. The tool can also automatically add pipeline stages, separated by the maximum delay allowed in the timing budget, in order to achieve timing closure in an automated way.
US09098657B2	Contact surface definition creation involving low order and quadratic finite elements in a numerical simulation of an impact event Methods and systems for creating a contact surface definition involving lower order and quadratic finite elements (QFE) in a FEA model used for numerically simulating an impact event are disclosed. FEA model is organized by one or more groups of finite elements. Each group represents one of the product's parts and is identified by a part ID. Further, the FEA model is configured with one or more contact surface definitions for detecting contacts amongst the parts due to the impact event. For each determined group that is determined to contain QFE, a new group is created. The new group is associated with a unique part ID. Contact segments for the new group are then generated in accordance with a set of predefined rules for subdividing one or more geometric shapes associated with the QFE. Contact surface definitions are updated by replacing each determined group with the new group.
US09098656B2	Computer-readable recording medium in which thermal hydraulic simulation program is stored, thermal hydraulic simulating device, and method for thermal hydraulic simulation In the event of modifying analysis condition, after the simulation of a first time step carried out when the analysis condition is modified finishes and before the simulation of a second time step next after the first step starts, the modified analysis condition is referred and the simulation based on the modified analysis condition is carried out in the next time step.
US09098637B1	Ranking process for simulation-based functional verification The present disclosure relates to a method for verifying a digital design using a computing device. The method may include determining one or more tests associated with verifying the digital design and generating, using the computing device, a verification result by performing one or more verification runs on the digital design. The method may further include merging coverage data generated by the one or more verification runs and ranking the one or more tests based upon, at least in part, a first verification run having a first configuration and a second verification run having a second configuration, wherein the first and second configurations differ.
US09098635B2	Method and system for testing and analyzing user interfaces A system and method is described in which the state of the art in automated software applications is significantly improved. According to some approaches, interface testing is implemented and based upon a verification language and a verification environment. The system and method support the concepts of constrained random test generation, coverage, constrained random generation, and dynamic checks.
US09098634B2	Creating test templates based on steps in existing tests Example embodiments relate to creating test templates based on steps in existing tests. In example embodiments, a testing computing device may select an existing test from multiple existing tests. Each existing test of the multiple existing tests may include a set of distinct steps. The testing computing device may determine a sub-sequence related to the selected existing test. The sub-sequence may be based on a subset of the distinct steps included in the selected existing test. The testing computing device may determine that the distinct steps in the subset occur in a number of existing tests from the multiple existing tests, and may generate a test template using the sub-sequence. The test template may include the distinct steps in the subset.
US09098627B2	Providing a core dump-level stack trace A system and a method for providing a core dump-level stack trace. In one example, the method includes receiving, by a processing device, a recorded state of a program, the recorded state including a base address of the program and a stack frame including an executable address for a call instruction of a function of the program; determining, by the processing device, a list of functions in view of the recorded state of the program, and creating, by the processing device, a stack trace in view of the list of functions without using debugging symbols.
US09098621B2	Modeling software behavior using learned predicates The described implementations relate to analysis of computing programs. One implementation provides a technique that can include accessing values of input variables that are processed by test code and runtime values that are produced by the test code while processing the input variables. The technique can also include modeling relationships between the runtime values and the values of the input variables. The relationships can reflect discontinuous functions of the input variables.
US09098620B2	System and method for parallel model checking utilizing parallel structured duplicate detection A technique for parallelizing model checking using breadth-first search in order to detect deadlocks and safety property violations is disclosed. The technique is based on Parallel Structured Duplicate Detection (PSDD) and preserves a model checker's ability to perform partial order reduction with parallel breadth-first search. PSDD also uses much less memory and is able to achieve better parallel speedup and verify models more quickly. Also, PSDD used herein is able to make use of external memory, such as hard disks, to reduce the memory requirements of verification.
US09098618B2	Validating visual components Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable media for validating components of a dynamic user interface in an on-demand multi-tenant service environment are disclosed. Organizations corresponding to tenants in the on-demand multi-tenant service environment are identified. A multi-tenant database system residing on multiple servers is provided for each of the identified organizations. Dynamic user interface pages associated with the organizations are identified. First and second compilation outputs based upon respective first and second invocations of a compiler configured to compile the one or more dynamic user interface pages are produced with reference to respective first and second builds of computer program code. Differences between the first and second compilation outputs are identified and presented in a user interface on a display device of the multi-tenant service environment. The differences can be identified by performing a comparison and selecting one or more differences that match a pattern specifier.
US09098613B2	Logging of application messages The processing application includes numerous jobs for performing processing operations on computing objects. Whereas previous systems log job information on a per job basis, the apparatus and method includes generating application messages. These application messages are generated based on events in the operation of the application and the messages include predefined event information. The application messages are processing and filtered by a central logging device, which may be in response to customization properties. From this central logging device the filtered messages are centrally stored in an application log database, thereby providing a central depository and formatting of previously incongruent job-specific logging data.
US09098611B2	Enhanced video interaction for a user interface of a telepresence network A telepresence device may relay video, audio, and/or measurement data to a user operating a control device. A user interface may permit the user to quickly view and/or understand temporally and/or spatially disparate information. The telepresence device may pre-gather looped video of spatially disparate areas in an environment. A temporal control mechanism may start video playback at a desired point in a current or historical video segment. Notations may be associated with time spans in a video and recalled by capturing an image similar to a frame in the time span of the video. An area of interest may be selected and video containing the area of interest may be automatically found. Situational data may be recorded and used to recall video segments of interest. The telepresence device may synchronize video playback and movement. A series of videos may be recorded at predetermined time intervals to capture visually trending information.
US09098608B2	Processor configured to allocate resources using an entitlement vector An embodiment or embodiments of an information handling apparatus are adapted to facilitate resource allocation using an entitlement vector comprising multiple fields that are respectively directed to multiple different resources or capabilities. In illustrative embodiments, an information handling apparatus can comprise an entitlement vector configured with a plurality of bit fields at least partly corresponding to a plurality of resources and operable to specify the resources used by at least one object of a plurality of a plurality of objects. The information handling apparatus can further comprise logic operable to allocate the resources to the at least one object based on entitlement as specified by the entitlement vector.
US09098606B1	Activity assistant Disclosed herein are methods and systems that relate to an “activity assistant” that provides users with dynamically-selected “activities” that are intelligently tailored to the user's world. The subject technology receives the one or more global parameters of one or more selected activities. The subject technology further receives the one or more account-specific parameters of a selected user account. For the selected user account, and for each of the one or more selected activities, the subject technology: (a) determines one or more signals based at least in part on one or more of the global parameters of the selected activity and one or more of the account-specific parameters of the selected user account, and (b) uses the determined signals as a basis for determining an importance of the selected activity for the selected user.
US09098597B2	Presenting and managing clipped content An area of interest can be defined in a content presentation and a clip can be created that contains content associated with the area of interest. The clip can be presented with other clippings in a clipping page where it can be edited by a user. The clipping page can be stored as a web page or other content source, so that the clipping page can be shared with other users. The clippings can be refreshed in accordance with a selectable refresh scheme.
US09098596B2	Redirecting web content Continued access to services, content, and other electronically-based signaling is contemplated. The continued access may be facilitated with a redirect server or other device having capabilities sufficient to facilitate redirecting content when the user desires to transition access from a first device to a second device, such as but not limited to facilitating redirection of a television program streamed to a tablet so that the to the television program can be viewed through a television without disrupting or overburdening a sourcing entity originating the television program.
US09098591B2	Spatio-temporal data management system, spatio-temporal data management method, and machine-readable storage medium thereof It is provided a spatio-temporal data management system for managing time series data associated with a spatio-temporal region, comprising: a processor for executing a program; a memory for storing the program; and a storage device for storing the time series data. The processor segments the spatio-temporal region in time and space to generate a plurality of spatio-temporal segments, assigns, in consideration of temporal and spatial proximity of the plurality of spatio-temporal segments, identifiers for uniquely identifying the plurality of spatio-temporal segments, each of the identifiers being expressed with a one-dimensional integer value; and determines an arrangement of the time series data so that pieces of data of spatio-temporal segments that are close in the assigned identifiers are arranged close on the storage device.
US09098588B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program Related ingredient names are extracted from ingredient names included in recipes while reducing the time and effort of a person. An information processing apparatus acquires one or more ingredient names included in each of one or more recipes included in one division of a plurality of divisions of recipes. Next, on the basis of an ordinal number of presentation of each of the acquired ingredient names in an ingredient list in the recipe, the information processing apparatus calculates a value indicating a probability that the ingredient name is a name of a main ingredient of the recipe belonging to the one division for each of the ingredient names. Then, the information processing apparatus associates a plurality of the ingredient names, among the acquired ingredient names, whose calculated values satisfy a predetermined condition with each other as related terms and stores the plurality of the ingredient names in a storage means.
US09098584B1	Image search privacy protection techniques A unified search entity, which provides at least visual query based web searching and an associated mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, obtains, from a requester, a visual query including at least a first facial image. The unified search entity identifies, via facial recognition on the at least first facial image, an identity of an individual subject of the at least first facial image and/or at least a second facial image of the individual subject associated with the at least first facial image. The unified search entity obtains, from the individual, via the mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, a plurality of privacy preferences including a visual query preference. The identity of the individual subject and/or the at least second facial image are communicated from the unified search entity to the requester only if permitted by the visual query preference.
US09098581B2	Method for finding text reading order in a document Example methods for finding a text reading order in a document are described in which text zones are determined, the text zones are clustered using semantic measure and correlation and a reading order is found within each of the clusters.
US09098578B2	Interactive search monitoring in a virtual machine environment A method and system for providing up-to-date monitoring results in a virtual machine environment are described. A host controller may receive requests to execute a plurality of searches pertaining to a plurality of objects in a virtual machine system. The host controller may execute the plurality of searches and provides the results to one or more requestors. The host controller may monitor data associated with the plurality of objects to detect a change in plurality of objects. The host controller may re-execute searches impacted by the change and may refrain from re-executing searches which are not impacted by the change.
US09098577B1	System and method for creating collaborative content tracks for media content A system and method are provided for creating collaborative content tracks to be presented to a user concurrently with a media presentation such as a movie, an episode of a television series, a song, or the like. Each time a user selects and plays a media presentation, user events describing actions taken by the user while viewing or listening to the media presentation are collected and provided to a Collaborative Content Track (CCT) server. The user events may include user events occurring on a primary media playback system, user events occurring on associated secondary user devices, or a combination thereof. In this manner, the CCT server obtains user events for each of a number of media presentations. Based on the user events, the CCT server may generate CCTs for any one of the media presentations to be presented to a user concurrently with the media presentation.
US09098563B2	Comparing versions of a hierarchical object A hierarchical object is exported from a first electronic system to a second electronic system, where the hierarchical object is modifiable at each of the first and second electronic systems, and where a baseline version of the hierarchical object is created. A first version of the hierarchical object at the first electronic system is compared against the baseline version, to form a first data structure identifying any changes between the first version of the hierarchical object and the baseline version. A second data structure is received identifying changes between a second version of the hierarchical object at the second electronic system and the baseline version. A visualization based on the first and second data structures is provided.
US09098559B2	Optimized visualization and analysis of tabular and multidimensional data A system and method for generating a display of a dataset for optimized visualization of the dataset are disclosed. A data area of the display is defined. The data area includes two or more dimensions, the intersection of which defines a graphical object having a set of visual attributes. One or more of the set of visual attributes of each graphical object in the data area is modified based on a value associated with each graphical object relative to a user-selectable measure.
US09098558B2	Enhanced flexibility for users to transform XML data to a desired format An aspect of the present disclosure provides enhanced flexibility for users to transform XML data to a desired format. In an embodiment, a configuration data indicates the specific elements required for generating the output for other elements. During a first pass, any occurrences of the specific elements in an input XML data are populated in a cache. During a second pass, XSL transformation rules are used for transforming the elements of the XML data. When an XSL transformation requires a specific element stored in the cache, the specific element is retrieved and an output portion is formed by incorporating the retrieved element according to the XSL transformation rule. According to another aspect, the configuration data also specifies various context objects that are enabled to interface with corresponding external (data) sources. Accordingly, data from external sources is enabled to be incorporated in the output according to XSL transformation rules.
US09098546B2	Advanced business query language A new query language can be embedded in a business application programming language (e.g., the ABAP language). A query language consistent with implementations of the current subject matter can be based on a graph data-model of connected business objects (BO) or other data objects and can be designed as an efficient query language embedded into the business application programming language runtime, thereby allowing expression of business logic in a declarative manner.
US09098542B2	Systems and methods for using metadata to enhance data identification operations Systems and methods for managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.
US09098541B2	Semantic user profiles for targeting user segments Embodiments facilitate greater flexibility in definition of user segments for targeted advertising, by employing indexed semantic user profiles. Semantic user profiles are built through extraction of online user behavior data such as user search queries and page views, and include user interest information that is inferred based on user behavior. Semantic user profiles are then indexed to facilitate search for a set of users that fit specified semantic search terms. Search results for semantic profiles are ranked according to a ranking model developed through machine learning. In some embodiments, building and indexing of semantic profiles and learning of the ranking model is performed offline to facilitate more efficient online processing of queries.
US09098536B1	Mirrored database upgrade using state machine A process for upgrading a mirrored shared-nothing database system comprises a sequence of short well-defined idempotent steps, and at least one non-idempotent step involving transforming a master catalog. The upgrade process is managed and controlled by a state machine that has a persistent memory running on the master node. In the event of a failure or crash during an idempotent step, the process stops the database in the current state and repeats the step. If a failure or crash occurs during a non-idempotent step, the upgrade process is rolled back to the beginning and repeated.
US09098530B2	Scalable rendering of large spatial databases Aspects of the invention provide a service for data management and integration across a wide range of applications. Clustered computers may be arranged in a cloud-type configuration for storing and handling large amounts of user data under the control of a front-end management server. Communities of distributed users may collaborate on the data across multiple enterprises. Very large tabular data files are uploaded to the storage facilities. The data files are maintained as tables, and a composite table of related information is created and maintained in response to user queries. Different ways of visualizing the data are provided. Depending on the amount of information that can be displayed, features in a spatial index may the thinned for presentation. Spatial and structured queries are processing and results are intersected to obtain information for display.
US09098528B2	File storage system and load distribution method According to the prior art load distribution method, there was a drawback in that the time required from discovery of increase of load to the completion of countermeasures was long. In particular, upon receiving migration of data from other file devices, it was necessary to equalize not only the load accompanying normal processes but also the load accompanying the data migration processes. In a file system receiving migration of data from a plurality of file devices, a plurality of virtual NAS (VNAS) is provided within the file storage subsystem, and an associated VNAS for executing data migration from file devices and accesses from clients is respectively associated with each file storage subsystem. Then, the state of each VNAS is defined based on the state of progress of data migration in the file storage subsystem. According to the defined state, load distribution among VNAS is performed.
US09098522B2	Version garbage collection using snapshot lists Systems, methods and computer program product embodiments for providing version garbage collection using snapshot lists are disclosed herein. Version garbage collection using snapshot lists includes storing, by at least one processor, versions of a record in a database table, the record comprising a record value and a version timestamp, storing, by the at least one processor, active snapshots in two levels of active snapshot lists, an active snapshot comprising a transaction identifier and a snapshot timestamp, determining, by the at least one processor, a minimum active snapshot from the active snapshots in the two levels of active snapshot lists and deleting, by the at least one processor, versions of the record having a version timestamp earlier than a snapshot timestamp of the minimum active snapshot.
US09098518B2	Resource sharing method and system A resource sharing method for a resource sharing system for a plurality of edge peers that individually store a resource and a plurality of super peers that manage the plurality of edge peers or resource information including a name of the resource that includes at least one key word is provided. In the resource sharing system, the super peers distribute and manage resource information of the edge peers according to a key word. Therefore, if a resource is requested using part of a name of a resource desired by a certain edge peer, the super peer searches for resources including the resource desired by the edge peer. Therefore, a user of an edge peer may acquire a desired resource even using part of a name of a desired resource.
US09098515B2	Data destruction mechanisms Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for data destruction. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving a request to destroy a first data object; determining whether other data objects depend from the first data object; determining a structure for the first data object and the other data objects, when the other data objects depend from the first data object; initiating, based on the determined structure, calls to the other data objects to destroy the other data objects before the first data object; and initiating a call to the first data object to destroy the first data object, when the other data objects have been destroyed. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US09098513B1	Methods and systems for differencing orderly dependent files Difference data is generated between a reference file and a target file that are orderly dependent having common blocks that appear in the same order in both the reference and target files. The difference data is generated by comparing hash values of chunks of the reference file against hash values of parts of the target file to identity copy operations between the reference and target files. Chunks of the reference file and parts of the target file are loaded into main memory to create hashes for comparison and unloaded from the main memory after exhaustion. The difference data is included in a difference file, which is provided to one or more endpoint computers. In an endpoint computer, the target file is reconstructed using a copy of the reference file and the difference data from the difference file.
US09098512B2	Method and device for generating a presentation A computer-implemented method of generating a presentation including a plurality of slides, the method comprising: storing a first slide and a second slide, each slide having one or more content elements; selecting, based on the one or more content elements of the first slide or the second slide or both, a slide transition from a set of slide transitions, each slide transition in the set of slide transitions defining how display of one slide changes to display of another slide; displaying the first slide; and, subsequently changing display of the first slide to display of the second slide in accordance with the selected slide transition. An electronic device and computer program product are also provided.
US09098510B2	Methods and systems for identifying and accessing multimedia content Methods, systems, and subsystems for identifying and accessing multimedia content are provided. One system is specifically provided for automatically selecting a content source for accessing a movie that is accessible from multiple content sources. Account log-in information for at least one of the content sources, cost preferences, and quality preferences are stored in computer memory. A processor is in data communication with the account log-in information and the stored cost and quality preferences. Programming causes the processor to automatically select between the content sources through which the movie is accessible; the automatic selection is restricted to: (a) content sources for which the account log-in information is stored, and (b) content sources for which no account log-in information is necessary. The automatic selection is based on a comparison of the stored cost and quality preferences to actual cost and quality information associated with the content sources.
US09098504B2	System and method for converting data relating to an insurance transaction A method and system for converting XML files to and from files in a data format based on hierarchies in real-time. A method for converting from XML to the data format based on hierarchies includes: applying a stylesheet to at least one XML file thereby generating at least one data record in an intermediate format and including information included in the at least one XML file; and, translating the at least one record in the intermediate format to the data format based on hierarchies. A method for converting from a data format based on hierarchies to XML includes: translating at least one record including information stored in the file format based on hierarchies to an intermediate format; and, applying a stylesheet to the at least one record in the intermediate format thereby generating at least one XML file being indicative of the information and suitable for transmission.
US09098501B2	Generating content snippets using a tokenspace repository A search engine server system receives from a client system a search query and identifies a set of documents in accordance with the search query. A content snippet corresponding to content in a respective document of the identified set of documents is generated, the content snippet associated with at least one query term of the one or more query terms in the search query. A response to the search query is returned to the client system, the response including information identifying at least the respective document and including the content snippet. Generating the content snippet includes performing a first decompression operation on first token identifiers, from a compressed document repository, to provide a set of second token identifiers, and performing a second decompression operation on the set of second token identifiers to recover uncompressed content comprising a portion of the respective document.
US09098500B1	Revision history storage and maintenance In one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for maintaining and storing revision history of a design. The method includes, in response to a first control input by a user, determining, by a processor, module definition parameters that have changed from a design file. The changed module definition parameters are stored in the design file. For each changed module definition parameter, revision data are appended to revision history data. The revision data indicates a revision identifier, a module definition parameter identifier, and an updated value of the changed module definition parameter.
US09098497B1	Methods and systems for building a search service application A method for building an application is disclosed and includes receiving a request to build a search service application for a first object, where the object is associated with attributes and each attribute is associated with a value, receiving a first indication selecting an end-user input field that corresponds to a first attribute associated with the first object, and receiving a second indication selecting a search result output field that corresponds to an attribute associated with the first object. The method also includes selecting a code template from a plurality of code templates in a code library that comprises programming code for creating a search model of a search service application. Using the selected code template, the search model representing the search service application is generated based on the end-user input and the search result output fields.
US09098491B2	Method and system for performing data transfer with a flash storage medium This invention discloses a method for data transfer between a host memory and a flash memory module through direct memory access (DMA), and a related data-transfer subsystem. In one embodiment, the subsystem comprises a DMA controller, a flash-memory controller, a data buffer for buffering data transferred between the DMA controller and the flash-memory controller, and a status-register group for storing a current status of the data buffer. The DMA controller and the flash-memory controller are configured such that both of them are allowed to update the current status and to detect a change of the current status during the data transfer, so that a substantial part of the data transfer's process is executed through direct interaction between the DMA controller and the flash-memory controller without involving a central processing unit. The subsystem may further comprise a command storing unit for storing command packages for execution by the flash-memory controller.
US09098489B2	Method and system for semantic searching A method comprising a preliminary automated analysis of at least one corpus of natural language text is disclosed. For each sentence of a corpus, the method includes performing a syntactic analysis using linguistic descriptions to generate at least one syntactic structure for the sentence, building a semantic structure for the sentence, associating each generated syntactic and semantic structure with the sentence, and saving each structure. For each corpus text that was preliminary analyzed, performing an indexing operation to index lexical meanings and values of linguistic parameters of each syntactic structure and each semantic structure associated with sentences in the corpus text. A semantic search includes at least one automatic preliminary analyzed corpus of sentences comprising searched values of linguistic, syntactic and semantic parameters. Due to a deep semantic analysis of a corpus, the search may be executed in various languages, in resources of various languages, and in the text of corpora of various languages regardless of the language of the query.
US09098488B2	Translation of multilingual embedded phrases A communication object including a plurality of object words may be received. The communication object may be parsed to identify each of the object words as tokens. A first natural language and at least one natural language different from the first natural language that are associated with the plurality of object words may be determined, based on a language analysis of the tokens. Tokens associated with the first natural language and tokens included in embedded word phrases associated with the embedded natural language may be translated, via a translating device processor, to a target natural language, based on at least one context associated with the communication object.
US09098479B2	Methods and apparatus for improved navigation among controlled terms in one or more user documents Methods and apparatus are provided for improved navigation among controlled terms in one or more user documents. A user can navigate among a plurality of occurrences of a controlled term in one or more documents. A disclosed navigation and editing tool provides a link for each of the occurrences of the controlled term, wherein each of the links include a plurality of destination links, wherein each of the destination links allow a user to navigate to a corresponding one of the other of the plurality of occurrences in the one or more documents; receives a user selection of at least one of the destination links; and jumps, in response to the user selection, to a destination in the one or more documents associated with the selected destination link.
US09098478B2	Warning track interruption facility A program (e.g., an operating system) is provided a warning that it has a grace period in which to perform a function, such as cleanup (e.g., complete, stop and/or move a dispatchable unit). The program is being warned, in one example, that it is losing access to its shared resources. For instance, in a virtual environment, a guest program is warned that it is about to lose its central processing unit resources, and therefore, it is to perform a function, such as cleanup.
US09098465B1	Hosting architecture with configuration modified functionality for components by utilizing hardware latches to prevent further modifications based on a trust level associated with the components A service provider can maintain one or more host computing devices which may be utilized as bare metal instances by one or more customers of the service provider. Illustratively, each host computing device includes hardware components that are configured in a manner to allow the service provider to implement one or more processes upon a power cycle of the host computing device and prior to access of the host computing device resources by customers. In one aspect, a hosting platform includes components arranged in a manner to limit modifications to software or firmware on hardware components. In another aspect, the hosting platform can implement management functions for establishing control plane functions between the host computing device and the service provider that is independent of the customer. Additionally, the management functions can also be utilized to present different hardware or software attributes of the host computing device.
US09098464B2	System and method for assigning requests in a content distribution network A method includes receiving demand information from edge routers, estimating an optimal request distribution based on the demand information using a bicriteria approximation algorithm, wherein initial programming states for the estimation are specified by (u, F, D, FS, DS, Fexp, Fimp), where u is a current node, F is a vector representing an available facility for large capacity, D is a vector representing an outsourced large client, FS is an amount of cache server capacity offered to small clients, DS is a total demand of outsourced small clients, Fexp is an index of a cache server being exported from a subtree, and Fimp is an index of another cache server of another subtree that is being utilized, and providing each of the edge routers with anycast route information for the cache servers.
US09098446B1	Recovery of corrupted erasure-coded data files If none of the fragments of an erasure-coded data file have become corrupted then the original data file can be readily reconstructed. If one or more fragments of an erasure-coded data file have become corrupted it may still be possible to find a combination of fragments that reconstruct the original data file, but the number of possible combinations may be impracticably large. If an attempt with a first set of fragments fails, an efficient approach is to use an independent set of fragments for the second attempt. Then, for further attempts, the results of a current attempt are compared with previous results. If a match is found then the original data file has been reconstructed. An original data file may also be reconstructed by separately recovering each data block of the data file from corresponding fragment blocks and assembling the data file from the recovered data blocks.
US09098438B2	Synchronized voltage scaling and device calibration A method is provided for scaling voltage in an integrated circuit. A calibration operation is performed on a functional module on the integrated circuit periodically at a rate T1. At least one parameter on the integrated circuit in monitored to determine when a performance threshold is reached. A change is initiated to an operating voltage for a portion of the integrated circuit in response to reaching the threshold. The rate of performing calibration operation is increased to a higher rate T2 for a window of time W in response to initiating the change in operating voltage, after which the rate of performing calibration is returned to the rate T1.
US09098436B2	Relational administration of SAS domain management data Disclosed is a process that is performed by a management application for automatically mapping the topology of one domain to another domain. In addition, if a device in a domain fails, the domain application can automatically associate replacement devices with predecessor management objects.
US09098430B2	Composite semiconductor memory device with error correction A composite semiconductor memory device, comprising: a plurality of nonvolatile memory devices; and an interface device connected to the plurality of nonvolatile memory devices and for connection to a memory controller, the interface device comprising an error correction coding (ECC) engine. Also, a memory system, comprising: a memory controller; and at least one composite semiconductor memory device configured for being written to and read from by the memory controller and comprising a built-in error correction coding (ECC) engine. Also, a memory system, comprising: a composite semiconductor memory device comprising a plurality of nonvolatile memory devices; and a memory controller connected to the at least one composite semiconductor memory device, for issuing read and write commands to the composite semiconductor memory device to cause data to be written to or read from individual ones of the nonvolatile memory devices; the composite semiconductor memory device providing error-free writing and reading of the data.
US09098423B2	Cross-boundary hybrid and dynamic storage and memory context-aware cache system Embodiments of the present invention provide an adaptive cache system and an adaptive cache system for a hybrid storage system. Specifically, in a typical embodiment, an input/out (I/O) traffic analysis component is provided for monitoring data traffic and providing a traffic analysis based thereon. An adaptive cache algorithm component is coupled to the I/O traffic analysis component for applying a set of algorithms to determine a storage schema for handling the data traffic. Further, an adaptive cache policy component is coupled to the adaptive cache algorithm component.
US09098422B2	System and method for management of cache configuration Systems and methods for managing cache configurations are disclosed. In accordance with a method, a system management control module may receive access rights of a host to a logical storage unit and may also receive a desired caching policy for caching data associated with the logical storage unit and the host. The system management control module may determine an allowable caching policy indicator for the logical storage unit. The allowable caching policy indicator may indicate whether caching is permitted for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit. The system management control module may further set a caching policy for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit, based on at least one of the desired caching policy and the allowable caching policy indicator. The system management control module may also communicate the caching policy to the host.
US09098420B2	Method and apparatus for synchronizing a cache An approach is provided for segmenting a cache into one or more cache segments and synchronizing the cache segments. An cache platform causes, at least in part, a segmentation of at least one cache into one or more cache segments. The cache platform further determines that at least one cache segment of the one or more cache segments is invalid. The cache platform also causes, at least in part, a synchronization of the at least one cache segment. The approach allows for a dynamic optimization of the synchronization of the cache segments based on one or more characteristics associated with the devices and/or the connection associated with the cache synchronization.
US09098419B1	Techniques for efficient mass storage layout optimization A data storage system can automatically improve the layout of data blocks on a mass storage subsystem by collecting optimization information during both read and write activities, then processing the optimization information to limit the impact of optimization activities on the system's response to client requests. Processing read-path optimization information and write-path optimization information through shared rate-limiting logic simplifies system administration and promotes phased implementation, which can reduce the difficulty of developing a self-optimizing storage server.
US09098412B1	Guided performance troubleshooting and exploration Described are techniques for problem analysis. Notification is provided through a user interface regarding a performance problem of a system. A plurality of user interface displays are then displayed which correspond to a plurality of steps in connection with performing analysis of the performance problem. Each of the user interface displays includes a predefined set of one or more options. At least a first of the options in the predefined set corresponds to a recommended action automatically performed in response to selecting said first option of the predefined set.
US09098409B2	Detecting a computing system basic input/output system issue A method begins where a processing module accesses at least some of a set of basic input/output system (BIOS) memories to retrieve a decode threshold number of encoded BIOS slices, where a BIOS program is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded BIOS slices. The method continues with the processing module reconstructing the BIOS program from the decode threshold number of encoded BIOS slices. The method continues with the processing module detecting a BIOS issue based on one or more of an operational issue with one or more BIOS memories of the set of BIOS memories, a rebuild issue with one or more encoded BIOS slices of the one or more sets of encoded BIOS slices, and a modification to the BIOS program. The method continues with the processing module determining a BIOS change regarding the BIOS issue and implementing the BIOS change.
US09098407B2	Methods for automatically retrieving electronic media content items from a server based upon a reading list and facilitating presentation of media objects of the electronic media content items in sequences not constrained by an original order thereof A method for use with an electronic reading device comprising automatically fetching electronic media content and automatically and dynamically sequencing portions of the electronic media content for display on an electronic reading device. Optionally, the electronic media content can be automatically and dynamically divided into the portions that are then sequenced. Optionally, the electronic media content can be re-sequenced to reflect user preferences and needs. Various methods for recognizing and altering the display of the electronic reading device quickly and efficiently are disclosed.
US09098404B2	Storage array, storage system, and data access method A storage array, a storage system, and a data access method. A data access method of a storage device includes: transferring data input from a user interface chip to a non-volatile storage device through a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIE) link, where the user interface chip and the non-volatile storage device are connected to the PCIE link, and the non-volatile storage device includes a memory and a non-volatile storage medium; writing the data to the memory of the non-volatile storage device; and writing the data written in the memory of the non-volatile storage device to the non-volatile storage medium. The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure are advantageous for reducing occupation of PCIE links due to data access and improving system performance.
US09098401B2	Fast secure erasure schemes for non-volatile memory A method includes, in a memory with multiple analog memory cells, storing one or more data pages in respective groups of the memory cells using a first programming configuration having a first storage speed. Upon receiving a request to securely erase a data page from the memory, one or more of the memory cells in a group that stores the data page are re-programmed using a second programming configuration having a second storage speed that is faster than the first storage speed.
US09098400B2	Dynamic tuning of internal parameters for solid-state disk based on workload access patterns A system and method for tuning a solid state disk memory includes computing a metric representing a usage trend of a solid state disk memory. Whether one or more parameters need to be adjusted to provide a change in performance is determined. The parameter is adjusted in accordance with the metric to impact the performance of running workloads. These steps are repeated after an elapsed time interval.
US09098391B2	Memory system and method of operating memory system using reconstructed data Provided is a method of operating a memory system. The method includes programming first bit data into multiple memory cells; identifying target memory cells that are in a first state and have threshold voltages equal to or greater than a first voltage from the memory cells programmed with the first bit data; receiving second bit data which is to be programmed into the memory cells; calculating multiple third bit data by performing a first process on the second bit data; and selecting third bit data of the calculated multiple third bit data that changes a largest number of target memory cells from the first state to a second state when the memory cells are programmed with each of the multiple third bit data, respectively. The selected third bit data is programmed into the memory cells.
US09098383B1	Consolidated crossbar that supports a multitude of traffic types One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a crossbar unit that is coupled to a plurality of client subsystems. The crossbar unit is configured to transmit data packets between the client subsystems and includes a high-bandwidth channel and a narrow-bandwidth channel. The high-bandwidth channel is used for transmitting large data packets, while the narrow-bandwidth is used for transmitting smaller data packets. The transmission of data packets may be prioritized based on the source and destination clients as well as the type of data being transmitted. Further, the crossbar unit includes a buffer mechanism for buffering data packets received from source clients until those data packets can be received by the destination clients.
US09098382B2	Method and system to manage document workflow communication A method and system to manage document workflow communication is provided. The system may include a polling module to poll a server at an active polling rate to obtain resources associated with a workflow of an electronic document, a ramp-down trigger detector to detect a workflow ramp-down trigger event, and a throttling module to initiate a ramp down of the polling of the server according to a ramp-down schedule. In one example embodiment, the electronic document workflow may be associated with collaborative review of the electronic document.
US09098378B2	Computing reusable image components to minimize network bandwidth usage Methods and arrangements for facilitating virtual appliance image delivery. Virtual appliance image templates are stored at a caching location, based on a historical request pattern. A request is received for a virtual appliance image and there is provided, to a second location, a virtual appliance image responsive to the received request. A difference is determined between the requested virtual appliance image and stored virtual appliance image templates.
US09098375B2	Automatic management of software patch installation A device may receive information that identifies available patches that have been released by a software provider. The information may further identify dependencies between available patches. The device may receive information that identifies installed patches that have been installed on a particular device. The device may determine a set of patches to be installed on the particular device based on the available patches and the installed patches. The device may determine an installation order for installing the set of patches on the particular device. The installation order may be based on a dependency between at least two patches included in the set of patches to be installed. The device may cause installation of the set of patches on the particular device, in an order identified by the installation order, after determining the set of patches to be installed.
US09098371B2	Method and system for deploying non-backward compatible server versions in a client/server computing environment A method and a system for managing the introduction of a new non-backward compatible version of an application server into a client/server networking, the method includes first distributing to a client system to be served by the new non-backward compatible version of the application server a client application operable in a mode compatible with the current version of the application server and in a mode compatible with the new non-backward compatible version. Upon installation in the client system the client application is set into a downgraded mode compatible with the current version of the application server. While the current version of the application server is still in production, the client application is kept operated in the downgraded mode. Upon introduction of the new non-backward compatible version of the application server, the client application is set into a valid mode compatible with the new version of the application server. From that point on, the client application is operated in the valid mode.
US09098366B1	Virtual pre-installation of applications A mobile communication device comprises a processor, a memory, a plurality of stub applications comprising updateable version numbers, and a widget stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to: determine a plurality of the stub applications to present, present the stub applications on a display of the mobile communication device, and elicit, in response to selection of a first stub application, retrieval and installation of a first full application in place of the first stub application.
US09098363B2	Search extensibility to third party applications At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method to extend search capabilities to third party applications installed on a device. In one embodiment, records associated with a third party application are indexed in a process isolated from other third party applications installed on the device using a search plugin specific to the third party application. Furthermore, the indexed records can be searched in response to a user search query without invoking the third party application.
US09098353B2	Transactional memory that performs a split 32-bit lookup operation A transactional memory (TM) receives a lookup command across a bus from a processor. The command includes a memory address, a starting bit position, and a mask size. In response to the command, the TM pulls an input value (IV). The memory address is used to read a word containing multiple result values (RVs) and multiple threshold values (TVs) from memory. A selecting circuit within the TM uses the starting bit position and mask size to select a portion of the IV. The portion of the IV is a lookup key value (LKV). The multiple TVs define multiple lookup key ranges. The TM determines which lookup key range includes the LKV. A RV is selected based upon the lookup key range determined to include the LKV. The lookup key range is determined by a lookup key range identifier circuit. The selected RV is selected by a result value selection circuit.
US09098345B2	System and method for portable and flexible deployment of servers A system of portable and flexible deployment of dedicated and virtual servers comprises a plurality of geographically-dispersed data centers comprising a plurality of dedicated servers, a plurality of hosts operable to host a plurality of virtual servers, a management workstation operable to capture dedicated and virtual server images, an image repository operable to store the captured server images, and an intra-data center networking infrastructure enabling communication within the data center. An integrated management system is operable to control and manage deployment of server images to dedicated and virtual servers located in a user-specified data center, and an inter-data center networking infrastructure enables communication between the plurality of data centers.
US09098342B2	Extracting overlay invariants network for capacity planning and resource optimization A method and system determines capacity needs of components in a distributed computer system. In the method and system, a pair-wise invariant network is determined from collected flow intensity measurements. The network includes at least two separate and unconnected pair-wise invariant subnetworks, each of the subnetworks including two of the flow intensity measurements connected by a pairwise invariant, each of the pair-wise invariants characterizing a constant relationship between their two connected flow intensity measurements. At least one overlay invariant is determined from the pair-wise invariant network and from the collected flow intensity measurements using a minimal redundancy least regression process. The capacity needs of the components are determined using the pair-wise and overlay invariants.
US09098339B2	Predictive cloud-based presimulation Embodiments related to predictive cloud-based presimulation are described herein. For example, one disclose embodiment provides, on a computing device, a method comprising receiving an input of state from a client device and executing a server simulation of a digital experience based on the input of state, the server simulation configured to run concurrently with, and ahead of, a client simulation on the client device. The method further comprises generating a plurality of simulation results from the server simulation, selecting one or more simulation results from the plurality of simulation results based on a likelihood the client simulation will utilize a particular simulation result, and sending the one or more simulation results to the client device.
US09098331B2	Joint scheduling of multiple processes on a shared processor A multi-process scheduler applies a joint optimization criterion to jointly schedule multiple processes executed on a shared processor. The scheduler determines, for each one of a plurality of processes having a predetermined processing time, at least one of an expected arrival time for input data and required delivery time for output data. The scheduler jointly determines process activation times for the processes based on said arrival/delivery, and the processing times, to meet a predetermined joint optimization criterion for the processes. The processes are scheduled on the shared processor according to the jointly determined activation times to minimize queuing delay.
US09098330B2	Packet processing on a multi-core processor A method for packet processing on a multi-core processor. According to one embodiment of the invention, a first set of one or more processing cores are configured to include the capability to process packets belonging to a first set of one or more packet types, and a second set of one or more processing cores are configured to include the capability to process packets belonging to a second set of one or more packet types, where the second set of packet types is a subset of the first set of packet types. Packets belonging to the first set of packet types are processed at a processing core of either the first or second set of processing cores. Packets belonging to the second set of packet types are processed at a processing core of the first set of processing cores.
US09098324B2	Provisioning a pass-through disk in a virtualized computing environment A physical host machine determines that a storage device from a network storage system is available to the host machine as a pass-through disk. Virtualization software running on the host machine assigns the pass-through disk to a temporary resource group on the host machine. The pass-through disk is logically attached to the virtual machine running on the host machine and made available to an operating system and application running on the virtual machine.
US09098318B2	Computational asset identification without predetermined identifiers Embodiments allow management software applications to distinguish computational assets without the use of static, predetermined identifiers that are susceptible to duplication along with computational assets. Managers and computational assets are associated with authenticator values. Additionally, a manager and computational asset determine (e.g., negotiate) an expected nonce (number used once) to be provided by either party when requesting a transaction. Upon receiving a transaction request associated with an authenticator value and a transaction nonce, the sender's knowledge of the expected nonce is proven when the nonce associated with the request matches the expected nonce, and disproven otherwise. When such knowledge is proven, the manager treats the computational asset as the one originally associated with the computational asset authenticator value and negotiates a new nonce. When such knowledge is disproven, the manager treats the computational asset as a duplicate of the one that was originally associated with the computational asset authenticator value.
US09098316B2	Routing function calls to specific-function dynamic link libraries in a general-function environment A method and system for routing a function call to a core dynamic link library (DLL) via a pass-through DLL. An indication that an application requires a specific functionality is received. Using the indication, an initialization function internal to the pass-through DLL identifies a core DLL as providing the specific functionality. The core DLL is loaded into a memory. The pass-through DLL calls an internal processing initialization function included in the core DLL. The pass-through DLL receives and stores an address of a list of pointers that reference a set of functions included in the core DLL. The pass-through DLL receives a function call to a first function in the set of functions. The pass-through DLL calls the first function by utilizing the address of the list of pointers to identify a pointer that references the first function in the set of functions.
US09098313B2	Recording display-independent computerized guidance A method for recording a display-independent computerized guidance script, the method comprising capturing a screenshot of a GUI of a computerized application, analyzing an area, in the screenshot, surrounding a determined cursor position, to identify a GUI control, recording a manual operation sequence of the computerized application, and assigning the GUI control to a step of the operation sequence.
US09098310B2	Constructing and deploying patterns of flows A flow pattern is generated from a single flow, in which the flow pattern describes a plurality of flows that are structurally similar to one another and perform similar tasks. End users are then capable of exploring the different flows of the pattern and selecting one or more flows based on high-level goals.
US09098308B2	Method and apparatus for code performance analysis based on execution trace information Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for profiling. The method includes collecting symbol information to map traces of codes in a program to memory addresses storing corresponding native codes that are dynamically compiled from the traces of codes during an execution of the program, and making the symbol information available after the dynamic compilation to analyze profiling data sampled during the execution of the program.
US09098300B2	Providing silicon integrated code for a system In one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated code (SIC) may be provided in a binary format by a processor manufacturer. This SIC may include platform independent code of the processor manufacturer. Such code may include embedded processor logic to initialize the processor and at least one link that couples the processor to a memory, and embedded memory logic to initialize the memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09098285B2	Non-intrusive power management A method and system for managing power consumption of a pool of computing devices are disclosed. One aspect of certain embodiments includes managing resource utilization for each computing device without installing customized software, firmware or hardware on the computing device and dynamically selecting, one or more candidate computing devices for altering their respective power states based on at least real-time information on the quantity of requests.
US09098283B2	Switched-mode power supply unit, method of operation and use of a switched-mode power supply unit in a computer A switched-mode power supply unit for a computer includes at least one switching element that switches a charging current to charge a storage element, at least one secondary output circuit that provides an output voltage (Vout+), at least one controllable oscillator circuit that provides a switching clock, and at least one control circuit that determines a switch-off time for the at least one switching element, wherein, in operation of the switched-mode power supply unit, a mean oscillator clock of the oscillator circuit is controlled in dependence on a controlled variable (Vcontrol) specifying the output voltage or power of the secondary output circuit such that the mean oscillator clock rises monotonously with the output power and a switch-on time for the at least one switching element is determined in dependence on the mean oscillator clock and a random deviation.
US09098275B2	Method and device for controlling power of mobile terminal A method and a device for controlling power of a mobile terminal are provided. The method of controlling power of a mobile terminal includes, activating a low power mode, and applying a predefined setting value for reducing power consumption by limiting some functions of the mobile terminal in the low power mode. Therefore, by providing a low power mode of limiting some functions of the mobile terminal, unnecessary battery consumption can be prevented.
US09098273B2	Electronic apparatus, method for controlling power state thereof, and storage medium storing the same An electronic apparatus includes a first acquisition unit configured to acquire first instruction information transmitted from an external apparatus, which instructs changing of a power state to a normal energized state, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire second instruction information transmitted from the external apparatus, which instructs changing of the power state to a power saving state, and a power state change unit configured to change the power state from the normal energized state to the power saving state based on an acquisition state of the first instruction information and the second instruction information.
US09098262B2	Efficient arithimetic logic units A processor may include a conditional arithmetic logic unit and a main arithmetic logic unit. The conditional arithmetic logic unit may perform a first arithmetic logic operation to generate a first result, and output the result. The main arithmetic logic unit may select input buses among a plurality of data buses that carry the first result from the conditional arithmetic logic unit, perform a second arithmetic logic operation on data provided by the selected input buses to generate a second result, and write the second result in a storage component.
US09098259B1	Secure digital input/output low-power mode A low-power mode for interfaces, such as secure digital input/output (SDIO) interfaces, is described. The low-power mode provides significant power savings while allowing rapid resumption of data transfer on the interface. The SDIO low-power mode gates an SDIO clock and transitions the SDIO bus to a 1-bit mode. One line of the bus carries the 1-bit data while another line carries interrupts from an SDIO peripheral. Normal data transmission results in enabling the SDIO clock and setting the bus set to the 4-bit mode.
US09098258B2	Thermal-based acoustic management At least certain embodiments of the disclosures relate to methods, devices, and data processing systems for thermal-based acoustic management. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method defers one or more background tasks during normal operation of a system if the system has a reduced performance feature that allows reduced or throttled performance in a non-user state. The system enters a low power state (e.g., sleep state) to cool the system after a period of normal operation. The system enters a different low power state (e.g., dark wake state) with a reduced performance and performs at least one of the deferred background tasks while in this low power state without needing a cooling mechanism.
US09098253B2	Information handling system tool-less daughter card retainer and latch Daughter cards couple to an information handling system chassis and are secured in place with insertion of a retainer in a retainer guide that aligns to engage with securing elements of the daughter cards coupled to the chassis. A hinge member couples the retainer to the retainer guide between an inserted position and an idle position to maintain the retainer attached to the chassis but removed out of the way for daughter card manipulation during addition or removal of the daughter card at the chassis.
US09098246B2	Adjustable hinge stiffness An assembly can include a first component; a second component that includes a socket; a processor and a memory accessible by the processor, the processor and memory being included in one or more of the first component and the second component; and an interconnection mechanism for pivotable interconnection of the first component and the second component about a pivot axis where the interconnection mechanism includes a hinge that defines the pivot axis, a prong pivotable about the pivot axis, a latch mechanism to latch the second component to the interconnection mechanism with the prong received by the socket of the second component, an actuator to unlatch the latch mechanism, and a lever to adjust the hinge to a high stiffness state to adjust the hinge to a low stiffness state. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US09098241B1	Rollable display device A rollable display device includes a display panel for displaying an image, a printed circuit board connected to an edge of the display panel, and a roller which the display panel is rolled onto or unrolled from. The roller has a cylindrical shape having an inner space, and the printed circuit board is disposed in the inner space.
US09098227B2	System and method for employing a controlled modification current time value A method for employing a controlled-modification current time value is presented. In the method, the current time value is maintained. Also, requests for modification of the current time value are received. The requests are processed so that the requested modification associated with one of the requests is immediately incorporated into the current time value, and so that the requested modification associated with another one of the requests is not immediately incorporated into the current time value.
US09098224B2	Information processing apparatus, method, and storage medium for setting a waiting time In an image processing apparatus, a waiting time until power supply to a storage unit is stopped is suitably set corresponding to a type of input job and a state of power supply to the storage unit when the job has been input. A first waiting time is set if power is not supplied to the storage unit when the job has been input in a case where the input job is a first type of job. A second waiting time is set regardless of whether power is supplied to the storage unit when the job has been input in a case where the input job is a second type of job. Power supplied to the storage unit is controlled to stop when the waiting time has elapsed.
US09098223B2	Job information display device Disclosed is a job information display device, including: an AR display unit configured to display an augmented reality space in which an image is overlapped with a real space viewed by a user; a recognition unit configured to recognize an image forming apparatus which exists in the real space viewed by the user; an information obtaining unit configured to obtain job information indicating an execution state of a job input to the image forming apparatus recognized by the recognition unit; and a control unit configured to instruct the AR display unit to display the augmented reality space in which the execution state of the job is indicated by a virtual paper on a paper passage of the image forming apparatus in which the job is executed, in accordance with the job information obtained by the information obtaining unit.
US09098213B1	Method and apparatus for a printer system that connects old systems with modern day systems by printing data and / or receipts to and from multiple internet accounts and / or databases as well as hand held consumer devices by simply unplugging and old printer and replacing it with this new printer system Previous printers were designed to print a paper copy of data and/or receipts which causes a disconnect with modern day data manipulation. This printer interface can print data to and receive data from the internet and hand held devices which will open up extremely fast data exchange and data manipulation for consumers, cities, states and the federal government without the expense of having to purchase complete new systems. By simply changing out an old printer we can connect all old computer systems with modern day systems that now have the ability to manipulate data automatically.
US09098211B1	System and method of non-disruptive data migration between a full storage array and one or more virtual arrays Non-disruptive data migration from a source array to a destination array entails generating a virtual array spanning at least one destination array for receiving a copy of all data at the source array. The virtual array has at least as many virtual ports as physical source ports of the source array and at least as many logical units (LUNs) as the source array. Each source array LUN corresponds to a virtual array LUN and equals the storage capacity of that corresponding LUN. Each virtual port has a virtual port address. All data resident in the LUNs of the source array are copied to corresponding LUNs in the virtual array. A name server database is reconfigured to associate port names of the physical source ports with the virtual port addresses of the virtual ports such that the virtual array appears to a host as the source array.
US09098207B2	Transforming logical data objected for storage includes identifying multiple write request to the same logical object and grouping transformed data chunks There is provided a system capable of transformation of logical data objects for storage and method of operating thereof. The method comprises: a) identifying among a plurality of requests addressed to the storage device two or more “write” requests addressed to the same logical data object; b) deriving data chunks corresponding to identified “write” requests and transforming the derived data chunks; c) grouping the transformed data chunks in accordance with the order the requests have been received and in accordance with a predefined criteria; d) generating a grouped “write” request to the storage device; and e) providing mapping in a manner facilitating one-to-one relationship between the data in the obtained data chunks and the data to be read from the transformed logical object. The method further comprises obtaining an acknowledging response from the storage device; multiplying the obtained acknowledging response, and sending respective acknowledgements to each source which initiated respective “write” request.
US09098205B2	Data randomization in 3-D memory In a nonvolatile memory array, such as a three-dimensional array of charge-storage memory cells, data is randomized so that data of different strings along the same bit line are randomized using different keys and portions of data along neighboring word lines are randomized using different keys. Keys may be rotated so that data of a particular word line is randomized according to different keys in different strings.
US09098194B2	Keypad of mobile terminal and display method thereof A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a display and a controller. The controller is configured to display input characters and a cursor in a display window and to display a keypad in the display. The controller is further configured to display the keypad with a plurality of keys and to display the plurality of keys including display characters. The controller is further configured to change a font of the display characters corresponding to a font of an input character adjacent the cursor of the input characters.
US09098188B2	Display device and method for controlling the same Disclosed herein are a display device and a method for controlling the same. Herein, the method for controlling the display device includes the steps of displaying a first object and a second object, wherein the first object is displayed so that at least a portion can overlay a first region of the second object, determining a first pressure condition being required for controlling the first object within the first region of the second object, detecting a first touch input touching a region in which the first object is displayed, detecting a second touch input controlling the first object, controlling the first object corresponding to the second touch input, when a pressure level of the first touch input satisfies the first pressure condition, and allowing the second touch input to bypass the first object, when the pressure level does not satisfy the first pressure condition.
US09098186B1	Straight line gesture recognition and rendering Techniques for determining whether touch-input gestures approximate straight lines and for animating a display with such gestures are described. Some techniques receive a gesture input through a display, define an oriented bounding box for the gesture, and determine whether the gesture approximates a straight line based on an amount of the gesture that is contained within the oriented bounding box. Other techniques determine a linear regression line for pixel locations comprising a gesture, determine distances of the pixel locations from the linear regression line, and render the set of pixel locations to the display based on the distances and a threshold. Further techniques record a gesture input through a display, determine a sequence of frame updates for the gesture, each frame update including a part of the gesture, and provide the frame updates for sequential updating of the display to effect an animation of the gesture on the display.
US09098181B2	Information processing apparatus Provided is an information processing apparatus configured to: display on a screen a display target range, which is a part of a display region including display elements arranged therein; and move the display target range in the display region in accordance with a direction of a scroll instruction when the scroll instruction is received from a user in a state in which the display target range is displayed, in which a movement amount of the display target range in accordance with the scroll instruction is changed based on a position of the display target range in the display region.
US09098179B2	Method and system for inserting a content object for use on an interactive surface A method of enhancing features in a computing environment wherein a software application comprising compiled source code is executed, the method comprising inserting at least one content object into a canvas page of the software application. Each content object comprises code defining functionality attributed to the content object. The content object code is executed in response to interaction with the content object thereby to supplement host software application functionality with the attributed functionality.
US09098173B2	Method for sharing notes of an electronic book and electronic reader thereof, computer readable storage medium A method for sharing notes of an electronic book (E-book) is illustrated. The method includes steps of: comparing an identification information of a note file with a book information of the electronic book for determining whether the note file corresponds to the electronic book; receiving and transferring the note file to an electronic reader displaying the electronic book when the note file corresponds to the electronic book; stacking and displaying at least one note layer included in the note file above an electronic page of electronic book displayed on a user interface of the electronic reader, wherein the note layer includes an auxiliary annotation associated with content of the electronic page and the note layer is independent of the electronic page. Therefore, reader may read the E-book and review related annotations on the user interface at the same time, and share the note file independently to other readers.
US09098164B2	Physics based diagram editor System and method for editing a graphical diagram. A graphical diagram, such as a graphical program, is displayed on a display device. User input may be received editing the graphical diagram, thereby generating an edited graphical diagram. Placement of one or more elements in the graphical diagram may be adjusted in response to the editing based on determined forces applied to the one or more elements in the edited graphical diagram based on the said editing, resulting in an adjusted edited graphical diagram. The adjusted edited graphical diagram may be displayed on the display device, which may include displaying an animation illustrating the movement of the elements to an equilibrium state in which the forces balance and movement ceases. The editing, adjusting, and displaying may be performed sequentially and/or concurrently, as desired.
US09098161B2	Display device integrated with touch screen panel and method of driving the same A display device integrated with a touch screen panel, and a method of driving the same, can prevent parasitic capacitance that would otherwise increase the load during a touch operation, lower the accuracy of touch sensing, or make touch sensing impossible. The display device includes data lines, gate lines, and a plurality of electrodes spaced apart from each other. A common voltage is applied to the electrodes in a display driving mode and a touch drive signal is applied to one or more of the electrodes in a touch driving mode. A data voltage is applied to the data lines in the display driving mode. A scan signal is supplied sequentially to the gate lines in the display driving mode and the touch drive signal or a signal corresponding to the touch drive signal is applied to one or more of the gate lines in the touch driving mode.
US09098158B2	System and method for retrieving information from an information carrier by means of a capacitive touch screen The present invention relates to a method comprising providing one or more information carrier(s) with a dielectric and/or conductive pattern and a detection device having a capacitive touch screen and inducing an interaction between the information carrier and the touch screen, wherein the interaction is based on a difference in the dielectric coefficient and/or the conductivity of the pattern and generates a touch signal and wherein the interaction is induced by relative motion between the information carrier and the touch screen. The invention further relates to a system comprising an information carrier comprising a dielectric and/or conductive pattern which encodes information and a detection device having a touch screen; the detection device is able to decode the information upon interaction between the information carrier and the touch screen, wherein the interaction is caused by a difference in the dielectric coefficient and/or the conductivity of the pattern.
US09098152B2	Dielectric layer for touch sensor stack In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes a substrate comprising a first surface. The touch sensor also includes a plurality of first electrodes comprising one or more conductive materials on the first surface. The touch sensor further includes a dielectric layer attached at least indirectly to the first electrodes and at least a portion of the first surface. The dielectric layer is configured to face an electronic display panel with an air gap between the dielectric layer and the electronic display panel. The dielectric layer has a refractive index of less than approximately 1.5.
US09098151B2	Input device According to one embodiment of the present invention, an input device comprises: a first main electrode extending in a first direction; and a plurality of first branching electrodes which extend in a second direction from the first main electrode, and which have mutually different surface areas depending on their position; and the surface areas of the first branching electrodes either progressively broaden or decrease in the first direction.
US09098147B2	Ranging apparatus, ranging method, and interactive display system A ranging apparatus including an image sensor, an imaging lens, and a processor is provided. The imaging lens is configured to image an object on the image sensor to produce an image signal having at least one image parameter, wherein the at least one image parameter changes with a change of an object distance of the object. The processor is configured to determine the change of the object distance according to a change of the at least one image parameter. A ranging method and an interactive display system are also provided.
US09098143B2	Optical touch-sensitive device and method of detection of touch Methods and devices for detecting touch, e.g. by a finger touching a touch-sensitive surface of the device, are disclosed. In particular, detection of touch can be by influencing, by touch, propagation of light within the touch-sensitive device and detecting a resulting change of light arriving to at least one detector device of the touch-sensitive device. Three paths for light can intersect (or at least substantially intersect) at a primary zone of intersection. Thus, three coordinates for a touch at the touch-surface may be provided, and a redundancy of coordinates may be provided for a touch.
US09098141B2	User interface system The user interface system of the preferred embodiment includes: a layer defining a surface, a substrate supporting the layer and at least partially defining a cavity, a displacement device coupled to the cavity and adapted to expand the cavity thereby deforming a particular region of the surface, a touch sensor coupled to the substrate and adapted to sense a user touch proximate the particular region of the surface, and a display coupled to the substrate and adapted to output images to the user. The user interface system of the preferred embodiments has been specifically designed to be incorporated into an electronic device, such as the display of a mobile phone, but may be incorporated in any suitable device that interfaces with a user in both a visual and tactile manner.
US09098140B2	Power-saving touch pad apparatus A power-saving touch pad apparatus includes a control unit, a proximity sensing unit, an electric charge induction unit, a touch pad driving-operation unit, and a touch pad unit. The electric charge induction unit is formed by a sputtering process. The electric charge induction unit informs the proximity sensing unit when the electric charge induction unit inducts electric charges. The proximity sensing unit informs the control unit. The control unit is configured to control the touch pad driving-operation unit to wake up the touch pad unit. The electric charge induction unit informs the proximity sensing unit when the electric charge induction unit does not induct electric charges. The proximity sensing unit informs the control unit. The control unit is configured to control the touch pad driving-operation unit to control the touch pad unit to enter a power-saving mode.
US09098134B2	Liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same An LCD device includes a plurality of gate lines and data lines cross-arranged on a lower substrate to define a plurality of pixels, a pixel electrode disposed in each of the pixels, a plurality of common electrode blocks pattern-formed that generate an electric field with the pixel electrode and sensing a touch of a user, a plurality of sensing lines, a plurality of pad parts arranged to be separated from each other at predetermined intervals along a corresponding sensing line, and having a line width thicker than the sensing line, and a contact part disposed between a corresponding pad part and a corresponding common electrode block, and electrically connecting a corresponding sensing line and the common electrode block. When the sensing lines are electrically connected to one of the common electrode blocks, the sensing lines are electrically insulated from the other common electrode blocks.
US09098130B2	Computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon input processing program, input processing apparatus, input processing method, and input processing system When an input indicating a position on a screen has been provided by a pointing device, coordinate values indicating the position are set as coordinate values of a starting point position. Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a state where the position on the screen is being continuously indicated by the pointing device has changed to a non-indicative state where the position on the screen is not indicated by the pointing device. As a result, when the state has changed to the non-indicative state, the coordinate values output from the pointing device before the change to the non-indicative state are set as coordinate values of an end point position, and a direction from the starting point position to the end point position is specified. Then, a virtual object is caused to move such that a moving direction of the virtual object is a direction different from the specified direction.
US09098128B2	System and method in a television receiver for providing user-selection of objects in a television program A system and method in a television receiver (e.g., a television receiver external to a television) for providing user-selection of objects in a television program, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.
US09098126B2	User interface A method comprising in which electricity and/or information signals is/are passed between an accessory device or power supply and an apparatus through a cable comprising one or more electric or optical wires. Mechanical manipulation of the cable by a user is detected. Responsive to detecting of manipulation of the cable, controlling operation is caused in an apparatus that is in operational connection with the cable to enable the user to control the apparatus by manipulation of the cable.
US09098124B2	Proximity sensors with smudge detection capabilities An electronic device may be provided with a touch screen display that is controlled based on information from a proximity sensor attached underneath a display layer. The proximity sensor may have a light source that emits infrared light and a light detector that detects reflected infrared light. When the electronic device is in the vicinity of a user's head, the proximity sensor may produce data indicative of the presence of the user's head. Variations in proximity sensor output due to smudges on the proximity sensor can be detected by providing the proximity sensor with an additional light source. The additional light source may be used to inject light into the display layer. The injected light may be guided within the display layer by total internal reflection. In the presence of smudge, the internally reflecting light may deviate from its normal propagation path.
US09098120B2	Apparatus and method for inputting character using touch screen in portable terminal An apparatus and method for inputting a character using a keyboard displayed on a touch screen in a portable terminal. The apparatus and method determines if a touch signal is generated, with the keyboard displayed. Upon generation of the touch signal, a touched character is recognized by analyzing the touch signal. The character is displayed enlarged in a predetermined screen area. It is then determined if the touch has been completed, while the character is displayed enlarged. Upon sensing the touch completion, the character is displayed in a main screen area.
US09098117B2	Classifying the intent of user input Different types of user inputs can be input by a user via a keyboard of an input device. These different types of user inputs include, for example, key strikes, multi-touch interactions, single finger motions, and/or mouse clicks. Touch information regarding the pressure applied to the keys of a pressure sensitive keyboard over time (or the contact area of the user input for other types of keyboards over time) is used to classify the intent of the user input as one of the various types of user inputs.
US09098114B2	Comprehensive user control system for therapeutic wellness devices A comprehensive user control system for use with therapeutic wellness devices is described, comprising such a wellness device, data equipment capable of connection to a data communications network, and a removable data link capable of permitting data communication between the wellness device and data equipment. Other embodiments comprise a general purpose computer capable of connection to a data communications network and programmed to control a wellness device across a removable data link; a method of controlling a wellness device including obtaining over certain data communications connections a program for controlling the device and operating the device in accordance with the program; and a method of controlling a wellness device comprising presentation of a request for therapeutic relief not specifying a particular mechanical action to be performed by the device, and translation of that request into at least one command executable by at least one wellness device.
US09098111B2	Focus guidance within a three-dimensional interface Methods, systems, and computer-readable media providing focal feedback and control in a three-dimensional display. Focal anchors are provided at different depths and used to determine at what depth the user is currently focusing. The focal anchors are also used to receive input from the user. By looking at a focal anchor, the use can cause the portion of content associated with the focal anchor to be displayed more prominently relative to content displayed at different depths. In one embodiment, predictive feedback is provided at a depth associated with one of the focal anchors.
US09098083B1	Event sensor An automatic timing measurement system provides a measure of time of passage of a watercraft through a prescribed course. Inertial or other estimates augmented by GPS speed/position measurements are used to track the position of a the watercraft. Position estimates are used to allow the locations of prescribed courses to be mapped and memorized. The passage of a watercraft through mapped courses may be detected for the purpose of measuring and reporting time of passage of the watercraft past key points in the course, and for modifying the behavior of the speed control portion of the apparatus if necessary. A measure of accuracy of driver steering can be provided along with the ability to automatically steer the watercraft through the course. GPS speed control is augmented with a secondary velocity measurement device that measures speed over water resulting in an optional user selectable real-time compensation for water current.
US09098079B2	Method of joint planning and control of a rigid, separable non-holonomic mobile robot using a harmonic potential field approach A method of joint planning and control of a rigid, separable non-holonomic mobile robot using a harmonic potential field approach is provided. A controller, including a processor and memory, may receive parameters of the robot and a plan having a reference velocity field vector. The controller calculates a synchronization signal and a control signal. The control signal is used to synchronize an actual velocity of the robot in order to navigate the robot according to the plan.
US09098068B2	Timepiece comprising a striking mechanism A timepiece includes a chime mechanism (1) having an hours component (2), a quarters component (4) and a minutes component (6), the hours (2), quarters (4) and minutes (6) components being pivot-mounted about one and the same spindle (3), the quarters component (4) and the minutes component (6) being kinematically linked by a first driving member collaborating with a first driving toothset (34). Out of the hours component (2) and the quarters component (4), one includes a second driving toothset (21) and the other includes a second driving member designed to be capable of collaborating with the second driving toothset (21) and of kinematically linking the hours component (2) and the quarters component (4), thereby eliminating the dead time between the chimes for the hours and those for the quarters, or between those for the hours and those for the minutes when there isn't a quarter to chime.
US09098062B2	Process cartridge and image forming apparatus A process cartridge for an image forming apparatus includes a developing roller, including a shaft member and an elastic layer therearound, for developing operation while contacting an image bearing member with a peripheral speed difference; a toner supplying roller contactable to the developing roller; a regulating member, contactable to the developing roller, wherein a length of the regulating member is shorter than that of the developing roller; and a cleaning blade, contactable to the image bearing member. The developing roller has a region capable of carrying the toner regulated by the regulating member and a region, outside thereof, both of which regions are contactable to the image bearing member, wherein the cleaning blade extends over the regions when the cleaning blade is contacted to the image bearing member. The shaft member has an outer diameter in a region outside a first contact region between the regulating member and the developing roller, and an outer diameter in a second contact region between the toner supplying roller and the developing roller wherein the former outer diameter is smaller than the latter outer diameter.
US09098060B2	Cleaning device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus A cleaning device includes a cleaning member for removing a developer from a surface of a member to be cleaned and the cleaning member includes a blade portion, and a flexible plate-like supporting member configured to support the blade portion, the supporting member including one end portion, in which the blade portion is provided, the other end portion, which has a portion to be fixed to a frame member, a bent portion, which is positioned between the one end portion and a side plate portion projecting from a side end of the one end portion, and a sealing member, which is provided between the cleaning member and the frame member, configured to prevent the developer from leaking from a storage chamber and fixed to one of the side plate portion and the frame member.
US09098056B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member unit, a development device, a developer collection mechanism and a unit support tray. The developer collection mechanism is arranged on a downstream side in a first direction where the development device and the image carrying member unit are fitted into the main body of the image forming apparatus and the toner discharge portion of the image carrying member unit is coupled to the developer collection mechanism. The unit support tray is provided such that the unit support tray can be moved horizontally in the first direction and a second direction where the development device and the image carrying member unit are removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus; the unit support tray is moved in the first or second direction such that the toner discharge portion and the developer collection mechanism are coupled or the coupling is cancelled.
US09098055B2	Methods and systems for locking a replaceable unit in an image forming device An image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a drive coupler positioned to provide rotational force to a corresponding drive coupler of a replaceable unit when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. The image forming device is configured to rotate the drive coupler of the image forming device in an operative rotational direction of the drive coupler of the replaceable unit until the drive coupler of the image forming device locks with the drive coupler of the replaceable unit upon receiving a lock command and to rotate the drive coupler of the image forming device in a direction opposite the operative rotational direction of the drive coupler of the replaceable unit until the drive coupler of the image forming device unlocks from the drive coupler of the replaceable unit upon receiving an unlock command.
US09098046B2	Printing apparatus, control method of printing apparatus, and storage medium The present invention aims to shift a printing apparatus to a job processable state by releasing a manual stapling mode in response to an execution instruction of a predetermined job requested by a user. To achieve this, a control method of the printing apparatus comprises: printing an image on a sheet by executing a job; transporting the sheet on which the image was printed, to a post-processing apparatus; causing the post-processing apparatus to perform a post-process; shifting the printing apparatus to a mode of permitting to perform the post-process to the sheet inserted by a user; and controlling, in a case where an execution request of the job is newly accepted, to release the mode according to a kind of the job.
US09098038B2	Image forming apparatus, fixing device, image forming method, and computer readable medium An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a number-of-revolutions determining unit, and a stopping unit. The fixing device includes a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image, a fixing member that fixes toner to a recording medium, a pressure member that conveys the recording medium, a driving unit that rotates the pressure member to allow the fixing member to perform slave rotation, and a number-of-revolutions sensing unit that senses the number of revolutions of the fixing member. The number-of-revolutions determining unit determines, based on the number of revolutions of the fixing member sensed by the number-of-revolutions sensing unit, the number of revolutions of the driving unit. The stopping unit stops the driving unit when the number of revolutions determined by the number-of-revolutions determining unit is not equal to a specific number of revolutions.
US09098036B1	Fixing device, image forming apparatus including fixing device A fixing device includes a primary winding, a fixing portion, a secondary winding, and a magnetic core body. The primary winding is configured to receive a supply of AC current from an AC power source. The fixing portion includes a heat source that generates heat when an electric current is supplied to the heat source, the fixing portion being configured to execute a fixing process onto a sheet with a toner image formed on the sheet, at a predetermined fixing temperature by using the heat from the heat source. The secondary winding is electrically connected to the heat source. The primary winding and the secondary winding are wound around the magnetic core body. The magnetic core body is made of a predetermined material whose permeability is lowered when a temperature thereof becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined fixing temperature upon receiving the heat from the heat source.
US09098035B2	Fixing device and heater used in fixing device A heater used for a fixing device includes a substrate, first and second conductor patterns formed at either end of the substrate in the short direction of the substrate, a third conductor pattern formed between the first and second conductor patterns and separated from the two conductor patterns, a first heating member disposed between the first and third conductor patterns and electrically connected to the two conductor patterns, and a second heating member disposed between the second and third conductor patterns and electrically connected to the conductor patterns. The heater has both end regions in which the widths of the third conductor pattern in the short direction is smaller than that of a middle portion of the third conductor pattern. The widths of the first and second heating members in the end regions are smaller than the widths of the first and second heating members in the other region, respectively.
US09098032B2	Image head apparatus including overheating preventing element configured to interrupt electrical power supply to heater An image heating apparatus includes: a rotatable cylindrical belt; a heater, provided inside the belt, for heating the belt; and an overheating preventing element, including a circuit which is opened when abnormal temperature rise occurs, for interrupting electric power supply to the heater. The overheating preventing element is provided at a position, inside the belt, where the overheating preventing element is free from direct heat radiation emitted from said heater.
US09098031B2	Narrow media throughput control using temperature feedback A printer is provided having a fuser assembly having a belt, a heater to heat the belt, a backup roll positioned to engage the belt thereby defining a fusing nip with the belt, a main temperature sensor associated with the heat transfer member, the first temperature sensor associated with the backup roll for sensing a temperature of a portion of the backup roll, the second temperature sensor associated with a distal end region of the heat transfer member for sensing the temperature of the distal end region. A controller is coupled to the fuser assembly for controlling a throughput of the printer based on at least one of the backup roll temperature and the temperature at the distal end region of the heater.
US09098029B2	Fixing device including a plurality of coils, coil drivers, and a drive circuit A fixing device which heats a heating object through induction heating by using a plurality of coils includes a plurality of coil drivers that drive the plurality of coils respectively, a drive circuit that controls ON/OFF states of a plurality of switching elements simultaneously to control the drive of the plurality of coil drivers, a control unit that controls a voltage supplied to each of the plurality of coils in accordance with the control of the ON/OFF states of the plurality of switching elements by the drive circuit, and a plurality of voltage control circuits that individually change the voltages supplied to the plurality of coils in accordance with the voltage control of the control unit.
US09098027B2	Image heating apparatus with movable rubbing member rubbing a heating rotating body In an image heating apparatus in which a heating rotating body heats a recording material bearing an image and a rubbing member rubs the heating rotating body to eliminate gloss streaks, an image failure, such as gloss unevenness, does not occur on normal plain paper and coated paper, and a toner gloss on the coated paper can be enhanced. A longitudinal temperature difference of a heating rotating body 91 is controlled within a predetermined temperature, so that the surface of the heating rotating body can be uniformly roughed. Consequently, an image failure due to scuffs on the surface of the heating rotating body and gloss unevenness due to unevenness of roughness of the surface of the heating rotating body are prevented, and thus a good fixed image can be obtained.
US09098025B2	Image forming apparatus with interlocking mechanism An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit having a heating member that heats a recording medium, a backup member that rotates and contacts the heating member, and a pressure mechanism that supports one of the heating member and the backup member such that the one of the heating member and the backup member moves relative to the other. The apparatus includes a main body including the fixing unit inside, and has a first opening on a downstream side of the fixing unit and a second opening on a side of the main body different from the first opening. Also the apparatus has first and second covers that open and close the first and second openings, respectively, and an interlocking mechanism that causes the pressure mechanism to move the one of the heating member and the backup member in conjunction with movement of the first cover and the second cover.
US09098011B2	Development device A typical configuration of a development device for an image forming apparatus includes a development sleeve and an electrode portion. In the development device, a pre-bias is applied between the electrode portion and the photosensitive drum, a DC voltage is applied to the development sleeve, a development bias is applied between the development sleeve and the photosensitive drum, the toner in the developer on the development sleeve is moved to the photosensitive drum, and an electrostatic latent image is developed on the photosensitive drum. In the development device, the electric field intensity between the electrode portion and the development sleeve by the pre-bias is larger than the electric field intensity between the image bearing member and the development sleeve by the development bias.
US09098010B2	Development device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus is provided which includes a development device that has no developer supply member and with which the decrease in density at a back end of a solid image and occurrence of ghosting are suppressed. A development roller having dielectric portions scattered on a surface thereof is provided and components are configured so that the position of the dielectric portions in a triboelectric series is on the same polarity side, relative to a regulating blade, as the normal charge polarity of the toner.
US09098009B2	Developing device A developing device including a housing, a developing roller, a seal member arranged between the housing and each end of the developing roller, and a layer thickness regulation blade including a blade main body, and a blade rubber part protruding from a surface of the blade main body and contacting the developing roller, wherein an end surface of the blade rubber part in an axial direction of the developing roller is in contact with an inner surface of the seal member in the axial direction, and wherein the blade rubber part has an inclined surface at each end thereof in the axial direction, the inclined surface extending toward an upstream side in a rotating direction of the developing roller while extending toward an outer side in the axial direction so as to extend to the seal member.
US09098007B2	Charging member, charging device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus A charging member includes a conductive elastic layer, and a conductive surface layer that is disposed on the conductive elastic layer, is in contact with an image holding member, and contains a resin, porous resin particles, and silicone oil, wherein a content of the porous resin particles is from 3 parts by weight to 25 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the resin, and a content of the silicone oil is from 0.1 part by weight to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the resin.
US09097987B2	Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; a liquid supply system configured to provide liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate; and a shutter configured to isolate the space from the substrate or a space to be occupied by a substrate.
US09097986B2	Substrate conveyance device and substrate conveyance method, exposure apparatus and exposure method, device manufacturing method A substrate conveyance device that conveys a substrate having been exposed with a pattern image via a projection optical system and a liquid, the substrate conveyance device comprising: a liquid detector that detects the liquid adhering on the substrate.
US09097984B2	Microlithography projection objective Microlithography projection objectives for imaging into an image plane a pattern arranged in an object plane are described with respect to suppressing false light in such projection objectives.
US09097977B2	Process sequence for reducing pattern roughness and deformity A method for patterning a substrate with reduced defectivity is described. Once a pattern is formed in a layer of radiation-sensitive material using lithographic techniques, the pattern formed on the substrate is post-treated. The post-treating of the pattern in the layer of radiation-sensitive material is performed to reduce a roughness of the pattern. The post-treating includes performing a treatment process on the pattern to alter a solubility of an exposed surface of the pattern, wherein the treatment process involves performing a first chemical treatment of the pattern using a liquid-phase chemical solution containing a first surfactant, or exposing said pattern to second EM radiation different than said first EM radiation. Following the treatment process, the post-treating includes hard baking the pattern, and performing a second chemical treatment of the pattern using a vapor-phase chemical solution to reduce the roughness.
US09097969B2	Compound, resist composition and method of forming resist pattern A compound represented by general formula (b1) shown below (in the formula, Y1 represents a divalent linking group; W represents S, Se or I; R1 represents a hydrocarbon group; represents an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; when W represents I, m+n=2, and when W represents S or Se, m+n=3, provided that m≧1 and n≧0; p represents an integer of 0 to 5; and X− represents a counteranion.
US09097968B1	Audiovisual presentation system comprising an enclosure screen and outside projectors directed towards the enclosure screen An audiovisual presentation system includes a transparent system enclosure and at least one projector outside the system enclosure and generally directed toward an exterior surface of the system enclosure. The system enclosure is formed in a dome shape, a hemispherical shape, a spherical shape, or any other reasonable shape. The system can include a plurality of projectors to present individual images or can be computer altered to present a continuous, panoramic image. The image can be of any quality or format, including high definition (HD) three-dimensional (3D), and others. A plurality of audiovisual input stations may be disposed about an interior of the enclosure. Each station may include a podium, a computer, a video recorder, an audio device, and a user control interface. The station enables the user to manipulate the video camera and/or the video image as desired.
US09097960B2	Lens barrel and camera system A lens barrel includes an oscillatory wave motor which drives a lens; a manual connection ring which is operated manually to cause the lens to move along an optical axis; a slip ring which is in contact with the manual connection ring; a roller which is in contact with the slip ring and with the oscillatory wave motor; and a roller support ring which supports the roller. The slip ring is structured such that frictional resistance on a contact surface between the manual connection ring and the slip ring is smaller than frictional resistance on a contact surface between the roller and the slip ring.
US09097954B2	Liquid crystal display substrate and liquid crystal display device In a liquid crystal display substrate, the array substrate includes comb-shaped first and second electrodes. The counter substrate faces the array substrate via a liquid crystal layer and includes a comb-shaped third electrode. In a cross-section perpendicular to the first through third longitudinal directions, comb teeth of the first and second electrodes have a positional relationship in which one is shifted from the other in a first horizontal direction. Comb teeth of the first and third electrodes have a positional relationship in which one is shifted from the other in a second horizontal direction which is opposite to the first horizontal direction.
US09097940B2	LCD panel having obstructing frames and method of manufacturing the same A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, comprising a first substrate and a second substrate assembled face to face, each having a display area and a peripheral area around the display area, liquid crystal, and sealant formed between the peripheral area of the first substrate and the peripheral area of the second substrate. On the first substrate, at least one first obstructing frame is formed between the sealant and the display area of the first substrate; on the second substrate, at least one second obstructing frame is formed between the sealant and the display area of the second substrate; the first obstructing frame and the second obstructing frame are disposed at an interval and parallel to each other; each of the first obstructing frame and second obstructing frame has a thickness smaller than a cell gap, and a sum of the thicknesses of a pair of the first obstructing frame and second obstructing frame that are adjacent to each other is greater than the cell gap.
US09097935B2	Fixing device of diffusing plate and display apparatus having the same A display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display panel configured to display an image, and a backlight unit configured to emit light to the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the backlight unit includes a bottom chassis comprising an accommodation space configured to accommodate a plurality of light sources, a middle mold provided on the bottom chassis, a diffusing plate provided on the middle mold, and a fixing member provided on an outer surface of the bottom chassis and configured to contact one side of the diffusing plate and prevent movement of the diffusing plate.
US09097934B2	Backlight unit and liquid crystal display device using said backlight unit In the disclosed backlight unit, multiple LEDs are arranged as a light source at prescribed intervals on a substrate in a rectangular ring. Light irradiated from the LEDs is diffused through a lens, a prism plate and a diffusion plate, and is transmitted to a liquid crystal panel. There are roughly V-shaped concavities in the incidence surface of the lens, and triangular cross-section prisms for diffusing incident light are further arranged on the incidence surface of the prism plate. The LEDs are arranged on a highly thermally conductive LED cooling pattern, and the LED cooling pattern is in contact with a heat-dispersion housing. For that reason, heat emitted by the LEDs is conducted from the LED cooling pattern to the housing and dispersed to the ambient air. By this means, the backlight unit can save energy and be more compact.
US09097929B2	Electronic apparatus and liquid crystal panel According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a first electrode on the first glass substrate, a second electrode on the second glass substrate, a liquid crystal portion, and a seal around the liquid crystal portion. The first electrode includes a first portion corresponding to the liquid crystal portion, a second portion corresponding to the seal, and a third portion electrically connecting the first portion and the second portion. The third portion is configured to disconnect an electrical connection between the first portion and the second portion when the second portion of the first electrode and the second electrode are short-circuited.
US09097925B2	Display device To suppress a variation in characteristics of a transistor due to a released gas from an organic insulating film so that reliability of a display device is increased. The display device includes a transistor, an organic insulating film which is provided over the transistor in order to reduce unevenness due to the transistor, and a capacitor over the organic insulating film. An entire surface of the organic insulating film is not covered with components (a transparent conductive layer and an inorganic insulating film) of the capacitor, and a released gas from the organic insulating film can be released to the outside from exposed part of an upper surface of the organic insulating film.
US09097922B2	Liquid crystal display device There is provided a liquid crystal display (LCD) device that prevents light leaks near spacers. The LCD device controls the optical transmissivity of a liquid crystal layer interposed between substrates disposed opposite each other, by means of an electric field generated in the layer-thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer. The LCD device includes spacers on a liquid-crystal-side surface of one substrate, signal lines formed on a liquid-crystal-side surface of the other substrate, an insulating film formed to cover the signal lines, and electrodes on the insulating film's upper surface. Each electrode contributes to controlling the optical transmissivity of the liquid crystal layer. Each spacer has a vertex surface disposed opposite to the signal lines. A portion of each electrode extends to the upper surface of a corresponding signal line. The extended portion is opposite to a part of a spacer's vertex surface disposed opposite to the corresponding signal line.
US09097921B2	Active matrix display device An active matrix display device has: a first auxiliary wiring line (700); a second auxiliary wiring line (710) positioned outside of a plurality of second lead-out wiring lines (250) and a first driver circuit in a plan view; and an external auxiliary wiring line (790). Along each of a plurality of connecting wirings (900) are disconnected portions (91) inhibiting electrical connections between a plurality of transmission terminals and first common wiring lines (130). A plurality of intersections (901), where the first auxiliary wiring line (700) and the plurality of connecting wirings (900) intersect, are positioned more to the side of the plurality of transmission terminals than to the disconnected portions (91) in each of the plurality of connecting wiring lines (900).
US09097918B2	Mask for curing frame sealant and liquid crystal display panel manufacturing method A mask for curing frame sealant and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel manufacturing method are provided in the present invention. A gradient shading region is formed in a joining area between a shading region and a transparent region, such that the gradient shading region is integrally formed. When the mask is utilized for exposure, the irradiation transmittance in the gradient shading region is smaller than the irradiation transmittance in the transparent region, but the irradiation transmittance in the gradient shading region is higher than the irradiation transmittance in the shading region. The pre-polymerization reaction of the irradiated monomers occurrence can be avoided in the present invention, and the pre-tilt angles in the liquid crystal layer are kept to be all the same during the alignment process.
US09097900B2	Quantitative phase microscopy for high-contrast cell imaging using frequency domain phase shift Some systems described herein include a frequency dependent phase plate for generating multiple phase-contrast images of a sample, each from a different frequency range of light, each phase-contrast image for frequency range of light formed from light diffracted by the sample interfered with undiffracted light that has a frequency-dependent baseline relative phase shift from the phase plate. In some embodiments, the multiple phase-contrast images may be used to generate a quantitative phase image of a sample. The phase-contrast images or the produced quantitative phase image may have sufficient contrast for label-free auto-segmentation of cell bodies and nuclei.
US09097897B2	Optical deflector including narrow piezoelectric sensor element between torsion bar and piezoelectric actuator In an optical deflector including a mirror, a support frame surrounding the mirror, at least one torsion bar arranged along an axis of the mirror having an end coupled to an outer circumference of the mirror, a pair of piezoelectric actuators arranged between the support frame and the torsion bar, and a piezoelectric sensor inserted between the torsion bar and one of the piezoelectric actuators, the piezoelectric sensor includes at least one piezoelectric sensor element having a width being smaller than two-fifths of a width of the one of the piezoelectric actuators and being arranged at a wide portion within two-fifths of the width from an inner end of the one of the piezoelectric actuators.
US09097896B2	Correcting spatial beam deformation The invention disclosed here teaches methods and apparatus for altering the temporal and spatial shape of an optical pulse. The methods correct for the spatial beam deformation caused by the intrinsic DC index gradient in a volume holographic chirped reflective grating (VHCRG). The first set of methods involves a mechanical mean of pre-deforming the VHCRG so that the combination of the deflection caused by the DC index gradient is compensated by the mechanical deformation of the VHCRG. The second set of methods involves compensating the angular deflection caused by the DC index gradient by retracing the diffracted beam back onto itself and by re-diffracting from the same VHCRG. Apparatus for temporally stretching, amplifying and temporally compressing light pulses are disclosed that rely on the methods above.
US09097883B2	Catadioptric optical system and image-pickup apparatus having the same A catadioptric optical system includes a first imaging optical system including a catadioptric part configured to condense a light flux from an object and to form an intermediate image of the object, and a second imaging optical system including a dioptric part configured to form an image of the intermediate image on an image surface. The light flux from the object passes through the light transmission part of the first optical element, the negative lens, the backside reflection part of the second optical element, the negative lens, the backside reflection part of the first optical element, the negative lens, and the light transmission part of the second optical element, in this order, and is emitted to the second imaging optical system. An Abbe number of a material of the negative lens is larger than that of a material of the second optical element.
US09097878B2	Image capture module An image capture module is disclosed, which includes a holder and a lens unit. A plurality of through holes are disposed on the holder, wherein at least one light blocking portion is disposed between the two adjacent through holes. The lens unit is disposed in the holder and has a plurality of light gathering regions and at least one non-light gathering region, wherein the light gathering regions respectively align with each of the through holes, and the non-light gathering region aligns with the light blocking portion.
US09097872B2	High density telecommunications patching system and cassettes A telecommunications patching system is provided having a panel and at least one cassette movably received in the panel. The cassette receives a plurality of telecommunication jacks. The panel and cassettes are oriented horizontally. Each jack includes a front cavity adapted to receive a patch cord plug having a patch cord cable extending therefrom. The cassette has first and second ends. A cable management tab extends from the first end of the cassette so that the cassette may be readily moved to different positions in the panel.
US09097871B2	Adapter panel with lateral sliding adapter arrays An adapter panel arrangement including a chassis and a panel of adapters. The adapters defining rearward cable connections and forward cable connections of the panel arrangement. Openings permitting access to the rearward and forward cable connections of the adapters are provided. The chassis further including a removable rear chassis portion to provide access to cable routing areas within the chassis interior.
US09097866B2	Optical connector with printed circuit board and lens element bonded to each other An optical connector includes a printed circuit board, a photoelectric element, a lens element, and an adhesive. The photoelectric element is positioned on and electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The positioning element is an enclosing wall extending from the printed circuit board and enclosing the photoelectric element. The lens element includes a bottom surface, an internal lens formed on the bottom surface, and a supporting leg, which is an enclosing wall extending from a periphery of the bottom surface. The supporting leg is positioned on the printed circuit board and fittingly engaged with the positioning element. The adhesive is applied between the supporting leg and the printed circuit board.
US09097855B2	Adhesive, polarizing plate including an adhesive layer prepared from the adhesive, and optical member including the polarizing plate An adhesive for adhering a protective film, the protective film having a water vapor transmission rate of about 100 g/m2·day or less at 40° C. and about 90% RH during manufacture of an optical member including a polarizing plate, a polarizing plate including an adhesive layer prepared from the adhesive, and an optical member including the polarizing plate, the adhesive including a (meth)acrylic copolymer, the (meth)acrylic copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of about 800,000 g/mol or more; a curing agent; and a silane coupling agent, wherein an adhesive layer prepared from the adhesive has a storage modulus, after curing, of about 8×103 Pa or more at about 85° C. and a frequency of about 10−3 rad/s to about 102 rad/s.
US09097851B2	System and method for compensating instability in an autofocus system An autofocus system and method designed to account for instabilities in the system, e.g. due to instabilities of system components (e.g. vibrating mirrors, optics, etc) and/or environmental effects such as refractive index changes of air due to temperature, atmospheric pressure, or humidity gradients, is provided. An autofocus beam is split into a reference beam component (the split off reference channel) and a measurement beam component, by a beam splitting optic located a predetermined distance from (and in predetermined orientation relative to) the substrate, to create a first space between the beam splitting optic and the substrate. A reflector is provided that is spaced from the beam splitting optic by the predetermined distance, to create a second space between the reflector and the beam splitting optic. The measurement beam component is directed at the substrate and a reflected measurement beam component through the first space between the substrate and the beam splitting optic, while the reference beam component is directed at the reflector and a reflected reference beam component is directed from the reflector through the second space between the beam splitting optic and the reflector. The reflected reference and measurement beam components are returned to the beam splitting optic, and emerge substantially collinear from the beam splitting optic. The reference and measurement beam components are then detected, and provide information that enables compensation for changes in the z position of the substrate that are due to instabilities in the autofocus system components and/or environmental factors.
US09097849B2	Display device A display device includes a flat panel display (object image generator) that generates an object image, a retrotransmissive material (imaging element) that has an element surface tilted with respect to an image generation surface of the object image generator, reflects light emitted from the object image located at one side of the element surface twice, and forms the object image as a real image in a plane-symmetrical location with the element surface in a space at the other side of the element surface, and a diffusion angle limiting film (diffusion angle limiting member) that limits a diffusion angle of light from the object image generator toward the imaging element within a predetermined angle range.
US09097846B2	Integrated waveguide coupler A waveguide coupler includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide. The waveguide coupler also includes a connecting waveguide disposed between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. The connecting waveguide includes a first material having a first index of refraction and a second material having a second index of refraction higher than the first index of refraction.
US09097839B2	Method for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses The invention provide a method for making silicone hydrogel based on the Lightstream Technology from a monomer mixture with a curing time of less than about 100 seconds. The present invention is also related to silicone hydrogel contact lenses made according to methods of the invention.
US09097837B2	Optical film, optical compensation film, polarizing plate and liquid crystal display An optical film is provided and has retardations satisfying relations (1) to (3): 0≦Re(550)≦10; (1) −25≦Rth(550)≦25; (2) and \|I\|+\|II\|+\|III\|+\|IV\|>0.5 (nm), (3) with definitions: I=Re(450)−Re(550); II=Re(650)−Re(550); III=Rth(450)−Rth(550); and IV=Rth(650)−Rth(550), wherein Re(450), Re(550) and Re(650) are in-plane retardations measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively; and Rth(450), Rth(550) and Rth(650) are retardations in a thickness direction of the optical film, which are measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively.
US09097836B2	Method for producing methacrylic resin for optical film The present invention can provide a methacrylic resin which has excellent transparency and color and less defects such as fish eyes and thus suitable for optical films by adding (A) a polymeric dispersant represented by formula (1) below and (B) an inorganic salt and/or organic salt selected from alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts and ammonium salts when methyl methacrylate alone or a monomer mixture containing methyl methacrylate as one component is subjected to suspension-polymerization: (n=10 to 60 mol %, m=40 to 90 mol %, R1 is hydrogen or a methyl group, R2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and M is an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or NH4.)
US09097832B2	Liquid crystal display (LCD) system and method A liquid crystal display (LCD) system is provided. The LCD system includes a light source and a self-contained display unit including at least a LCD panel and a light guide plate coupled together, wherein the light guide plate is configured to guide light from the light source to the LCD panel as backlight and to structurally support the LCD panel. Further, a plurality of pre-made hollow spaces are contained in the display unit configured to host components of the LCD system. The LCD system also includes a controller contained in the plurality of pre-made hollow spaces and coupled to the LCD panel to control the LCD panel such that the light passing through the light guide plate is used as backlight for operation of the LCD panel.
US09097824B2	Light mixing module, and a luminaire comprising such a light mixing module A light mixing module (3) for receiving light from a first set of light sources (4) and a second set of light sources (5), said light mixing module comprising: —an annular light guiding element (11), said annular light guiding element having an inner edge (13), a peripheral edge (12), a first intermediate surface (15) extending between said inner and peripheral edges and arranged to face said light sources, and a second intermediate surface (16) extending between said inner and peripheral edges opposite said first intermediate surface, wherein said inner edge (13) defines a cavity (18) with an opening arranged to face said light sources, wherein said opening is arranged to receive light from said first set of light sources (4) and said first intermediate surface (15) is arranged to receive light from said second set of light sources (5); and —a first reflective surface (17) arranged to close said cavity in an end opposite said opening so as to form a first mixing chamber (18), wherein said annular light guiding element (11) and said first reflective surface (17) is arranged in such a way that light entering via said opening is mixed in said first mixing chamber (18), coupled into said annular light guiding element (11) through said inner edge (13), guided through the annular light guiding element (11) in a radial direction by means of total internal reflection and coupled out through the peripheral edge (12), and light received by said first intermediate surface (15) is guided through said light guiding element (11) by means of total internal reflection and out-coupled through said second intermediate surface (16).
US09097817B2	Seismic sensor cable An apparatus includes a cable; and seismic sensors that are disposed in the cable. The apparatus also includes spacers that are distributed in the cable such that each seismic sensor is disposed in an interval of the cable separating a different adjacent pair of the spacers. The spacers of each pair are separated by at least twenty-five centimeters.
US09097816B2	Apparatus for detecting low frequency electromagnetic field responses from a subsurface environment An EM receiver instrument suitable for making underwater electric field measurements. The EM receiver comprises a dipole antenna; an AM modulator for applying modulation to a signal detected by the antenna; a fiber-optic voltage sensor and an application of AM demodulator for applying demodulation to the signal. The fiber-optic sensor may be an interferometric voltage sensor or a phase sensitive voltage sensor.
US09097814B2	Photoelectric sensor and method for aiding operational checking of photoelectric sensor A photoelectric sensor comprises a control unit which is configured to store in a memory data on the amount of received light input from a light-receiving unit or measurement data obtained by a measuring process, and to perform a sampling process in which the data stored in the memory are read at fixed intervals as sampling data, the sampling process being performed within a limited reading period. Further, the control unit outputs the thus read sampling data so as to correspond to the order in which they are stored in the memory.
US09097813B2	Apparatus and method for sensing a pipe coupler within an oil well structure A system for sensing a pipe joint within a well structure bore comprises a body connectable in line with the well structure. The body has a central bore therethrough and includes a plurality of blind bores extending radially inwards from the outer surface. The system further includes at least one sleeve being locatable within one of the plurality of blind bores wherein each of the sleeves has a magnet located at an end thereof at least one sensor being locatable within one of the at least one sleeves. The at least one sensor is operable to output a signal representing the width of a metallic object located within the central bore. The system may further include a display operable to receive the output signal from the at least one sensor and to display an output to a user indicating the width of the metallic object within the central bore.
US09097811B2	Radiographic image detector A flat panel detector (FPD) includes an imaging panel having pixels arranged in a matrix, a gate driver for turning thin film transistors (TFTs) of the pixels ON and OFF, a radiation detecting section for detecting the start of x-ray radiation from the x-ray source, and a controller. The controller controls the gate driver to turn the TFTs ON periodically to reset dark charges of the pixels. Before starting a charge accumulating operation for accumulating signal charges for imaging, the controller controls the gate driver to turn the TFTs OFF so that the radiation detecting section may detect the start of x-ray radiation on the basis of charge leaks from the pixels. When the start of x-ray radiation is detected, the controller starts the charge accumulating operation while keeping the TFTs in the OFF condition. Thereafter, the TFTs are turned ON to read out the accumulated signal charges.
US09097807B2	Method of analysing the effect of temperature on an irradiated fuel A method for analysing the effect of temperature on at least one nuclear fuel rod, a rod comprising packed zones completely filled with fuel and intermediate zones partially filled with fuel, comprises: acquiring at least two count profiles, a first count profile being associated with a non-migrating isotope and a second count profile being associated with a migrating isotope; locating the intermediate zones by using the first count profile; determining an indicator Ki_1 indicative of the depth in the first profile of a measurement dip located at an intermediate zone i; determining an indicator Ki_2 indicative of the depth in the second profile of a measurement dip located at the intermediate zone i; determining for this intermediate zone i an indicator Δi by comparing the indicators Ki_1 and Ki_2.
US09097803B2	Method for simultaneously locating and mapping via resilient non-linear filtering A method including carrying out, by means of an underwater vehicle moving above a given zone of the sea bed, observations on the basis of which the positions of elements of relief and of objects present on the bed are estimated. These observations are associated with fictitious objects, tied together by fictitious elastic links so as to constitute a fictitious elastic network. The network is in equilibrium as long as no action is exerted on one or the other of the fictitious objects constituting the network. The objects then occupy fixed positions, positions assigned to the corresponding observations. On the other hand, when two observations assumed to correspond to one and the same object are fused into a single observation, the two corresponding fictitious objects are brought closer together. This bringing closer together induces the appearance of stresses in the fictitious elastic network. These stresses, transmitted by the fictitious elastic links, are resolved by the modification of the positions of the fictitious objects of the network, the modified positions being assigned to the corresponding observations. In this way, when the estimated position of an object having formed the subject of two fused observations is corrected, the measurement of the estimated position of each of the objects that has given rise to an observation represented in the fictitious elastic network benefits advantageously from this correction.
US09097796B2	Radar apparatus A radar apparatus includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a signal processor. The transmitter outputs a radar wave. The receiver includes a plurality of receiving antennas and a plurality of receiving devices. Each of the receiving devices mixes a reception signal from the corresponding receiving antenna with a local signal and outputs a beat signal. The signal processor samples the beat signal while selecting one of the receiving devices in order with a selecting period that is less than a half of a sampling period. The signal processor samples the beat signal with the sampling period and derives position information of a target by pair matching of peaks of a rising-modulation signal and a falling-modulation signal of the beat signal.
US09097792B2	System and method for atmospheric correction of information An atmospheric correction system (ACS) is proposed, which accounts for the errors resulting from the in-homogeneities in the operational atmosphere along the slant path by constructing atmospheric profiles from the data along the actual target to sensor slant-range path. The ACS generates a slant-range path based on the arbitrary geometry that models the sensor to target relationship. This path takes the atmosphere and obstructions between the two endpoints into account when determining the atmospheric profile. The ACS uses assimilation to incorporate weather data from multiple sources and constructs an atmospheric profile from the best available data. The ACS allows the user to take advantage of variable weather and information along the path that can lead to increased accuracy in the derived atmospheric compensation value.
US09097788B1	Baggage tracker A luggage tracking assembly for tracking luggage during air travel and providing location information or other luggage related information to a remote device. The assembly includes a housing. Each of a processor, a transceiver, and a positioning mechanism are coupled to the housing. The transceiver is communicatively coupled to the processor. The positioning mechanism is configured for determining a physical location of the housing relative to earth. The housing is insertable into an interior space of a pouch coupled to a piece of luggage. A closure is coupled to the pouch securing the housing in the interior space of the pouch. A fastener couples the pouch to the piece of luggage. The transceiver is configured for transmitting location data to a remote device wherein the physical location of the housing relative earth is determinable through operation of the remote unit.
US09097786B2	Reporting of positioning data A method for reporting of positioning data in a communication network comprises obtaining (202) of positioning data comprising a definition of a polygon in a lateral plane with information of altitude associated to each polygon corner. The method further comprises approximating (204) the polygon with an ellipsoid point having altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid and reporting (206) of the ellipsoid point having altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid over an interface of the communication network as a representation of the positioning data. A node in a communication network comprises a report converter arranged for obtaining positioning data and approximating a polygon with an ellipsoid point having altitude and uncertainty ellipsoid.
US09097767B2	DC-motor and fuel pump faults and brush-wear prognosis A system and method for determining the health of a DC motor, such as a DC motor on a vehicle. The method includes measuring a current output signal of the DC motor, determining a mean of the measured current signal over a predetermined time period and determining a variance estimation of the mean of the measured current. The method then uses the variance estimation to determine the health of the motor, including an end-of-life prediction of the motor, and uses the mean of the measured current to determine the performance (torque) of the motor.
US09097764B2	Scan chain in an integrated circuit In an embodiment, a scannable storage element includes an input circuit for providing a first signal at first node based on a data input and a scan input, where the scan input is of pull-up logic in functional mode. The input circuit includes a first pull-up path comprising a switch receiving data input and a switch receiving scan enable input, and second pull-up path comprising a switch receiving scan input, first pull-down path comprising a switch receiving the scan enable input and a switch receiving the scan input, and second pull-down path comprising a switch receiving the data input. The storage element includes a shifting circuit configured to provide a second signal in response to the first signal at second node, and a scan output buffer coupled to the second node and configured to provide a scan output at a scan output terminal in response to the second signal.
US09097758B2	Connection quality verification for integrated circuit test An integrated circuit device comprising a semiconductor die contained in a package. The integrated circuit device includes one or more internal connection verification modules for asserting a poor connection signal for the test apparatus in response to a voltage difference between a voltage at a corresponding internal power supply node and a reference voltage, the voltage difference being indicative of a poor connection of power supply to one of power supply terminals on the package. The test apparatus can include an indicator or a sorting element for rejecting or accepting the integrated circuit device in response to logic signals indicative of the presence or absence of a defect accompanied by non-assertion of the poor connection signal, and for processing the integrated circuit device distinctively in response to assertion of the poor connection signal.
US09097752B2	Magnetic field probe sealed with a metallic plug The invention provides for a magnetic field probe (100, 2202) comprising a container (104, 702, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800) with a hollow cavity (106, 602). The hollow cavity comprises a duct (110, 700) connecting the hollow cavity with an exterior surface (109, 702) of the container. The container further comprises metallization (108, 800) surrounding the duct on the exterior surface. The container further comprises a metallic plug (400, 1000). The metallic plug at least partially fills the duct. The metallic plug forms a seal (402, 1002) with the metallization. The magnetic field probe further comprises a sample (300, 900, 1608) comprising fluorine 19. The sample at least partially fills the hollow cavity. The magnetic field probe further comprises an antenna (102) adjacent to the container for manipulating the magnetic spins of the fluid sample and for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the fluid sample.
US09097751B1	Linear voltage response of non-uniform arrays of bi-SQUIDs An amplifier and method for improving linear response includes a plurality of N bi-SQUIDs. Each bi-SQUID has a non-uniform bi-SQUID parameter βi, described by βi=2πLiIciΦ0 can be defined for each bi-SQUIDs from i=1 to N, where Li is the loop inductance, ic is the critical current, and Φ0 is a flux quantum for each bi-SQUID. The non-uniform bi-SQUIDs can be connected in series or in parallel to establish a Superconducting Quantum Interference Filter (SQIF) array of bi-SQUIDs. Once connected, a mutual inductance between the connected bi-SQUIDs can be established. If the mutual inductance between connected bi-SQUIDs is accounted for, careful manipulation of the critical current or the loop size, or both, of each bi-SQUID can result in extremely uniform behavior (linear response) of the SQIF when considered as a whole, even though the behavior of the element bi-SQUIDs is non-uniform (different βi, parameters).
US09097745B2	Corrosion detection apparatus for monitoring a state of corrosion A corrosion detection apparatus for permanently and integrally monitoring a state of corrosion of a component is provided. The corrosion detection apparatus makes it possible to use the change in electrical conductivity to detect corrosion of a component to be monitored. A corrosion-sensitive bridging element that establishes an electrical connection between a first electrical line section and a second electrical line section of a sensor circuit is used to change certain electrical properties of the sensor circuit. On account of the corrosion-sensitive property of the bridging element, the latter changes its electrical conductivity when corrosion starts. This makes it possible to use the sensor circuit to detect corrosion of the bridging element and thus of the component to be monitored.
US09097742B2	Multi-functional measuring and waveform-generating equipment with probe There is provided a Multi-functional measuring and waveform-generating equipment with a probe. The equipment is capable of measuring element values of electric or electronic devices and electrical quantities such as a voltage, and generating electrical signals with various waveforms. Also, a user can conveniently manipulate and handily carry it. The equipment provides functions of measuring a voltage, a resistance, an inductance, capacitance, a frequency, the number of pulses, and the voltage level of a logic signal; verifying diode polarities, measuring the voltage level of a pulse signal, and modes generating a rectangular pulse train and a PWM signal by the simple combinations of two switches. Additionally, it also offers a much cheaper equipment than other existing expensive apparatuses, and provide better usability at experimental environments because it is small-sized, light, and conveniently portable, compared to conventional equipments that are large-sized, heavy, and not easy to carry.
US09097733B2	Speed sensor system and mounting configuration for locomotive traction motors A speed sensor system for a locomotive traction motor of the type having a motor frame head adjacent each wheel truck, including a mounting bracket, attachable to the frame head at a prescribed distance from an axis of rotation of the motor and a sensor support portion extending from the inner surface through the ventilation opening and having a hollow tubular portion at the end for releasably receiving and positioning a separate sensor assembly in such a manner that the sensor itself is precisely positioned with respect to the armature gear surface of the traction motor.
US09097731B2	Method and kit for the detection of heparin-dependent antibodies and the diagnosis of immune or autoimmune pathologies potentiated by heparin, such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia A method for the detection of heparin-dependent antibodies and the diagnosis of immune or autoimmune pathologies potentiated by a heparin substance, such as thrombocytopenia induced by heparin (HIT type II) as inducer drug. The method includes the steps of reacting at least one substance with high affinity for a heparin substance (SFA), with at least one heparin substance (SH) so as to form a substance with high affinity for heparin-heparin substance (SFA-SH) complex. The heparin substance is adapted to bind other substances with affinity for heparin and with at least one potential antigenic substance capable of reacting with the heparin substance, forming a (Ag-SH) complex. The method further includes the steps of testing a patient's plasma or serum potentially containing an anti(Ag-SH) antibody after administration of the heparin substance and revealing the resulting (Ag-SH)-anti(Ag-SH) complex produced.
US09097724B2	Systems and methods for sequencing peptides by mass spectrometry The number of atoms present in an ion of a molecule is identified using a mixture of different forms of the molecule. A mass spectrometer analyzes a mixture of at least two forms of the molecule using one or more ion scans producing a mass spectrum. The first form of the molecule includes a first combination of isotopes of one or more elements. The second form of the molecule includes a second combination of isotopes of the one or more elements. A first peak and a second peak that differ in mass by a multiple of a mass difference between the first combination of isotopes and the second combination of isotopes are located in the mass spectrum. The number of atoms of the one or more elements present in an ion of the molecule is identified from a mass difference between the first peak and the second peak.
US09097722B2	PARP substrates and biomarkers PARylated proteins are enriched by treating cell lysates comprising PARylated proteins and DNA/RNA with an endonuclease that cleaves the DNA/RNA but not the PAR; and separating the PARylated proteins from the cleaved DNA/RNA. PARylation sites are labeled by eluting PARylated proteins from a PAR-affinity substrate with a nucleophilic amine exchange reactant, wherein the reactant labels PARylation sites of the proteins. Specific binding agents are identified by screening compounds for specific binding to a PARylated protein disclosed herein; and identifying one of the compounds as a specific binder of the protein. Antibodies which specifically bind PARylation sites are also disclosed.
US09097710B2	Multiplexed volumetric bar chart chip for point of care biomarker and analyte quantitation Apparatus for determining the quantity of a target protein, biomarker or analyte present in a sample, comprising a top plate and a bottom plate, each comprising a plurality of recesses arranged to form a plurality of rows extending parallel to one another, and a plurality of channels extending perpendicularly to the plurality of rows of the bottom plate; wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are assembled together so that the top plate is on top of the bottom plate and the recesses of the top plate communicate with the recesses of the bottom plate so as to form a plurality of rows; and wherein at least one of the top and bottom plate is configured to slide relative to the other of the top and bottom plate in order to form a plurality of columns, with each of the columns in communication with each of the channels.
US09097708B2	High-throughput methodology for identifying RNA-protein interactions transcriptome-wide Methods of identifying RNA-protein interaction sites are provided. Systems for identifying RNA-protein interaction sites are provided. Systems for identifying secondary structures are provided. Methods of identifying secondary structures are provided. Methods of identifying RNA-binding proteins are provided.
US09097705B2	Efficient proliferation method for a kupffer cell and use thereof The present invention has successfully established a mixed culture system capable of actively proliferating a Kupffer cell in a primary culture of a cell population derived from a liver. Additionally, the present invention has successfully established a novel production method for efficiently producing a large amount of highly purified Kupffer cells using this mixed culture system.
US09097704B2	Method for hematology analysis A method whereby one or more fluorescent dyes are used to bind and stain nucleic acids in certain blood cells, such as, for example, white blood cells, nucleated red blood cells, and reticulocytes, and to induce fluorescent emissions upon excitation of photons from a given source of light, such as, for example, a laser, at an appropriate wavelength. More particularly, this invention provides a method whereby a fluorescent trigger is used in a data collection step for collecting events that emit strong fluorescence, in order to separate white blood cells and nucleated red blood cells from red blood cells and platelets without the need for using a lysing agent.
US09097700B2	Glucose measurement system with high-capacity cartridge and capability of more frequent replenishment The present disclosure relates to packaging containers for holding a plurality of test sensors. The packaging container may include a first semi-circular housing and a second semi-circular housing. The first semi-circular housing has a plurality of first test sensor containing regions. Each of the plurality of the first test sensor containing regions is adapted to contain at least one test sensor having a top portion covered by a foil cover. The second semi-circular housing has a plurality of second test sensor containing regions. Each of the plurality of the second test sensor containing regions is adapted to contain at least one test sensor. The second semi-circular housing has a top portion. The first semi-circular housing and the second semi-circular housing are positioned adjacent to each other.
US09097699B2	Sensor storage and delivery system where the test sensors are individually foiled and arranged in a stack A portable, hand-held glucose testing device includes a housing configured to accommodate a plurality of test sensors in a stacked arrangement and having a wall with an opening defined therein. A plurality of packaged test sensors is stacked in alignment with one another within the housing. Each of the test sensors is packaged within a blister package. The blister package includes a blister package housing and a cover foil overlying a surface of the blister package housing and the test sensor. A drive slide is configured to displace one of the plurality of packaged test sensors out of alignment with other packaged test sensors. A knife mechanism is configured to pierce through the cover foil, and to engage and urge the test sensor to extend through the opening for receiving a sample. A meter contact is configured to engage the test sensor when the test sensor extends through the opening.
US09097697B2	Method for simulating deformation of rubber compound A method for simulating deformation of rubber compound including silica particles and an interfacial coupling agent therefor is disclosed. Using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), data of STEM images of the rubber compound are acquired. Based on the STEM image data, a dataset of a 3D structure of the rubber compound is reconstructed. Based on the dataset, a model of the rubber compound is generated. Using the model on which conditions are defined, a deformation calculation is made and a physical quantity is acquired. The rubber compound model comprises a rubber component model, silica particle models and interface models surrounding the silica particle models and defined as being harder than the rubber component model.
US09097690B2	Sample preprocessing and conveying system In a large-scale analyzing system arrangement with a multi-sample processing capability, connecting a plurality of analyzing systems each having a minimum analyzer configuration makes it difficult for each analyzing system to continue analysis while managing and sharing the consumables information required for measurement between the analyzers. Additionally, since the sample preprocessing and conveying system does not recognize operational states of the analyzing systems during the analysis, conveyance of the sample to an analyzing system unable to conduct the analysis is likely to occur, resulting in delays in reporting the test results on the sample. The internal operational status of a plurality of analyzing systems is collectively managed and samples are conveyed between the analyzing systems. If the analysis is determined not to be capable of being continued, the sample is temporarily placed in a stand-by condition and then the analysis, after returning to a restartable state, is automatically continued.
US09097685B2	Advanced inspection method utilizing short pulses LED illumination An illumination module that may include a LED driver; a group of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that comprises at least one LED; the group of LED is coupled to the LED driver; wherein the LED driver is arranged to activate the group of LEDs by driving a high current short duration driving signal; and wherein the group of LEDs is arranged to emit at least one light pulse in response to the high current short duration driving signal.
US09097682B2	Optical probe for measuring physical and chemical characteristics of a medium during flow An optical probe for measuring physical and chemical characteristics of a transparent fluid medium during flow comprises two fingers parallel to one another and to the flow. Each finger consists of a solid bar of transparent material, in which a light beam propagates and is reflected on an end face of the bar, said face being situated upstream in the flow. Such an optical probe may be reduced in size, and provides results which are less sensitive to disturbances of the flow that are caused by the probe itself.
US09097681B2	Inspection device, bonding system and inspection method According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus of inspecting an overlapped substrate obtained by bonding substrates together is provided. The apparatus includes a first holding unit configured to hold and rotate the overlapped substrate, and a displacement gauge configured to measure displacements of peripheral sides of a first substrate and a second substrate constituting the overlapped substrate while rotating the overlapped substrate held by the first holding unit.
US09097678B2	Method for removing sulfur-comprising compounds from a hydrocarbonaceous gas mixture A method for removing sulfur-comprising compounds from a hydrocarbonaceous gas mixture, in which an adsorber material is brought into contact with the hydrocarbonaceous gas mixture, wherein the adsorber material comprises a material that adsorbs sulfur-comprising compounds and, in addition, comprises at least one transition metal compound which changes color thereof by reaction with the sulfur-comprising compounds.
US09097675B2	Lyophilization of colloidal metals for surface enhanced raman scattering An assay and method of making same for use in SERS spectroscopy. The assay includes colloidal particles of a metal, which have been lyophilized. The lyophilized particles of metal produce a SERS active solution when reconstituted. The lyophilized particles of metal may be provided in a container in an assay system.
US09097673B2	Processes and kits for determining multi-drug resistance of cells This invention relates to multi-drug resistance (MDR) in cells, and the use of certain xanthene compounds for determining drug resistance in cells and the effect of test compounds on cell membrane transport by the membrane transporters MDR1, MRP and BCRP. Processes and kits for making these determinations and measuring these effects are described and provided.
US09097671B2	Assays A method for assaying a sample for each of multiple analytes is described. The method includes contacting an array of spaced-apart test zones with a liquid sample (e.g., whole blood). The test zones are disposed within a channel of a microfluidic device. The channel is defined by at least one flexible wall and a second wall which may or may not be flexible. Each test zone comprising a probe compound specific for a respective target analyte. The microfluidic device is compressed to reduce the thickness of the channel, which is the distance between the inner surfaces of the walls within the channel. The presence of each analyte is determined by optically detecting an interaction at each of multiple test zones for which the distance between the inner surfaces at the corresponding location is reduced. The interaction at each test zone is indicative of the presence in the sample of a target analyte.
US09097666B2	Method and device for measuring gas component concentration inside a glass unit A non-invasive method for determining a concentration of a gas component in a gas mixture contained in a spacing of a glass unit having at least two glass sheets spaced apart from each other and forming the spacing. One or more light beams is applied at an angle to the surface of the glass unit, wherein the wavelength of the emitted light beam is varied around or over the at least one absorption line of the interest gas component. The light beams transmitted through or reflected from at least one surface or interface locating at the opposite side of the spacing are collected by a detector and non-linear variations in the intensity of the transmitted or reflected light beams over an absorption line of the interest gas is then component determined. The concentration of the gas component to be measured is determined based on the non-linear variations in the intensity.
US09097662B2	Droplet-based particle sorting The present invention relates to droplet-based particle sorting. According to one embodiment, a droplet microactuator is provided and includes: (a) a suspension of particles; and (b) electrodes arranged for conducting droplet operations using droplets comprising particles. A method of transporting a particle is also provided, wherein the method includes providing a droplet comprising the particle and transporting the droplet on a droplet microactuator.
US09097659B2	Maintaining electrode function during manufacture with a protective layer The present disclosure relates to an electrochemical test sensor for detecting the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample. The test sensor includes a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a trigger electrode. A temporary protective layer overlies the trigger electrode and helps to maintain the function of the trigger electrode during test sensor manufacture.
US09097656B2	Methods for precision optical frequency synthesis and molecular detection The present invention relates to precision linewidth control and frequency measurements of continuous wave lasers for the near to far IR spectral regions, precision frequency synthesizers and exemplary applications in molecular detection. Methods and systems are disclosed for simultaneous line narrowing of cw lasers, as well as referencing the desired emission wavelength to a frequency comb laser.
US09097652B2	Sensor array mounted on flexible carrier A sensor apparatus is disclosed herein. The sensor apparatus includes a flexible carrier that is elongated along a length of the carrier. The sensor apparatus also includes a plurality of analysis zones carried by the carrier. The analysis zones are spaced-apart from one another along the length of the carrier. The sensor apparatus further includes first and second spaced-apart electrodes carried by the flexible carrier. The first and second electrodes have lengths that extend along the length of the carrier. At least one of the first and second electrodes includes analyte sensing chemistry. The first and second electrodes extending across and contact the plurality of analysis zones.
US09097651B2	Measuring device and methods for use therewith The ability to switch at will between amperometric measurements and potentiometric measurements provides great flexibility in performing analyzes of unknowns. Apparatus and methods can provide such switching to collect data from an electrochemical cell. The cell may contain a reagent disposed to measure glucose in human blood.
US09097650B2	System and apparatus for determining temperatures in a fluid analyte system A test sensor includes a body, a first conductive trace, a second conductive trace, and a third conductive trace. The body includes a first region that has a fluid-receiving area, a second region separate from the first region, and a first temperature sensing interface disposed at or adjacent to the fluid-receiving area. The fluid-receiving area receives a sample. The first trace is disposed on the body, and at least a portion of the first trace is disposed in the first region. The second and third traces are disposed on the body. The third trace extends from the first to the second regions. The third trace is connected to the first trace at the first temperature sensing interface. The third trace includes a different material than the first trace. A first thermocouple is formed at the first temperature sensing interface. The thermocouple provides temperature data to determine an analyte concentration.
US09097640B2	Method, system, and compositions for cell counting and analysis The present invention provides a low cost imaged-based system for detecting, measuring and/or counting labeled features of biological samples, particularly blood specimens. In one aspect, the invention includes a system for imaging multiple features of a specimen that includes one or more light sources capable of successively generating illumination beams each having a distinct wavelength band and a plurality of differentially excitable labels capable of labeling a specimen comprising multiple features, such that each different feature is labeled with a different differentially excitable label.
US09097639B2	Systems for analysis of fluids A resonant sensor assembly includes a dielectric substrate having a sensing region. The sensor assembly further comprises a plurality of tuning elements operatively coupled to the sensing region, where the sensing region is coupled to the plurality of tuning elements to define a plurality of resonant circuits.
US09097628B2	Method and kit for processing wax-embedded biological samples The present invention relates to a method for processing a wax-embedded biological sample, the use of poly(organosiloxane)s for liquefying the embedding medium of a wax-embedded biological sample and a kit for processing a wax-embedded biological sample.
US09097622B2	Process interface valve assembly A valve assembly includes a valve body having a fluid access passage extending from a process fluid port to an access port, a block valve disposed in the fluid access passage and movable between open and closed conditions, an access blocking device disposed in the fluid access passage between the access port and the block valve, and a valve interlock arrangement. The access blocking device is movable from an access blocking condition in which access to the block valve through the access port is blocked, to an access permitting condition in which access to the block valve through the access port is permitted. The valve interlock arrangement is configured such that the block valve is prevented from being moved to the closed condition when the access blocking device is in the access permitting condition.
US09097614B2	Vehicle emissions testing and toll collection system What is disclosed is a system and method for testing a motorized vehicle's exhaust emissions in a non-controlled emissions testing environment. In one embodiment, the present system comprises a toll collection structure having a sensor for obtaining information about a registered owner of a motor vehicle and about the motor vehicle itself, as the vehicle travels on a lane which passes through the structure. At least one emissions detector, which is fixed to the toll collection structure, performs an emissions test on the vehicle by analyzing an exhaust plume emitted by the vehicle. Speed/acceleration of the vehicle is also measured. In various embodiments hereof, the emissions detector comprises a combination of dispersive or non-dispersive infrared detector and a dispersive or non-dispersive ultraviolet detector. Emissions data collected is automatically compared to emissions standards and an authority is notified if that the vehicle does not meet those standards. Various embodiments are disclosed.
US09097612B2	Integrated wavefront sensor and profilometer An instrument for measuring aspheric optical surfaces includes both an optical wavefront sensor and a single-point optical profilometer. The optical wavefront sensor measures surface height variations throughout one or more areas of an aspheric test surface. The single-point profilometer measures surface height variations along one or more traces on the aspheric test surface. At least one of the traces intersects at least one of the areas, and respective spatial frames of reference for the traces and areas are relatively adapted to each other by minimizing differences between points of nominal coincidence between the areas and traces.
US09097609B1	Hermetic seal leak detection apparatus with variable size test chamber The present invention is a versatile hermetic seal leak detection apparatus for testing hermetically sealed containers and devices for leaks without the need to create a custom or specially manufactured testing chamber conforming to the dimensions of the specific object under test. The size of the testing chamber may be mechanically adjusted by the novel use of bellows to reduce and optimize the amount of gas space in a test chamber which surrounds the hermetically sealed object under test. The present invention allows the size of the test chamber to be selectively adjusted during testing to provide an optimum test chamber gas space. The present invention may be further adapted to isolate and test specific portions of the hermetically sealed object under test for leaks.
US09097608B2	Method for detecting high-pressure sealing performance of gas system after impact test of compressed natural gas vehicle A method for detecting the high-pressure sealing performance of a gas system after an impact test of a compressed natural gas vehicle, including installing a high-pressure sensor with a characteristic curve on an air inlet pipe of a pressure reducer, and inflating a high-pressure pipeline with compressed gas under a safe pressure; inflating the gas system with compressed gas to a normal working pressure before the impact test of the compressed natural gas vehicle; collecting a voltage value by the high-pressure sensor within 1-3 hours, and determining that the sealing performance of the gas system of the compressed natural gas vehicle is satisfactory when a detected voltage drop value is smaller than a preset value; otherwise, determining that the sealing performance of the gas system of the compressed natural gas vehicle is unsatisfactory.
US09097607B2	Leakage tester for pipettes utilizing pressure A portable, small-sized device is provided to accurately conduct a leakage test for a liquid volume meter such as a pipette. In operation, pipette P is connected to the device main body side via a tube. A command from a central processing unit causes a pump to perform a suctioning operation to depressurize the pipette P side to a predetermined pressure. Any pressure changes over a predetermined period of time are monitored by a pressure sensor. The central processing unit determines whether there is leakage from the pipette P, and displays a judgment result on a display unit. In particular, when a diaphragm pump is used as the pump, the pulsation of an air flow occurring in a suction operation is attenuated in a pressure vessel so as not to have harmful effects on either the inspection results or the pipette P side.
US09097598B2	Torque sensor A torque sensor for a human-powered object includes a spindle connecting crank arms of the object. In one embodiment, the object can be a bicycle. The torque sensor further includes at least one strain gauge mounted to the spindle in a shear pattern to measure shear strain perpendicular to a radius of the spindle. In some embodiments, the torque sensor further includes a carrier fixed to a hollow interior of the spindle, where at least one strain gauge is mounted to the spindle via the carrier. Advantageously, the torque sensor provides a low cost method to measure power.
US09097595B2	System and method for detecting and measuring vibration in an industrial roll A system for determining the source of vibration of a nipped roll assembly includes: a first substantially cylindrical roll; a mating structure positioned relative to the first roll to form a nip therewith; a plurality of annular nip condition sensor units mounted on the first roll; each of the annular nip condition sensor units being positioned at different axial locations along the first roll and configured to provide nip condition signals from the nip, the signals indicating a nip condition at multiple circumferential locations; and a processor associated with the sensor units that receives signals from the sensor units. The processor is configured to convert the signals from the sensor units into nip condition readings for the multiple circumferential locations at each axial location. Such a system can detect irregularities in a roll or the mating structure that can cause undesired vibration.
US09097594B2	Method and apparatus for confirming whether a frozen food has been defrosted A defrost indicator including: a body member, at least a portion of which is capable of having a restrained shape or size and an unrestrained shape of size; and an indicia disposed on at least one surface of the body member, an appearance of the indicia being different in the restrained shape or size than in the unrestrained shape or size; wherein the body member is restrained into the restrained shape by freezing one or more liquids associated with the body member.
US09097588B2	Dose responsive UV indicator A UV radiation (UVR) response indicator comprises a first UVB and/or UVA radiation sensitive material which has been modified so as to display an altered characteristic in a delayed manner in response to UVB and/or UVA radiation exposure. The UV indicator is capable of displaying exposure to increased UV radiation over a period of time. The present invention also relates to a method of displaying a relative amount of exposure to UVR by a UV indicator over a period of time. The invention is particularly useful in detecting the level of exposure to sunlight or sunbed radiation.
US09097585B2	Spectrographic polarimeter and method of recording state of polarity A single-shot real-time spectropolarimeter for use in astronomy and other sciences that captures and encodes some or all of the Stokes polarization parameters simultaneously using only static, robust optical components with no moving parts is described. The polarization information is encoded onto the spectrograph at each wavelength along the spatial dimension of the 2D output data array. The varying embodiments of the concept include both a two-Stokes implementation (in which any two of the three Stokes polarization parameters are measured) and a full Stokes implementation (in which all three of the Stokes polarization parameters are measured), each of which is provided in either single beam or dual beam forms.
US09097576B2	Method for predicting tyre running noise In a method for predicting a rolling noise B of a tire on a pavement, a real profile of the pavement is charted, at least one value of at least one descriptor of the pavement is determined based on the real profile, and use is made of a law for predicting rolling noise B of a tire. The law is of a type given by B=g(V1, . . . , Vn), where V1, . . . , Vn are values of descriptors D1, . . . , Dn of the pavement, where 1≦n≦2, where D1 is a characteristic number of indenters of the pavement, and where D2 is a characteristic dimension of the indenters of the pavement.
US09097574B2	Method for calibrating large fixed electronic scale A method for calibrating large fixed electronic scale is provided. The method applies an auxiliary verification device to calibrate the large fixed electronic scale without using a weight and includes following steps of: loading and unloading every supporting point on the scale table board of the scale by at least one self-locating loading and unloading mechanism; measuring and displaying a load that each loading and unloading mechanisms applies to the scale table board by at least one high accuracy load gauge; controlling a size of the load that each loading and unloading mechanisms applies to the scale table board by a constant load control device; and comparing a precise load displayed by the high accuracy load gauge with a gauge weighing display value of the scale to obtain a calibration error of the scale. The present method greatly improves working efficiency and safety and reduces costs.
US09097565B2	Method and apparatus for material flow characterization A material characterization system and method for quantifying the characteristics of a flowing thermoplastic material is presented. The system comprises a tool comprising first and second tool halves, a plurality of flowing material characterization channels, and a feed runner. The tool is at a temperature that causes phase changes from fluid to solid in at least a portion of the characterized material and enables solidification of the material in the flowing material characterization channels. The feed runner is connectable to a single flowing material characterization channel. The tool is adjustable to disconnect the feed runner from one flowing material characterization channel and connect it to different flowing material characterization channels. A sensor quantifies the characteristics of the material under different flow conditions. The method comprises measuring the material characteristics as it flows through the flowing material characterization channel at multiple flow rates and repeating measurements for different flowing material characterization channels.
US09097556B2	Method for reducing non-linearity during measurement of a physical parameter and electronic circuit for implementing the same A method for reducing the non-linearity effect of a digital-analog converter on an electronic interface circuit of a capacitive sensor. The electronic circuit includes an amplifier connected to the common electrode by a switching unit, a logic unit connected to the amplifier for supplying first and second digital measuring signals, and a digital-analog converter for supplying a measuring voltage to the electrodes. The method includes firstly biasing the capacitor electrodes by the measuring voltage, then biasing the fixed electrode of the first capacitor at a regulated voltage and the fixed electrode of the second capacitor at a low voltage, then biasing the capacitor electrodes by the measuring voltage, and finally biasing the fixed electrode of the first capacitor at a low voltage and the fixed electrode of the second capacitor at a regulated voltage.
US09097554B2	Method and apparatus for displaying image of mobile communication terminal Techniques are described for allowing a user to intuitively check an actual image captured by a camera, rather than to recognize information regarding a peripheral area (point of interest) on a map. An apparatus includes a camera module that accesses an image captured by a camera and detects a direction in which the camera points and a display unit that displays the captured image. The apparatus also includes a controller that detects a position of a point of interest (POI) corresponding to a keyword and indicates location information for the POI on the displayed image based on the direction information of the to camera, a current location, and the detected location of the POI.
US09097550B2	Navigation device, server, navigation method and program When a navigation device receives an input of speech from a user, it transmits data of inputted speech to a server and receives a speech recognition result. If a guide route includes a communication impossible area, the navigation device obtains terminal-use speech recognition data necessary for the navigation device to perform speech recognition from the server before reaching the communication impossible area. Thus, even if the speech is inputted by the user while traveling the communication impossible area, the navigation device can perform the speech recognition by itself by using the terminal-use speech recognition data.
US09097549B1	Learning automated vehicle A vehicle includes a navigation system and a processing device. The navigation system determines a route from a current location to a selected destination. The processing device applies a template to the route. The template represents driving trends associated with a geographic region. The processing device adjusts the route based on the template prior to the vehicle embarking on the route.
US09097545B1	Electronic navigation related technology Techniques are described for monitoring whether a user is following directions to a destination during electronic navigation to the destination provided by an electronic navigation device. When the electronic navigation device determines that the user is not following directions to the destination (e.g., the user has missed several turns suggested by the electronic navigation device), the electronic navigation device determines that the user appears to be avoiding the route (or a primary component thereof) to the destination. In response to a determination that the user appears to be avoiding the route (or a primary component thereof) to the destination, the electronic navigation device may automatically, without human intervention, perform an operation directed to using an alternative route (or alternative primary component) to the destination despite the current route remaining preferred according to current routing settings.
US09097531B2	Human-like global positioning system (GPS) directions In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for a route from a first geolocation to a second geolocation; calculating the route from the first geolocation to the second geolocation; identifying one or more inferred paths that coincide with at least a portion of the route; replacing one or more navigation instructions of the route with an abbreviated navigation instruction associated with the inferred paths; and providing a set of navigation instructions of the route that includes the abbreviated navigation instruction.
US09097528B2	Managing a datacenter using mobile devices One embodiment of the present invention is a method for managing a datacenter using a mobile device, which method includes: (a) in response to a user request, the mobile device causing an identification prober to obtain information from one or more of a plurality of identification providers disposed at predetermined locations in the datacenter, and determining a mobile device location in the datacenter therefrom; (b) the mobile device requesting a datacenter map from a datacenter management system, displaying at least a portion of the map on a mobile device display, and displaying the mobile device location on the at least a portion of the map; and (c) the mobile device obtaining an equipment location of an equipment in the datacenter from the datacenter management system, displaying directions from the mobile device location to the equipment location, and displaying the equipment location on the at least a portion of the map if it fits in the display.
US09097526B1	Systems and methods for a polarization matched resonator fiber optic gyroscope Systems and methods for a polarization matched resonator fiber optic gyroscope are provided. In one embodiment an RFOG comprises: a light source; a fiber optic ring resonator; a photodetector that outputs an electrical signal that varies as a function of optical intensity; and an input light polarization servo. A light beam from the servo is launched into the resonator ring in a first direction of circulation. The input polarization servo comprises a birefringence modulator that modulates a phase shift between two components of an input polarization state of the light beam at ωm, the modulator is controlled to drive towards zero a 1st harmonic of ωm as measured in the electrical signal. The servo further comprises a tunable ½ waveplate that adjusts an amplitude of the two components of the input polarization state relative to each other. The tunable ½ waveplate is controlled to maximize a peak optical intensity as measured in the electrical signal.
US09097517B2	Tilt minimization through intensity control of light source The power input to the light source of a microscope is varied as necessary to maintain a constant degree of detector saturation as the objective is moved toward a best-focus position. Focus is found by tracking the source's intensity necessary to maintain the detector irradiance at a constant level. The in-focus position is reached when the power input (and correspondingly the intensity of the light emitted by the source) reaches a minimum. The concept can be applied in a similar manner to minimize or eliminate tilt in a sample.
US09097516B2	Surface angle and surface angle distribution measurement device Provided is a measurement device including a light source that sequentially emits plural beams of light which are respectively incident on an object and of which optical axes are parallel or substantially parallel to each other, a condensing optical system that condenses the plural beams of light reflected from the object or the plural beams of light transmitted through the object, a light receiving unit, a light receiving surface of which is placed on a back focal plane of the condensing optical system, and that outputs a distribution or a center position of an intensity of light received in the light receiving surface, and a measurement unit that measures at least one of an angle and an angle distribution of a surface of the object, based on an output value output from the light receiving unit for each light applied to the object from the light source.
US09097500B1	Modular adjustable weight arrow tip A modular, adjustable weight arrow tip is disclosed. The arrow tip has a body and one or more blades in various configurations. The arrow tip utilizes one more modular weights, preferably seated between the body rear end and the arrow shaft, to allow the user to be able to selectably adjust an incrementally stepped array of weights to achieve the desired flight and “front of center” for their application. The modular weights can be threaded or unthreaded, can utilize a modular weight seating collar, can have varying weights, and may be utilized with any type of archery tip.
US09097499B2	Crossbow and bolts A crossbow and bolts are described herein. The crossbow may include a main frame defining a groove, a top limb, a bottom limb, a string and a trigger assembly. The top limb may extend in front of the main frame and be positioned above the lower limb. The string may be configured to be cocked backwards and engage with the trigger assembly. A bolt may be configured to attach to the string and be ejected from the crossbow when the trigger assembly is fired. The bolt may include a removable tip, a removable coupling, and a snap-on fletching. The crossbow may include a worm gear assembly to cock the string for firing.
US09097497B2	Window guard and defensive barrier device A window guard and defensive barrier device for protecting and/or shielding personnel within the interior of a building structure against firing of projectiles through a window opening includes a movable upper panel member pivotally connected by a hinge device to a fixed lower panel member and being rotatable for covering the window opening. Gas spring mechanisms are used for facilitating the rotation of the upper panel member between a stowed position and a deployed position. A locking device is used for maintaining the upper panel member in the deployed position.
US09097492B2	Blast/impact mitigation shield A blast mitigation method includes forming a body of solid material which transitions from a solid state to a non-flowing viscous fluid state when stressed which attaching it to the body of the undercarriage of a vehicle. The material of the body transitions from a solid state to a viscous fluid, state when an explosion occurs, is proximate the body and it absorbs at least some energy from the explosion mitigating impact on the vehicle. A plunger plate with blades extending outwardly therefrom is coupled to the body and oriented such that the blades are adjacent the body.
US09097489B2	Gun magazine pouch A magazine holder for use with a gun includes a cavity configured to receive at least two magazines and a biasing member in the cavity and configured to engage at least one magazine located in the cavity to maintain the at least one magazine in the cavity.
US09097485B2	Trigger assembly A trigger assembly for activating a firing mechanism. The trigger assembly includes a trigger having a sear arm with a first sear surface, and a firing element including a body portion with a second sear surface and an engagement portion for engagement with the firing mechanism, for activating the firing mechanism. The trigger assembly also includes a captured roller positioned for engagement with the first and second sear surfaces. The trigger is pivotable between a load position, in which the captured roller is held between the first and second sear surfaces, and a release position, in which the second sear surface is disengaged from the captured roller and the firing element is released. The firing element is pivotable between a first position, in which the firing element is held by the captured roller, and a second position, in which the firing element is disengaged from the captured roller.
US09097477B1	Projectile launcher with rotatable clip connector A toy launcher apparatus with a rotatable clip connector mounted to a lower portion of a housing. The housing also includes an upper portion, a barrel portion and a grip portion. Pivotally mounted to the upper portion of the housing is a handle and mounted to the grip portion is a trigger and a switch. Attached to the clip connector may be eight projectile clips and the clip connector is rotatable 45° every time the handle is pivoted forward. Mounted within the housing are a battery compartment, and a wheel and motor assembly. Batteries in the battery compartment may power the wheel and motor assembly after the switch is activated by a user. Pulling the trigger causes a projectile, such as a foam dart, to be pushed from a clip aligned with the barrel portion toward spinning wheels of the wheel and motor assembly, and the wheels cause discharge the dart.
US09097475B2	Gas-operated firearm with pressure compensating gas piston A gas operating system for a firearm renders the firearm capable of firing a wide range of shot loads by passively or automatically compensating for different shot loads. The firearm includes a plurality of ports formed in the firearm barrel, and corresponding ports formed in a gas block of the gas operating system. The ports tap gases generated during firing which are used to cycle the firearm. When firing different cartridge loads, differing combinations of the ports are selectively at least partially blocked or otherwise obstructed by the cartridge casing according to the size of the cartridge. Additionally, the gas operating system includes compensating gas pistons with internal relief valves that can bleed off excess gas to compensate for larger shot loads regardless of the size of the cartridge.
US09097458B2	Refrigeration device comprising a water tank A refrigeration device comprising a heat-insulated housing, which contains a storage compartment, a water tank, a fan for propelling a stream of cold air that passes through an evaporator and a distribution unit for the controlled distribution of the stream of cold air along at least two circulation paths, the first of which is in closer thermal contact with the water tank than the second.
US09097449B2	Pressure based control of parallel compressors in multiple refrigeration units This patent is directed to an external air conditioning system connected to a parked airplane. The system has multiple refrigeration units. Each refrigeration unit has a controller. Each refrigeration unit's controlled is linked to a common controller. A single stream of air flows through all of the evaporators in series. Each of the refrigeration units has multiple compressors. Additional compressors are activated or deactivated based on refrigerant pressure. The activation or deactivation pressures are staggered across the refrigeration units, thus coordinating operation of the multiple refrigeration units.
US09097444B2	Heat pump type water heating apparatus A heat pump type water heating apparatus is provided that includes a refrigeration cycle circuit having a first refrigerant and water heat exchanger to perform a heat exchange between a first refrigerant and water, and a first refrigerant and second refrigerant heat exchanger to perform a heat exchange between the first refrigerant and a second refrigerant. The heat pump type water heating apparatus may also include a cascade circuit having the first refrigerant and second refrigerant heat exchanger to operate jointly with the refrigeration cycle circuit, the cascade circuit also having a second refrigerant and water heat exchanger to perform a heat exchange between the second refrigerant and water, and a water heating channel connected to the first refrigerant and water heat exchanger and the second refrigerant and water heat exchanger so water passes through the first refrigerant and water heat exchanger and then through the second refrigerant and water heat exchanger.
US09097443B2	Solar panel rooftop mounting and grounding device Disclosed is a device for securing, mounting, aligning, and grounding solar panels to a roof mounted rail. The device in combination with a t-bolt, a nut, and a solar panel end-clamp or mid-clamp, secure, mount, align, and ground the solar panels to the roof mounted rail. The device can be inserted into the top of the rail anywhere along its length. After the device and t-bolt are inserted in the rail, the t-bolt rotated so it inserts into a slot at the bottom of the rail thereby securing the device to the rail, assuring the proper orientation of the t-bolt, and preventing further rotation of the t-bolt.
US09097436B1	Integrated dual chamber burner with remote communicating flame strip A dual chamber burner assembly provides a header, a first burner chamber adjacent the header, and a second burner chamber on an opposite side of the first burner chamber from the header. The second burner chamber is provided with a flame sensor portion extending back through the first burner chamber toward the header so that first and second flame sensors may be utilized to detect flame in the first and second chambers, respectively.
US09097434B2	Target supply apparatus and target supply method A target supply apparatus used in an extreme ultraviolet light apparatus that generates extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a laser beam may include a tank, a nozzle that includes a through-hole and is disposed so that the through-hole communicates with the interior of the tank, a first heater disposed along a wall of the tank, a second heater disposed along a wall of the tank in a position that is further from the nozzle than the first heater, and a control unit configured to control the first heater and the second heater so that a temperature of the first heater is greater than a temperature of the second heater.
US09097433B2	Apparatus and a method for controlling facility devices, and a non-transitory computer readable medium thereof According to one embodiment, a service execution apparatus controls facility devices in a group. The group includes a plurality of calculation areas. At least one facility device is installed in each calculation area. The service execution apparatus includes a calculation unit and a control unit. The calculation unit is configured to calculate a control value to control a selected facility device installed in one of calculation areas in the group, using weather information relating to the one of calculation areas. The control unit is configured to control other facility devices installed in the calculation areas of the group, based on the control value for the selected facility device.
US09097432B2	Economizer control The present disclosure provides a method for operating an HVAC system for conditioning air of an inside space. The HVAC system has an economizer configured to control the intake of outside air into an HVAC air stream of the HVAC system. The method includes determining at least two parameters of the air of the inside space, where the at least two parameters are selected from a set of parameters from which an inside air dry bulb temperature, an inside air dew point, an inside air relative humidity, and an inside air enthalpy can be determined, either directly or indirectly. The method also includes determining at least two parameters of the outside air, where the at least two parameters being selected from a set of parameters from which an outside air dry bulb temperature, an outside air dew point, and an outside air enthalpy can be determined, either directly or indirectly. Based on one or more of the inside air dry bulb temperature, the inside air dew point, the inside air relative humidity, and the inside air enthalpy, a determination is made of whether dehumidification of the inside space is needed, and if dehumidification is not needed, the economizer is commanded to increase the intake of outside air into the HVAC air stream if the outside air dry bulb temperature is less than a dry bulb temperature reference, and if the outside air enthalpy is less than an enthalpy reference. If, alternatively, dehumidification is needed, the economizer is commanded to increase the intake of outside air into the HVAC air stream if the outside air enthalpy is less than the enthalpy reference, and if the outside air dew point is less than a dew point reference.
US09097423B2	Portable gas torch suitable for igniting a flame in combustion equipment A portable hand held torch for use in manually igniting a standing pilot flame, a main burner flame, or any other suitable flame. In an illustrative embodiment, the portable hand held torch may include a torch body having a torch tip such that when the torch is lit, the torch tip emits a flame. The torch tip may include a hollow tip body with a first end and a second opposing end. The hollow tip body may define an initial combustion chamber. A fuel source conduit may provide fuel to the initial combustion chamber, and a high energy capacitive discharge igniter may provide a reliable ignition spark upon demand. The high energy capacitive discharge igniter may extend into the initial combustion chamber and be held in a fixed position relative to the fuel source conduit to help ensure consistent and reliable ignition, even in severe industrial environments.
US09097422B2	Control valves for heaters and fireplace devices A heating apparatus may include a control valve assembly. A control valve assembly can have a housing and a valve body positioned within the housing. The housing can define an inlet and first and second outlets. The control valve assembly can also include an igniter having a sensor for firing an electrode. An extension can be used to activate the sensor and to thereby activate the igniter.
US09097418B2	System and method for heat recovery steam generators A system includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) including a plurality of evaporator sections. At least one evaporator section includes a natural circulation evaporator configured to generate a saturated steam, a once-through evaporator configured to generate a first superheated steam, a first superheater configured to receive the saturated steam from the natural circulation evaporator, and a second superheater configured to receive the first superheated steam from the once-through evaporator.
US09097417B1	Portable work light A reduced emissions work light composed of a two module system for easy assembly and reassembly of component parts. The first module includes a bulb, a ballast, a ballast housing, an end cap, a socket fixture, and an electrical cable. A socket fixture is configured to secure a connection between the ballast housing and the bulb to create a single unitary body. The first module is placed inside a second module to form the reduced emissions work light containing only two separate components.
US09097415B2	Lighting device with magnetically retained light source A lighting device (1) comprising a base part (2) with a first magnetic material, and a second part (3) is disclosed. The second part comprises a light source (4), and a nonmagnetic shell (5) defining an essentially closed cavity, the light source (4) and the nonmagnetic shell being in a fixed positional relationship, wherein the essentially closed cavity encloses a second magnetic material (6) displaceable therein. This provides a lighting device (1) in which the user may readily position the light source (4) with a large degree of freedom.
US09097405B2	Light module system A light module system includes a receptacle, which may be mounted on a support surface, such as a heat sink, and further includes a cover and an LED assembly rotatably coupled to the cover. The LED assembly seats within the receptacle which causes terminals of the LED assembly to align with contacts on the receptacle. One of the cover and the receptacle has a plurality of ramps and the other has a plurality of shoulders. The cover can be rotated relative to the receptacle to cause the shoulders to slide relative to the ramps so as to direct the LED assembly into the receptacle. When the LED assembly is attached to the receptacle, the terminals on the LED assembly mate with the contacts on the receptacle.
US09097392B2	Mixed light source A mixed light source comprising: a first radiation source, which emits radiation in the red spectral range; an excitation source, which contains a III-V semiconductor material; and a conversion substance, which, during the operation of the mixed light source, converts the radiation of the excitation source at least partly into radiation whose color locus in the CIE chromaticity diagram lies within a polygon spanned by the coordinates (0.1609; 0.497), (0.35; 0.6458), (0.558; 0.444) and (0.453; 0.415).
US09097391B2	Lamp A lamp achieves high output power like an HID lamp by using a light emitting element(s) as a light source. A mount board having LED mounted thereon is provided on the surface of a base member, and there are provided plural flat plate type light source units arranged around an axial line while the back surfaces thereof faces inwards, and a support member provided on the axial line. The plural light source units are supported on the support member, and a space through which air flows is provided at the back surface side of each base member.
US09097386B2	Portable work screen with at least two supports comprising magnets and a semi rigid screen A portable work screen apparatus including a semi-rigid screen and at least two supports, each having an attachment device, the attachment device having a magnet for, in use, releasably connecting the screen to a surface proximal to a workpiece, wherein the at least two supports are spaced apart, such that, in use, the screen is extending therebetween and is flexed to a desired configuration.
US09097380B2	Adjustable security bracket The invention is a security bracket for a retail display. The security bracket has guide pins extending laterally outwardly from each side of a base member. Sliding blocks are mounted to each pair of guide pins. The sliding block also carries a vertical arm that may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly. Adjustment of the sliding blocks relative to a hand-held allows the security bracket to be used for mounting hand-helds with different footprints to a retail display.
US09097379B1	Articulating support for electronic devices This invention provides a novel compact electronic device support that allows articulation for ideal positioning, aiming or viewing. It is compact, readily stored and quick to set up. Frictional and magnetic forces prevent rotational twisting and wobbling without mechanical parts. In one embodiment the system describes a ball and socket joint. In an alternate embodiment, the head of the threaded fastener is cup-shaped and the base support has a raised hemispherical pivot. In a further alternate embodiment, the base and the clip-on support together form a fob for a key-ring. The removable support can be connected to an electronic device and then connected to magnetic cup formed into the base for a ball and socket joint. In an additional alternate embodiment, the base support has a post having a geometric shape that inserts into a conforming threaded adapter that is removably attached into the electronic device's conventional tripod socket.
US09097376B2	Spherical annular seal member and method of manufacturing the same A spherical annular seal member 46 includes a spherical annular base member 42 defined by a cylindrical inner surface 38, a partially convex spherical surface 39, and large- and small-diameter side annular end faces 40 and 41 of the partially convex spherical surface 39; a plurality of partially convex spherical intermediate layers 43 formed integrally on the partially convex spherical surface 39 of the spherical annular base member 42 and laminated in a radial direction; and an outer layer 45 formed integrally on a partially convex spherical surface 44 of the outermost partially convex spherical intermediate layer 43 of these partially convex spherical intermediate layers 43.
US09097367B2	Ductwork Ductwork, for arranging at least one pipe through an opening in a partitioning, has a flange with a central area having a guide opening for every pipe, the flange having plural mounting apertures, an inner side of the flange being adapted for bearing against a side of the partitioning. The ductwork also has a connecting arrangement mounted in each mounting aperture and has a force transmitter with an operating member disposed over an outer side of the flange. A shank extends through the mounting aperture, over which a clamping device is displaceable around and/or along the shank by actuating the operating member. An engagement arrangement disposed between the inner side of the flange and the clamping device has contact surfaces interacting with contact surfaces on the clamping device, and engaging faces that are displaceable radially relative to the shank by the operating member.
US09097364B2	Flow straightening seat ring and control valve having flow straightening seat ring A seat ring for a control valve has a valve body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a gallery. The seat ring includes an annular body and a flow separator. The annular body is adapted to he disposed in the gallery of the valve body and includes an interior sidewall defining a port for accommodating fluid flow through the gallery. The flow separator is disposed within the port and includes a flow straightening portion defining a plurality of separate passageways. Each of the plurality of separate passageways has a hydraulic diameter and a length that is larger than the hydraulic diameter. As such, the passageways separate the flow of fluid through the port into a plurality of separate flow paths to interrupt turbulence adjacent to the port.
US09097354B2	Combined changeover and control valve A slim profile rotary control valve capable of independently modulating fluids into a single heat exchanger from two different and distinct systems that utilize the same type of heat transfer fluid. The valve is capable of monitoring both the supply and return fluid temperatures as well as the mass flow to enable the valve controller to optimize system's energy efficiency. It eliminates the use of multiple valves currently used in a conventional changeover system and automated control of valve positioning works much superior to existing valves. The housing and inner cylinder have tapered profiles to enable rotary sealing between the inlet and outlet ports. The housing has flow characterization profiles machined into the outlet ports thus eliminating the need for characterization disks. The rotary valve has a geometry that allows for a no flow dead zone when no heat exchange is so demanded.
US09097350B2	Axial non-contact seal A gas turbine engine has a turbine section and an air moving section upstream of the turbine section. A seal is between a static surface and a rotating surface in at least one of the turbine section and air moving section. The seal includes a seal shoe which is biased at least in part by a spring force, with the spring force created by cuts formed to provide a gap to allow arms associated with the seal to provide the spring force. The movement of the shoe is along a direction having at least a component parallel to an axis of rotation of the gas turbine engine. In addition, an axially moving non-contact seal is claimed.
US09097342B2	Method for estimating and controlling driveline torque in a continuously variable hydro-mechanical transmission The method of estimating and controlling driveline torque in a continuously variable hydro-mechanical transmission uses pressure data and other metrics of a hydrostatic power unit of the transmission in lieu of actual driveline torque data. A mechanical efficiency of the transmission is determined as a function of whether the power unit is operating in a power generation or regeneration mode, and the torque output of the power unit is estimated from that and other hydrostatic parameters. This is used to estimate a torque output of a planetary power unit of the transmission, and the torque on an output member of the driveline is then estimated using that value, and appropriate corrective action taken.
US09097329B2	Transmission module and transmission assembly method There is provided transmission module (10) for a tractor which is selectively configurable between a CVT arrangement and a multi-ratio powershift transmission arrangement. The module comprises an epicyclic unit (13) in which a first gear element of the epicyclic is driven mechanically from the input shaft (11) and a second gear element of the epicyclic acts as an output of the transmission module. By simply connecting either a CVT unit (24) or a pair of clutches (80) between the input shaft and a third gear element the module (10) can be converted to the desired transmission arrangement. This delivers benefits in a factory for example whereby a large proportion of the assembly can be completed before tailoring the transmission to a customers requirements, thus reducing lead times on delivery.
US09097328B2	Transmission with a main gearbox and a power take off unit A transmission includes a main gearbox and a power take off unit, wherein the power take off unit can be engaged with and disengaged from the main gearbox through an engagement mechanism having at least a first position engaging the main gearbox and the power take off unit and a second position disengaging the power take off unit from the main gearbox, wherein the power take off unit is provided with at least one lubricant inlet. The engagement mechanism includes a valve member and when the engagement mechanism is positioned in its second position, the valve member blocks the lubricant inlet, thereby preventing lubricant from flowing through the lubricant inlet into the power take off unit. When the engagement mechanism is positioned in its first position, the lubricant inlet is open and lubricant can flow through the lubricant inlet into the power take off unit.
US09097325B2	Motorized drive system and method for articulating a joint A motorized drive system and method for articulating an articulated joint having a motor and an elastic cable. The elastic cable is operatively connected to both the motor and the articulated joint such that the motor articulates the joint via the elastic cable. In addition, the elastic cable is adapted to be sufficiently elastic such that the motorized drive system is configured to use one motor for each degree of freedom through which the articulated joint moves.
US09097323B2	Automated electric manual transmission An automated electric manual transmission (EMT) has an input member, an output member, and at least one shaft. The input member and the at least one shaft are rotatable about a first axis of rotation. A countershaft is substantially parallel with the at least one shaft and is rotatable about a second axis of rotation. The output member is operatively connected to rotate with the countershaft. A transmission controller controls engagement of a plurality of torque-transmitting mechanisms to selectively establish different gear ratios from the at least one shaft to the transfer shaft through pairs of intermeshing gears. An electric motor and a planetary gear set are concentric with the first axis of rotation. The electric motor can provide torque to a member of the planetary gear set.
US09097310B2	Bolt through hydraulic mount with and without a decoupler A mount having a bolt through configuration couples two components of a vehicle. The mount includes a first elastomeric member that defines a first portion of a first chamber and a second elastomeric member that defines a second portion of the first chamber and defines a second chamber. An inner tube assembly defines an opening for receiving the bolt. The first and the second elastomeric members are bonded to the inner tube assembly. An annular member is disposed between the first and the second chambers. The annular member defines a fluid-track which fluidly couples the first and the second chambers. The mount dampens vibrations at varying amplitudes by pushing fluid between the first and the second chambers via the fluid-track. The mount may also include a decoupler by way of a decoupler ring and decoupler cap to isolate the mount at a predetermined amplitude at varying frequencies.
US09097302B2	Brake actuating apparatus using an electric motor A brake actuating apparatus includes a caliper body with a cylinder. An electric motor is fixed to the caliper body. A piston is installed in the cylinder. A plug and a rotational shaft are installed in the cylinder to be rotated by the motor. A head is attached to the rotational shaft and the plug defines a fluid-receiving space. The rotation of head varies the volume of a fluid contained in the fluid-receiving space, thereby moving the piston.
US09097301B2	Disc brake A disc brake, having a brake caliper which straddles over a brake disc and in which brake pads are arranged which are provided with friction linings and can be pressed in each case with their friction lining on both sides against friction rings of the brake disc. The disc brake is configured such that the friction rings are covered outside an overlap region of the friction linings by a housing which is stationary with respect to the brake caliper and is connected to a suction device. A dust removal device is provided between the housing and the suction device.
US09097299B2	Electromagnetic actuator for a bi-directional clutch A bi-directional clutch is provided having inner and outer members disposed about a rotational axis. One or more pawls are coupled to one of the members and configured for rotation about separate rotational axes. One end of each pawl moves between first and second engagement positions with corresponding engagement surfaces formed in the other member and a position of disengagement with the other member permitting relative rotation of the inner and outer members. A pair of magnets are disposed at the opposite end of each pawl with each magnet in the pair defining a pole adjacent the end of the pawl and the poles having opposite polarity. An electromagnetic actuator selectively generates electromagnetic fields of different polarities to urge the pawls away from the position of disengagement to one of the engagement positions to cause rotation of the other member in either rotational direction.
US09097291B2	Drive assembly for a clutch unit and removable transmission equipped with said assembly A drive assembly having an actuating piston for generating a thrust for engagement of a clutch unit. The assembly also has a bearing for transferring the engagement thrust and a pusher for discharging the engagement thrust onto the clutch unit. The actuating piston, the bearing and the pusher are assembled in succession on a transmission shaft carrying the clutch unit. A chamber is provided for supplying a fluid under pressure for generating a disengagement thrust acting on the actuating piston. At least one preloaded spring is provided that acts on the actuating piston so as to push it towards the clutch unit. The bearing for transferring the thrust is mounted with play directly on the transmission shaft. The pusher being disk-shaped and comprising a first face in lateral contact with the bearing and a second face in lateral contact with the clutch unit.
US09097287B2	Inner race and boot sleeve An inner race and boot sleeve combination is provided. The inner race has an inner surface with a groove formed therein. The boot sleeve has a groove in an outer surface. A ring is located in both grooves to axially secure the inner race and boot sleeve together. Devices to prevent relatively rotation between the inner race and the boot sleeve are also provided.
US09097286B2	Coupling for connecting two shaft sections, in particular of a steering shaft, in a damping manner, steering shaft, and method for producing a corresponding coupling A coupling is provided for connecting two shaft sections in a damping manner, including a bushing arrangement having a radially inner bushing and a radially outer bushing, wherein the radially inner bushing can be coupled to a first shaft section and the radially outer bushing can be coupled to a second shaft section so as to transmit torque, wherein a damping layer is provided between the radially inner bushing and the radially outer bushing. The bushing arrangement can have a circumferentially wave-shaped contour, wherein the radially inner bushing and the radially outer bushing have shafts that mesh with each other, and wherein the damping layer is provided with axial openings, which extend reciprocally from both axial ends of the coupling into the damping layer so that damping blocks are formed at the axial ends of the coupling between the radially inner and radially outer bushings.
US09097280B2	Rolling contact member, rolling bearing, and method of producing rolling contact member An outer ring, an inner ring and a ball that are a rolling contact member formed of sintered β sialon inexpensive and capable of reliably ensuring sufficient durability, is constituted of a sintered body containing β sialon as a main component and having a remainder formed of an impurity, and the outer ring, the inner ring and the ball have raceway/rolling contact surfaces, i.e., an outer ring raceway surface, an inner ring raceway surface and a ball rolling contact surface included in a portion having an outer ring high density layer, an inner ring high density layer and a ball high density layer higher in density than an inner portion.
US09097279B2	Rotating shaft top cover attached motor Provided herein, is an apparatus that includes a stationary component, a rotatable component, and an upper journal bearing and a lower journal bearing. The upper journal bearing and the lower journal bearing are defined in a gap between the stationary component and the rotatable component, and the stationary component and rotatable component are configured for relative rotation. A thrust bearing is disposed between the upper journal bearing and the lower journal bearing.
US09097272B2	Fixing arrangement for fixing motor vehicle components A fixing arrangement for fixing a first motor vehicle component to a second motor vehicle component includes first second fixing elements. The first and second fixing elements are connectable to each other in a positive locking manner. The second fixing element has a pin configured as a ball; and the first fixing element has a sleeve that fits over the spherical pin to produce a positive locking engagement. The first fixing element has a securing device designed as a cap, which is mounted on an outer shell sleeve surface such that the cap is movable in the axial direction. The sleeve is locked on the spherical pin by axial relative movement of the cap from a defined first position into a defined second position.
US09097268B2	Hydraulic system including priority based valve sequencing An exemplary hydraulic system includes a plurality of digital valves, each valve fluidly connectable to a corresponding hydraulic load. The digitals valves are operable to fluidly connect the corresponding hydraulic load to a pressure source. The hydraulic system further includes a digital controller operably connected to the plurality of digital valves. The digital controller is configured to assign a priority level so that it is associated with each of a plurality of hydraulic loads, and to formulate a pulse width modulated control signal based on the assigned priority levels. The digital controller transmits the control signal to the plurality of digital valves for controlling the operation of the valves.
US09097267B2	Pressure intensifier system for subsea running tools A system to pressurize barrier fluid of a submersible installation to provide a differential pressure between the ambient pressure surrounding the submersible installation and the pressure of the barrier fluid internally in the submersible installation during submersion of the system, wherein the differential pressure fits within a predetermined differential pressure range. The system comprises a pre-charge arrangement and a pressure intensifier which is adapted to start working at a start-up pressure. The pre-charge arrangement is adapted, during submerging of the system, to provide a differential pressure within the predetermined differential pressure range until the ambient pressure equals the start up pressure of the pressure intensifier, while the pressure intensifier is adapted to provide a differential pressure within the predetermined differential pressure range when the ambient pressure equals the start-up pressure of the pressure intensifier during further submersion of the system.
US09097261B2	Axial fan with flow guide body An axial fan (1) having a motor comprising a stator (2) and a rotor (3), wherein blades (4), which move a gaseous medium in an axially directed main flow direction (S) from an inlet side (E) to an outlet side (A) of the fan, project from the outer periphery (U3) of the rotor (3). For enhanced performance with regard to efficiency in a structurally less costly manner, a rotation-symmetric flow guiding element (5) is mounted on the outlet side (A) directly or indirectly on the stator (2) and concentrically with respect to a stator hub (2a). The flow guiding element to have an outer diameter (D5) that is greater than the outer diameter (D2) of the stator hub (2a) greater than the outer diameter (D3) of the rotor (3), and smaller than the diameter (D4) of a perimeter (U4) around the blades (4).
US09097259B2	Bleed air outlet in the bypass duct of a turbofan engine A bleed air outlet provided in the bypass duct of a turbofan engine includes a bleed air tube protruding into the bypass duct and a cover having a plurality of air outlet openings provided in the top of the cover, with the cover being conceived as an elongate, essentially oval, shell-like aerodynamic fairing element (3) which, while extending in the longitudinal direction of the bypass duct, is provided with a longitudinally convexly curved and transversely essentially straight top (10) and sidewalls (11) arcuately extending from the latter to an inner bypass duct wall. Such a design of the bleed air outlet reduces pressure losses, acoustic emissions and vibrations in the bypass duct.
US09097247B1	Methods and apparatus for control of oil well pump Inventive methods and apparatus for automated control of a pump utilized to draw liquid from a fluid reservoir. Certain aspects relate to one or more components of an oil well pump control system. Other aspects relate to methods for automated control of a pump utilized to draw oil from an oil well.
US09097229B2	Engine starter having clutch assembly for selective transmission of rotary power between a plate structure and a drive hub An engine starter apparatus having a clutch assembly and a ring gear or pulley. The clutch assembly has a plate structure, a drive hub and a clutch element for selectively coupling the drive hub to the plate structure. The ring gear or pulley is coupled to the plate structure.
US09097224B2	Multi-fuel vehicle fuel control systems and methods A method for a multi-fuel vehicle includes: determining a first target amount of fuel to be injected for a combustion event of a combustion chamber of an engine; determining first and second fractions for the combustion event based on at least one of engine speed, engine load, and engine temperature; determining a second target amount of liquid fuel for the combustion event based on the first target amount and the first fraction; determining a third target amount of gaseous fuel for the combustion event based on the first target amount and the second fraction; selectively injecting a liquid fuel directly into the combustion chamber for the combustion event based on the second target amount and using a first fuel injector; and selectively injecting a gaseous fuel into a port of the combustion chamber for the combustion event based on the third target amount and using a second fuel injector.
US09097219B2	Cold start up auxiliary system for alcohol and flex engines with air-inlet and alcohol warm up An internal combustion vehicle cold start control system method is provided. The method includes warming alcohol and air when a door handle is actuated, while the engine is cold and starting an electric turbine connected to an intake manifold. The method also includes actuating valves allowing recirculation of the warmed air through the intake manifold and actuating spark plugs providing an initial warm-up of electrodes and engine cylinders if the temperature is less than 30° C. The starter motor is driven by 2-4 turns of a crankshaft axle so that any cold air in an air filter at the cylinders' entrance is drawn inside and is expelled by the exhaust system. A small volume of the warmed alcohol fuel is maintained in the fuel injectors. The method also includes injecting the warmed alcohol, verifying the minimum air temperature; and deactivating the system after appropriate warm-up of the engine.
US09097214B2	Exhaust gas recirculation system having active material actuated by-pass An exhaust gas recirculation system adapted for use by an internal combustion engine, and for selectively diverting a recirculated portion of the engine exhaust away from the EGR cooler, includes a by-pass conduit and/or feed line shiftable between open and closed conditions, and an active material actuator.
US09097213B2	Carburetor A carburetor includes a main fuel path connected to a main nozzle and a slow fuel path connected to a slow port. The main fuel path and the slow fuel path are separated from each other and are independently communicated to a constant fuel chamber below a fuel level of the fuel chamber. The slow fuel path includes a first slow jet located above the fuel level and a second slow jet located in the downstream of the first slow jet. A opening size of the second slow jet is smaller than that of the first slow jet, and the first and second slow jets are arranged in series.
US09097211B2	Slideable liner anchoring assembly An example gas turbine engine includes an engine casing and an engine liner within the engine casing. One of the engine casing or the engine liner includes a first attachment structure. The other of the engine casing or the engine liner defines a track guide. A slideable member is moveable within the track guide between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The slideable member includes a second attachment structure engageable with the first attachment structure to secure the engine liner relative the engine casing when the slideable member is in the engaged position.
US09097206B2	Stirling engine and method of removing impurities in a heat-transfer tube group in a power device or a power-generating device which uses a stirling engine The present invention provides a Stirling engine capable of effectively recovering heat from exhaust gas flowing through a flue 42, and capable of connecting a heating portion 10 and a regeneration portion 5 with each other through an operation gas tube without providing a flow passage separating portion 110, and as the removing mode, number of revolutions of the Stirling engine is reduced, an operation of the Stirling engine is stopped, an amount of generated electricity at the Stirling engine is reduced, or the Stirling engine is reversely rotated.
US09097204B2	Cylinder head configuration for internal combustion engine A cylinder head (10) for an internal combustion engine, having at least two inlet valves (20) associated with the or each combustion chamber, the inlet valves (20) being supported in the cylinder head (10) with their axes spaced from one another in a first direction, at least two exhaust valves (22) with their axes of reciprocation also spaced from one another in the first direction and at least two receiving formations for operating elements (such as a spark plug (38) and fuel injector (40)), the receiving formations opening into the combustion chamber portion in a central region bounded by the heads of the valves, wherein the receiving formations are inclined to one another so as to diverge generally in the first direction as they extend away from the combustion chamber portion.
US09097200B2	Starter and starting method of compression self-ignition engine When a compression self-ignition engine is automatically stopped, at the same time as fuel cut for stopping fuel injection from a fuel injection valve (15) is executed, an operating position of an intake throttle (30) is set to fully closed, and the fully-closed state is maintained at least until final TDC. Furthermore, an operation of an accessory (32) performed after the fuel cut is controlled to adjust an engine load so that an engine rotation speed (Net) when passing the final TDC falls within a specific speed range (P) determined in advance. Accordingly, a piston (5) of a Compression-Stop Cylinder (2C) is stopped with high accuracy at a target position that is set on a bottom dead center-side of an intermediate position (CAx) between top dead center and bottom dead center, and a restart time of the engine is thereby reduced.
US09097199B2	Engine signature assessment system The disclosed method and system utilizes inspection information from individual components to predict a value for a system performance parameter. The predicted system performance parameter is utilized to determine if corrective action is required for any of the system components. No corrective action is recommended if the predicted system performance parameter is within desired limits. Further, corrective action for a specific component of the system is performed and indicated independent of the inspection results of a specific component.
US09097196B2	Stochastic pre-ignition detection systems and methods A system for a vehicle includes a time stamping module, a period determination module, a stochastic pre-ignition (SPI) indication module, and an SPI remediation module. The time stamping module generates first and second timestamps when a crankshaft of an engine is in first and second crankshaft positions during an engine cycle, respectively. The period determination module determines a period between the first and second timestamps. The SPI indication module selectively indicates that an SPI event occurred within a cylinder of the engine based on the period. The SPI remediation module selectively adjusts at least one engine operating parameter in response to the SPI indication module indicating that the SPI event occurred within the cylinder.
US09097188B2	Gas turbine device The disclosure provides a gas turbine device capable of producing a mixed gas in which three or more types of gases are evenly mixed, and of doing the like. To achieve this, in a gas turbine device configured to burn in a combustor a fuel gas supplied from a fuel gas supplier, together with a compressed air supplied from an air compressor, and to rotationally drive a gas turbine by a combustion gas generated at the burning, the fuel gas supplier includes two mixers, and is configured to produce a mixed gas by mixing three types of gases of a first gas, a second gas, and a third gas in the mixers in ascending order of specific gravity or in descending order of specific gravity, and to supply the mixed gas to the combustor as the fuel gas.
US09097186B2	Bevel gear arrangement for axial accessory gearbox An accessory box for a gas turbine engine has an input gear to be driven by an input shaft. The input gear is engaged to drive a first driven gear on one radial side of a drive axis of the input gear. The first gear drives at least a second driven gear on one radial side of the drive axis, with at least one accessory driven by one of the first and second driven gears. The second driven gear drives a bevel gear arrangement to drive a third driven gear on an opposed side of the drive axis of the input gear. The third driven gear drives at least a second accessory. The accessories are associated with a gas turbine engine.
US09097181B2	Turbine housing of an exhaust-gas turbocharger A turbine housing of an exhaust-gas turbocharger includes an outer housing, an inner housing, and a tubular fitting which is formfittingly connected to the inner housing and has a flange collar for attachment of a bearing case of a turbine wheel. The inner housing traverses the fitting and has an end portion which is bent radially outwards about the flange collar. A press ring is arranged upon the end portion for additional securement of the inner housing in place.
US09097178B2	Crossover valve in double piston cycle engine An internal combustion engine, including a combustion chamber with a first aperture; a compression chamber with a second aperture; and a crossover valve comprising an internal chamber, first and second valve seats, a valve head, and first and second valve faces on the valve head, wherein the first aperture allows fluid communication between the combustion chamber and the internal chamber, the second aperture allows fluid communication between the compression chamber and the internal chamber, the first valve face couples to the first valve seat to occlude the first aperture, and the second valve face couples to the second valve seat to occlude the second aperture.
US09097165B2	Vehicle having system and method of diagnosing secondary air injection apparatus A system and a method of diagnosing a secondary air injection apparatus may include an intake line supplying air to an engine, an exhaust line exhausting exhaust gas, a secondary air injection (SAI) line branching off at a branch point of the intake line and being joined to the exhaust line at a joining point of the exhaust line, a first pressure sensor mounted at the intake line to detect pressure or amount of intake air flowing through the intake line, a catalytic converter, a first oxygen sensor mounted at the exhaust line, an SAI pump mounted at the SAI line and pumping the air flowing through the intake line to the SAI line, an SAI valve mounted at the SAI line and selectively communicating the SAI line with the exhaust line, and a control portion controlling the SAI pump and the SAI valve to perform catalyst heating.
US09097160B2	Method for operating an SCR catalyic converter provided for the aftertreatment of exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine In a method for operating an SCR catalytic converter provided for the reduction of NOx in exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine, which SCR catalytic converter is operated with a reagent which can be stored in the SCR catalytic converter such that there is a certain reagent fill level in the SCR catalytic converter, wherein the actual NOx concentration downstream of the SCR catalytic converter is monitored on the basis of the signal of a sensor, which is arranged downstream of the SCR catalytic converter and which is sensitive at least with respect to NOx, in comparison with a calculated NOx concentration downstream of the SCR catalytic converter, it is provided according to the invention that, in the case of a comparison result which represents a conversion deficit as a difference between the measured actual NOx concentration and the previous calculated reagent fill level in the SCR catalytic converter is corrected to a new calculated reagent fill level, whereby an immediate dosing of reagent takes place.
US09097154B2	Production method of ceramic honeycomb filter A method for producing a ceramic honeycomb filter having predetermined plugs comprising immersing the end portions of a ceramic honeycomb structure having large numbers of flow paths, with its end surface covered with a mask provided with holes only at positions corresponding to the predetermined flow paths, in a plugging material slurry, so that the plugging material slurry is introduced into the end portions of the predetermined flow paths, and removing plugging material protrusions formed in the flow paths that should not be plugged.
US09097152B2	Energy system for dwelling support The present disclosure is directed to a system and method of providing energy to a dwelling. An engine is housed within an inner tank, which is in turn housed within an outer tank. The engine provides electricity which is used for a dwelling. Exhaust fumes from the engine are piped through a series of heat-exchanging tubes within the outer tank to heat potable water within the outer tank. Water enters the potable tank at a bottom of the tank, and warms as it rises through the outer tank toward an outlet near a top of the outer tank. Hot, potable water is provided from the top of the outer tank to the dwelling. Condensate from the exhaust is captured and used as potable water. Heat, vibration, and acoustic energy from the engine is captured by the fluid in the inner tank and transferred to the outer tank.
US09097148B2	System for improving engine crankcase ventilation via a conduit A system for improving PCV flow of an engine is presented. The system can reduce engine oil consumption when an engine is exposed to lateral or centripetal force. In one example, the system includes a mechanically operated valve that acts to limit PCV flow in a conduit external to an engine.
US09097147B2	Valve timing control system for internal combustion engine A valve timing control system for an internal combustion engine, comprises: an electric intake valve timing control apparatus to vary an intake valve timing with torque produced by an electric motor with electric power supplied through a power supply mechanism; and an electric exhaust valve timing control apparatus to vary an exhaust valve timing with torque produced by an electric motor with electric power supplied through a power supply mechanism. A heat generating portion in the power supply mechanism of the intake valve timing control apparatus is made of a heat resisting material whereas a heat generating portion in the power supply mechanism of the exhaust valve timing control apparatus is made of a material lower in heat resistance than the heat resisting material of the intake valve timing control apparatus.
US09097141B2	Axial bolting arrangement for mid turbine frame A mid turbine frame of a gas turbine engine has a plurality of circumferentially spaced load transfer spokes extending radially between outer and inner cases. The load transfer spokes have a circumferentially enlarged inner end which is mounted to the inner case by a plurality of axially disposed fasteners extending through the inner case and spokes.
US09097138B2	Gas turbine engine buffer system A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section, a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, and a buffer system. The buffer system can include a first circuit that supplies a first buffer supply air and a second circuit that supplies a second buffer supply air. The first circuit can include a first bleed air supply a second bleed air supply and at least one of an ejector and a valve. The second circuit can include a third bleed air supply, a fourth bleed air supply and at least one of an ejector and a valve.
US09097137B2	Integrated actuator module for gas turbine engine An actuator module for a gas turbine engine includes a multiple of actuators mounted within a common actuator housing.
US09097131B2	Airfoil and disk interface system for gas turbine engines A gas turbine engine system includes a disk and an airfoil. The disk includes a first rail, a second rail, a retention slot located between the first and second rails, and a ridge extending radially outward from the second rail. The airfoil is engaged with the retention slot, and includes a platform with an upstream angled portion, a downstream angled portion, and a notch defined in the platform. The ridge of the disk extends at least partially into the notch of the platform.
US09097129B2	Segmented seal with ship lap ends A segment for a knife edge seal includes an arcuate segment with a first end with a first end surface and a second end with a second end surface. The first end surface and the second end surface are complementary and overlapping when the first end surface and the second end surface interface with ends of adjacent segments.
US09097119B2	Transitional region for a secondary combustion chamber of a gas turbine A gas turbine is provided having a secondary combustion chamber and a first guide vane row of a low-pressure turbine, the row being arranged directly downstream of the chamber. The radially outer boundary of the secondary combustion chamber is formed by at least one outer wall segment, which is secured on at least one support element arranged radially outwardly. The flow path of the hot gases is bounded radially outwardly, in the region of the guide vane row, by an outer platform which is secured at least indirectly on at least one guide vane support. A substantially radially extending gap-shaped cavity having a width in the range of 1-25 mm in the axial direction in the inlet region is arranged between the wall segment and the outer platform. At least one step element, which reduces the width by at least 10% in at least one step, extending substantially perpendicularly to the direction of flow of the hot gas in the cavity, is arranged in the inlet region.
US09097107B2	Single packer system for fluid management in a wellbore A technique involves collecting formation fluids through a single packer having at least one drain located within the single packer. The single packer is designed with an outer structural layer that expands across an expansion zone to facilitate creation of a seal with a surrounding wellbore wall. An inflatable bladder can be used within the outer structural layer to cause expansion, and a seal can be disposed for cooperation with the outer structural layer to facilitate sealing engagement with the surrounding wellbore wall. One or more drain features are used to improve the sampling process and/or to facilitate flow through the drain over the life of the single packer.
US09097105B2	Swellable screen assembly Screen assemblies capable of being disposed in a wellbore for hydrocarbon fluid production are described. The screen assemblies can support tubes for receiving hydrocarbon fluid and reduce or eliminate plugging of the tubes by swellable material. A screen assembly may include a support material between a tube and swellable material located exterior to a base pipe. The tube may include perforations and can receive and direct hydrocarbon fluids from the formation. The swellable material can expand after contact with an activating fluid and can displace the tube toward a surface of the bore. The swellable material can expand more than the support material and the support material can reduce or prevent plugging of the perforations by the swellable material expanding.
US09097101B2	System and method for measurement incorporating a crystal resonator A system, method and device for interrogating a downhole environment in a borehole beneath a surface includes a source of electromagnetic energy, operable to transmit an electromagnetic signal in the borehole, a sensor module, including a passive resonator having a resonant frequency that varies with changes in the condition in the downhole environment to reflect the electromagnetic signal and generates harmonic frequencies in response to a condition in the downhole environment in the borehole and a detector positionable to receive a returned electromagnetic signal. Embodiments include a filter to pass a harmonic of the resonant frequency of the resonating circuit and circuitry configured and arranged to measure the frequency of the harmonic signal.
US09097098B2	Floating structure and riser systems for drilling and production An offshore well system for a subsea well, including a floating platform, a drilling riser system connected with the well for drilling operations, and a production riser system connected with the well for production operations. The drilling system also includes a riser tension system. The riser tension system is capable of compensating for movement of the platform while adequately tensioning both drilling riser system and the production riser system when each are connected to the well.
US09097096B1	Multi dimensional model for directional drilling A computer drilling model for geo-steering during directional drilling of a wellbore including a processor, a data storage, and client devices in communication with the processor through a network. The processor can receive data from directional drilling equipment and can present that data to users in an executive dashboard. Users can send data and/or commands to the directional drilling equipment. The executive dashboard can present: a portion of interest in a stratigraphic cross section for user identification of: the drill bit in the stratigraphic cross section, formations in the stratigraphic cross section, and other formation data. The computer drilling model can be used to: identify a projected path for the drill bit, import data, compute wellbore profiles and stratigraphic cross sections, plot actual drilling paths, overlay the actual drilling path onto the projected path, and present control buttons to the user.
US09097091B2	Subsea retrievable insert with choke valve and non return valve The disclosed embodiments provide a flow control insert having both a choke valve configured to control flow and pressure through the system and a check valve disposed along a fluid flow path along which the fluid flows. In accordance with the present embodiments, the flow control insert couples together the choke valve and the check valve, and the flow control insert is independently insertable and retrievable relative to a flow control housing.
US09097083B2	Method and apparatus for milling a zero radius lateral window in casing A flexible milling assembly for milling an orifice through a well casing. The milling assembly can include a drive yoke, and a plurality of straight and split yoke assemblies—all linked together and to a cutter head with universal blocks that enable the components to pivot relative to each other. A string of joint tubing connected to a prime mover on the surface is used to lower the milling assembly into a well and supply the driving torque. A split shoe coupled to a guide tube is positioned within the well casing where the orifice is to be milled. The milling assembly is guided through a curved passage within the split shoe to bring the cutter head into contact with the well casing. A protector assembly can be provided to enclose and protect the milling assembly when it is tripping into and out of the well casing.
US09097081B2	Differential pressure actuator A technique facilitates actuation of a variety of tools in many types of environments. The actuation technique employs a closed conduit, such as a closed tube, arranged in a curvilinear structure. By applying a differential pressure to the closed conduit, the curvature of the curvilinear structure is changed. This change can be used to actuate a corresponding tool between desired operational positions.
US09097080B2	Riser cutting tool A method of separating a riser, comprising providing a riser having an inner and an outer surface, a circumference of said outer surface, a longitudinal axis and a first end and a second end; radially surrounding said riser with an explosive shaped charge material, wherein said shaped charge explosive material is capable of generating a high-velocity plasma jet in response to an activation signal, and wherein said explosive material comprises an electrically conductive layer; transmitting said activation signal to said explosive material; generating said high-velocity plasma jet; and separating said riser into a first portion comprising said first end and a second portion comprising said second end when said high-velocity plasma jet penetrates said outer surface of said riser and exits said inner surface of said riser.
US09097075B2	Cutting element structure with sloped superabrasive layer A superabrasive compact cutting element, for example, a insert utilized in shear cutter bits. The cutting elements include a layer of superabrasive materials that is provided with different shapes and positions relative to the substrate in order to enhance the abrasion resistance performance of the cutting element. The cutting element includes a top, bottom and peripheral surface. The cutting element further includes at least one superabrasive material portion comprising polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or cubic boron nitride (CBN), a substrate supporting the at least one superabrasive material portion, and an interface where the at least one superabrasive material portion and the substrate are joined. The interface slopes downwardly with a slope angle of less than about 40° and/or the cutting element has a longitudinal thickness of the at least one superabrasive material portion measured along a peripheral surface of the cutting element in a longitudinal direction greater than about 3 mm.
US09097057B2	Locking mechanisms for safes, such as gun safes A safe (e.g., a gun safe) according to various embodiments comprises: (A) a housing defining an interior portion and an opening; (B) a door disposed adjacent the opening, the door being mounted to move between: (1) a closed position, in which the door prevents access to the interior portion; and (2) an open position, in which the door does not prevent access to the interior portion; and (C) a locking mechanism for maintaining the door in the closed position. In particular embodiments, the locking mechanism comprises a lock bar defining at least one elongated (e.g., substantially planar) tab, the lock bar being mounted to slide between: (1) a locked position, in which at least a particular portion of the elongated tab is disposed in an opening defined by the housing; and (2) an unlocked position, in which the particular portion of the elongated tab is not disposed in the opening.
US09097056B2	Adjusting device having a spindle drive An adjusting device for automatically actuating a vehicle door of a motor vehicle includes first and second tubular housings connected between a body of the vehicle and the door. A spindle drive includes a spindle driven by an electric-motor drive, a spindle nut threaded on the spindle, a push rod that bears the spindle nut, and a tubular guide part enclosing the push rod and the spindle nut. The tubular guide part is provided with a shape complementary to a shape of the spindle nut and secures the spindle nut against rotation. The tubular guide part is produced by a plastic forming process on a suitable metal tube. A cylindrical spring assists the spindle drive enclosing the tubular guide part. Spacers are provided over an outer circumference of the tubular guide part to reduce friction between the cylindrical spring and the tubular guide part.
US09097046B2	Hinge with articulating cover system A pinned hinge with articulating cover system and associated method for assembly are provided. In one embodiment, the hinge includes first and second hinge members pivotally coupled together. A plurality of geared bearing inserts are mounted to knuckles of the hinge members. A cover adapter clip is mounted on the knuckles that is configured to movably engage the geared bearing inserts. A cover is mounted on the cover adapter clip to complete the cover system. Opening and closing leaves of the hinge members displaces the cover to prevent interference with the hinge members during operation. The cover adapter clip and cover are resiliently structured in some embodiments to facilitate lateral assembly of the clip and cover to the hinge for convenience of installation. The geared bearing inserts further include an integral load bearing portion and provide vertical load-bearing support for the hinge.
US09097038B1	Slide lock device A slide lock device is disclosed for preventing a panel from being displaced from an opening. The slide lock device comprises a latch plate and a mounting plate. A fastener traverses the latch plate and the mounting plate for slidably coupling the latch plate to a first side edge of the panel. A bolt extends from a lower edge of the latch plate. A bolt receiver is coupled to a first side structure of a surrounding structure. A lower stop surface of the mounting plate is adjacent to a lower termination surface of the latch plate for defining a non-locking position wherein the bolt may not engage with the bolt receiver for permitting displacement of the panel relative to the opening. An upper stop surface of the mounting plate is adjacent to an upper termination surface of the latch plate for defining a locking position therein the bolt engages with the bolt receiver upon the latch plate aligning with the bolt receiver for preventing the displacement of the panel relative to the opening.
US09097037B2	Lock devices, systems and methods Disclosed are various embodiments of lock devices, systems, and methods. A lock of the application can include an internal mechanism to permit backdriven operation and lost motion operation. In one form the lock can be made from an assembly of parts that have locating features that require one way installation/assembly. The lock can include an internal power source capable of driving electronics used to determine handedness of a door.
US09097011B1	Heat and fire resistant plastic foam A heat and fire resistant system, comprising at least one layer of an intumescent coating applied on at least one surface of a foam substrate. The intumescent coating includes an intumescent catalyst, a carbonific, a blowing agent, expandable graphite, and a binder. A method for rendering a foam substrate resistant to heat and fire, comprising applying at least one layer of intumescent coating composition onto at least one surface of the foamed substrate and allowing the intumescent coating to dry on the foamed substrate. The intumescent coating composition includes an intumescent catalyst, a carbonific, a blowing agent, expandable graphite, and a binder.
US09097004B2	Combined pre-embedded anchoring slot system The present application relates to a pre-embedded anchor system for securing construction elements to concrete slabs. The system comprises at least one pair of juxtaposed elongate anchor slots (1) connected together by at least two linkage bolts (8) and an assembly of steel bars (2) interconnecting a plurality of anchor members (3) at connection nodes (7) of the anchor members (3). The anchor slots (1) have a plurality of anchor members (3) extending therefrom. The pair of juxtaposed anchor slots (1) are interconnected by the linkage bolts (8) and the assembly of crossover steel bars (2) to form a frame.
US09097001B2	Concrete anchor An anchor for supporting a load comprises an anchor rod having a lower threaded portion for being embedded in a concrete structure and an upper portion for extending outside the concrete structure; a metallic body attached to the lower portion, the body including a top surface and a bottom surface joined by a vertical side surface; and the side surface including at least one shoulder extending therefrom.
US09096999B2	Framing structure A framing structure includes elements that are integrally connected by a poured bonding core. The elements include a hollow-interior column and a beam having a cavity that is configured to receive a pourable bonding material. The hollow interior of the column and the cavity of the beam form a continuous volume that is configured to receive a pourable bonding material.
US09096996B2	Water saver system for managing and eliminating liquids, semi-solids and solids, integrated by at least one water closet and a washbasin A water-saving system for the management and disposal of liquid, semi-solid and solid wastes is described that comprises an open-rim toilet bowl for allowing the flow of greywater containing food residues, small pieces of soap, soapy water, toothpaste residues, shaving residues, hair and the like, without allowing the formation of obstructions throughout the length of the open rim; an anti-sedimentation tank placed above and connected to the toilet bowl, said anti-sedimentation tank being capable of receiving and storing greywater that will be reused to flush the toilet to clean the toilet bowl and flush the wastes contained therein; a washbasin-shaped tank lid located above and closing the upper part of the anti-sedimentation tank; and mixer valve installed in the washbasin-shaped lid and connected to cold and hot water supplies, where the mixer valve includes a third water supply intake which is also connected to a water outlet of the intake valve of the anti-sedimentation tank by means of a flexible hose.
US09096994B2	Bottom mount blade positioning assembly for a motor grader A motor grader includes a base unit and a blade positioning assembly. The base unit has a main frame. The blade positioning assembly includes a pivot member attached to and extending downwardly from the main frame, and a blade lift member attached to a bottom end of the pivot member.
US09096987B2	Compliant deck tower Compliant offshore platforms with isolated decks using one or more bearings located on a generally horizontal plane that is in proximity to the vertical center of gravity of the deck.
US09096986B2	Cementitious foundation cap with post-tensioned helical anchors and method of making the same A post-tensioned concrete cap foundation has helical anchors with pipes having several helical discs welded around the pipe perimeter to spin drill deep into subsurface soils or other soft materials with holes in the pipe for high pressure-grouting in place. The helical anchor pipes include a tensioning element for pulling and post-tensioning the helical anchor. The helical anchors are tension anchors which can be converted to compression anchors. The helical anchors in tension serve to pull the foundation cap down to compress the underlying soil while the compression anchors limit the maximum settlement of the concrete foundation cap. The foundation also includes perimeter-forming and interior corrugated metal pipes with upper and lower sleeved horizontally extending radial bolts that are secured to the pipes and post-tensioned to provide lateral foundation compression.
US09096980B2	Snowblower chute control devices, systems, and methods Snowblower chute control devices, systems, and methods are provided and can include a positioning rod having a first end pivotably connected to a machine handle and a second end connected to a snowblower chute such that rotation of the positioning rod about a longitudinal axis causes rotation of the snowblower chute. A control lever can be connected to the positioning rod such that the control lever is substantially fixed with respect to the positioning rod for rotation about the longitudinal axis but is pivotable with respect to the positioning rod about a pivot axis that intersects the longitudinal axis. The snowblower chute position control device can further include a positioning guide configured to retain the control lever at one or more selected angular positions with respect to the longitudinal axis corresponding to one or more desired rotational positions of the snowblower chute.
US09096979B2	Software application that allows a user to utilize a mobile device to control frozen precipitation treatment systems A frozen precipitation treatment system may include a vehicle, a frozen precipitation treatment device, such as a snow plow or spreader, and an electronic mobile device that that controls the frozen precipitation treatment device.
US09096976B2	Self-propelled building machine and method for operating a building machine A self-propelled building machine, especially a road cutting machine or a surface miner, has a machine frame and a chassis, comprising running gears resting on the ground. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for operating such a building machine. In an operating mode for adjusting the working depth of the working device the imposed weight applied by the building machine on the running gear is measured, whereby depending on the imposed weight either a controlled or an uncontrolled lowering of the building machine is indicated. A measuring device comprises a sensor for measuring the weight imposed by the building machine on at least one of the running gears. Depending on the measured imposed weight, a signal is generated indicating an uncontrolled lowering of the building machine, if the imposed weight falls short of a predetermined value and/or a signal indicating a controlled lowering of the building machine is generated if the imposed weight reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
US09096970B2	Clothes treating apparatus An apparatus for treating clothes includes an accommodating space, an air supply unit, a duct unit, a filter unit, a substance removal unit and a collection unit that is separate from the filter unit and the substance removal unit. The accommodating space is configured to receive one or more clothing articles. The air supply unit is configured to supply air to the accommodating space. The duct unit is configured to guide discharge of air from the accommodating space. The filter unit is positioned to filter substances from air discharged from the accommodating space through the duct unit. The substance removal unit is configured to move substances remaining on a portion of the filter unit. The collection unit is configured to collect substances moved from the filter unit by the substance removal unit.
US09096966B2	Device and method for determining a fill level within a suds tub of a washing machine A device for determining a fill level of liquid within a suds tub of a washing machine, having a fill level sensor by means of which a pressure value generated by the liquid can be determined, the fill level sensor having at least one detection part disposed in a lower area of the suds tub that is covered by the liquid during the washing process.
US09096963B2	Positioning device for the positioning of loops for sewing said loops and sewing machine comprising said device Positioning device adapted to dispose a strip of fabric or other similar material on an article of clothing do as to form a loop, the strips divided into a central portion and two opposite ends, the positioning device rotates at least one of the two ends of the strip in order to bring that end or ends into abutment with the central portion of the strip; and wherein guide means guide the end or ends of the strip during rotation.
US09096962B2	Sewing machine, embroidery unit, and non-transitory computer-readable medium storing sewing machine control program A sewing machine includes at least one detecting portion, a processor, and a memory. The at least one detecting portion is configured to detect an ultrasonic wave that has been transmitted from a transmission source. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions that instruct the sewing machine to execute steps including identifying a position of the transmission source of the ultrasonic wave based on information pertaining to the ultrasonic wave that has been detected by the at least one detecting portion, and controlling sewing based on the position of the transmission source that has been identified.
US09096960B2	Apparatus and methods for impinging fluids on substrates Herein are disclosed apparatus and methods for impinging fluids, e.g. heated fluids, onto the surface of substrates and then locally removing the impinged fluid. The apparatus may comprise at least first and second fluid delivery outlets that are in diverging relation to each other. The apparatus may comprise at least first and second fluid capture inlets that are locally positioned relative to the first and second fluid delivery outlets, respectively. The apparatus and method may be used e.g. to impinge fluids onto two converging substrates and may be used to heat the surfaces of the substrates so as to facilitate melt-bonding the substrates to each other.
US09096957B2	Vinylidene fluoride resin porous membrane, manufacturing method therefor, and method for manufacturing filtrate water A porous membrane of vinylidene fluoride resin, including a 10 μm-thick portion contiguous to one surface thereof which comprises network resin fibers having an average diameter of at most 100 nm and shows a porosity A1 of at least 60% as measured by a focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope, and showing a surface pore size of at most 0.3 μm on said one surface thereof. The porous membrane has a treated water side surface layer showing a small surface pore size suitable for water filtration treatment and formed of extremely thin network resin fibers giving an extremely high porosity, thus showing an excellent minute particle-blocking performance and also extremely good anti-soiling resistance and regeneratability. The porous membrane is produced by a process including: melt-extrusion of a composition obtained by adding to vinylidene fluoride resin of a large molecular weight a relatively large amount of a polyester plasticizer which is mutually soluble with the resin and provides the resultant mixture with a crystallization temperature that is substantially identical to that of the vinylidene fluoride resin alone to form film, followed by cooling from one side of the film to solidify the film, extracting the plasticizer and stretching the membrane after the extraction while partially wetting a surface portion thereof.
US09096942B2	Electrophoretic-deposited surfaces A method of altering a property of a surface includes suspending a plurality of low surface energy particles in a solvent, agglomerating the suspension of particles, and subjecting the suspension of particle agglomerates to electrophoretic deposition onto a substrate for a predetermined time. The altered surface may be superhydrophilic or superhydrophobic.
US09096940B2	High pressure water electrolysis system and method for activating same A high pressure water electrolysis system includes a high pressure water electrolysis device, a hydrogen storage device, a high pressure hydrogen pipe, a branch pipe, a non-return valve, a pressure detector, and a controller. The controller includes a threshold storage device, a threshold determination device, and a solenoid valve opening/closing operation device. The threshold storage device is configured to store a first threshold of a pressure value detected by the pressure detector and a second threshold lower than the first threshold. The threshold determination device is configured to determine whether or not the pressure value detected by the pressure detector has reached the second threshold. The solenoid valve opening/closing operation device is configured to open and close a solenoid valve if it is determined that the pressure value detected by the pressure detector has reached the second threshold.
US09096933B2	Methods for plasma processing Apparatus and method for plasma-based processing well suited for deposition, etching, or treatment of semiconductor, conductor or insulating films. Plasma generating units include one or more elongated electrodes on the processing side of a substrate and a neutral electrode proximate the opposite side of the substrate. Gases may be injected proximate a powered electrode which break down electrically and produce activated species that flow toward the substrate area. This gas then flows into an extended process region between powered electrodes and substrate, providing controlled and continuous reactivity with the substrate at high rates with efficient utilization of reactant feedstock. Gases are exhausted via passages between powered electrodes or electrode and divider.
US09096926B2	Adjustable process spacing, centering, and improved gas conductance Embodiments of the invention generally provide a process kit for use in a physical deposition chamber (PVD) chamber. In one embodiment, the process kit provides adjustable process spacing, centering between the cover ring and the shield, and controlled gas flow between the cover ring and the shield contributing to uniform gas distribution, which promotes greater process uniformity and repeatability along with longer chamber component service life.
US09096924B2	Composite PTFE plating The present invention is directed to compositions, baths, and methods for composite plating including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and more particularly, to compositions, baths, and methods of composite plating with PTFE in a metal or alloy matrix where the materials used in the process contain no or essentially no PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and/or no PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid).
US09096921B2	Transparent conductive film and touch panel The present invention provides a transparent conductive film excellent in pen sliding durability at the time of using the transparent conductive film for a touch panel and which enables to production a touch panel having excellent flatness. A transparent conductive film of the present invention comprises a transparent plastic film base and a transparent conductive thin film containing crystalline indium oxide as a main component laminated on at least one face of a transparent plastic film base, wherein an average circle-equivalent diameter of crystal grains of indium oxide of the transparent conductive thin film is 30 to 1000 nm, and a coefficient of variation of a circle-equivalent diameter of the crystal grains is 0.00 to 0.30. The transparent conductive film preferably contains indium oxide containing 0.5 to 8% by mass of tin oxide.
US09096919B2	Method for producing a flat steel product provided with a metal protective layer by way of hot dip coating Optimal wetting and adhesion of the hot-dip coating by way of pre-oxidation in a DFF pre-heating furnace and humidification of the annealing atmosphere in a holding zone is achieved in a hot dip galvanised flat steel product.
US09096913B2	Process and system for creating internal stress in a metallic workpiece A process and a system for creating internal stress in a metallic workpiece by laser shock peening is provided. In the process, a first laser pulse is applied to a treatment site of the workpiece covered by a surface layer. A second laser pulse follows the first laser pulse in time, and is applied to the treatment site of the workpiece. A covering layer, such as flowing water, is provided over the treatment site during the application of the laser pulses.
US09096908B2	Selective detection of Bordetella species A process for detecting Bordetella spp. nucleic acid in a biological sample includes producing an amplification product(s) by amplifying one or more Bordetella spp. in a multiplex single chamber PCR assay, and measuring the amplification product(s) to detect or distinguish Bordetella spp. in the biological sample. Also provided are reagents and methods for detecting and distinguishing Bordetella spp. from each other and other bacteria or viruses. A kit is provided for detecting and quantifying one or more Bordetella spp. in a biological sample.
US09096904B2	Method for determining lymph node metastasis in cancer or risk thereof and rapid determination kit for the same The objective of the present invention is to provide a method and a means of rapidly and reliably detecting lymph node metastasis in cancer or the risk of lymph node metastasis. Specifically, the present invention provides a method and a rapid determination kit for detecting lymph node metastasis in cancer or its risk by identifying a certain genetic polymorphism of the human CRP gene, and it is clinically significant in determining the treatment strategy, because effective prediction/determination can be made regarding lymph node metastasis, which is an important phenomenon in cancer progression.
US09096903B2	CC2D2A gene mutations associated with Joubert syndrome and diagnostic methods for identifying the same The present invention provides a method of screening a subject for mutations in the CC2D2A gene that are associated with Joubert syndrome, an autosomal recessive form of mental retardation. The present invention also provides proteins that are associated with Joubert syndrome including proteins that includes an amino acid sequence that terminates in DHEGGSGMES (SEQ ID NO: 1). Also provided are nucleotide sequences encoding such proteins and methods of screening subjects to identify nucleotide sequences or proteins associated with Joubert syndrome.
US09096900B2	Epigenetic marker for the identification of natural killer cells The present invention relates to a method, in particular an in vitro method for identifying natural killer cells of a mammal, which often express the surface proteins CD 16 and/or CD56, comprising analyzing the methylation status of at least one CpG position in the CX3CR1 and/or FGR and/or NKG7 and/or GNLY genes, in particular their upstream regulatory regions, and in particular the promoter and other conserved regions of the genes CX3CR1 and/or FGR and/or NKG7 and/or GNLY, wherein a demethylation of at least one CpG in the analyzed sample to at least 70% is indicative for CD56 expressing NK cells, which might also be CD8+ or CD8−, CD56 dim or bright, CD 16+ or CD 16− NK cells. The methods of the present invention are useful for the detection and quality assurance and control of NK cells. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a kit for performing the above methods as well as respective uses of the inventive methods or kits. The present invention furthermore provides an improved method for analyzing the methylation status of at least one CpG position in the gene CX3CR1 and/or FGR and/or NKG7 and/or GNLY genes that allows for a precise analysis even from sub-optimal quality samples, such as non-freshly obtained blood, tissue or serum samples.
US09096898B2	Method of determining the nucleotide sequence of oligonucleotides and DNA molecules The present invention relates to a novel method for analyzing nucleic acid sequences based on real-time detection of DNA polymerase-catalyzed incorporation of each of the four nucleotide bases, supplied individually and serially in a microfluidic system, to a reaction cell containing a template system comprising a DNA fragment of unknown sequence and an oligonucleotide primer. Incorporation of a nucleotide base into the template system can be detected by any of a variety of methods including but not limited to fluorescence and chemiluminescence detection. Alternatively, microcalorimetic detection of the heat generated by the incorporation of a nucleotide into the extending template system using thermopile, thermistor and refractive index measurements can be used to detect extension reactions.
US09096896B2	Method for quantifying DNA in a biological sample Improved methods of quantifying nucleic acids that are unique to a transgenic corn event designated Bt11 in a biological sample and compositions thereof are disclosed. The invention further relates to primer pairs used in the method that are unique to event Bt11.
US09096880B2	Solubility enhancing peptide and use thereof The present invention relates to an isolated peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. The present invention also relates to a method for increasing expression of a target protein using the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, comprising (a) fusing the peptide with the target protein to form a recombinant protein; and (b) expressing the recombinant protein by an expression host.
US09096879B2	Method of supplementing culture media to prevent undesirable amino acid substitutions The present invention relates to methods of reducing substitution of amino acids during the production of polypeptides of interest in mammalian cells. By varying the concentration of amino acids in the culture medium, heterogeneity of the polypeptide's amino acid sequence is decreased, leading to higher yields of functional protein.
US09096872B2	Recombinant microorganisms having increased ability to produce butanol and method of producing butanol using the same The present invention relates to recombinant microorganisms having an increased ability to produce butanol, and a method of producing butanol using the same. More specifically, the invention relates to recombinant microorganisms whose ability to produce butanol was increased by manipulation of their metabolic networks, and a method of producing butanol using the same. The recombinant microorganisms having an increased ability to produce butanol comprise a deletion of a gene, which encodes an enzyme that converts acetyl CoA to acetate, in host microorganisms having genes that encode enzymes involved in acetyl CoA and butyryl CoA biosynthetic pathway. The recombinant microorganisms obtained by manipulating the metabolic flux of microorganisms are able to selectively produce butanol with high efficiency, and thus are useful as microorganisms for producing industrial solvents and transportation fuels.
US09096868B2	Polynucleotides allowing the expression and secretion of recombinant pseudo-virus containing foreign epitopes, their production, and use This invention provides a new approach to the design of a virus with a defective replication cycle, which can be rescued by wild type virus co-infection, and which expresses foreign antigenic epitopes that contribute to the elimination of virus infected cells and then to viral clearance. The vector of the invention, by expression of epitopes derived from common pathogens, by-passes existing tolerance of virus specific T cell responses. The vector will only replicate in virus infected cells.
US09096866B2	Inbred corn line II11 Inbred corn line designated II11 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of inbred corn line II11, to the plants and plant parts of inbred corn line II11 and to methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, by crossing inbred corn line II11 with itself or another corn line. The invention also relates to products produced from the seeds, plants, or parts thereof, of inbred corn line II11 and/or of the hybrids produced using the inbred as a parent. The invention further relates to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line II11.
US09096865B2	Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides, and methods of using same for increasing nitrogen use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, oil content, and/or abiotic stress tolerance Provided are methods of increasing nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO:1-467, 785-3047; or an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO:468-784, 3048-4333, 4335-4682. Also provided isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-467, 785-3047, which can be used to increase nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant.
US09096861B2	Stable, fertile, high polyhydroxyalkanoate producing plants and methods of producing them Transgenic plants that produce high levels of polyhydroxybutyrate and methods of producing them are provided. In a preferred embodiment the transgenic plants are produced using plastid transformation technologies and utilize genes which are codon optimized. Stably transformed plants able to produce greater than 10% dwt PHS in tissues are also provided.
US09096857B2	Selection of RNA-aptamers as anti-malaria agents The present invention relates to an aptamer or an active fragment thereof raised against the semi-conserved duffy binding ligand domain 1α, DBL1α, region of the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1, PfEMPI, which aptamer has an effect against malaria, in particular severe cerebral malaria.
US09096852B2	Inhibitors of micro-RNAs for use for preventing and/or attenuating skin ageing and/or for hydrating skin Method of identifying and using compounds which inhibit the expression or activity of micro-RNAs for preventing and/or attenuating ageing, and/or for hydrating skin. An in vitro method for screening for candidate compounds for preventing and/or attenuating ageing of the skin, and/or for hydrating the skin, includes the following steps: a. bringing at least one test compound in contact with a sample of keratinocytes; b. measuring the expression or the activity of at least one microRNA in the keratinocytes; c. selecting the compounds for which an inhibition of at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 40% of the expression or an inhibition of at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 40% of the activity of at least one microRNA is measured in the keratinocytes treated in a. compared with the untreated keratinocytes.
US09096849B2	Solid phase for capture of nucleic acids A method of: providing a solid surface having a dendrimer molecule bound thereto and a single-stranded probe nucleic acid immobilized to the dendrimer; contacting the solid surface with a sample suspected or known to contain a double-stranded complimentary target nucleic acid; denaturing the target nucleic acids at thermal conditions and in a salt concentration sufficient to denature the target nucleic acids to produce denatured nucleic acids; and cooling the sample to allow hybridization of the denatured nucleic acids to the probe nucleic acids. An article having: one or more paramagnetic microbeads; a dendrimer molecule bound to the beads; and a probe nucleic acid immobilized to the dendrimer.
US09096846B2	Separation of cultured cells A first cell containing at least one magnetic particle is provided and a second cell is also provided. The second cell is cultured in the presence of the first cell. An alternating magnetic field is applied to the first cell. The alternating magnetic field at least partially separates the first cell from the second cell.
US09096841B2	Preparation of beta-amino acids The present invention relates to a process for the biocatalytic, enantioselective production of a β-amino acid precursor from an optionally substituted dihydrouracil using a hydantoinase and/or a dihydropyrimidinase, a process for producing a β-amino acid from said precursor, a hydantoinase and its use in said process for the biocatalytic production of a β-amino acid precursor or a β-amino acid, and a method for obtaining said hydantoinase.
US09096840B2	Serine protease molecules and therapies Cell-targeted serine protease constructs are provided. Such constructs can be used in methods for targeted cell killing such as for treatment cell of proliferative diseases (e.g., cancer). In some aspects, recombinant serine proteases, such as Granzyme B polypeptides, are provided that exhibit improved stability and cell toxicity. Methods and compositions for treating lapatinib or trastuzumab-resistant cancers are also provided.
US09096839B2	Compositions and methods of preparation thereof The present invention provides biological compositions and methods for making the same.
US09096837B2	Alpha-amylase variants with altered properties The present disclosure relates to variants (mutants) of polypeptides, in particular Termamyl-like alpha-amylases, which variant has alpha-amylase activity and exhibits an alteration in at least one of the following properties relative to said parent alpha-amylase: substrate specificity, substrate binding, substrate cleavage pattern, thermal stability, pH/activity profile, pH/stability profile, stability towards oxidation, Ca2+ dependency, specific activity, in particular laundry and dish-wash applications.
US09096831B2	Methods to enhance cell migration and engraftment A method is provided to functionally select cells with enhanced characteristics relevant to cell engraftment, including both spontaneous migration and directional migration towards specific chemo-attractants. The cells are preferably undifferentiated cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells. The method involves entrapping or encapsulating the cells in a biomaterial barrier, optionally inducing cell migration, and selecting cells that migrated through the barrier. The cells selected by this method have better migratory activities and enhanced in vivo engraftment to injured tissues when they are supplemented systemically.
US09096829B2	Human mast cell line and uses thereof The subject invention pertains to the development of a novel human mast cell line, USF-MC1. USF-MC1 is a mast cell precursor present in human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) that may be sustained in culture in the absence of exogenous cytokines to serve as a convenient experimental model of human mast cell activation. The SCF-independent human mast cell line USF-MC1 responds to IgE-mediated and IgE-independent stimuli in a way comparable to that of LAD2. USF-MC1 cells are useful for investigation of IgE-mediated activation mechanisms of human mast cells, contributing to the development of effective treatments for allergic disorders and other disorders. The subject invention provides a ready source of human mast cells for research, including pharmacological studies for the screening of various agents, and toxicologic, e.g., for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The mast cells can also be used as biofactories, for the large-scale production of biomolecules.
US09096823B1	Microfluidic device for acoustic cell lysis A microfluidic acoustic-based cell lysing device that can be integrated with on-chip nucleic acid extraction. Using a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) transducer array, acoustic waves can be coupled into microfluidic cartridges resulting in the lysis of cells contained therein by localized acoustic pressure. Cellular materials can then be extracted from the lysed cells. For example, nucleic acids can be extracted from the lysate using silica-based sol-gel filled microchannels, nucleic acid binding magnetic beads, or Nafion-coated electrodes. Integration of cell lysis and nucleic acid extraction on-chip enables a small, portable system that allows for rapid analysis in the field.
US09096815B2	Compositions comprising 20-carbon fatty acids and methods of making and using same The present disclosure provides a process for producing 20-carbon fatty acids from a plant seed oil, the process comprising: a) providing a plant seed oil comprising fatty acids, wherein the fatty acids include 18-carbon fatty acids; and b) elongating the fatty acids by two carbon atoms to produce a composition comprising 20-carbon fatty acids.
US09096810B2	Method for producing a bio-coal A method for producing a bio-coal includes the following steps: (a) lowering the moisture content of a fiber residue obtained after oil extraction of oil palm fruit to less than 25%; (b) after step (a), cutting the fiber residue; (c) after step (b), pelletizing the fiber residue into short-fiber pellets; (d) drying the short-fiber pellets to reduce the moisture content of the short-fiber pellets to below 10%; and (e) after step (d), carbonizing the short-fiber pellets at a temperature below 300° C.
US09096805B2	Anhydride demulsifier formulations for resolving emulsions of water and oil The present invention includes the use of anhydride compositions, including alkyl and aryl anhydrides, for use as a demulsifier in resolving water external emulsions of water and oil and complex emulsions of water and oil. In particular, the anhydride composition can be used alone or in a blend with other demulsifiers. Suitable anhydrides suitable for the present invention include acetic and propionic, with acetic anhydride being preferred. The anhydride composition can be added directly to crude oil emulsions or other compositions to be resolved. As such, the demulsifier composition includes an anhydride, such as acetic anhydride, alone or in combination with other demulsifiers. The anhydride can be used in an amount ranging between trace and 100% by weight of the demulsifier composition.
US09096794B2	High flow liquid crystalline polymer composition A liquid crystalline polymer composition that contains a liquid crystalline polymer and an aromatic amide oligomer is provided. The oligomer can serve as a flow aid by altering intermolecular polymer chain interactions, thereby lowering the overall viscosity of the polymer matrix under shear. The oligomer is also not easily volatized or decomposed during compounding, molding, and/or use, which minimizes off-gassing and the formation of blisters that would otherwise impact the final mechanical properties of a part made from the polymer composition. While providing the benefits noted, the aromatic amide oligomer does not generally react with the polymer backbone of the liquid crystalline polymer to any appreciable extent so that the mechanical properties of the polymer are not adversely impacted.
US09096789B2	Method for the use of nitrates and nitrate reducing bacteria in hydraulic fracturing A slick water fracturing fluid including a brine, an inorganic nitrate, a nitrogen reducing bacteria, a scale inhibitor selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylate polymer, a polyacrylate copolymer, a polyacrylate terpolymer, and mixtures thereof, and a friction reducer, wherein the friction reducer is a polyacrylamide.
US09096788B2	Breakers for gelled fracturing fluids A fracturing fluid for a downhole environment is disclosed, comprising a water-sensitive gel; and a hydrated breaker. A fracturing fluid for a downhole environment is also disclosed, the fracturing fluid comprising a water-sensitive carrier and a breaker, the breaker comprising one or more hydrates, and wherein water of the one or more hydrates is releasable so as to act with the water-sensitive carrier to reduce the viscosity of the fluid. A method of treating a downhole environment with a fracturing fluid is also disclosed, the method comprising: providing to the downhole environment a fluid comprising a water-sensitive carrier and a breaker, the breaker comprising one or more hydrates; and allowing water from the one or more hydrates to release so as to act with the carrier to reduce the viscosity of the fluid.
US09096786B2	Spill resistant surfaces having hydrophobic and oleophobic borders Described herein are methods for creating spill-proof or spill-resistant surfaces through the use of hydrophobic or oleophobic (H-SH) edges, borders or/and boundaries that contain the water and other liquids within inside the edges, borders and/or boundaries. Also described herein are spill-proof/spill-resistant surfaces. Liquid (e.g., water and other aqueous solutions/suspension) heights of 3-6 mm on a level planar surface can be sustained by such edges, borders and/of boundaries. The H-SH borders can be created on glass, metal, wood, plastic, and concrete surfaces.
US09096783B2	Activated pH control for protein glues A glue composition can include: one or more glue proteins selected to undergo a conformational change responsive to a pH change; and one or more pH components selected to change the pH of the one or more glue proteins in response to a change in one or more conditions. The glue can be prepared by: providing one or more glue proteins selected to undergo a conformational change in response to a pH change; and combining the glue proteins with one or more pH components selected to change the pH of the one or more glue proteins in response to a change in one or more conditions.
US09096780B2	Reclosable fasteners, packages having reclosable fasteners, and methods for creating reclosable fasteners A UV-curable pressure sensitive adhesive, a package having an adhesive-based reclosable fastener including the pressure sensitive adhesive, and a method of forming the package is described herein. The package includes a cavity and opposing panels configured to cover an opening to the cavity. The reclosable fastener is a UV-cured pressure sensitive adhesive comprised of one or more UV-curable acrylic oligomers, one or more tack control components, and, optionally, an elastomeric material. An adhesive component ratio defines an effective ratio made up of the weight percent of the UV-curable acrylic oligomer relative to the sum of the weight percents of the tack control component and elastomeric component, where the ratio provides a fastener with a first peel adhesion and subsequent peel adhesions effective to form the adhesive-based fastener into a reclosable fastener.
US09096778B2	Cyanoacrylate adhesive with improved water resistance The present invention relates generally to cyanoacrylate adhesives and, more particularly, to a one-part adhesive, comprising one or more 2-cyanoacrylate esters, one or more bis-silanes and optionally one or more monosilanes and to the use of said adhesive as an instant adhesive with improved water resistance.
US09096775B2	Surface-coated structures and methods The present invention relates to a methods and composition in which a D-form or retro-inverso Pseudomonas pilin peptide is bound to a substrate. The disclosed methods and composition are useful for inhibiting biofilm formation by non-Pseudomonas bacteria, for reducing the inflammatory response to a material, for reducing corrosion of metals, and in biosensor applications.
US09096772B2	Polyester polymer having phenolic functionality and coating compositions formed therefrom A polyester polymer is provided that includes at least one pendant phenolic-containing group. In one embodiment, the polyester polymer is combined with an optional crosslinker and an optional carrier to form a coating composition suitable for use in coating articles such as packaging articles. The coating composition typically includes a resole phenolic crosslinker. In one embodiment, the polyester polymer has at least one phenolic-containing group that comprises an adduct of cardanol.
US09096771B2	Ink set and image printing method An ink set includes a first ink that contains a white material and a first resin; and a second ink that contains a color material other than the white material and a second resin, wherein the first resin includes a component (A) causing cracks when resin of 0.5 g is dropped onto a slide glass and is dried at a temperature of 50° C. and a humidity of 0% RH for 10 minutes, and wherein the second resin includes a component (B) of at least one of polyolefin wax and ethylene vinyl acetate resin.
US09096756B2	Process for obtaining low free monomer levels in a block copolymer emulsion prepared with (reverse) iodine transfer polymerisation A process for obtaining an aqueous emulsion comprising a block copolymer by the solution polymerisation of vinyl monomers to obtain block [B] in the presence of a) a radical precursor; and b) an iodine atom containing block [A]; where block [A] and [B] together comprise 0 to 2 wt % of methacrylic acid; where block [A] and block [B] together comprise ≧2.5 wt % of vinyl monomers bearing ionic or potentially ionic water-dispersing groups not including methacrylic acid; and performing a post polymerisation reaction on the block copolymer emulsion obtained in step II; and wherein said aqueous emulsion has a free vinyl monomer level <1000 ppm when having a solids content of ≧20 wt %.
US09096736B2	Fine graphite particles, graphite particle-dispersed liquid containing the same, and method for producing fine graphite particles Fine graphite particles include plate-like graphite particles; and an aromatic vinyl copolymer which is adsorbed on the plate-like graphite particles, and which contains a vinyl aromatic monomer unit represented by the following formula (1): —(CH2—CHX)— (1) (in the formula (1), X represents a phenyl group, a naphthyl group, an anthracenyl group, or a pyrenyl group, provided that these groups may have each a substituent).
US09096732B2	Conveyance method for water-absorbing resin powder substance [Problem] To provide a pneumatic conveyance method for a water-absorbing resin powder substance, which is capable of suppressing property decrease of the water-absorbing resin powder substance, while suppressing obstruction phenomenon.[Solution] A conveyance method for a water-absorbing resin powder substance by pneumatic conveyance of the water-absorbing resin powder substance during a production step via a transportation pipeline, wherein a variation of a solid-gas ratio (R1/R2) exceeds 1 and is equal to or smaller than 7, provided that R1 (kg-resin/kg-air) stands for an initial solid-gas ratio at a start point of the transportation pipeline, and R2 (kg-resin/kg-air) stands for a terminal solid-gas ratio at a terminal point of the transportation pipeline is provided.
US09096728B2	Heat insulating material A method of manufacturing a resin foam includes dissolving a blowing agent into a mixture of a resin C and a resin D having a difference of solubility with respect to the blowing agent in an amount of more than 0% and less than 5%; subjecting the mixture to heat-melting for extrusion; and evaporating the blowing agent such that the resin foam has a porosity (X) of not less than 80%, a cell (L) with a cell diameter of not less than 1 μm and not more than 1000 μm, and a cell (S) with a cell diameter of not less than 0.01 μm and less than 1 μm, in which two peaks are present in cell diameter distribution, one peak thereof being present in not less than 10 μm and not more than 500 μm and the other peak being present in not less than 0.01 μm and less than 1 μm.
US09096723B2	Production process of poly(arylene sulfide) and poly(arylene sulfide) A production process of a poly(arylene sulfide), including (a) a polymerization step of polymerizing at least one sulfur source selected from the group consisting of alkali metal sulfides and alkali metal hydrosulfides and a dihalo-aromatic compound in an organic amide solvent to form a polymer; (b) a separation step of separating the polymer from a liquid reaction mixture containing the polymer formed after the polymerization step; (c) a washing step of washing the polymer with at least one washing liquid selected from the group consisting of water, an organic solvent and a mixed solution of water and an organic solvent as desired; and (d) an aqueous oxidizing solution treatment step of treating the polymer by bringing the polymer into contact with an aqueous oxidizing solution.
US09096712B2	Curable compositions, method of coating a phototool, and coated phototool A curable composition comprises: an epoxy silane represented by formula X—Si(OR1)(OR2)(OR3) wherein R1-R3 represent C1 to C4 alkyl groups, and X represents an organic group having at least one oxirane ring; a fluorinated silane represented by formula; wherein: Rf represents a perfluoroalkyl group having from 3 to 5 carbon atoms, R4 represents H or a C1 to C4 alkyl group, and R5-R7 represent C1 to C4 alkyl groups; and a photoacid. Use of the curable composition to coat a phototool, thereby providing a protective coating on the phototool is also disclosed.
US09096711B2	Powder coating composition comprising a polyester and a crosslinker with oxirane groups providing improved corrosion resistance to a substrate coated therewith The invention relates to a carboxylic acid functional branched polyester for thermosetting powder coating composition, wherein said polyester is prepared from at least the following monomers: a difunctional aromatic acid, the difunctional aromatic acid being a combination of terephthalic acid (TPA), isophthalic acid (IPA), an at least trifunctional monomer and a difunctional alcohol, the difunctional alcohol being a combination of at least ethylene glycol (EG) and/or diethylene glycol (DEG) and neopentyl glycol (NPG), the molar ratio of TPA to IPA in the carboxylic acid functional branched polyester is at most 12.4, and the functionality of the carboxylic acid functional branched polyester is from 2.15 to 4.0, and the carboxylic acid functional branched polyester has an acid value of from 14 to 80 mg KOH/g resin, and the carboxylic acid functional branched polyester has a glass transition temperature of at least 40C. The powder coating compositions of the present invention derived upon curing of the thermosetting powder coating compositions which comprise the polyester according to the invention together with a crosslinker with oxirane groups and an epoxy cure catalyst present good corrosion resistance to steel substrates. Furthermore, said low cost and corrosion resistant powder coatings may present good reverse impact resistance (RIR) and/or good smoothness.
US09096703B2	Non-fouling, anti-microbial, anti-thrombogenic graft-from compositions A method for preparing and resulting articles of manufacture comprising a substrate having a surface, a bulk beneath the surface, and a grafted polymer layer on the substrate surface, the substrate surface and the grafted polymer layer, in combination, constituting a modified surface having a fibrinogen adsorption of less than about 125 ng/cm2 in a fibrinogen binding assay in which the modified surface is incubated for 60 minutes at 37° C. in 70 μg/mL fibrinogen derived from human plasma containing 1.4 μg/mL I-125 radiolabeled fibrinogen.
US09096700B2	Polymerization process for production of polymer A process comprising contacting a catalyst system with one or more olefins in a bubble column reactor. Also, a polyolefin copolymer composition comprising ethylene, propylene and optionally a C4 to C20 alpha olefin; said composition having a bimodal distribution with respect to composition distribution, molecular weight distribution or a combination thereof; an Mw of 10,000 g/mol or more; and/or at least two melting peaks in a DSC heating cycle with a difference in melting temperatures of at least 5° C.
US09096693B2	Method for obtaining inulin from plants The invention describes a method for obtaining inulin which comprises: a) finely comminuting inulin-containing plant material, wherein particle sizes of the plant material are generated which are smaller than the size of the inulin-containing plant cells, b) suspending the finely comminuted plant material in a liquid, wherein inulin is released from the plant material and suspended in particulate form in the liquid, c) separating off plant particles from the liquid, wherein the inulin which is suspended in particulate form remains in the liquid, d) separating off the inulin which is suspended in particulate form from the liquid. The method is suitable in particular for obtaining inulin from artichoke roots.
US09096692B2	Method to produce microcellulose The present invention relates to a process for producing microcellulose comprising subjecting fibrous cellulosic material to acid hydrolysis at a temperature of at least 40° C. and at a consistency of at least 8% on dry weight of the cellulose, wherein the amount of added acid is from 0.2 to 2%, preferably from 0.5 to 1.5% on dry weight of the cellulose.
US09096684B2	Peptidomimetic macrocycles The present invention provides peptidomimetic macrocycles capable of modulating growth hormone levels and methods of using such macrocycles for the treatment of disease.
US09096675B2	Cell suitable for fermentation of a mixed sugar composition The present invention relates to a cell suitable for production of one or more fermentation product from a sugar composition comprising glucose, galactose, arabinose and xylose, wherein the cell comprises two to fifteen copies of one or more xylose isomerase gene or two to fifteen copies of one or more xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase, and two to ten copies of araA, araB and araD, genes, wherein these genes are integrated into the cell genome.
US09096674B2	Antibodies for determining the prothrombin fragment F2/F1+2 in a homogeneous immunoassay The present invention is in the area of coagulation analysis and relates to antibodies which bind specifically to an immune complex of prothrombin fragment F2/F1+2 and an F2/F1+2 neoepitope-specific antibody fragment, and to the preparation and the use thereof in methods for determining F2/F1+2.
US09096661B2	Monoclonal antibodies for CSPG4 for the diagnosis and treatment of basal breast carcinoma It is disclosed herein that condroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), also known as high molecular weight melanoma associated antigen, is overexpressed on basal breast carcinoma cells (BBC), specifically triple negative basal breast carcinoma cells (TNBC). Methods for detecting basal breast cancer in a subject are disclosed. Methods are also disclosed for inhibiting the growth of a basal breast cancer cell. These methods include contacting the basal breast cancer cell with an effective amount of an antibody that specifically binds CSPG4. Additional treatment methods, and the use of antibody panels, are also described herein.
US09096657B2	HA binding agents This disclosure relates to novel peptide agents, e.g., antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, that bind hemagglutinin protein of influenza viruses, and methods of their use.
US09096654B2	Peptides capable of modulating the function of TIRC7 Provided are peptides capable of inhibiting proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from the third extracellular domain of T-cell immune response cDNA7 (TIRC7) costimulatory molecule are described. Compositions comprising such peptides and their use for the treatment of immune diseases are provided.

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